EC Treatment Research Articles

Analysis of Growth and Functional substance for Cyperus rotundus and Glehnia littoralis by EC Treatment in Reclaimed Soil Conditions

Analysis of Growth and Functional substance for Cyperus rotundus and Glehnia littoralis by EC Treatment in Reclaimed Soil Conditions

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NCRT) for esophageal (EC) or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJC): A Canadian single institution real-world experience using the CROSS trial regimen.

25 Background: NCRT followed by surgery per the CROSS trial regimen is an accepted standard of care in the treatment of EC and GEJC. When treatments are used in the real-world setting, there are often patient, treatment and potential outcome differences compared to the original clinical trial. The study aim was to assess the real-world application and outcomes of the CROSS trial protocol. Methods: A retrospective chart review was undertaken of 83 patients (pts) with EC or GEJC who were treated from June 2012 to June 2018 with CRT. 65 pts were with NCRT intent to proceed to surgery. Pts’ demographics, clinical, pathological, treatment and surgical characteristics were assessed and exploratory analyses were conducted to review these factors and outcomes. Analyses included Chi-square, t-tests and Kaplan-Meier. Results: For pts who underwent NCRT (n = 65): median age was 68 yrs (range 52-80), male 79%, adenocarcinoma 82%, median (m) tumor length 5 cm, GERD 43%, clinical stage II/III 95%, and BMI > 30 in 37%. 80% completed CRT with RT ≥ 41.4 Gy; of these 88% had ≥ 50.4 Gy. Delay/interruption in chemotherapy occurred in 46% and in RT 37%. Pts who underwent surgery were younger (p = 0.04) and weighed more (p = 0.05). mOS was 37 months (M) v 14 M in those who started CRT ≤ 8 weeks (w) from diagnosis v > 8 w (p = 0.10). The median time from CRT to surgery was 8.9 w. 40 pts had surgery with a complete response in 38% and a R0 resection in 98%. Postoperative major and minor complications occurred in 67%. Those < 75 yrs v ≥ 75 yrs had a mOS of 32 M v 15 M respectively (log rank p = 0.46). 25 pts did not get surgery; 28% was due to death/progression. Pts who proceeded to surgery had a mOS of 35 M v 12 M in pts who did not go to surgery (log rank p = 0.002). Further correlative outcome data will be presented. Conclusions: Real-world data in our center showed patient, tumor and treatment differences compared to the CROSS trial protocol. Despite the broadening of eligibility and treatment criteria, survival in a single institution setting is maintained with trimodality therapy compared to NCRT alone. Real-world data is of value in the assessment of therapeutic validity of clinical trial data.

LMX1B involved in the radioresistance, proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer cells

ObjectivesEsophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most difficult malignancies to cure. The radioresistance remains a major obstacle for effective treatment of EC. MethodsEsophageal cancer radioresistant cell lines were screened by the cumulative dose of radiation assays. qRT-PCR and Western blotting assays were used to detect the expression of LMXIB in EC. The survival fraction experiments were performed to test the effects of LMXIB in the radioresistance of EC. Following, the ionizing radiation and clonogenic, cell proliferation, wound healing and Flow cytometry apoptosis assays were used to characterize the properties of these cell lines. ResultsWe found that the LMX1B gene, encoding a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor, is expressed in a higher level in the radio-resistant EC cell lines. The following radiation assays revealed that LMX1B promotes the radioresistance of EC cells. Moreover, LMX1B plays roles in the proliferation, cell migration and apoptosis of EC cells. ConclusionAll these results indicated that LMX1B is a key regulator involved in the radioresistance of EC, which might be used as a biomarker to guide the clinical therapy of EC.

Treatment of carwash wastewater by electrocoagulation using Ti electrode: optimization of the operating parameters

Electrocoagulation process using Ti electrode was employed for carwash wastewater treatment. Taguchi experimental design method was applied to identify the optimized values of operating parameters for chemical oxygen demand, anionic surfactant and oil–grease removals. The effects of operating parameters on the removal of selected pollutants were investigated. The operating variables were selected as pH: 4–8; current density: 2.5–30 A/m2; stirring speed: 150–350 rpm. 84% chemical oxygen demand, 99.3% anionic surfactant and 82% oil–grease removal efficiencies were achieved under the optimized conditions. The operating cost was calculated as 9.67 $/m3 for these conditions. The analysis of variance results indicated that the current density had the greatest effect on the removals. EC sludge produced at the optimum conditions was analyzed using environmental scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X–ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The results indicated that Taguchi design method was suitable to determine the optimum values of operating parameters for EC treatment of carwash effluents. High chemical oxygen demand, anionic surfactant and oil–grease removals showed that electrocoagulation process using Ti electrode can be used for the removal of organic matters from carwash effluents.

Differential effects of trancranial magnetic stimulation and electroconvulsive stimulation on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice

The neurogenic theory of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) states that the induction of hippocampal neurogenesis is one of the biological mechanisms responsible for ECT’s antidepressant effects. Hippocampal neurogenesis has been shown to be required for antidepressant effect, is negatively regulated by stress, and electroconvulsive stimulation very potently increases neurogenesis. To confirm and further elucidate specific changes in hippocampal neurogenesis, we examined the timeline of neurogenesis following ECS in an animal model, and expanded the theory to include neurogenesis changes following excitatory transcranial magnetic stimulation (eTMS, 10 Hz) and intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS). In mice, we used bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label neurons born two days prior to a single ECS, eTMS or iTBS treatment. Numbers of surviving BrdU+ cells, and proliferating PCNA+ cells, were examined 1, 3, and 7 days following neurostimulation. We found that just one session of ECS increased the number of BrdU positive cells significantly immediately starting on day 1 and declining back to baseline on day 3 and 7. Proliferating PCNA+ cell levels were similar to shams on day 1, peaked on day 3, and declined to basal levels on day 7. The data indicates that there is a delayed and transient increase in neuronal proliferation following ECS, and a loss of earlier-born cells that may be due to neuronal death to counteract the proliferating cell increase. In contrast, eTMS had no effect on levels of neurogenesis across time, suggesting that it does not exert its effects through increasing neurogenesis. Finally, iTBS immediately increased neurogenesis but the number of newborn cells declined over 7 days to levels comparable to sham and eTMS animals. Collectively, we found that different neurostimulation techniques have distinct effects on hippocampal neurogenesis. Ongoing work is examining the effects of chronic neurostimulation on neurogenesis levels and the morphology of newborn neurons.

Inhibition of Semaphorin 3A Signaling Promotes Regeneration of Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Their Bone Marrow Vascular Niche

Radiation injury damages both the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell and its supportive endothelial niche. In response to radiation stress, bone marrow endothelial cells (BM ECs) upregulate expression of a gene, Sema3A, which encodes for the secreted protein, Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A), and its receptor, Neuropilin 1 (Nrp1). Commensurate with this, we observed a substantial increase in SEMA3A protein levels in the BM of mice and in NRP1 expression on VE-cadherin+ BM ECs following 500 cGy total body irradiation (TBI) (p<0.001, p<0.0001). We also found that treatment of irradiated primary murine BM ECs with SEMA3A significantly increased BM EC apoptosis (p<0.01). Based on these results, we hypothesized that SEMA3A may be a negative regulator of BM vascular recovery following injury and that inhibition of SEMA3A/NRP1 signaling might accelerate BM vascular niche recovery following irradiation. In keeping with this hypothesis, we found that a single systemic administration of 2 µg SEMA3A (IV) to C57BL/6 mice following 500 cGy TBI significantly increased BM EC apoptosis in vivo at 24 hours and also markedly decreased BM vascular integrity at 24 hours as measured by Evans Blue Dye extravasation in the BM (p<0.01, p<0.01). Interestingly, SEMA3A administration (IV, every other day) also significantly suppressed BM hematopoietic regeneration with decreased BM cell counts and BM ckit+sca-1+lin- (KSL) progenitor cell recovery at day +10 compared to irradiated, control mice (p=0.04, p=0.001).In contrast, systemic administration of anti-NRP1 antibody (10 µg, IV every other day), which blocks SEMA3A binding to NRP1 on BM ECs, accelerated regeneration of the sinusoidal BM vasculature at day +10 following 500 cGy TBI compared to irradiated controls. Concordant with these findings, anti-NRP1 treatment increased the recovery of peripheral blood WBCs, neutrophils, and BM KSL cells, compared to irradiated controls (p=0.002, p=0.04, p=0.04). Competitive repopulation assays confirmed that anti-NRP1 treatment increased the recovery of long-term HSCs capable of 20-week multilineage repopulation in congenic mice (p=0.03 for % donor CD45.1+ cell engraftment at 20 weeks). Importantly, anti-NRP1 treatment also markedly improved 60-day survival of irradiated mice from 17% (2/12 controls) to 83% (10/12 anti-NRP1) following 800 cGy TBI.In order to confirm the role of SEMA3A/NRP1 signaling in BM ECs in regulating the BM vascular and hematopoietic response to injury, we generated mice with tamoxifen-inducible, EC - specific deletion of Nrp1 (VE-Cad-Cre-ERT2;Nrp1 fl/fl mice). Adult VE-Cad-Cre-ERT2;Nrp1 fl/fl mice were viable and had no baseline hematologic phenotype. However, following 500 cGy TBI, VE-Cad-Cre-ERT2;Nrp1 fl/fl mice displayed accelerated BM vascular regeneration at day +10 compared to irradiated control mice. Furthermore, VE-Cad-Cre-ERT2;Nrp1 fl/fl mice demonstrated significantly increased peripheral blood WBCs, neutrophils, and BM KSL cells at day +10 following radiation injury (p<0.001, p=0.002, p=0.002). These data suggest that the SEMA3A-NRP1 pathway is an autocrine signaling mechanism that negatively regulates BM vascular niche recovery following myelosuppressive irradiation. Targeted inhibition of SEMA3A-NRP1 signaling in BM ECs has therapeutic potential to accelerate both BM vascular niche regeneration and hematopoietic reconstitution following myelosuppression. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Elastic compression stockings one year after DVT diagnosis: Who might discontinue?

BackgroundElastic compression stockings (ECS) are uncomfortable to wear but may prevent post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The ability to predict PTS may help clinical decision making regarding the optimal duration of ECS after deep vein thrombosis (DVT). AimsPredefined endpoint analysis of the Octavia study that randomized patients who compliantly used ECS up to one year after DVT to continue or discontinue ECS treatment. Primary aim was to identify predictors of PTS. MethodsPatient characteristics were collected and ultrasonography was performed to assess reflux, residual thrombosis and persistent thrombus load 12 months after DVT. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors related to PTS. ResultsThrombus score ≥ 3, BMI ≥ 26, duration of symptoms before DVT diagnosis ≥ 8 days and a Villalta score of 2–4 points were statistically significant predictors of PTS. The predictive value for PTS for the assessed variables was not different between the 2 treatment groups. In the stop ECS group, 3.2% (95%CI 0.08–18) of patients without any predictors for PTS were diagnosed with mild PTS during follow-up, and none with severe PTS, for a sensitivity of 98% (95% CI 89–100), a specificity of 14% (95% CI 10–20), a positive predictive value of 20% (95% CI 19–22), and a negative predictive value of 97% (95% CI 81–100). ConclusionWe identified 4 predictors of PTS occurring in the 2nd year after DVT. Our findings may be used to decide on whether to continue ECS treatment for an additional year, after one year of compliant ECS use, keeping in mind that patients with none of the predictors will have the lowest PTS incidence.

Contrasting responses of stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity to warming and elevated CO2 in the tropical tree species Alchornea glandulosa under heatwave conditions

Factorial experiments of combined warming and elevated CO2 are rarely performed but essential for our understanding of plant physiological responses to climate change. Studies of tropical species are particularly lacking, hence we grew juvenile trees of Alchornea glandulosa under conditions of elevated temperature (+1.5 °C, eT) and elevated CO2 (+400ppm, eC) in a factorial open top chamber experiment. We addressed three questions: i) To what extent does stomatal conductance (gs) reduce with eT and eC treatments?; ii) Is there an interactive effect of eT and eC on gs?; iii) Does reduced gs as a result of eT and/or eC cause an increase in leaf temperature?; iv) Do the photosynthetic temperature optima (Topt) and temperature response of photosynthetic capacities (Vcmax, Jmax) shift with higher growth temperatures? The experiment was performed during an anomalously hot period, including a heatwave during the acclimation period. Our key findings are that: 1) the eT treatment reduced gs more than the eC treatment, 2) reduced gs caused an increase in leaf temperatures, and 3) net photosynthesis and photosynthetic capacities showed very high temperature tolerances with no evidence for acclimation to the eT treatment. Our results suggest that A. glandulosa may be able to cope with increases in air temperatures, however reductions in gs may cause higher leaf temperatures beyond those induced by an air temperature rise over the coming century.

Dysregulation of Krüppel-like factor 12 in the development of endometrial cancer

ObjectiveEndometrial cancer (EC) remains a malignancy with poor survival outcome. To investigate the role of Krüppel-like factor 12 (KLF12), a transcription factor, in the progression of human EC. MethodsImmunohistochemistry, real time-PCR and western blot analysis of KLF12 expression in EC patients' tissues. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the clinical importance of KLF12 expression and survival ratio. Overexpression of KLF12 was generated using the ViraPower Adenoviral Expression System in EC cell lines. Cell viability assay, cell apoptosis assay and cell migration assay were used to determine cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and cell migration, respectively. Western blot analysis was carried out to determine the protein levels in cell lines and animal tissues. ResultsThe expression of KLF12 was observed to be much higher in human EC tissues compared with normal endometrium. Moreover, KLF12 expression was correlated positively with disease recurrence and was also associated with decreased survival probability. The overexpression of KLF12 in EC cell lines resulted in increased cell proliferation, decreased cell apoptosis and enhanced cell migration. Furthermore, overexpression of KLF12 also increased tumor size in vivo. Moreover, up-regulation of KLF12 dramatically increased the expression levels of MMP2, MMP9, pAKT S473 and CCND1. Our research reveals that overexpressed KLF12 contributes the growth of EC tumor by activating AKT signaling and increasing CCND1expression level. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the significance of KLF12 in the development of EC, and KLF12 is expected to provide a novel potential therapeutic target for EC treatment.

Operant Learning Versus Energy Conservation Activity Pacing Treatments in a Sample of Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

This study's aim was to assess the efficacy of 2 forms of activity pacing in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Treatment-related changes in activity management patterns were also examined. Patients with FMS (n = 178) were randomly assigned to an operant learning (OL; delayed [n = 36] or immediate [n = 54] groups) or an energy conservation (EC; delayed [n = 35] or immediate [n = 53] groups) treatment condition. Of these, 32 OL and 37 EC patients completed treatment. Forty-three patients were allocated to the delayed treatment condition (control group). Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to examine the effects of OL and EC treatments on primary (average pain and usual fatigue), secondary (pain and fatigue interference, physical and psychological function, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms), and tertiary (pain-related activity patterns) outcomes. Neither treatment was effective in reducing average pain or usual fatigue symptoms. Relative to EC, OL patients showed greater improvements in depressive symptoms, whereas nonsignificant trends (P values ranging between .05 and .06) were observed for pain interference, fatigue interference, and psychological function. Both treatments were associated with improvements in sleep quality and physical function, increases in pacing, and decreases in overdoing activity patterns. Reductions in activity avoidance were only found in OL. These findings suggest that OL may be more beneficial than EC and that it could potentially be viewed as an effective stand-alone activity pacing treatment for patients with FMS. Research to determine the extent to which these preliminary findings replicate is warranted. PerspectiveThis article examines the efficacy of 2 forms of activity pacing in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. The results suggest the possibility that operant learning may be more beneficial than energy conservation and could potentially be viewed as an effective stand-alone activity pacing treatment for patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

Electrochemical treatment for greywater reuse: effects of cell configuration on COD reduction and disinfection byproduct formation and removal

Abstract Electrochemical (EC) treatment presents a low-energy, water-reuse strategy with potential application to decentralized greywater treatment. This study focused on evaluating the impacts of cell configuration, current density, and cathode material on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in greywater. The formation and/or cathodic removal of active chlorine, perchlorate, haloacetic acids, and trihalomethanes were assessed during EC treatment. DBP formation was proportional to current density in undivided EC cells. Sequential anodic-cathodic treatment in divided EC cells resulted in COD removal in the catholyte and anolyte. The anodic COD removal rate (using a mixed metal-oxide anode) was greater than the cathodic removal rate employing boron-doped diamond (BDD) or graphite cathodes, but anodic and cathodic COD removal was similar when a stainless-steel cathode was used. The overall energy demand required for 50% COD removal was 24% less in the divided cells using the graphite or BDD cathodes (13 W-h L−1) compared to undivided cells (20 W-h L−1). Perchlorate formation was observed in undivided experiments (&amp;gt;50 μg/L), but not detected in divided experiments. While haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) were generated anodically; they were removed on the cathode surface in the divided cell. These results suggest that divided configurations provide potential to mitigate DBPs in water reuse applications.

In-Situ Electrochemical Formation of Protective SEI on Sulfur-Carbon Cathode to Improve the Stability of a RT-Sodium Sulfur Battery

Presently, lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are commercially used in electronic vehicles as well as various electronic devices. Rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery (Li-S) is one of the promising LiBs for the next generation energy storage system because of high theoretical specific capacity (1675 mAh g-1). However, because of the significantly increased demand for lithium resources in energy storage system, a use of sodium is being considered as an alternative of lithium. Specifically, a room temperature sodium sulfur battery (RT-NaS) is receiving great attention for the large-scale energy storage system such as electrical grids because the electrode materials (sodium and sulfur) are resource-abundant and cost-effective in comparison with Li-S battery. Moreover, RT-Nas has the theoretical capacity of 3467 mAh cm-3 and 1675 mAh g-1 This energy storage system, however, has the critical challenge that the RT-NaS battery showed a low initial reversible capacity and a fast capacity decay. It is due to production of the intermediate products, long-chain sodium polysulfides formed during the electrochemical reaction which is easily dissolved into the electrolyte. During the cycling, the long-chain polysulfides diffuse between the anode and the cathode through a separator, and electrochemically deposited on the surface of the electrode. This phenomenon which called Shuttle Effect causes a significant decrease in coulomb efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to restrain a dissolution of intermediate products, in order to enhance the performance of RT-NaS. In this study, we will introduce a new method to suppress the dissolution of the intermediate products into the electrolyte, which is artificially forming a protective solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the surface of carbon-sulfur (C/S) composite cathode by an in-situ electrochemical treatment (in-situ ET) with a carbonate additive (FEC). To assess the electrochemical properties of RT-NaS battery, the coin-cells were prepared: i) precycled RT-NaS (Not-treated NaS), ii) in-situ ET RT-NaS (EC-treated NaS) iii) precycled RT-NaS with FEC (Not-treated NaS with FEC) and iv) in-situ ET RT-NaS with FEC (EC-treated NaS with FEC). The schematic of the in-situ electrochemical treatment is displayed in Fig. 1A. An SEI is formed during the in-situ ET discharge by the electrochemical reduction of the carbonate based electrolyte especially when decreasing the potential down to 0.05 V vs Na/Na+. In particular, this protective SEI layer is formed on the surface of C/S composite particles when the sulfur has a maximum volume. Therefore, it is believed that the layer is well maintained. As shown in Fig. 1B, it is confirmed that the layer is successfully formed on the surface of cathode with a thickness of 45 to 60 nm. Fig 2. exhibits the cyclic performances of various RT-NaSs (i-iv) at 0.4 A g-1 in the voltage range from 0.6 to 2.6 VNa/Na+. Among them, EC-treated NaS with FEC (iv) shows the best cyclic performance. Regardless of EC treatment, the NaS without FEC presents the low discharge capacity of about 208 ~270 mAh g-1 after 50th cycle. The NaS with FEC shows the higher initial capacity, but during the sequent cycling it shows a rapid capacity decay. In contrast, the EC-treated NaS with FEC maintains the highest discharge capacity, and has the capacity of 590 mAh g-1 even after the 50th cycle. Figure 1

Endoscopic endonasal resection of epidermoid cysts involving the ventral cranial base.

Epidermoid cysts (ECs) commonly extend to involve the ventral cisterns of the cranial base. When present, symptoms arise due to progressive mass effect on the brainstem and adjacent cranial nerves. Historically, a variety of open microsurgical approaches have been used for resection of ECs in this intricate region. In recent years, the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) has been proposed as an alternative corridor that avoids crossing the plane of the cranial nerves. To date, there is a paucity of data in the literature regarding the safety and efficacy of the EEA in the treatment of ECs of the ventral cranial base. The authors reviewed a prospectively acquired database of EEAs for resection of ECs over 8 years at Weill Cornell, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. All procedures were performed by the senior authors. Standardized clinical and radiological parameters were assessed before and after surgery. Statistical tests were used to determine the impact of previous surgery and tumor volume on extent of resection and recurrence as well as the method of closure on rate of CSF leak. Between January 2009 and February 2017, 7 patients (4 males and 3 females; age range 16-70 years) underwent a total of 8 surgeries for EC resection utilizing the EEA. Transplanum and transclival extensions were performed in 3 and 5 patients, respectively. Methods of closure incorporated a gasket seal in 6 of 8 procedures and a nasoseptal flap in 7 of 8 procedures. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 43% of patients, and near-total resection (> 95%) was obtained in another 43%. Complications included diabetes insipidus (n = 2), postoperative CSF leak (n = 2), transient third cranial nerve palsy (n = 1), and epistaxis (n = 1). With a mean follow-up of 43.5 months, recurrence has been observed in 2 of 7 patients. In 1 case, reoperation for recurrence was required 71 months following the initial surgery. Use of the gasket-seal technique with nasoseptal flap coverage significantly correlated with the absence of postoperative CSF leakage (p = 0.018). GTR was achieved in 25% of the patients who had prior surgeries and in 50% of patients without previous resections. The mean volume of cysts in which GTR was achieved (4.3 ± 1.8 cm3) was smaller than that in which subtotal or near-total resection was achieved (12.2 ± 11 cm3, p = 0.134). The EEA for resection of ECs of the ventral cranial base is a safe and effective operative strategy that avoids crossing the plane of the cranial nerves. In the authors' experience, gasket-seal closure with nasoseptal flap coverage has been associated with a decreased risk of postoperative CSF leakage.

Using fluorescence-parallel factor analysis for assessing disinfection by-product formation and natural organic matter removal efficiency in secondary treated synthetic drinking waters

Parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) was used to investigate the organic matter and DBP formation characteristics of untreated, primary treated (enhanced coagulation; EC) and secondary treated synthetic waters prepared using a Suwannee River natural organic matter (SR-NOM) isolate. The organic matter was characterised by four different fluorescence components; two humic acid-like (C1 and C2) and two protein-like (C3 and C4). Secondary treatment methods tested, following EC treatment, were; powdered activated carbon (PAC), granular activated carbon (GAC), 0.1% silver-impregnated activated carbon (SIAC), and MIEX® resin. Secondary treatments were more effective at removing natural organic matter (NOM) and fluorescent DBP-precursor components than EC alone. The formation of a suite of 17 DBPs including chlorinated, brominated and iodinated trihalomethanes (THMs), dihaloacetonitriles (DHANs), chloropropanones (CPs), chloral hydrate (CH) and trichloronitromethane (TCNM) was determined after chlorinating water sampled before and after each treatment step. Regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between peak component fluorescence intensity (FMAX), DBP concentration and speciation, and more commonly used aggregate parameters such as DOC, UV254 and SUVA254. PARAFAC component 1 (C1) was in general a better predictor of DBP formation than other aggregate parameters, and was well correlated (R ≥ 0.80) with all detected DBPs except dibromochloromethane (DBCM) and dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN). These results indicate that the fluorescence-PARAFAC approach could provide a robust analytical tool for predicting DBP formation, and for evaluating the removal of NOM fractions relevant to DBP formation during water treatment.

Susceptibility of three biocontrol agents of brinjal insect pests to seven selected insecticides

Susceptibility of three biological control agents of Brinjal insect pests to seven selected insecticides were evaluated. Lowest mortality (6.67 %) of Camponotus compressus was found in Bactoil and Nimbicidene 0.03 EC treated brinjal and the highest mortality (100%) was recorded from Necstar-50 EC and Booster-10 EC treatments. The lowest mortality of Micraspis crocera Muls was recorded from Bactoil (3.67%) treatment while the highest mortality of Micraspis crocera Muls was found in Necstar-50 EC (100.00%) and Booster-10 EC (100.00%) treated brinjal. In case of Trathala emergence from infested shoot, the highest percentage (22.22%) was observed in the untreated control plots and lowest emergence was in Necstar-50 EC (2.22%) and Proclaim-5 SG (3.33%) treated brinjal shoots. In case of the infested fruit specimen, the highest (22.22%). Trathala emergence was found in the untreated control plots followed by the plots treated with Bactoil (18.89 %) and Nimbicidene 0.03 EC (17.78 %) while the lowest was in Necstar-50 EC (1.11%) and Booster-10 EC (2.22 %) treated brinjal fruits. Compatibility factor was highest for Bactoil (13.94, 25.33 and 27.92 with C. compressus, M. crocera and Trathala, respectively) and was lowest for Booster-10 EC (0.86, 0.86 and 4.30 with C. compressus, M. crocera and Trathala, respectively). Therefore Bactoil, Nimbicidene 0.03 EC and Tracer-45 SC were found to be the most compatible insecticides for controlling the Brinjal shoot and fruit boruss.Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 6(2): 75-81, 2017 (December)

In situ, one step removal of ammonia from onshore and offshore formation water of petroleum production fields

Fish, crustaceans and other living organisms are threatened due to disposal of harmful contaminants in sea water. Ammonia is considered one of harmful contaminants due to industrial activities of oil companies, where excess ammonia in the formation water is discharged into sea water. Electrochemical treatment (EC) was used in one step for total removal of ammonia and remediation of other contaminants. Three working electrodes were examined EC cell, aluminum, iron and modified electrode (Ti/IrO2). Graphite electrode was used as counter electrode in all processes of binary system. Both ionized and unionized ammonia of onshore (5.54 mg L−1) and off shore (110 mg L−1) were totally undetected after one step using all types of electrodes. The study was extended also to check the removal efficiency of other contaminants, where the analysis indicated the alleviation of them. Total suspended solid (TSS) of both onshore 64 mg L−1 and offshore 228 mg L−1 samples was reduced to 4 mg L−1. Total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) of high values, 232,000, 8500 and 2442 mg L−1 were also reduced to lower levels 18,400, 4000 and 1600 mg L−1, respectively. The formed sludge after EC treatment was also investigated using XRD.

Oncolytic activity of a coxsackievirus B3 strain in human endometrial cancer cell lines

BackgroundEndometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies globally. Although progress has been made in surgical and other adjuvant therapies, there is still a great need to develop new approaches to further reduce the incidence and mortality of EC. Oncolytic virotherapy offers a novel promising option of cancer treatment and has demonstrated good efficacy in preclinical models and clinical trials. However, only few oncolytic viruses have been tested for EC treatment. In this study, the potential of an oncolytic coxsackievirus B3 (CV-B3) strain 2035A (CV-B3/2035A) was investigated as a novel biotherapeutic agent against EC.MethodsHuman EC cell lines (Ishikawa, HEC-1-A and HEC-1-B) were infected with CV-B3/2035A, and viral replication and cytotoxic effects were evaluated in vitro. CV-B3/2035A-induced oncolysis was also investigated in nude mice bearing EC xenografts in vivo and in patient-derived EC samples ex vivo.ResultsHuman EC cell lines expressing different levels of CAR and DAF were all susceptible to infection by CV-B3/2035A and supported efficient viral replication in vitro. In the EC xenograft/nude mouse model, both intratumoral and intravenous administrations of CV-B3-2035A exerted significant therapeutic effects against pre-established EC tumors without causing significant treatment-related toxicity and mortality in nude mice. Moreover, CV-B3/2035A treatment resulted in decreased viability of patient-derived EC samples ex vivo.ConclusionsCV-B3/2035A showed oncolytic activity in human EC cell lines both in vitro and in vivo as well as in patient-derived EC samples ex vivo and thus could be used as an alternative virotherapy agent for the treatment of EC.

Effect of brackish water irrigation on soil degradation and performance of salt tolerant wheat and maize genotypes

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of brackish water on soil physical and chemical conditions and yield of wheat and maize genotypes at the farmers’ field. Two salt tolerant genotypes for each crop were selected from previous hydroponic and lysimeters studies. Wheat-maize cropping system was followed using tubewell brackish water alone and with chemical (gypsum) and organic (FYM) amendments. The results revealed that treatments have significant effect on all growth and yield parameters and followed the trend of T1&gt;T3 &gt;T4 &gt; T2. Highest grain yield of wheat genotypes (SARC-1 &amp; V-8670) was observed in control (4050 &amp; 3800 kg/ha) and lowest was in T2 (2862 &amp; 2200 kg/ha). Similar trend was observed in maize fodder yield that was 9625 &amp; 8875 kg/ha in control and 4350 &amp; 2253 kg/ha in T2 for Sahiwal-02 and Akbar, respectively. Maximum reduction in wheat grain and maize fodder yield observed in T2 (tubewell water alone) where high EC, SAR and RSC water was applied that was 39 &amp; 57% for 1st year (wheat crop) and 89 &amp; 74% for 2nd year (maize crop) respectively. Data revealed that use of gypsum and FYM along with brackish water improved the wheat grain yield and maize fodder as compared to T2. More adverse effect of brackish water was observed in high EC, SAR and RSC treatment (tubewell water alone) as compared to other treatments. Application of amendments (gypsum and FYM) along with brackish tubewell water reduced adverse effect of brackish water. Among genotypes SARC-1 and Sahiwal-2002 performed better in all treatments and textures especially under brackish water treatments.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 42(4): 693-705, December 2017

Potential biopesticides for crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) management under dryland canola production in Montana

The crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze), is an economically important and dominant pest of canola (Brassica napus L) in the Northern Great Plains of the USA. The current flea beetle management strategy is based on using synthetic chemical treated seeds and if necessary, foliar spray of chemicals at canola seedlings in early spring for targeting adult population. However, there is an increasing demand for development of alternative management strategies for P. cruciferae pertaining to concerns over the development of resistance to synthetic insecticides and non-target effects on pollinators and other beneficial insects. Replicated field trials were conducted to test the efficacy of several commercially available biopesticides including Entrust® (spinosad), entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae + Barricade® (polymer gel 1%), Aza-Direct® (azadirachtin), Pyganic 1.4® EC (pyrethrin), Grandevo® SC (Chromobacterium subtsugae), Venerate® XC (Heat killed Burkholderia sp. strain A396 as seed treatment and foliar application) and Gaucho® (imidacloprid) (chemical check) for the P. cruciferae management at two locations (Conrad and Sweetgrass) of Montana in 2016. Biopesticide products were evaluated based on canola leaf area injury ratings and seed yield levels. Although, there was no clear trend of canola yield increase, selected biopesticide treatments were effective in maintaining low leaf area injury ratings as compared to untreated control. Entrust was able to maintain low leaf area injury ratings (8.5–14.5%) when compared to untreated control (16.0–21.4%) at both the locations. Entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema feltiae + Barricade® and Venerate® applied as foliar treatments maintained significantly lower feeding injury pressure at Sweetgrass (11.8%) and Conrad (13.4%) locations respectively, when compared to the untreated control. Our study results suggest that these biopesticide treatment results were comparable in efficacy to the chemical seed treatment Gaucho®. Other two biopesticide products- Aza-Direct® and Pyganic 1.4® EC treatments did not provide effective control of P. cruciferae at both the locations.

Effects of blue light on flavonoid accumulation linked to the expression of miR393, miR394 and miR395 in longan embryogenic calli

While flavonoid metabolism’s regulation under light conditions by structural genes and transcription factors is understood, the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this pathway have been rarely reported. In this paper, the accurate control of light was firstly enabled through the specially designed plant growth chamber which ensures consistency and accuracy of the cultivation of longan ECs and the repeatability of the experiments. Then, longan ECs were cultured in this chamber for 25 days. The change of growth rate of longan ECs was compared under different light qualities (dark, blue, green, white, green), intensities (16, 32, 64, 128, 256 μmol ·m-2 ·s-1), and durations (8 h, 12 h, 16 h, 20h, 24h). Results indicated that longan ECs had a high growth rate in the condition of blue or green light, at intensity ranged from 16 μmol·m-2·s-1 to 64 μmol·m-2·s-1, and duration from 8 h to 16 h. In addition, the contents of total flavonoids, rutin, and epicatechin were determined. Results indicated that flavonoid contents of longan ECs reached the highest value under blue light, at 32 μmol·m-2·s-1 and 12h/d. Blue light promoted the accumulation of epicatechin, but inhibited the synthesis of rutin. Finally, the expressions of flavonoid pathway genes, miRNAs and target genes were analyzed by qPCR. These results indicated that miR393 and its target gene DlTIR1-3, miR394 and its target gene DlAlMT12, and miR395 and its target gene DlAPS1 had a negative regulating relationship under blue light in longan ECs. Furthermore, miR393, miR394, and miR395 acted on target genes, which negatively regulated flavonoid key genes DlFLS and positively regulated key genes DlCHS, DlCHI, DlF3′H, DlDFR, DlLAR, and finally affected the accumulation of flavonoids. The treatment of longan ECs under the blue light at the intensity of 32 μmol·m-2·s-1 for 12 h/d inhibited the expression of miR393, miR394 and miR395, which promoted the expression of target genes and the accumulation of flavonoids and epicatechin, but inhibited the synthesis of rutin.