Search

A porous cellulose bioreactor with directional channels was prepared for flow catalysis. The hierarchical porous structure enhanced the mass transfer and improved the catalytic efficiency.

Strawberry is a nutritious food that is susceptible to mechanical injury and microbiological infection. Traditional coatings for strawberry packaging provide resistance against microbial infection but not against mechanical damage. In this study, a soft and elastic cellulose sponge modified with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@CS-1:1) was prepared as strawberry packaging material, and it provided effective protection against mechanical damage. In addition, after 1000 cyclic compression, AgNPs@CS-1:1 presented only 16.80% unrecoverable deformation and still had elasticity, suggesting its fatigue resistance and durable protection for strawberry against damage caused by repeated vibrations during transportation. In addition, AgNPs@CS-1:1 had good antibacterial (E. coli and S. aureus) and antifungal (Rhizopus stolonifer) abilities. The storage time of strawberries packaged by AgNPs@CS-1:1 was extended to 12 days without microbial invasion. Thus, AgNPs@CS-1:1 provided dual protection at the physical and microbial levels. This study proposes a new method for the preservation of strawberries based on the utilization of cellulose. more...

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcripts exceeding 200 nucleotides and lack protein coding potential, have been proved to play important roles in viral infection and host immunity. Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is an important pathogen, which causes the silkworm disease and leads to huge challenge to the sericultural industry. At present, researches on the roles of insect lncRNAs in host-virus interaction are relatively few. In this study, we explored the function of lincRNA_XR209691.3 that was significantly up-regulated in silkworm fat body upon BmNPV infection. Firstly, the subcellular localization experiment confirmed that lincRNA_XR209691.3 was present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Enhancing the expression of lincRNA_XR209691.3 in BmN cells could promote the proliferation of BmNPV, while inhibition of lincRNA_XR209691.3 by RNA interference suppress the proliferation of BmNPV. Combining RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry, we identified the host and BmNPV proteins that could interact with lincRNA_XR209691.3. Next, by using truncation experiment and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, it was found that lincRNA_XR209691.3 could bind to the Actin domain of BmHSP70. Subsequently, overexpression of lncRNA_XR209691.3 in BmN cells promoted the expression of BmHSP70, while knockdown of the BmHsp70 suppressed the replication of BmNPV. Based on above results, it is speculated that lincRNA_XR209691.3 could promote the proliferation of BmNPV through interaction with BmHSP70 possibly by improving the stability of BmHSP70 and thereby enhancing the expression of BmHSP70. Our results shed light on the lncRNA function in insect-pathogen interactions and provide a new clue to elucidate the molecular mechanism of BmNPV infection. more...

The whole genome sequence of mulberry crinivirus (MuCV), a novel member of the genus Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae) identified from mulberry (Morus alba L), was determined. The bipartite genome of MuCV consists of RNA1, which contains 8571 nucleotides (nt) with four putative open reading frames (ORFs), and RNA2, which contains 8082 nt with eight putative ORFs. The most striking features exhibited by MuCV are tRNA-like structures at the 5'- and 3' -ends of RNA1, which have not been reported for all known members of the family Closteroviridae. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp amino acid sequences of criniviruses placed MuCV in “Group 1”. more...

The whole genome sequence of mulberry crinivirus (MuCV), a novel member of the genus Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae) identified in mulberry (Morus alba L), was determined. The virus possesses a bipartite genome. RNA1 contains 8571 nucleotides (nt) with four open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1a encodes a putative polyprotein with papain-like protease, methyltransferase, and RNA helicase domains. ORF1b putatively encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is probably expressed via a + 1 ribosomal frameshift. RNA2 consists of 8082 nt, containing eight ORFs that are similar in size and position to orthologous genes of other criniviruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp amino acid sequences of criniviruses placed MuCV in group 1. more...

This study is to explore the effect of fabric parameters on fragrance retention, which was based on the olfactorymeasurement technology with the quantitative headspace method. The fragrance retention of different fabrics wasquantitatively evaluated by Electronic Nose (e-nose) at different time after volatilization. Quick-drying Tester was usedto test the fabric drying rate, which was related to fragrance retention. Besides, wicking property and porosity of fabrics,two factors of moisture transmission, were tested and calculated for analysis too. It was found that fabrics with the highercotton content had the better fragrance retention due to their hydrophilicity and water retention property of fibers. Plainfabric had the shorter fragrance retention than twill fabric since its lower porosity and the higher capillary pressure ledto the faster fragrance dissipation. As the fabric density increased or the yarn count decreased, the fragrance retentionincreased. Since their wicking properties decreased, the process of perfume diffusion would slow down. The data andmethods presented in this paper provide a basis for optimizing the parameters of fragrant fabric. more...

Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) is one of several viruses that cause great harm to the sericulture industry, and its pathogenic mechanism is still being explored. Geldanamycin (GA), a kind of HSP90 inhibitor, has been verified to suppress BmNPV proliferation. However, the molecular mechanism by which GA inhibits BmNPV is unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a key role in regulating virus proliferation and host-pathogen interactions. In this study, BmN cells infected with BmNPV were treated by GA and DMSO for 72 h, respectively, then transcriptome analysis of miRNA was performed from the GA group and the control group. As a result, a total of 29 miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE), with 13 upregulated and 16 downregulated. Using bioinformatics analysis, it was found that the target genes of DEmiRNAs were involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, phagosome, proteasome, endocytosis pathways, and so on. Six DEmiRNAs were verified by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. DElong noncoding RNA (DElncRNA)-DEmiRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory networks involved in apoptosis and immune pathways were constructed in GA-treated BmN cells, which included 12 DEmiRNA, 132 DElncRNA, and 69 mRNAs. This regulatory network enriched the functional role of miRNA in the BmNPV-silkworm interactions and improved our understanding of the molecular mechanism of HSP90 inhibitors on BmNPV proliferation. more...

Water contaminated by microorganisms will seriously endanger public safety, as many diseases are caused by microorganisms, and water disinfection materials offer an effective method to solve this problem. In this work, a hierarchical porous structure cellulose sponge (CS) was constructed as the water disinfection filter substrate, where “long−chain” cellulose served as the skeleton to construct major pores, and “short−chain” cellulose filled the gaps between “long−chain” cellulose to construct minor pores. After CS was covalently modified by chlorogenic acid (CGA) to fabricate cellulose–chlorogenic acid sponge (C−CGAS), a hierarchical porous structure was retained. Due to the hierarchical porous structure, C−CGAS showed good mechanical stability (2.84% unrecoverable strain after 1000 compression cycles). Furthermore, C−CGAS also showed good antibacterial and antifungal abilities due to the antimicrobial ability and high water flux, and C−CGAS could eliminate 95% of E. coli within 0.5 h in the water disinfection test. Due to the stable covalent modification of CGA and its mechanical stability, C−CGAS showed no breakage, and even after nine consecutive use cycles, the antibacterial properties were almost unchanged. Thus, C−CGAS is a reusable and highly efficient water disinfection material. This study provides a new approach for the preparation of recyclable, safe, and efficient water disinfection materials. more...

Tripartite motif protein 32 (TRIM32), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been reported to participate in many human cancers. However, the underlying role of TRIM32 in glioma remains largely unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the function of TRIM32 in glioma cells and the clinical implications and found that TRIM32 was upregulated in glioma tissues. Consistently, overexpression of TRIM32 promoted glioma U87 and U251 cell proliferation and conferred cell resistance to temozolomide (TMZ). Conversely, knockdown of TRIM32 inhibited glioma cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo and sensitized glioma cells to the treatment of TMZ in a p53-dependent and -independent manner. Mechanistically, knockdown of TRIM32 induced apoptosis of U87 an U251 cells. In addition, TRIM32 interacted with the antiapoptotic proteins BCL-xL and BCL-w, which antagonized the inhibitory effect of TRIM32 knockdown in U87 cells. Together, our study uncovered the role of TRIM32 in glioma and TRIM32 may be a potential therapeutic target for gliomas. more...

Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNA H19 has been associated with tumour progression, but the underlying molecular tumourigenesis mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report that H19 expression is frequently downregulated in human primary pituitary adenomas and is negatively correlated with tumour progression. Consistently, upregulation of H19 expression inhibits pituitary tumour cell proliferation in vitro and tumour growth in vivo. Importantly, we uncover a function of H19, which controls cell/tumour growth through inhibiting function of mTORC1 but not mTORC2. Mechanistically, we show that H19 could block mTORC1-mediated 4E-BP1 phosphorylation without affecting S6K1 activation. At the molecular level, H19 interacted with 4E-BP1 at the TOS motif and competitively inhibited 4E-BP1 binding to Raptor. Finally, we demonstrate that H19 is more effective than cabergoline treatment in the suppression of pituitary tumours. Together, our study uncovered the role of H19-mTOR-4E-BP1 axis in pituitary tumour growth regulation that may be a potential therapeutic target for human pituitary tumours., LncRNA H19 has been shown to be aberrantly expressed in different cancers. Here, the authors show that H19 lncRNA is downregulated in pituitary adenomas and H19 is able to impede pituitary tumorigenesis via disruption of 4E-BPB1 and Raptor interaction to inhibit the phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. more...

Mulberry (Morus alba L.), a traditional industrial crop, has various cultivars and a large planting area in China and consequently, high exploitation potential. The aim of this study was to systematically study the mulberry resources in eastern China. Twenty-four mulberry leaf samples of eight representative cultivars from five provinces in eastern China were investigated. The alkaloid and polyphenols contents were determined by HPLC–MS/MS, and the total polyphenols and flavonoid contents were also obtained. Then, FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH tests were used to determine the antioxidant activity of mulberry leaves. The results indicated that the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin was within the range of 0.438 ± 0.010 mg/g–2.159 ± 0.016 mg/g, and the content of fagomine ranged from 0.379 ± 0.018 mg/g to 1.675 ± 0.021 mg/g. The samples from Anhui had the best antioxidant activity, of which the DPPH free radical-scavenging capacity reached 70.837 ± 1.246%, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power was 258.864 ± 22.718 mmol Fe2+/g. The principal component analysis results showed that there was a good correlation between the total polyphenols content, total flavonoid content, chlorogenic acid content, and antioxidant activity. Considering the active ingredient contents and antioxidant activity, we found that Yu711 was the most economically valuable variety, and Anhui is the best location to promote mulberry cultivation in eastern China, which provides a basis for the rational utilization of mulberry industrial products. more...

Biorefinery of Ramulus mori with lower energy consumption through improved enzyme and pretreatment strategies was reported. Directed evolution and saturation mutagenesis were used for the modification of xylanase, the yield of fermentable sugars and the degree of synergy (DS) were determined for different pretreatment (seawater/non-seawater) and enzyme treatment groups (xylanase/cellulase/co-treatment). The dominant mutant I133A/Q143Y of Bispora sp. xylanase XYL10C_ΔN was obtained with improved specific activity (1860 U/mg), catalytic efficiency (1150 mL/s∙mg) at 40 °C, and thermostability (T50 increased by 7 °C). With the pretreatment of seawater immersion, the highest yield of fermentable sugars for Ramulus mori at 40 °C reached 199 μmol/g when hydrolyzed with cellulase and I133A/Q143Y, with the highest DS of 2.6; this was 4.5-fold that of the group hydrolyzed by cellulase alone with non-seawater pretreatment. Thus, bioconversion of reducing sugar from Ramulus mori was improved significantly at lower temperatures, which provides an efficient and energy-saving way for biofuel production. more...

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of bromocriptine (BRC) versus cabergoline (CAB) in patients with giant prolactinomas. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and Clinical Trials.gov for studies dated before March 1st, 2016, that used BRC or CAB for the treatment of patients with giant prolactinomas. Specific eligibility criteria were set to identify articles and cases. The selected articles were reviewed, and the data were extracted for analysis. The compared outcomes included tumor shrinkage, tumor response, normalization of prolactin (PRL) level, and visual field defect (VFD) improvement. Gender differences were also considered. Differences between the groups were assessed using Student's t test and the chi-square test. Two hundred and forty-five records were identified, and 10 articles and 104 cases met the inclusion criteria. Based on our analysis, CAB is significantly better than BRC in normalizing PRL levels in patients, especially males, with giant prolactinomas (69.4% versus 31.7%, p = 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between the two drugs in terms of tumor shrinkage, tumor response and VFD improvement (p > 0.05) in male or female patients. CAB exhibits significantly better efficacy than BRC in the normalization of PRL levels in male patients with giant prolactinomas. Regarding tumor reduction and VFD improvement, both drugs are comparably effective for patients of both genders. This quantitative and systematic review provides preliminary evidence in favor of CAB as a medical therapy for treating giant prolactinomas in male patients, especially those with extremely high PRL levels. more...

Never in mitosis A (NIMA)-related kinase 1 (Nek1) regulates cell cycle progression to mitosis. Its expression and potential functions in human gliomas have not been studied. Here, our immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay and Western blot assay results showed that Nek1 expression was significantly upregulated in fresh and paraffin-embedded human glioma tissues. Its level in normal brain tissues was low. Nek1 overexpression in human gliomas was correlated with the proliferation marker (Ki-67), tumor grade, Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) and more importantly, patients' poor survival. Further studies showed that Nek1 expression level was also increased in multiple human glioma cell lines (U251-MG, U87-MG, U118, H4 and U373). Significantly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Nek1 inhibited glioma cell (U87-MG/U251-MG) growth. Nek1 siRNA also sensitized U87-MG/U251-MG cells to temozolomide (TMZ), causing a profound apoptosis induction and growth inhibition. The current study indicates Nek1 might be a novel and valuable oncotarget of glioma, it is important for glioma cell growth and TMZ-resistance. more...

Cabergoline (CAB), the first-line drug for treatment of prolactinomas, is effective in suppressing prolactin hypersecretion, reducing tumor size, and restoring gonadal function. However, mechanisms for CAB-mediated tumor shrinkage are largely unknown. Here we report a novel cytotoxic mechanism for CAB. CAB induced formation of autophagosome in rat pituitary tumor MMQ and GH3 cells at the early stage through inhibiting mTOR pathway, resulting in higher conversion rates of LC3-I to LC3-II, GFP-LC3 aggregation, and increased autophagosome formation. Interestingly, CAB treatment augmented lysosome acidification and resulted in impaired proteolytic degradation within autolysosomes. This blocked the autophagic flux, leading to the accumulation of p62 aggregation and undigested autolysosomes. Knockdown of ATG7, ATG5, or Becn1, could significantly rescue the CAB-mediated cell death of MMQ cells (p < 0.05). CAB-induced autophagy and blockade of autophagy flux participated in antitumoral action in vivo. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that CAB concomitantly induces autophagy and inhibits the autophagic flux, leading to autophagy-dependent cell death. These findings elucidate novel mechanisms for CAB action. more...

Heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) is a collagen-binding protein, which has been recently found to express in glioma vessels. However, the expression profile of HSP47 in glioma patients and the underlying mechanisms of HSP47 on glioma angiogenesis are not fully explored. In the current study, we found that expression of HSP47 in glioma vessels was correlated with the grades of gliomas. HSP47 knockdown by siRNAs significantly decreased cell viability in vitro and tumor volume in vivo; moreover, it reduced the microvessel density (MVD) by CD31 immunohistochemistry in vivo. HSP47 knockdown significantly inhibited tube formation, invasion and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Furthermore, conditional medium derived from HSP47 knockdown cells significantly inhibited HUVECs tube formation and migration, while it increased chemosensitivity of HUVECs cells to Avastin. Silencing of HSP47 decreased VEGF expression in glioma cells consistently, and reduced glioma vasculature. Furthermore, HSP47 promoted glioma angiogenesis through HIF1α-VEGFR2 signaling. The present study demonstrates that HSP47 promotes glioma angiogenesis and highlights the importance of HSP47 as an attractive therapeutic target of GBM. more...

Chemicals or agents that can induce plant male sterility are considered chemical hybridizing agents (CHAs) and are quite useful for plant hybrid breeding. Tribenuron-methyl (TBM) can effectively induce male sterility in rapeseed plants. However, applications of TBM in rapeseed breeding practices have not been reported. Here, treatment with the CHA referred to as CHA-TBM, which contained 0.1–0.9 mg/L TBM, induced male sterility in all 22 tested rapeseed inbred lines. However, the highest induced male sterile rates in the tested rapeseed lines were only approximately 54–57% together with poisoned rates of approximately 36–39%, which were resulted from two treatments of CHA-TBM containing 0.5 mg/L TBM at an interval of 9 days beginning at the floral bud stage (FBS) of 2.0–3.5 mm. Such male sterile rates and poisoned rates caused by CHA-TBM indicated that TBM is not an ideal CHA for rapeseed hybrid breeding. The results of many screening experiments showed that forchlorfenuron can alleviate the toxic effects of TBM on rapeseed plants. Two treatments with the CHA referred to as CHA-TBM-FCF, which contained 0.6 mg/L TBM and 2.1 mg/L forchlorfenuron, at an interval of 9 days beginning at the FBS of 2.0–3.5 mm induced male sterility in approximately 96–98% of plants of all the 22 tested rapeseed inbred lines and poisoned only approximately 2–4% of the tested plants. The CHA-TBM-FCF treatment did not affect pistil fertility of the rapeseed plants, and had no carry-over influence on stamen fertility of the rapeseed hybrids produced with this CHA. Some rapeseed hybrids were successfully produced using CHA-TBM-FCF (e.g., Qinrong 1, Qinrong 2, Qinyou 19, Qinyou 33, Qinzayou 4 and Qinzayou 5). The hybridity values of the F1 seeds of the rapeseed hybrids produced using CHA-TBM-FCF were determined to be approximately 93–98% with the simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker techniques. Together, the results indicate that CHA-TBM-FCF containing TBM and forchlorfenuron at suitable concentrations is an ideal CHA for rapeseed hybrid breeding. more...

Dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine and cabergoline have been successfully used in the treatment of pituitary prolactinomas and other neuroendocrine tumors. However, their therapeutic mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study we demonstrated that DRD5 (dopamine receptor D5) agonists were potent inhibitors of pituitary tumor growth. We further found that DRD5 activation increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibited the MTOR pathway, induced macroautophagy/autophagy, and led to autophagic cell death (ACD) in vitro and in vivo. In addition, DRD5 protein was highly expressed in the majority of human pituitary adenomas, and treatment of different human pituitary tumor cell cultures with the DRD5 agonist SKF83959 resulted in growth suppression, and the efficacy was correlated with the expression levels of DRD5 in the tumors. Furthermore, we found that DRD5 was expressed in other human cancer cells such as glioblastomas, colon cancer, and gastric cancer. DRD5 activation in these cell lines suppressed their growth, inhibited MTOR activity, and induced autophagy. Finally, in vivo SKF83959 also inhibited human gastric cancer cell growth in nude mice. Our studies revealed novel mechanisms for the tumor suppressive effects of DRD5 agonists, and suggested a potential use of DRD5 agonists as a novel therapeutic approach in the treatment of different human tumors and cancers. more...

MicroRNAs (miRNA) have been implicated in the resistance of tumors to chemotherapy. However, little is known about miRNA expression in bromocriptine-resistant prolactinomas. In this study, 23 prolactinoma samples were classified as bromocriptine-sensitive or -resistant according to the clinical definition of bromocriptine resistance, and their miRNA expression profiles were determined using Solexa sequencing. We found 41 miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the two groups, and 12 of these were validated by stem-loop qRT-PCR. Hsa-mir-93, hsa-mir-17, hsa-mir-22*, hsa-mir-126*, hsa-mir-142-3p, hsa-mir-144*, hsa-mir-486-5p, hsa-mir-451, and hsa-mir-92a were up-regulated and hsa-mir-30a, hsa-mir-382, and hsa-mir-136 were down-regulated in bromocriptine-resistant prolactinomas in comparison with bromocriptine-sensitive prolactinomas. Furthermore, silencing of mir-93 significantly increased the sensitivity of MMQ cells to dopamine agonist treatment. Mir-93 directly affected p21 expression in MMQ cells by targeting the 3'-UTR. Our study is the first to identify a miRNA expression profile associated with bromocriptine-resistant prolactinoma. more...

Based on two phase homogeneous mixture model, numerical simulation of the cavitating flow was performed on a centrifugal pump. Cavity shapes and performance of the pump in variable cavitation numbers were obtained. Numerical results show that the numerical method can be used to predict the cavitation performance of centrifugal pump; the incipient cavitation number is predicted, and the cavity shape is similar with the experiment; cavitation usually appears in the suction surface of the blade and locates in the inlet side, and becomes longer to the outlet direction with lower cavitation number; when the cavitation number is relatively higher, cavitating region locates in the inlet area of the blade and is relatively stable, while develops and separates when cavitation number becomes lower; when the cavitation number equals to the incipient cavitation number, performance of the centrifugal pump has no change almost, only when cavitation number reduces to some extent, the head decreases abruptly and also the efficiency, which means the pump operates in a bad condition and this condition should be avoided in the practical operation. more...

The U.S.A has launched the Mars Orbiter. It brought a high resolution imaging science equipment, and that is the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera(HIRISE). HIRISE is 0.5 m reflecting telescope, which is the highest one ever carried on a deep space mission, and it has a resolution of 1 microradian (rad), or 0.3 m from an altitude of 300 km. HIRISE can investigate deposits and landforms resulting from geologic and climatic processes and assist in the evaluation of candidate. As a high degree of lightweight ultra-high resolution camera, the design of its FPA is unparalleled .Therefore we should study and learn it carefully. In this article, first of all we discuss and analyze the characters of the HIRISE FPA in terms of the structural layout, material selection, splicing of the CCD, the CCD package, electronics, processing and transmission, and thermal control measures implementation. Next we put forward the design method of highly lightweight space optical remote sensor FPA combined with the characters of the HIRISE FPA, which can provide a reference to the design of the FPA for some space remote sensings. (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland. more...

Oxidative stress (OS) is involved in the progression of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH)-induced secondary brain injury. The pathway involving Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is currently recognised as the major endogenous regulatory system against oxidative injury. Although its beneficial role has been described for ICH, the time course of Keap1-Nrf2 pathway expression, the activity of downstream antioxidative enzymes, and the association with brain oedema and neurological deficits have not been fully investigated. In this study, we investigated the temporal changes in expression of Keap1, Nrf2, and their downstream antioxidative proteins in the ICH rat brain. We additionally quantified the relationship between these gene and protein changes with brain water content and neurological behaviour scores. After blood infusion, Keap1 showed decreased expression starting at 8 h, whereas Nrf2 began to show a significant increase at 2 h with a peak at 24 h. Keap1 and Nrf2 are chiefly expressed in neuronal cells but not in glial cells. The downstream antioxidative enzymes such as haemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione (GSH), thioredoxin (TRX), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST-α1) increased to different degrees during the early stages of ICH. Among these enzymes, HO-1 showed a significant time-dependent increase starting 8 h after ICH. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the HO-1 level and brain water content. In combination, these results suggest that activation of the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway may play an important endogenous neuroprotective role during OS after ICH. Because HO-1 expression is temporally associated with brain oedema - reflective of the severity of brain injury - it may be used as a biomarker of haeme-mediated oxidative damage after ICH. more...

In order to solve the problems of flow measurement and to obtain the sectional velocity distribution of open channel, the FLUENT simulation method was adopted. The velocity-area method based on the sectional velocity distribution was introduced, and the flow measurement equipment of open channel was also designed. The experiment result shows that the error of the method is less than 1%. more...

Background: Recent studies have shown that urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is rapidly up-regulated early after murine renal injury, and in patients after cardiac surgery or patients criti- cally ill with multiple trauma. In this study, we evalu- ated urinary NGAL levels as a potential biomarker of early acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: All patients with severe TBI admitted to our neurosurgical intensive care unit from March to September 2011 were enrolled prospectively. Urinary NGAL was measured using a chemiluminescent mic- roparticle immunoassay upon admission and at 24 and 48 hours after TBI. The presence of AKI was defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria. Results: Using AKIN criteria, a total of 13 patients were identified with AKI, an incidence of 24%. Those who subsequently developed AKI had a striking rise in urinary NGAL early after TBI and a sustained in- crease over the entire duration of the study. The uri- nary NGAL level of the AKI group was significantly higher than the group without AKI at all time points. Using a cutoff value of 53.9 ng/mL, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for urinary NGAL at 48 hours was 0.876 with a sensitivity of 0.69 and specificity of 0.95. Conclusions: Increased urinary NGAL is associated with an increased occurrence of AKI in patients with severe TBI. It is possible that urinary NGAL could pro- vide a screening tool for AKI immediately after severe TBI, and this may in turn allow early intervention to ameliorate the adverse effects of AKI. more...

The antimicrobial efficacy of polyethylene (PE) with organic antibacterial agent and inorganic antibacterial agent were evaluated in this work. Moreover, inhibition to bacterial biofilm on their surfaces was investigated in detail. Our experimental results showed that both modified PE samples exhibited excellent antimicrobial performances against S. aureus and E. coli with low cell suspension. When cell suspension increased up to109 cell/ml, a large amount of bacteria (S. aureus and E. coli) and extracellular polysaccharide matrix adhered to the untreated PE and PE with inorganic antibacterial agent. On the other hand, adhesion, colonization and biofilm of S. aureus did not occur on PE with organic antibacterial agent, and a little E. coli survived on its surface. It was demonstrated that organic antibacterial agent had better ability to inhibit bacteria propagation than the inorganic one in initial time, and thus it prevented adherent bacteria to develop biofilm on the surface. The difference was derived from different initial effect time of them against bacteria. Therefore, it was a better approach to prevent catheter-related infections through addition of organic reagent into bulk material. more...

In order to solve the problem of the calibration for the open-channel flow meter; the online calibration equipment was introduced. The velocity-area method was adopted as the measurement principle. The real time velocities and liquid level of different feature points in the open-channel were measured automatically. The flow rate of the open-channel was calculated and the online calibration was done. more...

Consumers’ product style perceptions and preference are vague and uncertain. In order to identify consumers’ needs more accurately, this paper established a questionnaire based on fuzzy data, carried out a spot check to consumers’ style preference and perceptions of twelve office chairs with typical form style, then conducted the mean, distances calculation and fuzzy clustering analysis by Excel, SPSS, and Matlab. Comparing with statistics results of traditional questionnaire data, this paper points out that fuzzy data statistics are suitable for the mean calculation of small sample and the clustering algorithm of few preference variables. more...

To analyze the accuracy in the volume measurement of vertical tank with flowmeter, experiment based on volume measurement device of standard flowmeter method with different flowmeter is made in this paper. The capacity values of different liquid level in tank which are used to fitting and correcting the actual results of continuous measurement are calibrated by standard flowmeter and level gauge. Fitting coefficient can be used to analyze the accuracy of other measurement. Experiment results show that it is feasible to measure the capacity of vertical tank by standard flowmeter with high measure accuracy and small measure error. more...