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 (

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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.