Ophelimus bipolaris sp. n. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), a New Invasive Eucalyptus Pest and Its Host Plants in China.

Eucalyptus species have become one of the most commonly planted trees worldwide, including China, due to their fast growth and various commercial applications. However, the productivity of Eucalyptus plantations has been threatened by exotic invasive insect pests in recent years. Among these pests, gall inducers of the genus Ophelimus of the Eulophidae family are among the most important invasive species in Eucalyptus plantations. We report here for the first time the presence of a new invasive Eucalyptus gall wasp, Ophelimus bipolaris sp. n., in Guangzhou, China, which also represents the first species of the genus reported from China. The identity of the new species was confirmed by an integrative approach combing biological, morphological and molecular evidence. The new species is described and illustrated. This wasp induces galls only on the leaf blade surface of four Eucalyptus species: E. grandis, E. grandis × E. urophylla, E. tereticornis and E. urophylla. Our preliminary observation showed that O. bipolaris could complete a life cycle on E. urophylla in approximately 2 months under local climatic conditions (23.5-30 °C). Considering the severe damage it may cause to Eucalyptus production, further investigations of its biology and control are urgently needed in China.

UV dose effects on the revival characteristics of microorganisms in darkness after UV disinfection: Evidence from a pilot study.

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection during water supply treatment aims to reduce the number of bacteria. Although UV disinfection is effective at inactivating most microorganisms, some microbe species may be entirely impervious. A pilot study was conducted to compare the quantity and community component of bacteria in surface water collected from filtration effluent before UV disinfection with different doses of UV, and those 1 and 2 days afterwards, in darkness. The aim was to elucidate the relationship between the UV dose and the total revived microorganisms in darkness after UV disinfection. In the filtration effluent samples, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Actinobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria were the predominant classes. After storage in the dark at a constant temperature of 19 °C, the UV-disinfected samples showed a considerable increase in Bacilli, while Gammaproteobacteria remained the predominant population. Genera such as Exiguobacterium, Citrobacter, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas presented a selective advantage in terms of revival in darkness after UV disinfection, irrespective of the UV dose and storage time. The lowest rate of microbial revival (5% day-1) was noted at a UV dose of 266.10 mJ m-2 (with an average UV illumination time of 124.4 s and an average intensity of 86.61 W m-2). Our results suggest that higher UV intensity and lower illumination time are key factors in minimizing the revival of microorganisms in darkness.

Gene alterations and epigenetic changes in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly malignant neoplasm. The incidence of ICC has been increasing world-wide over the past several decades. Areas covered: The pathogenesis of ICC is a complex process involving the alteration of specific genes and epigenetic changes. This review summarizes the advances in research of gene alterations and epigenetic changes in ICC; it also aims to promote the findings of new biomarkers that can be used to diagnose ICC and to provide novel ideas for the combination of molecular targeted therapies. Expert commentary: Surgical resection is regarded as the most effective curative treatment, although in many cases, resectability and curability are unsatisfactory. Furthermore, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages and have to resort to chemotherapy, which is rarely curative. Many of the molecular mechanisms of ICC are yet to be determined; once these determinations are made, then ICC may be able to be treated by precise targeted drugs.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for primary immune thrombocytopenia: Current status and challenges.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an immune-mediated disorder affecting both adults and children, characterised by bleeding complications and low platelet counts. Corticosteroids are the first-line therapy for ITP, but only 20%-40% of cases achieve a stable response. Splenectomy is the main therapy for patients failing to respond to corticosteroids for decades, and about two-thirds of patients achieve a long-lasting response. Although some new drugs are developed to treat ITP as second-line therapies in recent years, splenectomy is still the better choice with less cost and more efficiency. Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) for ITP proves to be a safe technique associated with lower morbidity and faster recovery and similar hematological response when compared to traditional open splenectomy. Based on the unified hematological outcome criteria by current international consensus, the response rate of splenectomy should be reassessed. So far, there are not widely accepted preoperative clinical indicators predicting favorable response to LS. Since the patients undergoing surgery take the risk of complications and poor hematological outcome, the great challenge facing the doctors is to identify a reliable biomarker for predicting long-term outcome of splenectomy which can help make the decision of operation.

Submerged arc furnace process superior to the Waelz process in reducing PCDD/F emission during thermal treatment of electric arc furnace dust.

Besides the Waelz process, the submerged arc furnace (SAF) process has also been extensively used to retain metals from ashes and scraps in the metallurgical industry. However, very little is known about the formation and depletion of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from this thermal process. In this study, an electric arc furnace (EAF) dust treatment plant adopting the SAF process was investigated and compared to the plant adopting the Waelz process. The predominant contributor of PCDD/F I-TEQ input was the EAF dusts, accounting for 98.4% of the total. The PCDD/F contents in the generated fly ashes of the SAF were extremely low, as almost all the organic compounds for PCDD/F formation were decomposed by the high operating temperatures (1500-1700 °C) of the SAF. Therefore, the PCDD/F emission factor of the SAF process (46.9 µg I-TEQ/tonne-EAF dust) was significantly lower than that of the Waelz process (840-1120 µg I-TEQ/tonne-EAF dust). Its PCDD/F output/input ratios (0.23 and 0.50 based on mass and toxicity) were also lower than those of the Waelz process plant (0.62 and 1.19). Therefore, the SAF process is superior to the Waelz process in reducing the potential of PCDD/F formation.

[Relationship between perceptions of safety climate at workplace and depressive disorders in manufacturing workers].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for depressive disorders in manufacturing workers and to provide a basis for developing health promotion measures at workplace. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was performed in 8085 front-line production workers from 33 manufacturing enterprises in Nanhai District of Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. The questionnaire contained a survey of demographic characteristics, the Safety Climate Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, etc. The multilevel logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the risk factors for depressive disorders in workers. RESULTS: A total of 6260 workers completed the survey; their mean age was 31.1 ± 8.6 years, and 53.2% of them were males. The multilevel logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, and martial status, more depressive disorders were reported in the enterprises with higher score of "production safety training" than in those with lower score (OR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.07 ∼ 1.97); fewer depressive disorders were reported in the enterprises with higher score of "colleagues concerned about production safety" than in those with lower score (OR = 0.08, 95%CI = 0.03 ∼ 0.26); the relationships of "safety warnings and precautions" and "managers concerned about production safety" with workers' depressive disorders were not statistically significant (OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.48 ∼ 1.28; OR = 1.08, 95%CI = 0.68 ∼ 1.72). CONCLUSION: Depressive disorders in manufacturing workers are related to the safety climate at workplace, which indicates that a good safety climate at workplace should be created to prevent and control depressive disorders in workers.

[Associations of occupational safety atmosphere and behaviors with unintentional injuries].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations of perception of safety atmosphere at workplace, occupational safety attitude and behaviors with occupational unintentional injury among manufacturing workers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed and a self-administered questionnaire was used to inquire socio-demographic characteristics, perceived safety atmosphere, occupational safety attitudes, occupational safety behaviors and occupational unintentional injuries among 10585 manufacturing workers selected from 46 enterprises in Guangdong. Structural equation modeling was applied to assess the relationship of the perception of safety atmosphere at workplace, occupational safety attitude, and occupational safety behaviors with occupational unintentional injury. RESULTS: Among 24 pathways supposed in structural equation model, 20 pathways (except for the attitude toward occupational safety, the attitude toward managers' support, the work posture and individual protection) were significantly related to the occupational unintentional injuries. The further analysis indicated that the perceived safety atmosphere might impact the occupational unintentional injuries by the attitude toward occupational safety and occupational safety behaviors. CONCLUSION: Workers' perception of safety atmosphere indirectly influenced on occupational unintentional injuries through occupational safety attitudes and occupational safety behaviors.

[Start-up and affecting factors of biofilter for treatment of NO(x) under aerobic conditions].

An optimized aerobic denitrifying bacteria was applied to a biofilter for the removal of NO(x). The removal process of NO(x) was investigated, and the relationship between environmental factors and NO(x) removal efficiency as well as the NO(x) transfermechanism under aerobic conditions are discussed. The results show that the biofilter finished start-up after 26 days and the presence of oxygen has no evident negative effect on the efficiency of NO(x) removal. Mainly happening at the middle and under part of the biofiltration system, the removal of NO(x) get a high efficiency of 93.6% at the EBRT of 59s and the inlet NO(x) concentration of 286.4 mg/m3 with 10% O2. A special biomembrane system was formulated by nitrobacteria, facultative denitrifying bacteria and aerobic denitrifying bacteria in the biofiltration system.

[Identification and denitrification characteristics of a thermophilic aerobic denitrifier].

A bacterial strain TAD1 with high nitrogen removal efficiency was isolated from biofilm of the biotrickling filter of a coal-fired power plant by thermophilic domestication. This bacterium was Gram negative, short rod, with the size of (0.67-0.89) microm x (1.03-1.41) microm. It was identified as Chelatococcus sp. according to its physiological properties and the analysis of its 16S rDNA gene. Studied on its function of aerobic denitrification at the temperature of 50 degrees C, the results showed that nitrate in the culture media was efficiently removed from 63.79 mg/L to 0.46 mg/L, and the nitrogen removal efficiency was up to 99.12% in 24 hours, and no nitrite was observed during the incubation, the major end product of the denitrification was nitrogen. During the denitrification of TAD1, the pH in the culture medium gradually increases, while the oxidation-reduction potential gradually decreases. The factors affecting aerobic denitrification by strain TAD1 were also discussed, indicating that the most suitable pH value for aerobic denitrification was 7.0-9.0, and the DO was 2.1-7.2 mg/L.

[Study on aerobic denitrification in BAF].

The compound inoculation was investigated, and the influences of COD/N ratio and dissolved oxygen on aerobic denitrification in biological aerated filter(BAF) were tested while treating nitrate wastewater from an iron factory. The results show that the efficiency of denitrification was improved, when the concentration of dissolved oxygen was increased from 1.5 mg/L to 4.2 mg/L. When dissolved oxygen value was 3.5 mg/L, the efficiency was the best, it was 95.4%; but the result was opposite when it were increased. When dissolved oxygen value was 8.0 mg/L; the efficiency was still 44.8%. it can be inferred that there were aerobic denitrifer, and oxygen was the electron accepter during aerobic denitrification. The efficiency of aerobic denitrification was improved. When COD/N were 6-7, it can meet the requirement for carbon source during aerobic denitrification, the removal rate of nitrate nitrogen and COD were up to 96%, 85% respectively. Almost no nitrite nitrogen accumulated.

Contribution of mononuclear bone marrow cells to carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

AIM: To study the inhibitory effect of mononuclear bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation on carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) -induced liver fibrosis in rats. METHODS: Rat liver fibrosis models were induced by CCl(4) and alcohol administration. After 8 wk, twenty rats were randomly allocated into treatment group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). BMC were infused into the rats in treatment group via the portal vein, while heparinized saline was infused in control group. CCl(4) was hypodermically injected into the rats twice a week for 4 wk. At the end of wk 12, all rats were humanely sacrificed. Liver samples were taken and stained with HE or Masson trichrome. The general conditions, liver fibrosis (hydroxyproline and collagen fibre) and liver pathological grades in rats were evaluated. RESULTS: The general conditions of the rats in treatment group improved markedly, but not in control group. Hydroxyproline was 504.6 +/- 128.8 microg/g in treatment group, and 596.0 +/- 341.8 microg/g in control group. The percentage of collagen fibre was 3.75% +/- 0.98% in treatment group and 5.02% +/- 0.44% in control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Liver pathological grade decreased from grade IV to grade III partially in treatment group (P < 0.05) with no obvious improvement in control group (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between treatment group and control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Transplantation of BMC can improve liver fibrosis due to chronic liver injury in rats.