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Abstract: Objective: This study aims to analyse the epidemiology of paediatric burns in south central China, illustrate the differences between rural and urban areas, and discern prevention measures to reduce paediatric burns. Methods: Data were obtained from all paediatric patients admitted to Department of Burns unit of Xiangya Hospital during 2009–2012. A retrospective review was performed, including cause of burn, pre-hospital treatment, place of burn occurrence, anatomical areas involved, extent of burn, date of injury, number of operations, complications, length of hospital stay, hospitalisation cost and cure rate. Results: A total of 278 hospitalised paediatric patients were admitted in this study. The majority (56.47%) were 1–3 years old. Rural patients accounted for 67.99% in total; the ratio of boys to girls was 2.05. Scalding with hot fluids was the most common cause of burns in children (62.59%), followed by flame (17.63), fireworks (9.71%), electricity (5.76%) and other factors such as contact and chemical (4.32%). The living room was the location with the highest frequency of burns in children (53.24%). Burns were more likely to happen in winter and the upper extremities were the most involved anatomic site (53.24%). Total burn surface area (TBSA) ranging from 0% to 9% accounted for 55.4% in total. Rural patients underwent more operations and had longer and costlier hospital stays than urban patients. Conclusion: Compared with treatment in urban areas, rural burn patients received less first-aid treatment, underwent more surgery, had more complications and longer and more costly hospital stays. This finding strongly suggests that it is necessary to make more efforts to prevent burns, especially in rural areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lead isotopic ratios of biosamples such as blood, hair and teeth are used as 'fingerprints' to trace and identify sources of lead pollution in the environment. However, the reliability of this technique has not been confirmed. In previous studies, we investigated the differences in lead isotopic ratios between blood, hair, and organs from the same human body. To explore the relationship between isotopic ratios in environmental lead and biosamples, and to investigate the influence of exposure dose, rats were exposed to 0, 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg body weight of lead acetate every day for 4 weeks by intragastric administration. Lead isotopic ratios of blood, hair, liver, kidney and femur in rats, as well as that of the test substance lead acetate, were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. There were significant differences ( P<0.05) in lead isotopic fingerprints between blood, hair, and tissues. Lead fingerprints of blood were influenced by lead exposure dose, while those of other tissues and organs were generally not. Its reliability and availability indicated that blood, but not hair, was thus a suitable biomarker for environmental lead exposure. The results of this study provide the scientific rationale for the use of lead isotopic ratios for the identification of human lead pollution sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two second-order calibration methods based on the parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and the alternating penalty trilinear decomposition (APTLD) method, have been utilized for the direct determination of terazosin hydrochloride (THD) in human plasma samples, coupled with the excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy. Meanwhile, the two algorithms combing with the standard addition procedures have been applied for the determination of terazosin hydrochloride in tablets and the results were validated by the high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. These second-order calibrations all adequately exploited the second-order advantages. For human plasma samples, the average recoveries by the PARAFAC and APTLD algorithms with the factor number of 2 (N =2) were 100.4±2.7% and 99.2±2.4%, respectively. The accuracy of two algorithms was also evaluated through elliptical joint confidence region (EJCR) tests and t-test. It was found that both algorithms could give accurate results, and only the performance of APTLD was slightly better than that of PARAFAC. Figures of merit, such as sensitivity (SEN), selectivity (SEL) and limit of detection (LOD) were also calculated to compare the performances of the two strategies. For tablets, the average concentrations of THD in tablet were 63.5 and 63.2ngmL−1 by using the PARAFAC and APTLD algorithms, respectively. The accuracy was evaluated by t-test and both algorithms could give accurate results, too. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Compressive behavior of heat-damaged square concrete columns confined with BFRP jackets was investigated. • Effects of exposure temperature and BFRP jacket layers on the experimental results were studied. • The confinement mechanism of BFRP-confined heat-damaged concrete was discussed. • The accuracy of typical confinement models for FRP-confined heat-damaged concrete was examined. Externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are increasingly used to confine concrete columns as an effective strengthening technique. During the past two decades, a significant research effort has focused on the performance of FRP-strengthened concrete structures under fire exposure. However, there is still a lack of research on the structural behavior of heat- or fire-damaged concrete structures repaired with FRP composites. This paper presents the results of the first-ever experimental study on the compressive behavior of heat-damaged square concrete prisms that are either unconfined or confined by a promising type of FRP composites made of basalt fibers. A total of 51 specimens were prepared and tested under axial compression. The design variables included the heat-induced damage levels of concrete prisms after exposure to various elevated temperatures (200, 400, 600 and 800 °C) and the layers of basalt FRP (BFRP) jackets (2-, 3- and 4-layer) used for strengthening. The failure modes, compressive strengths, ultimate axial strains, axial stress–strain curves, and axial strain-to-hoop strain relationships of the specimens were investigated and compared. The external confinement of the BFRP jackets was proved to be effective in enhancing the strength and deformation capacities of heat-damaged concrete with a square cross-section. The strength growths and the ultimate axial strains of the BFRP-confined heat-damaged square concrete prisms were improved with the increase in the exposure temperature or the number of BFRP jacket layers. Two typical concrete confinement models were then modified by taking the residual mechanical properties of concrete into account to predict the compressive behavior of the BFRP-confined heat-damaged concrete with a square cross-section. The comparisons between the test results and the model predictions are presented, and the accuracy of the concrete confinement models are examined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Polyketide pesticides from actinomycetes are important for crop protection. • Four currently widely used polyketide pesticide families were reviewed. • Approaches for discovery and modification of polyketide pesticides. • Key biotechnologies for polyketide pesticide development were discussed. • Current status of polyketide pesticide industrial production. Natural product derived pesticides have increased in popularity worldwide because of their high efficacy, eco-friendly nature and favorable safety profile. The development of polyketide pesticides from actinomycetes reflects this increase in popularity in the past decades. These pesticides, which include avermectins, spinosyns, polynactins, tetramycin and their analogues, have been successfully applied in crop protection. Moreover, the advance of biotechnology has led to continuous improvement in the discovery and production processes. In this review, we summarize these polyketide pesticides, their activities and provide insight into their development. We also discuss engineering strategies and the current status of industrial production for these pesticides. Given that actinomycetes are known to produce a wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites, the description of pesticide development and high yield strain improvement presented herein will facilitate further development of these valuable polyketide pesticides from actinomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Rho-related coiled helix forming protein kinase (Rho-ROCK) and another important fibrogenic factor-PDGF play a critical role in collagen deposition in rat lung tissue. Yifei decoction (YFT), a Chinese herbal decoction, has been used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in clinical practice and has produced positive outcomes; however, convincing evidence is currently lacking. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of YFT combined with MitoQ in rats with IPF and to explore the underlying mechanism. Methods. Rat IPF model was established by endotracheal injection of 5 mg/kg BleomycinA5 into the specific pathogen-free SD rats. MitoQ (6.5 μmol/kg once daily), YFT (10 ml/kg once daily), and MitoQ + YFT (6.5 μmol/kg + 10 ml/kg once daily) were used to treat the rat model for 4 weeks, respectively. The normal rats without IPF were used as the controls. After 4 weeks of drug treatment, lung histopathology was assessed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of fibronectin and collagen IV in lung tissue. The expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, GSH-Px, SOD, MDA, and hydroxyproline was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of TGFβ1, NOX4, PDGFR-β, and ROCK1 were determined using real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. Results. After 4 weeks of drug treatment, comparison of the MitoQ + YFT group with the IPF group showed that lung injury scores, W/D, lung tissue hydroxyproline, fibronectin, collagen IV content, and IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and MDA levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05), as well as the expression of TGFβ1, NOX4, PDGFR-β, and ROCK1, but the activity of GSH-Px and SOD was higher (P < 0.05). Conclusion. MitoQ combined with YFT can improve lung injury in rats with pulmonary fibrosis by reducing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and inhibiting TGFβ1/NOX4 and PDGF/ROCK signaling pathways. It may provide a new method for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, inhibitors have been widely used in the field of coal fire prevention and control, but there are some defects in the use of them. So it is necessary to find a new practical and economical inhibitor. Dissolvable tiny-foam extinguisher (DTE) is environment-friendly, high in thermal stability, and fast in cooling. In view of the good performance of the product, the thermal behavior effects of DTE on coal spontaneous combustion were investigated through experimental tests. A scanning electron microscopy was used to study changes in the surface microstructure of raw coal after DTE treatment. Laser thermal conductivity analysis and simultaneous thermal analysis were used to test the effects of DTE at mass fraction of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% on the thermophysical properties, mass loss, characteristic temperature, and heat release of coal during heating. The surface of the DTE-treated coal sample was covered in a dense film. The treated coal sample had lower thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity values and a higher specific heat capacity. Moreover, coal treated with DTE showed no obvious oxygen absorption or mass gain during initial heating, and the dry cracking temperature was greatly increased by 37 °C, 53 °C, and 100 °C, respectively. The initial heat release temperature increased by more than 170 °C, and the amount of the initial heat absorption was more than 52.2 times that of untreated samples. Oxidation kinetics were applied to calculate the activation energy of the coal during thermal decomposition and ignition, and the activation energies of the treated samples at the thermal decomposition and combustion stages increased by 161%, 179%, and 173%, respectively. From these results, we concluded that DTE could inhibit heat accumulation by blocking oxygen contact with the coal and greatly reducing heat release during heating. Besides, only a small quantity of DTE was needed to effectively inhibit coal self-ignition. These results provide reference for the field application of DTE in restraining coal spontaneous combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-terminal hybrid AC/DC power systems have found a wide application in different areas, such as wind and solar energy, microgrids, shipboard power systems (SPS), etc. To ensure reliability and survivability of the SPS, the emergency control is necessary to be implemented, which is widely utilized in conventional AC networks and hybrid AC/DC systems. This paper proposes a concept of reconfiguration theory based on a centralized emergency control algorithm of the SPS with a complex structure, which has high requirements for reliability and survivability. The proposed method complements the well-proven local control approaches, paying particular attention to the SPS reconfiguration. A special emphasis is placed on improving the SPS reliability by combining the AC nodes, as well as on increasing the reconfiguration procedure efficiency, the latter being achieved by not taking into account the special constraint on the DC circuit breakers states. The algorithm carries out a preventive calculation of control actions using the genetic algorithm optimization procedure. The case studies were performed by using the modified DC zonal electrical distribution system (DC-ZEDS) model, and the results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method and model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An adaptive guided wave (GW)-Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and optimal transport wasserstein distance (OTWD)-based structural crack quantification method is proposed. • Adaptive GMM is utilized to track the random distribution of GW signal features and catch the statistic characteristics of TVC effects. • OTWD is proposed to measure the GMM difference with improved linearity by finding the optimal transport between complex distributions. • Crack quantification by using OTWD as the damage indicator achieves accurate and reliable crack length evaluation results on aircraft attachment lug specimens under random load. A challenge for online guided wave-based structural health monitoring is the reliable crack quantitative evaluation under time varying conditions (TVCs). This paper proposed an adaptive guided wave (GW)-Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and optimal transport Wasserstein distance (OTWD)-based structural crack quantification method. Firstly, adaptive GMM tracking the probability distribution of GW signal features obtained under different structural healthy states is utilized to suppress the uncertain influence caused by TVCs. Then, OTWD is proposed to measure the GMM difference with improved linearity by finding the optimal transport between two GMMs. The OTWD between GMMs established under structural healthy state and monitoring state respectively is utilized as the damage indicator, where the data discrepancy caused by TVCs is further reduced. Finally, the quantitative relationship between OTWD and crack length is established to estimate the crack length. The overall method is demonstrated on the aircraft attachment lug specimens under random load. The generalization and necessity of the method is verified by cross validation and comparison with existing methods. The results illustrate the improved reliability and accuracy of the proposed method in crack quantitative evaluation under the uncertain influence of random load. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and its correlation with advanced disease stage have been shown in solid cancers. Here, we investigated the functional features and clinical significance of MDSCs in extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKL). A higher percentage of circulating HLA-DRCD33CD11b MDSCs was observed in ENKL patients than in healthy controls ( P < 0.05, n = 32) by flow cytometry analysis. These MDSCs from ENKL patients (ENKL-MDSCs) consisted of CD14 monocytic (Mo-MDSCs, >60 %) and CD15 granulocytic (PMN-MDSCs, <20 %) MDSCs. Furthermore, these ENKL-MDSCs expressed higher levels of Arg-1, iNOS and IL-17 compared to the levels of MDSCs from healthy donors, and they expressed moderate levels of TGFβ and IL-10 but lower levels of CD66b. The ENKL-MDSCs strongly suppressed the anti-CD3-induced allogeneic and autologous CD4 T cell proliferation ( P < 0.05), but they only slightly suppressed CD8 T cell proliferation ( P > 0.05). Interestingly, ENKL-MDSCs inhibited the secretion of IFNγ but promoted IL-10, IL-17 and TGFβ secretion as well as Foxp3 expression in T cells. The administration of inhibitors of iNOS, Arg-1 and ROS significantly reversed the suppression of anti-CD3-induced T cell proliferation by MDSCs ( P < 0.05). Importantly, based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, the HLA-DRCD33CD11b cells and CD14 Mo-MDSCs were independent predictors for disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.013 and 0.016) and overall survival (OS, P = 0.017 and 0.027). Overall, our results identified for the first time that ENKL-MDSCs (mainly Mo-MDSCs) have a prognostic value for patients and a suppressive function on T cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiostrongylus cantonensis ( A. cantonensis) is a rodent nematode. Adult worms of A. cantonensis live in the pulmonary arteries of rats; humans are non-permissive hosts like the mice. The larva cannot develop into an adult worm and only causes serious eosinophilic meningitis or meningo-encephalitis if humans or mice eat food containing larva of A. cantonensis in the third stage. The differing consequences largely depend on differing immune responses of hosts to parasite during A. cantonensis invasion and development. To further understand the reasons why mice and rats attain different outcomes in A. cantonensis infection, we used the HE staining to observe the pathological changes of infected mice and rats. In addition, we measured mRNA levels of some cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, Eotaxin, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β, IFN-γ, IL-17A, TNF-α, IL-1β, and iNOS) in brain tissues of mice and rats by real-time PCR. The result showed that brain inflammation in mice was more serious than in rats. Meanwhile, mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS increased after mice were infected. In contrast, mRNA levels of these cytokines in rats brain tissues decreased at post- infection 21 days. These cytokines mostly were secreted by activated microglia in central nervous system. Microglia of mice and rats were showed by Iba-1 (microglia marker) staining. In micee brains, microglia got together and had more significant activation than in rats brains. The results demonstrate that mice and rats have different CNS inflammation after infection by A. cantonensis, and it is in line with other researchers' reported findings. In conclusion, it is suggested that microglia activation is probably to be one of the most important factors in angiostrongyliasis from our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocytes play multiple roles in physiological and pathological conditions in brain. However, little is known about the alterations of astrocytes in age-related changes, and few aging models of the astrocytes in vitro have been established. Therefore, in the present study, we used d -galactose (D-Gal) to establish astrocyte aging model to explore the alterations of astrocytes in brain aging. We also used 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectra to verify the metabolic changes in the cerebral cortex of mice injected with D-gal. The results showed that D-gal (55 mM) treatment for 1 week induced senescence characteristics in cultured cortical astrocytes. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis showed that the levels of glutamine synthetase (GS) mRNA and protein were strikingly decreased in the cultured senescent astrocytes, and the senescent astrocytes showed less resistance to the glutamate-induced gliotoxicity. The impairments of glutamate–glutamine cycle and astrocytes were also found in the cerebral cortex of mice treatment with D-gal (100 mg/kg) for 6 weeks, and the level of GS mRNA was also found to be reduced markedly, being consistent with the result obtained from the senescent astrocytes in vitro. These results indicate that astrocyte may be the predominant contributor to the pathogenic mechanisms of D-gal-induced brain aging in mice, and GS might be one of the potential therapeutic targets of the aged brain induced by D-gal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocytes play a key role in removing the synaptically released glutamate from the extracellular space and maintaining the glutamate below neurotoxic level in the brain. However, high concentration of glutamate leads to toxicity in astrocytes, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether energy metabolism disorder, especially impairment of mitochondrial respiration, is involved in the glutamate-induced gliotoxicity. Exposure to 10-mM glutamate for 48 h stimulated glycolysis and respiration in astrocytes. However, the increased oxygen consumption was used for proton leak and non-mitochondrial respiration, but not for oxidative phosphorylation and ATP generation. When the exposure time extended to 72 h, glycolysis was still activated for ATP generation, but the mitochondrial ATP-linked respiration of astrocytes was reduced. The glutamate-induced astrocyte damage can be mimicked by the non-metabolized substrate d-aspartate but reversed by the non-selective glutamate transporter inhibitor TBOA. In addition, the glutamate toxicity can be partially reversed by vitamin E. These findings demonstrate that changes of bioenergetic profile occur in cultured cortical astrocytes exposed to high concentration of glutamate and highlight the role of mitochondria respiration in glutamate-induced gliotoxicity in cortical astrocytes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Four-way room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) data recorded by following the kinetic evolution of excitation–emission phosphorescence matrices (EEPMs) have been analyzed for the first time by third-order calibration based on parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), alternating weighted residue constraint quadrilinear decomposition (AWRCQLD) and alternating quadrilinear decomposition (AQLD) algorithms. The AQLD constructed in pseudo-fully stretched matrix forms of quadrilinear model was a new third-order calibration algorithm, which was developed as a direct extension of alternating trilinear decomposition for quadrilinear data. These methodologies were applied to investigate the hydrolysis kinetic of carbaryl even in the presence of an uncalibrated phosphorescence background and comparisons among them were done subsequently. Spectral background drift produced in measured dataset was overcome by means of modeling the drift as an additional component as well as the analyte of interest in the mathematical model. Satisfactory results were obtained for determination of carbaryl in spiked tap water samples. The spectral and kinetic time profiles resolved by these methodologies were in good agreement with experimental observations. The present work successfully faced the difficulty in investigating the hydrolysis kinetic of analyte with the RTP techniques, opening a new approach for third-order data generation and subsequent third-order calibration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel method was developed for the analysis of four β-blockers, namely sotalol, carteolol, bisoprolol, and propranolol, in human urine by coupling carrier-mediated liquid phase microextraction (CM-LPME) to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). By adding an appropriate carrier in organic phase, simultaneous extraction and enrichment of hydrophilic (sotalol, carteolol, and bisoprolol) and hydrophobic (propranolol) drugs were achieved. High enrichment factors were obtained by optimizing the compositions of the organic phase, the acceptor solution, the donor solution, the stirring rate, and the extraction time. The linear ranges were from 0.05 to 10.0mgL−1 for sotalol and carteolol, and from 0.05 to 8.0mgL−1 for bisoprolol and propranolol. The limits of detection (S/N=3) were 0.01mgL−1 for sotalol, carteolol, and bisoprolol, and 0.005mgL−1 for propranolol. The relative standard deviations were lower than 6%. The developed method exhibited high analyte preconcentration and excellent sample clean-up effects with little solvent consumption and was found to be sensitive and suitable for simultaneous determination of the above four drugs spiked in human urine. Furthermore, the successful analysis of propranolol in real urine specimens revealed that the determination of β-blockers in human urine is feasible using the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For efficient production of (R)-(−)-mandelic acid, a nitrilase gene from Alcaligenes sp. ECU0401 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. After simple optimization of the culture conditions, the biocatalyst production was greatly increased from 500 to 7000U/l. The recombinant E. coli whole cells showed strong tolerance against a high substrate concentration of up to 200mM, and the concentration of (R)-(−)-mandelic acid after only 4h of transformation reached 197mM with an enantiomeric excess (ee p) of 99%. In a fed-batch reaction with 600mM mandelonitrile as the substrate, the cumulative production of (R)-(−)-mandelic acid after 17.5h of conversion reached 520mM. The recombinant E. coli cells could also be repeatedly used in the biotransformation, retaining 40% of the initial activity after 10 batches of reaction. The highly substrate/product tolerable and enantioselective nature of this recombinant nitrilase suggests that it is of great potential for the practical production of optically pure (R)-(−)-mandelic acid. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Through randomly arranging samples of a calibration set, treating their NIR spectra with orthogonal discrete wavelet transform, and selecting suitable variables in terms of correlation coefficient test (r-test), it is possible to extract features of each component in a multi-component system respectively and partial least squares (PLS) models based on these features are capable of predicting the concentration of every component. What is perhaps more important, with the proposed strategy, the predictive ability of the model is at least not impaired while the size of the calibration set can be obviously reduced. Therefore, it provides a more economical, rapid, as well as convenient approach of NIR quantitative analysis for multi-component system. In addition, all important factors and parameters related to the proposed strategy are discussed in detail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• method for determination of fructose, glucose and sucrose was developed. • No organic reagents were used to obtain a green and environmentally friendly method. • Teas from 15 types were compared before and after processing. • A total of 213 tea samples from 7 countries were analyzed. • The reasonable range of sucrose content of tea was obtained for the first time. A solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC–MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of fructose, glucose and sucrose in tea. Tea samples were ultrasonically extracted with ultrapure water and cleaned up by Oasis PRIME HLB SPE cartridge. The separation of the analytes was performed on XBridge BEH Amide column (2.1 × 150 mm, 5 μm) with isocratic elution. Detection of the target compounds were carried out under the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with negative electrospray ionization (ESI−). The qualitative screening was achieved with retention time and qualitative ion, then confirmation analysis with peak area and quantitative ion. The limits of detection (LODs, S/N ≥ 3) of fructose, glucose and sucrose were 0.02 mg/L, 0.03 mg/L and 0.08 mg/L, respectively. The average recoveries varied from 92.1 %–108.5 % for three levels. Linearity was obtained with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.992 for three target compounds. The established method was rapid, simple and accurate which was suitable for batch determination of fructose, glucose and sucrose in tea. A total of 213 tea samples from 7 countries were analysed and the results statistically analyzed using MATLAB software. Moreover, source and adulteration analysis of sucrose in tea was carried out. Sucrose in tea is mainly derived from photosynthesis during growth, hydrolysis of polysaccharides during the processing and artificial adulteration, once the sucrose content in tea exceeds 24.3 g/kg, it may involve artificial adulteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compressive behavior of PET FRP/CFRP-wrapped SSC in square columns was investigated. • The type and thickness of FRP jackets and the blending water of SSC were test variables. • The accuracy of typical confinement models for FRP-wrapped square concrete columns was examined. Seawater sea-sand concrete (SSC) has attracted increasing attention as an alternative to normal concrete due to unsustainable usage and overexploitation of resources (e.g., gravel and river sand). The high chloride content of SSC has hindered its widespread applications since the conventional steel reinforcement is easy to be corroded by the abundance of chloride ions in SSC. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites that are exempt from most corrosion problems have been introduced in the construction of SSC members. This paper presents a series of axial compressive tests on the square SSC columns wrapped with carbon and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) FRP jackets, the latter of which are cost-effective and environmentally friendly and have a large rupture strain (LRS). The experimental program included the axial compressive tests on 36 square columns wrapped with PET-FRP or CFRP jackets and 9 control cylinders. Based on the axial compressive tests, the effects of the SSC mixing water as well as the type and layers of FRP jackets were carefully investigated. The measured stress–strain curves of the column specimens were compared with the predictions by existing concrete confinement models to examine their reliability in predicting the compressive behavior of CFRP/PET FRP-wrapped square SSC columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Axial compressive behavior of PET FRP/CFRP-confined SSC columns was investigated. • The type and thickness of FRP jackets and the type of mixing water of SSC were the variables of this study. • A modified analysis-oriented model with a new dilation equation was proposed for the PET FRP-confined SSC. Since fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites possess excellent corrosion resistance, they have great potential of use with seawater sea-sand concrete (SSC) for the construction of marine and coastal infrastructure. The existing research on SSC columns confined with FRP jackets, however, is rather limited. Most of the limited research has focused on the axial compressive behavior of SSC columns confined by conventional FRP jackets (made from carbon and glass FRP composites). This paper presents results from the first-ever experimental study on the behavior of axially loaded circular SSC columns confined by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) FRP jackets, which are composed of a new and more promising type of FRP composites with a bilinear stress-strain response and a large rupture strain. Parameters varied between the tests presented in this paper included the type and thickness of FRP jackets and the type of mixing water used for casting the SSC. A modified analysis-oriented model was developed in which a new dilation equation was proposed for the PET FRP-confined SSC. The reliability and accuracy of the analysis-oriented model were then examined by comparisons between the predicted results and the test results of the FRP-confined SSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclin B1 (CCNB1) encodes a regulatory protein essential for the regulation of cell mitosis, particularly in controlling the G2/M transition phase of the cell cycle. Current research has implicated CCNB1 in the progression of various types of cancer, including gastric cancer, breast cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. In this study, we conducted a pan-cancer analysis of CCNB1 to investigate its prognostic significance and immunological aspects. Our comprehensive investigation covered a wide range of analyses, including gene expression, promoter methylation, genetic alterations, immune infiltration, immune regulators, and enrichment studies. We utilized multiple databases and tools for this purpose, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), the University of Alabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis Portal (UALCAN), the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), the DNA Methylation Interactive Visualization Database (DNMIVD), the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), Sangerbox, and cBioPortal. Data analyses were executed using GraphPad Prism software, R software, and various online tools. Our findings demonstrated a significant increase in CCNB1 expression across 28 cancer types. Elevated CCNB1 expression correlated with decreased overall survival (OS) in 11 cancer types and disease-free survival (DFS) in 12 cancer types. Additionally, DNA promoter methylation levels were significantly decreased in 14 cancer types. Furthermore, the study verified a significant association between CCNB1 expression and immune infiltration, immune modulators, microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Enrichment analysis indicated that CCNB1 is involved in multiple cellular pathways. Collectively, our results suggested that CCNB1 has the potential to serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker and may be a promising target for immunotherapy in various cancer types.

Introduction: Existing blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) mainly focus on its pathological features. However, studies on blood-based biomarkers associated with other biological processes for a comprehensive evaluation of AD status are limited., Methods: We developed a blood-based, multiplex biomarker assay for AD that measures the levels of 21 proteins involved in multiple biological pathways. We evaluated the assay's performance for classifying AD and indicating AD-related endophenotypes in three independent cohorts from Chinese or European-descent populations., Results: The 21-protein assay accurately classified AD (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.9407 to 0.9867) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI; AUC = 0.8434 to 0.8945) while also indicating brain amyloid pathology. Moreover, the assay simultaneously evaluated the changes of five biological processes in individuals and revealed the ethnic-specific dysregulations of biological processes upon AD progression., Discussion: This study demonstrated the utility of a blood-based, multi-pathway biomarker assay for early screening and staging of AD, providing insights for patient stratification and precision medicine., Highlights: The authors developed a blood-based biomarker assay for Alzheimer's disease. The 21-protein assay classifies AD/MCI and indicates brain amyloid pathology. The 21-protein assay can simultaneously assess activities of five biological processes. Ethnic-specific dysregulations of biological processes in AD were revealed., (© 2024 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

The research aims to explore the protective effects of ghrelin and its underlying molecular mechanisms in an H9C2 hypoxia/reoxygenation model. H9C2 cells were transfected with ghrelin overexpression lentiviral vector. The hypoxia/reoxygenation H9C2 model was constructed. The expression of ghrelin was analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western Blotting. CCK8, flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to analyze the impact of ghrelin on the survival and apoptosis of H9C2 injured by hypoxia/reoxygenation. The levels of autophagy-related proteins in H9C2 cells were evaluated through Western blotting. ELISA was utilized to assess how ghrelin affects the inflammatory response triggered by hypoxia/reoxygenation. Western blotting was utilized to investigate the regulatory role of ghrelin on the AMPK/ULK1 pathway. Additionally, the AMPK inhibitor Compound C was introduced to delve further into the associated mechanism. Hypoxia/reoxygenation injury decreased the expression of ghrelin. Transfection of ghrelin overexpression lentiviral vector significantly increased the expression of ghrelin in H9C2 cells. Ghrelin overexpression can significantly promote cell survival, reduce apoptosis, activate AMPK, ULK1 and AMBRA1, promote autophagy, increase the expression of LC3BII/LC3BI and Beclin-1, reduce the expression of P62, and reduce inflammatory response. Ghrelin inhibited apoptosis of H9C2 caused by hypoxia/reoxygenation and reduced inflammatory response, which mechanism is related to activation of AMPK/ULK1 pathway and autophagy.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), sensome receptor dysfunction impairs microglial danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) clearance and exacerbates disease pathology. Although extrinsic signals, including interleukin-33 (IL-33), can restore microglial DAMP clearance, it remains largely unclear how the sensome receptor is regulated and interacts with DAMP during phagocytic clearance. Here, we show that IL-33 induces VCAM1 in microglia, which promotes microglial chemotaxis toward amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque-associated ApoE, and leads to Aβ clearance. We show that IL-33 stimulates a chemotactic state in microglia, characterized by Aβ-directed migration. Functional screening identified that VCAM1 directs microglial Aβ chemotaxis by sensing Aβ plaque-associated ApoE. Moreover, we found that disrupting VCAM1-ApoE interaction abolishes microglial Aβ chemotaxis, resulting in decreased microglial clearance of Aβ. In patients with AD, higher cerebrospinal fluid levels of soluble VCAM1 were correlated with impaired microglial Aβ chemotaxis. Together, our findings demonstrate that promoting VCAM1-ApoE-dependent microglial functions ameliorates AD pathology., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Because of the widespread application of anesthetic drugs in the fields of animal breeding and transportation, demand for the rapid, sensitive detection of anesthetic drugs in animal meat is increasing. The complex animal meat matrix contains various interfering substances, such as proteins, fats, and phospholipids, along with anesthetic drug residues at very low concentrations. Therefore, adopting appropriate pretreatment methods is necessary to improve the sensitivity of detection. In this study, a rapid, accurate analytical method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and solid phase extraction (SPE) was established to determine the contents of 18 caines in animal meat. The MS parameters, such as the collision energies of 18 caines, were optimized. Furthermore, the chromatographic separation conditions and response intensities of the caine in different mobile phases were compared. The effects of different pretreatment conditions on the extraction efficiencies of the 18 caines in meat samples and those of different purification conditions, such as extraction solvent, SPE column, and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) dosage, on their recoveries were investigated. Combined with the external standard method, the 18 caines in meat were successfully quantified. Sample pretreatment is a three-step process. First, in ultrasound-assisted extraction, 2.0 g samples were added to 2.0 mL water and extracted using 10 mL 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile under ultrasound conditions for 10 min. SPE was then performed using an Oasis PRIME HLB column. Finally, DMSO-assisted concentration was employed: the organic layer was collected and dried at 40 ℃ under a stream of N 2 gas with the addition of 100 μL DMSO. Acetonitrile-water (1∶9, v/v) was added to the residue to yield a final volume of 1.0 mL for use in UPLC-MS/MS. The 18 caines were separated using an HSS T 3 (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) column with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water (containing 0.02 mmol/L ammonium acetate) and methanol as mobile phases. Samples were detected using an electrospray ion source (ESI) in the positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes during UPLC-MS/MS. Under the optimized conditions, the 18 target caine anesthetics displayed good linearities in the range of 1.00-50.0 μg/L, and the correlation coefficients ( R 2 ) were >0.999. The respective limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were 0.2-0.5 μg/kg, and 0.6-1.5 μg/kg. In pork, beef, and mutton samples, the recoveries obtained at three spiked levels were 83.4%-100.4% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 3.1%-8.5%. This simple, rapid, sensitive method may be applied in the detection of 18 caine anesthetics in animal meat and may provide technical support to the food safety department in China in monitoring the residues of caine anesthetics in animal meat.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in neuronal growth and development. Different miRNAs target different genes to protect neurons in different ways, such as by avoiding apoptosis, preventing degeneration mediated by conditional mediators, preventing neuronal loss, weakening certain neurotoxic mechanisms, avoiding damage to neurons, and reducing inflammatory damage to them. The high expression of miRNAs in the brain has significantly facilitated their development as protective targets for therapy, including neuroprotection and neuronal recovery. miRNA is indispensable to the growth and development of neurons, and in turn, is beneficial for the development of the brain and checking the progression of various diseases of the nervous system. It can thus be used as an important therapeutic target for models of various diseases. This review provides an introduction to the protective effects of miRNA on neurons in case of different diseases or damage models, and then provides reference values and reflections on the relevant treatments for the benefit of future research in the area., Competing Interests: None

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Huaier extract supernatant(HES) on the proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, and migration of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells and its molecular mechanisms. The main components in HES were preliminarily analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS). Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay, colony formation assay, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine(EdU) staining assay were used to explore the effect of HES on the proliferation of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells. Hoechst staining and flow cytometry assay were used to determine the effect of HES on apoptosis of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells. Acridine orange staining and cell scratch assay were used to determine the effect of HES on autophagy and migration of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells, respectively. Western blot was used to investigate the regulatory effect of HES on the expression levels of proteins related to apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT), and signaling pathways in human gastric cancer HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells. The results showed that HES mainly contained some components with high polarities. HES significantly reduced the cell viability of human gastric cancer cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner. The IC&#95;(50 )values after 48 h of HES treatment in human gastric cancer HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells were 7.56 and 10.77 g·L~(-1), respectively. Meanwhile, HES inhibited the colony-forming ability and short-term proliferation of human gastric cancer cells. The apoptosis rates of HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells treated with 8 g·L~(-1) HES for 72 h were 62.13%±8.92% and 54.50%±3.26%, respectively. HES also promoted autophagy in human gastric cancer cells and impaired their migration ability in vitro. Moreover, HES up-regulated the cleavage of the apoptosis marker poly ADP-ribose polymerase(PARP) and the protein expression level of the epithelial cell marker E-cadherin, and down-regulated the protein levels of phosphorylated-mammalian target of rapamycin(p-mTOR), phosphorylated-S6(p-S6), and phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase(p-ERK) in human gastric cancer cells. Therefore, HES is one of the effective anti-tumor components of Huaier, which inhibits the proliferation and migration of human gastric cancer cells, and induces apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, the mTOR signal and ERK signal may be involved in the anti-gastric cancer effect of HES. This study provides novel references for the in-depth research and clinical application of Huaier. It is also of great significance to promote the scientific development and utilization of Huaier.

Background: Esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGJA) is a special malignant tumor with unknown biological behavior. PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors have been recommended as first-line treatment for advanced EGJA patients. However, the biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response remain controversial., Methods: We identified stromal immune-related genes (SIRGs) by ESTIMATE from the TCGA-EGJA dataset and constructed a signature score. In addition, survival analysis was performed in both the TCGA cohort and GEO cohort. Subsequently, we explored the differences in tumor-infiltrating immune cells, immune subtypes, immune-related functions, tumor mutation burden (TMB), immune checkpoint gene expression, immunophenoscore (IPS) between the high SIRGs score and low SIRGs score groups. Finally, two validation cohorts of patients who had accepted immunotherapy was used to verify the value of SIRGs score in predicting immunotherapy response., Results: Eight of the SIRGs were selected by LASSO regression to construct a signature score (SIRGs score). Univariate and multivariate analyses in the TCGA and GEO cohort suggested that SIRGs score was an independent risk factor for the overall survival (OS) and it could increase the accuracy of clinical prediction models for survival. However, in the high SIRGs score group, patients had more immune cell infiltration, more active immune-related functions, higher immune checkpoint gene expression and higher IPS-PD1 and IPS-PD1-CTLA4 scores, which indicate a better response to immunotherapy. The external validation illustrated that high SIRGs score was significantly associated with immunotherapy response and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can improve OS in patients with high SIRGs score., Conclusion: The SIRGs score may be a predictor of the prognosis and immune-therapy response for esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 OuYang, Deng, You, Fang, Chen, Liu, Li, Lian and Chen.)

Changes in the levels of circulating proteins are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas their pathogenic roles in AD are unclear. Here, we identified soluble ST2 (sST2), a decoy receptor of interleukin-33-ST2 signaling, as a new disease-causing factor in AD. Increased circulating sST2 level is associated with more severe pathological changes in female individuals with AD. Genome-wide association analysis and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing identified rs1921622 , a genetic variant in an enhancer element of IL1RL1, which downregulates gene and protein levels of sST2. Mendelian randomization analysis using genetic variants, including rs1921622 , demonstrated that decreased sST2 levels lower AD risk and related endophenotypes in females carrying the Apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 genotype; the association is stronger in Chinese than in European-descent populations. Human and mouse transcriptome and immunohistochemical studies showed that rs1921622 /sST2 regulates amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology through the modulation of microglial activation and Aβ clearance. These findings demonstrate how sST2 level is modulated by a genetic variation and plays a disease-causing role in females with AD., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Ti 3 C 2 T x is a promising new two-dimensional layered material for supercapacitors with good electrical conductivity and chemical stability. However, Ti 3 C 2 T x has problems such as collapse of the layered structure and low pseudocapacitance. In this paper, we propose Bi 2 O 3 -Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposites prepared by a solvothermal method, study the impact of Bi 2 O 3 loading on the phase state and microstructure, and evaluate the electrochemical performance of Bi 2 O 3 -Ti 3 C 2 T x . Studies have shown that spherical Bi 2 O 3 particles were uniformly dispersed in the interlayer and surface of Ti 3 C 2 T x , which enlarged the interlayer spacing of the Ti 3 C 2 T x and increased the pseudocapacitance. When the mass percentage of Bi 2 O 3 and Ti 3 C 2 T x was 30% (TB30), the specific capacity of TB30 was as high as 183 F g -1 at a current density of 0.2 A g -1 , which was about 2.8 times that of Ti 3 C 2 T x (TB0). Moreover, a typical asymmetric supercapacitor device assembled with TB0 as the positive electrode and TB30 as the negative electrode exhibited a high energy density of 3.92 W h kg -1 and a maximum power density of 36 000 W kg -1 and maintained 77.4% of the initial capacitance after 5000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g -1 . Therefore, the Bi 2 O 3 -Ti 3 C 2 T x as the negative electrode of supercapacitor has broad application prospects in the field of energy storage., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese dragon's blood has multiple effects, such as activating blood to remove blood stasis, softening and dispelling stagnation, astringent and hemostasis, clearing swelling and relieving pain, regulating menstruation and rectifying the blood, so it is called &quot;an effective medicine of promoting blood circulation&quot;. It has been widely used clinically to treat a variety of diseases. With the further research on Chinese dragon's blood, its anti-tumor medicinal value is gradually emerging. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Chinese dragon's blood exerts anti-tumor effects mainly by inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, inducing DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, inducing senescence and autophagy of tumor cells, inhibiting metastasis and angiogenesis, as well as reversing multidrug resistance. This article focuses on the research progress on anti-tumor effects of Chinese dragon's blood extract and its chemical components, with a view to provide new references for the in-depth research and reasonable utilization of Chinese dragon's blood.

Dendrites, branched structures extending from neuronal cell soma, are specialized for processing information from other neurons. The morphogenesis of dendritic structures is spatiotemporally regulated by well-orchestrated signaling cascades. Dysregulation of these processes impacts the wiring of neuronal circuit and efficacy of neurotransmission, which contribute to the pathogeneses of neurological disorders. While Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5) plays a critical role in neuronal dendritic development, its underlying molecular control is not fully understood. In this study, we show that p39, one of the two neuronal Cdk5 activators, is a key regulator of dendritic morphogenesis. Pyramidal neurons deficient in p39 exhibit aberrant dendritic morphology characterized by shorter length and reduced arborization, which is comparable to dendrites in Cdk5-deficient neurons. RNA sequencing analysis shows that the adaptor protein, WDFY1 (WD repeat and FYVE domain-containing 1), acts downstream of Cdk5/p39 to regulate dendritic morphogenesis. While WDFY1 is elevated in p39-deficient neurons, suppressing its expression rescues the impaired dendritic arborization. Further phosphoproteomic analysis suggests that Cdk5/p39 mediates dendritic morphogenesis by modulating various downstream signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt-, cAMP-, or small GTPase-mediated signaling transduction pathways, thereby regulating cytoskeletal organization, protein synthesis, and protein trafficking.

Background: The double-eyelid operation is the most requested cosmetic surgery in Asians. The incision is usually located at the pretarsal skin 6 mm to 8 mm above palpebral margin. The purpose of this paper is to report a novel approach of double-eyelid operation through a supraciliary incision (SCI)., Methods: Three transverse curved lines were drawn on the upper lid skin. The location of line 1 (SCI) was 1.5 mm above the eyelash, line 2 according to the amount of redundant skin excised and line 3 at 3 mm to 4 mm above line 2. After the incisions were made between line 1 and line 2, the subcutaneous dissection is carried out over 5 mm the line 3. Then, the redundant skin and a strip orbicularis oculi muscle were removed to open the orbital septum and to explore underside levator aponeurosis. Along the line 3, the internal buried fixation sutures between dermal tissue and the fusion line of the orbital septum and levator aponeurosis were placed. Finally, the wounds were closed between line 2 and line 1., Results: There were 528 patients who underwent the double-eyelid operation through the supraciliary approach. In long-term follow-up, 288 patients were evaluated at 6 months to 78 months postoperatively. Of those, 266 patients were satisfactory for the result (92.36%) with natural shape and invisible surgical scar. In another 22 patients (7.63%), a revised blepharoplasty was performed in 22 eyelids., Conclusion: The double-eyelid surgery using the SCI has several advantages including less visibility of the incision, the protected subdermal vascular network, the intact continuity of the upper eyelid skin, the combination of the SCI and internal dermal buried suture method. The approach can be considered an efficient technique for Asian patients., Level of Evidence Iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The present situation of the clinical application of dog-days moxibustion (moxibustion applied in the three periods of the hot season) is summarized so as to provide the guide for the theoretic study and clinical application of dog-days moxibustion. The intervention time of dog-days moxibustion is on the 1st day of each of the three periods of the hot season. Simultaneously, the geographic factors are considered. The disorders of lung system are mostly dominant among the indications of dog-days moxibustion, complicated with spleen and stomach disorders as well as cold and deficiency syndromes/patterns. The acupoints are mainly selected from the front- mu points on the chest and the back- shu points on the back, in combination with the differentiation of diseases, symptoms/patterns and the disorder stages. The duration of treatment is ranged from 1 to 3 years. The clinical therapeutic effect is improved constantly along with the increase of treatment periods by years.

Aspergillus niger is widely used as a cell factory for homologous and heterologous protein production. As previous studies reported that reduced sporulation favors protein secretion in A. niger, in this study, we conducted a comparative genomic analysis of the non-sporulating industrially exploited A. niger strain LDM3 in China and the reference protein secretion strain CBS 513.88 to predict the key genes that might define the genetic basis of LDM3's high protein-producing potential in silico. After sequencing using a hybrid approach combining Illumina and PacBio sequencing platforms, a high-quality genome sequence of LDM3 was obtained which harbors 11,209 open reading frames (ORFs). LDM3 exhibits large chromosomal rearrangements in comparison to CBS 513.88. An alignment of the two genome sequences revealed that the majority of the 457 ORFs uniquely present in LDM3 possessed predicted functions in redox pathways, protein transport, and protein modification processes. In addition, bioinformatic analyses revealed the presence of 656 ORFs in LDM3 with non-synonymous mutations encoding for proteins related to protein translation, protein modification, protein secretion, metabolism, and energy production. We studied the impact of two of these on protein production in the established lab strain N402. Both tupA and prpA genes were selected because available literature suggested their involvement in asexual sporulation of A. niger. Our co-expression network analysis supportively predicted the role of tupA in protein secretion and the role of prpA in energy generation, respectively. By knockout experiments, we showed that the ΔtupA mutant displayed reduced sporulation (35%) accompanied by higher total protein secretion (65%) compared to its parental strain. Such an effect was, however, not observed in the ΔprpA mutant.

Objective: To analyze the diagnostic value of ultrasound combined with Z-score in various types of precocious puberty of girls., Methods: Ultrasound was used to measure the uterus and ovary of normal girls aged between 3 and 21, and Z-score model was established. Ultrasound was used to measure the uterus and ovary of girls with central precocious puberty (CPP), peripheral precocious puberty (PPP), premature pubarche (PP), and premature thelarche (PT). The highest age-related variable was selected to calculate the Z value of the above measurements. The best diagnostic cut-off point was obtained by ROC curve., Results: Ovarian volume and uterine body length had the best correlation with age. The ovarian volume and uterine body length of the girls with CPP were longer and larger than those in normal girls. The area under curve ( AUC ) of ovarian volume was 0.94 and the best diagnostic cut-off value was Z =2.16 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 81.1%). The AUC of uterine body length was 0.845 and the best diagnostic cut-off value was Z =1.14 (sensitivity 91.6%, specificity 84.9%). In the girls with PPP, only the length of uterine body was longer than that of normal girls. The AUC was 0.910 and the best diagnostic cut-off value was Z =1.06 (sensitivity 98.0%, specificity 82.0%). There was no significant difference between the girls with PP, PT and normal girls., Conclusions: Ultrasound combined with Z value has certain significance in differentiating CPP from PPP. It is speculated that this method can be used in the treatment and monitoring of precocious puberty., (Copyright© by Editorial Board of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Science Edition).)

A total of 33 surface sediments were collected from rivers in Chengdu. The content of phosphorus species was measured with the chemical continuous extraction method (SMT) and in situ monitoring techniques (DGT). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to analyze the spatial distribution of phosphorus species in sediments. The release flux of DGT-P in sediments and their pore water was calculated in this study. It is helpful to understand the influence of sediment endogenous pollution and human activities on the environment. The results show that the phosphorus species have a spatial variability. The average content of TP in the surface sediments is 1132.41 mg·kg -1 , which is higher than the background value of 365.00 mg·kg -1 in Chengdu. The Ca-P is the most dominant species, accounting for 70.58% of the TP on average. The study area is divided into three groups based on spatial clustering. Groups 1 and 3 show large differences of phosphorus morphological structures, while Group 2 is small. The contents of phosphorus in the surface sediment of Groups 1 and 3 are generally higher than those of Group 2. The DGT-P concentration has a good correlation with the soluble DTP concentration, bioavailable Fe/Al-P, and OP concentration, respectively. The DGT technology can be used as a fast, in situ , reliable method for measurements of the bioavailable content of sediments. The higher release fluxes of bioavailable phosphorus are N8, W11, and N2, which are 20.05, 17.13, and 14.79 mg·(m 2 ·d) -1 respectively. The available phosphorus release capacity is closely related to human activities.

Background: PEG-rhG-CSF reduces neutropenia and improves chemotherapy safety. In China's registration trial (CFDA: 2006L01305), we assessed its efficacy and safety against rhG-CSF, and prospectively explored its value over multiple cycles of chemotherapy., Methods: In this open-label, randomized, multicenter phase 3 study, breast cancer patients (n = 569) were randomized to receive PEG-rhG-CSF 100 µg/kg, PEG-rhG-CSF 6 mg, or rhG-CSF 5 µg/kg/d after chemotherapy. The primary endpoints were the incidence and duration of grade 3/4 neutropenia during cycle 1. Secondary endpoints included the incidence and duration of grade 3/4 neutropenia during cycles 2-4, the incidence of febrile neutropenia, and the safety., Results: A once-per-cycle PEG-rhG-CSF at either 100 µg/kg or 6 mg was not different from daily injections of rhG-CSF for either incidence or duration of grade 3/4 neutropenia. Interestingly, a substantial difference was noted during cycle 2, and the difference became bigger over cycles 3-4, reaching a statistical significance at cycle 4 in either incidence (P = 0.0309) or duration (P = 0.0289) favoring PEG-rhG-CSF. A significant trend toward a lower incidence of all-grade adverse events was noted at 129 (68.98%), 142 (75.53%), and 160 (82.47%) in the PEG-rhG-CSF 100 µg/kg and 6 mg and rhG-CSF groups, respectively (P = 0.0085). The corresponding incidence of grade 3/4 drug-related adverse events was 2/187 (1.07%), 1/188 (0.53%), and 8/194 (4.12%), respectively (P = 0.0477). Additionally, PFS in metastatic patients preferred PEG-rhG-CSF to rhG-CSF despite no significance observed by Kaplan-Meier analysis (n = 49, P = 0.153)., Conclusions: PEG-rhG-CSF is a more convenient and safe formulation and a more effective prophylactic measure in breast cancer patients receiving multiple cycles of chemotherapy.

Background: This study aimed to explore the effects of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by targeting angiotensinogen (AGT) expression in a mouse model., Methods: Ninety-six C57BL/6J mice were selected and divided into the normal control group (n = 12) and the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) group (n = 84). All the mice in the OIR group were assigned to the following seven groups (12 mice in each group): the blank, miR-29a mimics, miR-29a inhibitors, empty plasmid, miR-29a mimics + si-AGT, miR-29a inhibitors + si-AGT and si-AGT groups. ADPase histochemical staining was conducted to detect the morphology of retinal neovascularization. H&E staining was performed to quantify retinal neovascularization. The qRT-PCR assay was applied to detect the expression levels of miR-29a and the AGT mRNA. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of AGT, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), angiotensin (ANG) and angiotensin II (AngII)., Results: Compared with the normal control group, miR-29a expression decreased, while the AGT mRNA expression and the protein expression levels of AGT, VEGF, HGF, ANG and AngII increased, and retinal vascular density and neovascularization also increased in the OIR group. In the OIR group, compared with the blank, empty plasmid, miR-29a inhibitors and miR-29a inhibitors + si-AGT groups, miR-29a expression increased, while the AGT mRNA expression and protein expression levels of AGT, VEGF, HGF, ANG and AngII decreased, and retinal vascular density and neovascularization also decreased in the miR-29a mimics, miR-29a mimics + si-AGT and si-AGT groups., Conclusion: MiR-29a could inhibit retinal neovascularization to prevent the development and progression of ROP by down-regulating AGT.

Striatal neurons can be either projection neurons or interneurons, with each type exhibiting distinct susceptibility to various types of brain damage. In this study, 6-hydroxydopamine was injected into the right medial forebrain bundle to induce dopamine depletion, and/or ibotenic acid was injected into the M1 cortex to induce motor cortex lesions. Immunohistochemistry and western blot assay showed that dopaminergic depletion results in significant loss of striatal projection neurons marked by dopamine- and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein, molecular weight 32 kDa, calbindin, and μ-opioid receptor, while cortical lesions reversed these pathological changes. After dopaminergic deletion, the number of neuropeptide Y-positive striatal interneurons markedly increased, which was also inhibited by cortical lesioning. No noticeable change in the number of parvalbumin-positive interneurons was found in 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats. Striatal projection neurons and interneurons show different susceptibility to dopaminergic depletion. Further, cortical lesions inhibit striatal dysfunction and damage induced by 6-hydroxydopamine, which provides a new possibility for clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Objective: To study the effects of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) on the concentrations and distribution of elements related to oxidative stress in plasma and erythrocyte., Methods: The rats were randomly divided into two groups, CUMS group and the control. The CUMS group received 28 days stress. Then 17 kinds of elements in plasma and erythrocyte were detected and the correlation ships between elements were analysed, then make comparison between two groups., Results: The concentrations of Mo and B in plasma and Se in erythrocyte were higher in CUMS group than control (P <0. 05). The levels of Sn, Cr, Th and T1 in plasma as well as Mn and Pb in erythrocyte were lower in CUMS group (P < 0. 05). The strength and direction of correlation ships between elements were changed in CUMS group. There had a negative correlation with Fe in plasma in control (r = - 0. 581, P = 0. 018), but a positive correlation in CUMS (r = 0. 473, P = 0. 035), the same with Th-Mg (control: r = - 0. 610, P = 0. 012; CUMS: r = 0. 596, P = 0. 006)., Conclusion: Concentrations and distribution of elements related to oxidative stress are changedby CUMS, most of the elements increased are related to anti-oxidative stress, while the reduced elements are prooxidative stress.

Populus euphratica is a special kind of woody plant, which lives in desert area of northwestern China and is strongly resistant to multiple abiotic stresses. However, the knowledge about the ecology and physiological roles of microbes associated with P. euphratica is still not enough. In this paper, we isolated 72 strains resistant to heavy metals from rhizospheric soil of wild P. euphratica forest in Shaya County of Xinjiang. There were 50 strains conveying resistance to one of four heavy metals (Cu2+, Ni2+, Pb2+ or Zn2+), and 9 strains were resistant to at least three kinds of these heavy metals. Five of the multi-heavy metal resistant bacteria were inoculated to bamboo willow and the growth inhibition of plant under stresses of Cu2+ or Zn2+ was found to be alleviated to different extent. Among the 5 strains, Pseudomonas sp. Z30 and Cupriavidus sp. N8 significantly improved the growth of plant under stresses of both zinc and copper when compared to the uninoculated controls. The results showed the diversity of heavy metal resistant bacteria associated with P. euphratica which lived in a non-heavy metal polluted area and some of the multi-heavy metal resistant bacteria may greatly improve the growth of host plant under heavy metal.stress. The PGPB associated with P. euphratica has potential application in the xylophyte-microbe remediation of environmental heavy metal pollution.

Purpose: To investigate the refractive status and optical components of premature babies with or without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at 3-4 years old, and to explore the influence of prematurity and ROP on the refractive status and optical components., Methods: Premature babies receiving fundus examination were recruited into ROP group and non-ROP group, with age-matched full-term babies as controls., Results: The incidence of myopia was the highest in ROP (3/59, 5.08%). The incidence of astigmatism was significantly different between ROP (37.29%, 22/59) and controls (17.86%, 15/84). The corneal refractive power in ROP and non-ROP was more potent compared with controls (P<0.05); corneal curvature was steeper (P<0.05); lens thickness was thinner (P<0.05); ocular axial length was shorter P<0.05). The gestational age was negatively related to corneal astigmatism and astigmatism, positively associated with vitreous thickness and axial length. The birth-weight was negatively associated with corneal astigmatism, astigmatism and corneal refractive power, positively related to corneal radius of curvature, vitreous thickness and ocular axial length., Conclusion: Premature babies with or without ROP are susceptible to myopia and astigmatism. ROP, prematurity and low birth-weight synergistically influence the development of refractive status and optical components, of which the prematurity and low birth-weight are more important.

Rainout from wet-stack took placed in many thermal power plants with WFGD system. Research on causes of the rainout is important to solve the problem. The objective of this research is to analyze the mechanism of rainout. Field study was performed to collect experimental data in one thermal power plant, including the amount of desulfurization slurry carried by wet flue gas, liquor condensate from wet duct, and droplets from the wet stack. Source apportionment analysis was carried out based on physical and chemical data of liquid sample and solid sample. The result showed that mist eliminator operated well, which met the performance guarantee value. But the total amount of desulfurization slurry in flue gas and the sulfate concentration in liquid condensate discharge from the wet duct/stack increased. The liquid condensate accumulated in the wet duct/stack led to liquid re-entrainment. In conclusion, the rainout in this power plant was caused by the short of wet ductwork or liquid discharge system, the droplets caused by re-entrainment carried by the saturated gas released from the stack. The main undissolved components of the rainout were composite carbonate and aluminosilicate. Although ash concentration in this WFGD met the regulation criteria, source apportionment analysis showed that fly ash contributed to rainout was accounted for 60%. This percentage value was same as the data of solid particles in the condensate. It is important to optimize the wet ductwork, wet stack liner, liquid collectors and drainage. Avoiding the accumulation from saturated vapor thermal condensation is an effective way to solve the wet stack rainout.

Erythropoietin (EPO) may become a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of the neurodegenerative disorder -- Parkinson's disease (PD), since EPO has been found to prevent neuron apoptosis through the activation of cell survival signalling. However, the underlying mechanisms of how EPO exerts its neuroprotective effect are not fully elucidated. Here we investigated the mechanism by which EPO suppressed 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neuron death in in vitro and in vivo models of PD. EPO knockdown conferred 6-OHDA-induced cytotoxicity. This effect was reversed by EPO administration. Treatment of PC12 cells with EPO greatly diminished the toxicity induced by 6-OHDA in a dose- and time-dependent manner. EPO effectively reduced apoptosis of striatal neurons and induced a significant improvement on the neurological function score in the rat models of PD. Furthermore, EPO increased the expression of phosphorylated Akt and phosphorylated FoxO3a, and abrogated the 6-OHDA-induced dysregulation of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 in PC12 cells and in striatal neurons. Meanwhile, the EPO-dependent neuroprotection was notably reversed by pretreatment with LY294002, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Our data suggest that PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a signalling pathway may be a possible mechanism involved in the neuroprotective effect of EPO in PD.

Objective: To investigate the effects of lead exposure on lead and other metal elements contents in rats., Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into control group and several experiment groups of different doses. The rats were exposed to lead acetate through intragastric administration every other day for 5 times. The whole blood, urine and feces of all the rats were collected. The concentrations of lead and 18 metal elements in these samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atom emission spectrometry (ICP-AES)., Results: No significant difference among the groups was found for body weight and organ-body ratios of the rats after lead exposure (P>0.05). With the increase of exposure dose, lead content in blood, total lead in urine and feces tended to increase, while the total lead in urine no longer increased in the high dose group. Significant differences among the groups (P<0.05) were observed for the sodium, magnesium, potassium, strontium, antimony, thallium and bismuth contents in the whole blood, the potassium, iron and antimony contents in the urine, and the calcium, iron, zinc, copper, thallium, bismuth and rare earth elements contents in the feces., Conclusion: The effect of lead on the metabolism of divalent metal ions, namely calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and strontium ion, may be due to the competition of lead with the ions for common delivery carrier. Lead exposure induces the excretion of light rare earth elements and toxic elements (thallium and bismuth), and changes the antimony, sodium and potassium contents in rats. But there is no effect of lead on molybdenum and cadmium in rats.

The development of new strategies for synthesis of trifluoromethylthiolate compounds is of considerable importance in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and advanced materials. Accordingly, currently much attention is being devoted to the development of effective methods and reagents for their synthesis. In contrast, considerably less effort has been afforded to the development of preparing CSeCF3 bonds. Herein we report a concise route to synthesize a family of copper(I) trifluoromethylselenolate reagents by the reaction of CuI with the Ruppert's reagent (Me3 SiCF3 ), KF, and elemental selenium in the presence of dinitrogen ligands in CH3 CN at room temperature. The reagent [Cu(bpy)(SeCF3 )]2 was proven to be air-stable and highly efficient for nucleophilic trifluoromethylthselenolation of a broad range of (hetero)aryl halides and alkyl halides. This method represents a powerful protocol for the construction trifluoromethylselenolate compounds., (Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Environmental DNA from soil and water samples was extracted to construct a plasmid library and a fosmid library containing 19,500 and 20,400 clones, respectively. Two esterases (EstP2K and EstF4K) were finally isolated from each library based on activity screening, and both of them were characterized in this study. The esterase EstF4K consists of 396 amino acids with an SMTK motif which belongs to family VIII esterase/lipase. The amino acid sequence of EstF4K showed 83 % identity with that of EstA3, a reported esterase isolated from uncultured organisms of soil. EstP2K is composed of 224 amino acids in size and shows only 37 % identity with a putative lipase of Neisseria elongata subsp. The purified EstF4K was optimally active at pH 8.0 and 50 °C. It was remarkably active and very stable in the presence of 30 % dimethyl sulfoxide. Activity fingerprint of EstF4K displayed a higher level of activity toward short-chain fatty acid p-nitrophenyl (pNP) esters, while EstP2K preferred bias for pNP caprylate ester. The optimum reaction temperature and pH for EstP2K are 45 °C and 7.5, respectively, and the enzyme exhibited strong tolerance in the presence of 30 % methanol. EstF4K and EstP2K showed opposite enantioselectivity for methyl 3-phenylglycidate, a chiral synthon for the synthesis of Taxol® side chain.

The enrichment and separation method was used in the present paper to overcome the influence of matrix effect on the determination of lead concentration and isotope ratios. The patented method was used to enrich and separate the lead in simulated blood matrix; the lead concentrations and isotope ratios were determined by ICP-MS before and after enrichment and separation. The recovery rate of Pb is more than 99% through this method while the removal rate of major impurity ions such as Na, K is about 80%. The concentrations of each lead isotope decrease with the matrix concentration increasing (p < 0.001), and lead isotope ratios show no significant differences in the matrix of different concentrations. When the matrix concentration is more than 62.5 microg x mL(-1), the strength will decrease with the determination times increasing. It was concluded that the characteristics of this method are of high recovery rate (> 99%), fast, simple and convenient, and it can raise the accuracy and precision of the concentration determination of lead isotopes and has no significant influence on the accuracy of lead isotope ratios determination.

Objective: This study attempts to test the total amount of 41 inorganic elements in traditional Chinese medicine materials (TCMM), to analyze to surpass the set standard of 5 toxic heavy metal elements and to explore possible method of modification., Method: By using microwave as digestion tool, ICP-MS and ICP-AES as detective instrument, 41 elements in 466 samples are tested. While the amount of elements Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, S, Sr are determined by ICP-AES, the amount of the rest 32 elements are determined by ICP-MS. SPSS 16.0 is used as the statistical tool for data analysis., Result: Testing of reference material Astragalus showed that the measurements of each element are within the reference range, and except for element I, RSD of determination for each element is less than 10%, thus the accuracy and precision of the study method is confirmed. Using above mentioned instruments and methods, general information of elements in 466 TCMM are obtained., Conclusion: The concentrations of each elements in TCMM varied a lot and are different among each TCMM. The over standard rate of 5 heavy metal elements are lower than previous results, however, the over standard rate is still descending in the order of Cd > Cu > Pb > As > Hg. The content of heavy metal elements in TCMM varies among different areas, especially, over standard of heavy metals are not detected in locality as Gansu, Qinghai, Shanxi, Xinjiang and Hainan provinces.