Effect of temperature on microorganisms and nitrogen removal in a multi-stage surface flow constructed wetland

The effect of low temperature on microbial nitrogen metabolism in constructed wetlands has yet to be extensively investigated. In this study, we analyzed the effects of temperature changes on nitrogen-associated microorganisms and nitrogen metabolism functional genes in a multi-stage surface flow constructed wetland (MSSFCW) using metagenomic sequencing. The treatment of polluted river water in the MSSFCW, which had a mean water temperature (MWT) of ≤17 °C, resulted in a low removal efficiency (RE) for total nitrogen (TN; average RE: 23.05% at 1–17 °C) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N; average RE: −2.41% at 1–17 °C). Furthermore, at a MWT of ≤11 °C, the REs were low for ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N; average RE: 67.92% at 1–11 °C) and for chemical oxygen demand (COD; average RE: 27.45% at 1–11 °C). At 0.24 m3 m−2 d−1 influent load, the highest REs for TN (66.84%), NO3−-N (74.90%), NH4+-N (83.93%), and COD (52.97%) occurred in July and August, when water temperatures were between 26 and 28 °C

Hydrocarbon Generation Potential Evaluation of Coal Shale Gas of Permo-Carboniferous in Jiyang Depression

This paper studied the residual strata distribution of Carboniferous-Permian in Jiyang Depression, the organic geochemical characteristics of shale and the correlation of hydrocarbon-generating potential of shale by applying geochemistry, petroleum geology and coal geology, for study hydrocarbon generation potential of Permo-Carboniferous coal shale in Jiyang Depression. The results show that the thickness of Carboniferous-Permian residual strata in Jiyang Depression is generally 200-800 m, the thickest can reach 900 m; coal shale has good organic matter abundance and is type III kerogen, which is conducive to gas generation, and organic matter maturity reaches maturity-higher maturity stage; Benxi Formation and Taiyuan Formation have better hydrocarbon generation potential; medium to good hydrocarbon source rocks can be found in every sag of Shanxi Formation hydrocarbon source rocks, but the scope is limited, and the overall evaluation is still medium. Compared with other areas in China, it is found that the hydrocarbon-generating capacity of coal-bearing shale of Carboniferous-Permian in Jiyang Depression is generally at a medium level, which has a certain shale gas exploration potential

A TonB-dependent receptor regulates antifungal HSAF biosynthesis in \u3ci\u3eLysobacter\u3c/i\u3e

Lysobacter species are Gram-negative bacteria that are emerging as new sources of antibiotics, including HSAF (Heat Stable Antifungal Factor), which was identified from L. enzymogenes with a new mode of action. LesR, a LuxR solo, was recently shown to regulate the HSAF biosynthesis via an unidentified mechanism in L. enzymogenes OH11. Here, we used a comparative proteomic approach to identify the LesR targets and found that LesR influenced the expression of 33 proteins belonging to 10 functional groups, with 9 proteins belonging to the TBDR (TonB-Dependent Receptor) family. The fundamental role of bacterial TBDR in nutrient uptake motivates us to explore their potential regulation on HSAF biosynthesis which is also modulated by nutrient condition. Six out of 9 TBDR coding genes were individually in-frame deleted. Phenotypic and gene-expression assays showed that TBDR7, whose level was lower in a strain overexpressing lesR, was involved in regulating HSAF yield. TBDR7 was not involved in the growth, but played a vital role in transcribing the key HSAF biosynthetic gene. Taken together, the current lesR-based proteomic study provides the first report that TBDR7 plays a key role in regulating antibiotic (HSAF) biosynthesis, a function which has never been found for TBDRs in bacteria. Includes Supplementary materials

Predicting Severity and Duration of Road Traffic Accident

This paper presents a model system to predict severity and duration of traffic accidents by employing Ordered Probit model and Hazard model, respectively. The models are estimated using traffic accident data collected in Jilin province, China, in 2010. With the developed models, three severity indicators, namely, number of fatalities, number of injuries, and property damage, as well as accident duration, are predicted, and the important influences of related variables are identified. The results indicate that the goodness-of-fit of Ordered Probit model is higher than that of SVC model in severity modeling. In addition, accident severity is proven to be an important determinant of duration; that is, more fatalities and injuries in the accident lead to longer duration. Study results can be applied to predictions of accident severity and duration, which are two essential steps in accident management process. By recognizing those key influences, this study also provides suggestive results for government to take effective measures to reduce accident impacts and improve traffic safety

Genetic Analysis and Mapping of QTLs for Soybean Biological Nitrogen Fixation Traits Under Varied Field Conditions

Soybean is an important economic and green manure crop that is widely used in intercropping and rotation systems due to its high biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) capacity and the resulting reduction in N fertilization. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying soybean BNF are largely unknown. Here, two soybean parent genotypes contrasting in BNF traits and 168 F9:11 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were evaluated under four conditions in the field. The parent FC1 always produced more big nodules, yet fewer nodules in total than the parent FC2 in the field. Furthermore, nodulation in FC1 was more responsive to environmental changes than that in FC2. Broad-sense heritability (h2b) for all BNF traits varied from 0.48 to 0.87, which suggests that variation in the observed BNF traits was primarily determined by genotype. Moreover, two new QTLs for BNF traits, qBNF-16 and qBNF-17, were identified in this study. The qBNF-16 locus was detected under all of the four tested conditions, where it explained 15.9–59.0% of phenotypic variation with LOD values of 6.31–32.5. Meanwhile qBNF-17 explained 12.6–18.6% of observed variation with LOD values of 4.93–7.51. Genotype group analysis indicated that the FC1 genotype of qBNF-16 primarily affected nodule size (NS), while the FC2 genotype of qBNF-16 promoted nodule number (NN). On the other hand, the FC1 genotype of qBNF-17 influenced NN and the FC2 genotype of qBNF-17 impacted NS. The results on the whole suggest that these two QTLs might be valuable markers for breeding elite soybean varieties with high BNF capacities

Th17/Treg Cells Imbalance and GITRL Profile in Patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

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Effect of Oxidative Damage Due to Excessive Protein Ingestion on Pancreas Function in Mice

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of oxidative damage due to excessive protein diet on pancreas function in mice. For this purpose, thirty male (C57BL/6J) mice were randomly divided into three groups and fed on different diets as follows: group 1 was fed on a normal diet, group 2 was fed on an excessive protein diet and group 3 was fed on an excessive protein diet supplemented with 0.06 g/kg cysteamine. Each group was fed for 2 weeks, and then pancreas samples were collected to examine oxidative and antioxidant parameters and pancreas function. The results showed that ingestion of an excessive protein diet markedly increased contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased T-AOC and activities of antioxidants SOD and GSH-Px, compared with a normal diet (P < 0.05). Pancreas weight and concentration of protein, DNA and RNA were significantly higher (P < 0.05), digestive enzyme activities were significantly lower and levels of somatostatin and insulin were higher in mice fed with an excessive protein diet than those fed with a normal protein diet. In the group fed with excessive protein diet supplemented with cysteamine, oxidative stress was mitigated and pancreas function was improved. These data demonstrate that excessive protein ingestion could increase oxidative damage of free radicals on pancreas function through destroying the balance of oxidants and antioxidants

The inflammatory cytokine IL-6 induces FRA1 deacetylation promoting colorectal cancer stem-like properties

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has long been known for its tight association with chronic inflammation, thought to play a key role in tumor onset and malignant progression through the modulation of cancer stemness. However, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are still largely elusive. Here we show that the IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory signaling axis induces the deacetylation of FRA1 at the Lys-116 residue located within its DNA-binding domain. The HDAC6 deacetylase underlies this key modification leading to the increase of FRA1 transcriptional activity, the subsequent transactivation of NANOG expression, and the acquisition of stem-like cellular features. As validated in a large (n = 123) CRC cohort, IL-6 secretion was invariably accompanied by increased FRA1 deacetylation at K116 and an overall increase in its protein levels, coincident with malignant progression and poor prognosis. Of note, combined treatment with the conventional cytotoxic drug 5-FU together with Tubastatin A, a HDAC6-specific inhibitor, resulted in a significant in vivo synergistic inhibitory effect on tumor growth through suppression of CRC stemness. Our results reveal a novel transcriptional and posttranslational regulatory cross-talk between inflammation and stemness signaling pathways that underlie self-renewal and maintenance of CRC stem cells and promote their malignant behavior. Combinatorial treatment aimed at the core regulatory mechanisms downstream of IL-6 may offer a novel promising approach for CRC treatment

Use of nanomaterials in the pretreatment of water samples for environmental analysis

The challenge of providing clean drinking water is of enormous relevance in today’s human civilization, being essential for human consumption, but also for agriculture, livestock and several industrial applications. In addition to remediation strategies, the accurate monitoring of pollutants in water sup-plies, which most of the times are present at low concentrations, is a critical challenge. The usual low concentration of target analytes, the presence of in-terferents and the incompatibility of the sample matrix with instrumental techniques and detectors are the main reasons that renders sample preparation a relevant part of environmental monitoring strategies. The discovery and ap-plication of new nanomaterials allowed improvements on the pretreatment of water samples, with benefits in terms of speed, reliability and sensitivity in analysis. In this chapter, the use of nanomaterials in solid-phase extraction (SPE) protocols for water samples pretreatment for environmental monitoring is addressed. The most used nanomaterials, including metallic nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites are described, and their applications and advantages overviewed. Main gaps are identified and new directions on the field are suggested.publishe