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In this study, the biochar (BC) produced from sawdust, sludge, reed and walnut were used to support sulfidation of nano-zero-valent-iron (S-nZVI) to enhance nitrate (NO

A synthetic adsorbent (FS) that can be used in constructed wetlands to removal Tetracycline (TET) from wastewater was obtained by co-precipitation of iron and oyster shell. The scanning electron mi...

Aim To evaluate the relationship between physiological and psychological stress on pregnancy outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment. Methods Women undergoing the first IVF cycle were enrolled to complete the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Their blood samples were collected on the 3rd day of the menstrual cycle to measure 5-hydroxytryptamine, renin, norepinephrine, angiotensin II and cortisol. Salivary amylase was obtained on the embryo transfer day. Results Compared with normal women who came to the hospital for regular physical examination, the incidence of anxiety and depression was higher in women seeking for IVF treatment. After psychological intervention, the condition got improved and the incidence of anxiety and depression was 6.25% and 7.81% separately in these women. There were no significant differences between the anxiety scores in women with and without pregnancy. The depression scores did show some statistically differences, with higher scores in the nonpregnancy group. The level of 5-hydroxytryptamine, renin, norepinephrine and cortisol were not significantly different between the two groups, while angiotensin II and salivary amylase seemed to be negatively correlated with pregnancy outcome. Simultaneously, a positive correlation was found between angiotensin II and anxiety and depression scores. Conclusion Depression during IVF has a negative impact on pregnancy outcome. The measurement of angiotensin II and salivary amylase might be reference index for the psychological status of patients during IVF-ET.

Removal of toxic Cr(VI) from contaminated water is significant for environmental protection. High efficient adsorbents with outstanding adsorption performance are highly demanded. Herein, we reported that window-like structured carbon hollow fibers (WL-CHF) derived from Enteromorpha prolifera could capture toxic Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions with high adsorption capacity, fast adsorption rate, and excellent recyclable performance. The excellent adsorption performance could be attributed to the unique structure that combines a variety of advantages: large specific surface area, fast diffusion processes, and easy access of adsorption sites for Cr(VI). In addition, the adsorption process was fitted well with pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm model. The potential mechanism on Cr(VI) removal includes reduction-cation exchange and electrostatic interaction with surface oxygen-containing functional groups. This study highlights new opportunities for designing adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal from Cr-polluted water.

This study established an integrated loach-plant-substrate-microbes non-aerated saturated vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) to enhance pollutants removal efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously. The results of the VFCWs experiment indicated that the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorous, and total nitrogen in loach systems were significantly higher than those of non-loach systems, achieving 59.16%, 35.98%, and 40.96%, respectively. The CH

A single-chamber microbial fuel cell-microbial electrolytic cell with a novel constructed wetland system was proposed for synergistic degradation of congo red and reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases. The closed-circuit system showed higher chemical oxygen demand and congo red removal efficiencies by 98 % and 96 % on average, respectively, than traditional constructed wetland. It could also significantly reduce the emissions of CH

The spherical nanomaterials of MnFe-Ac and MnFe-Na can be synthesized with sol-gel method. The adsorption test of Pb (II) was carried out with two kinds of synthesized nanomaterials, and di...

Cardiac hypertrophy is a compensatory response in reaction to mechanical load that reduces wall stress by increasing wall thickness. Chronic hypertrophic remodeling involves cardiac dysfunction that will lead to heart failure and ultimately death. Studies have been carried out on cardiac hypertrophy for years, whereas the mechanisms have not been well defined. Tamarixetin (TAM), a natural flavonoid derivative of quercetin, have been demonstrated possessing anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects on multiple diseases. However, little is known about the function of TAM on the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Here, we found TAM could alleviate pressure-overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mouse model, assessed by ventricular weight/body weight, lung weight/body weight, echocardiographic parameters, as well as myocyte cross-sectional area and the expression of ANP, BNP and Myh7. In vitro, TAM showed a dose dependent inhibitory effect on phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, TAM reversed cardiac remodeling of stress overloaded heart by suppressing apoptosis and the expression of fibrotic-related genes, reduced oxidative stress and ROS production both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, TAM could negatively modulate TAC-induced nuclear translocation of NFAT and the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Therefore, these data indicate for the first time that TAM has a protective effect on experimental cardiac hypertrophy and might be a novel candidate for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy in clinic.

Research question What is the diagnostic value of maternal kisspeptin in patients with asymptomatic first-trimester pregnancies, and what is the prognostic significance of kisspeptin versus beta-HCG in early pregnancies. Design Case-control study in academic medical centres. Patients with no confounding co-morbidities who conceived by IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection were analysed. Maternal serum samples were assessed at the time of pregnancy testing. Women who achieved a positive pregnancy test were asked to take serum samples 4 days later. According to the follow-up results, patients who experienced biochemical pregnancy loss (n = 24) and early miscarriage (n = 21), and women who achieved a viable pregnancy (n = 28), were included in this study. Serum samples were collected to detect kisspeptin and beta-HCG, respectively. Results Single serum determinations of kisspeptin and beta-HCG were correlated with the different pregnancy outcomes. Women who experienced biochemical pregnancy loss showed lower kisspeptin levels than those in groups B and C. No significant difference, however, was observed at the time of pregnancy testing in women who had experienced early miscarriage and those who had achieved viable pregnancy. Sequential measurements of serum kisspeptin are not as effective as beta-HCG in determining pregnancy outcome. Increased kisspeptin level was associated with reduced miscarriage risk. Conclusion Single serum measurement of kisspeptin is significantly altered in pregnant and non-pregnant women. However, it failed to discriminate between miscarriage and ongoing pregnancies in first-trimester pregnancy. Neither single nor sequential kisspeptin have higher diagnostic performance for miscarriage than beta-HCG in early stage.

Lanthanun oxide (La2O3) is a lanthanum chemical compound incorporates a sensible anionic complexing ability, however, it lacks stability at a low pH scale. Biochar fibers will give the benefit of their massive space and plethoric uses on the surface to support a metal chemical compound. Herein, wet spinning technology was used to load La3+ onto sodium alginate fiber, and to convert La3+ into La2O3 through carbonization. The La2O3-modified biochar (La-BC) fiber was characterized by SEM, XRD and XPS, etc. An adsorption experiment proved that La-BC showed an excellent adsorption capacity for chromates, and its saturation adsorption capacity was about 104.9 mg/g. The information suggested that the adsorption was in step with both the Langmuir and Freundlich models, following pseudo-second-order surface assimilation mechanics, which showed that the Cr (VI) adsorption was characterized by single-phase and polyphase adsorption, mainly chemical adsorption. The thermodynamic parameters proved that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The mechanistic investigation revealed that the mechanism of the adsorption of Cr (VI) by La-BC may include electrostatic interaction, ligand exchange, or complexation. Moreover, the co-existing anions and regeneration experiments proved that the La-BC is recyclable and has good prospects in the field of chrome-containing wastewater removal.

This paper deals with the kinematics simulation and experiment of a dual-arm robot that has six rotational DOFs of each arm. Based on the solution and division of the single-arm operation space and the dual-arm collaborative space, the coordinated action indicators of the dual-arm robot are quantitatively analyzed. The dual-arm trajectory planning is carried out by using the target task layer-by-layer decomposition mode. For the orientation interpolation planning and joint trajectory planning, the quaternion method and the fifth-order polynomial interpolation method are combined respectively to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the trajectory planning. Finally, MATLAB is used to simulate the dual-arm coordinated and used EtherCAT bus and TwinCAT master station to establish a robot system. The testing results show that the kinematics analysis and trajectory planning of the dual-arm coordinated robot are correct and feasible.

Iron sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles (termed FSNs) have attracted much attention for the removal of pollutants due to their high efficiency and low cost, and because they are environmentally friendly. However, issues of agglomeration, transformation, and the loss of active components limit their application. Therefore, this study investigates in situ synthesized FeS/carbon fibers with an Fecarrageenan biomass as a precursor and nontoxic sulfur source to ascertain the removal efficiency of the fibers. The enrichment of sulfate groups as well as the double-helix structure in ι-carrageenan-Fe could effectively avoid the aggregation and loss of FSNs in practical applications. The obtained FeS/ carbon fibers were used to control a Cr(VI) polluted solution, and exhibited a relatively high removal capacity (81.62 mg/g). The main mechanisms included the reduction of FeS, electrostatic adsorption of carbon fibers, and Cr(III)-Fe(III) complexation reaction. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir adsorption model both provided a good fit of the reaction process; hence, the removal process was mainly controlled by chemical adsorption, specifically monolayer adsorption on a uniform surface. Furthermore, co-existing anions, column, and regeneration experiments indicated that the FeS/ carbon fibers are a promising remediation material for practical application.

This paper studies the electrochemical behaviors of symmetric supercapacitors with the porous carbon obtained from chestnut shells as active materials and ionic liquids as electrolytes, including 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl) sulfonyl]imide (EMImTF 2 N), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMImBF 4 ) and 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMImBF 4 ). Experimental data observed at a current density of 0.1 A/g showed that symmetric supercapacitor using EMImBF 4 as the electrolyte had the maximum specific capacitance of 208.7 F/g, while 180.8 F/g for EMImTF 2 N and 134.6 F/g for BMImBF 4 . However, specific capacitance of supercapacitors assembled with EMImBF 4 , EMImTF 2 N and BMImBF 4 respectively retained 62.9%, 94.5% and 71.5% of the initial values after 2000 galvanostatic charge-discharge cycles. The relationship between the molecular structure of ionic liquids and electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors was discussed based on the experimental data.

The electrochemical reduction behavior of nitrobenzene was studied on glassy carbon electrodes modified with MnFe 2 O 4 colloid nanocrystal assemblies. The crystalline size and structure of the colloid nanocrystal assemblies were found to play important roles in determining the catalytic activity of the electrode towards nitrobenzene. It was found that nitrobenzene was first reduced to phenylhydroxylamine via a four-electron reduction pathway, then phenylhydroxylamine was oxidized to nitrosobenzene by losing two-electron on the electrode. The electrochemical reaction mechanisms of p -nitrotoluene and m -dinitrobenzen on the electrodes were discussed and analyzed based on the experimental data.

Submicrometer colloidal nanocrystal assemblies (CNAs) of MnFeO have been synthesized solvothermally and have been sued as the electrode materials for Lithium ion batteries. Large MnFeO CNAs, which were prepared with the assistance of CHCOONH, possessed the size of about 950 nm showed a larger pore size but a smaller specific surface area, compared with that of 160 nm MnFeO CNAs with the help of CHCOONa•3HO. The capacitance of MnFe-NH can reach 1200 mAh g at the first circle at the current density of 0.1 A g. However, the capacitances were decreased drastically under the further measurements. MnFe-Na showed about 50 mAh g lower capacity and worse cycle stability than MnFe-NH. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy profile indicated the higher electronic conductivity of MnFe-NH, thanks to the larger size of primary crystalline particle and interspace between them.

A 24 m3/d waste water treatment station including structures, buildings, and non-standard equipment was designed. The design considered the current situation that the wastewater discharged without any disposal of the rural middle school. It also combined with the provisions of the relevant national environmental protection, and was strictly in accordance with the relevant effluent discharge standards and design requirements. The process of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetland system with nano materials was adopted after comprehensive consideration of various factors. The operating cost of the wastewater treatment system is mainly a small amount of electricity bills, which is no more than 0.1 RMB per ton wastewater. The advantage of the project is based on biological treatment as the main technical route and low operating cost. Project commissioning condition and the treatment effects are good.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a maladaptive response to pressure overload and it's an important risk factor for heart failure and other adverse cardiovascular events. Aromadendrin (ARO) has remarkable anti-lipid peroxidation efficacy and is a potential therapeutic medicine for the management of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we established the cardiac hypertrophy cell model in rat neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes (RNVMs) with phenylephrine. The cell model was characterized by the increased protein synthesis and cardiomyocyte size, which can be normalized by ARO treatment in both concentration- and time-dependent manner. In transverse aortic constriction (TAC) induced cardiac hypertrophy model, ARO administration improved the impairment of cardiac function and alleviated the cardiac hypertrophy indicators, like ventricular mass/body weight, myocyte cross-sectional area, and the expression of ANP, BNP and Myh7. ARO treatment also suppressed the cardiac fibrosis and the correlated fibrogenic genes. Our further investigation revealed ARO could down-regulate pressure overload-induced Malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-HNE expression, restore the decrease of GSH/GSSG ratio, meanwhile prevent nuclear translocation of NFAT and the activation of MAPKs pathways. Collectively, ARO has a protective effect against experimental cardiac hypertrophy in mice, suggesting its potential as a novel therapeutic drug for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

The effect of high concentrations of testosterone on ovarian follicle development was investigated. Primary follicles and granulosa cells were cultured in vitro in media supplemented with a testosterone concentration gradient. The combined effects of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on follicular growth and granulosa cell gonadotropin receptor mRNA expression were also investigated. Follicle growth in the presence of high testosterone concentrations was promoted at early stages (days 1-7), but inhibited at later stage (days 7-14) of in vitro culture. Interestingly, testosterone-induced follicle development arrest was rescued by treatment with high concentrations of FSH (400 mIU/mL). In addition, in cultured granulosa cells, high testosterone concentrations induced cell proliferation, and increased the mRNA expression level of FSH receptor (FSHR), and luteinized hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor. It was concluded that high concentrations of testosterone inhibited follicle development, most likely through regulation of the FSH signaling pathway, although independently from FSHR downregulation. These findings are an important step in further understanding the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a key pathophysiological component to biomechanical stress, which has been considered to be an independent and predictive risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events. Taxifolin (TAX) is a typical plant flavonoid, which has long been used clinically for treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, very little is known about whether TAX can influence the development of cardiac hypertrophy. In vitro studies, we found that TAX concentration-dependently inhibited angiotensin II (Ang II) induced hypertrophy and protein synthesis in cardiac myocytes. Then we established a mouse model by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to further confirm our findings. It was demonstrated that TAX prevented pressure overload induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice, as assessed by ventricular mass/body weight, echocardiographic parameters, myocyte cross-sectional area, and the expression of ANP, BNP and β-MHC. The excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) played critical role in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. TAX arrested oxidative stress and decreased the expression of 4-HNE induced by pressure overload. Moreover, TAX negatively modulated TAC-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. Further studies showed that TAX significantly attenuated left ventricular fibrosis and collagen synthesis through abrogating the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad2/3 nuclear translocation. These results demonstrated that TAX could inhibit cardiac hypertrophy and attenuate ventricular fibrosis after pressure overload. These beneficial effects were at least through the inhibition of the excess production of ROS, ERK1/2, JNK1/2 and Smad signaling pathways. Therefore, TAX might be a potential candidate for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.

ID1 can mediate transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/activin receptor-like kinase-1 (ALK1)-induced (and Smad-dependent) migration in endothelial cells (ECs). However, the role that ID1 plays during differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into ECs induced by TGF-β1 remains unclear. In this study, a hESC differentiation model that recapitulates the developmental steps of vasculogenesis during the early stages of embryonic development was used to explore this question. We found that TGF-β1 increases endothelial cell differentiation and inhibits endothelial tube formation. Furthermore, at an early stage of differentiation, TGF-β1 may induce in vitro differentiation of hESCs into ECs by inhibiting expression of ID1, while at a later stage of differentiation, TGF-β1 may stimulate the proliferation and migration of ECs via the ALK1/Smad1/5/ID1 pathway. Downregulation of ID1 by gene silencing can lead to acceleration of TGF-β1-induced hESC differentiation into ECs and inhibition of proliferation and migration of ECs. This study may reveal some mechanisms of in vivo vasculogenesis in the early stages of embryonic development.

A previous genome-wide association study of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) identified several susceptibility loci. TOX3 is the nearest gene to signal rs4784165. In the present study, all exons and exon–intron boundaries of TOX3 were amplified and sequenced in 200 Chinese women with PCOS. A 3-bp nucleotide deletion of CAG repeat and two known single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. No plausible pathogenic mutations were detected. The results suggest that mutations in TOX3 are not common in Chinese Han women with PCOS.

As a member of the homeobox (HOX) gene family, HOXA11 is expressed in the primordia of lower uterus and cervix during fetal life and is essential for endometrial development and embryo implantation in the adults. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether mutations in HOXA11 contribute to Mullerian duct anomalies (MDA) in Chinese. A cohort of 192 patients with MDA and 192 healthy controls was enrolled. Genomic DNA was extracted. All exons and exon-intron boundaries were amplified and sequenced. One novel synonymous variant (c.774G>A) and one known single-nucleotide polymorphism were identified, both of which were not found in the matched controls. The results suggest that mutations in the coding region of HOXA11 are not common in Chinese women with MDA. As a member of the homeobox gene family, HOXA11 is expressed in the primordia of lower uterus and cervix during fetal life and is essential for endometrial development and embryo implantation in the adults. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether mutations in HOXA11 contribute to Mullerian duct anomalies (MDA) in Chinese. A cohort of 192 patients with MDA and 192 healthy controls was enrolled. Genomic DNA was extracted. All exons and exon-intron boundaries were amplified and sequenced. One novel synonymous variant (c.774G>A) and one known single-nucleotide polymorphism were identified, both of which were not found in the matched controls. The results suggest that mutations in the coding region of HOXA11 are not common in Chinese women with MDA.

Objective To determine the prevalence of hypertension in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Study design Women with PCOS ( n =3396) and controls ( n =1891) from a Han Chinese population were analysed retrospectively in terms of ovarian appearance on ultrasound, glucose tolerance test, hormones, lipoproteins, anthropomorphic measurements and blood pressure. Results The prevalence of hypertension was 19.2% in the women with PCOS, which was much higher than that in the controls (11.9%). After matching for body mass index, the hypertensive PCOS group had higher glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) and lipid levels than the normotensive PCOS group; these differences were significant ( p Conclusions Hypertensive PCOS patients had higher lipid, insulin and glucose levels than normotensive PCOS patients. It is likely that the incidence of long-term complications will be higher among the former group.

Pulmonary vascular remodelling is a common feature among the heterogeneous disorders that cause pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) proliferation impact the long-term prognosis of the patient. Isoquercitrin (IQC) is a flavonoid with anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activations. This study aimed to investigate whether IQC could prevent PASMCs proliferation and vascular remodelling in monocrotaline (MCT) induced PAH. Male Wistar rats were administered with Vehicle or 0.1% IQC maintain feed after MCT (40 mg/kg) injection. Haemodynamic changes, right ventricular hypertrophy and lung morphological features were assessed 3 weeks later. MCT-induced PAH, pulmonary vascular remodelling and PASMCs proliferation in Vehicle-treated rats. IQC reduced the right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP), the ratio of RV/LV+S and the RV hypertrophy. IQC significantly alleviated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA), and the percentage of fully muscularized small arterioles. In vitro studies, PASMCs were pretreated with IQC and stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB (20 ng/mL). IQC suppressed PDGF-BB-induced PASMCs proliferation and caused G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest. IQC downregulated the expression of Cyclin D1 and CDK4 as well as inhibited p27Kip1 degradation. Meanwhile, IQC negatively modulated PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of PDGF-Rβ, Akt/GSK3β and ERK1/2. IQC ameliorated MCT-induced pulmonary vascular remodelling via suppressing PASMCs proliferation and blocking PDGF-Rβ signalling pathway.

Microporous carbon materials were prepared by carbonization of sulfuric acid-pretreated sucrose. The pore size and specific surface area of the samples were measured to be in the ranges of 0.7–1.2 nm and 178–603 m2/g, respectively. The pore parameters were found to depend strongly on the carbonization temperature. Raman spectra showed that the intensity of the G band was stronger than that of the D band for the samples obtained with carbonization temperatures above 800 °C. It was also found that the sample carbonized at 800 °C displayed the highest specific surface area with a main pore size of about 0.75 nm. This sample exhibited the highest specific capacitance (232 F/g) at a current density of 0.1 A/g and lowest electrical resistance based on the results of cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). All samples displayed a good cycle performance behavior evaluated using both three-electrode and two-electrode cells. Based on the experimental results, the formation mechanism of the carbon materials as well as the relationship between the pore structure and their electrochemical properties were analyzed and discussed.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the endocrine and metabolic characteristics of Chinese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) according to different phenotypes, including menstrual cycle pattern and body mass index (BMI). DESIGN: Retrospective study. PATIENT(S): A total of 3539 patients with PCOS and 590 controls were recruited from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine. Patients with PCOS were divided into three groups according to the characteristics of the menstrual cycle (amenorrhoea, oligomenorrhea and eumenorrhea) and the BMI ( 30 kg/m(2) ). MEASUREMENTS: Waist circumference, hip circumference, weight, height, Ferriman-Gallwey score, and endocrine and metabolic variables were measured. RESULTS: The serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and oral glucose tolerance test 2 h-glucose levels were increased in the amenorrhoea group (P 0·05). Subjects with a BMI

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients have intra-ovarian hyperandrogenism and granulosa cells (GCs) from PCOS patients have impaired insulin-dependent glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study is to determine whether excess androgen affects glucose metabolism and induces insulin resistance of GCs. We firstly explored the insulin metabolic signaling pathway and glucose metabolism in cultured GCs. The Akt phosphorylation and lactate production were increased after insulin treatment. Pre-treatment with PI3-K inhibitor attenuated insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt and lactate accumulation. However, after treating GCs with different concentrations of testosterone for 5 days, insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt and lactate production showed no significant change comparing with those of control cells. Finally, mRNA expression of insulin signaling mediators including INSR, IRS-1, IRS-2, and GLUT-4 in GCs was also not significantly altered after testosterone treatment. In conclusion, insulin activates PI3-K/Akt signaling pathway and promotes lactate production in ovarian GCs, but high androgen exerted no obvious influence on insulin signaling pathway and metabolic effect in GCs, suggesting that metabolic actions of insulin in ovarian GCs were unaffected by hyperandrogenism directly.

Study question Do mutations and/or polymorphisms in coding sequences in Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family, Member 6 (WNT6) play a role in unexplained recurrent miscarriage (unexplained RM) in Chinese couples? Summary answer We found four mutations in the coding sequences of WNT6 which appear to exist in a small proportion of Chinese women with unexplained RM. What is known already WNT6 has been proved to be essential for stromal cell proliferation during decidualization in mice, but in humans WNT6 has not been studied in recurrent miscarriage populations. Study design, size, duration For this study, 100 couples with unexplained RM (at least three or more unexplained spontaneous miscarriages), and 100 ethnically matched fertile couples (at least one live birth and no history of pregnancy pathologies) were recruited. All the participants were chosen over a 7-year period from the National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics at Shandong University, Jinan, China. Participants/materials, setting, methods Patients were recruited following extensive clinical studies. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood. Mutation analysis in the coding regions of WNT6 was performed by PCR amplification and DNA sequences testing in all participants. Functional effects of missense variants were predicted using Polyphen-2 and sorting intolerant from tolerant (SIFT). Main results and the role of chance Four rare novel mutations, including one missense mutation, were found in intron 1, exon 3 and the 3' untranslated region of WNT6 in four women with unexplained RM. Gene software predictions showed that the missense mutation in exon 3 could alter the function of WNT6. No mutations or polymorphisms were detected in the male partners of the unexplained RM patients or in the fertile controls. To further validate the findings, we continued to screen this missense mutation site in another 100 peripheral blood samples of normal fertile females, and there was still no positive result. Limitations, reasons for caution There is no direct evidence to validate whether these novel mutations discovered in the present research are related to unexplained RM. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of WNT6 in unexplained RM, including larger studies in an independent group. Wider implications of the findings These results provide evidence to suggest the importance of WNT6 in reproductive failure and may support the hypothesis that WNT6 is essential for stromal cell proliferation during decidualization. Study funding/competing interests This work was supported by Science and Technology Development Planning of Shandong (2013GGE27001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81300459), the Science Projection of Bureau of Public Health in Weifang (2012044) and the Science Research Foundation Item of No-earnings Health Vocation. The authors have no competing interests to declare.

[Objective] To optimize the extraction of anthraquinone from Aloe by ultrasonic extraction and its antibacterialactivity. [Method]The influences of different extraction time and ethanol concentration, on anthraquinone contentwere evaluated by asingle factor experiment. And anthraquinone content was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The bacteriostasis of anthraquinone on spiced pig head's common putrefying bacteria: Staphylococcus, Serratieae, Bacillus, Proteus and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) were studied by oxford plate assay system. [Result]The best extraction time was 30 minutes and the best ethanol concentration was 80%. The antibacterial activity of the Aloe anthraquinone on Staphylococcus Aureus, Bacillus Proteus is obviously, the minimum inhibitory concentrations were 0.0625 g/mL, 0.05 g/mL, 0.125 g/mL respectively and no inhibitory effect on Serratieae. [Conclusions] The anthraquinones from Aloe can inhibit a part Of spoilage bacteria inspiced pig heads.

Hyperandrogenemia is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome raising the possibility that androgen receptor signaling pathway plays an important role in the development and progression of β-cell dysfunction. Testosterone is the major circulating androgen in women. In this study, we investigated the effect of testosterone on INS-1 cells to find whether excess androgen could produce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress thereby contributing to β-cell dysfunction. The role of testosterone in INS-1 cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and electron microscopy. Expression of BIP, ATF4, and CHOP were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot. Testosterone/AR could not only initiate cell apoptosis but also induce the activation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) cascades in INS-1 cells. Treatment of ER stress inhibitor or flutamide (AR inhibitor) could inhibit testosterone-induced cell apoptosis and CHOP expression. These results suggest that testosterone/AR pathway caused INS-1 cell apoptosis was at least in part through eIF2α/CHOP cascades.

The expression of HNF1 homeobox B (HNF1B) is associated with cancer risk in several tumors, including ovarian cancer, and its decreased expression play roles in cancer development. However, the study of HNF1B and cancer is limited, and its association with drug resistance in cancer has never been reported. On the basis of array data retrieved from Oncomine and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) online database, we found that the mRNA expression of HNF1B in 586 ovarian serous cystadenocarcinomas and in platinum-resistant A2780 epithelial ovarian cancer cells was significantly decreased, indicating a potential role of HNF1B in drug resistance in ovarian cancer. Based on this finding, comprehensive bioinformatics analyses, including protein/gene interaction, protein-small molecule/chemical interaction, biological process annotation, gene co-occurrence and pathway enrichment analysis and microRNA-mRNA interaction, were performed to illustrate the association of HNF1B with drug resistance in ovarian cancer. We found that among the proteins/genes, small molecules/chemicals and microRNAs which directly interacted with HNF1B, the majority was associated with drug resistance in cancer, particularly in ovarian cancer. Biological process annotation revealed that HNF1B closely related to 24 biological processes which were all notably associated with ovarian cancer and drug resistance. These results indicated that the downregulation of HNF1B may contribute to drug resistance in ovarian cancer, via its direct interactions with these drug resistance-related proteins/genes, small molecules/chemicals and microRNAs, and via its regulations on the drug resistance-related biological processes. Pathway enrichment analysis of 36 genes which co-occurred with HNF1B, ovarian cancer and drug resistance indicated that the HNF1B may perform its drug resistance-related functions through 4 pathways including ErbB signaling, focal adhesion, apoptosis and p53 signaling. Collectively, in this study, we illustrated for the first time that HNF1B may contribute to drug resistance in ovarian cancer, potentially through the 4 pathways. The present study may pave the way for further investigation of the drug resistance-related functions of HNF1B in ovarian cancer.

Background Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) has been associated with obesity, especially the common variant rs9939609. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine-metabolic disorder and over 50% of patients are overweight/obese. Thus FTO is a potential candidate gene for PCOS but their relationship is confusing and remains to be clarified in different population with a large sample size. Method This study was performed adopting a two-stage design by genotyping SNP rs9939609. The first set comprise of 741 PCOS and 704 control subjects, with data from our previous GWAS. The second phase of replication study was performed among another independent group of 2858 PCOS and 2358 control subjects using TaqMan-MGB probe assay. All subjects are from Han Chinese. Results The less meaningful association of FTO rs9939609 and PCOS discovered in GWAS (P = 2.47E-03), was further confirmed in the replication study (P = 1.86E-09). Using meta-analysis, the P-meta value has reached 6.89E-12, over-exceeding the genome-wide association level of 5.00E-8. By combination, the P value was 1.26E-11 and after BMI adjustment it remained significant(P = 1.82E-06). To further elucidate whether this association is resulted from obesity or PCOS per se, the samples were divided into two groups–obese and non-obese PCOS, and the results were still positive in obese group (P obese = 5.81E-05, OR = 1.55), as well as in non-obese PCOS group (P non-obese = 7.06E-04, OR = 1.28). Conclusion Variant rs9939609 in FTO is associated with PCOS in Chinese women, not only in obese PCOS subjects, but also in non-obese cases.

Type 2 diabetes is often developed in genetically predisposed subjects combined with sedentary life style or environmental factors. In women with polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperandrogenism is often accompanied with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. Further, some studies have found associations of hyperandrogenemia with β-cell dysfunction and type 2 diabetes. We therefore tested the impairment effect of testosterone on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in INS-1 cells. INS-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of testosterone and examined at different time points. In contrast to control, excess testosterone treatment for 48 h could promote glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and enhance pancreatic/duodenal homeobox-1 and glucose transporter-2 mRNA expression up to 2-fold. Alternatively, long-time and high-concentration testosterone treatment significantly impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and insulin mRNA levels and promoted malondialdehyde content. Androgen receptor antagonist flutamide could partly attenuate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. These results indicate that direct in vitro exposure of INS-1 cells to testosterone had both concentration- and time-dependent effects on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, gene expression, and oxidative stress. These findings showed to some extent that excess circulation of testosterone might impair β-cell function, and further contribute to the etiology of insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome.

The aim of this study was to describe the endocrine and metabolic characteristics of Chinese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) according to different phenotypes, including menstrual cycle pattern and body mass index (BMI).Retrospective study. A total of 3539 patients with PCOS and 590 controls were recruited from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine. Patients with PCOS were divided into three groups according to the characteristics of the menstrual cycle (amenorrhoea, oligomenorrhea and eumenorrhea) and the BMI (25 kg/m(2) ; 25 ≤ and ≤ 30 kg/m(2) ; and BMI 30 kg/m(2) ).Waist circumference, hip circumference, weight, height, Ferriman-Gallwey score, and endocrine and metabolic variables were measured. The serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and oral glucose tolerance test 2 h-glucose levels were increased in the amenorrhoea group (P 0·05). The triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL) levels were the highest in the amenorrhoea group (P 0·05). The same trend existed in total cholesterol and non- high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL) levels, although there was no statistical significance (P 0·05). Subjects with a BMI25 kg/m(2) had higher values of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH, LH/FSH and prolactin (P 0·001) than the other two groups. The levels of TG, LDL and non-HDL and the indices of glucose and insulin metabolism increased with the change in BMI (P 0·001). The amenorrhoea group had severe endocrine and metabolic abnormalities, which appeared to be related to latent long-term complications and higher morbidity. The degree of dysbolism was positively associated with the change in BMI.

Objective To determine the serum antimullerian hormone (AMH) reference values in Chinese women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and the associations of AMH with clinical or biochemical characteristics. Design Retrospective study. Setting Academic institutions. Patient(s) Totals of 1,896 infertile control women and 304 women with PCOS. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Serum basal AMH levels and clinical, endocrine, and metabolic parameters. Result(s) In the same age group, serum AMH levels were higher in PCOS women than those without PCOS. AMH levels were not significantly related to indices of insulin resistance or metabolic-related variables in both groups. In the infertile control group, AMH increased with antral follicle count (AFC) and LH and decreased with age, body mass index (BMI), and FSH. In the PCOS group, AMH levels showed positive correlations with LH, AFC, and T and negative correlations with BMI. The median AMH levels were 2.35 ng/mL for ages 20–31 years, 1.58 ng/mL for ages 32–34 years, 1.30 ng/mL for ages 35–37 years, 0.96 ng/mL for ages 38–40 years, 1.05 ng/mL for ages 41–43 years, and 0.67 ng/mL for ages >43 years in the control group and 4.38 ng/mL for ages 20–31 years, 3.47 ng/mL for ages 32–34 years, and 3.30 ng/mL for ages 35–37 years in the PCOS group. Conclusion(s) This study determined reference values of serum AMH in Chinese women with and without PCOS. Elevated serum AMH levels do not affect the risk of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.