Treatment of H2S using a horizontal biotrickling filter based on biological activated carbon: reactor setup and performance evaluation

Biological treatment is an emerging and prevalent technology for treating off-gases from wastewater treatment plants. The most commonly reported odorous compound in off-gases is hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), which has a very low odor threshold. A self-designed, bench-scale, cross-flow horizontal biotrickling filter (HBF) operated with bacteria immobilized activated carbon (termed biological activated carbon—BAC), was applied for the treatment of H₂S. A mixed culture of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria dominated by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans acclimated from activated sludge was used as bacterial seed and the biofilm was developed by culturing the bacteria in the presence of carbon pellets in mineral medium. HBF performance was evaluated systematically over 120 days, depending on a series of changing factors including inlet H₂S concentration, gas retention time (GRT), pH of recirculation solution, upset and recovery, sulfate accumulation, pressure drop, gas-liquid ratio, and shock loading. The biotrickling filter system can operate at high efficiency from the first day of operation. At a volumetric loading of 900 m³ m^–3 h^–1 (at 92 ppmv H₂S inlet concentration), the BAC exhibited maximum elimination capacity (113 g H₂S/m^–3 h^–1) and a removal efficiency of 96% was observed. If the inlet concentration was kept at around 20 ppmv, high H₂S removal (over 98%) was achieved at a GRT of 4 s, a value comparable with those currently reported for biotrickling filters. The bacterial population in the acidic biofilter demonstrated capacity for removal of H₂S over a broad pH range (pH 1–7). A preliminary investigation into the different effects of bacterial biodegradation and carbon adsorption on system performance was also conducted. This study shows the HBF to be a feasible and economic alternative to physical and chemical treatments for the removal of H₂S.     

新疆蓝刺头化学成分研究

以新疆蓝刺头(Echinops ritro L.)全草为研究材料,通过硅胶柱色谱,Sephadex LH-20柱色谱,重结晶等技术对新疆蓝刺头化学成分进行分离纯化,通过理化性质分析及1H-NMR,13C-NMR等技术对化合物结构进行鉴定.结果表明,共分离出5个化合物,分别是三萜类化合物蒲公英甾醇乙酰酯(化合物1)、蒲公英甾醇(化合物2)、黄酮苷类化合物金丝桃苷(化合物3)、胡萝卜苷(化合物4)与β-豆甾醇葡萄糖苷(化合物5).其中化合物1,2,5首次从该种植物中分离,化合物3为首次从该属植物中分离.     

论昆虫空间生态学研究

空间特征是昆虫生态学研究的热点之一 ,具有重要的理论与应用意义。该文从理论、尺度、时空动态模型、技术手段及研究热点几个方面概述近期昆虫空间生态学研究进展。主要理论包括概率及统计模型、地学统计学、景观生态学、集合种群生态学 ;研究技术涉及地理信息系统、遥感、计算机辅助分析等。简要论述研究的空间尺度问题 ,介绍空间分子生态、进化生态等新研究热点在昆虫空间生态领域的发展 ,并分析昆虫空间生态学存在的问题和发展趋势。     

小麦籽粒不同部位的矿质元素组成与其含量差异

采用X-射线能谱仪测定非糯与糯性等品种小麦籽粒不同部位的矿质元素组成(H和He元素除外)和含量的结果表明:小麦籽粒中除含有大量C、O外,皮层富含K、P、se,其次是Cl、Si、S、Mg和Ca等;糊粉层富含P、K和Mg,其次是Si、Se、S、Ca、Cl和Fe等;胚乳层中相应的矿质元素含量比皮层和糊粉层低。不同品种籽粒各部位的矿质元素含量存在遗传性差异。据此认为籽粒磨成粉时应减少糊粉层的损失,以提高面粉的矿质价值。     

环孢素A对人早孕期滋养细胞MMP-9与MMP-2表达的调控作用

本研究的目的是探讨环孢素A对人早孕期滋养细胞侵袭能力及基质金属蛋白酶9与2 (matrix metalloproteinase 9 and 2,简称MMP-9与MMP-2)表达的调节作用,为治疗反复自然流产等妊娠疾患提供新的线索。侵袭试验观察CsA对人早孕期滋养细胞侵袭能力的调节作用;RT-PCR与明胶酶谱分析CsA对滋养细胞MMP-9与MMP-2 mRNA及蛋白水平表达的影响;In-cell West- ern检测CsA作用后滋养细胞ERK1/2磷酸化水平。结果发现,1．0μmol/L CsA明显增强滋养细胞侵袭能力,MEK激酶抑制剂U0126可抑制CsA对滋养细胞的促侵袭作用;1．0μmol/L CsA可诱导MMP- 9与MMP-2基因的转录与蛋白分泌;该诱导效应同样可被U0126所阻滞;1．0μmol/L CsA以时间依赖方式促进ERK1/2的磷酸化。结果表明,CsA可激活ERK1/2,通过MAPK/ERK1/2途径促进滋养细胞MMP-9与MMP-2基因的转录与蛋白分泌,从而增强滋养细胞的侵袭能力,对滋养细胞生物学功能具有良性调节作用。     

The forecast of the postoperative survival time of patients suffered from non-small cell lung cancer based on PCA and extreme learning machine

In this paper, a new effective model is proposed to forecast how long the postoperative patients suffered from non-small cell lung cancer will survive. The new effective model which is based on the extreme learning machine (ELM) and principal component analysis (PCA) can forecast successfully the postoperative patients' survival time. The new model obtains better prediction accuracy and faster convergence rate which the model using backpropagation (BP) algorithm and the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm to forecast the postoperative patients' survival time can not achieve. Finally, simulation results are given to verify the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed new model.     

Plasma Adiponectin Levels and Metabolic Factors in Nondiabetic Adolescents

Objectives: The relationship of plasma adiponectin levels with various anthropometric and metabolic factors has been surveyed extensively in adults. However, how plasma adiponectin levels are related to various anthropometric indices and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents is not as vigorously studied. In this study, we investigated this among healthy nondiabetic adolescents. Research Methods and Procedures: Two hundred thirty nondiabetic subjects (125 boys and 105 girls, ～10 to 19 years old) were included. The plasma adiponectin, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, lipids and anthropometric indices including body height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were examined. Body fat mass (FM) and percentage were obtained from DXA scan. The homeostasis model assessment was applied to estimate the degree of insulin resistance. Results: The plasma adiponectin levels were significantly higher in girls (30.79 ± 14.48 μg/mL) than boys (22.87 ± 11.41 μg/mL). The plasma adiponectin levels were negatively related to BMI, FM, FM percentage, waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio, insulin resistance, plasma insulin, triglycerides, and uric acid levels, but positively with high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) with the adjustment for age and gender. Using different multivariate linear regression models, only age and HDL‐C were consistently related to the plasma adiponectin levels after adjustment for the other variables. Discussion: The relationship between plasma adiponectin and various anthropometric indices and metabolic factors, especially HDL‐C, previously reported in adults was present in the healthy nondiabetic adolescents. Whether variation of plasma adiponectin levels in healthy nondiabetic adolescents may influence their future coronary artery disease risk warrants further investigation.     

A platform to standardize,store, and visualize proteomics experimental data

With the development of functional genomics research, large-scale proteomics studies are now widespread, presenting significant challenges for data storage, exchange, and analysis. Here we present the Integrated Proteomics Exploring Database （IPED） as a platform for managing proteomics experimental data （both process and result data）. IPED is based on the schema of the Proteome Experimental Data Repository （PEDRo）, and complies with the General Proteomics Standard （GPS） drafted by the Proteomics Standards Committee of the Human Proteome Organization. In our work, we developed three components for the IPED platform： the IPED client editor, IPED server software, and IPED web interface. The client editor collects experimental data and generates an extensible markup language （XML） data file compliant with PEDRo and GPS; the server software parses the XML data file and loads information into a core database; and the web interface displays experimental results, to provide a convenient graphic representation of data. Given software convenience and data abundance, IPED is a powerful platform for data exchange and presents an important resource for the proteomics community. In its current release, IPED is available at http：//www. biosino.org/iped2.     

Aerosol infectivity of a Baculovirus to Trichoplusia ni larvae: An alternative larval inoculation strategy for recombinant protein production

The baculovirus–insect expression system is a popular tool for recombinant protein production. The standard method for infecting insect larvae with recombinant baculovirus for protein production involves either feeding occlusion bodies or injecting budded virus into the cuticle. In this study, we showed that the recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) at titers >10⁸ pfu/mL efficiently infected Trichoplusia ni (T. ni) larvae through aerosol inoculation of budded virus at a pressure of 5.5 × 10⁴ Pa. The dipping T. ni larvae in virus‐containing solution efficiently infected them. These results indicate that surface contamination, either by aerosol or dipping, lead to infection via spiracles. The aerosol infection route for AcMNPV was restricted to T. ni and Plutella xylostella larvae, whereas Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera larvae were resistant to this inoculation process. The yields of the reporter proteins DsRed and EGFP from T. ni larvae following aerosol infection were nearly identical to those following oral feeding or injection. This alternative baculovirus infection strategy facilitates recombinant protein and virus production by insect larvae. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009     

Comparative studies on the interactions of dihydroartemisinin and artemisinin with bovine serum albumin using spectroscopic methods

The interactions of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and artemisinin (ART) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been investigated using fluorescence, UV/vis absorption and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra under simulated physiological conditions. The binding characteristics of DHA/ART and BSA were determined by fluorescence emission and resonance light scattering (RLS) spectra. The quenching mechanism between BSA and DHA/ART is static. The binding constants and binding sites of DHA/ART–BSA systems were calculated at different temperatures (293, 298, 304 and 310 K). According to Förster non‐radiative energy transfer theory, the binding distance of BSA to DHA/ART was calculated to be 1.54/1.65 nm. The effect of DHA/ART on the secondary structure of BSA was analyzed using UV/vis absorption, FTIR, synchronous fluorescence and 3D fluorescence spectra. In addition, the effects of common ions on the binding constants of BSA–DHA and BSA–ART systems were also discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.