Analysis of human health effects under ozone exposure in the oasis area of Hetao Plain.

This article, based on OMI data products, utilizes spatial distribution, ozone-sensitive control areas, Pearson correlation methods, and the Ben-MAP model to study the changes in ozone column concentration from 2018 to 2022, along with the influencing factors and the health of populations exposed to ozone. The findings suggest a spatial variation in the ozone column concentration within the study area, with an increasing trend observed from west to east and from south to north. Over time, the ozone column concentration exhibits an initial increase followed by a subsequent decrease, with the peak concentration observed in 2019 at 37.45 DU and the nadir recorded in 2022 at 33.10 DU. The monthly mean distribution exhibits an inverted V-shaped pattern during the warm season from April to September, with a peak in July (46.71 DU) and a trough in April (35.29 DU). The Hetao Plain Oasis area is primarily a NOx control area in sensitive control areas. The concentrations of O3 and precursor HCHO exhibited significant positive correlations with vegetation index and air temperature, while showing significant negative correlations with wind speed and air pressure. The precursor NO2, in contrast, exhibited a significant negative correlation with both the vegetation index and relative humidity. Based on the ground-based monitoring sites and analysis of human health benefits, the study area witnessed 1944.45 deaths attributed to warm season O3 exposure in 2018, with a subsequent reduction in premature deaths by 149.7, 588.2, and 231.75 for the years 2019 to 2021 respectively when compared to the baseline year. In 2021, the observed decrease in warm-season O3 concentration within that region compared to 2018 resulted in a significant reduction, leading to the prevention of 126 premature deaths.

[Establishing quality assurance system of processed Chinese medicine to ensure clinical effect of traditional Chinese medicine].

For the purpose of stabilizing and enhancing the clinical effect, the author suggested that it should develop the key technology of integrated innovation research such as origin producing area processing technology, medicinal parts and energy-saving rapid drying technology, process control technology, quality evaluation key technology, packaging and bar code identification technology to establish the quality assurance system of processed Chinese medicine, which is the key to ensure the clinical effect of traditional Chinese medicine.

Purification and characterization of a novel chitinase from Bacillus brevis.

An extracellular chitinase secreted by Bacillus brevis was purified to homogeneity by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, Phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic-interaction chromatography and DEAE anion-exchange chromatography. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, the purified enzyme showed a mass of 85 kD even in the presence of beta mercaptoethanol, but shifted to 48 kD when heated in boiling water or treated with 8 mol/L urea at 50 degrees for 10 min. The depolymerization of subunits was accompanied with the loss of chitinase activity, and removing denaturing factors by dialysis could restore the dimer structure and enzymatic activity. The enzyme had an isoelectric point of 5.5 and an optimal temperature of 60 degrees, and was most active at pH 8.0. The enzymatic activity was stable at pH 6-10, and inhibited by Ag(+). Ten N-terminal amino acids were determined to be AVSNSKIIGY, demonstrating that the purified enzyme was a novel one. The hydrolysis pattern of the purified enzyme indicated that the chitinase was an endochitinase. The extraordinary thermo-stability and high resistance to proteolysis provide the enzyme with a good prospect to be used as a new tool for biocontrol.