Fungi isolated from asthmatic homes in the Taipei area.

Indoor fungi in Taipei were surveyed during 1969-1974 using Sabouraud's agar plates. No remarkable yearly variation of fungal incidence was observed. The fungal population was found to be different from home to home. The dominant members were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mycelia sterila, Oospora, Rhodotorula, Hormodendrum and yeasts. The order of frequency of fungi found indoors was quite different from that of outdoor fungi. The fungal spores were more numerous during summer months, and this trend was more apparent for Aspergillus, Oospora, Rhodotorula, and Hormodendrum. The kind and the incidence of fungi found in asthmatic homes were not different from those detected in non-asthmatic homes, except that in asthmatic homes there were greater numbers of fungi.     

Effect of pH, carbamylation and other hemoglobins on deoxyhemoglobin S aggregation inside intact erythrocytes as detected by proton relaxation rate measurements.

Measurement of the transverse water proton relaxation rate has been used to study the effect of pH, carbamylation, and other hemoglobins on the aggregation of deoxyhemoglobin S inside intact erythrocytes. Upon complete deoxygenation, cyanate-treated ($\text{S}\text{S}$) erythrocytes and erythrocytes heterozygous with respect to hemoglobin S ($\text{A}\text{S}$, $\text{C}\text{S}$, and $\text{S}\text{D}$) have high transverse water proton relaxation rates very similar to the values obtained with homozygous ($\text{S}\text{S}$) erythrocytes. These results suggest extensive intermolecular interactions between deoxyhemoglobin S molecules and a resultant increase in the correlation time for the small fraction of “irrotationally bound” water. When the transverse relaxation rate in deoxygenated ($\text{S}\text{S}$) erythrocytes was measured as a function of pH, the maximum rate was observed between pH 7.0 and 7.5. Upon increasing the pH beyond this range the observed relaxation rate decreases as does the number of sickled cells. Upon decreasing the pH, the observed transverse relaxation rate also decreases but the ratio of values from $\text{deoxy}\text{oxy}$ ($\text{S}\text{S}$) erythrocytes remains in the normal range of 4–6 and the number of sickled cells does not change. Therefore, the deoxyhemoglobin S aggregate inside sickled erythrocytes, as observed by water proton relaxation rates, is not altered by carbamylation or by the presence of nongelling hemoglobins. In addition, the enhancement of the relaxation rates as a function of pH is consistent with the number of sickled forms observed.     

Impacts of benzophenone-type UV filters on cladoceran Daphnia carinata

Limnology - The impacts of three commonly used benzophenone-type UV filters including benzophenone (BP), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzophenone (BP3), and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzophenone-5-sulfonicacid...     

CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN UMBELLIFERAE. V.

Chromosome numbers are reported for nearly 300 collections of Umbelliferae. Of these, 150 representing “new” or variant counts are figured. Karyotypes of fifteen of the genera included have apparently not been documented before.     

Assessing and improving the green performance using a compound approach

This study presents a compound approach with a five-phase process to assess and improve the green performance. Based on the Six Sigma approach, the five-phase process consists of definition, measurement, analysis, improvement and control (DMAIC) phases. During the first three phases, an evaluation the assessment model is developed based on the analytical hierarchy process. Particle swarm optimization is also performed to search for the sequence of actions in order to improve the green performance based on the output of the assessment model. Managers can monitor the progress of the improvement plan during the control phase. A case study involving two global footwear manufacturers demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

壳聚糖护创敷料用于烧伤创面的治疗效果和安全性研究

目的:探讨壳聚糖护创敷料用于烧伤创面的治疗效果和安全性。方法:采用回顾性方法分析,选取中国人民解放军空降兵军医院烧伤科(本院)自2014年1月-2018年9月就诊的80例烧伤患者的临床资料,根据治疗方法分为对照组(40例,给予单纯紫草油覆盖创面)与研究组(40例,给予壳聚糖护创敷料覆盖创面),比较两组创面愈合时间、疼痛度、瘢痕生长及不同时期分泌物细菌培养阳性率。结果:研究组的创面愈合时间(18.45±4.64)及瘢痕生长评分(3.23±1.12)均低于对照组(22.45±5.23、5.34±1.23),均有显著差异(P0.05)。治疗后7 d、14 d、21 d研究组的创面疼痛度低于对照组(P0.05)。治疗后3 d、7 d、14 d研究组的细菌培养阳性率低于对照组(P0.05)。两组治疗期间均没有出现不良事件和严重不良事件的发生。结论:壳聚糖护创敷料用于烧伤创面患者治疗中,可缩短创面愈合时间,抑菌,减少创面愈合后的瘢痕增生,从而减轻患者疼痛,安全性高,值得临床推广应用。     

大豆品种(系)和种植密度对豆天蛾幼虫存活及生长发育的影响

豆天蛾Clanis bilineata tsingtauica Mell幼虫,是一种食用昆虫,富含蛋白质、维生素和矿质元素,具有很高的营养、药用和经济价值。了解适宜豆天蛾幼虫生长发育的大豆品种（品系）和种植密度,可为豆天蛾幼虫规模化饲养提供理论基础。研究通过设置两因素裂区实验,在10个品种（品系）大豆和2个种植密度水平下,测定豆天蛾幼虫生物学参数,明确适宜豆天蛾幼虫养殖的大豆品种（品系）和种植密度。结果表明,不同大豆品种（系）和种植密度对豆天蛾幼虫存活及生长发育均有显著影响;其中使用连151、淮豆9号、东辛3号和H0573大豆饲养的豆天蛾幼虫产量和存活率较高,虫体长度较长,发育历期较短;大青豆饲养的豆天蛾幼虫产量较低,幼虫发育整齐度较差,发育历期长。当种植密度为40 cm×30 cm时,豆天蛾幼虫存活和发育历期整齐度均显著高于种植密度40 cm×15 cm。综上所述,较适宜豆天蛾幼虫养殖的大豆品种（品系）为连151、淮豆9号、东辛3号和H0573,种植密度为40 cm×30 cm。     

Cardamonin induces G2/M arrest and apoptosis via activation of the JNK–FOXO3a pathway in breast cancer cells

Cardamonin (CD), a naturally occurring chalcone isolated from large black cardamom, was previously reported to suppress the proliferation of breast cancer cells. However, its precise molecular anti‐tumor mechanisms have not been well elucidated. In this study, we found that CD markedly inhibited the proliferation of MDA‐MB 231 and MCF‐7 breast cancer cells through the induction of G2/M arrest and apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a pivotal role in the inhibition of CD‐induced cell proliferation. Treatment with N‐acetyl‐cysteine (NAC), an ROS scavenger, blocked CD‐induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis in this study. Quenching of ROS by overexpression of catalase also blocked CD‐induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We showed that CD enhanced the expression and nuclear translocation of Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) via upstream c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase, inducing the expression of FOXO3a and its target genes, including p21, p27, and Bim. This process led to the reduction of cyclin D1 and enhancement of activated caspase‐3 expression. The addition of NAC markedly reversed these effects, knockdown of FOXO3a using small interfering RNA also decreased CD‐induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis. In vivo, CD efficiently suppressed the growth of MDA‐MB 231 breast cancer xenograft tumors. Taken together, our data provide a molecular mechanistic rationale for CD‐induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in breast cancer cells.     

辅色剂对紫淮山花色苷稳定性的影响及其热降解动力学研究

为探究谷胱甘肽和没食子酸对紫淮山花色苷的辅色作用,本文研究了谷胱甘肽和没食子酸对紫淮山花色苷降解率、热稳定性及色差的影响。试验表明,谷胱甘肽和没食子酸能有效抑制花色苷的降解,且最佳添加量分别为0.03%和0.2%。在此添加量条件下,紫淮山花色苷在50、70、90℃水浴中的热降解均符合一级降解反应动力学规律。添加谷胱甘肽和没食子酸的紫淮山花色苷降解速率常数(k)小于对照组,半衰期(t 1/2)和活化能(Ea)高于对照组,说明谷胱甘肽和没食子酸能够增强花色苷的热稳定性。色差测定结果表明,经谷胱甘肽和没食子酸辅色后的紫淮山花色苷,其明度指数(L*)和色品指数(a*、b*)较对照组变化缓慢,颜色的稳定性增强。