AIM: To propose a new, non-invasive method for monitoring 24-h pressure, temperature and pH value in gastrointestinal tract.METHODS: The authors developed a miniature, multifunctional gastrointestinal monitoring syste...AIM: To propose a new, non-invasive method for monitoring 24-h pressure, temperature and pH value in gastrointestinal tract.METHODS: The authors developed a miniature, multifunctional gastrointestinal monitoring system, which comprises a set of indigestible biotelemetry capsules and a data recorder.The capsule, after ingested by patients, could measure pressure, temperature and pH value in the gastrointestinal tract and transmit the data to the data recorder outside the body through a 434 MHz radio frequency data link. After the capsule passed out from the body, the data saved in the recorder were downloaded to a workstation via a special software for further analysis and comparison.RESULTS: Clinical experiments showed that the biotelemetry capsules could be swallowed by volunteers without any difficulties. The data recorder could receive the radio frequency signals transmitted by the biotelemetry in the body. The biotelemetry capsule could pass out from the body without difficulties. No discomfort was reported by any volunteer during the experiment. In vivo pressure and temperature data were acquired.CONCLUSION: A non-invasive method for monitoring 24-h gastrointestinal parameters was proposed and tested by the authors. The feasibility and functionality of this method are verified by laboratory tests and clinical experiments.展开更多
In this paper, a primal-dual path-following interior-point algorithm for linearly constrained convex optimization(LCCO) is presented.The algorithm is based on a new technique for finding a class of search directions a...In this paper, a primal-dual path-following interior-point algorithm for linearly constrained convex optimization(LCCO) is presented.The algorithm is based on a new technique for finding a class of search directions and the strategy of the central path.At each iteration, only full-Newton steps are used.Finally, the favorable polynomial complexity bound for the algorithm with the small-update method is deserved, namely, O(√n log n /ε).展开更多
Alkanolamines are widely used in the purification of the sourgas sweetening process. During the sour gas absorption process, CO_2 significantly degrades the amine solvent and creates enormous problems for plant operat...Alkanolamines are widely used in the purification of the sourgas sweetening process. During the sour gas absorption process, CO_2 significantly degrades the amine solvent and creates enormous problems for plant operation. In this work, CO_2 induced degradation of aqueous diethanolamine(DEA) solution was conducted in a 1.25 L jacketed glass reactor that functioned as an absorber and stripper at atmospheric conditions. Pure CO_2 was bubbled through the reactor until the solution became saturated. In this study, the concentrations of DEA used were in the range of concentrations between 2 mol·L^(-1) and 4 mol·L^(-1). In the degradation experiment, six generic cycles were conducted for each run. Each cycle was configured with the absorption and desorption of carbon dioxide at 55 ℃ and 100 ℃, respectively. Samples were collected after a predetermined experimental time and analyzed by ion chromatography(IC) to identify unknown ionic degradation products(DGPs). In the IC analysis, three different columns were used for anion, cation and ion exclusion systems, which are Metrosep A Supp 5150/4.0, Metrosep C Supp 4 150/4.0 and Metrosep Organic Acids, respectively. The major identified DGPs of D01 DEA2 M, D02 DEA3 M, and D03 DEA4 M are nitrite, acetate and ammonium. Phosphate product was found in the degraded amine samples which might be due to the contamination of water or chromatographic system.展开更多
Variation in soil properties as a result of the conversion of the tropical rainforest to a monospecific plantation of teak, tectona grandis, was examined in Akure forest reserve in Southwestern Nigeria. Comparison was...Variation in soil properties as a result of the conversion of the tropical rainforest to a monospecific plantation of teak, tectona grandis, was examined in Akure forest reserve in Southwestern Nigeria. Comparison was made in the active rooting zone of 50 cm soil depth. It was discovered that there were no significant differences in the physical properties except in the value of organic matter content at the top 10 cm layer but chemical properties such as the pH and organic carbon changed significantly at the top 10 cm layer. Differences in other chemical properties, such as the available P, exchangeable cations K, Ca and Mg, the exchangeable acidity and the cation exchange capacity were minor. This showed that no nutrient was limiting or was likely to be limiting in the soil for subsequent short rotation of plantation development.展开更多
Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), represent a particularly serious environmental problem and human health risk worldwide. Leguminous plants and their symbiotic ba...Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), represent a particularly serious environmental problem and human health risk worldwide. Leguminous plants and their symbiotic bacteria (rhizobia) are important components of the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. However, there have been relatively few detailed studies of the remediation of PCB-contaminated soils by legume-rhizobia symbionts. Here we report for the first time evidence of the reductive dechlorination of 2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB 28) by an alfalfa-rhizobium nitrogen fixing symbiont. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) inoculated with wild-type Sinorhizobiurn meliloti had significantly larger biomass and PCB 28 accumulation than alfalfa inoculated with the nitrogenase negative mutant rhizobium SmY. Dechlorination products of PCB 28, 2,4'-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB 8), and the emission of chloride ion (C1-) were also found to decrease significantly in the ineffective nodules infected by the mutant strain SmY. We therefore hypothesize that N2-fixation by the legume-rhizobium symbiont is coupled with the reductive dechlorination of PCBs within the nodules. The combination of these two processes is of great importance to the biogeochemical cycling and bioremediation of organochlorine pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems.展开更多
Temporal oscillations of the bromate-4-aminophenol system have been studied in the presence of four different catalysts: tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(Ⅱ) sulfate (ferroin), Ce(Ⅲ), Mn(Ⅱ), and Fe(Ⅱ). Tr...Temporal oscillations of the bromate-4-aminophenol system have been studied in the presence of four different catalysts: tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(Ⅱ) sulfate (ferroin), Ce(Ⅲ), Mn(Ⅱ), and Fe(Ⅱ). Transient temporal oscillations were observed in the four catalyzed systems when the reactions were conducted in a stirred batch reactor. The induction time was prolonged by the presence of ferroin, but it was shortened in the Ce(Ⅲ)- and Mn(Ⅱ)-catalyzed systems. On the other hand, the number of peaks was significantly decreased in the presence of ferroin. The development of oscillatory behaviour was found to be more sensitive to the ratio of bromate and 4-aminophenol concentration than to their absolute concentrations. The reaction rates of 4-aminophenol with Ce(IV) and 4-aminophenol with ferritin were measured directly by spectroscopic methods in a sulfuric acid medium.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30270382High Technology Research and Development Program of China, No. 2002AA404280
文摘AIM: To propose a new, non-invasive method for monitoring 24-h pressure, temperature and pH value in gastrointestinal tract.METHODS: The authors developed a miniature, multifunctional gastrointestinal monitoring system, which comprises a set of indigestible biotelemetry capsules and a data recorder.The capsule, after ingested by patients, could measure pressure, temperature and pH value in the gastrointestinal tract and transmit the data to the data recorder outside the body through a 434 MHz radio frequency data link. After the capsule passed out from the body, the data saved in the recorder were downloaded to a workstation via a special software for further analysis and comparison.RESULTS: Clinical experiments showed that the biotelemetry capsules could be swallowed by volunteers without any difficulties. The data recorder could receive the radio frequency signals transmitted by the biotelemetry in the body. The biotelemetry capsule could pass out from the body without difficulties. No discomfort was reported by any volunteer during the experiment. In vivo pressure and temperature data were acquired.CONCLUSION: A non-invasive method for monitoring 24-h gastrointestinal parameters was proposed and tested by the authors. The feasibility and functionality of this method are verified by laboratory tests and clinical experiments.
基金supported by the Shanghai Pujiang Program (Grant No.06PJ14039)the Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Education (Grant No.06NS031)
文摘In this paper, a primal-dual path-following interior-point algorithm for linearly constrained convex optimization(LCCO) is presented.The algorithm is based on a new technique for finding a class of search directions and the strategy of the central path.At each iteration, only full-Newton steps are used.Finally, the favorable polynomial complexity bound for the algorithm with the small-update method is deserved, namely, O(√n log n /ε).
基金the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation,Malaysia(MOSTI),for funding the project:RG003/09AET as well as the University of Malaya for allowing full access to several key laboratories to perform experimental work
文摘Alkanolamines are widely used in the purification of the sourgas sweetening process. During the sour gas absorption process, CO_2 significantly degrades the amine solvent and creates enormous problems for plant operation. In this work, CO_2 induced degradation of aqueous diethanolamine(DEA) solution was conducted in a 1.25 L jacketed glass reactor that functioned as an absorber and stripper at atmospheric conditions. Pure CO_2 was bubbled through the reactor until the solution became saturated. In this study, the concentrations of DEA used were in the range of concentrations between 2 mol·L^(-1) and 4 mol·L^(-1). In the degradation experiment, six generic cycles were conducted for each run. Each cycle was configured with the absorption and desorption of carbon dioxide at 55 ℃ and 100 ℃, respectively. Samples were collected after a predetermined experimental time and analyzed by ion chromatography(IC) to identify unknown ionic degradation products(DGPs). In the IC analysis, three different columns were used for anion, cation and ion exclusion systems, which are Metrosep A Supp 5150/4.0, Metrosep C Supp 4 150/4.0 and Metrosep Organic Acids, respectively. The major identified DGPs of D01 DEA2 M, D02 DEA3 M, and D03 DEA4 M are nitrite, acetate and ammonium. Phosphate product was found in the degraded amine samples which might be due to the contamination of water or chromatographic system.
文摘Variation in soil properties as a result of the conversion of the tropical rainforest to a monospecific plantation of teak, tectona grandis, was examined in Akure forest reserve in Southwestern Nigeria. Comparison was made in the active rooting zone of 50 cm soil depth. It was discovered that there were no significant differences in the physical properties except in the value of organic matter content at the top 10 cm layer but chemical properties such as the pH and organic carbon changed significantly at the top 10 cm layer. Differences in other chemical properties, such as the available P, exchangeable cations K, Ca and Mg, the exchangeable acidity and the cation exchange capacity were minor. This showed that no nutrient was limiting or was likely to be limiting in the soil for subsequent short rotation of plantation development.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41201313&41230858)
文摘Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), represent a particularly serious environmental problem and human health risk worldwide. Leguminous plants and their symbiotic bacteria (rhizobia) are important components of the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. However, there have been relatively few detailed studies of the remediation of PCB-contaminated soils by legume-rhizobia symbionts. Here we report for the first time evidence of the reductive dechlorination of 2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB 28) by an alfalfa-rhizobium nitrogen fixing symbiont. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) inoculated with wild-type Sinorhizobiurn meliloti had significantly larger biomass and PCB 28 accumulation than alfalfa inoculated with the nitrogenase negative mutant rhizobium SmY. Dechlorination products of PCB 28, 2,4'-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB 8), and the emission of chloride ion (C1-) were also found to decrease significantly in the ineffective nodules infected by the mutant strain SmY. We therefore hypothesize that N2-fixation by the legume-rhizobium symbiont is coupled with the reductive dechlorination of PCBs within the nodules. The combination of these two processes is of great importance to the biogeochemical cycling and bioremediation of organochlorine pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems.
基金supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC),Canada,the National Natural Science Foundation ofChina (21003010)the Doctoral Fund of the Ministry of Education of China (20101101120032)+1 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(20100470558)the Excellent Young Scholars Research Fund of Beijing Institute of Technology (2009 Y1017)
文摘Temporal oscillations of the bromate-4-aminophenol system have been studied in the presence of four different catalysts: tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(Ⅱ) sulfate (ferroin), Ce(Ⅲ), Mn(Ⅱ), and Fe(Ⅱ). Transient temporal oscillations were observed in the four catalyzed systems when the reactions were conducted in a stirred batch reactor. The induction time was prolonged by the presence of ferroin, but it was shortened in the Ce(Ⅲ)- and Mn(Ⅱ)-catalyzed systems. On the other hand, the number of peaks was significantly decreased in the presence of ferroin. The development of oscillatory behaviour was found to be more sensitive to the ratio of bromate and 4-aminophenol concentration than to their absolute concentrations. The reaction rates of 4-aminophenol with Ce(IV) and 4-aminophenol with ferritin were measured directly by spectroscopic methods in a sulfuric acid medium.