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Bamboo-willow is a type of fast-growing wood with a high hemicellulose content. In the present study, the effects of phosphoric acid addition on the main components of bamboo-willow and pre-hydrolysis liquor (PHL) were explored, and subsequently the pre-hydrolyzed bamboo-willow chips were cooked, O-H-P bleached, and acid post-treated to produce dissolving pulp. The results showed that adding phosphoric acid to the pre-hydrolysis stage effectively removed hemicellulose and increased the cellulose content of the pre-hydrolyzed bamboo-willow. The major component of the hemicelluloses was xylan/xylose, which represented approximately 62% to 78% of the total sugars in the PHL. Glucose was the most abundant sugar that was produced, apart from xylose, and represented approximately 12% to 25% of the total sugars in the PHL. Additionally, 73% to 83% of the total sugars in the PHL were in an oligomeric form. The obtained bamboo-willow dissolving pulp could be used to produce viscose rayon with a 92.1% α-cellulose content, 4.77% hemicellulose content, and 675 degree of polymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to explore the roles and possible molecular mechanism of the alleviating effect of sevoflurane pre-treatment on the extracorporeal circulation and to investigate the possible involvement of the Toll-like receptor (TLR3) signaling pathway. A total of 64 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: The sham operation group (H group; n=8), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) group (C group; n=24) and sevoflurane pre-conditioning group (S group; n=32). The C group was subjected to tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, vessel puncture and catheter placement in the right femoral artery and right internal jugular vein, while no CPB was performed in the H group. The S group was pre-treated with 2.4% sevoflurane for 1 h prior to establishing the CPB model. The CPB in the C and S groups was performed for 1 h. Blood of the rats was analyzed and clinical parameters were detected prior to, during and at various time-points after CPB. In addition, eight rats from the C and S groups each were sacrificed at these time-points and brain tissue samples were analyzed. The levels of the brain damage-specific protein S100-β as well as IL-6 and IFN-β in the serum were detected by ELISA; furthermore, the expression levels of TLR3 and TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) in the left hippocampus were assessed by ELISA and/or western blot analysis. The right hippocampus was assessed for neuronal apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. The mean arterial pressure, heart rate and hematocrit were significantly decreased following CPB (P<0.05), while there was no significant changes in any other clinical parameters. The serum levels of S100-β and IL-6 in the C group were significantly increased compared with those in the H group (P<0.05), which was attenuated by sevoflurane-pre-treatment. Compared with the H group, the serum levels of IFN-β as well as hippocampal protein levels of TLR3 and TRIF were significantly increased in the C group during and after CPB (P<0.05), which was markedly aggravated in the S group (P<0.05). The number of apoptotic hippocampal neurons, although being generally low, was significantly increased in the C group compared with that in the H group (P<0.05), while apoptosis was significantly attenuated by sevoflurane-pre-treatment (P<0.05). The present study therefore concluded that 2.4% sevoflurane pre-treatment has a protective effect on the rat brain against CPB-induced injury, which may be mediated via the TLR3 signaling pathway through upregulating the expression levels of anti-inflammatory and downregulating pro-inflammatory proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) increases the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Information on changes in prevalence of MetSyn in developing countries is limited. This study aims to compare MetSyn prevalence and its associated vascular risk over the period between 2002 and 2010 in a population which has had the world’s fastest economic development over the past three decades. Methods: Two health surveys were conducted by using the multistage cluster random sampling method in a Chinese population of 85 million in southern China. The participants received a full medical check-up, including measurement of blood pressure (BP), obesity indices, fasting lipids and glucose levels. Data describing socio-economic status and lifestyle factors were also collected through interview. Metabolic syndrome was defined in accordance with the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Results: A total of 3,561 participants from Survey 2010 were included in the data analysis. Women had a significantly higher prevalence of MetSyn than men. Comparison between the two surveys shows that age-standardized prevalence of MetSyn increased fourfold (from 5.4% in 2002 to 21.3% in 2010) in those ≧ 20 years. Among the MetSyn components, prevalence of hyperglycaemia has increased most (from 9.1% to 53.1%). The age-standardized prevalence of central obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia and low HDL-cholesterol increased from 13.5% to 25.4%, from 23.6% to 40.8%, from 12.1% to 17.4% and from 32.1% to 71.1%, respectively. Differences between rural and urban residents in the prevalence in MetSyn and its components narrowed in 2010. Conclusions: Cardiovascular risk escalated dramatically in this population between 2002 and 2010. The escalation may relate to the rapid economic development, which led to accelerating changes in nutrition, lifestyle, and socio-economic status. Our findings suggest that health transition in rapidly developing second- and third-world countries may be much faster than what has been observed in Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]