Pb uptake, accumulation, subcellular distribution in a Pb－accumulating ecotype of Sedum alfredii （Hance）

Lead concentrations in roots, stems and leaves of accumulating and non-accumulating ecotypes of Sedum alfredii (Hance) were studied through a hydroponic experiment with different Pb concentrations sup-plied as Pb( NO3 )2 .Lead concentrations in leaves and stems of the accumulating ecotype were 4-9 times and 3-5 times those of the non-accumulating ecotype, and Pb-accumulated amounts in stems and leaves of theaccumulating ecotype were 4-9 times and 8-1l times higher than those of the non-accumulating ecotype,respectively. The results indicated that the accumulating ecotype had better ability to transport Pb from roots toshoots. The subeellular distributions of Pb in the root, stem and leaf tissues were studied using sucrose differ-ential centrifugation. Approximately 50% of Pb contents was found to be associated with the cell wall fractionin stems of the accumulating ecotype and the percentage increased to 80％ both in roots and leaves, no matter when plants were grown with different levels of Pb. The results indicated that the distribution of Pb on cell walls of the accumulating ecotype could mainly account for the high tolerance to Pb.     

Effect of cadmium and herbicides on the growth,chlorophyll and soluble sugar content in rice seedlings

To investigate the combined effects of Cd^2＋ （ 0,10,100,500 μmol/L） , acetochlor （AC） （0,1.6,4.0,8.0μmol/L）, and bensulfuronmethyl （BSM） （ 0,0.16,0.40,0.80 μmol/L） on the biomass,leaf soluble sugar, total chlorophyll （chl） content, chl a/b ratio, and Cd content in roots and shoots in the rice seedlings, pot culture experiments were conducted with rice （Oryza sativa L. ） cultivar Jinyou 402. The results showed that the Cd and AC combined treatment （Cd＋ AC treatment） significantly inhibited the growth of the roots and shoots. The root dry weight/shoot dry weight （RDW/SDW） ratio, total chlorophyll content and chl a/b ratio decreased by 41%, 50%, 56% , respectively, in comparison with the control, as well as the leaf soluble sugar content, plant dry weight /plant fresh weight （PDW/PFW） ratio increased by 284% and 44% , respectively. Cd content in the roots and shoots had a decreasing tendency with the increasing concentration of AC under the Cd＋AC treatment. The Cd and BSM combined treatment （Cd＋BSM treatment） had a similar result to the Cd＋AC treatment. The results suggest that the toxicity of Cd to rice seedlings has been enhanced due to its combination with herbicides.     

Effects of heavy metal on dielectric properties of E. coli revealed by dielectric spectroscopy

Dielectric spectroscopy of E. coli cell before and after exposure to heavy metals Cd^2＋ , Cu^2＋ , Zn^2＋ and Ca^2＋ was investigated. The results indicate that changes in dielectric spectra reflect effects of heavy metal on the structure and function of E. coli cells. Heavy metal can change membrane capacitance as well as pennittivity and conductivity of the cytoplasm. Changes in volume fraction suggested that dielectric measurement could monitor the growth of E. coli cells. These results demonstrated that dielectric spectroscopy was a potential effective technique for studying electric properties of biological cells.     

Protein tyrosine phosphatases involved in signaling of the ABA-induced H2O2 generation in guard cells of Vicia faba L.

Although protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) play an important role in signal transduction in animal cells, little is known about the function of PTPases in higher plants. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are the critical components of ABA signaling pathway in guard cells. PTPase is an important regulator of MAPK, which is believed to mediate ABA-induced H2O2 generation in guard cells of Vicia faba L. Here, we investigate the possible role of PTPases in stomatal movement process. Phenylarsine oxide (PAO), a specific inhibitor of PTPases, could prevent ABA or H2O2-induced stomatal closure of Vicia faba L; furthermore, it could promote opening of the stomata closed by ABA or H2O2. The activity of PTPases can be effectively inhibited by PAO and H2O2. DTT had no effect on the PAO-induced inhibition of PTPases activity, but it could relieve the inhibition of H2O2 on PTPases activity. PAO could also inhibit the ABA-induced H2O2 generation in guard cells of V‘wia faba L. These results suggested that PTPases is a critical signaling component in ABA-induced stomatal closure, and serve as targets for H2O2 lying on the signaling pathways downstream of ABA induced H2O2 generation.     

Leaf cuticular characters of Ginkgo and implications for paleoatmospheric CO2 in the Jurassic

A combination of carbon isotope composition and stomatal characters of fossil leaves provides information about paleoatmospheric CO₂ levels and the physiology of fossil plants. Plant anatomy, physiology, and geochemistry have been employed to reconstruct the paleoatmospheric CO2 concentrations throughout Jurassic time and to investigate the physiological response of fossil Ginkgo to an atmosphere of much higher CO₂ than usual. Our results show that fossil Ginkgo in China lived in an atmosphere with a CO₂ concentration 3—5 times higher than that of today. It used a carbon isotopic discrimination similar to that of the living plant, but had much higher water use efficiency (3—5 times that of the extant). The physiological traits of Ginkgo in different atmospheres suggest that CO₂ might have played a contributory role in the rise and fall of maidenhair trees.     

Leaf cuticular characters of Ginkgo and implications for paleoatmospheric CO2 in the Jurassic

A combination of carbon isotope composition and stomatal characters of fossil leaves provides information about paleoatmospheric CO₂ levels and the physiology of fossil plants. Plant anatomy, physiology, and geochemistry have been employed to reconstruct the paleoatmospheric CO2 concentrations throughout Jurassic time and to investigate the physiological response of fossil Ginkgo to an atmosphere of much higher CO₂ than usual. Our results show that fossil Ginkgo in China lived in an atmosphere with a CO₂ concentration 3—5 times higher than that of today. It used a carbon isotopic discrimination similar to that of the living plant, but had much higher water use efficiency (3—5 times that of the extant). The physiological traits of Ginkgo in different atmospheres suggest that CO₂ might have played a contributory role in the rise and fall of maidenhair trees.     

Phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted soils and water: Progresses and perspectives

Environmental pollution affects the quality ofpedosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. Great efforts have been made in the last two decades to reduce pollution sources and remedy the polluted soil and water resources. Phytoremediation, being more cost-effective and fewer side effects than physical and chemical approaches, has gained increasing popularity in both academic and practical circles. More than 400 plant species have been identified to have potential for soil and water remediation. Among them, Thlaspi, Brassica, Sedum alfredii H., and Arabidopsis species have been mostly studied. It is also expected that recent advances in biotechnology will play a promising role in the development of new hyperaccumulators by transferring metal hyperaccumulating genes from low biomass wild species to the higher biomass producing cultivated species in the times to come. This paper attempted to provide a brief review on recent progresses in research and practical applications of phytoremediation for soil and water resources.     

Thermal simulation of the formation and evolution of coalbed gas

Thermal simulation experiment of gas generation from the peat and the coals were performed using the high temperature and pressure apparatus, at temperature ranging from 336.8-600℃, a pressure of 50MPa and two heating rates of 20℃/h and 2℃/h, and the evolution and formation of coalbed gas components were studied. Results show that for the coals, the gaseous products are mainly composed of hydrocarbon gases. However, for the peat the content of hydrocarbon gases in gaseous products is lower than that of non-hydrocarbon components. In the generated hydrocarbon gases methane is predominant and heavy hydrocarbon gases (C2-5) are present in small amount. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide (CO2) predominates the generated non-hydrocarbon gases, and hydrogen (H2) and sul-furated hydrogen (H2S) are existent in trace amount. It is also observed that temperature is the main factor controlling the evolution of coalbed gas generation. With increasing vitrinite reflectance, methane rapidly increases, CO2 sightly increases, and C2-5 hydrocarbons first increase and then decrease. The peat and Shanxi formation coal have a higher generative potential of coalbed gases than coals and Taiyuan formation coal, respectively, reflecting the effect of the property of organic matter on the characteristics of coalbed gas component generation. In this study, it is found that low heating rate is favorable for the generation of methane, H2 and CO2, and the decomposition of C2-5 hydrocarbons. This shows that heating time plays an important controlling role in the generation and evolution of coalbed gases. The results obtained from the simulation experiment in the study of coalbed gases in natural system are also discussed.     

Evaluation of Cadmium Bioavailability in Soils Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Film Technique and Traditional Methods

The developed technique of diffusive gradients in thin film( DGT) has been suggested as a promising tool for evaluation of cadmium( Cd) availability in soils,but there exists considerable debate on its suitability. In this study,Cd bioavailability in soils was systemically investigated by comparing this technique with seven traditional methods, including soil solution concentration and six commonly used extraction methods( HAc,EDTA,Na c,NH4Ac,CaCl2 and MgCl2). Two typical plants( wheat and maize) were examined for Cd uptake. Maize was more sensitive to increasing exposure to Cd in soils than wheat when the added amounts of Cd ranged from 3. 5 to 5. 0 mg · kg-1,accompanied by the significant decreases of shoot and root biomasses. Cd concentrations in shoots and roots of two plants increased continuously with increasing levels of Cd in soils. Cd uptake was higher in wheat than that in maize. The bioavailable concentrations of Cd measured by all methods increased nearly linearly with increasing addition of Cd in soils. Positive correlations were observed between various bioavailable indicators of Cd in soils and Cd concentrations in two plants. The extractable Cd by six chemical extractants was considerably higher for maize than for wheat,while the DGT-measured and soil solution concentrations of Cd were lower for maize than for wheat,following the same trend as plant Cd uptake. The results imply that DGT measurement can effectively predict the bioavailable levels of Cd in soil solutions and that it is an ideal tool for prediction of Cd bioavailability in soils.     

Salt tolerance conferred by over-expression of OsNHX1 gene in Poplar 84K

OsNHX1 gene (Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter gene of Oryza sativa L.) was introduced into Poplar 84K with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. PCR, Southern and Northern blot analysis showed that OsNHX1 gene was incorporated successfully into the genome of Poplar 84K and expressed in these transgenic plants. Salt tolerance test showed that three lines of transgenic plants grew normally in the presence of 2OO mmol/L NaCI, while the Na^＋ content in the leaves of the transgenic plants grown at 2OO mmol/L NaCl was significantly higher than that in plants grown at 0mmol/L NaCI. The osmotic potential in the transgenic plants with high salinity treatment was lower than that of control plants. Our results demonstrate the potential use of these transgenic plants for agricultural use in saline soils.     

Accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants

It is important to research the rules about accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants, which will give us some scientific ideas about how to control the contents of arsenic and cadmium in tea. In this study, by field investigation and pot trial, we found that mobility of arsenic and cadmium in tea plants was low. Most arsenic and cadmium absorbed were fixed in feeding roots and only small amount was transported to the above-ground parts. Distribution of arsenic and cadmium, based on their concentrations of unit dry matter, in tea plants grown on un-contaminated soil was in the order： feeding roots〉stems=main roots〉old leaves〉young leaves. When tea plants were grown on polluted soils simulated by adding salts of these two metals, feeding roots possibly acted as a buffer and defense, and arsenic and cadmium were transported less to the aboveground parts. The concentration of cadmium in soil significantly and negatively correlated with chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and biomass production of tea plants.     

Spatial distribution of Cd and Cu in soils in Shenyang Zhangshi Irrigation Area （SZIA）, China

Heavy metal contamination of soils, derived from sewage irrigation, mining and inappropriate utilization of various agrochemicals and pesticides, and so on, has been of wide concern in the last several decades. The Shenyang Zhangshi Irrigation Area （SZIA） in China is a representative area of heavy metal contamination of soils resulting from sewage irrigation for about 30 years. This study investigated the spatial distribution and temporal variation of soil cadmium （Cd） and copper （Cu） contamination in the SZIA. The soil samples were collected from the SZIA in 1990 and 2004; Cd and Cu in soils was analyzed and then the spatial distribution and temporal variation of Cd and Cu in soils were modeled using Kriging methods. The results show that long-term sewage irrigation had caused serious Cd and Cu contamination in soils. The mean and the maximum of soil Cd are markedly higher than the levels in second grade standard soil （LSGSS） in China, and the maximum of soil Cu is close to the LSGSS in China in 2004 and is more than the LSGSS in China in 1990. The contamination magnitude of soil Cd and the soil extent of Cd con- tamination had evidently increased since sewage irrigation ceased in 1992. The contamination magnitude of soil Cu and the soil extent of Cu contamination had evidently increased in topsoil, but obviously decresed in subsoil. The soil contamination of Cd and Cu was mainly related to Cd and Cu reactivation of contaminated sediments in Shenyang Xi River and the import of Cd and Cu during irrigation. The eluviation of Cd and Cu in contaminated topsoil with rainfall and irrigation water was another factor of temporal-spatial variability of Cd and Cu contamination in soils.     

Microbial activity and community diversity in a variable charge soil as affected by cadmium exposure levels and time

Effects of cadmium （Cd） on microbial biomass, variable charge soil （Typic Aquult） using an incubation study activity and community diversity were assessed in a representative Cadmium was added as CdCNO3）2 to reach a concentration range of 0-16 mg Cd/kg soil. Soil extractable Cd generally increased with Cd loading rate, but decreased with incubation time. Soil microbial biomass was enhanced at low Cd levels （0.5-1 mg/kg）, but was inhibited consistently with increasing Cd rate. The ratio of microbial biomass C/N varied with Cd treatment levels, decreasing at low Cd rate （〈0.7 mg/kg available Cd）, but increasing progressively with Cd loading. Soil respiration was restrained at low Cd loading （〈1 mg/kg）, and enhanced at higher Cd levels. Soil microbial metabolic quotient （MMQ） was generally greater at high Cd loading （1-16 mg/kg）. However, the MMQ is also affected by other factors. Cd contamination reduces species diversity of soil microbial communities and their ability to metabolize different C substrates. Soils with higher levels of Cd contamination showed decreases in indicator phospholipids fatty acids （PLFAs） for Gram-negative bacteria and actinomycetes, while the indicator PLFAs for Gram-positive bacteria and fungi increased with increasing levels of Cd contamination.     

Sensing Escherichia coli O157：H7 via frequency shift through a self-assembled monolayer based QCM immunosensor

By means of the specific immuno-recognition and ultra-sensitive mass detection, a quartz crystal microbalance （QCM） biosensor for Escherichia coli O157：H7 detection was developed in this work. As a suitable surfactant, 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid （MHDA） was introduced onto the Au surface of QCM, and then self-assembled with N-hydroxysuccinimide （NHS） raster as a reactive intermediate to provide an active interface for the specific antibody immobilization. The binding of target bacteria with the immobilized antibodies decreased the sensor＇s resonant frequency, and the frequency shift was correlated to the bacterial concentration. The stepwise assembly of the immunosensor was characterized by means of the electrochemical techniques. Using the immersion-dry-immersion procedure, this QCM biosensor could detect 2.0×10^2 colony forming units （CFU）/ml E. coli O157：H7. In order to reduce the fabrication time, a polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer self-assembly （LBL-SA） method was adopted for fast construction. Finally, the reproducibility of this biosensor was discussed.     

Design and implementation of ethernet passive electronic network over coax

To increase the limit of ethernet over coax （EoC） technology in the bidirectional reform of the hybrid fiber coaxial （HFC） network, an ethernet passive electronic network （EPEN） system based on Coax is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The proposed EPEN exploits the existing capabilities of the MAC layer in the ethernet passive optical network （EPON） for reduction of cost of the HFC network. As the MPCP （multi-point control protocol） is introduced in the EPEN, bandwidth control and higher efficiency can be achieved. The experimental results exhibit the throughput of system up to 100Mbps, which meet the requirements of HFC network. To improve the performance of EPEN, frequency division multiplexing （FDM） can be used for further increase of the throughput and more hardware processing modules in the future. can be implemented to enhance the capacity     

Relationship between alanine aminotransferase levels and metabolic syndrome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective： To investigate the relationship between alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels and metabolic syndrome （MS） in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. Methods： A total of 26527 subjects who received medical health checkup in our hospital from January 2005 to July 2007 were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of fatty liver was based on ultrasound imaging. MS was defined according to the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel III. ALT, triglyceride （TG）, high density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-c）, fasting plasma glucose （FPG）, height, weight, waist circumference （WC）, systolic blood pressure （SBP） and diastolic blood pressure （DBP） were measured in each subject to analyze the relationship between MS and ALT activity Results： （1） The prevalence of NAFLD in men （30.94%） was significantly higher than that in women （15.65%）; （2） The incidence of MS in NAFLD （33.83%） was significantly greater than that in non-NAFLD （10.62%）; （3） Of the 6470 subjects with NAFLD, in the age-adjusted partial correlation analysis, there were statistically significant correlations between the ALT levels and most metabolic risk factors in each sex （P〈0.01）, except that ALT levels multiple stepwise regression analysis, SBP lost its significance, and had no correlation with HDL-c in women. Moreover, in the WC, body mass index （BMI）, age, DBP, TG and FPG were independently associated with ALT levels in both sexes （P〈0.05）. HDL-c remained significant and was independently related to ALT levels in men; （4） ALT levels were significantly higher in subjects with MS compared to those without MS （P〈0.001）. Mean ALT levels increased with the number of MS components in each sex （P〈0.05 for trend）. Conclusion： We found a strong relationship between ALT levels and MS in NAFLD and revealed that the cluster of MS components might be the predictor for ALT elevations.     

Metabonomic analysis of hepatitis B virus-induced liver failure： identification of potential diagnostic biomarkers by fuzzy support vector machine

Hepatitis B virus （HBV）-induced liver failure is an emergent liver disease leading to high mortality. The severity of liver failure may be reflected by the profile of some metabolites. This study assessed the potential of using metabolites as biomarkers for liver failure by identifying metabolites with good discriminative performance for its phenotype. The serum samples from 24 HBV-indueed liver failure patients and 23 healthy volunteers were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS） to generate metabolite profiles. The 24 patients were further grouped into two classes according to the severity of liver failure. Twenty-five eommensal peaks in all metabolite profiles were extracted, and the relative area values of these peaks were used as features for each sample. Three algorithms, F-test, k-nearest neighbor （KNN） and fuzzy support vector machine （FSVM） combined with exhaustive search （ES）, were employed to identify a subset of metabolites （biomarkers） that best predict liver failure. Based on the achieved experimental dataset, 93.62% predictive accuracy by 6 features was selected with FSVM-ES and three key metabolites, glyeerie acid, cis-aeonitie acid and citric acid, are identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers.     

Treatment of zinc deficiency without zinc fortification

Zinc （Zn） deficiency in animals became of interest until the 1950s. In this paper, progresses in researches on physiology of Zn deficiency in animals, phytate effect on bioavailability of Zn, and role of phytase in healing Zn deficiency of animals were reviewed. Several studies demonstrated that Zn is recycled via the pancreas; the problem of Zn deficiency was controlled by Zn homeostasis. The endogenous secretion of Zn is considered as an important factor influencing Zn deficiency, and the critical molar ratio is 10. Phytate （inositol hexaphosphate） constituted up to 90% of the organically bound phosphorus in seeds. Great improvement has been made in recent years on isolating and measuring phytate, and its structure is clear. Phytate is considered to reduce Zn bioavailability in animal. Phytase is the enzyme that hydrolyzes phytate and is present in yeast, rye bran, wheat bran, barley, triticale, and many bacteria and fungi. Zinc nutrition and bioavailability can be enhanced by addition of phytase to animal feeds. Therefore, using phytase as supplements, the most prevalent Zn deficiency in animals may be effectively corrected without the mining and smelting of several tons of zinc daily needed to correct this deficiency by fortification worldwide.     

New insights into the activation mechanism of store-operated calcium channels： roles of STIM and Orai

The activation of Ca^2＋ entry through store-operated channels by agonists that deplete Ca^2＋ from the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） is a ubiquitous signaling mechanism, the molecular basis of which has remained elusive for the past two decades. Store-operated Ca^2＋-release-activated Ca^2＋ （CRAC） channels constitute the sole pathway for Ca^2＋ entry following antigen-receptor engagement. In a set of breakthrough studies over the past two years, stromal interaction molecule 1 （STIM 1, the ER Ca^2＋ sensor） and Orai 1 （a pore-forming subunit of the CRAC channel） have been identified. Here we review these recent studies and the insights they provide into the mechanism of store-operated Ca^2＋ channels （SOCCs）.