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ABSTRACT Shark-skin surfaces show the non-smoothness characteristics due to the presence of riblet structures. In this work, biomimetic shark-skins were prepared by means of different bio-replicated forming techniques. These techniques include the PDMS elastomeric stamping method (e.g., PES method) and the PDMS embedded-elastomeric stamping method (e.g., PEES method). The study characterized the fabricated biomimetic surfaces through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as 3D microscope. The accuracy of the two replication routes were compared, which included measuring the surface integrity and dimensional parameters ( s, h ) of the riblet-groove structure. The results show that fresh shark-skin without chemical treatments should be used as a replication template whenever possible to attain a satisfactory replication accuracy of the riblet structure. The PES and PEES methods proposed here are effective bio-replicated forming routes in simulating the microstructures of a shark-skin surface. Compared with the PES method, the PEES method has greater precision in simulating the microstructures of a shark-skin surface.
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ABSTRACT Large amount of agriculturl wastewater containing high level nitrate-nitrogen (NO3 --N) is produced from modern intensive agricultural production management due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and livestock scale farming. The hydroponic experiment of water hyacinth was conducted for analyzing the content of NO3 --N, soluble sugar content, N-transported the amino acid content and growth change in water hyacinth to explore its purification ability to remove NO3 --N from agriculture eutrophic wastewater and physiological and biochemical mechanism of this plant to remove NO3 --N. The results showed that the water hyacinth could effectively utilize the NO3 --N from agriculture eutrophic wastewater. Compared with the control, the contents of NO3 -change to NO3 --N in the root, leaf petiole and leaf blade of water hyacinth after treatment in the wastewater for a week was significantly higher than that in the control plants treated with tap water, and also the biomass of water hyacinth increased significantly, indicating that the accumulation of biomass due to the rapid growth of water hyacinth could transfer some amount of NO3 --N.13C-NMR analysis confirmed that water hyacinth would convert the part nitrogen absorbed from agriculture eutrophic wastewater to ammonia nitrogen, which increased the content of aspartic acid and glutamic acid, decreased the content of soluble sugar, sucrose and fructose and the content of N-storaged asparagine and glutamine, lead to enhance the synthesis of plant amino acids and promote the growth of plants. These results indicate that the nitrate in agriculture eutrophic wastewater can be utilized by water hyacinth as nitrogen nutrition, and can promote plant growth by using soluble sugar and amide to synthesis amino acids and protein.
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ABSTRACT After redefining the carbon footprint and carbon label, the paper analyzesthe significance of the carbon labels under the background of the low carbon economy development, and establishes the concept of model of the carbon labels mechanism to chemical products. At the same time, the paper quantitatively studies carbon label data sourceof three kinds of coal chemical industry power products, which are fromhaving not CCS technologies of supercritical boiler of coal, using CCS technologies of supercritical boiler of coal and adopting CCS and IGCC technologies to power generation in CCI. Based on the three kinds of differences, the paper puts forward of establishing the carbon labels mechanism of chemical products under the low carbon consumption.
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ABSTRACT VC (20%), TC (20%) and N:P:K fertilizer (farmer's practice) were used to determine the growth and yield attributes of bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) and yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata). Plants grown with VC (20%) produced the highest fresh biomass for bush bean (527.55 g m-2), winged bean (1168.61 g m-2) and yard long bean (409.84 g m-2). In all the tested legumes the highest pod weight, pod number, pod dry weight and pod length were found in the VC (20%) treatment. Photosynthetic rates in the three legumes peaked at pod formation stage in all treatments, with the highest photosynthetic rate observed in winged bean (56.17 µmol m-2s-1) grown with VC (20%). The highest yield for bush bean (2.98 ton ha-1), winged bean (7.28 ton ha-1) and yard long bean (2.22 ton ha-1) were also found in VC (20%) treatment. Furthermore, protein content was highest in bush bean (26.50 g/100g), followed by yard long bean (24.74 g/100g) and winged bean (22.04 g/100g), under VC (20%) treatment. It can be concluded that legumes grown with VC (20%) produced the highest yield and yield attributes.
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ABSTRACT Urban rainfall runoff pollution has become a major reason for water eutrophication problem in the process of urbanization in China, while phosphorus is a significant restrictive factor that influences primary productivity of freshwater system. It's rather significant to conduct phosphorus control in waste water with engineering measures. This research, based on material balance research of phosphorus in artificial wetlands, HRT (hydraulic retention time) and analysis of wetland plant photosynthesis and removal rate of phosphorus, simulates purification of phosphorus in urban runoff sewage by artificial wetland system. Experiment shows that removal rate of total phosphorus in urban runoff sewage by artificial wetland system reaches 42.23%-60.89%, and contribution rate in removal of phosphorus which is assimilated and absorbed by plants is 14.74%; contribution rate in removal of phosphorus which is accumulated and absorbed by substrates is 43.22%; contribution rate in removal of phosphorus which is absorbed by means like microorganisms is 2.93%. Pollutant absorption by substrates is a process of dynamic equilibrium. With extension of HRT, phosphorus removing effect of wetlands present an increasing and then decreasing tendency; Net photosynthetic rate and TP removal rate of canna and reed have significant positive correlation, and correlation coefficients are respectively 0.941(P<0.001) and 0.915(P<0.05). Substrates and plants are main pathways for phosphorus removal of artificial wetlands, covering 95% of the total removing effect.
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ABSTRACT Effects of leached amylose (AM) and amylopectin (AP) on textural and morphological properties of cooked rice were investigated separately by replacing cooking liquid with AM and AP separated from pouring cooking liquid. The pouring of cooking water reduced the hardness (from 28.45 to 19.42N) and stickiness (from 1.74 to 1.19N·s) significantly. However, the addition of AM and AP enhanced the hardness (27.63N) and stickiness (1.71N·s).Scanning electron microscopy show that the leached short-chain AM entered the surface hollows in the cooked rice after water evaporation. Meanwhile, the Long-chain AM cross-linked to formed a three-dimensional network structures, which covered on the filled hollows. This distribution led to a harder texture of cooked rice. The leached AP absorbed water and swelledto form masses. Atthe gelatinization temperature,theAPmassesagglomeratedtoformafilmlayer,whichcoveredtheunevenstructure, the thicker and smoother film contributed to the sticky texture.
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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro effect of glutamine and insulin on apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell permeability, and inflammatory cytokines in hyperglycemic umbilical vein endothelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were grown and subjected to glutamine and insulin to examine the effects of these agents on the hyperglycemic state. Mitochondrial function and the production of inflammatory cytokines were assessed using fluorescence analysis and multiple cytotoxicity assays. Apoptosis was analyzed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. RESULTS: Glutamine maintains the integrity of the mitochondria by reducing the cell permeability and cytochrome c levels and increasing the mitochondrial membrane potential. The cytochrome c level was significantly (p<0.005) reduced when the cells were treated with glutamine. An apoptosis assay revealed significantly reduced apoptosis (p<0.005) in the glutamine-treated cells. Moreover, glutamine alone or in combination with insulin modulated inflammatory cytokine levels. Interleukin-10, interleukin-6, and vascular endothelial growth factor were up-regulated while tumor necrosis factor-α was down-regulated after treatment with glutamine. CONCLUSION: Glutamine, either alone or in combination with insulin, can positively modulate the mitochondrial stress and cell permeability in umbilical vein endothelial cells. Glutamine regulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines and maintains the balance of the mitochondria in a cytoprotective manner. .