A bacterial strain of the genus Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inoculated into a hydrocarbon culture medium and incubated for a definite period of time. The ability of the bacterial strain to biodegrade a hydrocarbon, viz...A bacterial strain of the genus Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inoculated into a hydrocarbon culture medium and incubated for a definite period of time. The ability of the bacterial strain to biodegrade a hydrocarbon, viz. n-hexadecane, was evaluated through determining the hexadecane concentration in the inoculated culture medium on a gas chromatograph (GC). The effect of pH value on the degrading ability of the bacterial isolate and the impact of temperature on microbial growth were also explored. Test results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was markedly effective in biodegrading n-hexadecane. Furthermore, the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to biodegrade n-hexadecane was different at various pH values. Pseudomonas aeruginosa provided excellent degrading ability at a pH value of 7.0. The microbial cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased with an increasing incubation duration at temperatures ranging from 28 ℃ to 35 ℃, and an exponential phase of microbial growth was observed.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transfection on hepatic sinusoidal capillarization. METHODS: Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)/ VEGF transfection was confirmed by im...AIM: To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transfection on hepatic sinusoidal capillarization. METHODS: Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)/ VEGF transfection was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunohistoche-mistry both in primary hepatocytes and in normal liver. Cirrhotic rats were generated by thioacetamide (TAA) administration and then divided into a treatment group, which received injections of 400 μg of plasmid DNA encoding an EGFP- VEGF fusion protein, and a blank group, which received an equal amount of normal saline through the portal vein. The portal vein pressure was measured in the normal and cirrhotic state, in treated and blank groups. The average number of fenestrae per hepatic sinusoid was determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the relative abundance of VEGF transcripts was examined by Gene array. RESULTS: Green fluorescent protein was observed in the cytoplasms of liver cells under immunofluorescence microscopy 24 h after transfection with EGFP/VEGF plasmid in vitro. Staining with polyclonal antibodies against VEGF illustrated that hepatocytes expressedimmunodetectable VEGF both in vitro and in vitro. There were significant differences in the number of fenestrae and portal vein pressures between normal and cirrhotic rats (7.40 ± 1.71 vs 2.30 ± 1.16 and 9.32 ± 0.85 cmH2O vs 17.92 ± 0.90 cmH2O, P < 0.01), between cirrhotic and treated rats (2.30 ± 1.16 cmH2O vs 4.60 ± 1.65 and 17.92 ± 0.90 cmH2O vs 15.52 ± 0.93 cmH2O, P < 0.05) and between the treatment group and the blank group (4.60 ± 1.65 cmH2O vs 2.10 ± 1.10 cmH2O and 15.52 ± 0.93 cmH2O vs 17.26 ± 1.80 cmH2O, P < 0.05). Gene- array analysis revealed that the relative abundance of transcripts of VEGF family members decreased in the cirrhotic state and increased after transfection. CONCLUSION: Injection of a plasmid encoding VEGF through the portal vein is an effective method to induce the formation of fenestrae and decrease portal vein pressure in cirrhotic rats. Therefore, it may be a good choice for treating hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension.展开更多
Acromegaly is an insidious endocrine disease character- ized by chronic elevation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).Ell Persistent excess se- cretion of GH and IGF-1 damages both card...Acromegaly is an insidious endocrine disease character- ized by chronic elevation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).Ell Persistent excess se- cretion of GH and IGF-1 damages both cardiac structure and function, leading to acromegalic cardiomyopathy, which is one of the most common causes of increased mortality in acromegaly and can result in an average of 10-year reduction in life expectancy.I2'31 In patients with acromegaly, approximately 3% have been reported having a unique cardiomyopathy characterized by biventricular hypertrophy, myocardial necrosis, lymphocytic infiltration, interstitialfibrosis.展开更多
Objective To investigate fingernail growth rate (FNGR) role in the physiological or pathological status of the fingernails in normal Chinese population. Methods The FNGR was measured with vernier caliper. The data of ...Objective To investigate fingernail growth rate (FNGR) role in the physiological or pathological status of the fingernails in normal Chinese population. Methods The FNGR was measured with vernier caliper. The data of 1 595 fingernails from 208 normal Chinese subjects (including 96 men and 112 women; age ranging from 14 to 78 years) were analyzed. Results The average FNGR was (0.104±0.027) mm per day. Higher growth rates were observed in males than in females, in the young individuals than in the old individuals, in summer than in winter, and in the right hand than in the left hand, respectively. The FNGR differed among fingernails and decreased in order of precedence: middle fingernails, index fingernails or ring fingernails, thumb and little fingernails. Conclusion FNGR was significantly associated with age, gender and temperature. Different fingernail grew at an individual speed.展开更多
In recent years, with the constant change in the global climate, the effect of climate factors on net primary productivity(NPP) has become a hot research topic. However, two opposing views have been presented in this ...In recent years, with the constant change in the global climate, the effect of climate factors on net primary productivity(NPP) has become a hot research topic. However, two opposing views have been presented in this research area: global NPP increases with global warming, and global NPP decreases with global warming. The main reasons for these two opposite results are the tremendous differences among seasonal and annual climate variables, and the growth of plants in accordance with these climate variables. Therefore, it will fail to fully clarify the relation between vegetation growth and climate changes by research that relies solely on annual data. With seasonal climate variables, we may clarify the relation between vegetation growth and climate changes more accurately. Our research examined the arid and semiarid areas in China(ASAC), which account for one quarter of the total area of China. The ecological environment of these areas is fragile and easily affected by human activities. We analyzed the influence of climate changes, especially the changes in seasonal climate variables, on NPP, with Climatic Research Unit(CRU) climatic data and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) satellite remote data, for the years 2000–2010. The results indicate that: for annual climatic data, the percentage of the ASAC in which NPP is positively correlated with temperature is 66.11%, and 91.47% of the ASAC demonstrates a positive correlation between NPP and precipitation. Precipitation is more positively correlated with NPP than temperature in the ASAC. For seasonal climatic data, the correlation between NPP and spring temperature shows significant regional differences. Positive correlation areas are concentrated in the eastern portion of the ASAC, while the western section of the ASAC generally shows a negative correlation. However, in summer, most areas in the ASAC show a negative correlation between NPP and temperature. In autumn, precipitation is less important in the west, as opposed to the east, in which it is critically important. Temperatures in winter are a limiting factor for NPP throughout the region. The findings of this research not only underline the importance of seasonal climate variables for vegetation growth, but also suggest that the effects of seasonal climate variables on NPP should be explored further in related research in the future.展开更多
Application of organic waste to saline alkaline soils is considered to be a good practice for soil remediation. The effects of applying different organic amendments (e.g., cattle dung, vermicompost, biofertilizer) a...Application of organic waste to saline alkaline soils is considered to be a good practice for soil remediation. The effects of applying different organic amendments (e.g., cattle dung, vermicompost, biofertilizer) and earthworm inoculations (Eisenia fetida) on saline soils and cotton growth were investigated during i year of cotton cultivation. Compared to the control (applied with inorganic NPK fertilizer), applying organic amendments improved soil physicochemical properties. Biofertilizer application improved available nutrient content, reduced short-term soil electrical conductivity, and produced the highest cotton yield, whereas cattle dung and vermicompost applications resulted in higher soil organic matter content. Application of organic amendments significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon during the flowering period, which sharply declined at harvest. This was especially true for the biofertilizer treatment, which also exhibited lower nematode abundance compared with the other organic materials. Earthworm inoculation following cattle dung application failed to significantly change soil physicochemical properties when compared to the treatments without earthworm inoculation. Results suggest that biofertilizer application to saline soil would improve soil nutrient status in the short-term, whereas cattle dung application would improve soil organic matter content and increase soil organism abundance to a greater extent. However, different strategies might be required for long-term saline soil remediation.展开更多
To investigate characteristics of H isotope variation in long-chain n-alkanes (δDn-alkanes) from higher plants in surface soils under a single ecosystem, 12 samples from a basalt regolith were randomly collected fr...To investigate characteristics of H isotope variation in long-chain n-alkanes (δDn-alkanes) from higher plants in surface soils under a single ecosystem, 12 samples from a basalt regolith were randomly collected from Damaping in Wanquan County of Zhangjiakou in North China. Molecular distribution and C (δ^13Cn-alkanes) and H isotopes of long-chain n-alkanes, as well as C isotopes of TOC (δ^13CTOC), were analyzed. Both δ^13CTOC and δ^13Cn-alkanes values from four representative dominant long-chain n-alkanes (n-C27, n-C29, n-C31, n-C33) derived from terrestrial higher plants show minor variations among the 12 samples, indicating the major contributor is from local grasses with a uniform C3 photosynthetic pathway. In contrast, variations in δ^13Cn-alkanes values of the four long-chain n-alkanes are relatively large, with the more abundant homologs generally showing more negative δDn-alkanes values and less variation. However, variation of 〈30‰ among weighted averaged δDn-alkanes values of the four long-chain n-alkanes is not only less than that among δDn-alkanes values for different modern terrestrial C3 grasses from the specific locations, but also less than the literature values of δDn-alkanes of long-chain n-alkanes for single species over different seasons. Thus, because the sources of long-chain n-alkanes in surface soils and sediments are similarly from multiple individual plants, our results are significant in confirming that paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental and paleohydrological information can be interpreted more accurately from δDn-alkanes values of long-chain n-alkanes from sediments, particularly terrestrial sediments with organic matter derived from in-situ plants.展开更多
Orthorhombic HoMnO3(HMO) thin films were grown epitaxially on LaAlO3(001) substrates by using pulsed laser deposition technique. The films showed perfect orthorhombic crystallization and were well-aligned with the sub...Orthorhombic HoMnO3(HMO) thin films were grown epitaxially on LaAlO3(001) substrates by using pulsed laser deposition technique. The films showed perfect orthorhombic crystallization and were well-aligned with the substrates. The in-plane dielectric constant and loss of HMO films were measured as functions of temperature(80–300 K) and frequency(120 Hz–100 kHz) by using coplanar interdigital electrodes. Two thermally activated dielectric relaxations were found, and the respective peaks shifted to higher temperatures as the measuring frequency increased. The in-plane dielectric properties of epitaxial orthorhombic HMO films were considered as universal dielectric response behavior, and the dipolar effects and the hopping conductivity induced by the charge carriers were used to explain the results.展开更多
基金support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (project No. 50975282)the Natural Science Foundation for Outstanding Youths, Chongqing, China (project No. CSTC,2008BA4037)
文摘A bacterial strain of the genus Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inoculated into a hydrocarbon culture medium and incubated for a definite period of time. The ability of the bacterial strain to biodegrade a hydrocarbon, viz. n-hexadecane, was evaluated through determining the hexadecane concentration in the inoculated culture medium on a gas chromatograph (GC). The effect of pH value on the degrading ability of the bacterial isolate and the impact of temperature on microbial growth were also explored. Test results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was markedly effective in biodegrading n-hexadecane. Furthermore, the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to biodegrade n-hexadecane was different at various pH values. Pseudomonas aeruginosa provided excellent degrading ability at a pH value of 7.0. The microbial cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased with an increasing incubation duration at temperatures ranging from 28 ℃ to 35 ℃, and an exponential phase of microbial growth was observed.
基金The National Natural Science Fundation of China, No. 30300341The Natural Science Fundation of Shandong Province, No. Y2004Z12
文摘AIM: To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transfection on hepatic sinusoidal capillarization. METHODS: Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)/ VEGF transfection was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunohistoche-mistry both in primary hepatocytes and in normal liver. Cirrhotic rats were generated by thioacetamide (TAA) administration and then divided into a treatment group, which received injections of 400 μg of plasmid DNA encoding an EGFP- VEGF fusion protein, and a blank group, which received an equal amount of normal saline through the portal vein. The portal vein pressure was measured in the normal and cirrhotic state, in treated and blank groups. The average number of fenestrae per hepatic sinusoid was determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the relative abundance of VEGF transcripts was examined by Gene array. RESULTS: Green fluorescent protein was observed in the cytoplasms of liver cells under immunofluorescence microscopy 24 h after transfection with EGFP/VEGF plasmid in vitro. Staining with polyclonal antibodies against VEGF illustrated that hepatocytes expressedimmunodetectable VEGF both in vitro and in vitro. There were significant differences in the number of fenestrae and portal vein pressures between normal and cirrhotic rats (7.40 ± 1.71 vs 2.30 ± 1.16 and 9.32 ± 0.85 cmH2O vs 17.92 ± 0.90 cmH2O, P < 0.01), between cirrhotic and treated rats (2.30 ± 1.16 cmH2O vs 4.60 ± 1.65 and 17.92 ± 0.90 cmH2O vs 15.52 ± 0.93 cmH2O, P < 0.05) and between the treatment group and the blank group (4.60 ± 1.65 cmH2O vs 2.10 ± 1.10 cmH2O and 15.52 ± 0.93 cmH2O vs 17.26 ± 1.80 cmH2O, P < 0.05). Gene- array analysis revealed that the relative abundance of transcripts of VEGF family members decreased in the cirrhotic state and increased after transfection. CONCLUSION: Injection of a plasmid encoding VEGF through the portal vein is an effective method to induce the formation of fenestrae and decrease portal vein pressure in cirrhotic rats. Therefore, it may be a good choice for treating hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension.
文摘Acromegaly is an insidious endocrine disease character- ized by chronic elevation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).Ell Persistent excess se- cretion of GH and IGF-1 damages both cardiac structure and function, leading to acromegalic cardiomyopathy, which is one of the most common causes of increased mortality in acromegaly and can result in an average of 10-year reduction in life expectancy.I2'31 In patients with acromegaly, approximately 3% have been reported having a unique cardiomyopathy characterized by biventricular hypertrophy, myocardial necrosis, lymphocytic infiltration, interstitialfibrosis.
文摘Objective To investigate fingernail growth rate (FNGR) role in the physiological or pathological status of the fingernails in normal Chinese population. Methods The FNGR was measured with vernier caliper. The data of 1 595 fingernails from 208 normal Chinese subjects (including 96 men and 112 women; age ranging from 14 to 78 years) were analyzed. Results The average FNGR was (0.104±0.027) mm per day. Higher growth rates were observed in males than in females, in the young individuals than in the old individuals, in summer than in winter, and in the right hand than in the left hand, respectively. The FNGR differed among fingernails and decreased in order of precedence: middle fingernails, index fingernails or ring fingernails, thumb and little fingernails. Conclusion FNGR was significantly associated with age, gender and temperature. Different fingernail grew at an individual speed.
基金the Strategic Priority Research Program-Climate Change:Carbon Budget and Relevant Issues of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA05060104)
文摘In recent years, with the constant change in the global climate, the effect of climate factors on net primary productivity(NPP) has become a hot research topic. However, two opposing views have been presented in this research area: global NPP increases with global warming, and global NPP decreases with global warming. The main reasons for these two opposite results are the tremendous differences among seasonal and annual climate variables, and the growth of plants in accordance with these climate variables. Therefore, it will fail to fully clarify the relation between vegetation growth and climate changes by research that relies solely on annual data. With seasonal climate variables, we may clarify the relation between vegetation growth and climate changes more accurately. Our research examined the arid and semiarid areas in China(ASAC), which account for one quarter of the total area of China. The ecological environment of these areas is fragile and easily affected by human activities. We analyzed the influence of climate changes, especially the changes in seasonal climate variables, on NPP, with Climatic Research Unit(CRU) climatic data and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) satellite remote data, for the years 2000–2010. The results indicate that: for annual climatic data, the percentage of the ASAC in which NPP is positively correlated with temperature is 66.11%, and 91.47% of the ASAC demonstrates a positive correlation between NPP and precipitation. Precipitation is more positively correlated with NPP than temperature in the ASAC. For seasonal climatic data, the correlation between NPP and spring temperature shows significant regional differences. Positive correlation areas are concentrated in the eastern portion of the ASAC, while the western section of the ASAC generally shows a negative correlation. However, in summer, most areas in the ASAC show a negative correlation between NPP and temperature. In autumn, precipitation is less important in the west, as opposed to the east, in which it is critically important. Temperatures in winter are a limiting factor for NPP throughout the region. The findings of this research not only underline the importance of seasonal climate variables for vegetation growth, but also suggest that the effects of seasonal climate variables on NPP should be explored further in related research in the future.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41371305)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFD0202000)
文摘Application of organic waste to saline alkaline soils is considered to be a good practice for soil remediation. The effects of applying different organic amendments (e.g., cattle dung, vermicompost, biofertilizer) and earthworm inoculations (Eisenia fetida) on saline soils and cotton growth were investigated during i year of cotton cultivation. Compared to the control (applied with inorganic NPK fertilizer), applying organic amendments improved soil physicochemical properties. Biofertilizer application improved available nutrient content, reduced short-term soil electrical conductivity, and produced the highest cotton yield, whereas cattle dung and vermicompost applications resulted in higher soil organic matter content. Application of organic amendments significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon during the flowering period, which sharply declined at harvest. This was especially true for the biofertilizer treatment, which also exhibited lower nematode abundance compared with the other organic materials. Earthworm inoculation following cattle dung application failed to significantly change soil physicochemical properties when compared to the treatments without earthworm inoculation. Results suggest that biofertilizer application to saline soil would improve soil nutrient status in the short-term, whereas cattle dung application would improve soil organic matter content and increase soil organism abundance to a greater extent. However, different strategies might be required for long-term saline soil remediation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40901055 and 40872111)the Key Program of Chinese Ministry of Education (Grant No. 109151)+1 种基金the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2010CB950202)the NSFC National Innovative Research Team Project (Grant No. 41021091)
文摘To investigate characteristics of H isotope variation in long-chain n-alkanes (δDn-alkanes) from higher plants in surface soils under a single ecosystem, 12 samples from a basalt regolith were randomly collected from Damaping in Wanquan County of Zhangjiakou in North China. Molecular distribution and C (δ^13Cn-alkanes) and H isotopes of long-chain n-alkanes, as well as C isotopes of TOC (δ^13CTOC), were analyzed. Both δ^13CTOC and δ^13Cn-alkanes values from four representative dominant long-chain n-alkanes (n-C27, n-C29, n-C31, n-C33) derived from terrestrial higher plants show minor variations among the 12 samples, indicating the major contributor is from local grasses with a uniform C3 photosynthetic pathway. In contrast, variations in δ^13Cn-alkanes values of the four long-chain n-alkanes are relatively large, with the more abundant homologs generally showing more negative δDn-alkanes values and less variation. However, variation of 〈30‰ among weighted averaged δDn-alkanes values of the four long-chain n-alkanes is not only less than that among δDn-alkanes values for different modern terrestrial C3 grasses from the specific locations, but also less than the literature values of δDn-alkanes of long-chain n-alkanes for single species over different seasons. Thus, because the sources of long-chain n-alkanes in surface soils and sediments are similarly from multiple individual plants, our results are significant in confirming that paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental and paleohydrological information can be interpreted more accurately from δDn-alkanes values of long-chain n-alkanes from sediments, particularly terrestrial sediments with organic matter derived from in-situ plants.
基金supported by Shandong Province Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.ZR2011AM014)
文摘Orthorhombic HoMnO3(HMO) thin films were grown epitaxially on LaAlO3(001) substrates by using pulsed laser deposition technique. The films showed perfect orthorhombic crystallization and were well-aligned with the substrates. The in-plane dielectric constant and loss of HMO films were measured as functions of temperature(80–300 K) and frequency(120 Hz–100 kHz) by using coplanar interdigital electrodes. Two thermally activated dielectric relaxations were found, and the respective peaks shifted to higher temperatures as the measuring frequency increased. The in-plane dielectric properties of epitaxial orthorhombic HMO films were considered as universal dielectric response behavior, and the dipolar effects and the hopping conductivity induced by the charge carriers were used to explain the results.