The start-up of biohydrogen-producing process by bioaugmentation in the EGSB reactor

Expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor and bioaugmentation were employed to investigate biohydrogen production with molasses wastewater. The start-up experiments consisted of two stages. In the first stage (0～24d) seeded with activated sludge, the butyric acid type-fermentation formed when the initial expanding rate, organic loading rate (OLR), the initial redox potential (ORP) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were 10%, 10.0 kg COD/(m3·d), - 215 mV and 6.7 h, respectively. At the beginning of the second stage on day 25, the novel hydrogen-producing fermentative bacterial strain B49 (AF481148 in EMBL) were inoculated into the reactor under the condition of OLR 16. 0 kg COD/(m3·d), ORP and HRT about - 139 mV and 6.7 h, respectively, and then the reaction system transformed to ethanol-type fermentation gradually with the increase in OLR. When OLR, ORP and HRT were about 94.3 kg COD/(m3·d), -250 mV and 1.7 h, respectively, the system achieved the maximum hydrogen-producing rate of 282.6 mL H2/L reactor· h and hydrogen percentage of 51%～53% in the biogas.     

Effects of medium nutrition on cell growth and isocamptothecin A and B production by suspension cell culture of Camptotheca acuminata

The effects of initial sucrose concentration, nitrate to ammonium ratio, total N concentration and phosphate concentration in medium on cell growth and isocamptothecin A and B synthesis by suspension call culture of Camptotheca acuminata were investigated in 250 mL shake flasks. 30 g L^-1 sucrose concentration was beneficial to secondary metabolites synthesis. The cell growth and metabolites synthesis were also affected by the ratio of NO3^-/NH4^＋ , and nitrate was tavourable for cell growth. The maximum dry weight was achieved when nitrate was used as the sole N souree. The effect of total initial N on the cell cultures was also investigated with NO3^-/NH4^＋ ratio of 1 ： 2. The final dry cell weight was similar throughout culture period and 50 mM initial N was favourable for secondary metabolite synthesis. 50 mM initial phosphate concentration facilitated both cell growth and secondary metabolites synthesis.     

热压烧结ZrB2／B4C陶瓷材料的组织与性能

以B4C、C、ZrO2为主要原料,采用反应热压法制备ZrB2／B4C陶瓷材料。通过对ZrB2／B4C陶瓷材料的显微组织及力学性能的综合分析,发现第二相ZrB2含量为20wt％时,材料具有较好的综合力学性能,相对密度为99．3％,维氏硬度为36．1GPa,抗弯强度为533．3MPa,断裂韧性为6．95MPa·m^1/2,比纯B4C陶瓷材料的性能均有所提高。材料为穿晶和沿晶断裂的混合断裂模式。     

Radiolarians from the British North‐Polar Expedition (1875–1876): re‐examination of the H. B. Brady (1878) collection

The earliest report on radiolarians from the Arctic Ocean (north of the Arctic Circle) was provided by H. B. Brady (1878 Brady, H. B. 1878. On the reticularian and radiolarian Rhizopoda (Foraminifera and Polycystina) of the North‐Polar Expedition of 1875–76.. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 5, 1: 425–440. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). He documented the occurrences of 10 genera from soundings in northern Baffin Bay and north of Greenland, but he did not illustrate any specimens in his report. We have re‐examined Brady's original slide collection, housed at the Natural History Museum, London (NHM), in order to refine his radiolarian identifications to species level. We have identified 11 radiolarian taxa in his slides, but some are definitely more characteristic of tropical oceans rather than high northern latitudes. We conclude that this is most likely due to sample contamination or misidentification of samples. Therefore, the actual occurrence of tropically affiliated radiolarians recorded from the Arctic is uncertain and should be regarded with suspicion.     

基于HJ-1B卫星的作物秸秆提取及其焚烧火点判定模式

作物秸秆焚烧产生的气体和颗粒物严重污染大气环境,威胁人类健康,给交通带安全带来隐患,利用遥感技术优势监管秸秆焚烧火点具有重要的现实意义.文中基于HJ-1B卫星CCD多光谱遥感数据和IRS热红外遥感数据,以中国江苏中东部为研究区,开展作物秸秆提取及其焚烧火点判定的一体化研究.根据秸秆的光谱特征研究建立了秸秆乘积指数(SMI),结合其纹理信息可从HJ-1BCCD遥感图像上快速有效的提取出秸秆分布,继之结合修正后的火点探测算法可对HJ-1BIRS遥感数据进行火点提取.在秸秆分布和火点探测结果矢量化的基础上,通过GIS技术进行火点叠置分析,可有效地判定作物秸秆火点分布,同时结合实地调研及与MODIS火点产品比对分析验证评价了本研究方法的可行性和有效性.     

WDR34 is a novel TAK1-associated suppressor of the IL-1R/TLR3/TLR4-induced NF-κB activation pathway

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as sensors of microbial components and elicit innate immune responses. All TLR signaling pathways activate the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), which controls the expression of inflammatory cytokine genes. Transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is critically involved in the activation of NF-κB by tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and TLR ligands. In this study, we identified a novel protein, WD40 domain repeat protein 34 (WDR34) as a TAK1-interacting protein in yeast two-hybrid screens. WDR34 interacted with TAK1, TAK1-binding protein 2 (TAB2), TAK1-binding protein 3 (TAB3) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in overexpression and under physiological conditions. Overexpression of WDR34 inhibited IL-1β-, polyI:C- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced but not TNFα-induced NF-κB activation, whereas knockdown of WDR34 by a RNA-interference construct potentiated NF-κB activation by these ligands. Our findings suggest that WDR34 is a TAK1-associated inhibitor of the IL-1R/TLR3/TLR4-induced NF-κB activation pathway. D. Gao and R. Wang contributed equally to this work.     

碳化硼颗粒表面化学镀镍

对非金属B4CP表面化学镀镍前的活化工艺进行了研究,提出了NaCl活化工艺,在B4CP表面制备了镀镍层.镀层能谱分析及扫描电镜图片表明:在B4CP表面上得到了均匀、致密的镍包覆层,镀覆层含镍和磷元素.     

窄谱中波紫外线联合泛昔洛韦治疗带状疱疹的临床观察

目的:观察窄谱中波紫外线(NB-UVB)光疗联合泛昔洛韦治疗带状疱疹的疗效及安全性.方法:101例患者随机分为两组,联合组采用NB-UVB联合泛昔洛韦片(FCV)治疗,对照组单独采用FCV治疗.结果:联合组有效率高于对照组(均P＜0.05),其止痛、结痂、脱痂时间比对照组明显缩短(P＜0.01),带状疱疹后遗神经痛发生率比对照组明显减少(P＜0.05).结论:窄谱中波紫外线光疗联合泛昔洛韦治疗带状疱疹疗效高,安全性好,并可减少后遗神经痛的发生率.     

Highly homologous HERC proteins localize to endosomes and exhibit specific interactions with hPLIC and Nm23B

Small HERC proteins are defined by the presence of one RCC1-like domain and a HECT domain. Having evolved out of one common ancestor, the four members of the family exhibit a high degree of homology in genomic organization and amino acid sequence, thus it seems possible that they might accomplish similar functions. Here we show that small HERC proteins interact with each other and localize to the same cellular structures, which we identify as late endosomes and lysosomes. We demonstrate interaction of HERC3 with the ubiquitin-like proteins hPLIC-1 and hPLIC-2 and we establish interaction of HERC5 with the metastasis suppressor Nm23B. While hPLIC proteins are not ubiquitinated by HERC3, HERC5 plays an important role in ubiquitination of Nm23B. In summary, although small HERC proteins are highly homologous showing the same subcellular distribution, they undergo different molecular interactions.     

ERK activation by Ca2+ ionophores depends on Ca2+ entry in lymphocytes but not in platelets, and does not conduct membrane scrambling

Rapid Ca²⁺-dependent phospholipid (PL) reorganization (scrambling) at the plasma membrane is a mechanism common to hematopoietic cells exposing procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS). The aim of this research was to determine whether activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway was required for PL scrambling, based on a single report analyzing both responses induced by Ca²⁺ ionophores in megakaryoblastic HEL cells. Ca²⁺ ionophore-stimulated ERK phosphorylation was induced in platelets without external Ca²⁺, whereas exogenous Ca²⁺ entry was crucial for ERK activation in Jurkat T cells. In both cells, membrane scrambling only occurred following Ca²⁺ entry and was not blocked by inhibiting ERK phosphorylation. Furthermore, ERK proteins are strongly phosphorylated in transformed B lymphoblastic cell lines, which do not expose PS in their resting state. Overall, the data demonstrated that ERK activation and membrane scrambling are independent mechanisms. A. Arachiche, I. Badirou: These authors contributed equally to this work. Received 18 June 2008; received after revision 24 September 2008; accepted 1 October 2008