Optimization of four types of antimicrobial agents to increase the inhibitory ability of marine Arthrobacter oxydans KQ 11 dextranase mouthwash

We adopted the response surface methodology using single factor and orthogonal experiments to optimize four types of antimicrobial agents that could inhibit biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans, which is commonly found in the human oral cavity and causes tooth decay. The objective was to improve the function of marine Arthrobacter oxydans KQll dextranase mouthwash （designed and developed by our laboratory）. The experiment was conducted in a three-level, four-variable central composite design to determine the best combination of ZnSO4, lysozyme, citric acid and chitosan. The optimized antibacterial agents were 2.16 g/L ZnSO4, 14 g/L lysozyme, 4.5 g/L citric acid and 5 g/L chitosan. The biofilm formation inhibition reached 84.49%. In addition, microscopic observation of the biofilm was performed using scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The optimized formula was tested in marine dextranase Arthrobacter oxydans KQ11 mouthwash and enhanced the inhibition of S. mutans. This work may be promoted for the design and development of future marine dextranase oral care products.

Synthesis, Structure and Thermochromic Properties of a Copper(Ⅱ) Complex Based on Naphthyl Carboxylate and Benzimidazolyl Ligands

One novel copper（Ⅱ） complex, [Cu（NAA）2（bim）2]·H2O （1, HNAA = a-naphthylacetic acid, bim = benzimidazole） has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis, elemental analysis, and IR spectrum. It crystallizes in monoclinic, space group C2/c with a = 1.15969（12）, b = 1.9757（2）, c = 1.45763（16） nm, β = 104.712（2）°, V = 3.2298（6） nm3, Z = 4, C38H32N4O5Cu, Mr = 688.22, Dc = 1.418 g/cm-3, μ = 0.729 mm-1, S = 1.039, F（000） = 1428, the final R = 0.0380 and wR = 0.0912 for 2849 unique reflections. In 1, two carboxylate and two benzimidazole ligands coordinate to the central Cu（Ⅱ） atom by a bidentate chelate mode. Interesting, reversible thermochromic properties of 1 can be observed and investigated by thermal analysis method.

Metal porphyrin intercalated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite utilized for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction

In this paper, we report a simple and facile self-assembly method to successfully fabricate cationic metal porphyrin-MtTMPyP(Mt= Cobalt(Ⅱ), Manganese(Ⅲ), or Iron(Ⅲ); TMPyP = 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin) intercalated into the layer of graphene oxide(GO) by the cooperative effects of electrostatic and π-π stacking interaction between positively charged metal porphyrin and negatively charged GO sheets. Followed by reduction with hydrazine vapor, a series of novel 2 D MtTMPyP/rGO_n were fabricated. The as-prepared 2 D hybrids were fully characterized and tested as non-noble metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in an alkaline medium. The MtTMPyP/rGO_n hybrids, especially CoTMPyP/rGO_5, demonstrated an improved electrocatalytic activity for ORR and a number of exchanged electrons close to 4-electron reaction, increased stability and excellent tolerance to methanol, showing a potential alternative catalyst for ORR in fuel cells and air batteries.

Isolation and Identification of Antioxidative Active Component from Total Flavonoids of Mimenghua

In this study, bioassay-guided isolation, identification and biological evaluation of antioxidant components from total flavonoids of Chinese herbal plant Mimenghua were performed. 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical scavenging test was adopted as the bioassay-guided method, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography were used as the purification tools for the acquisition of antioxidant components. One compound was obtained and identified as acteoside by its physicochemical properties and spectral characteristics. Antioxidant activity in vitro of acteoside was determined by evaluation of the scavenging activity on DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical, reducing power and total antioxidant capability.The results showed that acteoside had significant antioxidative activity and possessed higher activity with the increase of concentration, which provides the potential application of acteoside in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Experimental study by online measurement of the precipitation of nickel hydroxide: Effects of operating conditions

The objective of this work is using the online measurement method to study the process of precipitation of nickel hydroxide in a single-feed semi-batch stirred reactor with an internal diameter ofD = 240mm. The effects of impeller speed, impeller type, impeller diameter and feed location on the mean particle size d43 and particle size distribution （PSD） were investigated, d43 and PSD were measured online using a Malvern Insitec Liquid Pro- cess Sizer every 20 s. It was found that d43 varied between 13 kwh and 26 lain under different operating conditions, and it decreased with increasing impeller diameter. When feeding at the off-bottom distance of D/2 under lower impeller speeds, d43 was significantly smaller than that at D/3. PSDs were slightly influenced by operating conditions.

Evaluation of a hepatic biomarker of nutritional imbalance in juvenile red drum(Sciaenops ocellatus)fed 60%soybean meal-based diets using NMR-based metabolomics

A 12-week feeding trial with juvenile red drum(Sciaenops ocellatus) fed high-soybean meal(SBM) diets was conducted to investigate a putative biomarker of nutritional imbalance, N-formimino-L-glutamate(FIGLU). Three fishmeal-free, 60% SBM pelleted diets(named B12, Fol, and Met, respectively) were tested to evaluate the effects on growth performance and tissue metabolite profiles of supplementation of vitamin B12(0.012 mg/kg), folate(10 mg/kg), methionine(1 g/kg) respectively, above basal supplementation levels. A fourth SBM-based diet(named B12/Fol/Met) was formulated with a combination of B12, folate, and methionine to attain the above-mentioned target concentrations. A fifth 60% SBM diet(named FWS) with methionine supplementation(1 g/kg above basal supplementation levels), enriched with taurine, lysine and threonine as well as minerals, was also tested. This diet contained formulation targets and additives which have allowed for replacing fishmeal with plant proteins in rainbow trout feeds. Control diets included a fishmeal-based diet(named FM), an unsupplemented basal 60% SBM diet(named SBM60), and a “natural” diet(named N) made up of equal parts of fish(cigar minnows), squid and shrimp as a positive reference for growth performance. Formulated feeds contained approximately 37% total crude protein, approximately 14% total crude lipid and were energetically balanced. Standard growth performance metrics were measured, and tissues(liver, muscle) were collected at week 12 to evaluate diet-induced metabolic changes using nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)-based metabolomics.Our results show that the FWS diet outperformed all other SBM diets and the FM diet under all performance metrics(P<0.05). FIGLU was not detected in fish fed the N diet but was detected in those fed the SBM diets and the FM diet. Fish fed the FWS diet and the Met diet showed lower hepatic levels of FIGLU compared with the other SBM-based diets(P<0.05), suggesting that among the different supplementation regimes, methionine supplementation was associated with lower FIGLU levels. The FWS diet produced tissue metabolite profiles that were more similar to those of fish fed the N diet. Based on our results, the FWS diet constitutes a promising SBM-based alternative diet to fishmeal for red drum.

Historical trends in the anthropogenic heavy metal levels in the tidal flat sediments of Lianyungang, China

The sedimentation of metals can preserve the historical record of contaminant input from local and regional sources and provide information on the historical changes in regionalwater and sediment quality. We report the 210Pb activities and the heavy metal （Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn）depth profiles from sediment cores retrieved in 2010. The mean sedimentation rates of 0.85-1.5 cm/yr aredetermined by 210 Pbdating. The sediments in the tidal flat have recorded heavy metaldeposition and thus allow the establishment of a connection between the temporal evolution of the heavy metal pollution and the historical changes in the economicdevelopment of Lianyungang. The enrichment factors （EF） are calculated to estimate the level of contamination stored in these sediments. The results show that in the studied sites, Cr and Cudisplay low EF values and are mainly from lithogenic origin. For the other studied trace metals, a great variability in the sedimentary record is observed. Significant anthropogenic enrichment over the last 50 years is revealed at the tidal flat that receives fluvial inputs. Zinc is the elementwith the highest EF values, followed by the order of Pb 〉 Cd 〉 Mn 〉 Cu and Cr. The temporal variations of the heavy metals peakduring the late 1980s to the early2000s and show adecreasing trend afterward. The pollution intensity of the tidal flat isdetermined by using EF and thegeo-accumulation index （Igeo ）,which show that, based on the Igeo scale, the tidal flat of Haizhou Bay is unpolluted to moderately polluted.

Scale effects of the continental coastline of China

Spatial scale is a fundamental problem in Geography. Scale effect caused by fractal characteristic of coastline becomes a common focus of coastal zone managers and researchers. In this study, based on DEM and remote sensing images, multi-scale continental coastlines of China were extracted and the fractal characteristic was analyzed. The results are shown as follows. （1） The continental coastline of China fits the fractal model, and the fractal dimension is 1.195. （2） The scale significant differences according to uplift effects with fractal dimensions of coastline have and subsidence segments along the continental coastlines of China. （3） The fractal dimension of coastline has significant spatial heterogeneity according to the coastline types. The fractal dimension of sandy coastline located in Luanhe River plain is 1.109. The dimension of muddy coastline located in northern Jiangsu Plain is 1.059, while that of rocky coastline along southeastern Fujian is 1.293. （4） The length of rocky coastline is affected by scale more than that of muddy and sandy coastline. Since coastline is the conjunction of sea, land and air surface, the study of coastline scale effect is one of the scientific bases for the researches on air-sea-land interaction in multi-scales.

Blind restoration of turbulence degraded images based on two-channel alternating minimization algorithm

Due to the atmospheric turbulence and the system noise, images are blurred in the astronomical or space object detection. Wavefront aberrations and system noise make the capability of detecting objects decrease greatly. A two-channel image restoration method based on alternating minimization is proposed to restore the turbulence degraded images. The images at different times are regarded as separate channels, then the object and the point spread function(PSF) are reconstructed in an alternative way. There are two optimization parameters in the algorithm: the object and the PSF. Each optimization step is transformed into a constraint problem by variable splitting and processed by the augmented Lagrangian method. The results of simulation and actual experiment verify that the two-channel image restoration method can always converge rapidly within five iterations, and values of normalized root mean square error(NRMSE) remain below 3% after five iterations. Standard deviation data show that optimized alternating minimization(OAM) has strong stability and adaptability to different turbulent levels and noise levels. Restored images are approximate to the ideal imaging by visual assessment, even though atmospheric turbulence and systemnoise have a strong impact on imaging. Additionally, the method can remove noise effectively during the process of image restoration.

Error analysis and threshold selection in model-based wavefront sensorless adaptive optics system

Accurate values of masked detector signal(MDS)is the key to the correction capability of wavefront sensorless(WFSless)model-based adaptive optics(AO)system.However,imaging detectors always carry different kinds of noises in real applications,which make MDS deviate from theoretical results.Calculation errors of MDS suffered from the noise were analyzed through theory and simulation.Additionally,considering the method of threshold is usually used to mitigate the noise,we also discussed the influence of threshold on MDS.Results showed that the simulation is consistent with the theory and there exists an optimal threshold to make the error minimum for different noise.A fi tting formula,which can accurately calculate optimal thresholds,was proposed based on the simulated data.Above results can provide a plausible method and theoretical basis to mitigate imaging noise of detectors in real applications.

Chronic exposure to high-density polyethylene microplastic through feeding alters the nutrient metabolism of juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

Microplastics are emergent contaminants threatening aquatic organisms including aquacultured fish.This study investigated the effects of high-density polyethylene(HDPE,100 to 125 mm)on yellow perch(Perca flavescens)based on integrative evaluation including growth performance,nutritional status,nutrient metabolism,fish health,and gut microbial community.Five test diets(0,1,2,4,or 8 g HDPE/100 g diet)containing 41%protein and 10.5%lipid were fed to juvenile perch(average body weight,25.9±0.2 g;n=15)at a feeding rate of 1.5%to 2.0%body weight daily.The feeding trial was conducted in a flow-through water system for 9 wk with 3 tanks per treatment and 15 yellow perch per tank.No mortality or HDPE accumulation in the fish was found in any treatments.Weight gain and condition factor of fish were not significantly impacted by HDPE(P>0.05).Compared to the control group,fish fed the 8%HDPE diet had significantly decreased levels of protein and ash(P<0.05).In response to the increasing levels of HDPE exposure,the hepatosomatic index value,hepatocyte size,and liver glycogen level were increased,but lipid content was reduced in the liver tissues.Compared to the control treatment,fish fed the 8%HDPE diet had significant accumulations of total bile acids and different metabolism pathways such as bile acid biosynthesis,pyruvate metabolism,and carnitine synthesis.Significant enterocyte necrosis was documented in the foregut of fish fed the 2%or 8%HDPE diet;and significant cell sloughing was observed in the midgut and hindgut of fish fed the 8%HDPE diet.Fish fed the 2%HDPE diet harbored different microbiota communities compared to the control fish.This study demonstrates that HDPE ranging from 100 to 125 mm in feed can be evacuated by yellow perch with no impact on growth.However,dietary exposure to HDPE decreased whole fish nutrition quality,altered nutrient metabolism and the intestinal histopathology as well as microbiota community of yellow perch.The results indicate that extended exposure may pose a risk to fish health and jeopardize the nutrition quality of aquacultured end product.This hypothesis remains to be investigated further.

Synthesis of unnatural N-glycosyl α-amino acids via Petasis reaction

A convenient and efficient protocol for the synthesis of unnatural N-glycosyl cz-amino acids was developed. Condensation of 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-actyl-/%D-glucosamine hydrochloride, alkenyl boronic acid, and glyoxylic acid was achieved in CH2C12 to give the derivatives of 2-（N-glycosyl）aminobut-3-enoic acid which may find applications in glycobiology research and medicinal chemistry.

Development of environmentally friendly biological algicide and biochemical analysis of inhibitory effect of diatom Skeletonema costatum

Skeletonema costatum is a diatom widely distributed in red tide microalgae blooms and as one of the main algae causing harmful algal blooms,because of their rapid reproduction and production of toxic and harmful substances,often play a negative role in aquatic ecosystems,and human health and wellbeing.Bacillomycin D is a nonribosomal cyclic antifungal lipopeptide in the iturins family.In this study,Bacillomycin D was tested for its ability to inhibit the growth of S.costatum.The EC_(50 24h) of Bacillomycin D on S.costatum was 24.70μg/mL.The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters F_(v)/F_(m),F_(v)/F_(o),and yield of the diatoms decreased significantly with increasing concentrations of Bacillomycin D.Study of the mechanism showed that Bacillomycin D induced cell death by changing cell membrane permeability,promoting the release of cellular contents.In this study,transcriptomic analysis showed Bacillomycin D significantly inhibited the photosynthesis and metabolism of S.costatum.These findings investigated the inhibitory effect of Bacillomycin D on the growth of S.costatum and provided a theoretical foundation for the development of new environmentally friendly biological algicide.