[Spatial Distribution of Aerobic Bacteria, Sources and Risks of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Taihu Lake Sediments].

The release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments into lake water will exacerbate the eutrophication of lakes and endanger ecological safety and human health. Microorganisms are indispensable in nitrogen and phosphorus conversion, and accurate analysis of the distribution characteristics and sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments as well as their relationship with microorganisms is an important prerequisite for lake eutrophication control. Taking Taihu Lake as the study area, 30 surface sediment samples were collected, and the grain size, pH, organic matter (OM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) along with some other index contents were measured and analyzed; accordingly, spatial distribution characteristics were analyzed. While using nutrient agar (NA), the number of aerobic bacteria (AB) was determined by plate counting in the medium. Combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis, the spatial distribution characteristics and sources of sediments and AB in Taihu Lake were explored. The characteristics of sediment pollution in Taihu Lake were studied using the comprehensive pollution index and the organic pollution index methods. The results revealed that the average sediment indicators of the surface layer of Taihu Lake were as follows:AB was 9.25×104 CFU·g-1, average particle size (MZ) was 17.59 µm, pH was 7.62, ω(OM) was 15.05 g·kg-1, ω(DOC) was 71.60 mg·kg-1, ω(TP) was 598.13 mg·kg-1, ω(TN) was 1113.92 mg·kg-1, ω(NO3--N) was 3.22 mg·kg-1, and ω(DON) was 22.60 mg·kg-1. The comprehensive pollution index (FF) showed that 13% of the Taihu Lake was moderately polluted, while 87% was heavily polluted. Excluding the area in the center of the lake, the southern lake area, and some lakes in the western part of the East Taihu Lake, TN in the rest of the area was moderately and severely polluted. In addition to the heavy pollution of Zhushan Bay, the TP in Taihu Lake was generally at light and moderate pollution. The organic pollution index (OI) showed that the organic pollution of the sediments of Taihu Lake was relatively light, majorly caused by organic nitrogen (ON) pollution. DOC, DON, TN, and OM in Taihu Lake were primarily derived from the influence of aquatic plants, and TP And AB were primarily derived from the influence of the external input of rivers. This research will provide theoretical support for lake eutrophication treatment and also provide new ideas for further analysis of AB to remove nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from sediments.

Artificial Downregulation of Ribosomal Protein L34 Restricts the Proliferation and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer by Suppressing the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

The highly conserved ribosomal protein L34 (RPL34) has been reported to play an essential role in the progression of diverse malignancies. RPL34 is aberrantly expressed in multiple cancers, although its significant in colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently unclear. Here, we demonstrated that RPL34 expression was higher in CRC tissues than in normal tissues. Upon RPL34 overexpression, the ability of proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of CRC cells were significantly enhanced in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, high expression of RPL34 accelerated cell cycle progression, activated the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, and induced the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. Conversely, RPL34 silencing inhibited the CRC malignant progression. Utilizing immunoprecipitation assays, we identified the RPL34 interactor, the cullin-associated NEDD8-dissociated protein 1 (CAND1), which is a negative regulator of cullin-RING ligases. CAND1 overexpression reduced the ubiquitin level of RPL34 and stabilized RPL34 protein. CAND1 silencing in CRC cells resulted in a decrease in the ability of proliferation, migration, and invasion. CAND1 overexpression promoted CRC malignant phenotypes and induced EMT, and RPL34 knockdown rescued CAND1-induced CRC progression. In summary, our study indicates that RPL34 acts as a mediator, is stabilized by CAND1, and promotes proliferation and metastasis, in part, through the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and induction of EMT in CRC.

Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Knockdown of Agmatinase Attenuates Inflammation and Tumorigenesis in a Mouse Model of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer.

Agmatinase (AGMAT) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes agmatine to putrescine and urea. In this study, we explored the functions of AGMAT in colorectal cancer (CRC). By performing gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments, we investigated the roles of AGMAT in proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis of CRC cells. We also established a colitis-associated colorectal cancer model by challenging mice with azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and we subsequently silenced AGMAT expression in mice by adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-mediated delivery of short hairpin RNA (shRNA). In vitro experiments showed that overexpression of AGMAT accelerated the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of CRC cells, and AGMAT knockdown exhibited the opposite effects. Interestingly, the oncogenic transcription factor, c-Myc, could bind to the AGMAT promoter and transcriptionally increase AGMAT expression in CRC cells. Additionally, c-Myc and AGMAT were upregulated in the colon of AOM/DSS-treated mice, and AGMAT silencing significantly mitigated colitis in AOM/DSS-treated mice, as evidenced by the increased colon length, attenuated crypt damage, and reduced levels of inflammatory indicators (myeloperoxidase, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and phosphorylated p65) in colon tissues. Notably, AGMAT silencing decreased both the number and size of tumors, reduced expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and inhibited phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in the colon of AOM/DSS-treated mice. Overall, we determined that AGMAT facilitates tumor progression in CRC. Our findings will be helpful in the search for potential therapeutic targets for CRC.

[Association Between TAB2 Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Cryptorchidism in Han Chinese Population in Southwest China].

Objective: To conduct preliminary investigation into the correlation between transforming growth factor beta-activated protein kinase 1-binding protein 2 ( TAB2) gene and the incidence of cryptorchidism in Han Chinese population in Southwest China. Methods: A total of 259 patients with cryptorchidism and 355 healthy controls from Southwest China were enrolled for the study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to analyze the genotype of the 3 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TAB2 gene, i.e., rs237028, rs521845 and rs652921. The Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between the genotype frequency of the three tag SNPs and the incidence of cryptorchidism. Results: The distribution of the 3 tag SNPs' alleles and genotypes were in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and the genotype results of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay were consistent with those of Sanger sequencing. The frequency of the G allele at TAB 2 rs237028 was significantly higher in the cryptorchidism group than that in the control group (30.9% vs. 25.6%, P=0.04, OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.01-1.70). In the dominant model, the risk of cryptorchidism was significantly higher in AG/GG genotype carriers ( P=0.006, OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.14-2.17). In the cryptorchidism group, the TC/CC genotype frequency of the rs652921 locus were significantly higher than that of the control group (75.3% vs. 67.0%, P=0.03, OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.05-2.14). Correlation between rs521845 and susceptibility to cryptorchidism was not observed in the Han Chinese population. Conclusion: The AG/GG genotype of rs237028 locus and the TC/CC genotype of rs652921 locus of the TAB2 gene may be associated with increased risks of cryptorchidism in Han Chinese population in southwest China.

Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Bronchography and Angiography-Guided Thoracoscopic Segmentectomy for Pulmonary Nodules.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) provides detailed imaging information for pulmonary segmentectomy. This study was performed to verify the feasibility of 3D-CTBA-guided thoracoscopic segmentectomy for the treatment of pulmonary nodules. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients who underwent 3D-CTBA-guided uniport thoracoscopic segmentectomies or subsegmentectomies for pulmonary nodules in the period from May 2019 to May 2020. All of the information related to perioperative management and surgical operations was retrieved from the medical records and operating notes for detailed analysis. RESULTS: A total of 104 eligible operations involving the resection of 110 nodules with diameters in the range of 5-20 mm were included. Under 3D-CTBA guidance, the pulmonary nodules were located with an accuracy of 100% (110/110) and the median resection margin was 24.3 mm (17-33 mm). Additionally, the segmental (subsegmental) bronchi, arteries, and veins were identified with accuracy rates of 100% (104/104), 96.2% (100/104), and 94.2% (98/104), respectively. The postoperative complications consisted of 3 cases of pulmonary infection (2.9%), 6 cases of arrhythmia (5.8%), 2 cases of hemoptysis (1.9%), 4 cases of air leak (3.8%), and 2 cases of subcutaneous emphysema (1.9%). No perioperative death occurred. CONCLUSION: 3D-CTBA-guided thoracoscopic segmentectomy is an effective surgical approach for the management of pulmonary nodules.

Development of prognostic signature based on RNA binding proteins related genes analysis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play significant roles in the development of tumors. However, a comprehensive analysis of the biological functions of RBPs in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not been performed. Our study aimed to construct an RBP-related risk model for prognosis prediction in ccRCC patients. First, RNA sequencing data of ccRCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Three RBP genes (EIF4A1, CARS, and RPL22L1) were validated as prognosis-related hub genes by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and were integrated into a prognostic model by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis. According to this model, patients with high risk scores displayed significantly worse overall survival (OS) than those with low risk scores. Moreover, the multivariate Cox analysis results indicated that risk score, tumor grade, and tumor stage were significantly correlated with patient OS. A nomogram was constructed based on the three RBP genes and showed a good ability to predict outcomes in ccRCC patients. In conclusion, this study identified a three-RBP gene risk model for predicting the prognosis of patients, which is conducive to the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic molecular markers.

Effectiveness and postoperative pain level of single-port versus two-port thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Single-port thoracoscopic lobectomy is a new therapeutic technique for patients with lung cancer; however, insufficient data are available regarding its clinical outcomes. We therefore compared the clinical outcomes of single-port and two-port thoracoscopic lobectomies for lung cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed and compared the data of 204 and 368 patients with lung cancer who underwent single-port or two-port thoracoscopic lobectomy, respectively, between October 2014 and October 2017 at our institution. Patients in both groups underwent 1:1 propensity score matching, and 400 patients (200 patients in each group) were included. Perioperative clinical indicators were analyzed, including operation time, lymph node dissection stations and numbers, incidence of postoperative complications, and pain scores at 24 h, 72 h, and 1 week after surgery. RESULTS: No perioperative deaths occurred in either group. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, chest drainage duration, duration of postoperative hospital stay, lymph node dissection station and number, rate of conversion to open surgery, number of ruptured intraoperative pulmonary vessel, and incidence of postoperative complications were not significantly different between the groups (all P > 0.05). However, analysis of the 24-h (P = 0.005), 72-h (P = 0.011), and 1-week (P = 0.034) visual analog scale score after surgery revealed that the postoperative pain levels were significantly lower in the single-port than in the two-port group. CONCLUSIONS: Single-port and two-port thoracoscopic lobectomies had similar perioperative outcomes, although the postoperative pain was lower after single-port than two-port thoracoscopic lobectomy. Hence, we concluded that single-port thoracoscopic lobectomy is an effective, minimally invasive, and promising surgical procedure.

Incidence, risk factors and clinical outcomes of acute kidney injury after heart transplantation: a retrospective single center study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the incidence rate of Acute kidney injury (AKI) in our center and predict in-hospital mortality and long-term survival after heart transplantation (HTx). METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study from October 2009 and March 2020 analyzed the pre-, intra-, and postoperative characteristics of 95 patients who underwent HTx. AKI was defined according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Risk factors were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression models. The log-rank test was used to compare long-term survival. RESULTS: Thirty-three (34.7%) patients developed AKI. The mortality in hospital in HTx patients with and without AKI were 21.21 and 6.45%, respectively (P < 0.05). Recipients in AKI who required renal replacement therapy (RRT) had a hospital mortality rate of 43.75% compared to 6.45% in those without AKI or RRT (P < 0.0001). A long cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (OR:11.393, 95% CI: 2.183 to 59.465, P = 0.0039) was positively related to the occurrence of AKI. A high intraoperative urine volume (OR: 0.031, 95% CI: 0.005 to 0.212, P = 0.0004) was negatively correlated with AKI. AKI requiring RRT (OR, 11.348; 95% CI, 2.418-53.267, P = 0.002) was a risk factor for mortality in hospital. Overall survival in patients without AKI at 1 and 3 years was not different from that in patients with AKI (P = 0.096). CONCLUSIONS: AKI is common after HTx. AKI requiring RRT could contribute powerful prognostic information to predict mortality in hospital. A long CPB time and low intraoperative urine volume are associated with the occurrence of AKI.

Laparoscopic versus open surgery for pheochromocytoma: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection is the main treatment for pheochromocytoma (PHEO). Although open surgery (OS) has been shown to be safe and feasible, the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery (LS) for PHEO remain controversial due to the uncertain effects of pneumoperitoneum on haemodynamics and the complexity of the tumour itself. This study was performed to compare the treatment outcomes of OS with those of LS for patients with PHEO. METHODS: A systematic search through November 11, 2019, was conducted. All studies comparing outcomes of LS and OS for PHEO were included according to eligibility criteria. This meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager Software, version 5.3, and STATA software, version 12.0. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. RESULTS: Fourteen studies involving 626 patients were included in this meta-analysis. LS was associated with lower rates of intraoperative haemodynamic instability (IHD) [odds ratio (OR) = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.37 to 1.00, P = 0.05], less intraoperative blood loss [weighted mean difference (WMD) = - 115.27 ml, 95% confidence interval (CI): - 128.54 to - 101.99, P < 0.00001], lower blood transfusion rates [OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.52, P < 0.00001], earlier ambulation (WMD = - 1.57 d, 95% CI: - 1.97 to - 1.16, P < 0.00001) and food intake (WMD = - 0.98 d, 95% CI: - 1.36 to - 0.59, P < 0.00001), shorter drainage tube indwelling time (WMD = - 0.51 d, 95% CI: - 0.96 to - 0.07, P = 0.02) and postoperative stay (WMD = - 3.17 d, 95% CI: - 4.76 to - 1.58, P < 0.0001), and lower overall complication rates (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.88, P = 0.01). However, no significant differences in operative time, postoperative blood pressure control, rates of severe complications, postoperative hypotension or cardiovascular disease (CVD) were found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: LS is safe and effective for PHEO resection. Compared with OS, LS caused less IHD, providing an equal chance to cure hypertension while also yielding a faster and better postoperative recovery.

Circular Ribonucleic Acid Expression Profile in Mouse Cortex after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes high rates of worldwide death and morbidity because of the complex secondary injury cascade. Circular ribonucleic acid (RNA) (circRNA), a type of RNA that forms a covalently closed continuous loop, may be involved in the regulation of secondary injury because it is expressed widely in the brain and contributes to a large class of post-transcriptional regulators. Deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and bioinformatic analysis were performed to investigate the expression profile and function of circRNAs in the mouse cortex after controlled cortical impact (CCI). A total of 19,794 circRNAs were identified, and 1315 were annotated in circBase. There were 191 filtered differentially expressed circRNAs (98 for up-regulated and 93 for down-regulated). The gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses indicated that inflammation, cell death, and repair of damage were the main biological processes and molecular mechanisms related to altered circRNAs. The pathway-circRNA interaction network revealed three core circRNAs and five corepathways related to TBI. The circRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) interaction network and competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) analysis suggested potential microRNA (miRNA) sponges and target mRNAs. In addition to five optimal circRNA-miRNA-mRNA pairs were analyzed, circRNA_16895-miRNA myosin-10 (Myo 10) was predicted to regulate fragment crystallizable gamma receptors (FcγR)-mediated phagocytosis pathway. Four circRNAs were selected for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis to validate the sequencing data. Our results provide promising functions of circRNAs aberrantly expressed in TBI to explore molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for its therapy.

Predicting hepatocellular carcinoma development for cirrhosis patients via methylation detection of heparocarcinogenesis-related genes.

Background: Most hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have undergone a progression from chronic hepatitis, then liver cirrhosis (LC), and finally to carcinoma. The objective of this study was to elucidate risk factors to predict HCC development for cirrhosis patients. Methods: Multiple methylated specific PCR (MSP) was applied to determine methylation status of heparocarcinogenesis-related genes in 396 tissue and plasma specimens and multivariate cox model was used to analyze the relationship between risk variables and HCC development among cirrhosis patients, followed up in a median period of 30 months. Results: Among 105 LC cases, HCC incidence rate at 30 months was 30.48% (32/105), which were statistically associated with patients' age and aberrant methylation of p16, SFRP, and LINE1 (p<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed the overall predictive accuracy reached the highest (90.7%) if the four risk variables were concurrent to predict HCC development. Moreover, along with the growth of age from 0-40, 40-55, to 55-70 years or the increased number of aberrantly-methylated gene from 0-1 to 2-3, the HCC incidence rate of cirrhosis patients rised from 10.00%, 12.28% to 82.14% and 17.44% to 89.47%, separately. Thus, based on combined analysis with diverse age and number of aberrantly-methylated gene, 105 cases were divided into five groups and computed their respective HCC incidecne rate to categorize them into different risk groups. Of note, A significant lifting of HCC incidence rate in the high-risk group (40-55 years coupled with 2-3 aberrantly-methylated genes, 55-70 years coupled with 0-1 aberrantly-methylated gene, 55-70 years coupled with 2-3 aberrantly-methylated genes; n=33) was observed compared with the low-risk group (0-40 years coupled with 0-1 aberrantly-methylated gene, 40-55 years coupled with 0-1 aberrantly-methylated gene; (n=72) (p<0.01). Conclusions: Ultimately, high-risk cirrhosis patients with 55-over years or 2-3 aberrantly-methylated genes should be paid more attention to be regularly screened with HCC development.

[Basic Features of Combustible Rural Garbage Component and Its Spatial-temporal Difference in China].

In order to realize the disposal feasibility of rural garbage by incineration, 72 rural garbage sampling points of 12 provinces in China were chosen to analyse mass fraction of full component and combustible component, moisture content of full component and low heating value of rural garbage in spring, summer, autumn and winter of 2015. The results revealed that the mass fraction of combustible rural garbage components in wet basis followed the order of kitchen residual(13%-53%) > the rubber(10%-18%) > the paper(10%-15%) > the wood(0-10%) > the fabric(0-8%). The compositional difference of rural garbage was not apparent between villages and towns within the same administrative region. The average moisture content of full component in southern rural garbage was higher than that in northern area, and the average moisture content of national rural garbage was about 40.1%. The low heating value of rural garbage in full composition which surpassed 3500 kJ·kg-1 was more than 81% in the north China, but in the south China, it was 44%, 50%, 61% and 72% in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. After sorting, the low heating value increased greatly, but the low heating value of southern rural garbage in spring was still less than 3500 kJ·kg-1, more than 56% towns and villages of southern rural garbage in summer, autumn and winter and annual northern rural garbage heating value met the heating value requirement of incineration disposal. Therefore, after sorting, the rural garbage by incineration disposal method was feasible to the north China rural garbage, but the south China rural garbage requires strengthened pretreatment process.

Divergent biosynthesis yields a cytotoxic aminomalonate-containing precolibactin.

Colibactin is an as-yet-uncharacterized genotoxic secondary metabolite produced by human gut bacteria. Here we report the biosynthetic discovery of two new precolibactin molecules from Escherichia coli, including precolibactin-886, which uniquely incorporates the highly sought genotoxicity-associated aminomalonate building block into its unprecedented macrocyclic structure. This work provides new insights into the biosynthetic logic and mode of action of this colorectal-cancer-linked microbial chemical.

One-pot, highly efficient, asymmetric synthesis of ring-fused piperidine derivatives bearing N,O- or N,N-acetal moieties.

We successfully expand the application of lactols or cyclic hemiaminals as nucleophiles for the asymmetric synthesis of both N,O- and N,N-acetal moieties contained in the structure of ring-fused piperidine derivatives. This efficient one-pot protocol involves an organocatalyzed asymmetric aza-Diels-Alder reaction and iminium ion induced cyclization sequence to ultimately deliver heterocyclic compounds with excellent stereoselectivity in high yield, containing three continuous stereogenic centers.

Open-close: an alternative strategy to α-functionalization of lactone via enamine catalysis in one pot under mild conditions.

An open-close strategy in asymmetric catalysis is newly developed. With this powerful strategy, lactols are directly applied as potential precursors of lactones in enamine-based asymmetric Michael reactions providing a facile access to α-functionalized lactones containing two adjacent stereogenic centers as a single diastereomer in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) and with excellent enantioselectivities (most cases >99%). Moreover, the reaction products are shown to give highly functionalized derivatives by stepwise systematic transformations.

[Preliminary efficacy of decompressive unilateral improved transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To observe preliminary efficacy of decompressive unilateral improved transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. METHODS: From August 2009 to December 2011, 28 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases were treated by decompressive unilateral improved TLIF,including 16 males and 12 females with an average of 61 (aged 46 to 71) years old,the courses of disease ranged from 6 months to 6 years. Among them, 20 cases suffered from lumbar spinal stenosis, 8 cases were lumbar disc herniation. Decompressive range included single segment in 24 cases,and double segments in 4 cases; 15 cases were performed operation on the left side, 13 cases on the right side. JOA lower back pain scoring system (29 points) were applied for evaluate preoperative and postoperative symptoms, physical signs and sphincteral functions;Visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate preoperative and postoperative low back pain. RESULTS: All patients were followed up 6 to 28 (mean 14) months. Postoperative JOA score and VAS score were 17.9 +/- 2.2, 2.8 +/- 0.7 respectively,and preoperative JOA score and VAS score were 8.5 +/- 1.7, 8.6 +/- 1.2, respectively. There were significant meaning in JOA and VAS scores before and after operation (P < 0.05). Twenty-eight patients were all obtained intervertebral synostosis. CONCLUSION: Decompressive unilateral improved TLIF for treatment of unilateral radicular lumbar spinal stenosis and lumbar disc herniation,which has advantages of minimally invasive,curative effects,decrease medical costs,is worthy spreading in clinical.

[Ecological compensation standard in Dongting Lake region of returning cropland to lake based on emergy analysis].

The annual emergy and currency value of the main ecological service value of returning cropland to lake in Dongting Lake region from 1999 to 2010 was calculated based on emergy analysis. The calculation method of ecological compensation standard was established by calculating annual total emergy of ecological service function increment since the starting year of returning cropland to lake, and the annual ecological compensation standard and compensation area were analyzed from 1999 to 2010. The results indicated that ecological compensation standard from 1999 to 2010 was 40.31-86.48 yuan x m(-2) with the mean of 57.33 yuan x m(-2). The ecological compensation standard presented an increase trend year by year due to the effect of eco-recovery of returning cropland to lake. The ecological compensation standard in the research area presented a swift and steady growth trend after 2005 mainly due to the intensive economy development of Hunan Province, suggesting the value of natural ecological resources would increase along with the development of society and economy. Appling the emergy analysis to research the ecological compensation standard could reveal the dynamics of annual ecological compensation standard, solve the abutment problem of matter flow, energy flow and economic flow, and overcome the subjective and arbitrary of environment economic methods. The empirical research of ecological compensation standard in Dongting Lake region showed that the emergy analysis was feasible and advanced.

Enhanced desulfurizing flotation of coal using sonoelectrochemical method.

Enhanced desulfurizing flotation of low sulfur coal was investigated using sonoelectrochemical method. The supporting electrolyte used in this process was sodium chloride and the additive was anhydrous ethanol. The effects of treatment conditions on desulfurization were studied by a single-factor method. The conditions include anhydrous ethanol concentration, sodium chloride concentration, sonoelectrolytic voltage, sonoelectrolytic temperature, sonoelectrolytic time and coal sample granulometry. The optimal experimental conditions achieved for anhydrous ethanol concentration, sodium chloride concentration, sonoelectrolytic voltage, sonoelectrolytic temperature and sonoelectrolytic time are 1.7 mol L(-1), 5.1×10(-3) mol L(-1), 10 V, 70 °C, 50 min achieved for a -0.18 mm coal sample. Optimal conditions cause a sulfur reduction of up to 69.4%. The raw and treated coals were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and a chemical method. Pyritic sulfur, organic sulfur, ash as well as moisture are partially removed. The combination of high sulfur reduction, high yield, as well as high ash reduction was obtained in the newly developed method of enhanced flotation by sonoelectrochemistry. Ultrasound irradiation promotes electron transfer efficiency and increases clean coal yield.