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This study aimed to elucidate the influence of environment pH on survival, growth, energy allocation and oxidative damage of juvenile Scophthalmus maximus (19.89±0.25 g). Six pH treatments (6.3±0.2, 6.8±0.2, 7.3±0.2, 7.8±0.2, 8.3±0.2, 8.8±0.2) lasting for eight weeks were included. Measurements of survival (SR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain rate (WGR), energy allocation, liver superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), catalase activity (CAT), and malondialdehyde concentration (MDA) were done. Results show that SR did not vary from pH 6.3 to 7.8, but reduced then significantly (p<0.05); FCR raised remarkably (p<0.05) while SGR and WGR decreased pronouncedly (p<0.05). Most of the food energy was used in metabolism, followed by growth, feces loss and nitrogenous excretion. Energy deposited for growth showed a decreasing tendency when pH raised; while for metabolism showed a reverse trend. SOD showed insignificant difference from pH 6.3 to 7.8, but the activities then elevated obviously (p<0.05) though a slight decrease was found from pH 8.3 to 8.8 (p>0.05). CAT kept stable between pH 6.3 and 7.3, then sharply increased (p<0.05), but no significant differences were found between pH 8.3 and 8.8 (p>0.05). Subsequent decrease in MDA was found from pH 6.3 to 8.3 then the concentration smoothly increased. Overall, our results indicate that a pH in the range of 6.8 to 7.8 is recommended in the growth environment in cultivation of juvenile turbot.

Let $G$ be a connected graph with minimum degree $delta$ and edge-connectivity $lambda$. A graph is maximally edge-connected if $lambda=delta$, and it is super-edge-connected if every minimum edge-cut is trivial; that is, if every minimum edge-cut consists of edges incident with a vertex of minimum degree. In this paper, we show that a connected graph or a connected triangle-free graph is maximally edge-connected or super-edge-connected if the number of edges is large enough. Examples will demonstrate that our conditions are sharp.\ noindent {bf Keywords:} Edge-connectivity; Maximally edge-connected graphs; Super-edge-connected graphs.

To report a modified retroperitoneoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty technique and its application in the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). From June 2010 to March 2012, retroperitoneoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty was performed in 46 patients with UPJO. Briefly, the renal pelvis was incised in the anterior aspect instead of the lateral aspect, and proximal ureter was spatulated with incision on its posterior wall. After adequately trim­ming, two layers of ureteropelvic anastomosis respectively lay on left and right side of one laparoscopic plane other than two different planes. In our refined procedure, the difficulty of intracorporeal suturing was greatly decreased. Data from 19 months mean follow-up were analyzed to evaluate the surgical outcomes. All operations were completed without open conversion. The mean operative time, estimated blood loss, and postoperative hospitalization stay were 108 min (75 to 155 min), 30 mL (15 to 60 mL) and 4 days (2 to 9 days), respectively. No intraoperative complications were occurred. Postoperative complications included 2 cases of minor abdominal wall hematoma and 1 case of transient postoperative anastomotic leakage for 8 days, which all were successfully treated by conservative management. A mean follow-up of 19 months (12 to 36 months) was performed which showed a success rate of 97.8%. One case (2.2%) underwent open surgery for persistence UPJO two months later. Our modification to the retroperitoneoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty procedure is technically feasible and reliable with low complications. It could be implemented as a useful alternative technique to great­ly decrease the difficulty of this procedure.

Ionizing radiation induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play an important causative role in cell death. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of sulfated derivatives of neutral polysaccharides extracted from Auricularia auricular (SNAAP). Whole blood samples from healthy donors treated with SNAAP at different concentrations (20, 60, 100 μg/mL) were exposed to various doses of X-rays. Wistar rat spleen lymphocytes, in cultures, were treated with SNAAP at different concentrations (20, 60, 100 μg/mL) in the presence p.o 12 hours prior to 8 Gy gamma radiation exposure. Animals were administered with SNAAP at doses of 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight d p.o 7 days prior to sub-lethal doses (6 Gy) of whole body gamma radiation exposure. SNAAP is an effective radio protector against X-ray radiation induced in vitro cellular damage in human peripheral blood. Furthermore, to support this finding the effect of SNAAP on a rat’s spleen lymphocytes, when cultured and examined 24 hours after exposure to 8 Gy γ of radiation, demonstrated the effect of polysaccharides on a rat’s spleen lymphocytes, pretreated by the SNAAP, can increase the cell viability compared with irradiated group at a concentration of 20, 60 and 100 μg/mL. Likewise, this radiation-induced therapy decreased each mouse’s body weight and effectively stimulated the immune system of all radiated mice. Moreover, when induced by Co60, the SNAAP decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased the myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the whole blood supply of the irradiated mice. These encouraging results support further research into the clinical pharmacology of SNAAP as a novel agent for human radiation protection.

The restoration of HBV-specific T-cell response during antiviral therapy is associated with CD4+T-cell activity. Treg cells and Th17 cells are subtypes of CD4+T cell. However, it has remained unknown how the Treg and Th17 cells and their associated cytokines affect nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) antiviral efficacy.. The aim of the present study was to provide a new insight to evaluate the NA antiviral therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)..Patients and Forty-four CHB patients hospitalized between July 2010 and August 2011 were enrolled in this study. They were received NA (entecavir, lamivudine and adefovir) treatment for 14.42 ± 13.08 weeks, and the peripheral blood was collected. The frequencies of Treg and Th17 cells were detected by flow cytometric analysis, and the levels of IL-10, TGF-β1, IL-17 and IL-23 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).. In complete and partial-responders, Treg cells frequencies and IL-10, TGF-β1, IL-23 levels were all decreased significantly after NA therapy, while Th17 cells and the IL-17 levels were increased slightly. Treg/Th17 ratio was only dramatically declined in complete-responders. But there was no significant difference in non-responders. Either HBV DNA decreased by at least 2 log copies /mL or ALT turned to normal level, Treg cells frequencies and IL-10, TGF-β1, IL-23 levels were significantly reduced. Meanwhile, Treg cells were positively correlated with HBV DNA and ALT.. The changes of Treg and Th17 cells and their associated cytokines were related to virological and biochemical responses..

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/multi-nanoparticles composite hollow fibre ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared with different compositions of SiO2/TiO2/Al2O3 nanoparticles in PVDF/DMAc/NMP solution by wet-spinning method. Behaviour of anoparticles on membrane dopes were evaluated by the viscosity and surface tension. By dding nanoparticles, obviously the membrane dope viscosity increased; however, the surface tension of each membrane dope changed inconsistently. The hollow fibre membranes were characterized by SEM, mechanical testing, TGA, permeability and rejection test, porosity measurement and pore size distribution. The test results indicate that different nanoparticles and their related compositions induce different characteristics on membrane morphology, mechanical property, thermal stability, permeation property, as well as porosity and pore size distribution, due to the different particle characteristic, the combination effect and the size effect. For membranes with PVDFM2 (18 wt% PVDF, 1 wt% TiO2 (P25), 1 wt% SiO2 and 1 wt% Al2O3) dope and PVDFM5 (18 wt% PVDF, 2 wt% TiO2 (P25) and 1 wt% Al2O3), the pure water permeation flux and bovine serum albumin rejection reach 179 L.m-2.h-1.bar-1 and 98.9%, 352 L.m-2.h-1.bar-1 and 89.1%, respectively; while their mean efficient pore sizes are 10.1 nm and 11.0 nm, and both membranes present narrow pore size distribution and other good performances.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-perfluorosulphonic acid (PFSA) hollow fibreultrafiltration (UF) blend membranes were prepared by wet-spinning method.Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ethanol aqueous solutions were employed asadditive and coagulants, respectively. The effect of PVP concentration in the dopes andethanol concentration in the coagulants on morphology and performance of PVDFPFSAhollow fibre UF blend membranes were investigated. Blend membranes werecharacterized in terms of precipitation kinetics, morphology, thermal property and separation performance. The results showed that the increments of PVP concentrationin the dopes and ethanol concentration in coagulants both resulted in higher pure waterpermeation flux (PWP) and worse rejection (R) of bovine serum albumin (with the increment of PVP concentration from 0 to 5 wt% in the dopes, PWP increased from41.7 L.m-2.h-1 to 134 L.m-2.h-1 and R decreased from 99.8% to 84.4% as well as withthe increase in ethanol concentration in coagulants from 0 to 40 wt%, PWP increasedfrom 33.5 L.m-2.h-1 to 123 L.m-2.h-1 and R decreased from 97.7% to 88.7%). However,the proportion of sponge-like structure in the cross-section of membranes decreasedwith the increasing PVP concentration in the dopes and the proportion increased withthe increased ethanol concentration in the coagulations. In addition, the location of thesponge-like structure in the cross-section of membranes was significantly influenced byethanol concentrations in the coagulants and DSC results revealed that the crystallinity (Xc) of the blend membrane was in accordance with the proportion of sponge-like structure. These behaviours were attributed to the different roles of PVP in the dopes and ethanol in the coagulants, respectively. PVDF-PFSA hollow fibre membranes with different morphologies and performances were prepared by these two different routes. Meanwhile, the range of PVDF-PFSA hollow fibre blend membranes was extended.