Biomass-enhanced Janus sponge-like hydrogel with salt resistance and highstrength for efficient solar desalination

Interfacial solar-driven evaporation technology shows great potential in the field of industrial seawater desalination, and the development ofefficient and low-cost evaporation materials is key to achieving large-scale applications. Hydrogels are considered to be promising candidates;however, conventional hydrogel-based interfacial solar evaporators have difficulty in simultaneously meeting multiple requirements, including ahigh evaporation rate, salt resistance, and good mechanical properties. In this study, a Janus sponge-like hydrogel solar evaporator (CPAS) withexcellent comprehensive performance was successfully constructed. The introduction of biomass agar (AG) into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)hydrogel backbone reduced the enthalpy of water evaporation, optimized the pore structure, and improved the mechanical properties. Meanwhile, by introducing hydrophobic fumed nano-silica aerogel (SA) and a synergistic foaming-crosslinking process, the hydrogel spontaneouslyformed a Janus structure with a hydrophobic surface and hydrophilic bottom properties. Based on the reduction of the evaporation enthalpy andthe modulation of the pore structure, the CPAS evaporation rate reached 3.56 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) under one sun illumination. Most importantly, owingto the hydrophobic top surface and 3D-interconnected porous channels, the evaporator could work stably in high concentrations of salt-water(25 wt% NaCl), showing strong salt resistance. Efficient water evaporation, excellent salt resistance, scalable preparation processes, and low-costraw materials make CPAS extremely promising for practical applications.

Ghrelin regulates insulin resistance by targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor via miR-455-5p in hepatic cells

Objective: To explore the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates insulin sensitivity through modulation of miR-455-5p in hepatic cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with or without DAG (1 μM). Glucose consumption, intracellular glycogen content, phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt stimulated by insulin, expression of miR-455-5p, as well as IGF-1R protein level were analyzed. In addition, bioinformatic analysis, dual luciferase reporter assay, miR- 455-5p mimic or inhibitor treatment was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Results: High glucose treatment upregulated miR-455-5p expression but reduced glucose consumption and glycogen content. DAG reversed the effect of high glucose on glucose metabolism, increased protein level of IGF-1R and phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt stimulated by insulin, as well as downregulated miR-455-5p expression. Bioinformatic analysis indicated IGF-1R was the target of miR-455-5p. Dual luciferase reporter assay, as well as transfection with miR-455-5p mimic/inhibitor confirmed that DAG activated IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt signaling via inhibiting miR-455-5p. Conclusion: DAG improves insulin resistance via miR-455-5p- mediated activation of IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt system, suggesting that suppression of miR-455-5p or activation of DAG may be potential targets for T2DM therapy.

Research and Application of an Environmental-Friendly Low-Damage and High Salt-Resistance Slick Water Fracturing Fluid System

The Sulige gas field is a typical low-pressure low-permeability tight sandstone gas reservoir. The reservoir has poor seepage capacity, strong heterogeneity, high mineralization of formation water and extremely scarce water resources on the site. These unfavorable factors have brought great difficulties to the on-site mining process. Now, a nano-composite green environmental protection slick water fracturing fluid system CQFR can be quickly dissolved because of the larger specific surface area, and the small molecular size makes the damage to the reservoir less than 5%, and the average drag reduction effect can reach more than 73%. It can quickly and well dissolve and maintain performance under high salinity conditions and fracturing flowback fluids. It responds well to the complex reservoir conditions on the construction site and makes the flowback fluid recyable, which greatly reduces the consumption of water resources on the construction site and effectively improves the construction efficiency and economic benefits.

Genetic Study on JS399-19 Resistance in Hyphal Fusion of Fusarium graminearum by Using Nitrate Nonutilizing Mutants as Genetic Markers

Twenty-two nitrate nonutilizing （nit） mutants were recovered from five wild-type isolates of Fusarium graminearum and fifty nit mutants were recovered from three JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. graminearum cultured on MMC medium. Some biological properties were compared between nit mutants and their parental isolates. The results showed that there were no significant differences in growth rate, cultural characters or pathogenicity between JS399-19-resistant nit mutants and their parental isolates. But the conidial production and the sexual reproduction ability changed to some extent. There was no cross resistance toward chlorate and JS399-19 in F. graminearum and the resistance could be stable through 20-time subcultures. Therefore, the nit could be used as a genetic marker for studying the genetics of JS399-19 resistance in E graminearum, which was used to study JS399-19 resistance transferability in hyphal fusion. Resistance in JS399-19 could not be transferred by hyphal fusion or could be transferred with low chance between two compatible isolates, which would delay the development of JS399-19 resistance in the field.

Growth and physiological responses of four kiwifruit genotypes to salt stress and resistance evaluation

In this study,four genotypes(Acva-1,Acva-2,Acva-3 and ZM-2) of Actinidia germplasm resources were grown in different NaCl concentrations(0,0.4,0.8 and 1.2 g L–1).The growth,physiological and biochemical indicators were measured,and a graded scale was developed as the salt damage index(SDI) according to different damage symptoms in leaves.The results showed SDI increased gradually,and average number and length of new shoot decreased significantly.Three antioxidant enzymes(superoxide dismutase,peroxidase and catalase) and two osmotic adjustment substances(soluble sugar and proline) showed different changes in old and new leaves of four genotypes.SPAD values exhibited a decreased trend in the whole except in the new leaves of Acva-2.Malonaldehyde contents increased and root activity decreased with the increasing salt concentrations.Principal component analysis was used to assess the salt tolerance,and the results showed Acva-3,from Actinidia valvata Dunn.,had the strongest tolerance to salt,and could be a potential resistant resource to the salt-tolerance dedicated rootstock breeding of kiwifruit.

In-vitro antimicrobial activity of marine actinobacteria against multidrug resistance Staphylococcus aureus

Objective:To investigate the antibacterial aclivily of marine actinobacteria against multidrug resistance Staphylococcus aureus(MDRSA).Methods:Fifty one actinobacterial strains were isolated from salt pans soil,costal area in Kothapattanam,Ongole,Andhra Pradesh.Primary screening was done using cross-streak method against MDRSA.The bioaclive compounds are extracted from efficient actinobacteria using solvent extraction.The antimicrobial activity of crude and solvent extracts was perfomied using Kirby-Bauer method.MIC for ethyl acetate extract was determined by modified agar well diffusion method.The potent actinobacteria are identified using Nonomura key,Shirling and Gottlieb 1966 with Bergey's manual of determinative bacteriology.Results:Among the fifty one isolates screened for antibacterial activity,SRB25were found efficient against MDRSA.The ethyl acetate extracts showed high inhibition against test organism.MIC test was performed with the ethyl acetate extract against MDRSA and found to be 1 000μg/mL.The isolaled actinobacteria are identified as Streptomyces sp with the help of Nonomura key.Conclusions:The current investigation reveals that the marine actinobacteria from salt pan environment can be able to produce new drug molecules against drug resistant microorganisms.

Corrosion resistance of steel materials in LiCl-KCl melts

The corrosion behaviors of 304SS, 316LSS, and Q235A in LiCl-KCl melts were investigated at 450℃ by Tafel curves and elec- trochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. 316LSS shows the best corrosion resistance behaviors among the three materials, including the most positive corrosion potential and the smallest corrosion current from the Tafel curves and the largest electron transfer resistance from the Nyquist plots. The results are in good agreement with the weight losses in the static corrosion experiments for 45 h. This may be attributed to the better corrosion resistance of Mo and Ni existing as alloy elements in 316LSS, which exhibit the lower corrosion current densities and more positive corrosion potentials than 316LSS in the same melts.

Temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant mixed surfactant system for EOR in the Tahe Oilfield

A new temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant mixed surfactant system(referred to as the SS system)for enhancing oil recovery at the Tahe Oilfield(Xinjiang,China)was evaluated.Based on the analysis of the crude oil,the formation water and rock components in the Tahe Oilfield,the long-term thermal stability,salt tolerance and the ability to change the wettability,interfacial activity and oil washing efficiency of the mixed surfactant system were studied.The system contains the anionic surfactant SDB and another cationic surfactant SDY.When the total mass concentration of the SS solution is 0.15 wt%,m(SDB)/m(SDY)ratio is 1 to 1,and excellent efficiencies are achieved for oil washing for five kinds of Tahe Oilfield crude oils(more than 60%).In addition,after adding cationic surfactant,the adsorption capacity of the surfactant is further reduced,reaching 0.261 mg/g.The oil displacement experiments indicate that under a temperature of 150°C and a salinity of 24.6×104 mg/L,the SS system enhances the oil recovery by over 10%after water flooding.The SS anionic–cationic surfactant system is first presented in the open literature that can be successfully applied to obtain predictions of Tahe Oilfield carbonate reservoirs with a high temperature and high salinity.

Characterization of salt tolerance and Fusarium wilt resistance of a sweetpotato mutant

The variant LM1 was previously obtained using embryogenic cell suspension cultures of sweetpotato variety Lizixiang by gamma-ray induced mutation, and then its characteristics were stably inherited through six clonal generations, thus this mutant was named LM1. In this study, systematic characterization of salt tolerance and Fusarium wilt resistance were performed between Lizixiang and mutant LM1. LM1 exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared to Lizixiang. The content of proline and activities of superoxide dismutase（SOD） and photosynthesis were significantly increased, while malonaldehyde（MDA） and H_2O_2 contents were significantly decreased compared to that of Lizixiang under salt stress. The inoculation test with Fusarium wilt showed that its Fusarium wilt resistance was also improved. The lignin, total phenolic, jasmonic acid（JA） contents and SOD activity were significantly higher, while H_2O_2 content was significantly lower in LM1 than that in Lizixiang. The expression level of salt stress-responsive and disease resistance-related genes was significantly higher in LM1 than that in Lizixiang under salt and Fusarium wilt stresses, respectively. This result provides a novel and valuable material for improving the salt tolerance and Fusarium wilt resistance of sweetpotato.

Activity of the Fungicide JS399-19 Against Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and the Risk of Resistance

This report reviews the characteristics of JS399-19, a novel cyanoacrylate fungicide. JS399-19 strongly inhibits the mycelial growth of the fungal plant pathogens of the genus Fusarium and exhibits great potential in controlling Fusarium head blight （FHB） on wheat and other cereals. The mode of action of JS399-19 is evidently different from that of benzimidazole （for example, carbendazim） and other sort of fungicides, making it a possible replacement for carbendazim in China to manage carbendazim-resistant subpopulations of Fusarium graminearum and F. asiaticum. JS399-t9 has excellent protective and curative activity against these pathogens. Incorrect use of this fungicide, however, is likely to select for resistance. Among JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. asiaticum induced in the laboratory, the resistant level of mutants was high and the phenotype of resistance against JS399-19 was conferred by a major gene by genetic analysis. The fitness of laboratory-induced JS399-19-resistant mutants of F. asiaticum was nearly equal to that of their parents. JS399-19 lacks cross resistance with other sort fungicides. To control FHB with JS399-19 and to delay the development of the fungicide-resistance, farmers should use tank mixtures containing JS399-19 and carbendazim, metconazole, tebuconazole, or prothioconazole.

Chemically Induced Mutants of <i>Brassica oleracea var. botrytis</i>Maintained Stable Resistance to Drought and Salt Stress after Regeneration and Micropropagation

Investigation was made to confirm the stability of drought and salt stress tolerance in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var.botrytis) mutants after regeneration and micropropagation. The N-nitroso-N-ethyleurea (NEU) and N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) induced mutants of cauliflower were created and screened for drought and salt stress tolerance. The highly tolerant mutants were selected, regenerated by tissue culture techniques, screened again for drought and salt tolerance under in-vitro and in-vivo conditions, correlated the response of in-vitro and in-vivo plants within a clone. Free proline levels in clones were correlated with stress tolerance. Results confirmed the persistence of mutations in clones with enhanced resistance levels to stresses over control plants. The regenerated in-vitro and in-vivo plants within a clone showed a positive significant correlation for drought (R2 = 0.663) and salt (R2 = 0.647) resistance that confirms the stability of mutation in clones after generations. Proline showed a positive and significant correlation with drought (R2 = 0.524) and salt (R2 = 0.786) tolerance. Conclusively, drought and salt resistance can be successfully enhanced in cauliflower by chemical mutagenesis. Further molecular analysis is recommended to study these mutants.

Structure of Micro-nano WC-10Co4Cr Coating and Cavitation Erosion Resistance in NaCl Solution

Cavitation erosion （CE） is the predominant cause for the failure of overflow components in fluid machinery. Advanced coatings have provided an effective solution to cavitation erosion due to the rapid development of surface engineering techniques. However, the influence of coating structures on CE resistance has not been sys- tematically studied. To better understand their relationship, micro-nano and conventional WC-10Co4Cr cermet coat- ings are deposited by high velocity oxygen fuel spray- ing（HVOF）, and their microstructures are analyzed by OM, SEM and XRD. Meanwhile, characterizations of mechan- ical and electrochemical properties of the coatings are carried out, as well as the coatings＇ resistance to CE in 3.5 wt % NaC1 solution, and the cavitation mechanisms are explored. Results show that micro-nano WC-10Co4Cr coating possesses dense microstructure, excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties, with very low porosity of 0.26 4-0.07% and extraordinary fracture toughness of 5.58 4-0.51 MPa.m1/2. Moreover, the CE resistance of micro-nano coating is enhanced above 50% than conventional coating at the steady CE period in 3.5 wt % NaC1 solution. The superior CE resistance of micro- nano WC-10Co4Cr coating may originate from the unique micro-nano structure and properties, which can effectively obstruct the formation and propagation of CE crack. Thus,a new method is proposed to enhance the CE resistance of WC-10Co4Cr coating by manipulating the microstructure.

Influence of rare earth elements on corrosion resistance of BFe10-1-1 alloys in flowing marine water

The corrosion behavior of BFe10-1-1 alloy with different rare earth （RE） contents in simulated flowing marine water was investigated by X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscope （SEM）. It was demonstrated that the corrosion rate of BFel0-1-1 alloy with the same chemical compositions in faster flow velocity of marine water was higher than that in a lower flow velocity of marine water. Fixing the flow velocity, BFe 10-1-1 alloy had the best flushing corrosion resistance when the RE content was 0.04wt.%. The consequence of such good corrosion resistance was attributed to the formation of compact protective film on alloy surface containing RE phase such as CeNis. The RE-contained film combines with other corrosion products firmly, which was difficult to fall off from the alloy surface in the flowing marine water. Additionally, SEM analysis confirmed that pitting mechanism, which would be transformed to spalling mechanism gradually with further increasing RE content, was the prevalent mechanism when the alloy contained 0.04wt.%RE.

Synthesis of temperature-resistant and salttolerant surfactant SDB-7 and its performance evaluation for Tahe Oilfield flooding (China)

In order to improve the enhanced oil recovery of high-temperature and high-salt oilfields, a novel temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant surfactant （denoted as SDB-7） was synthesized and evaluated for the Tahe Oilfield （Xinjiang, China）, which is representative of high-temperature and high-salt oilfields. It has a central reservoir temperature of 140 ℃ and salinity of 22.6× 10^4 mg/L. The temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant performance, interfacial activity, oil displacement efficiency, aging properties, and adsorption properties of the synthesized surfactant were evaluated for Tahe Oilfield flooding. The results showed that the SDB-7 was temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant capacity of 140 ℃ and 22.6×10^4 rag/ L, respectively, oil displacement efficiency under static condition of 84%, and adsorption loss of 0.4 mg/ g （less than 1 mg/g-oil sand）. In the heat aging experiment （under the temperature of 140 ℃ for 60 days）, the oil-water interracial tension and oil displacement efficiency of SDB-7 were almost unchanged. The oil displacement experiments showed that, under the temperature of 140 ℃ and the salinity of 22.6× 10^4 mg/L, the surfactant SDB-7 can enhance oil recovery by 14.5% after water flooding,suggesting that SDB-7 has a promising application in high temperature and high salinity （HT/HS） reservoir.

Characterization and functional analysis of β-1,3-galactosyltransferase involved in Cry1Ac resistance from Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner)

Carbohydrate chains are the principal antigens by which Bacillus thuringiensis（Bt） identify receptor proteins. The interaction between the antigen and Bt causes a pore in the membrane of midgut epithelial cells of insects. Receptor proteins, such as aminopeptidase N and alkaline phosphatase, are glycoproteins. Cadherin is another cell surface receptor protein which has potential glycosylation sites. Glycosyltransferase is very important for the synthesis and modification of receptor proteins. It can indirectly influence the function of Bt. The 1 950 bp full-length c DNA encoding β-1,3-galactosyltransferase was cloned from the the midgut of Helicoverpa armigera by degenerative PCR combined with RACE techniques（GAL-Harm, Gen Bank accession no.： GQ904195.1） with two potential N-glycosylation sites（^157NNTI^160 and ^272NKTL^275）. Protein sequence alignments revealed that H. armigera β-1,3-galactosyltransferase shared high identity with β-1,3-galactosyltransferase in other insect species. The expression level of the β-1,3-galactosyltransferase gene in Cry1Ac-resistant H. armigera larvae was 9.2-fold higher than that in susceptible strain. The function of β-1,3-galactosyltransferase was investigated using RNAi technique. The result showed Cry1 Ac enhanced the toxicity against the si RNA-treated larvae compared with non-si RNA-treated ones, which indicated β-1,3-galactosyltransferase played an important role for the insecticidal toxicity of Cry1 Ac in H. armigera.

Effect of Fused MgO-ZrO_2 Clinker Addition on Thermal Shock Resistance of MgO-ZrO_2 Unfired Bricks

MgO -ZrO2 unfired bricks with ZrO2 content up to 8% at the interval of 2% were prepared, using fused magnesia （ MgO ： 97% ） and fused MgO - ZrO2 clinker （ ZrO2 ： 14. 33% ） as starting materials and phenolic resin as binder. The effects of ZrO2 content on thermal shock resistance （TSR） and other properties such as cold and hot modulus of rupture have been investigated. Re- sidual cold modulus of rupture ratio after heating at 1 000 ℃ and quenching by air blowing was adopted to characterize TSR. Addition of the MgO -ZrO2 clinker improves TSR, attributing to the microcrack toughening effect by thermal expansion mismatch between different phases. When ZrO2 content goes above 4%. the impro- ving effect tends to be moderate. The introduction of MgO- ZrO2 clinker can also improve the HMOR at 1 500 ℃, while the increased ZrO2 content reduces CMOR of the bricks prefired at 1 600 ℃, due to the thermal expansion mismatch effect. Compromising the overall properties, the optimal ZrO2 content for such magnesia based unfired brick is suggested to be 4%.

Antimicrobial Resistance,Virulence Profile,and Molecular Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Ready-to-eat Food in China,2013-2014

We aimed to investigate the potential pathogenic profile and antibiotic resistance of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from ready-to-eat food in China.Antimicrobial resistance was determined by broth microdilution following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocol Molecular serotyping,virulence,and resistance genes were identified using PCR.Multi-locus

Effect of CaO doping on corrosion resistance of Cu/(NiFe_2O_4-10NiO) cermet inert anode for aluminum electrolysis

The CaO-doped Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet inert anodes were prepared by the cold isostatie pressing-sintering process, and their corrosion resistance to Na3AlF6-K3AlF6-Al203 melt was studied. The results show that the relative density of 5Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet sintered at 1 200 ℃ increases from 82.83% to 97.63% when 2% CaO （mass fraction） is added. During the electrolysis, the relative density of cermet inert anode descends owing to the chemical dissolution of additive CaO at ceramic grain boundary, which accelerates the penetration of electrolyte. Thus, the corrosion resistance to melts of Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet inert anode is reduced. To improve the corrosion resistance of the cermet inert anode, the content of CaO doped should be decreased and the technology of cleaning the ceramic grain boundary should be applied.

The Frost-resisting Durability of High Strength Self-Compacting Pervious Concrete in Deicing Salt Environment

A high strength self-compacting pervious concrete(SCPC) with top-bottom interconnected pores was prepared in this paper. The frost-resisting durability of such SCPC in different deicing salt concentrations(0%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) was investigated. The mass-loss rate, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, compressive strength, flexural strength and hydraulic conductivity of SCPC after 300 freeze-thaw cycles were measured to evaluate the frost-resisting durability. In addition, the microstructures of SCPC near the top-bottom interconnected pores after 300 freeze-thaw cycles were observed by SEM. The results show that the high strength SCPC possesses much better frost-resisting durability than traditional pervious concrete(TPC) after 300 freeze-thaw cycles, which can be used in heavy loading roads. The most serious freeze-thaw damage emerges in the SCPC immersed in the 3% of Na Cl solution, while there is no obvious damage in 20% of Na Cl solution. Furthermore, it can be deduced that the high strength SCPC can be used for 100 years in a cold environment.

Resistance of the diffusive boundary layer to salt release from saline sediments to freshwater

The diffusive boundary layer （DBL） is the zone for matter exchange between surface water and aquatic sediments. To elucidate the influence of DBL on salt release from saline sediments to freshwater, two experiments with or without wind blowing were conducted. According to the experiments, a 3.5 cm DBL is formed above the smoothed sediments at a steady wind field and this thickness is greater than other studies. The observed flux of salt through the DBL is 6% larger than the calculated value from Fick＇ s first law. The results indicate that molecular diffusion is the dominant mechanism for salt transport through the DBL. The presence of DBL suppresses the hydrodynamic enhancement for matter exchange between sediments and overlying water. Therefore, salts in the sediments of a polder reservoir may influence the water quality chronically.