The Relationship between Personality Traits, Work-Family Support and Job Satisfaction among Frontline Power Grid Workers.

Frontline power grid workers are always facing plenty of stressors such as aerial work and high job demands, which may lead them to be less satisfied with their job. Therefore, this study aims to investigate frontline power grid workers' job satisfaction (JS) and explore how it can be improved by its relationship with personality traits and work-family support (WFS). Data from 535 frontline power grid workers were collected from two power supply bureaus in Guangdong Province, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to examine the structural relationship between personality traits taken as independent variables, JS as dependent variable, and WFS as mediator. The bootstrap method was used to test the significance of indirect effects. Results suggested the overall job satisfaction of our sample is 3.34 ± 0.55 on a scale ranging from 1 to 5, and significantly correlated with personality traits and WFS. Moreover, the results of SEM and bootstrap indicated that WFS partially mediates the effect of neuroticism on JS and fully mediates the effect of conscientiousness and extraversion on JS. These findings shed light on how personality traits and environmental factors jointly impact JS and highlight the important role of WFS among frontline power grid workers.

A Novel Experiment Setting for Cross-subject Emotion Recognition.

Recently, cross-subject emotion recognition attracts widespread attention. The current emotional experiments mainly use video clips of different emotions as stimulus materials, but the videos watched by different subjects are the same, which may introduce the same noise pattern in the collected data. However, the traditional experiment settings for cross-subject emotion recognition models couldn't eliminate the impact of same video clips on recognition results, which may lead to a bias on classification. In this paper, we propose a novel experiment setting for cross-subject emotion recognition. We evaluate different experiment settings on four public emotion datasets, DEAP, SEED, SEED-IV and SEED-V. The experimental results demonstrate the deficiencies of the traditional experiment settings and the advantages of our proposed experiment setting.

Sex Difference in Emotion Recognition under Sleep Deprivation: Evidence from EEG and Eye-tracking.

Many psychiatric disorders are accompanied with sleep abnormalities, having significant influence on emotions which might worsen the disorder conditions. Previous studies discovered that the emotion recognition task with objective physiological signals, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and eye movements, provides a reliable way to figure out the complicated relationship between emotion and sleep. However, both of the emotion and EEG signals are affected by sex. This study aims to investigate how sex differences influence emotion recognition under three different sleep conditions. We firstly developed a four-class emotion recognition task based on various sleep conditions to augment the existing dataset. Then we improved the current state-of-the-art deep-learning model with the attention mechanism. It outperforms the best model with higher accuracy about 91.3% and more stabilization. After that, we compared the results of the male and the female group given by this model. The classification accuracy of happy emotion obviously decreases under sleep deprivation for both males and females, which indicates that sleep deprivation impairs the stimulation of happy emotion. Sleep deprivation also notably weakens the discrimination ability of sad emotion for males while females maintain the same as under common sleep. Our study is instructively beneficial to the real application of emotion recognition in disorder diagnosis.

Repair function of essential oil from Crocodylus Siamensis (Schneider, 1801) on the burn wound healing via up-regulated growth factor expression and anti-inflammatory effect.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Crocodile oil has been used by traditional physicians around the world to treat wound healing and inflammation. However, the scientific rationale and mechanism behind its use in vivo has not been fully researched. AIMS OF THE STUDY: We mainly investigated the mechanism during crocodile oil treatment of up-regulated growth factor expression and anti-inflammatory on burn wound healing in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The moisture and nitric oxide (NO) levels in the skin of rats were analyzed in the first 14 days after burn and the changes of the structure of the skin tissues in the wound healing were studied by hematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) staining within 21 days after scald. The inflammatory factor on burn wound healing in rats was dected by ELISA kits and Q-PCR. the expression of a variety of growth factors (TGF-ß1, VEGE-α, EGF) and PCNA in the skin tissue after burns was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The down-regulated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in the wound healing was confirmed by Western-blot analysis. In addition, TEM was used to observe the ultrastructure of scalded skin. RESULTS: This study showed that crocodile oil could significantly reduce the protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6. And it was found that the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was down-regulated in the wound healing (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, crocodile oil can promote the expression of a variety of growth factors (TGF-ß1, VEGE-α, EGF) and PCNA in the skin tissue after burns, and promote the repair of collagen fibers in the dermis, preventing the production of melanin and maintain the appearance of repaired skin.

Altered local connectivity in chronic pain: A voxel-wise meta-analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have used regional homogeneity (ReHo) to depict local functional connectivity in chronic pain (CP). However, the findings from these studies were mixed and inconsistent. METHODS: A computerized literature search will be performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, and SinoMed databases until June 15, 2019 and updated on March 20, 2020. This protocol will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). The Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images (SDM-PSI) software will be used for this voxel-wise meta-analysis. RESULTS: This meta-analysis will identify the most consistent ReHo alterations in CP. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this will be the first voxel-wise meta-analysis that integrates ReHo findings in CP. This meta-analysis will offer the quantitative evidence of ReHo alterations that characterize brain local functional connectivity of CP. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019148523.

Movement speed effects on beta-band oscillations in sensorimotor cortex during voluntary activity.

Beta-band oscillations are a dominant feature in the sensorimotor system, which includes movement-related beta desynchronization (MRBD) during the preparation and execution phases of movement and postmovement beta synchronization (PMBS) on movement cessation. Many studies have linked this rhythm to motor functions. However, its associations to the movement speed are still unclear. We make a hypothesis that PMBS will be modulated with increasing of movement speeds. We assessed the MRBD and PMBS during isotonic slower self-paced and ballistic movements with 15 healthy subjects. Furthermore, we conduct an additional control experiment with the isometric contraction with two levels of forces to match those in the isotonic slower self-paced and ballistic movements separately. We found that the amplitude of PMBS but not MRBD in motor cortex is modulated by the speed during voluntary movement. PMBS was positively correlated with movement speed and acceleration through the partial correlation analysis. However, there were no changes in the PMBS and MRBD during the isometric contraction with two levels of forces. These results demonstrate a different function of PMBS and MRBD to the movement speed during voluntary activity and suggest that the movement speed would affect the amplitude of PMBS.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Beta-band oscillations are a dominant feature in the sensorimotor system that associate to the motor function. We found that the movement-related postmovement beta synchronization (PMBS) over the contralateral sensorimotor cortex was positively correlated with the speed of a voluntary movement, but the movement-related beta desynchronization (MRBD) was not. Our results show a differential response of the PMBS and MRBD to the movement speed during voluntary movement.

Eotaxin­1 and MCP­1 serve as circulating indicators in response to power frequency electromagnetic field exposure in mice.

The increasing public concern regarding the potential health risks of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) has led to intensive research in this area. However, it remains unclear whether potential pro­oncogenic effects may be caused by power frequency EMF (PFEMF) exposure. To address the associated risk factors, the present study exposed 4­week old Balb/c mice to 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 mT of constant 50 Hz Helmholtz coil­type PFEMF for 90 days to explore the circulating chemokine indicators that may be associated with inflammation or cancer. No measurable weight difference existed between the control and PFEMF­exposure groups; however, the Luminex assay clearly demonstrated differentially responsive profiles of circulating chemokines upon PFEMF treatment. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)­3, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)­1α, MIP­1ß and MIP­2 levels in serum were not significantly altered by PFEMF during the 3­month exposure period; however, the circulating levels of other chemokines including IP­10, GROα, RANTES, EOTAXIN­1 and MCP­1 exhibited significant changes upon treatment. Among the responsive chemokines, EOTAXIN­1 and MCP­1 were significantly increased by 0.5 mT of PFEMF treatment, which may support their use as indicators of PFEMF exposure. This novel finding highlights the potential pro­inflammatory nature of power frequency, which may shed light on the mechanisms underlying PFEMF­induced diseases, including cancer.

Exosomal small RNA sequencing uncovers the microRNA dose markers for power frequency electromagnetic field exposure.

PURPOSE: The potential health risks caused by power frequency electromagnetic field (PFEMF) have led to increase public health concerns. However, the diagnosis and prognosis remain challenging in determination of exact dose of PFEMF exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were exposed to different magnetic doses of PFEMF for the following isolation of serum exosomes, microRNAs (miRNAs) extraction and small RNA sequencing. After small RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validation and serum exosomal miRNA biomarkers were determined. RESULTS: Significantly changed serum exosomal miRNA as biomarkers of 0.1, 0.5, 2.5 mT and common PFEMF exposure were confirmed. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopaedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the downstream target genes of the above-identified exosomal miRNA markers indicated that, exosomal miRNA markers were predicted to be involved in critical pathophysiological processes of neural system and cancer- or other disease-related signalling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Aberrantly-expressed serum exosomal miRNAs, including miR-128-3p for 0.1 mT, miR-133a-3p for 0.5 mT, miR-142a-5p for 2.5 mT, miR-218-5p and miR-199a-3p for common PFEMF exposure, suggested a series of informative markers for not only identifying the exact dose of PFEMF exposure, also consolidating the base for future clinical intervention.

EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS IN A NOVEL WOUND HEALING OINTMENT-CROCODILE OIL BURN OINTMENT.

BACKGROUND: Crocodile oil and its products are used as ointments for burns and scalds in traditional medicines. A new ointment formulation - crocodile oil burn ointment (COBO) was developed to provide more efficient wound healing activity. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the burn healing efficacy of this new formulation by employing deep second-degree burns in a Wistar rat model. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of COBO were also studied to provide some evidences for its further use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The wound healing potential of this formulation was evaluated by employing a deep second-degree burn rat model and the efficiency was comparatively assessed against a reference ointment - (1% wt/wt) silver sulfadiazine (SSD). After 28 days, the animals were euthanized and the wounds were removed for transversal and longitudinal histological studies. Acetic acid-induced writhing in mice was used to evaluate the analgesic activity and its anti-inflammatory activity was observed in xylene -induced edema in mice. RESULTS: COBO enhanced the burn wound healing (20.5±1.3 d) as indicated by significant decrease in wound closure time compared with the burn control (25.0±2.16 d) (P<0.01). Hair follicles played an importance role in the physiological functions of the skin, and their growth in the wound could be revealed for the skin regeneration situation. Histological results showed that the hair follicles were well-distributed in the post-burn skin of COBO treatment group, and the amounts of total, active, primary and secondary hair follicles in post-burn 28-day skin of COBO treatment groups were more than those in burn control and SSD groups. On the other hand, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of COBO were much better than those of control group, while they were very close to those of moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO). CONCLUSIONS: COBO accelerated wound closure, reduced inflammation, and had analgesic effects compared with SSD in deep second degree rat burn model. These findings suggest that COBO would be a potential therapy for treating human burns. Abbreviations: COBO, crocodile oil burn ointment; SSD, silver sulfadiazine; MEBO, moist exposed burn ointment; TCM, traditional Chinese medicine; CHM, Chinese herbal medicine; GC-MS, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Siamese crocodile bile induces apoptosis in NCI-H1299 human non-small cell lung cancer cells via a mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway and inhibits tumorigenesis.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a widespread and particularly aggressive form of cancer. Patients with NSCLC and early metastases typically have poor prognosis, highlighting the critical need for additional drugs to improve disease outcome following surgical resection. The present study aimed to determine if Siamese crocodile bile (SCB) had an anti­cancer effect on NCI­H1299 human NSCLC cells. The inhibitory mechanism of SCB was examined in cell culture and nude mice. In vitro experimental results revealed that SCB inhibited the proliferation and colony­forming ability of NCI­H1299 cells by arresting cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. The loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c indicated that SCB treatment may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction in NCI­H1299 cells. At the molecular level, SCB altered the ratio of protein expression of Bax/Bcl­2 and activated associated caspases, suggesting that intrinsic pathway involvement in the SCB­induced apoptosis of NCI­H1299 cells. In the in vivo experiments, intraperitoneal injection of SCB for 4 weeks inhibited xenograft tumor growth by 46.8% without observable toxicity in nude mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and vascular endothelial growth factor also revealed that SCB inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis in NSCLC xenograft tumors. Overall, SCB exerted an anti-cancer effect on NCI­H1299 human NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human NSCLC.

Crocodile choline from Crocodylus siamensis induces apoptosis of human gastric cancer.

Crocodile choline, an active compound isolated from Crocodylus siamensis, was found to exert potent anti-cancer activities against human gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Our study revealed that crocodile choline led to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase through attenuating the expressions of cyclins, Cyclin B1, and CDK-1. Furthermore, crocodile choline accelerated apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway with the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, the increase in reactive oxygen species production and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and the activation of caspase-3 along with the release of cytochrome c. In addition, this study, for the first time, shows that Notch pathway is remarkably deregulated by crocodile choline. The combination of crocodile choline and Notch1 short interfering RNA led to dramatically increased cytotoxicity than observed with either agent alone. Notch1 short interfering RNA sensitized and potentiated the capability of crocodile choline to suppress the cell progression and invasion of gastric cancer. Taken together, these data suggested that crocodile choline was a potent progression inhibitor of gastric cancer cells, which was correlated with mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and Notch pathway. Combining Notch1 inhibitors with crocodile choline might represent a novel approach for gastric cancer.

ESC-3 induces apoptosis of human ovarian carcinomas through Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch signaling in vitro and in vivo.

Apoptosis, programmed cell death under physiological or pathological conditions, plays a critical role in the tissue homeostasis of eukaryotes. It is desirable to prevent the occurrence and metastasis of cancer through inducing apoptosis. Our previous study demonstrated that apoptosis could be induced by extract from crocodile in human cholangiocarcinoma. ESC-3, a novel cytotoxic compound isolated from the extract induced apoptosis in Mz-ChA-1 cells via the mitochondria-dependent pathway in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, ESC-3 significantly inhibited the proliferation of A2780 cells and arrested the cells at G2/M phase. After exposure to ESC-3, A2780 cells displayed typical morphological changes and the ability of colony-forming was remarkably inhibited. ESC-3 could significantly upregulate the expression of Bax proteins while Bcl-2 protein remained unchanged, resulting in the elevation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, which usually could induce apoptosis. The critical protein of Wnt signaling (ß-catenin) was significantly downregulated, whereas Hes1, the downstream protein of Notch signaling, was remarkably attenuated through upregulating the expression of P53. In addition, xenograft models demonstrated that ESC-3 effectively suppressed the growth of OvCa tumors (T/C=42%). Western blot analysis of PCNA and VEGF confirmed that ESC-3 could inhibit the growth and metastasis of OvCa tumors. In conclusion, apoptosis could be induced by ESC-3 through Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch signaling in vitro and in vivo, and might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human OvCa.

The relationship between work stress and work ability among power supply workers in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Faced with the challenge of population aging, a prolonged working life is increasingly important in today's society. Maintaining work ability of employees is one of the effective ways to cope with the challenges to sustainability of the workforce presented by population aging. Researchers have shown ongoing interest in exploring the determinants of restricted work ability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of work stress on work ability among power supply workers in Guangdong, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among power supply workers during August 2014 to September 2014. A total of 805 subjects were enrolled in the study. Work stress was assessed by the Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort Reward Imbalance Questionnaire. Work ability was assessed by the Work Ability Index (WAI). The structural equation model was applied to test the relationship between different work stress components and work ability simultaneously using the Job Demands-Resources model as a framework. RESULTS: Job resources (measured by job control, reward and social support) were positively and directly associated with work ability (ß = 0.70, P < 0.001). The association between job demands and work ability was also statistically significant (ß = -0.09, P = 0.030). In addition, the findings also supported previous studies in that job demands were correlated with job resources (ß = -0.26, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that decision makers and health care providers should consider increasing job resources available to power supply workers. Consideration of organizational changes related to the design of the job task also would be useful to improve the employees' work ability.

A cross-sectional study on oxidative stress in workers exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure could induce oxidative stress in workers performing tour-inspection near transformers and distribution power lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Occupational short-term 'spot' measurements were performed. In total, 310 inspection workers exposed to ELF-EMF were selected as the exposure group and 300 logistical staff as the control group. Plasma total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were tested by the colorimetric method. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was tested using the xanthine oxidase method. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was determined with a thiobarbituric acid assay. The micronucleus cell frequency (MCF) and Micronuclei frequency (MN) were also tested for genotoxic assessment. RESULTS: No significant changes of enzyme activities or MDA concentration were found. Neither the frequency of micronucleus lymphocytes nor micronuclei frequency changes were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Continual ELF-EMF exposure might not induce oxidative stress in workers from a power supply bureau.

No effects of power line frequency extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure on selected neurobehavior tests of workers inspecting transformers and distribution line stations versus controls.

We aimed to evaluate the interference of 50 Hz extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) occupational exposure on the neurobehavior tests of workers performing tour-inspection close to transformers and distribution power lines. Occupational short-term "spot" measurements were carried out. 310 inspection workers and 300 logistics staff were selected as exposure and control. The neurobehavior tests were performed through computer-based neurobehavior evaluation system, including mental arithmetic, curve coincide, simple visual reaction time, visual retention, auditory digit span and pursuit aiming. In 500 kV areas electric field intensity at 71.98% of total measured 590 spots were above 5 kV/m (national occupational standard), while in 220 kV areas electric field intensity at 15.69% of total 701 spots were above 5 kV/m. Magnetic field flux density at all the spots was below 1,000 µT (ICNIRP occupational standard). The neurobehavior score changes showed no statistical significance. Results of neurobehavior tests among different age, seniority groups showed no significant changes. Neurobehavior changes caused by daily repeated ELF-EMF exposure were not observed in the current study.

Application of magnetic enhanced bio-effect on nitrification: a comparative study of magnetic and non-magnetic carriers.

A novel magnetic carrier with surface magnetic field of 4 mT was developed for studying the magnetic enhanced bio-effect on nitrification. The bio-effect on nitrificaton induced by the magnetic carrier was studied by comparing the performance of sequencing batch biofilm reactors filled with magnetic (MC) and non-magnetic (NMC) carriers. The result showed that the bioreactor with MC had better performance for nitrification than bioreactor with NMC. During the biofilm culturing period, the time required for nitrification formation in biofilm of the MC reactor was 25% less than that for the NMC reactor. The results also showed that the ammonium oxidation rate of the MC reactor was 1.6-fold faster than that in the NMC reactor at high influent NH4-N concentration, while nitrite oxidation rate was always accelerated regardless of influent NH4-N concentration. The specific oxygen uptake rate analysis revealed that ammonia and nitrite oxidation activities in biofilm of the MC reactor were 1.65 and 1.98 times greater than those of the NMC reactor, respectively.

[Wind-attenuation effect of Sonneratia apetala and Kandelia obovata plantations].

A field monitoring was conducted to examine the wind-attenuation effect of mangrove plantations at the Sanjiang Bay of Dongzhai Harbor, Hainan Province of South China. The wind speed and wind direction were measured at a site 50 m away from the offshore forest fringes of Sonneratia apetala and Kandelia obovata plantations and 2 m above the ground. Both the S. apetala and the K. obovata plantations had obvious effect in attenuating the speed of the wind from northerly to the shore, with the mean wind speed decreased by > 85% and the better effect of K. obovata plantation. With the increase of the wind speed, the wind-attenuation effect of the plantations presented a trend of decreasing first and remained stable then. At 50 m away from the offshore forest fringe of S. apetala plantation, the wind-attenuation rate was higher than 89.8% when the mean wind speed was lower than 5 m x s(-1), tended to be stable when the mean wind speed was 10 m x s(-1), and turned to be 58.9%-63.6% when the mean wind speed was higher than 15 m x s(-1). The S. apetala plantation had better wind attenuation effect in warmer season than in colder season. Under the extremely adverse weather like typhoon, the mean wind speed and extreme wind speed at 50 m away from the offshore forest fringe of S. apetala plantation were decreased by 59.4% and 53.2%, respectively.

High classification accuracy for schizophrenia with rest and task FMRI data.

We present a novel method to extract classification features from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected at rest or during the performance of a task. By combining a two-level feature identification scheme with kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) and Fisher's linear discriminant analysis (FLD), we achieve high classification rates in discriminating healthy controls from patients with schizophrenia. Experimental results using leave-one-out cross-validation show that features extracted from the default mode network (DMN) lead to a classification accuracy of over 90% in both data sets. Moreover, using a majority vote method that uses multiple features, we achieve a classification accuracy of 98% in auditory oddball (AOD) task and 93% in rest data. Several components, including DMN, temporal, and medial visual regions, are consistently present in the set of features that yield high classification accuracy. The features we have extracted thus show promise to be used as biomarkers for schizophrenia. Results also suggest that there may be different advantages to using resting fMRI data or task fMRI data.

Crocodile oil enhances cutaneous burn wound healing and reduces scar formation in rats.

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to evaluate the burn wound-healing efficacy of crocodile oil from Crocodylus siamensis by employing deep second-degree burns in a Wistar rat model. METHODS: Twenty-four rats were assigned equally into four groups using a random-number table, and two burns were created on the dorsum of each animal except for the sham group. The three treatment groups received with saline solution (12 burns, served as negative control), silver sulfadiazine (12 burns, served as positive control), or crocodile oil (12 burns). Silver sulfadiazine cream was used as standard care, and the treatments were repeated twice daily for 28 days. After day 28 the animals were euthanized and the wounds were removed for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, histologic, and immunohistochemical study. RESULTS: Crocodile oil accelerated the wound-healing process as indicated by a significant decrease in wound closure time in comparison to the burn control and silver sulfadiazine treatment groups. Histologic results showed well-organized and distributed skin structure and collagen deposition in the animals treated with crocodile oil. Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), a key cytokine promoting scarring, was also observed to play a role in the burn wound healing. Immunohistochemical staining results showed the negative expression of TGF-ß1 and Smad3 in the 28-days-postburn skin of crocodile oil group versus positive in the epidermis of burn controls. Compared to the burn control group, expressions of TGF-ß1 and Smad3 mRNA decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in the 28-days-postburn skin of the crocodile oil group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that crocodile oil could enhance cutaneous burn wound healing and reduce scar formation in rats, which might be related to TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling.

[Study on the electro-generation of H2O2 using an activated carbon fiber].

The comparative study on the electro-generation of H2O2 using an activated carbon fiber cathode and graphite cathode was investigated. The effect of the operating parameters on the H2O2 generation concentration and current efficiency, such as the initial pH, current density and electrolyte concentration, was also evaluated. The results revealed that the activated carbon fiber cathode was more effective compared to the graphite cathode. The maximum value of H2O2 concentration could be achieved with pH 3.00, current density 8.89 mA/cm2 and electrolyte concentration 0.05 mol/L. However, due to the formation of competitive electrode reactions, the current efficiency of this electrolysis system is lower than other electrolysis system. In addition, a new kinetic model was established to well describe the electro-generation of H2O2. The experimental data were fitted well using the kinetic model.