Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB-co-4HB), is one of the most valuable biopolymers because of its flexible mechanical properties. In this study, the goal is to establish a scaled-up process of low cost P(3HB-co-4HB) from a 7.5-L fermentor to 1- and 5-m industrial bioreactors, respectively, using Halomonas bluephagenesis TD40 grown on glucose, γ-butyrolactone, and waste corn steep liquor (CSL) as substrates, under open non-sterile and fed-batch or continuous conditions. The non-sterile process enables the energy reduction for less steam consumption. Moreover, waste gluconate is successfully utilized to replace glucose as a carbon source for cell growth and PHA accumulation in 7.5-L fermentor, which opens the possibility of 60% of raw material cost reduction for recycling the waste resources. A mathematical model and rational calculation is established to help guide the feeding strategy and scale-up, respectively, leading to 100 g L cell dry weight (CDW) containing 60.4% P(3HB-co-mol 13.5% 4HB) after 36 h of growth in the 5 m vessel. An even higher P(3HB-co-4HB) content of 74% is achieved by decreasing the use of waste CSL. A stable and continuous open process for efficient low-cost production of P(3HB-co-4HB) is successfully developed coupling fermentation with the downstream extraction processing.

We demonstrate a fiber-optic 3D vector displacement sensor based on the monitoring of Bragg reflection from an eccentric grating inscribed in a depressed-cladding fiber using the femtosecond laser side-illumination and phase-mask technique. The compact sensing probe consists of a short section of depressed cladding fiber (DCF) containing eccentrically positioned fiber Bragg gratings. The eccentric grating breaks the cylindrical symmetry of the fiber cross-section and further has bending orientation-dependence. The generated fundamental resonance is strongly sensitive to bending of the fiber, and the direction of the bending plane can be determined from its responses. When integrated with axis strain monitoring, the sensor achieves a 3D vector displacement measurement via simple geometric analysis.

RESEARCH R ice is one of the most important cereal crops, being a major staple food for more than half of the world's population. World rice production increased at a rate of 2.3 to 2.5% per year during 1970s and 1980s. However, during the 1990s, production growth rate decreased to 1.5% per year and it has declined further during the first decade of this century (Jeon et al., 2011). The potential for a further increase in grain yield will be limited in the future, and more food will need to be produced from the same available arable land. Therefore, it is of immense importance to develop rice cultivars possessing high yield and yield stability to feed a growing world population (Fan et al., 2012). Asian cultivated rice can be classified into two major distinct subspecies, that is, indica and japonica (Kato et al., 1928). Intersubspecific hybrids have significant heterosis or hybrid vigor, which could increase yield of rice and become an important aspect of rice improvement, but partial or complete sterility of hybrids is a major barrier in its use (Oka, 1974). The phenomenon of interspecific or intersubspecific F 1 hybrid sterility caused by reproductive isolation has been widely observed in rice. There are many factors that cause intersubspecific hybrid sterility, such as pollen sterility (

BackgroundTo investigate the prognostic value of procalcitonin (PCT), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and pancreatic stone protein (PSP) in children with sepsis.Material/MethodsA total of 214 patients with sepsis during hospitalization were enrolled. Serum levels of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP were measured on day 1 of hospitalization and the survival rates of children were recorded after a follow-up of 28 days. Pearson’s correlation analysis was conducted to test the association of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP with pediatric critical illness score (PCIS). Logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk factors contributing to patients’ death. The AUC was used to determine the value of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP in the prognosis of patients with sepsis.ResultsThe expression of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP in the dying patients was higher than in the surviving patients (p<0.001). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that serum PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP levels were negatively correlated with PCIS (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with sepsis (p<0.001). ROC analysis showed the AUC values of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77–0.88), 0.76 (95% CI, 0.70–0.82), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.67–0.79), respectively. The combined AUC value of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP, was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.87–0.95), which was significantly increased compared with PCT, hs-CRP, or PSP (p<0.001).ConclusionsThe combination of serum PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP represents a promising biomarker of risk, and is a useful clinical tool for risk stratification of children with sepsis.

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High transcript levels of the CMS-associated gene orf288 in the hau CMS line of Brassica juncea induce defects in mitochondrial ultrastructure during the development of archesporial cells and cause cytoplasmic male sterility.

A series of amido phosphinoxide and amido phosphinimine ligands that are electronic variations of monoanionic N,O- and N,N-ketiminates have been prepared and employed to examine the coordination chemistry of aluminium. Oxidation of the previously established N-(2-diphenylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-dialkylaniline in the presence of H(2)O(2) or organic azides RN(3) (R = 2,6-C(6)H(3)(i)Pr(2), SiMe(3)) led to phosphinoxides (H[NO] 1a-b) and phosphinimines (H[NN] 1c-d), respectively. Alkane elimination reactions of these protio-ligand precursors with trialkylaluminium in toluene or pentane solutions afforded cleanly the corresponding organoaluminium complexes, including dimethyl 2a-d, diethyl 3a-d and diisobutyl derivatives 4a-b and 4d. Solution NMR studies revealed Cs symmetry for these organoaluminium species, in which the α-hydrogen atoms are all diastereotopic. The correlation between the steric congestion of these molecules and the degree of resolution of the multiplet signals corresponding to the diastereotopic α-hydrogen atoms observed by the (1)H NMR spectroscopy is of particular interest. Dichloroaluminium complexes 5c-d were prepared in high yields by protonolysis of MeAlCl(2) with 1c-d. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of 2c-d, 3a, 3d, 4a, and 4d elucidated a mononuclear, distorted tetrahedral core for all of these aluminium species. Interestingly, complexes 2c-d are active initiators for catalytic ring-opening oligomerization of ε-caprolactone, whereas 2a-b are rather inactive, highlighting the significance of the steric hindrance imposed by the amido phosphinimine ligands, as compared to that imposed by the phosphinoxide counterparts.

A high-resolution fiber-optic ultrasonic sensor based on a suspended-core fiber was designed and experimentally demonstrated. The intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer consisting of a micro suspended-core from acid corrosion of a grapefruit fiber proved highly sensitive to a wide range of ultrasonic wave (UW) frequencies. A compact interrogation system using spectral sideband filtering was constructed for UW detection. The sensor exhibited significantly improved spatial resolution and detection sensitivity by etching the suspended-core diameter to few microns. Sensor fabrication involves only fiber splicing and corrosion, which provide a self-shielding cladding surrounding and protecting the core from collisions. This sensor is an excellent candidate for high-quality UW detection.