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To explore the mechanisms whereby dexmedetomidine reversed lung injury in rats with toxic shock via inhibiting inflammation and autophagy. Thirty-six specific pathogen-free male Sprague Dawley rats with were screened and randomly divided into three groups. Toxic shock was induced by intestinal leakage. The control group received no cecal ligation and the treatment group received dexmedetomidine hydrochloride. Lung tissue morphology was studied by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The expression levels of beclin l and LC3 were measured, and the expression levels of apoptosis gene Bax and Bcl-2 were determined. The autophagosomes in lung cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 expression was determined by Western blotting assays. The results showed that the W/D, total protein and myeloperoxidase (MPO) index in the toxic shock group were 5.45 ± 0.35, 3.21 ± 0.47 and 4.53 ± 0.36, respectively. The W/D (4.02 ± 0.67), total protein (2.01 ± 0.35) and MPO index (2.31 ± 0.59) were significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group (p <0.05). Similarly, compared with the toxic shock group, the expression of p-ERK1/2 protein in the dexmedetomidine treatment group was significantly decreased (p <0.05). The expression levels of autophagy proteins beclin1 and LC3 in the dexmedetomidine treatment group were not significantly different from those of the control group (p >0.05). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the number of autophagic bodies in lung cells decreased. After induction with dexmedetomidine hydrochloride, the proapoptotic gene Bax was significantly downregulated in the cells. Bax expression levels in each group were 0.36 ± 0.12, 0.67 ± 0.06, and 0.32 ± 0.12, respectively. Compared with the control group, Bax expression in lung tissue significantly increased in the toxic shock group (p <0.05). Dexmedetomidine attenuates lung injury in toxic shock rats by inhibiting inflammation and autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) strains is a main risk for global public health, but little is known of carbapenemase producing E. coli in Henan, China. The study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence and mechanism of carbapenem-resistant E. coli strains in a hospital in Xinxiang, Henan, China, 2014. A total of 5 carbapenemase-producing E. coli strains were screened from 1014 isolates. We found that they were all resistant to meropenem and imipenem. Amikacin showed the best sensitivity, with gentamicin coming up next. The positive rate of bla NDM was 80% (4/5). The sequencing results showed that two isolates belonged to bla NDM-1 whereas other 2 isolates carried the bla NDM-5. Other carbapenemase genes including bla IMP , bla VIM , bla KPC and bla OXA-48 were not detected. The bla CTX-M-15, bla TEM-1, sul2, aad, and aac(6”)–Ib–cr were also detected. MLST analysis showed that NDM-producing E. coli were sporadic. Conjugation test indicated bla NDM could be transferred. In conclusion, the bla NDM was the principal resistance mechanism of carbapenem-resistant E. coli in the hospital, Henan, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), is an invasive and important pest in China. Understanding the physiological–biochemical characteristics of the overwintering pupae is essential for its cold tolerance and potential distribution in the northeast of China. Results indicated that the supercooling point (SCP) of H. cunea overwintering pupae varied significantly among Jilin city (43°N, 126°E), Jilin Province, Shenyang (41.8°N, 123.4°E), Liaoning Province and Yingkou (40.39°N, 122.13°E), Liaoning Province. The average SCP in Jilin was the lowest (− 23.49 ± 0.46 °C) in those of three areas. The water content in overwintering pupae had a significant positive correlation with the SCP (R = 0.848,P = 0.03). Contents of alanine (ALA) (26.00%), lysine (LYS) (30.51%) and arginine (ARG) (22.88%) in the overwintering pupae's hemolymph were higher than others. During the overwintering, the fat content in pupae's bodies decreased gradually. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the content of trehalose in the body of H. cunea was remarkably different (P = 0.007) month by month, with the maximum in March (2.88 mg·mL − 1 ) and the minimum (0.40 mg·mL − 1 ) in November. Pearson's correlation test indicated that SCP had a significant negative correlation with the SOD enzyme activity (R = − 0.850; P = 0.008). Thermal hysteresis activity (THA) of hemolymph was 0.68°C and 0.7–0.8°C for H. cunea pupae and larva, respectively, using differential scanning calorimetry, which suggests that the H. cunea can improve their cold tolerance through producing antifreeze proteins. These results could help us to predict the distribution of the H. cunea in the northeast of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plant biomass and copper (Cu) accumulation by Salix jiangsuensis CL ‘J-172’ and Salix babylonica Linn grown in Cu spiked soils were investigated under different hydrological regimes to assess the suitability of willow for phytoremediation of contaminated wetlands. The results showed that willow can maintain normal growth with no visual symptoms of Cu toxicity, suggesting that willow has high resistance to the combined stresses of Cu and waterlogging. The elevated Cu concentration in soil significantly decreased the biomass and increased Cu content in the roots of the two species. Flooding increased Cu accumulation in the roots and decreased Cu accumulation in the stems and leaves. Considering the large biomass of willow and its metal accumulation ability, willow has the potential for use in phytoremediation of Cu-contaminated wetlands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Adsorption equilibrium of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated to explore the possibility of using MWCNTs for concentration, detection and removal of TCP from contaminated water. The adsorption of TCP on MWCNTs at pH 4 was nonlinear, reversible and best fit by a Polanyi¿Manes model. Oxidation treatment increased surface area and introduced hydrophilic carboxylic groups to the defect sites of MWCNTs, hence increased the sorption of TCP and Cu(II) individually. Cu(II) suppressed the sorption of TCP on oxidized MWCNTs15A, but had little effect on as-grown MWCNTs15. TCP had no influence on Cu(II) sorption to either. The mechanisms of Cu(II) suppression effect on TCP adsorption are ascribed to the formation of surface complexes of Cu(II), which was verified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Cu(II) exerts a cross-linking effect of functional groups on adjacent tubes, creating a more tightly knit bundle and suppressing the condensation of TCP in the pore spaces between the tubes. The large hydration sphere around surface complexes of Cu(II) may also intrude or shield hydrophilic sites, leading to the ¿crowding out¿ of TCP around the Cu(II)-complexed sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To study the circulation, distribution, and genomic diversity of HPVs in common warts in Beijing area of China. Methods: Forty eight patients with pathologically diagnosed common warts were screened for the presence of HPV with HPV type-specific PCR and direct sequencing analysis. The genomic diversity of HPVs prevalent in Chinese patients was analyzed based on LCR. Results: Forty one (85.5%) samples were positive for HPV DNA, 13(31.7%)-HPV-57, 12(29.3%)-HPV-1a, 7(17%)-HPV-27 and 5(12.2%)-HPV-2a. Four cases were infected with two different HPV types, two (4.9%) with HPV-1a and HPV-27, one (2.4%) with HPV-1 and HPV-57 and one (2.4%) with HPV-27 and HPV-57. In contrast to the prevalence of single strain of novel HPV-57 variant and HPV-1 prototype, two HPV-2 and three HPV-27 novel variants were found to circulate in Beijing. Conclusion: HPV−1, −2, −27 and −57 are predominantly prevalent in patients with common warts in Beijing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Changes of permafrost not only affect regional and global water circulation, carbon deposit and climate warming, but also influence ground ecological, geophysical, and biogeochemical processes in cold region. Monitoring surface deformation over permafrost will help to understand the dynamics of these processes, assess climate changes, and prevent potential damages to engineering structures underlain by permafrost. This article employs an improved small baseline subset Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technique to monitor the surface deformation over the Danxiong-Yangbajing area in the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), with emphasis on climatic factors modeling. A new deformation model considering both the external (mainly climatic) and internal factors (such as tectonic activities and thermal character of frozen soil) is constructed and introduced into the SBAS-InSAR to estimate the surface deformation over permafrost. The results show that the peak-to-peak annual deformation over natural surface is 3.6–5.0 cm, while that along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH) and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) is 2.8–3.7 cm. We also find that the surface deformation over frozen soil is negatively correlated to air temperature and precipitation, with the correlation being − 0.80 to − 0.45 and − 0.95 to − 0.75, respectively. The root mean squares (RMSs) of the residual (un-modeled) deformation got by the proposed method are much smaller than that by the existing methods. We also successfully examine a time lag of about 60 days between the retrieved maximal subsidence and the highest air temperature in warm seasons (from May to September). After compensating for this time lag, the RMSs of the residual deformation reduce significantly and the correlation between the deformation and the temperature rises considerably, varying from − 0.95 to − 0.65. The method presented in this paper is more suitable to model and analyze the surface deformation in permafrost areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Arylvinylidenecyclopropanes undergo a novel reaction upon heating at 150°C with diaryl diselenide to give the corresponding 1,2-diarylselenocyclopentene derivatives in good to high yields within 1.5h. The further transformation of 1,2-diarylselenocyclopentene derivatives has been disclosed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Two novel cell-bound exopolysaccharides (c-EPS) were extracted using phenol and EDTA. • Extraction method significantly affects structure and antioxidant activity of c-EPS. • Two types of c-EPS presented different surface morphologies and thermal properties. • Both c-EPS exhibited potent antioxidant properties in vitro and in vivo. This study investigated the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities of cell-bound exopolysaccharides (c-EPS) from Lactobacillus fermentum S1 extracted using either phenol (CFP) or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CFE). The extraction products, CFP and CFE, were homogeneous polysaccharides with molecular weights of 2.89 × 105 and 2.44 × 105 Da, respectively. Both CFP and CFE were composed of five kinds of monosaccharides. They had a main chain of β-D-Glc p -(1→2), α-L-Rha p -(1→2), β-D-Gal p -(1→3), α-D-Glc p- (1→3), α-D-Gal p -(1→3) and β-L-Rha p- (1→3,4) residues, and a tail of α-D-Man p -(1→) residue, but with different molar ratios. Trace amounts of D-Gal p- (1→) and L-Ara f -(1→2,5) residues were randomly distributed in the sugar chains. Although both CFP and CFE were in triple-helical conformation, they differed from each other in relation to surface morphology and thermal properties. The two c-EPS had different performances in radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays in vitro. The antioxidant capacity of both c-EPS extracts was confirmed in vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans , whose total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase activity increased after c-EPS treatment. Overall, the extraction method significantly affected the structure and biological activity of c-EPS. Moreover, the potent antioxidant activities of CFP and CFE support their use as natural antioxidants in dietary supplements or food additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a few studies have investigated the brain morphology abnormalities in structural MRI in patients with drug-naïve idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) and mainly focused on brain volume changes. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the changes in three morphologic measurement differences including cortical thickness, cortical volume, and surface area using FreeSurfer in a pediatric cohort of recent-onset, drug-naïve IGE. Forty-five recent-onset, drug-naïve patients diagnosed with IGE and 32 demographically matched healthy controls were recruited. All participants underwent structural MRI scans with a 3.0 T MR system. FreeSurfer, an automated cortical surface reconstruction toolbox, was applied to compare the cortical morphology between patients and controls. The brain regions with significant group differences after multiple comparison correction were extracted in common space for each patient, and then correlated with their clinical characteristics (including onset age, duration of epilepsy, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE)) using partial correlation analysis with age, sex and intracranial volume as covariates. Compared with controls, IGE patients showed decreased cortical thickness in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, decreased cortical volume in the right cuneus and left superior frontal gyrus that extended to the precentral gyrus, and decreased surface area in the right cuneus and right inferior parietal gyrus. None of these regions showed significant relationships with clinical measurements in the patient group. Our findings suggest that cortical thickness, cortical volume, and surface area changes occurred in the early stage of IGE. These findings provide structural neuroimaging evidence underlying the pathology of IGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate the protective effect of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) on propofol-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive dysfunction. Methods After SH-SY5Y cells were treated with propofol to induce neurotoxicity, microRNA-34a mimics and inhibitors were transfected into the cells. The expression of apoptosis-related genes and the proteins were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received intraperitoneal injections of propofol, and were treated with microRNA-34a mimics and lentivirus-mediated microRNA-34a inhibitors. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to detect changes in motor function. Results Propofol anesthesia had an adverse effect on cell survival due to the increased expression of apoptosis-related genes such as cleaved caspase-3/8 and Bax, which was accompanied by reduced expression of ERK1/2, pERK1/2, and phosphorylated NF-kappaB p65 both in vivo and in vitro . Unexpectedly, microRNA-34a was upregulated after propofol treatment, and the inhibitors protected the SH-SY5Y cells from propofol-induced apoptosis. The microRNA-34a inhibitor suppressed the apoptosis-induced effects of propofol. This protection may have been partly diminished by PD98059, a MAPK kinase inhibitor. MicroRNA-34a inhibited or reverted the reduced expression of ERK1/2 and upregulated the expression of p-CREB significantly and specifically. Additionally, the microRNA inhibitors improved the learning and memory functions of animals suffering from neurologic impairment due to propofol treatment and reduced cell apoptosis in the hippocampus. Conclusion microRNA-34a could improve anesthesia-induced cognitive dysfunction by suppressing cell apoptosis and recovering the expression of genes associated with the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The cobalt hexacyanoferrate nanocrystals (Nano-CoHCF) with uniform shape and size were electrochemical deposited on the electrode surface modified with the overoxidized polypyrrole (OPyox) film in the presence of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). The conceivable effect of EDTA and OPyox film was studied using SEM and electrochemical techniques. The experiment results showed that the nucleation and deposition rate of CoHCF on the electrode surface were controlled by the synergic action of EDTA and OPyox film, which resulted in the formation of uniform Nano-CoHCF. Moreover, some electrodeposition conditions for Nano-CoHCF film had been optimized such as pH, concentration of EDTA, as well as deposition cycles. The resulting modified electrode exhibited excellent catalytic activity and improved stability for the oxidation of hydrazine. Hydrodynamic amperometry was applied for the determination of hydrazine with a linear range of 2.0×10−7 to 1.1×10−5 molL−1 and 1.1×10−5 to 4.1×10−4 molL−1 with the maximum sensitivity of 2719.5μAmM−1 cm−2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Degradation of rhodamine B by Fe(0)-based Fenton process with H2O2 was investigated. The effects of H2O2 dose, Fe(0) dose, initial concentration of rhodamine B and initial pH value on the degradation of rhodamine B were examined. The results showed that the degradation and mineralization of rhodamine B occurred with low dose of H2O2 and Fe(0). The intermediates of rhodamine B were analyzed with UV–Vis spectrophotometry and ion chromatography and the mechanism of oxidative degradation of rhodamine B was also discussed. The reactive oxygen species (·OH) produced in Fe(0)-based Fenton process with H2O2 is the key to the degradation of rhodamine B by ways of N-de-ethylation, chromophore cleavage, ring-opening and mineralization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An organic light emitting diode was fabricated with the simple structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PVK:NPB/LiF/Al, which used the blend of two blue-emitting materials poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) and N,N 0-bis-(1-naphthyl)-N,N 0-diphenyl-1,10-biphenyl-4,40-diamine (NPB) as the emitting layer. In EL spectra of the device, except for the emission of NPB, a new peak at 650nm was observed too, but was not in PL spectra. So the new emission was proposed to be electroplex that occurred between PVK and NPB molecules. White emission via electroplex formation can be obtained with Commission International d’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates (0.31, 0.3 0) at 28V. By use of electroplex formed between two blue-emitting materials, a new route to get white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) may be obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Brown rice was milled into four layers to analyze endosperm composition. • Different compositions affected rice taste in different layers. • Apparent amylose content (AAC) and soluble sugar affected L3. • Protein content (PC) and amino acid affected L2. • Factors affecting rice taste ranked: AAC > soluble sugar > minerals > amino acids > PC. Clarifying the association of differences in endosperm biochemical composition with nutrient and edible quality can guide rice breeding and cultivation. In this study, very-low-amylose-content (LAC), Japanese good-taste (JTC), Northeast China good-taste (CTC), and Northeast China high-yield (CHC) cultivars were milled to obtain four layers (L1-L4) from outside-in, and then analyzed for apparent amylose content (AAC), protein content (PC), amino acids, soluble sugars, and minerals. The association of these compositions and Rapid-Visco analysis values with taste was also examined. LAC had low AAC, high amino acid and mineral content, and the highest taste value. Taste was significantly affected by AAC and soluble sugar in L3, and by PC in the L2 layer. High levels of amino acid in L2 and L3 improved the taste, as did Mg, P, and Ca in L1. On the whole, starch factors had the highest contribution to taste, followed by minerals, amino acids, and PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]