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Background: Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) are a class of new pollutants that are diffusely used in the medical industry and animal husbandry. In view of toxicity concerns, elevated levels of EEDs in the environment and food, which cause potential harm to human beings and ecosystems, must be monitored. Determination of EEDs contaminants to ensure environment and food safety has became a major concern worldwide, it is also a challenging task because of their trace level and probable matrices interference. Thus, developing rapid adsorption and efficient analysis methods for EEDs is apparently necessary., Results: A magnetic conjugated micro-porous polymer (Fe 3 O 4 @TbDt) was designed and synthesized, which was endowed with large specific surface area, rich functional groups and magnetic responsiveness. The material showed high extraction efficiency for EEDs via magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The quantum chemistry calculations showed the adsorption mechanism of Fe 3 O 4 @TbDt on EEDs mainly included electrostatic interactions, van der waals forces (N-H … π interaction, C-H … π interaction), and multiple hydrogen bonds. Finally, a trace analysis method for nine EEDs was established combined with HPLC-MS/MS under optimized MSPE conditions. The method showed a good linearity (R 2  ≥ 0.996), low limits of detection (0.25-5.1 ng L -1 ), high precision (RSD of 1.1-8.2 %, n = 6). The applicability of this method was investigated by analyzing four water samples and two dairy products, and satisfactory recovery rates (82.1-100.7 %) were obtained. The proposed method showed the potential for the analysis of EEDs residues in food and environmental samples., Significance: The developed MSPE method based on conjugated micro-porous polymers (CMPs) is simple, green, and efficient compared to existing techniques. The application of CMPs provides a new idea for preparing versatile sample pre-treatment materials. What's more, this work has certain reference value for addressing of EEDs residues in the environment and food., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microporous organic networks (MONs) are highly porous materials that are particularly useful in analytical chemistry. However, the use of these materials is often limited by the functional groups available on their surface. Here, we described the polymerization of a sea urchin-like structure material at ambient temperature, that was functionalized with hydroxyl, carboxyl, and triazine groups and denoted as OH-COOH-MON-TEPT. A substantial proportion of OH-COOH-MON-TEPT was intricately decorated EDA-Fe 3 O 4 , creating a well-designed configuration (EDA-Fe 3 O 4 @OH-COOH-MON-TEPT-EDC) for superior adsorption of the target analytes phenylurea herbicides (PUHs) via magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The proposed method showed remarkably low limits of detection ranging from 0.03 to 0.22 ng·L -1 . Experimental investigations and theoretical analyses unveiled the adsorption mode between EDA-Fe 3 O 4 @OH-COOH-MON-TEPT-EDC and PUHs. These findings establish a robust foundation for potential applications of EDA-Fe 3 O 4 @OH-COOH-MON-TEPT-EDC in the analysis of various polar contaminants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to investigate the component variations and spatial distribution of ginsenosides in Panax quinquefolium roots during repeated steaming and drying. Ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was employed to identify the ginsenosides in the root extract. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging(MALDI-MSI) was employed to visualize the spatial distribution and spatiotemporal changes of prototype ginsenosides and metabolites in P. quinquefolium roots. The UPLC results showed that 90 ginsenosides were identified during the steaming process of the roots, and polar ginsenosides were converted into low polar or non-polar ginsenosides. The content of prototype ginsenosides decreased, while that of rare ginsenosides increased, which included 20(S/R)-ginsenoside Rg_3, 20(S/R)-ginsenoside Rh_2, and ginsenosides Rk_1, Rg_5, Rs_5, and Rs_4. MALDI-MSI results showed that ginsenosides were mainly distributed in the epidermis and phloem. As the steaming times increased, ginsenosides were transported to the xylem and medulla. This study provides fundamental information for revealing the changes of biological activity and pharmacological effect of P. quinquefolium roots that are caused by repeated steaming and drying and gives a reference for expanding the application scope of this herbal medicine.

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of neoandrographolide (Neo) on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) models and explore its possible mechanism. We randomly and equally divided male mice into sham-operation, I/R, and I/R + Neo groups. H9C2 cell line and primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were induced into the simulated I/R's status and used to further validate the Neo's role in vitro. Heart systolic function, indexes of myocardial injury (IMI), infarct size, pathological change, cell apoptosis, inflammatory cytokines, and indexes related to apoptotic and NF-κB signaling pathways were analyzed in vivo or in vitro after the Neo treatment. Compared to the I/R group, Neo significantly suppressed IMI, infarct size, inflammatory cell infiltration, cell apoptosis, inflammatory cytokines, bax, cleaved caspase-3, P-IKBa, and P-NF-κB protein expressions, and the translocation of NF-kB subunit p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in vivo or in vitro. Still, ejected fraction, fractional shortening, and the bcl-2 protein expression were notably increased after the Neo treatment. Neo could be developed into a new drug for treating myocardial I/R by inhibiting myocardial inflammation and apoptosis, which was closely related to suppressing the activation of bax/bcl-2 and NF-κB signaling pathways., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has increased in China. However, the contribution of dietary risks to the NCD burden has not been evaluated. This study aimed to estimate the burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) attributable to a diet low in fiber in China from 1990 to 2017., Methods: China data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2017 were used to assess the age-, sex-, and province-specific mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of IHD and CRC related to a diet low in fiber., Results: In 2017, a diet low in fiber contributed 170,143 [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 99,623-256,806] IHD deaths and 25,561 (95% UI: 13,726-39,215) CRC deaths, with the population attributable fractions (PAFs) were 9.7 and 13.7%, respectively. Males had higher risk-attributable mortality and DALY rates for IHD and CRC than females. An upward trend with age in rates of mortality and DALY was observed. All-age risk-attributable mortality and DALY rates increased significantly by 111.4 and 53.2% for IHD, and 94.4 and 59.6% for CRC from 1990 to 2017, respectively; however, the corresponding age-standardized rates for IHD and CRC showed relatively stable trends. Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia were ranked as the top three provinces in terms of total risk-attributable NCD burden in 2017., Conclusions: China has a large and growing NCD burden attributable to a diet low in fiber. Greater priority in disease prevention and control should be given to male and older adults throughout China, particularly in some western provinces., (© 2021. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Food and environmental safety issues attributable to the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are gaining increasing attention, and these urge us to establish a high-performance sample-handling technique. In this study, an outstanding adsorption performance with short adsorption time (10 min) was achieved for PBDEs using a novel synthesized dispersive solid-phase extraction adsorbent, a reticulated covalent organic framework with N/O functional groups (i.e., imine linkage, triazine, and methoxy) (TAPT-DMTA-COF). By conducting sufficient experimentation and theoretical simulation on adsorption mechanism, the halogen bond between electronegative N/O atoms of TAPT-DMTA-COF and the electropositive Br atoms of PBDEs were observed to play a more pivotal role than π-π, C-H…π interactions, and hydrophobic effects. Furthermore, the positive linear relation between calculated adsorption energy and Br content directly clarified that enrichment behavior of PBDEs can be attributed to halogen bonding. These data implied that integrated nanostructure (i.e., N/O functional groups and reticulated architecture) effectively enhanced adsorption capacity. In case of PBDE analysis, this approach achieved excellent results with low limits of detection (0.03-0.13 ng L -1 ). Finally, the promising potential applications of aforementioned method were verified by spiking water, fish, and milk samples with PBDEs; good PBDEs recoveries were obtained., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the association between blood pressure and all-cause mortality in Shanxi, China., Methods: The '2002 China Nutrition and Health Survey' baseline data in Shanxi province was used. A retrospective investigation was performed in 2015. The effects of SBP and DBP on the all-cause mortality were analyzed using the Cox regression model. The hazard ratio ( HR ) and 95% confidence interval ( CI ) were estimated by the sex and age groups., Results: The follow-up rate was 76.52% over 13 years, while the cumulative mortality rate for all participants was 917.12/100,000 person-years. The mortality rose with an increasing SBP ( χ 2 trend = 270.537, P < 0.001) or DBP level ( χ 2 trend = 57.240, P < 0.001). After adjustment for the confounding factors, a significant association between mortality and high SBP (≥ 160 mmHg) and high DBP (≥ 100 mmHg), with adjusted HR ranging from 1.405- to 2.179-fold for SBP and 1.550- to 2.854-fold for DBP, was noted. Significant HRs for most DBP subgroups were found in > 60-year-old participants. Males with DBP ≥ 100 mmHg had a significantly higher mortality, with an HR (95% CI ) of 2.715 (1.377-5.351)., Conclusion: Adults with SBP > 160 mmHg and DBP > 100 mmHg had a higher mortality risk. Sex and age difference was noted in both DBP and mortality risk., (Copyright © 2020 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death in China. Little is known about the CVD burden and risk factors in Henan Province, China., Objective: To analyze the CVD burden and main risk factors between 1990 and 2017 in the Henan Province in China., Methods: The methodological framework and analytical strategies adopted in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 were used., Results: (1) Age-standardized mortality rate attributed to CVDs increased from 355.0 per 100,000 persons in 1990 to 364.1 per 100,000 persons in 2017 in Henan. (2) Age-standardized disability adjusted life years (DALYs) rate fell by 3.9% from 1990 to 2017. However, the number of DALYs attributed to CVDs increased by 75.9% from 4.2 million person-years in 1990 to 7.3 million person-years in 2017. (3) The age-standardized years lived with disability (YLDs) rate increased by 27.5% from 1990 to 2017. However, years of life lost (YLLs) rate decreased by 6.7% from 1990 to 2017. The contribution of YLLs to the DALYs decreased from 91.4% in 1990 to 89.2% in 2017. (4) Stroke (52.3%) and ischemic heart diseases (38.8%) accounted for 91.1% of total CVDs DALYs among adults in 2017. (5) Dietary factors such as high intake of sodium, alcohol use and low intake of fruits, high systolic blood pressure, and tobacco use were the top risk factors for CVDs, and the estimated population attributable fraction in 2017 was 69.4%, 56.7% and 25.2%, respectively., Conclusions: The absolute burden of CVDs in Henan is still high, although age-standardized DALYs declined between 1990 and 2017. The prevention and control of stroke and ischemic heart diseases should focus on a few modifiable risk factors which mainly contributed to the burden of CVDs, such as dietary factors, high systolic blood pressure, and tobacco use.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of waist circumference (WC) with all-cause mortality among Chinese adults., Methods: The baseline data were from Shanxi Province of 2002 China Nutrition and Health Survey. The death investigation and follow-up visit were conducted from December 2015 to March 2016. The visits covered up to 5,360 of 7,007 participants, representing a response rate of 76.5%. The Cox regression model and floating absolute risk were used to estimate hazard ratio and 95% floating CI of death by gender and age groups (≥ 60 and < 60 years old). Sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding current smokers; participants with stroke, hypertension, and diabetes; participants who accidentally died; and participants who died during the first 2 years of follow-up., Results: This study followed 67,129 person-years for 12.5 years on average, including 615 deaths. The mortality density was 916 per 100,000 person-years. Low WC was associated with all-cause mortality among men. Multifactor-adjusted hazard ratios ( HR ) were 1.60 (1.35-1.90) for WC < 75.0 cm and 1.40 (1.11-1.76) for WC ranging from 75.0 cm to 79.9 cm. Low WC (< 70.0 cm and 70.0-74.9 cm) and high WC (≥ 95.0 cm) groups had a high risk of mortality among women. The adjusted HR s of death were 1.43 (1.11-1.83), 1.39 (1.05-1.84), and 1.91 (1.13-3.22)., Conclusion: WC was an important predictor of death independent of body mass index (BMI). WC should be used as a simple rapid screening and predictive indicator of the risk of death., (Copyright © 2020 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Obesity is recognized as a significant risk factor for diabetes and hypertension. The present study aimed to examine the associations between adults'obesity risk and childhood and parental obesity., Methods: A total of 204 children aged 6-17 years were recruited in 2002 with an average follow-up period of 13.2 years. Height and body weight were measured by trained staffs. Overweight and obesity were defined based on the Chinese standard for children and adults. T-test, analysis of variance, and Chi-square analysis were used for single factor analysis. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to perform multifactor analysis., Results: The percentage of non-obese children who grew up to be non-obese adults was 62.6%, and that of obese children who grew up to be obese adults was 80.0%. There was a significant association between childhood body mass index (BMI) and adulthood BMI with a β regression coefficient of 3.76 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36-6.16], and between childhood obesity and adulthood obesity with an odds ratio of 5.76 (95% CI: 1.37-24.34). There was no statistical difference between parental obesity at baseline and children's adulthood obesity, after adjustment of confounders. Male participants and those aged 10.0-13.0 years had a higher risk of adulthood obesity with odds ratios of 2.50 (95% CI: 1.12-5.26) and 3.62 (95% CI: 1.17-11.24), respectively., Conclusion: Childhood obesity is an important predictor of adulthood obesity., (Copyright © 2019 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

otrA resembles elongation factor G (EF-G) and is considered to be an oxytetracycline (OTC)-resistance determinant in Streptomyces rimosus. In order to determine whether otrA also conferred resistance to OTC and other aminoglycosides to Streptomyces coelicolor, the otrA gene from S. rimosus M527 was cloned under the control of the strong ermE * promoter. The resulting plasmid, pIB139-otrA, was introduced into S. coelicolor M145 by intergeneric conjugation, yielding the recombinant strain S. coelicolor M145-OA. As expected S. coelicolor M145-OA exhibited higher resistance levels specifically to OTC and aminoglycosides gentamycin, hygromycin, streptomycin, and spectinomycin. However, unexpectedly, S. coelicolor M145-OA on solid medium showed an accelerated aerial mycelia formation, a precocious sporulation, and an enhanced actinorhodin (Act) production. Upon growth in 5-L fermentor, the amount of intra- and extracellular Act production was 6-fold and 2-fold higher, respectively, than that of the original strain. Consistently, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that the transcriptional level of pathway-specific regulatory gene actII-orf4 was significantly enhanced in S. coelicolor M145-OA compared with in S. coelicolor M145.

Background: Stroke causes death and disability throughout the world and recurrent stroke events are more likely to be disabling or fatal. We conducted a hospital-based study to investigate the frequency and influence factors of stroke recurrence in China., Methods: Data from patients hospitalized with stroke between January 2007 and December 2010 of 109 tertiary hospitals in China were used. Stroke recurrence and associated factors were ascertained. The zero-inflated model was used to evaluate the factors of recurrence., Results: Of 101,926 discharged patients, the cumulative 2-year stroke recurrence rate was 3.80% for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), 5.31% for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 8.71% for ischemic stroke (IS), respectively. Among patients with stroke recurrence, 54.11% with SAH, 60.42% with ICH, and 92.92% with IS relapsed for the same type of the first-onset stroke. For discharged patients with SAH with middle cerebral artery aneurysm clipping or artery aneurysm embolization, it was less likely to stroke relapse, but the times of recurrence would increase if 1 recurrence appeared. Cerebral artery aneurysms and hypertension were risk factors for recurrence frequency. For ICH, protective factors for recurrence were trepanation and drainage of intracranial hematoma, cerebral angiography, puncture and drainage of intracranial hematoma, and length of stay (LOS). But rheumatic heart disease and atrial fibrillation would further the relapse frequency. For IS, age and LOS were protective factors, but recurrence frequency would increase if the first recurrence happened. Cervical spondylopathy, male gender, and diabetes were risk factors for frequency of relapse., Conclusions: Associated factors were different for recurrence frequency among different stroke types., (Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of allergic diseases in children aged 0-24 months in the Wuhu urban area of Anhui Province and risk factors for allergic diseases., Methods: Cluster random sampling was performed to select 600 children aged 0-24 months and their mothers from the Wuhu urban area, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data of disease history, family history, mothers' conditions during pregnancy, and child-rearing situation. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed for such data., Results: Among the 597 children included in the analysis, 56 (9.4%) were diagnosed with allergic diseases in the past. The univariate analysis showed that the age, use of antipyretic and analgesic drugs, a history of allergy in the father or grandparents, and the consumption of fish, shrimps, crabs, and shellfish during pregnancy were significantly associated with past allergic diseases (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the age and a history of allergy in the father or grandparents were positively associated with past allergic diseases (OR=4.0-4.9, 2.7, and 2.4 respectively; P<0.05), while frequent consumption of fish, shrimps, crabs, and shellfish during pregnancy was negatively associated with past allergic diseases (OR=0.3; P<0.05)., Conclusions: A family history of allergy is an independent risk factor for allergic diseases in children aged 0-24 months in the Wuhu urban area of Anhui Province, while frequent consumption of fish, shrimps, crabs, and shellfish during pregnancy is a protective factor.

In order to investigate the content and distribution of rare earth elements (REE) in main economic macroalgaes in our country, fifteen rare earth elements in three economic macroalgaes (including 30 samples of kelp, 30 samples of laver and 15 samples of Enteromorpha) were detected using ICP-MS method. Results showed that the total content of REE in different species of macroalgaes was different. The highest total content of REE was in Enteromorpha (16,012.0 ng · g⁻¹), while in kelp and laver, the total REE was similar for two macroalgaes (3887.4 and 4318.1 ng · g⁻¹ respectively). The content of fifteen rare earth elements in kelp ranged from 7.9 to 1496.4 ng · g⁻¹; in laver, it ranged from 8.2 to 1836.6 ng · g⁻¹. For Enteromorpha, the concentration of 15 rare earth elements were between 19.2 and 6014.5 ng · g⁻¹. In addition, the content and distribution of different rare earth elements in different macroalgaes was also different. For kelp, the highest content of REE was Ce (1 496.4 ng · g⁻¹), and the second was La (689.1 ng · g⁻¹). For laver, the highest was Y (1836.6 ng · g⁻¹), and the second was Ce (682.2 ng · g⁻¹). For Enteromorpha, the highest was Ce (6014.5 ng · g⁻¹), and the second was La (2902.9 ng · g⁻¹). Present results also showed that three macroalgaes accumulated the light rare earth elements much more than the high rare earth elements. The light rare earth elements occupied 90.9%, 87.3% and 91.1% for kelp, laver and Enteromorpha respectively. The result that the Enteromorpha had high content of rare earth elements could provide important support for opening new research directions for the utilization of Enteromorpha.

The abnormal autophagy is associated with a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as new factors in gene regulation, but how lncRNAs operate in the regulation of autophagy in the heart is unclear. Here we report that a long noncoding RNA, named autophagy promoting factor (APF), can regulate autophagic cell death by targeting miR-188-3p and ATG7. The results show that miR-188-3p suppresses autophagy and myocardial infarction by targeting ATG7. Further, we find that APF lncRNA regulates miR-188-3p, and thus affects ATG7 expression, autophagic cell death and myocardial infarction. Our present study reveals a novel regulating model of autophagic programme, which comprises APF, miR-188-3p and ATG7 in the heart. Modulation of their levels may serve as potential targets and diagnostic tools for novel therapeutic strategies of myocardial infarction and heart failure.

Background: The incidence and burden of stroke in China is increasing rapidly. However, little is known about trends in mortality during stroke hospitalization. The objectives of this study were to assess trends of in-hospital mortality among patients with stroke and explore influence factors of in-hospital death after stroke in China., Methods: 109 grade III class A hospitals were sampled by multistage stratified cluster sampling. All patients admitted to hospitals between 2007 and 2010 with a discharge diagnosis of stroke were included. Trends in in-hospital mortality among patients with stroke were assessed. Influence factors of in-hospital death after stroke were explored using multivariable logistic regression., Results: Overall stroke hospitalizations increased from 79,894 in 2007 to 85,475 in 2010, and in-hospital mortality of stroke decreased from 3.16% to 2.30% (P<0.0001). The percentage of severe patients increased while odds of mortality (2010 versus 2007) decreased regardless of stroke type: subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR 0.792, 95% CI = 0.636 to 0.987), intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 0.647, 95% CI = 0.591 to 0.708), and ischemic stroke (OR 0.588, 95% CI = 0.532 to 0.649). In multivariable analyses, older age, male, basic health insurance, multiple comorbidities and severity of disease were linked to higher odds of in-hospital mortality., Conclusions: The mortality of stroke hospitalizations decreased likely reflecting advancements in stroke care and prevention. Decreasing of mortality with increasing of severe stroke patients indicated that we should pay more attention to rehabilitation and life quality of stroke patients. Specific individual and hospital-level characteristics may be targets for facilitating further declines.

Arsenite [As (III)], arsenate [As (V)], methylarsonate (MMA), and dimethylarsinate (DMA) in five edible seaweeds (the brown algae Laminaria japonica, red algae Porphyra yezoensis, brown algae Undaria pinnatifida, brown algae Hizikia fusiformis, and green algae Enteromorpha prolifera) were analyzed using in vitro digestion method determined by high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results showed that DMA was found in the water extracts of all samples; As (III) were detected in L. japonica and U. pinnatifida and about 23.0 and 0.15 mg/kg of As (V) were found in H. fusiformis and E. prolifera respectively. However, after the gastrointestinal digestion, As (V) was not detected in any of the five seaweeds. About 0.19 and 1.47 mg/kg of As (III) was detected in the gastric extracts of L. japonica and H. fusiformis, respectively, and about 0.31 and 0.10 mg/kg of As (III) were extracted from the intestinal extracts of Porphyra yezoensis and U. pinnatifida, respectively. The present results successfully reveal the differences of As species and levels in the water and biomimetic extracts of five edible seaweeds. The risk assessment of the inorganic arsenic in the five edible seaweeds based on present data showed almost no hazards to human health.

Although BMP9 is highly capable of promoting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs), the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we explore the possible involvement and detail role of JNKs (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. It was found that BMP9 stimulated the activation of JNKs in MSCs. BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs was dramatically inhibited by JNKs inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, BMP9-activated Smads signaling was decreased by SP600125 treatment in MSCs. The effects of inhibitor are reproduced with adenoviruses expressing siRNA targeted JNKs. Taken together, our results revealed that JNKs was activated in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. What is most noteworthy, however, is that inhibition of JNKs activity resulted in reduction of BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, implying that activation of JNKs is essential for BMP9 osteoinductive activity.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with a series of bone complications, which are still a great challenge in the clinic. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are crucial to bone remodeling and are attractive candidates for tissue engineering. Hence, we aimed to investigate whether impaired functions of BMSCs play a role in the pathogenesis of bone complications associated with T1DM. BMSCs were isolated from normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and their proliferation and osteogenic differentiation ability were analyzed. Diabetic BMSCs demonstrated reduced proliferation ability, osteoblast gene expression, alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization. Nude mice transplanted with diabetic BMSCs in a calcium phosphate cement scaffold exhibited reduced new bone formation, as detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. These changes may be partially related to impaired insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling. Weak gene expression of insulin receptor (IR), IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) was observed in the diabetic BMSCs compared with normal BMSCs, together with decreased protein level of IGF-1, IGF-1R, IRS-1 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Therefore, impaired proliferation and osteogenic potential of BMSCs may be responsible for bone complications related to T1DM, mediated partially by impaired insulin and IGF-1 signaling. These findings may provide a new target with which to devise strategies for therapy.

Although BMP6 is highly capable of inducing osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. Using dominant negative (dn) mutant form of type I and type II TGFβ receptors, we demonstrated that three dn-type I receptors (dnALK2, dnALK3, dnALK6), and three dn-type II receptors (dnBMPRII, dnActRII, dnActRIIB), effectively diminished BMP6- induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs. These findings suggested that ALK2, ALK3, ALK6, BMPRII, ActRII and ActRIIB are essential for BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs. However, MPCs in this study do not express ActRIIB. Moreover, RNA interference of ALK2, ALK3, ALK6, BMPRII and ActRII inhibited BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation in MPCs. Our results strongly suggested that BMP6-induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs is mediated by its functional TGFβ receptors including ALK2, ALK3, ALK6, BMPRII, and ActRII.

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) was developed as a novel minimally invasive surgical approach., Aims: The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare SILS and conventional laparoscopy (CL) for colorectal diseases with respect to perioperative and oncologic outcomes., Methods: An electronic search was performed to retrieve all relevant articles published in the English language between 2008 and 2012 comparing SILS and CL for colorectal diseases. The data were analyzed with fixed-effect or random-effects models using review manager version 5.0., Results: A total of 14 studies (one randomized controlled trial and 13 nonrandomized controlled trials) were found to be eligible and reported on 1,155 subjects, of whom 521 underwent SILS and 634 underwent CL for colorectal diseases. Concerning the perioperative outcomes, no differences were observed in conversion rate, operating time, and postoperative adverse events; however, patients who underwent SILS had lower blood loss, decreased blood transfusion requirement, shorter time to flatus, shorter hospital stay, and smaller incision. Concerning the oncologic outcomes, length of resected specimens, number of harvested lymph nodes, proximal margin, and distal margin, were comparable between two groups., Conclusions: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is a safe, feasible, and oncological efficient alternative to CL for colorectal diseases. Further larger, multi-centred, randomised controlled trial is indicated.

Background: To investigate the relationship between obesity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a randomly selected Chinese sample., Methods: A total of 3600 residents aged 18-80 years were sampled in five cities of China using a randomized stratified multiple-stage sampling method to receive the interview, with a self-completed questionnaire to collect demographic information, and the Mandarin version of Short Form 36 Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) to assess HRQL, followed by height and weight measurements for calculating body mass index (BMI). Cross-sectional association between BMI and HRQL was analysed., Results: Among the 3207 participants (mean age 42 years) suitable for analysis, BMI differed by age and gender. Based on the international or the Asian BMI categories, in women, meaningful impairments were seen between obese and normal weight participants in four physical health scales, and only one scale of the four mental health scales--vitality scale was affected by obesity; in men, impairments by obesity were not found in all of the eight SF-36 scales, and better HRQL in two mental health scales were observed in obese participants compared to normal weight ones; after adjusting related variables, several physical but not mental health scales were found impaired by obesity., Conclusion: Obesity impaired physical but not mental health, and the impairments varied between genders. Public health agencies and government should emphasize the impairments of obesity on physical health.

Recently, TiO(2) nanotube layers are widely used in orthopedics and dental applications because of their good promotion effect on bone cells. Furthermore, peptide sequences such as arginine-glycine-aspartic acid are used to modify Ti implant for binding to cell surface integrins through motif. In this study, a cellular adhesive peptide of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-cysteine (RGDC) was immobilized onto anodized TiO(2) nanotubes on Ti to examine its in vitro responses on rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. High-resolution C1s scans suggested the presence of RGDC on the surface and SEM images confirmed the nanotubes were not destroyed after modification. BMSCs adhesion and osteogenic gene expression were detected in TiO(2) nanotube layers with and without RGDC modification by fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, SEM, and realtime polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). Results showed that the TiO(2) nanotube layers immobilized with RGDC increased BMSCs adhesion compared to nonfunctionalized nanotubes after 4 h of cultivation. Furthermore, the osteogenic gene expression of BMSCs was dramatically enhanced on the TiO(2) nanotube layers immobilized with RGDC (10 mM) compared to the TiO(2) nanotube layers immobilized with RGDC (1 mM) and non-functionalized anodized Ti. Our results from in vitro study provided evidence that Ti anodized to possess nanotubes and then further functionalized with RGDC should be further studied for the design of better biomedical implant surfaces.

Background: The epidemiology of functional diarrhea and its impacts on Chinese remain unclear, and there are no data on the comparative epidemiology of functional diarrhea and diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). This study was to explore the epidemiology of functional diarrhea and its impacts, and to identify its distinction from IBS-D., Methods and Findings: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 16078 respondents, who were interviewed under a randomized stratified multi-stage sampling design in five cities of China. All respondents completed the modified Rome II questionnaire, and the 36-item Short Form health survey (SF-36) was used for assessing health-related quality of life in 20% of the sample. Overall, 248 respondents (1.54%) had functional diarrhea and 277 (1.72%) had IBS-D. Functional diarrhea was positively associated with increasing age and body mass index (trend test P<0.05). The three most common symptoms for at least 3 weeks in the past months were loose, mushy or watery stools (n = 203, 81.85%), more than three bowel movements a day (n = 100, 40.32%) and having to rush to the toilet to have a bowel movement (n = 72, 29.03%). Meaningful impairment was observed in 5 of the 8 SF-36 domains in respondents with functional diarrhea. The demographics are mostly similar between the respondents with functional diarrhea and IBS-D; however, respondents with IBS-D had more frequent symptoms of diarrhea and even lower scores in SF-36 domains than those with functional diarrhea., Conclusions: The prevalence of functional diarrhea in China is substantially lower than that in Western countries and relatively higher than that in other Asian countries. It impaired health-related quality of life, and respondents with IBS-D have even worse quality of life. Further population-based studies are needed to investigate the epidemiology of functional diarrhea and the differences between functional diarrhea and IBS-D.

Bacterial infection and osseointegration of implant-biomaterials all play important roles in the success of an orthopedic prosthesis or a dental-implant. In this work, we evaluated the osteogenic gene expression of canine bone marrow stromal cells (CBMSCs) and the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12598) on different diameter TiO(2) nanotube layers. The CBMSCs cultured on 30 and 70 nm nanotubes displayed polygon shape, but obviously elongated when the diameter of nanotubes turned to 120 nm. A significant increase in CBMSCs proliferation by as much as about ∼300%, and osteogenic gene (RUNX-2, OPN, COL-1, and OCN) expression were observed on the 120 nm diameter nanotubes when compared to the smooth Ti. However, the adhesion of bacteria also increased with an increased tube diameter and reached highest value on 120 nm nanotubes after 4 h of incubation. ∼300-400% increase in bacterial attached to 120 nm nanotubes in contract to the smooth Ti. These data suggested reducing bacteria colonization should be considered when larger diameter nanotubes with better osteogenic property would be used as orthopedic implants or dental implants., (2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The subgingival microbial ecology is complex, and little is known regarding its bacteria species composition in healthy Chinese individuals. This study aimed to identify the subgingival microbiota from 6 healthy Chinese subjects. Subgingival samples from 6 volunteers were collected, the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using broad-range bacterial primers, and clone libraries were constructed. For the initial 2,439 sequences analyzed, 383 species-level operational taxonomic units (SLOTUs) belonging to seven phyla were identified, estimated as 51% [95% confidence interval (CI) 44-55] of the SLOTUs in this ecosystem. Most (85%) of the bacterial sequences, falling into 228 types of species, corresponded to known and cultivated species. However, 146 (6%) sequences, comprising 104 phylotypes, had <97% similarity to prior database sequences. Ten bacterial genera were conserved among all 6 individuals, comprising 2,000 (82%) of the 2,439 clones analyzed. Ten species were noted in all of the 6 subjects, comprising 1,435 (58.8%) of the 2,439 clones. Streptococcus infantis was the species most frequently cloned. Furthermore, certain species which may participate in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease were present in the 6 subjects. Although the initial subgingival plaque community of each subject was unique in terms of diversity and composition, 10 common key species were found in the 6 Chinese individuals. These ten species of bacteria in the human subgingival plaque in the 6 healthy individuals may be key species which, to some extent, affect periodontal health. Destruction of these key species in subgingival bacteria may break the microbiota balance and may easily lead to over-breeding conditions resulting in pathogenic oral disease.

This study was purposed to evaluate the effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) on hematopoietic reconstruction and survival in beagles exposed to mixed fission neutron and γ-ray. 13 beagles were unilaterally exposed to single dose of 2.3 Gy 90% neutrons. The experiments were divided into 3 groups: irradiation control group (no any treatment, n = 4), supportive care group (n = 5) and rhG-CSF plus supportive care group (n = 4, abbreviated as rhG-CSF group) in which the beagles were subcutaneously injected with 200 µg/kg of rhG-CSF early at half an hour and 24 hours post-irradiation respectively. The results showed that 2.3 Gy 90% neutron irradiation induced a severe acute radiation sickness of bone marrow type. The administration of rhG-CSF increased the survival rate from 60% in supportive care group to 100%. Twice injection of rhG-CSF in the first 24 hours reduced duration of neutropenia, enhanced neutrophil nadir and promoted neutrophil recovery when compared with control cohort administered clinical support. The number of colony-forming cells (CFU-GM, CFU-E, and BFU-E) in peripheral blood of rhG-CSF treated canines increased 2-to 5-fold relative to those of the supportive care group on day 3. All canines treated with rhG-CSF achieved hematopoietic reconstruction as evidenced by the pathological section of sternum while severe shortage of hemopoietic cells remained in the cohorts given supportive care alone. It is concluded that the combination of supportive care and high-dose rhG-CSF can accelerate hematopoietic recovery and enhance survival of dogs exposed to 2.3 Gy mixed neutron and gamma ray.

Background: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) remains to be established as a safe and effective alternative to open liver resection (OLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Aims: The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare laparoscopic versus open resection for HCC with regard to perioperative and oncologic outcomes., Methods: A literature search was performed to identify comparative studies reporting outcomes for both laparoscopic and open resection for HCC. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and weighted mean differences (WMD with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using either the fixed effects model or random effects model., Results: Ten nonrandomized controlled studies matched the selection criteria and reported on 494 subjects, of whom 213 underwent LLR and 281 underwent OLR for HCC. Compared with the perioperative results of open surgery, reports on laparoscopic resection indicate potentially favourable outcomes in terms of operative blood loss (WMD: -160.57, 95% CI: -246.49 to -74.66), blood transfusion requirement (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.86), postoperative morbidity (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.78), and length of hospital stay (WMD: -5.53, 95% CI: -7.89 to -3.16). Concerning the oncologic outcomes, there was no difference between groups in surgical margin, overall survival and disease-free survival., Conclusions: LLR for HCC is superior to the OLR in terms of its perioperative results and does not compromise the oncological outcomes. Therefore, LLR may be an alternative choice for treatment of HCC.

Objective: To determine the impact of elevated in-hospital glucose level on outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and evaluate the role of diabetes mellitus as a risk factor of AMI., Methods: The study included a retrospective analysis of AMI patients who were admitted to No. 81 Hospital of PLA from January 2000 to May 2010. In patients without a history of diabetes, and those with fasting blood glucose (FBG)≥7.0 mmol/L at admission but returned to normal range soon after admission were defined as stress hyperglycemia of non-diabetic AMI patients. Both diabetic patients and non-diabetic patients were stratified into four mutually exclusive groups according to FBG levels: <7.0, 7.0-7.9, 8.0-11.0 and ≥11.1 mmol/L. The in-hospital mortality, incidence of complications, and treatment to lower glucose level were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted on risk factors of outcome of AMI patients., Results: One hundred and fifty-two AMI patients were enrolled with 45 diabetic patients and 107 patients without previous diabetes. In diabetic group patients with FBG≥8.0 mmol/L and those with FBG≥11.1 mmol/L accounted for 73.3% (33 cases) and 46.7% (21 cases), respectively. In non-diabetic group patients with stress hyperglycemia accounted for 43.9% (47 cases), among which patients with FBG levels of 7.011.0 mmol/L accounted for 91.5% (43 cases). Compared with the non-diabetic group, the in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in diabetic group (35.6% vs. 15.9%, P=0.007). In both groups, the in-hospital mortality presented an elevating tendency with an increasing FBG level. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that in diabetic group patients with FBG≥8.0 mmol/L had 12.28-fold higher risk of death than patients with FBG<8.0 mmol/L, and that in non-diabetic group patients with FBG≥7.0 mmol/L had 4.81-fold higher risk of death than patients with FBG<7.0 mmol/L. FBG was an independent risk factor of death with relative odds ratio (OR) 1.03, with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.01-1.16, P=0.012, and OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.09-2.23, P=0.015 in diabetic group and non-diabetic group, respectively. The incidence of congestive heart failure in diabetic group was significantly higher than that in non-diabetic group (40.0% vs. 22.4%, P=0.027). In non-diabetic group, the incidence of lung infection, congestive heart failure, serious arrhythmias and acute cerebrovascular events (51.1%, 34.0%, 27.7%, 14.9%, respectively) was increased significantly in patients with FBG≥7.0 mmol/L than that in patients with FBG<7.0 mmol/L (18.3%, 13.3%, 10.0%, 0, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). This association was not seen in diabetic group. 80.0% of patients (36 cases) in diabetic group received anti-hyperglycemia treatments in which insulin therapy accounted for 63.9% (23 cases), while there was not even 1 patient who needed insulin therapy in non-diabetic patients with stress hyperglycemia., Conclusion: In-hospital mortality and complications were significantly increased in diabetic AMI patients and in non-diabetic AMI patients with stress hyperglycemia. Both a history of diabetes mellitus and stress hyperglycemia have strong influence on AMI prognosis. It seems to be more plausible to collaborate blood glucose level with history of diabetes in considering risk factors in AMI patients.

Aims: The current study aimed at undertaking an investigation to describe health-related quality of life (HRQL) in Chinese people, with a Mandarin version of the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) validated., Methods: A total of 3,219 respondents were successfully interviewed under a randomized stratified multi-stage sampling design from April 2007 to January 2008 in five cities of mainland China. Self-finished interview method was applied and the Mandarin version of SF-36 was used for assessing HRQL., Results: As a result, the reliability and validity of SF-36 were acceptable, although some deviations from the hypothesized model still existed. The Chinese population scored higher than other populations in five of the eight SF-36 scales and Chinese men scored higher than women in six of the eight SF-36 scales., Conclusions: Basically, the Mandarin version of SF-36 is a reliable instrument, although minor modifications are needed. The health-related quality of life in Chinese people were quite high based on the sample of five cities in China; further research is needed to establish the countrywide norm of health-related quality of life in mainland China.

Fission-neutron radiation damage is hard to treat due to its critical injuries to hematopoietic and gastrointestinal systems, and so far few data are available on the therapeutic measures for neutron-radiation syndrome. This study was designed to test the effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) in dogs which had received 2.3 Gy mixed fission-neutron-γ irradiation with a high ratio of neutrons (~90%). Following irradiation, rhG-CSF treatment induced 100% survival versus 60% in controls. Only two of five rhG-CSF-treated dogs experienced leukopenia (white blood cells [WBC] count < 1.0 × 10(9)/L) and neutropenia (neutrophil [ANC] count < 0.5 × 10(9)/L), whereas all irradiated controls displayed a profound period of leukopenia and neutropenia. Furthermore, administration of rhG-CSF significantly delayed the onset of leukopenia and reduced the duration of leucopenia as compared with controls. In addition, individual dogs in the rhG-CSF-treated group exhibited evident differences in rhG-CSF responsiveness after neutron-irradiation. Finally, histopathological evaluation of the surviving dogs revealed that the incidence and severity of bone marrow, thymus and spleen damage decreased in rhG-CSF-treated dogs as compared with surviving controls. Thus, these results demonstrated that rhG-CSF administration enhanced recovery of myelopoiesis and survival after neutron-irradiation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of recombinant human granulocyte stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) on blood coagulation of beagles irradiated by 2.3 Gy neutron so as to provide new therapy for blood coagulation disorder after neutron irradiation. 10 beagles were exposed to 2.3 Gy neutron, and then randomly assigned into supportive care group and rhG-CSF-treated group. The rhG-CSF-treated cohorts were injected subcutaneously with rhG-CSF (10 µg/kg·d) beginning at the day of exposure for 21 consecutive days. Peripheral blood platelet counts were examined once every two days. In vitro platelet aggregation test, thromboelastography and blood clotting tetrachoric tests were also performed. The results indicated that the blood clotting system of irradiated dogs was in hypercoagulable state in the early days after 2.3 Gy neutron irradiation, and became hypocoagulable at crisis later and were mainly on intrinsic coagulation pathway. Blood fibrinogen increased markedly during the course of disease, while platelet counts and aggregation function were decreased remarkably. rhG-CSF administered daily could correct hypercoagulable state induced by 2.3 Gy neutron irradiation at the early time post exposure, shortened the thromboplastin generation time and clotting formation, down-regulated the abnormal high fibrinogen in blood, and improved platelet aggregation function. It is concluded that rhG-CSF can improve coagulation disorders of irradiated dogs.

At present, flow-injection chemiluminescence is of high sensitivity, fast analysis, low cost, wide linear response range, and simplified operation for trace analysis, and makes a feature of fast development and wide application. As a trace analysis method, it is infiltrated in diverse areas. The principle and characteristics of flow-injection chemiluminescence were expounded, and the chemiluminescence systems were introduced in detail in the present article. The research developments, which were mainly about drug analysis, environment monitoring and life sciences examination, were summarized, at home and abroad. The application situations of the method were briefed from aspects of determination of sample, the reaction medium, chemiluminescence systems, the linearity range, and the detection limit. Finally, the author proposed suggestions in view of this method to address the ongoing problems, and prospected broad application of flowing injection chemiluminescence in drug analysis, immunoassay, mineralogical analysis, environment monitoring, clinical medicine and life sciences.

The interaction mechanism of nucleic acid with small organic molecules plays an important role in the recognition of the structure and function of nucleic acids, which can also reveal the biological function of nucleic acids and the mechanism of some drugs. Research on the interaction between nucleic acid and small organic molecules plays an important part in simulating the life process and exploring the essence of life. In the present article, detailed description of the fluorescence spectroscopy research methods used in this field is presented. The fluorescence quenching types of the interaction between nucleic acid and small organic molecules (including dyes and drugs) are discussed. There are many factors influencing the fluorescence quenching type, including the temperature, the rate constant of bimolecular quenching process, the fluorescence lifetime, changes of the absorption spectra and so on. So according to different affecting factors, the fluorescence quenching type can be determined based on corresponding theories. Many different kinds of calculation methods are also summarized, including the calculations of the binding constant, the distance between fluorescence donor and receptor, the interaction force type and the binding mode of nucleic acid with small organic molecules. Furthermore, the formation constant of nucleic acid with small organic molecules is studied with different binding numbers. These conclusions have guiding significance for studying the interaction between nucleic acid and small organic molecules. These results can also provide guidance for the development of new nucleic acid probe, and the design of new drug molecules, of which nucleic acid is the important target.

The complex of Tb(TPTZ)Cl(3).3H(2)O was synthesized by adding the ethyl alcohol solution of TbCl(3) (1 mmol) to the solution of 2,4,6-tris-(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine(TPTZ, 1 mmol) with constant stirring. The solution which had been filtered was kept at the room temperature for 4 weeks, and then a kind of transparent crystal was formed. Besides, nine kinds of solid complexes in the different molar proportion of terbium to gadolinium had been synthesized by adopting the similar method mentioned above. It was inferred from the elemental analysis and rare earth complexometry that the composition of these complexes is (Tb(x)Gd(y))(TPTZ)Cl(3).3H(2)O (x : y = 0.9 : 0.1, 0.8 : 0.2, 0.7 : 0.3, 0.6 : 0.4, 0.5 : 0.5, 0.4 : 0.6, 0.3 : 0.7, 0.2 : 0.8, 0.1 : 0.9). The absorption spectra and photoluminescence of the complexes were determined in dimethylsulfoxide (DMF), which showed that the excitation of the complexes is mostly ligand based. The triplet state energy level of TPTZ was measured, indicating that the lowest excitation state energy level of Tb(III) and the triplet state energy level of TPTZ match well each other. The fluorescent data indicated that the fluorescent emission intensity of Tb(3+) ions would be enhanced in the complexes after terbium was doped with Gd(3+) ion. When x : y was 0.5 : 0.5, the fluorescent emission intensity was the largest. The result obtained by testing the X-ray diffraction of the monocrystal revealed that the molecular formula of the mono-crystal complex is [Tb(TPTZ)(H(2)O)(6)]Cl(3).3H(2)O. The number of metal ion coordinates is nine, and the tridentate TPTZ and six water molecules are bonded with terbium respectively. Besides, it also revealed that the monocrystal belongs to the monoclinic system, and space group Cc with the following unit cell parameters is a = 1.4785 (3) nm, b = 1.0547 (2) nm, c = 1.7385 (4) nm, beta = 94.42 (3) degrees, V = 2.7028 (9) nm(3) and Z = 4.

Responses of a select suite of protective enzymes in Lateolabrax japonicus including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), reduced glutathione (GSH) glutathione S-transferase (GST), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in liver tissue and brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which could work as sensitively biochemical biomarkers were analyzed when exposed to different concentrations of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) under controlled laboratory conditions. Results showed that: (1) The biochemical biomarkers included in this investigation, different responses occurred in the enzymatic activities when exposed to different pollutants: the activities of SOD, GST, Gpx and GSH content were significantly induced by B[a]P (p < 0.05) while others present little different as compared to the control. Differently, SDBS exposure greatly affected the activities of CAT, Gpx, iNOS and AChE while showed little effect on the other evaluated biomarkers. Gpx was the most sensitive biomarker that sensitively indicated the organic pollution stress. (2) The simultaneous assay on heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression was conducted by flow cytometry (FCM) and result presented that Hsp 70 expression could be effectively induced by SDBS as compared to the control throughout the experiment; however, B[a]P obviously induced Hsp70 during the first 12 d and then decreased to the level of the control. (3) The evaluated method of biomarker system combined with principal component analysis (PCA) could effectively distinguish different pollutants under controlled laboratory conditions and might be a promising and warning method for the early assessment of environmental change exposed to different organic pollutions.

The reaction of 2,4,6-tri(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TPTZ) with RECl3 in ethanol solution was studied. Seven solid coordination compounds of rare earth were synthesized. Their elemental analysis, rare earth complexometric titration, molar conduction, TG-DTA curve, IR spectra and UV spectra were studied. The results suggest that the composition of the complexes was RE(TPTZ)C13 x 3H2O(RE = Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy) and Tb0.5Ln0.5 (TPTZ)Cl3 x 3H2O(Ln = Gd, Y, La), where TPTZ acts as a tridentate ligand with rare earth ion, the rare earth ion is eight-coordinate being bonded to the tridentate TPTZ, two Cl- anions and three water molecules, and the complexes-bounded may be [RE(TPTZ) (H2O)3Cl2] x Cl and [(Tb0.5 Ln0.5) (TPTZ) (H2O)3Cl2] x Cl. They are all 1 : 1 electrolytes in the DMF. The fluorescence spectra of the complexes were determined at room temperature. The results show that the fluorescence intensity of Tb3+ complex is the strongest among the four (Eu3+, Sm3+, Tb3+ and Dy3+) complexes. The lowest excitation state energy level of Tb3+ ion and the triplet state energy level of the ligand (TPTZ) match well. The absorbing energy of the ligand is effectively transferred to Tb3+ ion. The fluorescence intensity of terbium doped complexes (Tb3+ mixed by Gd3+, Y2+ and La3+) is stronger than that of terbium complex, showing that the fluorescence intensity of Tb3+ ion is raised by Gd3+, Y3+ and La3+ ions.

In the title compound, C(21)H(20)O(3), the two terminal phenyl rings are each approximately perpendicular to the central benzene ring, making dihedral angles of 84.40 (16) and 75.12 (15)°. The H atom of the hydr-oxy group is disordered over two positions with equal occupancies. The mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a chain along the a axis.

The effects NaH2PO4, adenosine disodium triphosphate (ATP), glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P) and sodium beta-glycerophosphate (G-P) on the growth and phosphatase activity of Skeletonema costatum and Prorocentrum donghaiense were studied. The results showed that both species could utilize both dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), and DOP had more effects on the growth of two species than DIP. For S. costatum, after 8 days, the cell abundances of the four treatments (NaH2PO4, ATP, G-6-P and G-P) were 48 x 10(4), 73 x 10(4), 63 x 10(4) and 54 x 10(4) cells/mL, respectively; For P. donghaiense, after 10 days, the cell abundances of the four treatments were 8.7 x 10(4), 15.5 x 10(4), 12.4 x 10(4) and 9.5 x 10(4) cells/mL, respectively. On the first 3-4 days, the phosphatase activity of all treatments of the two species showed a decreasing trend, but different changes were observed for the different phosphorus substrate treatments in latter days. For the NaH2PO4 treatment, both the AP and AcP activity of two species increased from the fifth day onwards. For S. costatum, the AP activity of the ATP and G-6-P treatment groups showed no obvious changes and AcP activity had a slight increase from the fifth day to the eighth day, while the activity of G-P treatment had highest phosphatase activity which increased from the fifth day on. At the end of the experiment, the AP activity of the three DOP treatment groups (ATP, G-6-P and G-P) was 0.004 x 10(-5), 0.014 x 10(-5) and 0.029 x 10(-5) U/cell, respectively, and the AcP activity was 0.006 x 10(-5), 0.011 x 10(-5) and 0.018 x 10(-5) U/cell, respectively. For P. donghaiense, both the AP and AcP activity of the three DOP treatments had similar trends, i.e., ATP < G-6-P < G-P. Under the same nutrient conditions, S. costatum had a much higher phosphatase activity and could absorb P from the environment much faster than P. donghaiense.

The contents of cellular chlorophyll a (Chl-a), chlorophyll c (Chl-c), total coloured carotenoids (TCC) and the photosynthesis of Skeletonema costatum and Prorocentrum donghaiense under different nutrient conditions were studied. The results showed that both species in the low nutrient concentration conditions had lower cellular Chl-a, Chl-c and TCC content than those in the high nutrient concentration conditions. When the initial N/P ratio was 16/1 while the concentrations were different, the two species had different photosynthetic rate responses. For S. costatum, the photosynthetic rate normalized by cell in the low nutrient concentration group (64 micromol/L N and 4 micromol/L P) was significantly lower than that in the high concentration group (256 micromol/L N and 16 micromol/L P) from the fifth day, and at the end of the experiment (on the seventh day), the photosynthetic rate was 0.031 x 10(-4) micromol x (cell x h)(-1) and 0.13 x 10(-4) micromol x (cell x h)(-1) respectively, while the photosynthetic rate normalized by Chl-a was 12.92 micromol x (microg x h)(-1) and 13.03 micromol x (microg x h)(-1) for the two groups respectively, and there was no significant difference between them; however, for P. donghaiense, the photosynthetic rates normalized by both cell and Chl-a in the low concentration conditions (64 micromol/L N and 4 micromol/L P) were significantly higher than those in the high concentration conditions (256 micromol/L N and 16 micromol/L P). For the two species, when P was sufficient, the low N concentration group (64 micromol/L N and 36 micromol/L P) and when N was sufficient, the low P concentration group (883 micromol/L N and 4 micromol/L P) had higher photosynthetic rates normalized by both cell and Chl-a than the high N concentration group (256 micromol/L N and 36 micromol/L P) and the high P concentration group (883 micromol/L N and 16 micromol/L P) respectively. There was a significant positive relationship between the photosynthetic rate and the intracellular P for both species, and P. donghaiense had higher cellular photopigment contents and photosynthetic rates than S. costatum under the same nutrient conditions. It could be inferred from their photosynthetic characteristics that P. donghaiense would survive better in low nutrient conditions compared with S. costatum.

The complex [Tb0.1Gd0.9(TPTZ)(H2O)6]Cl(3).3H2O was prepared through the reaction of 2,4,6-tris-(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TPTZ) with TbCl3:GdCl3 (0.1:0.9) in absolute ethanol at room temperature. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the metal atom is nine-coordinated with three nitrogen atoms from one TPTZ ligand and six oxygen atoms from six water molecules. The complex emits intense green fluorescence under ultraviolet light. The luminescence peaks correspond to the characteristic emission 5D4-->7FJ (J=3-6) transitions of the Tb3+ ion.

A series of novel N-anilino-5-methyl-2-(3-(5-(alkylaminomethyl)furan-2-yl-methylthio)propyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo-[1,5-a]pyrimidine-7-amine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against two cancer cell lines, Bel-7402 and HT-1080. Compounds 9, 14, 19 and 23 possessed marked cytotoxicity, especially 23 (with IC(50) values of 15.0 microM and 7.8 microM against Bel-7402 and HT-1080 cell lines, respectively), which had emerged as lead compound. The activity was found to depend strongly on substitution pattern of the side chains at C-2 position, and 4-triflouromethylanilino substituent at C-7 position was an option for anticancer potency.

A novel series of 1-anilino-5H-pyridazino[4,5-b]indoles was designed and synthesized in order to find novel potent anti-tumor compounds. Their structures were confirmed by MS, (1)H-NMR, and elemental analysis. All compounds were screened for their cytotoxic activity against two human cancer cell lines (Bel-7420, HT-1080). The compounds 8, 9, and 17 showed 50% growth inhibitory activity in low micromolar concentration (IC(50 )= 7.7 approximately 12.8 microM). Among them, compound 17 displayed the most potent anti-tumor activity with IC(50) values of 8.2 microM and 7.9 microM against Bel-7402 and HT-1080, respectively.

A series of novel [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives has been designed and synthesized in order to find novel anti-tumor compounds. The structures of all the compounds were confirmed by IR, 1H-NMR, MS and elemental analysis. Their anti-tumor activities against cancer cell lines (HT-1080 and Bel-7402) were tested by the MTT method in vitro. Among them, compound 19 displayed the best anti-tumor activity with IC50 values of 12.3 microM and 6.1 microM against Bel-7402 and HT-1080 cell lines respectively.

A series of novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines were designed and synthesized in order to find novel potent anti-tumor compounds. The structures of all the compounds were confirmed by IR, (1)H-NMR, elemental analysis, and MS. Their anti-tumor activities against cancer cell lines were tested by the MTT method in vitro. Compound 19 displayed potent anti-tumor activity.

A series of novel 1-anilino-4-(arylsulfanylmethyl)phthalazines were designed and synthesized. The structures of all the compounds were confirmed by IR, 1H-NMR, elemental analysis and MS. The analogues 1-(3-chloro-4-fluoroanilino)-4-(3,4- difluorophenylthio-methyl)phthalazine (12) and 1-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylanilino)-4- (3,4-difluorophenyl-thiomethyl)phthalazine (13) showed higher activity than a cisplatin control when tested in vitro against two different cancer cell lines using the microculture tetrazolium method (MTT) method.