Immune to temperature interference sensor of carbon dioxide gas concentration based on a single modified fiber Bragg grating.

In this study, a novel method that can detect carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and realize temperature immunity based on only one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed. The outstanding contribution lies in solving the temperature crosstalk issue of FBG and ensuring the accuracy of detection results under the condition of anti-temperature interference. To achieve immunity to temperature interference without changing the initial structure of FBG, the optical fiber cladding of FBG and adjacent optical fiber cladding at both ends of FBG are modified by a polymer coating. Moreover, a universal immune temperature demodulation algorithm is derived. The experimental results demonstrate that the temperature response sensitivity of the improved FBG is controlled within the range of 0.00407 nm/°C. Compared with the initial FBG (the temperature sensitivity of the initial FBG is 0.04 nm/°C), it decreases by nearly 10 times. Besides, the gas response sensitivity of FBG reaches 1.6 pm/ppm and has overwhelmingly ideal linearity. The detection error results manifest that the gas concentration error in 20 groups of data does not exceed 3.16 ppm. The final reproducibility research shows that the difference in detection sensitivity between the two sensors is 0.08 pm/ppm, and the relative error of linearity is 1.07%. In a word, the proposed method can accurately detect the concentration of CO2 gas and is efficiently immune to temperature interference. The sensor we proposed has the advantages of a simple production process, low cost, and satisfactory reproducibility. It also has the prospect of mass production.

New Barrier Role of Iron Plaque: Producing Interfacial Hydroxyl Radicals to Degrade Rhizosphere Pollutants.

Iron plaque, as a natural barrier between rice and soil, can reduce the accumulation of pollutants in rice by adsorption, contributing to the safe production of rice in contaminated soil. In this study, we unveiled a new role of iron plaque, i.e., producing hydroxyl radicals (·OH) by activating root-secreted oxygen to degrade pollutants. The ·OH was produced on the iron plaque surface and then diffused to the interfacial layer between the surface and the rhizosphere environment. The iron plaque activated oxygen via a successive three-electron transfer to produce ·OH, involving superoxide and hydrogen peroxide as the intermediates. The structural Fe(II) in iron plaque played a dominant role in activating oxygen rather than the adsorbed Fe(II), since the structural Fe(II) was thermodynamically more favorable for oxygen activation. The oxygen vacancies accompanied by the structural Fe(II) played an important role in oxygen activation to produce ·OH. The interfacial ·OH selectively degraded rhizosphere pollutants that could be adsorbed onto the iron plaque and was less affected by the rhizosphere environments than the free ·OH. This study uncovered the oxidative role of iron plaque mediated by its produced ·OH, reshaping our understanding of the role of iron plaque as a barrier for rice.

Pollutants removal, microbial community shift and oleic acid production in symbiotic microalgae-bacteria system.

The functional interaction between microorganisms is key in symbiotic microalga-bacteria systems; however, evaluations of fungi and pathogenic microorganisms are not clear. In this study, the roles of three groups (i.e., microalgae-activated sludge (MAS), Microalgae, and activated sludge) in pollutant removal and biomass recovery were comparatively studied. The data implied that microalgal assimilation and bacterial heterotrophic degradation were the major approaches for degradation of nutrients and organic matter, respectively. According to 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer sequencing, the relative abundance of Rhodotorula increased remarkably, favoring nutrient exchange between the microalgae and bacteria. The abundances of two types of pathogenic genes (human pathogens and animal parasites) were reduced in the MAS system. The oleic acid content in the MAS system (51.2 mg/g) was 1.7 times higher than that in the Microalgae system. The results can provide a basis for practical application and resource utilization of symbiotic microalgae-bacteria systems.

Chemical speciation of ciprofloxacin in aqueous solution regulates its phytotoxicity and uptake by rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Ciprofloxacin (CIP), a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is frequently detected in aqueous environments, and could be assimilated by vegetable plants to possess potential threats to human and animal health through food chains. However, plant uptake of CIP in different chemical speciation has still far from clear now. Thus, the toxicity and uptake of CIP by rice plants were investigated under different solution pH, owing to its contribution to different chemical speciation of CIP. Results display that high pH-driven changes of CIP from cation (CIP+) to anion (CIP-) decreased its adsorption and uptake by excised roots and intact plants, respectively. However, CIP concentrations in roots, stems and leaves all exhibited no significant differences with increasing solution pH. Moreover, six intermediates of CIP were detected and two possible transformation pathways were proposed in rice plants, including firstly oxidation and following consecutive cleavage of piperazine ring. After accumulated in plant tissues, CIP significantly inhibited the plant growth, decreased the photosynthetic pigments contents and enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities in a concentration-dependent manner. Besides, high pH exacerbated the growth inhibition and changed the oxidative damage responses of rice plants to CIP. These findings indicate that the uptake and toxicity of CIP in rice plants were influenced by solution pH-driven changes of its chemical speciation.

Concentration- and nutrient-dependent cellular responses of microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa to perfluorooctanoic acid.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an emerging and persistent pollutant, could cause toxicity effects on aquatic organisms. However, this was generally assessed under high exposure concentrations of PFOA and nutrient-enriched conditions, which was not accordant with the actual environments. Therefore, to comprehensively understand the toxicity effects of PFOA on aquatic organisms, the cellular responses of microalgae, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, to PFOA under different concentrations (≤ 1.0 mg/L) and nutrient conditions were investigated in this study. Results show that PFOA at concentrations less than 1.0 mg/L had no significant effects on algal growth and chlorophyll contents, and no oxidative damages were generated to destroy membrane integrity and morphology. However, N,P-limited and -starved conditions significantly decreased algal growth and chlorophyll contents, and induced oxidative stresses to ruin the structure and function of cell membrane. Moreover, the deficiency of P had more severe negative effect on algae than that of N, and they both influenced the toxicity responses of microalgae to 1.0 mg/L PFOA. The adsorption and uptake percentages of PFOA by algal cells were both less than 10%, and increased adsorption but decreased uptake of PFOA amounts occurred under N,P-limited and -starved conditions. These findings will be useful to understand the toxicity effects of PFOA on microalgae in aquatic environments.

Mixture toxicity and uptake of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide and cadmium co-contaminants in water by perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.).

Ionic liquids, a kind of emerging and persistent organic contaminants, always coexist with heavy metals in aquatic and terrestrial environments. However, the feasibility of phytoremediation to remove ionic liquids and heavy metals co-contaminants is still unclear. Thus, in this study, the hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the combined effect of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C4mim]+Br-) and cadmium (Cd2+) on growth and physiological indictors of perennial ryegrass, together with their uptake and translocation by plants. Results show that the exposure of ryegrass to [C4mim]+ and Cd2+ mixture significantly inhibited the biomass growth and affected the photosynthetic pigments contents in leaves. The increases of lipid peroxidation and catalase, peroxidase activity were also observed under the co-exposure experiments. The mixture toxicity of [C4mim]+ and Cd2+ to ryegrass growth showed an additive effect predicted by concentration addition and independent action. [C4mim]+ uptake and acropetal translocation by ryegrass were significantly inhibited with dosing Cd2+. In contrast, [C4mim]+ had no obvious effect on Cd2+ uptake by ryegrass, while enhanced Cd2+ translocation from roots to shoots occurred with increasing [C4mim]+ dosages. These results indicate that the co-contamination of ionic liquids and heavy metals would affect their fates during phytoremediation.

Anti-c-Mpl antibodies in immune thrombocytopenia suppress thrombopoiesis and decrease response to rhTPO.

INTRODUCTION: Anti-TPO receptor (anti-c-Mpl) antibodies exist and could affect rhTPO treatment in ITP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-c-Mpl autoantibodies and TPO levels were measured in serum from 187 ITP patients and 59 healthy controls. The anti-c-Mpl-antibody-positive (anti-c-Mpl+) and anti-c-Mpl-antibody-negative (anti-c-Mpl-) IgG from ITP patients were assessed on megakaryocyte proliferation, polyploidy, apoptosis, and platelet release with rhTPO treatment. RESULTS: Anti-c-Mpl antibodies were detected in 54/187 ITP patients but in none of the controls. ITP patients with anti-c-Mpl antibodies had higher serum TPO levels, but lower megakaryocyte and platelet counts compared with anti-c-Mpl- patients. Antibodies targeting platelet glycoprotein (GP) were also more frequently identified in anti-c-Mpl+ ITP patients. Moreover, patients with anti-c-Mpl antibodies were less responsive to rhTPO treatment than patients without anti-c-Mpl antibodies. Additionally, the anti-c-Mpl antibody titer decreased in ITP patients following treatment. In vitro study, lower megakaryopoiesis, platelet generation and percent of polyploidy were observed in anti-c-Mpl+ group compared with the anti-c-Mpl- group in the presence of rhTPO. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that the anti-c-Mpl antibody represents a novel indicator of poor prognosis and may be a potential therapeutic target in ITP.

High-efficiency near-infrared enabled planar perovskite solar cells by embedding upconversion nanocrystals.

Integration of the upconversion effect in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is a facile approach towards extending the spectral absorption from the visible to the near infrared (NIR) range and reducing the non-absorption loss of solar photons. However, the big challenge for practical application of UCNCs in planar PSCs is the poor compatibility between UCNCs and the perovskite precursor. Herein, we have subtly overcome the tough compatibility issue using a ligand-exchange strategy. For the first time, ß-NaYF4:Yb,Er UCNCs have been embedded in situ into a CH3NH3PbI3 layer to fabricate NIR-enabled planar PSCs. The CH3NH3I-capped UCNCs generated from the ligand-exchange were mixed with the perovskite precursor and served as nucleation sites for the UCNC-mediated heteroepitaxial growth of perovskite; moreover, the in situ embedding of UCNCs into the perovskite layer was realized during a spin-coating process. The resulting UCNC-embedded perovskite layer attained a uniform pinhole-free morphology with enlarged crystal grains and enabled NIR absorption. It also contributed to the energy transfer from the UCNCs to the perovskite and electron transport to the collecting electrode surface. The device fabricated using the UCNC-embedded perovskite film achieved an average power-conversion efficiency of 18.60% (19.70% for the best) under AM 1.5G and 0.37% under 980 nm laser, corresponding to 54% and 740-fold increase as compared to that of its counterpart without UCNCs.

Porous and single-crystalline ZnO nanobelts: fabrication with annealing precursor nanobelts, and gas-sensing and optoelectronic performance.

Porous and single-crystalline ZnO nanobelts have been prepared through annealing precursors of ZnSe · 0.5N2H4 well-defined and smooth nanobelts, which have been synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. The composition and morphology evolutions with the calcination temperatures have been investigated in detail for as-prepared precursor nanobelts, suggesting that they can be easily transformed into ZnO nanobelts by preserving their initial morphology via calcination in air. In contrast, the obtained ZnO nanobelts are densely porous, owing to the thermal decomposition and oxidization of the precursor nanobelts. More importantly, the achieved porous ZnO nanobelts are single-crystalline, different from previously reported ones. Motivated by the intrinsic properties of the porous structure and good electronic transporting ability of single crystals, their gas-sensing performance has been further explored. It is demonstrated that porous ZnO single-crystalline nanobelts exhibit high response and repeatability toward volatile organic compounds, such as ethanol and acetone, with a short response/recovery time. Furthermore, their optoelectronic behaviors indicate that they can be promisingly employed to fabricate photoelectrochemical sensors.

Facile synthesis of porous single crystalline ZnO nanoplates and their application in photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in the presence of phenol.

Porous single crystalline ZnO nanoplates were successfully synthesized through a facile and cost-effective hydrothermal process at low temperature condition, followed by annealing of the zinc carbonate hydroxide hydrate precursors. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements. The porous single crystalline ZnO nanoplates are with 12nm thickness and pore ranging from 10nm to several tens of nanometers. The porous structure of the ZnO nanoplates caused large amount of surface defects which worked as photogenerated holes' shallow trappers and largely restrained the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, resulting in a significantly high photocatalytic activity and durability toward the photoreduction of Cr(VI) under UV irradiation. Moreover, a synergistic effect, that is, increased photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and degradation of phenol, can be observed. Furthermore, the synergistic photocatalytic mechanism has also been discussed. Those results present an enlightenment to employ porous single crystalline nanomaterials to remove Cr(VI) and organic pollutants simultaneously.

Calmodulin activation of polo-like kinase 1 is required during mitotic entry.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a conserved key regulator of the G2/M transition, but its upstream spatiotemporal regulators remain unknown. With the help of immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay, we found that calmodulin (CaM) is one such regulatory molecule that associates with Plk1 from G2 to metaphase. More importantly, this interaction results in considerable stimulation of Plk1 kinase activity leading to hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25C. Our results provide new insight into the role of CaM as an upstream regulator of Plk1 activation during mitotic entry.

[Allelopathic effect of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda].

Effects of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda were studied to verify its potential in entriphication control. Five concentrations of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract were chosen to compare their inhibitory effects on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda. The result showed that the leaf extract inhibited the algae bloom more effectively than the stem extract on the whole. When the leaf extract normality was 25 g x L(-1), the highest inhibition rate of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda was 71.33% and 78.14%, respectively, while for the stem extract, the values were 49.78% and 52.14%. Propanamide was found in both the stem and leaf tissue extracts of Nelumbo nucifera by GC-MS analysis, with concentrations of 1.1 mg x L(-1) and 0.2 mg x L(-1), respectively. The EC50 values of the two kinds of algae were calculated by the probability method.

Parts per billion-level detection of benzene using SnO2/graphene nanocomposite composed of sub-6 nm SnO2 nanoparticles.

In the present work, the SnO(2)/graphene nanocomposite composed of 4-5 nm SnO(2) nanoparticles was synthesized using a simple wet chemical method for ppb-level detection of benzene. The formation mechanism of the nanocomposite was investigated systematically by means of simultaneous thermogravimetry analysis, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy cooperated with transmission electron microscopy observations. The SnO(2)/graphene nanocomposite showed a very attractive improved sensitivity to toxic volatile organic compounds, especially to benzene, compared to a traditional SnO(2). The responses of the nanocomposite to benzene were a little higher than those to ethanol and the detection limit reached 5 ppb to benzene which is, to our best knowledge, far lower than those reported previously.

Metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties: a review.

Metal oxide gas sensors are predominant solid-state gas detecting devices for domestic, commercial and industrial applications, which have many advantages such as low cost, easy production, and compact size. However, the performance of such sensors is significantly influenced by the morphology and structure of sensing materials, resulting in a great obstacle for gas sensors based on bulk materials or dense films to achieve highly-sensitive properties. Lots of metal oxide nanostructures have been developed to improve the gas sensing properties such as sensitivity, selectivity, response speed, and so on. Here, we provide a brief overview of metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties from the aspects of particle size, morphology and doping. When the particle size of metal oxide is close to or less than double thickness of the space-charge layer, the sensitivity of the sensor will increase remarkably, which would be called "small size effect", yet small size of metal oxide nanoparticles will be compactly sintered together during the film coating process which is disadvantage for gas diffusion in them. In view of those reasons, nanostructures with many kinds of shapes such as porous nanotubes, porous nanospheres and so on have been investigated, that not only possessed large surface area and relatively mass reactive sites, but also formed relatively loose film structures which is an advantage for gas diffusion. Besides, doping is also an effective method to decrease particle size and improve gas sensing properties. Therefore, the gas sensing properties of metal oxide nanostructures assembled by nanoparticles are reviewed in this article. The effect of doping is also summarized and finally the perspectives of metal oxide gas sensor are given.

[Research on the analytical line auto-selection for quantitative analysis of materials with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy].

To realize auto-selection of analytical lines for quantitative analysis of materials with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, two parameters, i. e. the relative detected-to-theory intensity ratio (RDTIR) and wavelength difference of detected and theory (WDDT) were defined. The spectral lines seriously disturbed by self-absorption and spectral interference were excluded automatically by setting reasonable thresholds of RDTIR and WDDT. By analyzing the experimental data of high-alloy steel (GBW01605), the analytical lines of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) were selected, and the results were in line with the principle of lines selection.

[Multi-harmonic analysis of quasi-continuous-wave laser modulation absorption spectroscopy].

Numerous harmonic components such as multiple frequency, sum frequency and difference frequency of multiple modulation signals were found in quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) diode laser modulation absorption spectroscopy. Then, the authors analyzed these harmonic components' existence in terms of non-linear interactions of laser and gas absorption line. And the signals' characteristics were studied experimentally. The results shows that there are some sum frequency and difference frequency components that have larger amplitudes compared to the second harmonic wavelength modulation spectroscopy signal (2f-WMS) commonly used in tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLAS), and it may improve the detection sensitivity of QCW modulation spectroscopy.

Cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary inflammatory responses are mediated by EGR-1/GGPPS/MAPK signaling.

Early growth response 1 (EGR-1) contributes to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the lungs of smokers by mediating pulmonary inflammatory responses, but the direct downstream genes of EGR-1 that regulate this process remain unknown. We show that a new EGR-1 target gene, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS), which controls protein prenylation, can regulate the proinflammatory function of EGR-1 by activating MAPK signaling. When C57BL/6 mice were exposed to cigarette smoke, EGR-1 and GGPPS levels increased in their lungs, and the inflammatory responses were augmented, whereas these effects could be reversed by the down-regulation of EGR-1 transcription activity. The accumulation of EGR-1 and GGPPS was induced by MAPK/ERK pathway activation when Beas-2B human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE). Further examination showed that EGR-1 in turn regulated Erk1/2 activity because inhibition of EGR-1 transcription activity decreased CSE-induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, EGR-1-promoted Erk1/2 activation was dependent on GGPPS transcription. Knockdown of GGPPS expression with small-interfering RNA abolished the EGR-1-activated Erk1/2 activity. Both EGR-1 transcription inhibition and GGPPS expression knockdown decreased the inflammatory response induced by CSE in Beas-2B cells. Our results reveal a new EGR-1/GGPPS/MAPK signaling pathway that controls cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary inflammation, and this may shed light on our understanding of the mechanism of cigarette smoke-related pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Beta-catenin signaling involves HGF-enhanced HepG2 scattering through activating MMP-7 transcription.

It is well accepted that cell scattering (dispersion of clustered cells into single cells) is the initial step of tumor metastasis, and the downregulation of E-cadherin is associated with metastatic potential of tumor cells; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying loss of E-cadherin during tumor development are still poorly understood. Here, we report that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induced E-cadherin downregulation and cell scattering are attributed to the activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and transcriptional activation of matrix metalloproteinase MMP-7. Furthermore, the increased MMP-7 is secreted into the medium and cleaves the ectodomain of E-cadherin. Inhibition of HGF signal by siRNA of c-Met, blocking the beta-catenin transcriptional activity through a dominant negative form of TCF4, MMP-7 knockdown by siRNA or suppression of MMP-7 enzymatic activity with a neutralization antibody allowed inhibition of HGF-induced loss of E-cadherin and HepG2 scattering. Our data presented here revealed the intrinsic mechanism of HGF activated Wnt/beta-catenin signaling regulation of HepG2 cell scattering through MMP-7 transcription activation and E-cadherin degradation. The results suggest that the blocking of HGF/c-Met/beta-catenin/MMP-7/E-cadherin signaling pathway might present a practical therapeutic target for interference with hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis.

Hypoxia stabilizes microtubule networks and decreases tumor cell chemosensitivity to anticancer drugs through Egr-1.

The hypoxic environment of solid tumor causes the tumor cells survive and which could protect them from death by facilitating resistance to therapy. Here, we provide evidence that hypoxia can increase tumor cell viability and proliferation through an Egr-1-dependant pathway. Hypoxia protected the microtubules from disassembly, and Egr-1 was colocalized with microtubules in different cell cycle stages. Knockdown of Egr-1 with its siRNA overcame the protection effect of hypoxia and increased the sensitivity of tumor cells to vinblastine under hypoxic conditions. Our results suggest a novel approach for increasing the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutics that target microtubule assembly.

Implication of Th17 and Th1 cells in patients with chronic active hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated chronic liver disease is still not fully understood. The immune imbalance of cytokine profile exerts a profound influence on the resolution of HBV infections and HBV clearance. This present study aimed to evaluate the immune status of the peripheral T helper (Th) 17 and Th1 cells in the active patients with chronic HBV infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with chronic active hepatitis B were included in our present study. The frequency of peripheral Th 17 cells (CD3(+)CD8(-)IL-17(+) T cells), Th1 cells (CD3(+)CD8(-)IFN-gamma(+) T cells), and Tc1 cells (CD3(+)CD8(+)IFN-gamma(+) T cells) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were analyzed by flow cytometry. The protein and mRNA levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood of CHB patients (1.53 +/- 0.52%) was significantly increased than that in normal controls (0.92 +/- 0.20%; P < 0.05). In contrast, the percentage of Th1 and Tc1 cells of CHB patients was significantly decreased as compared with that of control group. The frequency of Th17 cells had a negative correlation with Th1 cells, and a positive correlation with serum alanine aminotransferase in CHB patients. CONCLUSION: The elevated peripheral Th17 cells were obtained in the patient with chronic active hepatitis B, suggesting its potential role in the immune activation of chronic HBV infection.