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This study aimed to explore and develop data mining models for adult age estimation based on CT reconstruction images from the sternum. Maximum intensity projection (MIP) images of chest CT were retrospectively collected from a modern Chinese population, and data from 2700 patients (1349 males and 1351 females) aged 20 to 70 years were obtained. A staging technique within four indicators was applied. Several data mining models were established, and mean absolute error (MAE) was the primary comparison parameter. The intraobserver and interobserver agreement levels were good. Within internal validation, the optimal data mining model obtained the lowest MAE of 9.08 in males and 10.41 in females. For the external validation (N = 200), MAEs were 7.09 in males and 7.15 in females. In conclusion, the accuracy of our model for adult age estimation was among similar studies. MIP images of the sternum could be a potential age indicator. However, it should be combined with other indicators since the accuracy level is still unsatisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although there is increasing interest in minimally invasive prosthesis breast reconstruction (PBR), whether meshes application in minimally invasive PBR can improve complications and cosmetic effects remains controversial. The author retrospectively analyzed postoperative complications and evaluated patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes in minimally invasive PBR with and without mesh. Methods: This study enrolled patients who underwent minimally invasive nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) followed by PBR. We used the TiLOOP bra for the mesh-assisted procedure. Patient demographics and postoperative complications data were compared between the procedures. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated with the Breast-Q. Results: A total of 158 patients underwent 160 minimally invasive NSM-PBR (with mesh, n = 64; without, n = 94). Postoperative complications were comparable in the mesh-assisted (5 [7.7%]) and non-mesh-assisted (5 [5.3%]) groups (p = 0.533). The most common complication in non-mesh-assisted group was infection, with four (4.2%) cases. In mesh-assisted group, implant exposure occurred in two (3.1%) patients. Removal of prosthesis was uncommon, with two (3.1%) and three (3.2%) cases in the mesh-assisted and non-mesh groups, respectively (p = 0.977). The BREAST-Q questionnaire was completed by 52 (81.3%) patients in the mesh-assisted group and 68 (72.3%) in the non-mesh-assisted group. Comparing the non-mesh group, patients in mesh-assisted group had improved scores on the BREAST-Q Satisfaction with breast (66.0) (p < 0.05), Physical Well-being (80.0), and Sexual Well-being (56.0). Conclusions: Mesh-assisted minimally invasive NSM-PBR has good aesthetic outcomes and high patient satisfaction. There were no significant differences in complication rates between the mesh-assisted and non-mesh-assisted groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, carbon utilization within the concrete industry is predominantly revolved around gaseous and liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), with relatively limited research dedicated to the application of solid CO2. This study was the first to use solid CO2 (dry ice) as an additive in alkali-activated slag and fly ash (AASF) to investigate its influences on the alkali-activation process and various property improvements. Two study systems were designed: one with alkali-activated slag (AAS) as the control group and fly ash (FA) added at substitution rates of 10%, 30%, and 50%; and the other with 50% FA alkali-activated materials (AAM) as the control group and dry ice added at substitution rates of 4%, 8%, and 12%. Several tests were conducted on AASF, encompassing assessments of setting time, compressive strength, and durability (electrical resistivity and chloride ion diffusion coefficient). Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of its microstructure was undertaken, employing analytical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that FA substitution effectively mitigated the short setting time of AAS; however, the mechanical properties and durability decreased by approximately 50%. When dry ice was added to AAM concrete, it induced a series of physical and chemical effects that altered the kinetics of the hydration reaction of AAM. Specifically, adding dry ice significantly prolonged the setting time of AAMs. Moreover, this addition did not damage the mechanical properties or durability of AAS(F). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of light to regulate photocatalyzed reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) under mild conditions, especially driven by broadband light or sunlight directly, is highly desired. But the development of a suitable photocatalyzed polymerization system for large-scale production of polymers, especially block copolymers, has remained a big challenge. Herein, we report the development of a phosphine-based conjugated hypercrosslinked polymer (PPh3-CHCP) photocatalyst for an efficient large-scale photoinduced copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (Cu-ATRP). Monomers including acrylates and methyl acrylates can achieve near-quantitative conversions under a wide range (450–940 nm) of radiations or sunlight directly. The photocatalyst could be easily recycled and reused. The sunlight-driven Cu-ATRP allowed the synthesis of homopolymers at 200 mL from various monomers, and monomer conversions approached 99% in clouds intermittency with good control over polydispersity. In addition, block copolymers at 400 mL scale can also be obtained, which demonstrates its great potential for industrial applications. The application for large-scale production of polymers using photocatalyzed reversible deactivation radical polymerization remains challenging. Here, the authors report the development of a phosphine-based conjugated hypercrosslinked polymer as photocatalyst for an efficient photoinduced and oxygen tolerant copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the knowledge, thoughts, and attitudes of oncology nurses in China regarding fertility preservation for male cancer patients of childbearing age, and for offering counseling or oncofertility services for the men in their care. Data was collected from 18 oncology nurses in Southwest China through voluntary self-report and in-depth interviews. The qualitative interview data were analyzed using a descriptive phenomenology method based on the lived experience of the nurses. The interviewees commonly reported 6 main concerns regarding fertility preservation (FP): their insufficient knowledge and inadequate nursing education; the importance of offering such services to cancer patients; legal vulnerability if FP information is withheld from patients; the role of the nurse in counseling; and barriers to discussing FP in practice. Nurses had a positive attitude toward FP, but most had no practical role in routinely informing male patients of their options, and the nurses believed that discussion of FP was outside their scope of practice. This study offers insight into the perceptions of oncology nurses in a developing country regarding the provision of FP services for adult male cancer patients. These results lead us to recommend that local fertility nurses should be given new training regarding FP. Furthermore, nurse-led clinics are desirable. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of nurse participation in FP counseling and referral, and how to improve the professional confidence of oncology nurses for addressing FP issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Minimally invasive (robotic or laparoscopic-assisted) nipple-sparing mastectomy combined with prosthesis breast reconstruction (NSM–PBR) is associated with smaller scars and greater patient satisfaction. However, the oncological safety of minimally invasive NSM–PBR remains controversial. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with breast cancer who underwent breast reconstruction between 1 January 2006 and 20 February 2021. Demographic and clinicopathological characteristics, operation information, postoperative complications, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Results: In all, 292 patients underwent minimally invasive NSM–PBR and 205 underwent open NSM–PBR for breast cancer. In the minimally invasive NSM–PBR group, 268 (91.8%) patients underwent laparoscopy and 24 (8.2%) patients underwent robot-assisted NSM–PBR. Mean operation time in the minimally invasive NSM–PBR group was significantly longer than that in the open NSM–PBR group (P = 0.023). Mean intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the minimally invasive NSM–PBR group (P < 0.05). There was no significant between-group difference in total complications. Similarly, there were no significant between-group differences in overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and local recurrence rate (P = 0.450, P = 0.613, and P = 0.679, respectively). Conclusions: The complication, recurrence, and mortality rates in minimally invasive NSM–PBR group were comparable to those in open NSM–PBR group. Our preliminary results are encouraging and suggest that minimally invasive NSM–PBR affords good cosmetic results and its oncological safety is comparable to that of open surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement pastes were tested for heat of hydration and chemical shrinkage at temperatures of 20 °C, 30 °C and 40 °C. Apparent activation energy ( E a ) values were then calculated using both exponential and hyperbolic methods. The average E a of the CSA cements ranged from 42.24 to 80.22 kJ/mol, much higher than that of Type I Portland cement (38–45 kJ/mol). E a increased slightly with the replacement of silica fume for cement. However, average E a decreased by 18.4% when 20% Class C fly ash was used, but increased by 21.3% when 40% Class C fly ash was used. E a calculated from heat of hydration using the exponential method is 17% lower than that obtained using the hyperbolic method. When the exponential method was used, E a values determined using heat of hydration were 30% higher than those obtained using chemical shrinkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary compounds play an important role in the prevention and treatment of many cancers, although their specific molecular mechanism is not yet known. In the present study, thirty dietary agents were analyzed on nine drug targets through in silico studies. However, nine dietary scaffolds, such as silibinin, flavopiridol, oleandrin, ursolic acid, α-boswellic acid, β-boswellic acid, triterpenoid, guggulsterone, and oleanolic acid potentially bound to the cavity of PI3K-α, PKC-η, H-Ras, and Ras with the highest binding energy. Particularly, the compounds silibinin and flavopiridol have been shown to have broad spectrum anticancer activity. Interestingly, flavopiridol was embedded in the pockets of PI3K-α and PKC-η as bound crystal inhibitors in two different conformations and showed significant interactions with ATP binding pocket residues. However, complex-based pharmacophore modeling achieved two vital pharmacophoric features namely, two H-bond acceptors for PI3K-α, while three are hydrophobic, one cat-donor and one H-bond donor and acceptor for PKC-η, respectively. The database screening with the ChemBridge core library explored potential hits on a valid pharmacophore query. Therefore, to optimize perspective lead compounds from the hits, which were subjected to various constraints such as docking, MM/GBVI, Lipinski rule of five, ADMET and toxicity properties. Henceforth, the top ligands were sorted out and examined for vital interactions with key residues, arguably the top three promising lead compounds for PI3K-α, while seven for PKC-η, exhibiting binding energy from − 11.5 to − 8.5 kcal mol−1. Therefore, these scaffolds could be helpful in the development of novel class of effective anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging discipline of oncofertility advocates for the timely provision of fertility preservation (FP) to all cancer patients of childbearing age by healthcare providers. A lack of practice due to limited FP-related knowledge was found among healthcare providers. A systematic review was undertaken on the educational programs on FP for healthcare providers. An initial search was performed in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases in October 2019. This review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Among the 160 articles that were identified, five relevant articles published between 2009 and 2019 were reviewed. Of the five studies, three were quantitative nonrandomized studies, one was a randomized controlled trial, and one was a qualitative study. Three programs were relevant to oncology nurses, one was relevant to social workers as well as nurses, and one was relevant to oncology fellows and residents. The four programs significantly increased healthcare providers' knowledge about FP, but clinical practice was only improved in the Educating Nurses about Reproductive Issues in Cancer Healthcare program (P < 0.01). Nevertheless, most of the studies used a self-made questionnaire or tool to assess the effects of the training programs. The educational programs improved the FP-related knowledge of healthcare providers but lacked the high-quality randomized controlled trials needed to provide robust evidence on the effectiveness of training programs using standard tools. More training projects should be developed based on learning theories or models to improve oncofertility care in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common pediatric malignant tumor of the eyes. Previous studies demonstrated that miR-491-3p is downregulated in various cancers. However, its function in Rb remains unknown. A total of 15 pairs of primary Rb tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues were collected. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to investigate the expression profiles of miR-491-3p. qRT-PCR, western blotting and in situ immunocytochemistry were performed to investigate the expression profiles of epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins (E-cadherin, Vimentin and N-cadherin) in Rb tissues and Rb cell lines as well as cell morphology. Cell proliferation was estimated by MTS and colony formation assays. Apoptosis was determined by FACS, cell migration and invasion were analyzed using transwell chambers. MiR-491-3p's target genes were predicted using target gene prediction databases. The interplay between miR-491-3p and SNN was evaluated through dual luciferase reporter gene assay. MiR-491-3p was significantly downregulated in mixed collection of 15 pairs of Rb tissues and Rb cell lines. Overexpression of miR-491-3p enhanced apoptosis, and significantly suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of Rb cells. In contrast, the present of miR-491-3p inhibitor showed reversed results which apoptosis decreased, while cell proliferation of ARPE-19 cells increased. In addition, miR-491-3p increased the expression of E-cadherin, and dramatically decreased the expression of Vimentin and N-cadherin in Rb tissues and Rb cell lines, noticeable changes in morphology, too, as cells became less cohesive and more adhering. We found out that SNN was the pairing target of miR-491-3p and result showed that miR-491-3p and SNN interacted with each other. We also found out that the effects of miR-491-3p were in Rb cells were almost entirely canceled out at the overexpression of SNN. Our findings collectively suggest that miR-491-3p is an important tumor suppressor in Rb, which inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in Rb. These implicate it may be explored as a new therapeutic target in Rb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks the fourth in terms of cancer-related mortality globally. Herein, in this research, we attempted to develop a novel immune-related gene signature that could predict survival and efficacy of immunotherapy for HCC patients. Methods: The transcriptomic and clinical data of HCC samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE14520 datasets, followed by acquiring immune-related genes from the ImmPort database. Afterwards, an immune-related gene-based prognostic index (IRGPI) was constructed using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression model. Kaplan–Meier survival curves as well as time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were performed to evaluate its predictive capability. Besides, both univariate and multivariate analyses on overall survival for the IRGPI and multiple clinicopathologic factors were carried out, followed by the construction of a nomogram. Finally, we explored the possible correlation of IRGPI with immune cell infiltration or immunotherapy efficacy. Results: Analysis of 365 HCC samples identified 11 differentially expressed immune-related genes, which were selected to establish the IRGPI. Notably, it can predict the survival of HCC patients more accurately than published biomarkers. Furthermore, IRGPI can predict the infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of HCC, as well as the response of immunotherapy. Conclusion: Collectively, the currently established IRGPI can accurately predict survival, reflect the immune microenvironment, and predict the efficacy of immunotherapy among HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgravity or simulated microgravity promotes stem cell proliferation and inhibits differentiation. But, researchers have not yet been able to understand the underlying mechanism through which microgravity or simulated microgravity brings about stem cell proliferation and inhibition of differentiation. In this study, we investigated the effect of simulated microgravity (SMG) on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells using rotary cell culture system (RCCS). SMG induced a significant accumulation of these cancer cells in S phase of the cell cycle. But, compared with the static group, there was no effect on the overall growth rate of cells in the RCCS group. Furthermore, the expression of cyclin D1 was inhibited in the RCCS group, indicating that RCCS induced cell cycle arrest. In addition, RCCS also induced glycolytic metabolism by increasing the expression of adrenomedullin (ADM), but not HIF1 a. The addition of ADM further enhanced the effects of SMG, which was induced by RCCS. But, the addition of adrenomedullin antagonist (AMA) reversed these effects of SMG. Finally, our results proved that RCCS, which induced cells cycle arrest of breast cancer cells, enhanced glycolysis and upregulated the expression of ADM. But, this did not lead to an increase in hypoxia-inducible factor-1 a (HIF1 a) expression. Thus, we have uncovered a new mechanism for understanding the Warburg effect in breast cancer cells, this mechanism is not the same as hypoxia induced glycolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of copolymers, sulfonated poly (aryl ether ketone sulfones) containing triazoles (SPAEKST), were synthesized by direct polycondensation reactions. The content of sulfonic acid and triazole groups was controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of feeding. The structures of triazole monomer and SPAEKST copolymers were confirmed by their H NMR and FTIR spectral analyses. The performance of membranes such as thermal and oxidative stabilities was clearly improved with increasing content of triazole groups. The morphology of SPAEKST membranes was investigated by TEM analyses, and the results indicate that the sulfonic acid groups were dispersed evenly. No clear phase separation was observed. The contact angle tests showed that the presence of triazoles clearly improved the hydrophilicity of membranes. The water desorption curves showed that the water retention of membranes increased with increasing content of triazole groups. The proton conduction of membranes exhibited a low dependence on relative humidity. At 80 °C, the proton conductivity of SPAEKST-30 % reached to 1.1 mScm under 20 % RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:Expression of liver low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), a determinant regulator in cholesterol homeostasis, is tightly controlled at multiple levels. The aim of this study was to examine whether proteasome inhibition could affect LDLR expression and LDL uptake in liver cells in vitro.Methods:HepG2 cells were examined. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were used to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively. DiI-LDL uptake assay was used to quantify the LDLR function. Luciferase assay system was used to detect the activity of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9, a major protein mediating LDLR degradation) promoter. Specific siRNAs were used to verify the involvement of PCSK9.Results:Treatment of HepG2 cells with the specific proteasome inhibitor MG132 (0.03-3 μmol/L) dose-dependently increased LDLR mRNA and protein levels, as well as LDL uptake. Short-term treatment with MG132 (0.3 μmol/L, up to 8 h) significantly increased both LDLR mRNA and protein levels in HepG2 cells, which was blocked by the specific PKC inhibitors GF 109203X, Gö 6983 or staurosporine. In contrast, a longer treatment with MG132 (0.3 μmol/L, 24 h) did not change LDLR mRNA, but markedly increased LDLR protein by reducing PCSK9-mediated lysosome LDLR degradation. Furthermore, MG132 time-dependently suppressed PCSK9 expression in the HepG2 cells through a SREBP-1c related pathway. Combined treatment with MG132 (0.3 μmol/L) and pravastatin (5 μmol/L) strongly promoted LDLR expression and LDL uptake in HepG2 cells, and blocked the upregulation of PCSK9 caused by pravastatin alone.Conclusion:Inhibition of proteasome by MG132 in HepG2 cells plays dual roles in LDLR and PCSK9 expression, and exerts a beneficial effect on cholesterol homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure evolution and thermal behaviors of polyacrylonitrile homopolymer (PAN) and terpolymer [P(AN-MMA-IA)] containing about 4.19 wt% methyl methacrylate (MMA), 0.98 wt% itaconic acid (IA) and 94.83 wt% acrylonitrile (AN) during heat treatments were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. It was found that the presence of IA comonomer in PAN promoted the cyclization reactions significantly though initiating the cyclization reactions at lower temperature and proceeding at a faster rate than these of PAN homopolymer. Moreover, it was found that the dehydrogenation was based on the formation of cyclized structures. From the results of FTIR analysis, we found the MMA comonomer blocked the cyclization reactions to some extent. Extent of cyclization reactions at different temperatures was calculated through the data of FTIR. The sequence of reactions happened during the stabilization was oxidation > cyclization > dehydrogenation. The higher rate constant k implied that the ionic mechanism actually showed a kinetic advantage at low temperature over the free radical mechanism, even though the MMA comonomer inhibited cyclization reactions to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panzhihua city (26°05′-27°21′N, 101°08′-102°15′E), located in a mountainous area, is one of the large cities in Sichuan province, China. A landslide occurred in the filling body of the eastern part of the Panzhihua airport on October 3, 2009 (hereafter called the 10.3 landslide). We conducted field survey on the landslide and adopted emergency monitoring and warning models based on the Internet of Things (IoT) to estimate the losses from the disaster and to prevent a secondary disaster from occurring. The results showed that four major features of the airport site had contributed to the landslide, i.e, high altitude, huge amount of filling rocks, deep backfilling and great difficulty of backfilling. The deformation process of the landslide had six stages and the unstable geological structure of high fillings and an earthquake were the main causes of the landslide. We adopted relative displacement sensing technology and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology to achieve remote, real-time and unattended monitoring of ground cracks in the landslide. The monitoring system, including five extensometers with measuring ranges of 200, 450 and 700 mm, was continuously working for 17 months and released 7 warning signals with an average warning time of about 26 hours. At 10 am on 6 December 2009, the system issued a warning and on-site workers were evacuated and equipment protected immediately. At 2:20 pm on 7 December, a medium-scale collapse occurred at the No. 5 monitoring site, which justified the alarm and proved the reliability and efficiency of the monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:Huperzine A isolated from the Chinese herb Huperzia serrata (Thunb) Trev is a novel reversible and selective AChE inhibitor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and tolerance of single and multiple doses of ZT-1, a novel analogue of huperzine A, in healthy Chinese subjects.Methods:This was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, single- and multiple-dose study. For the single-dose study, 9 subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups receiving ZT-1 (0.5, 0.75 or 1 mg, po) according to a Three-way Latin Square Design. For the multiple-dose study, 9 subjects receiving ZT-1 (0.75 mg/d, po) for 8 consecutive days. In the tolerance study, 40 subjects were randomly divided into 5 groups receiving a single dose of ZT-1 (0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25 or 1.5 mg, po). Plasma and urine concentrations of ZT-1 and Hup A were determined using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including Cmax, AUC0-72 h and AUC0-∞ were calculated. Tolerance assessments were conducted throughout the study.Results:ZT-1 was rapidly absorbed and converted into huperzine A, thus the plasma and urine concentrations of ZT-1 were below the limit of quantification (<0.05 ng/mL). After single-dose administration of ZT-1, the mean tmax of huperzine A was 0.76-0.82 h; the AUC0-72 h and Cmax of huperzine A showed approximately dose-proportional increase over the dose range of 0.5-1 mg. After the multiple-dose administration of ZT-1, a steady-state level of huperzine A was achieved within 2 d. No serious adverse events were observed.Conclusion:ZT-1 is a pro-drug that is rapidly absorbed and converted into huperzine A, and ZT-1 is well tolerated in healthy Chinese volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the major natural disasters occurring in China and causes severe impacts on agricultural production and food security. Therefore, agricultural drought vulnerability assessment has an important significance for reducing regional agricultural drought losses and drought disaster risks. In view of agricultural drought vulnerability assessment with the characteristics of multiple factors and uncertainty, we applied the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation framework to agricultural drought vulnerability model. The agricultural drought vulnerability assessment model was constructed based on the multi-layer and multi-index fuzzy clustering iterative method, which can better reveal the drought vulnerability (including sensitivity and adaptation capacity). Furthermore, the cycle iterative algorithm was used to obtain the optimal index weight vector of a given accuracy by setting the objective function. It provides a new approach to weight determination of agricultural drought vulnerability assessment. In this study, agricultural drought vulnerability of 65 cities (as well as leagues and states) in the Yellow River basin was investigated using a fuzzy clustering iterative model and visualized by using GIS technique. The results showed clear differences and regularities among the spatial distribution of agricultural drought vulnerability of different regions. A large number of the regions in the basin consisted of those exhibiting high to very high vulnerability and were mainly distributed throughout Qinghai, Gansu, northern Shaanxi, and southern Shanxi, accounting for 46 % of the total assessment units. However, the regions exhibiting very high vulnerability were not significantly affected by droughts. Most of the regions exhibiting moderate vulnerability (21.5 % of the assessment units) were mainly concentrated among agricultural irrigation areas, where agriculture is highly sensitive to droughts, and drought occurrence in these regions will likely cause heavy losses in the future. The regions exhibiting slight to low vulnerability were relatively concentrated, accounting for 32.3 % of the assessment units, and were mainly distributed in the plains of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, where the economy was rather well developed and the agricultural production conditions were relatively stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Our early work showed that the estrogen metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME) inhibits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and vascular contractility through an endothelium-dependent mechanism. The aim of this study was to examine whether 2ME prevents the development of hypertension in rats. Methods: A hypertensive model was established in uninephrectomized rats using deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt. Blood pressure in response to 2ME (treatment up to 10 weeks or single bolus) was monitored. Results: Our results showed that systolic blood pressure, as measured by tail-cuff plethysmography, was significantly increased in conscious rats treated with DOCA-salt for 3-10 weeks. Co-treatment with 2ME (100-300 μg/kg), but not dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), completely prevented the increase in blood pressure of DOCA-salt rats. After 10-week treatment, the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) of anesthetized rats measured using PowerLab Data Acquisition System was: 84 ± 16 mmHg in normotensive control rats and 150 ± 9 mmHg in DOCA-salt rats, which was similar to that of DMSO-treated rats. Treatment with 2ME at low or high doses reduced MABP of DOCA-salt rats close to that of control normotensive rats. In addition, MABP of hypertensive DOCA-salt rats was significantly reduced in response to a single injection of 2ME. Delayed administration of 2ME reduced the further increase of blood pressure in DOCA-salt rats. However, inhibition of 2ME production by entacapone did not significantly affect blood pressure in either control or DOCA-salt rats. Conclusions: 2ME treatment prevents the development of hypertension in DOCA-salt rats, implicating a therapeutic potential of 2ME in hypertension treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since the emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the source of pharmaceutical heparin has been restricted to porcine intestinal mucosa. In this project, two real-time fluorescent PCR methods were developed to assist with quality control analysis. The first is a qualitative method which relies on SYBR Green I chemistry to confirm the porcine origin of industrial crude porcine heparin (ICPH), identify any ruminant contaminants, and generally control purity. The second is based on TaqMan chemistry and is able to quantitatively identify porcine, bovine, caprine, and ovine components and contaminants in ICPH. By targeting mitochondrial DNA, both PCR systems showed a detection limit of 1 pg DNA and amplification efficiencies ranging between 96% and 102%. Moreover, quantitative PCR showed a detection limit of 0.02 ppm in samples comprising porcine, bovine, caprine, and ovine DNA. The results of qualitative PCR over 27 ICPH samples showed that all samples were porcine in origin and that 17 had ruminant contaminants. The results of quantitative PCR further showed that out of all 17 samples with ruminant contaminants, seven samples had bovine, ovine, and caprine contaminants, two samples had bovine and ovine contaminants, and eight samples had only ovine contaminants. In conclusion, the qualitative PCR system was found to be a relatively inexpensive, rapid, and flexible method of identifying the porcine origin of and ruminant contaminants in ICPH, while the quantitative PCR was found suitable to accurately analyze the components and contaminants in detail. Both methods are suitable for routine control assays for the evaluation of ICPH purity and origins of contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoFeO-Pb(ZrTi)O (CFO-PZT) multilayered composite film was prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrate via a sol-gel method and spin-coating technique. Results show that PZT and CFO phases exist in the composite film, calcined at 700 °C, besides substrate phase, and no obvious impurity phases can be detected. The composite film exhibits layered structure with obvious boundary between CFO and PZT films. Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties were simultaneously observed in the composite film, evidencing the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties in the composite film. The composite film exhibits both good magnetic and electric properties, as well as, magnetoelectric (ME) effect. The saturation magnetization value of the composite film is lower than that of the pure CFO film derived by the same processing as a result of the effect of the nonferromagnetic PZT layers. Ferroelectric hysteresis loops reveal that saturated polarization and remanent polarization of the composite film are lower than those of the pure PZT films. The composite film exhibits a very large ME effect, which makes the composite film attractive for technological applications as devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisinin is an endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. It has been widely used in South-East Asia and Africa as an effective drug against sensitive and multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. A monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated as 3H2, was generated with artesunate–bovine serum albumin conjugate as the immunogen. mAb 3H2 was used to develop a highly sensitive and specific indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) for artemisinin. The concentration of analyte producing 50% of inhibition (IC50) and the working range of the icELISA were 1.3 and 0.2–5.8 ng/mL, respectively. The mAb 3H2 recognized the artemisinin analogs artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, and artemether with cross-reactivity of 650%, 57%, and 3%, respectively, but negligibly recognized deoxyartemisinin and the artemisinin precursors arteannuin B and artemisinic acid. The average recoveries of artemisinin fortified in A. annua samples at concentrations from 156 to 5,000 μg/g determined by icELISA ranged from 91% to 98%. The icELISA was applied for the determination of artemisinin in different wild A. annua samples and the results were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The correlation coefficient ( R2) between the two assays was larger than 0.99, demonstrating a good agreement between the icELISA and HPLC results. This ELISA is suitable for quality assurance of A. annua L. materials. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound 1-(1′,3′-dimethyl-5′-chloropyrazol-4′-carbonyl)-3-(2′-chlorophenyl)-5-amino-4-cyanopyrazole (C16H12Cl2N6O) has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction: Triclinic, space group P1, with a = 8.6712(8) Å, b = 9.5091(10) Å, c = 11.2170(11) Å α = 71.531(2)°, β = 84.683(2)°, γ = 74.099(2)° Z = 2; V = 843.7(14) Å3. C(10), O(1), C(11), and N(2) atoms are coplanar with the average deviation of 0.0071 Å, which form 11.03° and 43.93° dihedral angles with pyrazole planes (I) and (II), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the synthesis of a series of pentacoordinate substituted p-benzoate bis(8-hydroxyquinaldine) gallium complexes. Fig. 1). Characterization of the structure of complexes was characterized by element analysis; Effect of the substituted group of second ligand; Preparation of gallium benzoate complex.