High incidence of EDNRB gene mutation in seven southern Chinese familial cases with Hirschsprung's disease.

PURPOSE: Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is the leading cause of neonatal functional intestinal obstruction, which has been identified in many familial cases. HSCR, a multifactorial disorder of enteric nervous system (ENS) development, is associated with at least 24 genes and seven chromosomal loci, with RET and EDNRB as its major genes. We present a genetic investigation of familial HSCR to clarify the genotype-phenotype relationship. METHODS: We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) on Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform to investigate genetic backgrounds of core family members, and identified the possibly harmful mutation genes. Mutation carriers and pedigree relatives were validated by Sanger sequencing for evaluating the gene penetrance. RESULTS: Four familial cases showed potential disease-relative variants in EDNRB and RET gene, accounting for all detection rate of 57.1%. Three familial cases exhibited strong pathogenic variants as frameshift or missense mutations in EDNRB gene. A novel c.367delinsTT mutation of EDNRB was identified in one family member. The other two EDNRB mutations, c.553G>A in family 2 and c.877delinsTT in family 5, have been reported in previous literatures. The penetrance of EDNRB variants was 33-50% according mutation carries. In family 6, the RET c.1858T>C (C620R) point mutation has previously been reported to cause HSCR, with 28.5% penetrance. CONCLUSION: We identified a novel EDNRB (deleted C and inserted TT) mutation in this study using WES. Heterozygote variations in EDNRB gene were significantly enriched in three families and RET mutations were identified in one family. EDNRB variants showed an overall higher incidence and penetrance than RET in southern Chinese families cases.

High Protonic Conductivity of Three Highly Stable Nanoscale Hafnium(IV) Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Imidazole-Loaded Products.

Attracted by the exceptional structural rigidity and inherent porous structures of the Hf-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), we adopted a rapid synthesis approach to preparing three nanoscale MOFs, Hf-UiO-66 (1), Hf-UiO-66-(OH)2 (2), and Hf-UiO-66-NH2 (3), and systematically explored the water-assisted proton conductivities of the original ones and the post-modified products. Interestingly, the proton conductivities (σ) of all three MOFs exhibit significant temperature and humidity dependence. At 98% RH and 100 °C, their optimal σ values can reach up to 10-3 S·cm-1. Consequently, imidazole units are loaded into 1-3 to obtain related MOFs, Im@1, Im@2, and Im@3, and the σ values of the imidazole-loaded products are boosted to 10-2 S·cm-1. Note that these modifications not only do not change the frameworks of the pristine MOFs but also do not affect their high chemical and water stability. The proton-conductive mechanisms of these MOFs before and after modification have been thoroughly discussed based on structural analyses, N2 and H2O vapor adsorptions, and activation energy values. The excellent structural stability as well as the durability and stability of their proton conduction ability indicate that these MOFs can be used in the field of fuel cells and so on.

Preparation of magnetic metal-organic framework MIL-101(Fe) and its application in the extraction of anthraquinones in rhubarb.

In this work, a magnetic octahedral metal-organic framework (Fe3 O4 @NH2 -MIL-101(Fe)) was synthesized for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of three anthraquinones, including aloe-emodin, emodin, and physcion, in rhubarb. The Fe3 O4 @NH2 -MIL-101(Fe) exhibits a high specific surface area of 259.2 m2 /g with an average pore size of 6.0 nm and high magnetic responsivity of 23.4 emu/g, which may be used as an adsorbent for rapid preconcentration and separation of target analytes. The main parameters for magnetic solid-phase extraction of anthraquinones, including the amount of adsorbent, extraction time, extraction temperature, extraction pH, elution solvent, and elution time, were systematically optimized. The whole extraction process requires a very low amount of adsorbent and a small volume of the sample. Besides, under the optimized conditions, the method shows satisfactory spiked recovery for anthraquinones in the range of 93.3-109.1% and the limits of detection are 1.7-3.4 ng/mL. The relative standard deviations for intra- and inter-day precision are 0.2-1.3% and 0.2-0.6%, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the developed method is feasible for the analysis of anthraquinones in rhubarb.

Tu Youyou winning the Nobel Prize: Ethical research on the value and safety of traditional Chinese medicine.

In 2015, the Chinese pharmacologist, Tu Youyou, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of artemisinin. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was the source of inspiration for Tu's discovery and provides an opportunity for the world to know more about TCM as a source of medical knowledge and practice. In this article, the value of TCM is evaluated from an ethical perspective. The characteristics of 'jian, bian, yan, lian' are explored in the way they promote accessibility and economic efficiency for TCM. The article also examines how the increased use and prevalence of TCM reflects the scientific, cultural, and ethical values of TCM and their increasing attraction in meeting major challenges to medicine and health systems currently and in the future. The article discusses safety issues within TCM, which is a controversial area, and also comments on some shortcomings and challenges which pose difficulties for more widespread and greater uptake of TCM-derived clinical or therapeutic interventions. The article concludes that TCM is generally safe if it is used according to TCM theory and where such applications are cognizant of the strengths and weaknesses of TCM. TCM has important bioethical values which may inform potential measures for meeting challenges facing global health care systems and the article argues that it can have an increasing role in improving human health.

Communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation type IA: radiologic anatomy and clinical dilemmas.

BACKGROUND: Communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation (CBPFM) type IA is extremely rare and is associated with a high mortality rate. This malformation manifests with communication between the lung and the foregut, and this can lead to esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) to the distal pouch. PURPOSE: To detail radiographic findings of CBPFM type IA cases and to summarize an appropriate therapeutic strategy for the management of this disorder. METHODS: Medical data for two patients with CBPFM type IA were retrospectively reviewed with regard to radiographic characteristics, therapy, and outcome. RESULTS: Both cases were initially misdiagnosed due to the presence of EA-TEF. Unusual atelectasis of the lateral lung was observed in chest radiographs, while non-aerated hypoplastic right lung and agenesis of the right main bronchus were detected by computed tomography. A final diagnosis was made by esophagogram. Only one patient survived following surgery. CONCLUSION: CBPFM type IA is a rare condition and is extremely difficult to diagnose. However, CBPFM type IA should be suspected in patients manifesting EA and atelectasis of a unilateral lung on a chest radiograph. The decision to perform a pneumonectomy or bronchoplasty depends on the degree of exiting permitted due to pulmonary damage assessed by computed tomography.

Rapid Identification of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Apoptosis and Its Potential Role in Process Robustness Assessment.

Currently, the assessment of process robustness is often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and material-intensive using process characterization studies. Therefore, a simple and time-saving method is highly needed for the biopharmaceutical industry. Apoptosis is responsible for 80% of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell deaths and affects the robustness of the cell culture process. This study's results showed that a more robust process can support cells to tolerate apoptosis for a longer time, suggesting that the robustness of the process could be judged by the ability of cells to resist apoptosis. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a rapid method to detect the apoptosis of CHO cells. In trying to establish a new method for detecting apoptosis in large-scale cell cultures, glucose withdrawal was studied, and the results showed that CHO cells began to apoptose after glucose was consumed. Then, the concentration of extracellular potassium increased, and a prolongation of apoptosis time was observed. Further study results showed that the process with poor robustness was associated with a higher proportion of apoptosis and extracellular potassium concentration, so potassium could be used as a biochemical index of apoptosis. The strategy we present may be used to expedite the assessment of process robustness to obtain a robust cell culture process for other biologics.

Ultrahigh Proton Conductivities of Postmodified Hf(IV) Metal-Organic Frameworks and Related Chitosan-Based Composite Membranes.

Recently, researchers have focused on preparing and studying proton exchange membranes. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are candidates for composite membrane fillers due to their high crystallinity and structural characteristics, and Hf-based MOFs have attracted our attention with their high porosity and high stability. Therefore, in this study, Hf-based MOFs were doped into a cost-effective chitosan matrix as fillers to fabricate composite films having excellent proton conductivity (σ). First, the nanoscale MOFs Hf-UiO-66-(OH)2 (1) and Hf-UiO-66-NH2 (2) were chemically modified by a ligand design strategy to obtain SA-1 and CBD-2 bearing free -COOH units. The proton conductivities of SA-1 and CBD-2 under optimal test conditions reached 1.23 × 10-2 and 0.71 × 10-2 S cm-1. After that, we prepared composite membranes CS/SA-1 and CS/CBD-2 by the casting method; tests revealed that the introduction of MOFs improved the stabilities and σ values of the membranes, and their best σ could reach above 10-2 S cm-1 under 100 °C/98% RH. Further structural characterization and activation energy calculation revealed the conductive mechanism of the composite films. This investigation not only proposes a novel chemical modification method for optimizing the σ of MOFs but also promotes the development of MOF-doped composite membranes and provides a basis for future applications of MOFs in fuel cells.

Efficient Red-Emissive Circularly Polarized Electroluminescence Enabled by Quasi-2D Perovskite with Chiral Spacer Cation.

Perovskites are promising environmentally sustainable materials for circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL). While another chiral nonemissive layer is required for the developed perovskite-based CPEL, we report herein a highly efficient circularly polarized electroluminescence based on a single layer of quasi-2D perovskite with achiral phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) and chiral S/R-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylammonium iodide (S/R-NEAI) as dual spacer cations. The quasi-2D perovskite was further passivated by carbazole-functionalized phosphonium. The as-fabricated film exhibits not only a circular dichroism (CD) signal but also prominent circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity with a maximum photoluminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) of ∼2.1 × 10-3. More importantly, a highly efficient, spin-polarized light-emitting diode (LED) was fabricated based on the in situ passivated quasi-2D perovskite with a peak external quantum efficiency of 3.7% and a maximum electroluminescence dissymmetry factor (gEL) of ∼4.0 × 10-3.

Continuous Feeding Reduces the Generation of Metabolic Byproducts and Increases Antibodies Expression in Chinese Hamster Ovary-K1 Cells.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most important host system used for monoclonal antibody (mAb) expression. Moreover, the fed-batch culture mode is the most widely used method to increase mAb expression in CHO cells by increasing the amount of feed. However, a high amount of culture feed results in the production of metabolic byproducts. In this work, we used a continuous feeding strategy to reduce metabolic byproducts and improve mouse-human chimeric anti-epidermal growth factor receptor vIII (EGFRvIII) antibody C12 expression in Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells. Moreover, the effects of the feeding strategy on the cell culture and monoclonal antibody production were evaluated in chemically defined suspension cultures of recombinant CHO-K1 cells. Compared with bolus feeding methods, the continuous feeding method did not have any advantages when the feeding amount was low, but with a high feeding amount, the continuous feeding method significantly reduced the concentrations of lactate and NH4+ in the later culture stage. At the end of the culture stage, compared with bolus feeding methods, the lactate and NH4+ concentrations under the continuous feeding mode were reduced by approximately 45% and 80%, respectively. In addition, the antibody C12 expression level was also increased by almost 10%. Compared to the bolus feeding method, the antibody C12 produced by the continuous feeding method had a lower content of high-mannose glycoforms. Further analysis found that the osmolality of the continuous feeding method was lower than that of the typical fed-batch bolus feeding method. Conclusively, these results indicate that the continuous feeding method is very useful for reducing metabolic byproducts and achieving higher levels of mAb production.

[Impact of Rainfall-Runoff Events on Methane Emission from Xiangxi Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir].

Methane is an important greenhouse gas and whether reservoirs act as a source or sink of methane has attracted great attention worldwide. However, unrepresentative sampling periods and a lack of consideration of unfavorable weather conditions have limited the accurate estimation of CH4 emission from reservoirs. This study focused on the middle reach of Xiangxi Bay in the Three Gorges Reservoir to track an entire rainfall-runoff event via on-site measurements in the summer of 2019, and initiatively investigated the impact of rainfall and inflow processes on methane concentration and emission. Results showed that from before to after the rainfall event, methane flux at the air-water interface ranged between 0.011 and 0.326 mg·(m2·h)-1, indicating a net source of methane to the atmosphere. Both wind velocity and rainfall affected methane evasion from the surface by altering the gas transfer velocity, with the effect of wind being more prominent. Methane concentrations at the bottom layer significantly increased when rainfall-induced density flow from the watershed arrived at the sampling section. This was likely due to methane export from upstream and along the flow path. During this event, discharge was too small to destratify the water column, and methane was strongly oxidized as it diffused upwards, having little impact on surface methane concentrations and air-water methane flux.

[Spatio-Temporal Variation of Release Flux of Sediment Nitrogen and Phosphorus in High-Risk Period of Algal Bloom in Lake Erhai].

Spatial and temporal characteristics of release fluxes of sediment nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were investigated in the high-risk period of algal blooms in Lake Erhai. Moreover, the influence factors were examined. Results show that the release flux of N and P increased in recent years, exhibiting a clear increase in the period from 2009 to 2013, and a slight increase in the period since 2013. The release flux of dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) ranged between 11.71-14.15 mg·(m2·d)-1, within which the release flux of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were 6.39-8.42 mg·(m2·d)-1 and 5.31-5.73 mg·(m2·d)-1, accounting for 58% and 42% of the DTN, respectively. The release flux of dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) ranged between 0.11-0.14 mg·(m2·d)-1, within which the release flux of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) were 0.04-0.05 mg·(m2·d)-1 and 0.07-0.09 mg·(m2·d)-1, accounting for 34% and 66% of the DTP, respectively. The distribution of release flux of N showed a decreasing order:south > north > middle, while P was north > middle > south. The release flux of N increased by 17%, 13% and 23%, and the release flux of P increased by 19%, 28%, and 29% in north, middle, and south part of Lake Erhai from 2009 to 2018. Comparing the years 2009, 2013 and 2018, although the contents of N and P were stable, the release flux of N and P in the sediment was enhanced due to increasing pH and decreasing DO. Therefore, the increasing release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments, caused by changes in the water environment factors, should be paid attention to for the protection of Lake Erhai.

Enhanced recovery after surgery for the treatment of congenital duodenal obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been widely used in adult surgery. However, ERAS has not been reported in neonatal surgery. The present prospective study explored the application value of ERAS in treating congenital duodenal obstruction (CDO). METHODS: A total of 68 cases of CDO were collected from October 1, 2017 to July 31, 2019. We divided patients with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital duodenal obstruction into the ERAS group and those who were diagnosed the disease after birth into the control group. The ERAS group adopted ERAS-related measures, and the control group followed the usual measures. The study compared the differences in the gestational age, birth weight, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, feeding intolerance, and weight one month after surgery between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 49 patients were included in the analysis, including 23 who were allocated to the ERAS group and 26 to the control group. The LOS was 9.696±1.222 days in the ERAS group and 12.654±1.686 days in the control group, resulting in a significantly shorter LOS in the ERAS group than in the control group (p<0.001). One month after surgery, the neonates in the ERAS group weighted significantly more than those in the control group. No differences were observed in birth weight, gestational age, and the incidence of complications or feeding intolerance between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In this single-center study, the implementation of neonate-specific ERAS for CDO surgery was feasible and safe and led to a shorter LOS without increasing the incidence of complications or feeding intolerance. TYPE OF STUDY: Treatment Study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Unexpected association between increased levels of ambient carbon monoxide and reduced daily outpatient visits for vaginitis: A hospital-based study.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a well-known "toxic gas". It represents a toxic inhalation hazard at high concentration and is commonly found in polluted air. However, a series of recent studies have suggested that low concentration of CO can also produce protective functions. This study was performed to investigate the association between ambient CO exposure and vaginitis outpatient visits. Daily baseline outpatient data of vaginitis from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015 were obtained from Xi'an, a heavily-polluted metropolis in China. The over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model was applied to discover the relations between short-term ambient CO exposure and the number of vaginitis outpatient visits by adjusting day of the week and weather conditions. A total of 16,825 outpatient hospital visits for vaginitis were recorded. The mean daily concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) was well below Chinese and WHO guidelines. During the study period, increased levels of ambient CO was associated with reduced outpatient-visits through concurrent to lag 5 days, and the most significant association was evidenced at lag 05. A 0.1 mg/m3 increase in daily average CO at lag 05 corresponded to -1.25% (95%CI: -1.85%, -0.65%) change in outpatient-visits for vaginitis. Moreover, the association was more significant in those women aged 20-29 years. After adjustment for PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2, and O3, the negative associations of CO with vaginitis kept significant, suggesting relative stability of effect estimates. In summary, this is the first evidence that increased ambient CO exposure can be related to reduced daily outpatient visits for vaginitis. The results of our study may not only help to establish more comprehensive understanding of the health effects of ambient air on vaginitis and other gynecological diseases, but also provide a clue to new potential interventions.

[Vertical Distribution Profiles and Release Potential of Mainstream Column Sediments in the Three Gorges Reservoir After Impoundment to 175 m].

To investigate the vertical distribution characteristics of phosphorus in the main stream sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), column sediment samples were collected from 5 sites in October 2010, and sediment particle size, organic matter contents, and mineral compositions were analyzed. Investigation of the contribution rate of phosphorus released from column sediments in the TGR was also conducted. The results show that the sediment pH is between 7.3-7.8. The mainstream column sediment is mainly constituted by silt and clay, which account for 49.4%-78.6% and 20.6%-50.6% of total sediments, while sand represents less than 4.4%. Median grain size of each sampling site presented a phased increase or decrease trend. The organic matter content was between 12.94 g·kg-1 and 53.43 g·kg-1, and it tended to slightly increase from upstream to downstream. The C/N ratio in the sediment was between 4.00 and 11.64, and organic matter content was mainly affected by terrigenous input. Total phosphorus (TP) content was between 861.86 mg·kg-1 and 1024.54 mg·kg-1, and it exhibited negligible change in vertical distribution. There is no obvious enrichment phenomenon of phosphorus for column sediment. The major component of sediment TP is calcium bound phosphorus (Ca-P, 47.83%-73.90%), and there are various trends for phosphorus distribution in different sampling sites. Exchangeable phosphorus (Ex-P), aluminum-bound phosphorus (Al-P), and iron-bound phosphorus (Fe-P) in the 0-4 cm surface sediment of each sampling sites was relatively high. For most sampling sites, no obvious change of phosphorus fractions in 16-20 cm of sediment was detected. Bioavailable phosphorus (the sum of Ex-P, Al-P, and Fe-P) accounted for 2.78%-7.05% of TP, indicating that bioavailability of phosphorus in the column sediments is low. The contents of bioavailable phosphorus and organic matter were significantly and positively correlated (P<0.05, N=50). The distribution and transformation of organic matter will affect the migration and transformation of sediment phosphorus in the TGR.

[Effects and Differences of the Release of Dissolved Organic and Inorganic Phosphorus in Different Sediments Covered by Different Materials of Erhai Lake].

In this work, the effects of four covering materials on the release of total dissolved phosphorus (DTP), dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), and soluble reactive P (SRP) in different sediments of Erhai Lake were simulated. The results showed that the max release of DTP was reduced in covering material, which attributed to the changes of pH, Eh and characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by the effect of covering material. The application of iron oxide material significant reduced the release of DTP in the northern and southern part of the lake, with decrease rate of 44.3% and 35.7%, respectively. by contrast, the application of aluminum oxide material significant reduced the release of DTP in the middle part sediment, with decrease rate of 29.6%. Furthermore, the release of SRP and DOP in different sediments has significant difference after added different material. In northern part of sediment, the release of SRP and DOP reduced by 35.6% and 36.2% after added iron oxide material. This is because iron oxide can reduce the pH and Eh but increase the availability of DOM in northern, and then benefits for inhibiting the release of SRP and DOP. In the middle, the release of sediment SRP and DOP reduced by 28.9% and 31.6% after added aluminum oxide material. This is because the aluminum oxide can facilitate the availability of DOM in middle, and then inhibits the release of SRP and DOP. In southern part of the lake, the release of sediment SRP and DOP reduced by 47.4% and 16.5% after added iron oxide material. This is largely attributed to the effect of iron oxide on the pH and Eh. Therefore, to control the release of P in the sediment from Lake Erhai, iron oxide material should be selected in the northern and southern parts, whereas aluminum oxide should be selected in the middle part of the lake.

[Characteristics of Phosphorus Fractions and Phosphate Diffusion Fluxes of Sediments in Cascade Reservoirs of the Huangbai River].

The Huangbai river, with a large phosphorite deposit in the basin upstream, is the drinking-water source of Yichang city, China, and water blooms often break out in it in present times. To investigate the internal contamination load, the distribution and vertical variation of sediment phosphorus and its fractions were analyzed. Phosphorus flux across the sediment-water surface was preliminarily analyzed in three reservoirs in the basin. The results showed that the concentration of total phosphorus (TP) decreased from the upstream to the downstream reservoirs of the basin, and the means of the TP were (8070.0±2251.4), (2681.2±1709.8), and (2656.6±1599.7) mg·kg-1, in the three reservoirs, respectively. This shows that the basin is at a highly polluted level. There were similar tendencies in the concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) and chlorophyll a in the surface water. The order of the phosphorus fractions was HCl-P > OP > NaOH-P in most sites. According to Fick's First Law, the flux of PO43--P across the sediment-water surface was 0.0179-0.1825 mg·(m2·d)-1, and it decreased from the upstream to the downstream reservoirs. The flux was positively related to HCl-P, OP, and TP in the high phosphorus concentration basin.

Gene expression profiling coupled with Connectivity Map database mining reveals potential therapeutic drugs for Hirschsprung disease.

BACKGROUND: Hirschsprung disease (HD) is a congenital intestinal anomaly resulting from a failure to form enteric ganglia in the lower bowel. Surgery is the main therapeutic strategy, although neural stem cell transplantation has recently shown promise. However, HD remains a challenging disorder to treat. Our aim was to identify drugs that could counteract the dysregulated pathways in HD and could thus be potential novel therapies. METHODS: We used microarray analysis to identify genes differentially expressed in ganglionic and aganglionic bowel samples from eight children with HD. The signature of differentially expressed genes was then used as a search query to explore the Connectivity Map (cMAP), a transcriptional expression database that catalogs gene signatures elicited by chemical perturbagens. RESULTS: We uncovered several dysregulated signaling pathways, and in particular regulation of neuron development, in HD. The cMAP search identified some compounds with the potential to counteract the effects of the dysregulated molecular signature in this disease. One of these, pepstatin A, was recently shown to rescue the migration defects observed in a mouse model of HD, providing strong support for our findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study advances our understanding of the molecular changes in HD and identifies several potential pharmacological interventions. Further testing of the identified compounds is warranted.

[Characteristics of Water Extractable Organic Nitrogen from Erhai Lake Sediment and Its Differences with Other Sources].

The 47 samples from Erhai Lake surface sediments were collected in different seasons. The distribution and structure characteristics of sediment water extractable organic nitrogen(WEON) were investigated by using the combined techniques of UV-Vis absorption and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix spectra(3DEEMs). The differences in DON of various sources(overlying water, pore water, inflow Rivers and wet deposition) were explored to analyze its effects on sediment. The results showed that:1the temporal distribution followed the pattern of summer > spring > autumn > winter, with the spatial WEON distribution of northern > southern > central. 2 The humic degree of Erhai sediment WEON was relatively high and mostly composed of fulvic acid, which mainly contained UV-like humic-like fluorescence peak A and high-excited tryptophan fluorescence peak B. This indicated that it was mainly affected by terrestrial input and microbial activity. 3 There were two fluorescent components(C1, C2) in the sediments and other sources of Erhai Lake. The component C1 was the endogenous visible ultraviolet peak formed by biodegradation, while the component C2 was the tryptophan peak. The bioavailability of wet deposition samples was comparatively high, greatly impacting Erhai Lake in heavy rainfall. The DON bioavailability in the inflow river was the lowest, which was prone to be accumulated in sediments. 4The DON component C1 and C2 in overlying water had significant negative correlation with Erhai sediment WEON contents(r=-0.79, P<0.01;r=-0.944, P<0.01). This suggested that the overlying water DON components could indirectly reflect the sediment WEON content of Erhai Lake, namely the higher the fluorescence components C1 and C2 in overlying water DON were, the lower the sediment WEON content was.

Inhibitory effects of saponins from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of saponins from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (SAaB) (Botanical Name: Anemarrhena Asphodeloidis Rhizoma) on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). METHODS: Cell proliferation was measured by a newly developed cell proliferation reagent, WST-1. Cell apoptosis was assayed by flow cytometry through detecting annexin V. Nitric oxide production was evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy with diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2, DA). Cell aldose reductase (AR) activity, as well as the effect of Epalrestat and interleukin-1beta were also explored. RESULTS: WST assay showed that cell proliferation induced by serum was significantly inhibited by SAaB (P<0.01). Flow cytometry analysis revealed that SAaB could enhance apoptotic rate of VSMCs (P<0.01). Nitric oxide production was significantly enhanced after administration of SAaB and interleukin-1beta. Moreover, AR activity of VSMCs was also remarkably inhibited by both SAaB and Epalrestat (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: SAaB can inhibit proliferation and enhance apoptosis of VSMCs. It may protect vascular cells by inhibiting VSMC proliferation and augmenting apoptotic rate of VSMCs via NO-dependent pathway.

[Gas Transfer Velocity of CH4 at Extremely Low Wind Speeds].

Thin boundary theory equation (TBL) is widely used to determine gas fluxes across water-air interfaces, and the gas transfer velocity (k600) is the key environmental factor in the equation. A monthly field campaign was carried out during one year to measure CH4 flux and to probe its exchange rate across the air-water interface in a drinking reservoir and 5 adjacent ponds. The ranges of wind speed and surface water temperature were 0-0.75 m·s-1 and 6.3-30.9℃respectively, and their average values were 0.19 m·s-1 and 19.3℃ respectively. The gas transfer velocity of CH4 varied from 0.20 to 1.99 cm·h-1 with an average of 0.50 cm·h-1. Correlation functions between the gas transfer velocity and the wind speed at 10 m height (U10) and surface water temperature (Tw) were given here to quantify k600. There were significant correlations between the fitted values and actual values both for original and bin-averaged data.