Household endotoxin reduction in the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project for rural childhood asthma

Endotoxin exacerbates asthma. We designed the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project (LEIP) and assessed its effectiveness in reducing household endotoxin and improving asthma symptoms in rural Iowa children. Asthmatic school children (N = 104 from 89 homes) of Louisa and Keokuk counties in Iowa (aged 5-14 years) were recruited and block-randomized to receive extensive (education + professional cleaning) or educational interventions. Environmental sampling collection and respiratory survey administration were done at baseline and during three follow-up visits. Mixed-model analyses were used to assess the effect of the intervention on endotoxin levels and asthma symptoms in the main analysis and of endotoxin reduction on asthma symptoms in exploratory analysis. In the extensive intervention group, dust endotoxin load was significantly reduced in post-intervention visits. The extensive compared with the educational intervention was associated with significantly decreased dust endotoxin load in farm homes and less frequent nighttime asthma symptoms. In exploratory analysis, dust endotoxin load reduction from baseline was associated with lower total asthma symptoms score (Odds ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.92). In conclusion, the LEIP intervention reduced household dust endotoxin and improved asthma symptoms. However, endotoxin reductions were not sustained post-intervention by residents.     

画意真山与胜景无穷——北海镜清斋假山营造思路的再认识

进入更广泛的历史语境探讨清乾隆时期镜清斋假山的营造思路,追溯至晚明江南的两种假山营造来源.在整体构思上,承续了17世纪前期张南垣所创的追求画意真山的"天然"假山;而在局部营造中,则采纳了16世纪后期盛行的追求胜景无穷的"人巧"假山.除镜清斋之外,在稍晚的苏州环秀山庄假山中也有显著表达,是清代假山发展高峰的体现.清末和1970年代对该假山的两次改造,未能很好理解原初的思路取向,一定程度上损害了当初追求的山意.     

国家级核应急医学救援分队能力评估指标体系的建立与应用

为进一步摸清国家核应急医学救援分队能力建设现状,国家核应急响应技术支持中心建立了评估指标体系、评分标准,对依托苏州大学附属第二医院(核工业总医院)设立的国家核应急医学救援分队开展能力评估。评估重点包括政策法规、组织机构、预案方案、指挥控制、应急设施与装备、应急响应行动和培训演练等7项一级指标。通过评估,摸清了现状,查找了问题,同时对救援方案、物资装备配备及管理、培训演练等国家核应急医学救援分队能力建设以及核应急能力评估等工作提出改进建议。     

Assembly of a DNA Origami Chinese Knot by Only 15% of the Staple Strands

As a giant leap in DNA self-assembly, DNA origami has exhibited an unprecedented ability to construct nanostructures with arbitrary shapes and sizes. In typical DNA origami, hundreds of short DNA staple strands fold a long, single-stranded (ss) DNA scaffold cooperatively into designed nanostructures. However, large numbers of DNA strands are expensive and would hinder applications such as pharmaceutical investigations because of the complicated components. Therefore, one challenge is how to reduce the number of staple strands needed to construct DNA origami. For a DNA origami structure, the scale-free folding pattern of the scaffold strand is determined by staple strands at the branching vertexes. Simple duplex regions help to define the size-related features of the origami geometry. In this study, we hypothesized that a scaffold strand can be correctly folded into a designed topology by using only staple strands involved in branching vertexes. After assembly, any remaining, flexible, single-stranded regions of the scaffold could be converted into rigid duplexes by DNA polymerase to achieve the designed geometric structures. To demonstrate the concept, we used only 18 staple strands (covering 15 % of the scaffold strand) to assemble a porous DNA nanostructure, which was visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). This study helps understanding of the role of cooperativity in origami folding, and provides a cost-effective approach for small-scale prototyping DNA origami.     

Crossing the Border: From Keto- to Imine Reduction in Short-Chain Dehydrogenases/Reductases

The family of NAD(P)H-dependent short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) comprises numerous biocatalysts capable of C=O or C=C reduction. The highly homologous noroxomaritidine reductase (NR) from Narcissus sp. aff. pseudonarcissus and Zt_SDR from Zephyranthes treatiae, however, are SDRs with an extended imine substrate scope. Comparison with a similar SDR from Asparagus officinalis (Ao_SDR) exhibiting keto-reducing activity, yet negligible imine-reducing capability, and mining the Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Engineering Database indicated that NR and Zt_SDR possess a unique active-site composition among SDRs. Adapting the active site of Ao_SDR accordingly improved its imine-reducing capability. By applying the same strategy, an unrelated SDR from Methylobacterium sp. 77 (M77_SDR) with distinct keto-reducing activity was engineered into a promiscuous enzyme with imine-reducing activity, thereby confirming that the ability to reduce imines can be rationally introduced into members of the “classical” SDR enzyme family. Thus, members of the SDR family could be a promising starting point for protein approaches to generate new imine-reducing enzymes.     

"砼"趣 ——记清水混凝土建筑荣成青少年活动中心设计施工点滴

从清水混凝土材料特点、空间适用性、肌理、细节和工艺等方面总结了荣成青少年活动中心复杂异形清水混凝土工程从设计到建造的全过程,展现了本土设计理念和地域环境的融合、创新型施工工艺的成功应用及项目最终呈现的高品质完成度.     

Effect of hyperbranched poly(citric polyethylene glycol) with various polyethylene glycol chain lengths on starch plasticization and retrogradation

A series of hyperbranched poly(citric polyethylene glycol) (PCPEG) materials with varied polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain lengths as plasticizers were mixed with maize starch (MS) via cooking and film‐forming. The structure, pasting property, plasticization, aging property, moisture absorption and compatibility of plasticized starches were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, rapid viscosity analysis, tension testing, moisture absorption measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Compared with PEG and citric acid, PCPEG was more effective in promoting starch chain movement and inhibiting the retrogradation of starch film. Also, PCPEG/MS had smaller moisture content. The longer the plasticizer chain, the better were the aging resistance and moisture resistance of starch. But with an increase of PEG chain length, mechanical properties of PCPEG/MS deteriorated and the compatibility between PCPEG and MS decreased. The hyperbranched derivative of PEG with longer chain exhibited improved plasticization and compatibility with starch. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

尿素装置液位仪表失真分析及处理

介绍了尿素装置中3起液位仪表失真案例,分析了故障现象和设备工况,确定失真原因,采取了相应的处理措施,解决了仪表故障。