Using highly recyclable sodium caseinate to enhance lignocellulosic hydrolysis and cellulase recovery

Most additives that capable of enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose are petroleum-based, which are not easy to recycle with poor biodegradability. In this work, highly recyclable and biodegradable sodium caseinate (SC) was used to enhance lignocellulosic hydrolysis with improved cellulase recyclability. When the pH decreased from 5.5 to 4.8, more than 96% SC could be precipitated from the solution and recovered. Adding SC increased enzymatic digestibility of dilute acid pretreated eucalyptus (Eu-DA) from 39.5% to 78.2% under Eu-DA loading of 10 wt% and pH = 5.5, and increase cellulase content in 72 h hydrolysate from only 15.2% of the original to 60.0%, which facilitated the recovery of cellulases through re-adsorption by fresh substrates. With multiple cycles of re-adsorption, application of SC not only increased the sugar yield of Eu-DA by 95.5%, but also reduced cellulase loading by 40%.

The potential mechanism of INHBC and CSF1R in diabetic nephropathy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to research the potential mechanism of INHBC and CSF1R in diabetic nephropathy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

30 SD rats were selected and randomly divided into Con group, Sham group, and DN group. In the DN group, intraperitoneal injection of the streptozotocin-citrate solution was conducted to construct the DN model. In the Sham group, intraperitoneal injection of equal citrate solution was conducted. The Con group did not do anything. After successful modeling, blood glucose, insulin, biochemical indexes, and levels of inflammatory cytokines in blood samples were detected. The expression levels of INHBC, CSF1R, apoptosis-related proteins and IGF-1 were detected by Western blot. MRNA expression levels of INHBC, CSF1R, IGF-1 and inflammatory cytokines were detected by qPCR.

RESULTS

Compared with the Con group, the expression levels of blood glucose, insulin, biochemical indexes, INHBC, CSF1R, IGF-1, IL-6, TNF-α and Bcl2 increased in the DN group, while the expression levels of IL-10, Caspase 3, Caspase 9, and Bax decreased. INHBC mRNA was positively correlated with IGF-1 mRNA. CSF1R was negatively correlated with Caspase 3, Caspase 9, Bax, and IL-10, and positively correlated with IL-6, TNF-α, and Bcl2.

CONCLUSIONS

NHBC and CSF1R induced the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α, inhibited the production of IL-10, inhibited apoptosis of cells, and promoted the proliferation of renal cells during DN disease. Therefore, INHBC and CSF1R can be used as target objects of DN treatment strategies.

Synthesis of anti-photolysis lignin-based dispersant and its application in pesticide suspension concentrate

In the formulation of pesticide Suspension Concentrate (SC), some photosensitive pesticides are easily decomposed in the preparation. In this study, a hindered amine modified lignosulfonate (SL-Temp) with anti-photolysis function was synthesized using 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (Temp) and Sodium Lignosulfonate (SL) to solve this problem. The obtained SL-Temp was used as a dispersant to prepare 5% SC of avermectin, which shows good physical stability. The decomposition rate of the avermectin in SC after accelerating hot storage is 0%, which is much lower than 6.1% when SL was used as the dispersant. After being exposed to UV irradiation for 60 hours, the highest retention rate of avermectin is 87.1% when SL-Temp was used as the dispersant, which is much higher than 73.6% when SL was used as the dispersant, and also higher than 76.3% when a small molecule antioxidant (BHT) was added to the formulation. QCM-D studies revealed that the SL-Temp adsorption layer on avermectin particles can compete to absorb partial ultraviolet rays, hinder the penetration of ultraviolet light, and scavenge the free radicals produced by photooxidation, so as to protect avermectin from degradation.

Hindered amine grafted lignosulfonate was synthesized and used as functional dispersant in suspension concentrate of photosensitive pesticide avermectin.

[Analysis the features of familial benign paroxysmal positional vertigo]

Objective:The family heredity of BPPV disease was preliminarily discussed in order to guide the clinical practice, prevent early and shorten the course of BPPV disease in the future. Method:Familial BPPV patients were enquired and registered in detail, including gender, age at first onset, occupation, inducing factors, symptoms, diagnosis, sleep status and clinical manifestations. Analysis of the clinical data. Result:Nine patients with idiopathic BPPV from four families had no definite pathogenic factors, accounting for 0.4% of the patients with idiopathic BPPV, including 3 males and 6 females; the age of first onset ranged from 31 to 66 years old. the course of disease ranged from 2 days to 8 years; the duration of nystagmus ranged from seconds to 1 minute. The main clinical symptoms were dizziness and visual rotation related to position transformation. Family 1, 3 and 4 patients had a history of fatigue. Family 2 patients had a predisposing factor of forced lateral decubitus due to lumbar discomfort. All patients had nystagmus lasting less than 1 minute and were single-tube involvement, all patients were canalithiasis. Different patients in the same family have different pathogenic locations. Conclusion:Familial BPPV is urgent to attract the attention of clinicians and the public. Early clinical test for suspected familial BPPV can play a role in early prevention and shorten the process of disease, so as to improve the life quality of patients.

Effect of the isoelectric point of pH-responsive lignin-based amphoteric surfactant on the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose

The isoelectric point (pI) of lignin-based surfactant is an important factor in the enhancement on the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose. In this work, lignin carboxylate (LC) and quaternary ammonium lignin carboxylates (LCQ-x, x%: the mass ratio of quaternizing agent to enzymatic hydrolysis lignin) with different isoelectric points were synthesized. LC or LCQ-x with pI significantly lower or higher than 4.8 reduced the non-productive adsorption of cellulase on lignin, but for the significant inhibitory effect on cellulase activity, their enhancements on the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose were not remarkable. However, LCQ-x with pI around 4.8 preserved the cellulase activity, and significantly reduced the non-productive adsorption of cellulase, therefore remarkably enhanced the enzymatic hydrolysis. 2 g/L LC, LCQ-40 (pI = 5.0) and LCQ-100 (pI = 9.2) increased the enzymatic digestibility of pretreated eucalyptus from 35.2% to 53.4%, 95.3% and 60.4% respectively. In addition, for the excellent pH-response performance, LCQ could be efficiently recovered after enzymatic saccharification.

Enhancement and Mechanism of a Lignin Amphoteric Surfactant on the Production of Cellulosic Ethanol from a High-Solid Corncob Residue

A lignin amphoteric surfactant and betaine could enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose and recover cellulase. The effects of lignosulfonate quaternary ammonium salt (SLQA) and dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS12) on enzymatic hydrolysis digestibility, ethanol yield, yeast cell viability, and other properties of high-solid enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of a corncob residue were studied in this research. The results suggested that SLQA and 1 g/L BS12 effectively improved the ethanol yield through enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis. SLQA had no significant effect on the yeast cell membrane and glucose fermentation. However, 5 g/L BS12 reduced the ethanol yield as a result of the fact that 5 g/L BS12 damaged the yeast cell membrane and inhibited the conversion of glucose to ethanol. Our research also suggested that 1 g/L BS12 enhanced the ethanol yield of corncob residue fermentation, which was attributed to the fact that lignin in the corncob adsorbed BS12 and decreased its concentration in solution to a safe level for the yeast.

Liver Tissue-related Metabolic Mechanism of Different Infusion Volumes for Hemorrhagic Shock

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the curative effects of various infusion volumes on liver-related metabolic mechanism in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock.

METHODS

A severe hemorrhagic shock rabbit model was established in 30 rabbits. The rabbits were randomly divided into three groups： non-infusion group （A）, conventional infusion group （B）, and excessive infusion group （C） （n=10 in each group）. Taking group B as the control, groups A and C were observed for the damage of non-infusion and excessive infusion, respectively. The outcomes in the three groups and their relations with liver tissue metabolism changes were analyzed with gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer （GC-MS）.

RESULTS

The mortality in groups A, B, and C group were 80%, 0%, and 70%, respectively. The liver tissue metabolic profile in group B showed statistically significant difference compared with that in groups A and B. In group C, the levels of 21 metabolites were lower than those in group B, and the levels of 8 metabolites were lower than those in group A. The relative contents of various metabolites were correlated with infusion volumes, and the succinic acid content was associated with death events （P<0.05）.

CONCLUSIONS

The conventional infusion has significant curative effect on hemorrhagic shock. The metabolites of liver tissues with excessive infusion are generally decompensated and have longer survival time than those in non-infusion group, which may caused by the excessive infusion-induced blood volume increase after hemorrhagic shock. Tissue fluid dilution is an important cause of death.

TGF-β induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in an advanced cervical tumor model by 3D printing

An advanced in vitro cervical tumor model was established by 3D printing to study the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is a very important stage of dissemination of carcinoma leading to metastatic tumors. A HeLa/hydrogel grid construct composed of gelatin, alginate, Matrigel and HeLa cells was fabricated by forced extrusion in a layer-by-layer fashion. HeLa cells rapidly proliferated, formed spheroids and presented tumorigenic characteristic in the 3D-printed structure. With the supplement of TGF-β, aggregated HeLa cells started to disintegrate, and some of them changed into fibroblast-like spindle morphology, which indicated that EMT was induced. The down-regulation of epithelial marker E-cadherin, and up-regulation of mesenchymal markers such as snail, vimentin and N-cadherin were all observed in the 3D-printed model, and performed differently in 3D and 2D models. The TGF-β induced EMT was inhibited by the treatment of disulfiram and EMT pathway inhibitor C19 in a dose dependent manner, showing great potential for future studies of a therapeutic program towards cervical tumor metastasis.

Clofazimine improves clinical outcomes in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

We carried out a randomized multicentre study in China to investigate whether the clofazimine would improve the efficacy of the standardized regimen in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

METHODS

Patients with MDR-TB managed in 17 TB specialist hospitals in China between September 2009 and September 2011 were randomly assigned to the treatment groups at enrolment. In the intervention group, 100 mg clofazimine per day was added to the standardized regimen. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with successful outcomes.

RESULTS

From the 156 patients that were screened, 74 were assigned to the control group and 66 to the clofazimine group. Of the 66 cases analysed for clinical outcome in the clofazimine group, 36 patients were cured, and seven completed treatment, yielding a favourable outcome rate of 65.1%. The proportion of patients with favourable outcomes receiving the control regimen was 47.3% (35/74), which was significantly lower than that in the clofazimine group (p 0.034, relative risk 0.661, 95% CI 0.243-0.949).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of clofazimine to the standard regimen improved the treatment of MDR-TB.

Composite urinary biomarkers to predict pathological tubulointerstitial lesions in lupus nephritis

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of urinary biomarkers including kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in lupus nephritis. Methods A total of 109 biopsy-proven lupus nephritis patients were included and 50 healthy individuals were used as normal controls. Urinary KIM-1, NGAL, and MCP-1 levels were measured by ELISA and their correlations with clinical and histological features were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic curves were performed and the Cox regression model was applied to identify prognostic factors associated with renal outcomes. Results Active lupus nephritis patients exhibited elevated urinary levels of KIM-1, NGAL, and MCP-1 compared with lupus nephritis patients in remission ( P < 0.001) and normal controls ( P < 0.001). The urinary KIM-1 level was correlated with pathological tubular atrophy ( r = 0.208, P < 0.05) and increased significantly in the presence of interstitial inflammatory lesions ( P = 0.031). Urinary KIM-1, NGAL, and MCP-1 levels were higher in patients with active tubulointerstitial lesions than in those with only chronic lesions ( P = 0.015, P = 0.230, and P = 0.086, respectively). A combination of KIM-1, NGAL, and MCP-1 was a good indicator for diagnosing active tubulointerstitial lesions (area under the curve: 0.796). The combination of KIM-1 and NGAL was identified as an independent risk factor for renal outcomes (hazard ratio = 7.491, P < 0.05). Conclusion Urinary KIM-1, NGAL, and MCP-1 levels were associated with kidney injury indices in lupus nephritis. The combination of the three biomarkers showed increased power in predicting tubulointerstitial lesions and renal outcomes.

[A clinical analysis of 10 cases with cardiac lymphoma]

目的

分析心脏淋巴瘤的发病情况、临床特征、治疗效果及预后。

方法

收集2000年1月至2016年6月期间确诊并有心脏累及的10例淋巴瘤患者的资料，对患者的一般资料、临床表现、病理诊断、实验室检查、心脏累及方式、心脏并发症、治疗方式、疗效及预后进行分析。

结果

3 918例淋巴瘤患者中，心脏累及者10例，其中原发性心脏淋巴瘤（PCL）1例（主要累及左右心房，以心肌内多发结节包块为主），继发性心脏淋巴瘤（SCL）9例（主要为心包包块，其中出现心包积液5例，心肌肿块2例）。男性6例，女性4例，中位年龄55（19~88）岁，主要临床表现为呼吸困难7例，胸痛5例，乏力、水肿各2例。病理类型包括弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤（DLBCL）7例，T淋巴母细胞淋巴瘤、霍奇金淋巴瘤、Burkitt淋巴瘤各1例。心脏并发症包括充血性心力衰竭7例，心律失常4例（主要为窦性心动过速、心房颤动和房室传导阻滞）。除1例高龄、一般状况差未接受治疗外，其余9例患者均接受治疗（单纯化疗4例，化疗联合放疗5例）。中位随访时间为9（1~28）个月。1例PCL患者化疗后获部分缓解（PR），无进展生存（PFS）期为6个月，总生存（OS）期为21个月。SCL患者中6例起病累及心脏者，治疗后1例获完全缓解，5例获PR，中位PFS期为5个月，中位OS期为19个月；3例病情进展累及心脏者，2例治疗后获PR，1例未治疗者死亡，中位PFS期为4个月，OS因数据截尾，未能获得。

结论

心脏淋巴瘤为少见类型，DLBCL为最常见类型，呼吸困难、胸痛为最常见临床表现，并易出现充血性心力衰竭和心律失常，治疗以系统化疗为主，总体预后差。

Nonionic surfactants enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by reducing cellulase deactivation caused by shear force and air-liquid interface

Effects of nonionic surfactants on enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel at different agitation rates and solid loadings and the mechanism were studied. Nonionic surfactants couldn't improve the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency at 0 and 100rpm but could enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis significantly at high agitation rate (200 and 250rpm). Cellulase was easily deactivated at high agitation rate and the addition of nonionic surfactants can protect against the shear-induced deactivation, especially when the cellulase concentration was low. When 25mg protein/L of cellulase solution was incubated at 200rpm for 72h, the enzyme activity increased from 36.0% to 89.5% by adding PEG4600. Moreover nonionic surfactants can compete with enzyme in air-liquid interface and reduce the amount of enzyme exposed in the air-liquid interface. The mechanism was proposed that nonionic surfactants could enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel by reducing the cellulase deactivation caused by shear force and air-liquid interface.

Preparation of Lignin/Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Composite Nanoparticles and Their Application in Pickering Emulsion Template-Based Microencapsulation

Lignin is a vastly underutilized biomass resource. The preparation of water-dispersed lignin nanoparticles is an effective way to realize the high-value utilization of lignin. However, the currently reported preparation methods of lignin nanoparticles still have some drawbacks, such as the requirement for toxic organic solvent or chemical modification, complicated operation process, and poor dispersibility. Here, lignin/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) composite nanoparticles (LSNPs) with outstanding water dispersibility and a size range of 70-200 nm were facilely prepared via acidifying the mixed basic solution of alkaline lignin and SDS. No harsh chemical was needed. The formation mechanism was systematically studied. Results indicated that the LSNPs were obtained by acid precipitation of the mixed micelles formed by the self-assembly of lignin and SDS. In addition, on the basis of the LSNP-stabilized Pickering emulsions, lignin/polyurea composite microcapsules combining the excellent chemical stability of a synthetic polyurea shell with the fantastic antiphotolysis and antioxidant properties of lignin were successfully prepared.

Using temperature-responsive zwitterionic surfactant to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses and recover cellulase by cooling

Some zwitterionic surfactants exhibit upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in aqueous solutions. For the zwitterionic surfactant solution mixed with cellulase, when its temperature is below UCST, the cellulase can be recovered by coprecipitation with zwitterionic surfactant. In this work, 3-(Hexadecyldimethylammonio) propanesulfonate (SB3-16) was selected to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses and recover the cellulase. After adding 2mmol/L of SB3-16, the enzymatic digestibility of eucalyptus pretreated by dilute acid (Eu-DA) and by sulfite (Eu-SPORL) increased from 27.9% and 35.1% to 72.6% and 89.7%, respectively. The results showed that SB3-16 could reduce the non-productive adsorption of cellulase on hydrophobic interface, while it did not significantly inhibit the activity of cellulase. For the solution contained 1wt% SB3-16 and 200mg protein/L CTec2 cellulase, 55.2% of protein could be recovered by cooling. The filter paper activity of the recovered cellulase was 1.93FPU/mg protein, which was 95.8% of its initial activity.

Antiviral activity of shikonin ester derivative PMM-034 against enterovirus 71 in vitro

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), particularly in infants and children below 4 years of age. Shikonin is a bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial activities derived from the roots of the Chinese medicinal herb Lithospermum erythrorhizon. This study aimed to examine the antiviral activity of PMM-034, a shikonin ester derivative, against EV71 in rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Cytotoxicity of PMM-034 on RD cells was determined using WST-1 assay. Dose- and time-dependent effects of PMM-034 on EV71 replication in RD cells were determined using plaque reduction assay. mRNA expression levels of EV71/VP1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) were determined by real-time RT-PCR, and EV71/VP1 and phospho-p65 protein expressions were determined by western blot analysis. PMM-034 exhibited only weak cytotoxicity against RD cells. However, PMM-034 exhibited significant antiviral activity against EV71 in RD cells with 50% inhibitory concentration of 2.31 μg/mL. The VP1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in cells treated with PMM-034. Furthermore, relative mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α significantly decreased in the cells treated with PMM-034, while the phospho-p65 protein expression was also significantly lower in the treated cells. These results indicated that PMM-034 suppressed the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines in RD cells, exhibiting antiviral activity against EV71, as evidenced by the reduced VP1 mRNA and protein levels in PMM-034-treated cells. Thus, PMM-034 is a promising candidate for further development as an EV71 inhibitor.

Coalescence of Macroscopic Flux Ropes at the Subsolar Magnetopause: Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations

We report unambiguous in situ observation of the coalescence of macroscopic flux ropes by the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission. Two coalescing flux ropes with sizes of ∼1  R_{E} were identified at the subsolar magnetopause by the occurrence of an asymmetric quadrupolar signature in the normal component of the magnetic field measured by the MMS spacecraft. An electron diffusion region (EDR) with a width of four local electron inertial lengths was embedded within the merging current sheet. The EDR was characterized by an intense parallel electric field, significant energy dissipation, and suprathermal electrons. Although the electrons were organized by a large guide field, the small observed electron pressure nongyrotropy may be sufficient to support a significant fraction of the parallel electric field within the EDR. Since the flux ropes are observed in the exhaust region, we suggest that secondary EDRs are formed further downstream of the primary reconnection line between the magnetosheath and magnetospheric fields.