The Suitability of Jatropha Seed Press Cake as a Biosorbent for Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Aqueous Solutions

Jatropha seed press cake (JPC), a biodeisel waste, was investigated for its use as biosorbent for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater. The acid-pretreated biomass exhibited 1.9-fold higher biosorption efficiency for Cr(VI). The Cr(VI) biosorption efficiency was found to increase with decrease in pH of aqueous medium. The adsorption capacity of biosorbent for Cr(VI) increased with increasing concentration of Cr(VI). The biosorption of Cr(VI) by acid-treated JPC followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics. The results of equilibrium studies showed that the biosorption process fitted the Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 22.727 mg of Cr(VI)/g of biosorbent at 30°C. The activation energy was found to be 27.114 kJ/mol, suggesting that the adsorption process was mainly a physical process. The important thermodynamic parameters of adsorption (ΔG, ΔH, andΔS) were determined, which indicated that the Cr(VI) sorption by JPC is a spontaneous and endothermic process.     

Effects of rapeseed‐press cake glucosinolates and iodine on the performance,the thyroid gland and the liver vitamin a status of pigs

Rapeseed press cake (per kg DM 181 g EE, 341 g CP and 23.3 mmol glucosinolates) was tested in a long‐term experiment with a total of sixty pigs (live weight range 24 to 104 kg). The 3×2 factorial design consisted of three rapeseed press cake levels (no rapeseed press cake ‐ control, 75g or 150g rapeseed press cake per kg diet) each with two iodine dosages (125 or 250 μg supplementary iodine per kg diet). Reduced feed intake and depressed weight gain were found in groups receiving 150 g rapeseed press cake per kg diet, which correspond to 3.2mmol glucosinolates per kg diet. At an inclusion level of 75 g rapeseed‐press cake per kg diet no differences in feed intake and growth intensity were recorded in comparison to the rape feed free control. The rapeseed‐press cake diet increased the weight of thyroid gland and liver and decreased the serum thyroxine (T₄) concentration. Higher iodine dosage increased the serum T₄ concentration of pigs receiving 75 g rapeseed press cake per kg diet ( = 1.6 mmol glucosinolates per kg diet) to the level of the control group and retarded the enlargement of the thyroid gland. Intake of rapeseed products lowered the iodine content of the thyroid gland, however, there was no significant difference between groups given 1.6 and 3.2 mmol glucosinolates per kg diet. The vitamin A content of the whole liver and the vitamin A serum concentration were not influenced by the diets tested. However, rapeseed press cake and the glucosinolates, respectively, decreased the vitamin A concentration per gram liver due to the organ enlargement and the resulting dilution effect.     

一种新型助滤剂在血液制品生产中的应用研究

目的:探讨新型硅藻土用于血液制品组份分离过滤的适用性。方法:对比新型硅藻土与传统硅藻土的电镜扫描物理结构、金属离子含量、比表面积、离心湿密度等物理表征数据,并考察其在血浆蛋白分离阶段各组份过滤效果及最终产品的质量。结果:新型硅藻土与传统硅藻土比较,具有颗粒孔隙致密、金属离子含量低、比表面积大和离心湿密度小的特点;在血浆蛋白分离阶段的过滤过程中,按照传统硅藻土用量的70%左右使用新型硅藻土时,过滤时可得到理想的滤液浊度、较快的过滤速率、更小的过滤压力和均匀的滤饼分布;所得最终产品的质量符合《中国药典》及公司内控标准。结论:新型硅藻土可替代传统硅藻土用于血液制品的规模化生产,同时降低使用量。该应用研究对于降低血液制品的生产成本和提高产品质量具有一定的实际应用价值和参考意义。     

Online Classification of Multiple Motor Imagery Tasks Using Filter Bank Based Maximum-a-Posteriori Common Spatial Pattern Filters

ObjectiveThe main objective of this paper is to propose a novel technique, called filter bank maximum a-posteriori common spatial pattern (FB-MAP-CSP) algorithm, for online classification of multiple motor imagery activities using electroencephalography (EEG) signals. The proposed technique addresses the overfitting issue of CSP in addition to utilizing the spectral information of EEG signals inside the framework of filter banks while extending it to more than two conditions.Materials and methodsThe classification of motor imagery signals is based upon the detection of event-related de-synchronization (ERD) phenomena in the μ and β rhythms of EEG signals. Accordingly, two modifications in the existing MAP-CSP technique are presented: (i) The (pre-processed) EEG signals are spectrally filtered by a bank of filters lying in the μ and β brainwave frequency range, (ii) the framework of MAP-CSP is extended to deal with multiple (more than two) motor imagery tasks classification and the spatial filters thus obtained are calculated for each sub-band, separately. Subsequently, the most imperative features over all sub-bands are selected and un-regularized linear discriminant analysis is employed for classification of multiple motor imagery tasks.ResultsPublicly available dataset (BCI Competition IV Dataset I) is used to validate the proposed method i.e. FB-MAP-CSP. The results show that the proposed method yields superior classification results, in addition to be computationally more efficient in the case of online implementation, as compared to the conventional CSP based techniques and its variants for multiclass motor imagery classification.ConclusionThe proposed FB-MAP-CSP algorithm is found to be a potential / superior method for classifying multi-condition motor imagery EEG signals in comparison to FBCSP based techniques.     

A novel acoustic evaluation system of scratching in mouse dermatitis: rapid and specific detection of invisibly rapid scratch in an atopic dermatitis model mouse

Scratching is an essential and a skin specific behavior induced by itching, which is a common symptom of atopic dermatitis (AD) and other types of dermatitis. Itching sensation and scratching are closely associated and thus scratching times are currently used for evaluating itching in animal models. However, objective measuring systems of scratching to assess the grade of dermatitis and the effectiveness of anti-pruritic drugs in animal dermatitis models are lacking. To investigate a quantitative evaluation system for itching, we have developed a novel acoustic scratching counting system and compared its accuracy with time-consuming slow-motion video recording system. We have also objectively evaluated the efficacy of an antihistamine using this novel system. Scratching behavior of an AD model mouse (K14 driven IL-18 transgenic mouse) was recorded visually and acoustically. Specific scratching sound produced by mice was recorded and counted using a software we have developed, and the results obtained using our acoustic system were not statistically different from data obtained using slow motion video system. Surprisingly, mice scratched more than 10 times/second, which was invisibly rapid motion and revealed inaccuracy of conventional hand counting system. Results were identical to that of measured by 10 times time costing slow-motion video analysis. The antihistamine is clearly effective for suppression of scratching as demonstrated using this objective and accurate method. This novel motion analysis system will open a window for physiological and pathological analysis for animal models and development of anti-pruritic drugs.     

武汉东湖后湖区浮游甲壳动物群落结构的研究

武汉东湖后湖湖区浮游甲壳动物群落结构从60年代至90年代发生了十分显的变化。浮游甲壳动物的物种丰度下降非常明显,枝角类的种类数从60年代的47种下降至90年代的17种,桡足类的种类数由60年代的14种下降为90年代的9种。60年代枝角类的优势种隆线Sou一亚种在90年代被短尾秀体Sou所取代,60年代的两种优势哲水蚤－长江新镖水蚤与特异荡镖水蚤的优势在90年代消失,而60年代很少的一种剑水蚤－台湾温剑水蚤在90年代跃升为优势种。随着滤食性鱼类密度的上升,枝角类的密度从60年代至90年代显下降。哲水蚤1997及1998年的密度明显低于60年代的密度。研究表明,浮游甲壳动物群落物种丰度的下降与后湖湖区沉水植被的退化有关,而优势种的演替主要受滤食性鱼类密度的影响。     

Patterns of β‐diversity in a Mexican tropical dry forest

Abstract. Patterns of β‐diversity in a highly diverse tropical dry forest tree community are described; the contribution of environmental heterogeneity and distance to β‐diversity was assessed. Significant differences in elevation, insolation, slope and soil water holding capacity (p < 0.01), variables related to water availability, were found among 830 m × 100 m transects laid along contrasting slopes of a system of three parallel microbasins. A gradient in elevation and insolation was found within north‐facing transects, among 10 m × 10 m sites; south‐facing transects showed an elevation gradient while crest transects showed a gradient in water holding capacity. In total 119 species were registered, with 27 to 64 species per transect, and 4 to 16 species per site. A large β‐diversity was found among and within transects; two indices of β‐diversity consistently showed a higher β‐diversity within transects than among them. Among transects, 64% of the variance in species composition could be attributed to the environmental variables; an additional 22% to the spatial distribution of sites. Within transects, 42% of the deviance in β‐diversity values was explained by insolation, and 19% by distance. β‐diversity increased with distance and with difference in insolation among sites; north‐facing transects, those with most contrasting insolation conditions, had the steepest increase in β‐diversity with distance. Such increase was clearly associated with changes in species composition, not with changes in species richness.     

Application of the membrane filter technique to bromodeoxyuridine immunochemistry for exfoliative cytology

The membrane filter technique for smear specimens of tumors in bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunochemistry is described. The staining results of Raji cells processed using the filter technique was compared with that obtained by the conventional cytospin method. Although the BrdU mean labeling index (LI) for in cytospin specimens was almost the same as the LI in membrane filter specimens, filter specimens showed excellent staining and less cell destruction compared with those processed by cytospin. Small amounts of tumor specimens such as squamous cell carcinoma and polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma also were processed using the membrane filter appliance. For squamous cell carcinoma, the LI for the filter specimens was 5.36 ± 0.38 and that of the paraffin sections was 5.56 ± 0.38. The membrane filter technique provided relatively undamaged specimens for exfoliative cytology and will be useful for immunohistochemical evaluation of tumor cells and for routine, noninvasive cytological screening.     

Extinction deficits in male rhesus macaques with a history of self-injurious behavior

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) occurs in both human and nonhuman primate populations. Despite the potential for harm, SIB may persist in part because of an inability to inhibit behavior that results in wounding. A lever-pressing task was used to test the prediction that monkeys with SIB would show greater persistence in lever-pressing on extinction trials than monkeys without the disorder. The subjects were 15 individually-housed adult male rhesus macaques, 10 of which (the SIB group) had a veterinary record of self-inflicted wounding. All of the monkeys were trained to lever-press for food rewards to a criterion of 400 total responses. The test procedures consisted of five daily 30-min sessions divided into six 5-min intervals. On day 1, the subjects received continuous reinforcement. On days 2-4, testing consisted of alternating reinforced/unreinforced 5-min intervals, beginning with reinforcement. Reinforced intervals were cued with a buzzer. On day 5, the subjects received no reinforcement. The number of lever-presses and behavioral responses were recorded during each session. Saliva samples were collected for cortisol measurement before and after test sessions on days 1, 2, and 5. As predicted, monkeys with SIB lever-pressed more than controls during extinction intervals on days 2-4. There was no difference on day 1 or day 5. The frequency of scratching, yawning, and abnormal behavior increased when reinforcement was intermittent (days 2-4) or absent (day 5). Cortisol levels were highest with continuous reinforcement (day 1), and may reflect differential levels of food intake rather than stress. The presence of extinction deficits suggests that SIB may persist in some monkeys because they lack the ability to regulate the intensity of their biting behavior.