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Sarecycline is a narrow-spectrum antibiotic for the treatment of acne, which is a chronic inflammatory disease of the hair follicle sebaceous glands. In the study, UPLC-MS/MS was used to establish a rapid and accurate analytical method. The sarecycline was determined with poziotinib as internal standard (IS) in rat plasma. An ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) could performe chromatographic separation with the mobile phase (methanol: water of 0.1% formic acid) with gradient elution. The ions of target fragment were m/z 488.19→410.14 for sarecycline and m/z 492.06→354.55 for poziotinib, which could quantify the electrospray ionization of positive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The linear calibration curve of the concentration range was 1–1,000 ng/mL for sarecycline with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1 ng/mL. The mean recovery was between 82.46 and 95.85% for sarecycline and poziotinib in rat plasma. RSD for precision of inter-day and intra-day were between 3.24 and 13.36%, and the accuracy ranged from 105.26 to 109.75%. The developed and validated method was perfectly used in the pharmacokinetic study and bioavailability of sarecycline after intravenous and oral administration in rats.

Background. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms have been shown to be associated with the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR), but the results were inconsistent. The aim of this study was to systematically assess the associations between VEGF gene polymorphisms and different types of DR (nonproliferative DR and proliferative DR). Methods. Electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and WANFANG DATA were searched for articles on the associations between VEGF gene polymorphisms and different types of DR up to November 6, 2019. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and subgroup analyses were conducted by ethnicity. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the stability of the results. Publication bias was assessed by using the Egger regression asymmetry test and visualization of funnel plots. A systematic review was conducted for polymorphisms with a high degree of heterogeneity ( I 2 > 75 % ) or studied in only one study. Results. A total of 13 and 18 studies analyzed the associations between VEGF SNPs and nonproliferative DR (NPDR) as well as proliferative DR (PDR), respectively. There were significant associations between rs2010963 and NPDR in Asian (dominant model: OR = 1.29 , 95 % CI = 1.04 − 1.60 ); and rs2010963 is associated with PDR in total population (dominant model: OR = 1.20 , 95 % CI = 1.03 − 1.41 ), either Asian (recessive model: OR = 1.57 , 95 % CI = 1.04 − 2.35 ) or Caucasian (recessive model: OR = 1.83 , 95 % CI = 1.28 − 2.63 ). Rs833061 is associated with PDR in Asian (recessive model: OR = 1.58 , 95 % CI = 1.11 − 2.26 ). Rs699947 is associated with NPDR in the total population (dominant model: OR = 2.04 , 95 % CI = 1.30 − 3.21 ) and associated with PDR in Asian (dominant model: OR = 1.72 , 95 % CI = 1.05 − 2.84 ). Conclusions. Rs2010963, rs833061, and rs699947 are associated with NPDR or PDR, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of DR.

A series of V-Mo/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method, sol-gel method and hydrothermal method. The denitrification performance and anti-SO2/H2O performance of the catalysts were investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the catalyst were characterized by XRD, BET, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR and XPS. The results showed that the catalyst prepared by sol-gel method hasd smaller grain size, larger specific area and pore volume, more surface acidity, stronger redox ability and higher V4+ and surface active oxygen. Therefore, the 3%V2O5-6%MoO3/TiO2 (sol-gel) catalyst exhibited the best denitration efficiency in the temperature range of 80–360°C. After introducing 10% H2O and 0.03% SO2, the NO conversion of 3%V2O5-6%MoO3/TiO2 (sol-gel) catalyst decreased by only 7 percentage points, showing the best resistance to SO2/H2O.

Background: Mitochondrial transplantation (MT) is a new technology developed in recent years, which injects healthy mitochondria directly into damaged tissues or blood vessels to play a therapeutic role. It has been studied in many animal models of various diseases, such as myocardial ischemia, cerebral stroke, liver and lung injury, and even has been successfully used in the treatment of childhood heart disease. MT can quickly improve tissue function within a few minutes after injection. This fast response is what is frequently questioned, for it is hard to understand how the whole mitochondria transport to the damaged sites, enter cells and function within such a short period of time. Are there any small molecules of mitochondrial component rather than the whole mitochondria that being responsible for the function of MT? To test this hypothesis, we established a much simple ultra-violet (UV)-irradiated HeLa cell model instead of the more complex animal models.Results: The results of colony formation, sulforhodamine B (SRB), and Hoechst 33342/PI double staining assay strongly indicated that MT exhibited a significant protective effect on UV irradiation damage. The UV irradiation-induced cell cycle arrest at S phase, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decreasing, and the related apoptosis signalling factors p-IKKα, p-p65, I-κB and the activation of caspase3 were all reversed by MT treatments to some extent. Furthermore, mechanisms of MT were evaluated through comparing the effect of thermal inactivation, ultrasonic crushing, and repeated freezing and thawing treatments on MT function. The results denied the above hypothesis that mitochondrial component may function to MT, excluded the function of ATP, mtDNA and other small molecules, and indicated that the mitochondria structural integrity is essential.Conclusions: Our data support a potent anti-UV irradiation effect of MT, and structural integrity of mitochondria is critical for its function.

Mitochondrial transplantation (MT) is a new technology developed in recent years, which injects healthy mitochondria directly into damaged tissues or blood vessels to play a therapeutic role. This technology has been studied in many animal models of various diseases including myocardial ischemia, cerebral stroke, liver and lung injury, and even has been successfully used in the treatment of childhood heart disease. MT can quickly improve tissue function within a few minutes after injection. The speed with which MT improves tissue function is frequently questioned, for it is hard to understand how the whole mitochondrion transports to the damaged sites, enters cells and functions within such a short period of time. Are there small molecules of mitochondrial component responsible for the function of MT? To test this hypothesis, we established an ultra-violet (UV)-irradiated HeLa cell model. The results of colony formation, sulforhodamine B (SRB), and Hoechst 33342/PI double staining assay strongly indicated that MT exhibited a significant protective effect against UV irradiation damage. The UV irradiation-induced cell cycle arresting at S phase, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decreasing, and the related apoptosis signaling factors p-IKKα, p-p65, I-κB and the activation of caspase3 were all reversed by MT treatments to some extent. The mechanisms of MT were evaluated through comparing the effect of thermal inactivation, ultrasonic crushing, and repeated freezing and thawing treatments on MT function. These results denied the above hypothesis that mitochondrial component may be responsible for MT, excluded the function of ATP, mtDNA and other small molecules, and indicated that the mitochondria structural integrity is essential. We also evaluated the effect of Ca

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness among the elderly. AMD is characterized by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell dysfunction. However, the pathogenesis of AMD is still unclear, and there is currently no effective treatment. Accumulated evidence indicates that oxidative stress and autophagy play a crucial role in the development of AMD. H2S is an antioxidant that can directly remove intracellular superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antioxidative effect of H2S in RPE cells and its role in autophagy. The results show that exogenous H2S (NaHS) pretreatment effectively reduces H2O2-induced oxidative stress, oxidative damage, apoptosis, and inflammation in ARPE-19 cells. NaHS pretreatment also decreased autophagy levels raised by H2O2, increased cell viability, and ameliorated cell morphological damage. Interestingly, the suppression of autophagy by its inhibitor 3-MA showed an increase of cell viability, amelioration of morphology, and a decrease of apoptosis. In summary, oxidative stress causes ARPE-19 cell injury by inducing cell autophagy. However exogenous H2S is shown to attenuate ARPE-19 cell injury, decrease apoptosis, and reduce the occurrence of autophagy-mediated by oxidative stress. These findings suggest that autophagy might play a crucial role in the development of AMD, and exogenous H2S has a potential value in the treatment of AMD.

Lusutrombopag is a second oral thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonist that selectively acts on human TPO receptors. In the study, UPLC-MS/MS was used to establish a selective and sensitive method to determine lusutrombopag with poziotinib as IS (internal standard) in rat plasma. Samples were prepared by precipitating protein with acetonitrile as a precipitant. Separation of lusutrombopag and poziotinib was performed on a CORTECS UPLC C18 column (2.1 ∗ 50 mm, 1.6 μm). The mobile phase (acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% formic acid) with gradient elution was set at a flow rate of 0.4 ml/min. The mass spectrometric measurement was conducted under positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of m/z 592.97 ⟶ 491.02 for lusutrombopag and m/z for poziotinib (IS) 492.06 ⟶ 354.55. The linear calibration curve of the concentration range was 2–2000 ng/ml for lusutrombopag, with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 2 ng/ml. RSD of interday and intraday precision were both no more than 9.66% with the accuracy ranging from 105.82% to 108.27%. The extraction recovery of lusutrombopag was between 82.15% and 90.34%. The developed and validated method was perfectly used in the pharmacokinetic study of lusutrombopag after oral administration in rats.

OBJECTIVE To explore whether rs4784227 polymorphism of CASC16 is correlated with risk of breast cancer. METHODS Relevant studies up to December 24, 2020 were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and WANFANG databases. Data were analyzed by using Stata 12.0. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and country-based subgroup analyses were conducted. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the stability of the results. Publication bias was assessed by using the Egger regression asymmetry test and visualization of funnel plots. RESULTS Seven case-control studies enrolling 4055 breast cancer cases and 4229 controls were included. rs4784227 was found significantly associated with increased risk of breast cancer in a dominant (OR = 1.301, 95% CI = 1.190-1.423, P

A systematic investigation of the effect of WO3 loading over V2O5/TiO2 catalysts was carried out for the selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3. The characteristics were examined use BET surface area , X-ray diffractometry (XRD) , Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of NH3 . It was fund that the WO3 species could interact with the TiO2 anatase phase to exhibits a high activity. With increasing WO3 content ,the activity of V-W/TiO2 for the selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 was improved at low temperatures in the range of 3～7%. The results showed that the adding of WO3 to V2O5/TiO2 could result in exposing acid sites of catalysts doped WO3 at low temperature. Furthermore, especially the catalytic activity of VW7Ti showed higher than 80% at 180 °C. However, the catalytic BET surface area and the mass of acid sites not play a leading role for improving low-temperature activity of VWTi in this paper.

A discrete element method (DEM) numerical simulation is used as a tool to study the mechanical behavior of soil-rock mixtures (S-RM) in a landslide dam. A 2D random generation program (R-SRM2D) of the meso-structure of (S-RM) based on random polygonal rock blocks has been developed, and is used to generate the (S-RM) numerical model of the study area. A new multi-circle representation method of polygonal blocks has been developed, which can better model the mechanical properties and failure process of rock blocks. A DEM biaxial test method with a flexible confining stress boundary has also been developed, which can better model the side boundary conditions of the sample. The meso-parameters of the circular particles representing the soil and rock blocks of the (S-RM) have been obtained from laboratory tests and DEM numerical simulations of soil and rock samples. Based on the meso-parameters, a series of biaxial tests of (S-RM) sample have been conducted using the DEM numerical method. The shear strength, failure process and formation mechanism of shear zones in (S-RM) have been studied. With the increase of the confining stress, the rock blocks in or near the shear zones will be broken, changing the shape of the shear zones, and leads to the shear strength of the (S-RM) sample showing nonlinear characteristics. Furthermore, the strength envelope of (S-RM) sample can be fitted through a power law function in the p-q plane.

Alternative materials are being investigated as substitution of the traditional copper rotating band, in order to solve problems associated with their mechanical and physical properties. Meanwhile, new processes for joining the rotating band on the projectile body have also to be developed because of different material physical properties. In this paper, swaging, welding, and newly developed spraying technologies for fabricating rotating band are analyzed, respectively. Quasi-static and dynamic engraving methods are presented for evaluating the performance of as-prepared rotating band. The former was performed on an 810 Material Testing System and the latter was carried out by using a specially developed gas-gun-based impact test rig. Hoop and axial direction strain gauges were positioned on the exterior of the barrel to monitor the effect of the rotating band on the barrel during engraving process. It is suggested that aluminum bronze coating prepared by the High Velocity Arc Spraying (HVAS) proc...

With the study of a certain servo gear transmission system, a three-dimensional parametric design of servo drive system is made based on SolidWorks and its plug-in GearTrax. The model is introduced into ANSYS through a special interface, and the finite element modal solutionsare obtained. Aiming at solving the practical problem that the static linear modal analysis methods fail to meet the working conditions of high speed rotation and frequent variable speeds, this paper proposes an effective way of determining the range of the system natural frequency through figuring out the natural frequencies in two critical states. Thus, it provides an important basis for the credible design of the servo drive system and a reliable theoretical guidance and reference data for its design, use and maintenance.

By analyzing the ventilation system’s sensitivity and studying the ventilation pipeline model, it puts forward the concept of sensitivity branch and the selection method, i.e. selecting the top 20% branches which have the biggest α value. Sensitivity branch plays an important role in managing the ventilation system efficiently, judging the abnormal wind amount and guiding the construction of new mine alleys.

Saving energy and resources and protecting the environment is closely related to the sustainable development of our country and the people’s happiness, so we should take on actions conscientiously, change the economic development mode, lessen the energy consumption per Gross Domestic Production, at the same time, we should conduct energy saving and environment protection propaganda, wake up the people’s consciousness, lay down applicable laws and regulations and put them into effect, then the energy & resources saving and environment goal can be achieved.

It analyses the major pollution sources from airport oil depot and the harm they will cause, then it discusses the countermeasures to prevent and control these pollutions from four aspects, i.e. the oil depot construction, the daily management, pollution prevention and controlling methods and perfecting related laws and regulations.

As unmanned ground vehicle is a nonlinear time-varying system, it is difficult to describe the accurate mathematical model. To solve this problem, a control algorithm of vehicle trajectory tracking based Human-Simulated Intelligent Control (HSIC) is proposed, and feature model set, control mode set and reasoning mode set are designed. Finally, this method and traditional preview follower PID algorithm are compared with each other in experimental way. The results show that such method has small dependence on the model with better control effect and overall stability.

Based on the analysis of the working principle and the failure phenomena as well as their mechanism of a particular type of tracked vehicle hydraulic shift system, a model of the hydraulic system is established using the fluid simulation software AMESim. The responses of the system are then calculated through adjusting some of the parameters of the system and inputting various fault information into the simulation model, so as to find out the correspondence between the dynamic characteristics of the system abnormity and specific component failures. It can be concluded that such simulation can serve as an easy and reliable way to analyze all kinds of fault responses in order to provide a solid reference basis for the fault diagnosis of the actual system.

In view of the existing problems in manufacturing and repairing parts of single Equipment, this paper proposes a implementation scheme for digital alteration, and introduces the composition and principle of it, to achieve optimal maintenance technical scheme, the purpose of accurate maintenance, the maintenance quality assurance, and improving production efficiency.

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) is a polymorphic enzyme that is responsible for the metabolism of approximately 15% of clinically important drugs. The aim of this study was to assess the catalytic characteristics of 37 CYP2C9 allelic isoforms found in Chinese Han population on the metabolism of tolbutamide in vitro.The wild-type and 36 CYP2C9 variants were expressed in sf21 insect cells using a baculovirus-mediated expression system. Then the insect microsomes were prepared for assessing the metabolic characteristics of each variant toward the CYP2C9-specific drug substrate tolbutamide.Of 36 allelic variants tested, the intrinsic clearance values of 2 allelic isoforms (CYP2C9.36 and CYP2C9.51) were much higher than the wild-type CYP2C9.1 protein, 3 allelic isoforms (CYP2C9.11, CYP2C9.56 and N418T) exhibited similar intrinsic clearance values as the wild-type enzyme, whereas the other 31 variants showed significantly reduced intrinsic clearance values, ranging from 0.08% to 66.88%, for tolbutamide.Our study provides the most comprehensive data concerning the enzymatic activity of the CYP2C9 variants that are present in the Chinese Han population, and our data suggest that most of the carriers of these alleles might be paid more attention when using CYP2C9 mediated drugs clinically.

The research on combat resilience is a new subject proposed in recent years. As a matter of fact, there is so far no complete theoretical system guiding the design for equipments combat resilience. Thus, using the integrated design theory and methodology based on the systematic engineering, the basic theory of the design for equipments combat resilience is putted forward and established in this paper. Meanwhile, the methods and procedures of the design for equipments combat resilience are proved by an example of the design of certain fighter landing gear for improving the combat resilience.

The 21st century is the period of the rapid growth and development of renewable energy, which refers to fuel and raw materials that replaces the oil and can be recycled and required by people’s living and production activities, and biomass energy resides in the first of renewable energy. This paper carries on a analysis and study mainly on the three basic technologies of biomass energy, analyzes the meaning and future development trend of biomass energy and proposes measures of the development.

This document explains the pollution source from gas stations, including fuel evaporation, leak of fuel and discharge of waste water from cleaning tanks. Then it puts forward preventive measures, i.e. lessening fuel evaporation by improving operation methods, recovering fuel vapor by fuel vapor recycling system, revamping and updating facilities to prevent leak of fuel and the waste water from cleaning tanks should be properly processed before discharging.

Firstly, this document explains why the armed forces should cut down oil consumption and develop in a low-carbon way, then it discusses how to do it, i.e. improve the personnel’s awareness of energy-saving and emission-reduction by propaganda and education, implement the system of rewards and penalties and develop and utilize new energy and alternative energy.

This document explains the concept of new energy and the significance of its development and utilization, then it discusses the characteristics, energy conversion form, application methods and efficiency of solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and ocean energy, lastly, it puts forward some suggestions on how to develop new energy.

In a search for novel agrochemical with high activity and low toxicity, a series of substituted 4, 5-dihydro-imidazol-5-one containing selenomorpholine group were synthesized by a three-step synthetic route starting from 2-azido-3-aryl-acrylic add ethyl ester. The structures of title compounds were confirmed by lH NMR, IR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The preliminary bioassay against Gibberella zeae, Fusarium oxysporum, Pellicularia sasakii, Physalospora piricola and Cercospora beticola indicated that most title compounds displayed fungicidal activity at the concentration of 50 ppm and compounds 41, 4n, 4o were found to have particularly high activities against Physalospora piricola. A further in vivo test showed that compounds 41, 4n and 4o possessed better fungicidal activity against Physalospora piricola at a concentration of 100 ppm than Carbendazim. To our knowledge, this is first report that 4, 5-dihydro-imidazol-5-one containing selenomorpholine group display fungicidal activity against Physalospora piricola.

The antioxidant activity (ferric reducing/antioxidant power, FRAP) and oxygen-scavenging system of pulps during the fruit ripening and maturation were investigated in three cultivars of sweet orange ( Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck). The highest FRAP values and activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of nonenzymes were detected in ‘Red Flesh’ navel orange. The activities of oxygen-scavenging enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD), decreased with ripening and maturation of fruit. Ascorbate peroxidase (AsA-POD) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) activities were also stably declined, whereas glutathione reductase (GR) activity and nonenzymes in the ascorbate–glutathione cycle displayed a single-peak pattern which paralleled the significant changes in FRAP values. In addition, the ratios of ascorbate/dehydroascorbate (AsA/DHAsA), reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) were also decreased. Changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the contents of nonenzymes during ripening indicated that the antioxidant system plays a fundamental role in the ripening of orange fruits.

SummaryThe effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus versiforme on chlorosis due to iron deficiency in trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf) was studied under calcium bicarbonate stress in sand culture. Seeds were sown in a mixed substrate [1:1 (v/v), perlite:sand] with or without mycorrhizal inoculum. The test was carried out with four treatments: Hoagland and Arnon nutrient solution with normal, no added iron, or 50% normal iron at two levels of calcium bicarbonate. The results showed that the proportion of the total root length infected by the AM fungus was ≥ 83%, and was depressed under Fe deficiency. No root colonisation was found with no added AM fungus (NM plants).Colonisation by AM fungus resulted in higher dry weights of both shoots and roots compared to NM treatments, suggesting that the AM fungus accelerated plant growth. The activities of peroxidase and catalase in NM plants were lower than in AM fungus-inoculated plants. The results indicate that AM fungus alleviated ca...

BACKGROUND: Exogenous salicylic acid (SA) pretreatment could change the antioxidant system and maintain the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, which have a higher ability to withstand oxidation injuries. However, the relationship between a pre-harvest SA spray and post-harvest antioxidant compounds in fruit remains unknown. RESULTS: The post-harvest behaviour of antioxidant compounds in ‘Cara cara’ navel orange (Citrus sinenisis L. Osbeck) fruit was investigated in relation to the pre-harvest SA applications. Pre-harvest SA treatment significantly increased the content of carotenoids (lycopene and α-carotene), ascorbic acid, glutathione, total phenolics, and total flavonoids in the pulp and peel during storage. Furthermore, the values of these antioxidant compounds were high in the fruit treated with high SA concentrations (1.0 and 2.0 mmol L−1). High antioxidant activity was also observed in the SA pre-harvest treated fruit when compared with the control. The positive relationships were found between the antioxidant activity and the content of these active compounds. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that SA could maintain fruit antioxidant activity and nutrition which was shown by the increase in content of antioxidant compounds and suggested that pre-harvest treatment with SA promised a novel technology, which was a substitute for the perplexing programme control of post-harvest nutrition in fruit. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry

SummaryLeaves on mature trees of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) growing in full sun under field conditions (sun) or under shade in screenhouse conditions (shade) exhibited midday depression in their net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (gs). As the air temperature (Ta) increased from 32°C to 38°C, the relative humidity (RH) decreased from 71% to 42% and the vapour pressure deficit (VPD) increased from 235 Pa to 587 Pa. Decreased transpiration rates (E) and gs at midday were interpreted as a combined “feedforward” effect from the increased VPD. Carboxylation efficiency (CE) was highest at midday in both sunlit and shaded leaves. The apparent quantum yield (AQY) varied little during diurnal variations in shaded leaves, but the AQY in sunlit leaves showed lower values at midday than at other times. Photo-inhibition occurred from high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in full sun. The increased CO2 compensation point ( ) for both growth conditions also contributed to the reduc...

A series of O,O-diphenyl [substituted (2-selenomorpholin-4-yl-acetyl amino)] alkyl phosphonates were synthesized by the reactions of selenomorpholine with O,O-diphenyl 2-chloro- acetylamino alkyl phosphonates. The structures of all new compounds have been confirmed by 1 H NMR, 31 P NMR, IR spectroscopy, Mass spectroscopy and elemental analyses.

Water as a cosolvent has significant improving effect on the reductivity of SmI2 in the reduction of sodium alkyl thiosulfates and alkyl thiocyanates. A new method for synthesis of alkyl thiols by SmI2/THF/H2O system has been developed.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) intervention in the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from liver enzyme (ALT), imaging (the liver/spleen CT ratio) and syndrome scores, and to establish standard methods for diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy evaluation with characteristics of CM.A multi-center, stratified randomized, parallel controlled, blindness-method evaluated, superiority trial was performed. Totally 204 patients were randomly allocated into two groups, 102 patients in the experimental group (treated with CM) and 102 patients in the control group [treated with Western medicine (WM)]. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver/spleen CT ratio, and clinical symptoms were observed in both groups.Of the randomly allocated 204 cases from 4 hospitals, 3 patients were rejected, and 25 were lost. Totally 176 cases con- formed to the plan with complete follow-ups. After 3 months of treatment, syndrome scores and the improvement of partial clinical symptoms (fatigue and sallow complexion) were superior in the experimental group to those in the control group (P0.05). After 3 months of follow-up, the syndrome scores and improvement of partial clinical symptoms (fatigue and sallow complexion) were superior in the experimental group to those in the control group (P0.05). There was no statistical difference in improving liver enzymes or the liver/spleen CT ratio between the two groups (P0.05). There were 4 adverse reactions/adverse events in the two groups in the process of treatment, mainly covering drug-induced liver injury, diarrhea, and epigastric distension. Adverse reactions had nothing to do with CM treatment.Jianpi Shugan Recipe had obvious efficacy in treatment of NASH. It could remove the liver fat and play a role in anti-inflammation and liver protection. It also could improve the indices of liver enzymes and the liver/spleen CT ratio effectively, which was superior to Polyene Phosphatidylcholine Capsule (PPC) in improving clinical symptoms, especially for such symptoms as fatigue and sallow complexion.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the genetic polymorphisms of the CYP2D6 gene and to elucidate the allele distribution pattern in the Chinese Han population. Materials & methods: We used PCR and bidirectional sequencing methods to analyze all nine exons of the CYP2D6 gene in 2129 unrelated, healthy Chinese Han subjects from two geographical locations in China: the northern and southern regions. Results: In total, 165 mutated sites were detected in 2129 participants, of which 67 sites were reported for the first time. Among these novel mutation sites, 22 were nonsynonymous and 12 were named as novel alleles (*87–*93, *94A, *94B and *95–*98) by the Human CYP Allele Nomenclature Committee. In addition, 29 previously reported alleles and 84 genotypes were also detected in 1954 volunteers. Functional prediction of novel variants revealed that eight variants might have a deleterious effect on CYP2D6. Linkage disequilibrium analysis and tagSNP selection were performed separately. By using these methods, distinct differences were found between the two regions. Conclusion: This study provides the most comprehensive data concerning CYP2D6 polymorphisms in the Chinese Han population to date and increases the number of known alleles; these findings may greatly contribute to the development of personalized medicine for the Chinese Han population. Original submitted 1 January 2013; Revision submitted 14 August 2013

To investigate the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Pingliang City of Gansu Province.We performed a cross-sectional randomized study of 836 men agedor = 40 years from 26 communities of Pingliang, obtained their IPSS, measured the prostate volume by transabdominal ultrasonography, recorded the maximum flow (Qmax) by uroflowmetry, and processed the data by one-way analysis of variance.Totally 820 subjects meeting the study criteria were included in the investigation. The men ranged in age from 40 to 83 years, averaging 61.5 years. The mean IPSS, prostate volume and Qmax were 9.3 +/- 7.8, (29.2 +/- 18.6) ml and (15.3 +/- 7.2) ml/s, respectively, all correlated with age. The prevalence of moderate-severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was 46.8% (384/820). The prostate volume was20 ml in 63.5% (521/820), and Qmax15 ml/s in 48.5% (398/805) of the subjects. The incidence rate of BPH, defined as IPSS7, Qmax15 ml/s and prostate volume20 ml, was 23.5% (193/820).Among the men agedor = 40 years in Pingliang, LUTS and prostate volume were correlated positively, while Qmax negatively with age, and the prevalence of BPH was 23.5%.

Current views of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and other steroid hormone receptors are that in unliganded form they are present as oligomers formed by noncovalent association of the hormone-binding receptor protein monomer the receptorwith an hsp90' (90 kDa heat shock protein) dimer, p59 or hsp56, and often hsp70 and other proteins (1-3). The oligomers are soluble and appear in cytosols from cells disrupted by conventional means. Like other members of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily, GRs have three principal domains (Figure 1):(1) an N-terminal domain; (2) a DNA-binding domain (DBD) with zinc finger structures that confer high affinity for glucocorticoid response elements (GREs); and (3) a hormoneor ligand-binding domain (HBD) at the C-terminus, with the latter two domains being separated by a so-called "hinge" region. Within the domains are regions that exert particular functions, as indicated in Figure 1 (4). The HBD, in addition to its hormone binding site, has transactivation functions, an hsp90 binding site, a GR dimerization region, and two nuclear localization signals. The DBD includes major transactivating functions. The N-terminal domain has no primary function like the other two, but is responsible for most of the transactivating activity of GRs. In the human GR over 90070 of this activity resides in an acidic region, called .1 (5), that in the rat GR corresponds roughly to residues 100-305. The C-terminal half of this region in the mouse GR has been found to reduce nonspecific binding to DNA (6). Most of the activity of T1 has been ascribed to a 41-residue "core" region (Figure 1) (5). GRs, like other steroid hormone receptors, are phosphorylated (7, 8). The phosphorylated sites have been identified in mouse GRs (9). All are in the N-terminal domain (Figure 1), most of them within the transactivation region corresponding to .1 of the human GR. Three heavily phosphorylated sites are in the core region of t l, Here we will describe some of the dynamic interactions and transformations that GRs undergo in normal cells, the requirement for ATP to maintain GR hormone-binding capacity, and the changes that take place in GR structure and glucocorticoid sensitivity through the cell cycle. The relevance of these phenomena to development of glucocorticoid resistance is then discussed.

Aim: This study aims to systematically investigate the genetic polymorphisms of the CYP2C19 gene and provide accurate data of the allele distribution pattern in the Chinese Han population. Materials & Methods: We amplified all nine exons of the CYP2C19 gene in 2127 unrelated healthy Chinese Han subjects from two geographical locations (Zhejiang province, n = 1127; Hebei province, n = 1000), using direct sequencing. Results: In total, six previously reported alleles were found in our study, in which two alleles CYP2C19*6 and CYP2C19*18 were reported for the first time in Chinese Han subjects. In addition, 35 novel variants were detected in the present work, which included 11 new named alleles, 12 nonsynonymous mutations and one insert variant. Conclusion: This study provides important data on the pattern of CYP2C19 polymorphisms in Chinese Han subjects, using the largest group of individuals. Furthermore, the study also detects the largest number of novel alleles in one population. These findings are of potential benefit to the development of personalized medicine for the Chinese Han population. Original submitted 25 June 2012; Revision submitted 20 August 2012

Based on the results of the in-situ experiment carried out in a Beijing gas station, the ways of natural attenuation were evaluated as both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation via oxygen and carbon equilibrium calculation. And the research got the rates of the natural attenuation and half-life of the oil pollutants byusing the first-order decay model. Based on the analysis, the capability of monitored natural attenuation and the environmental quality were evaluated. The results show that the actual oxygen consumption of contaminated site is less than that needed theoretically in aerobic degradation of all pollutants, while the amount of CO2 detected is far less than that in the aerobic degradation by theoretical formation. And the half-life of petroleum contaminants in contaminated site is about 50 days. The analysis indicated that: (1) The ways of natural attenuation were proved as both aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation; (2) The contamination of the BTEX tested by the fist-step experiment fell below the environmental standard level after about 250 days' natural attenuation, which means the environmental risk in this gas station had been eliminated and the control measures could be removed.

The natural attenuation rules of oil pollutants are investigated by carrying out a field experiment in a gas station in Beijing, using a set of soil gas sampling and monitoring device designed independently. The samples of soil gas were collected in the field and tested to examine the content of O2, CO2 and VOCs in the unsaturated zone. The results show that after 381 days' natural attenuation, the concentration of the contaminants at the polluted point deceased by 99.2%, while the ratio of BTEX to TVOC decreased from 17.0% to 12.1%. Moreover, the content of O2 decreased while that of CO2 grew as the soil depth increases at G3 point. Further theoretical analysis indicated that: (1) The test results of first-step experiment show that there was a certain level of contamination in G3 area. And after 381 days' natural attenuation, the content of the BTEX at G3 point fell below the environmental standard level, which means the control measures could be removed. (2) The origin of the contamination was proved as short-term sources, and no long-term sources of leakage existed. (3) An effective removal of contaminants in the soil was found under the influence of the natural attenuation. This method could be applied in long-term monitoring for similar contaminated sites. (4) The test of O2and CO2 contents was proved to be an effective approach to determine if the aerobic degradation happens.