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An ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) mouse model was established to investigate whether α-Lipoic acid (LA) has a protective effect against upper respiratory tract inflammation. BALB/c mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection and challenged by intranasal application of OVA. Mice were orally administered various doses of LA once daily (2, 10, 50 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (Dex; 2.5 mg/kg) 1 h before OVA challenge. Allergic nasal symptoms, levels of OVA-specific immunoglobulins, cytokines, and transcription factors were measured. Nasal and lung histopathology were evaluated. LA administration significantly alleviated the nasal symptoms such as rubbing and sneezing, markedly reduced both serum OVA-specific IgE and IgG1 levels. The LA treatment group showed markedly up-regulated levels of the Treg cytokine IL-10 and Treg transcription factor Foxp3. In contrast, it showed down-regulated levels of the Th17 cytokine IL-17 and the Th17 transcription factor STAT3, and RORγ. LA greatly enhanced the nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2/heme oxygenase 1 (Nrf2/HO-1) pathway signaling and inhibited the activation of NF-κB/IκB, markedly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and chemokine COX-2. The histologic alterations of nasal and lung tissues of AR mice were effectively ameliorated by LA. Based on these results, we suggest that LA could be a potential therapeutic agent in OVA-induced AR by virtue of its role in controlling the Th17/Treg balance and enhancing Nrf2/HO-1 pathway signaling.

This study investigated the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and associated factors among urban adults in southwestern China. The study was conducted from 2013–2014 and used a multistage cluster sampling method to select a representative sample of 11,517 people in southwestern China, aged 35–79 years. Hypertension was defined as either systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or greater, diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater, or self-reported current treatment for hypertension with antihypertensive medications. In the study population, hypertension prevalence was found to be 38.4%, with rates of 40.0% and 37.5% for men and women, respectively (p = 0.03). Hypertension prevalence increased with age in both men and women (trend p both

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and related factors of obesity-related hypertension among adults aged 40 to 79 years in Southwest China. From September 2013 to March 2014, a multi-stage, stratified sampling method was conducted on 10,589 people aged 40 to 79 years and living in Chengdu and Chongqing investigated by using a questionnaire and performing physical and biochemical measurements. The prevalence of obesity-related hypertension and hypertension overall (systolic ≥130 mmHg and/or diastolic ≥80 mmHg or treated hypertension) was 22.8% and 57.4%, respectively, among all participants. For obesity-related hypertension, the prevalence was higher in women than in men (24.7% versus 19.4%, p p

We performed zircon U–Pb age dating and geochemical analyses of late Mesozoic felsic volcanic rocks in the Hailar Basin, NE China, with the aim of eclucidating their emplacement ages, origin and geodynamic significance. The volcanic rocks consist of dacites, rhyolites and rhyolitic tuffs. Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry zircon U–Pb dating results suggest that the rocks were erupted during the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (161–117 Ma). They belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series and can be divided into two groups. Group I rocks are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, contain low concentrations of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and high field strength elements (HFSEs), and have low zircon saturation temperatures (average 786 °C), all of which indicate an I-type affinity. In contrast, Group II rocks have higher HREE and HFSE concentrations and zircon saturation temperatures (average 918 °C), suggesting an A-type affinity. All the felsic volcanic rocks have positive εHf(t) values of 1.43–12.32 with two-stage model ages of 1110–401 Ma. Our data indicate that the I-type felsic volcanic rocks formed from magmas generated by partial melting of a dominantly juvenile mica-bearing K-rich basaltic lower crust, whereas the A-type felsic volcanic rocks originated from the partial melting of a dry mafic–intermediate middle–lower crust that was dehydrated but not melt depleted. Based on the present results and previous research, we propose that the Late Jurassic I- and A-type felsic volcanic rocks in the Hailar Basin were formed in a post-collisional environment related to break-off of the subducted oceanic slab of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean and the subsequent gravitational collapse of the orogenically-thickened crust after closure of the ocean. In contrast, the Early Cretaceous I- and A-type felsic volcanic rocks were erupted in an extensional setting related to rollback of the subducted Paleo-Pacific Plate.

Hyperuricemia is prevalent throughout the world. However, a well-designed large-scale epidemiological investigation of hyperuricemia in southwestern China is lacking. A regional representative sample of 10,141 participants were included using multistage, stratified sampling in Chengdu and Chongqing from September 2013 to March 2014. Hyperuricemia was defined as the self-reported of the doctor's diagnosis of hyperuricemia, or serum uric acid > 420 μmol/L in men or serum uric acid > 360 μmol/L in women. The overall age- and sex-standardized prevalence of hyperuricemia among adults aged 35–79 years was 13.5%. Compared with women, the prevalence of hyperuricemia in men was higher (17.3% versus 10.0%). Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, overweight or obesity, central obesity were associated with an increased risk for hyperuricemia both in men and in women. Married men and women were not susceptible to hyperuricemia. Current cigarette smoking was an associated risk factor of hyperuricemia only in women. Hyperuricemia has become a major health problem among urban adults aged 35–79 years in southwestern China, and special attention should be paid to men. Comorbidities associated with hyperuricemia and causality worth further investigation.

Many metal deposits were formed by carbonic fluids (rich in CO2) as indicated by fluid inclusions in minerals, but the precise role of CO2 in metal mineralization remains unclear. The main components in fluid inclusions, i.e. H2O and CO2, correspond to the decomposed products of organic acids, which lead us to consider that in the mineralization process the organic acids transport and then discharge metals when they are stable and unstable, respectively. Here we show that the thermal stability of copper acetate solution at 15–350 °C (0.1–830 MPa) provides insight as to the role of organic acids in metal transport. Results show that the copper acetate solution is stable at high P-T conditions under low geothermal gradient of P = 1.89 T + 128.58, verifying the possibility of copper transportation as acetate solution. Increasing geothermal gradient leads to thermal dissociation of copper acetate in the way of 4Cu(CH3 COO)2 + 2H2O = 4Cu + 2CO2 + 7CH3COOH. The experimental results and inferences in this contribution agree well with the frequently observed fluid inclusions and wall-rock alterations of carbonate, sericite and quartz in hydrothermal deposits, and provide a new dimension in the understanding of the role of CO2 during mineralization.

We conducted a comprehensive intensive intervention for hypertension patients working in universities or colleges. From July 2015 to March in 2016, 220 hypertension subjects were recruited, with 165 cases in intensive intervention group and 55 in standard intervention group. After 24 months of intervention, 208 ones including of 157 in intensive intervention group and 51 in standard intervention group were included in the final analysis. The patients in standard intervention group were given routine intervention, which mainly including of drug treatment and health education. The patients in intervention group were given comprehensive intensive intervention in addition to routine intervention, including follow-up management of hypertension, emotional, lifestyle intervention and else. The study and experimental protocols were approved by institutional review board of Zhejiang Hospital and Fu Wai Hospital and registered (ChiCTR-ECS-14004641, date of registration: May 8, 2014). After 2 years, compared with the standard intervention group, SBP/DBP in the intensive intervention group decreased by 3.7/4 mmHg and BP control rate increased by 8.9%, and the unhealthy behaviors and life quality including tension and pressure were also improved in the intensive intervention group. We used mixed effect model to analyze the intervention effect which could solve the problems of missing values and correlation. The intensive intervention of hypertension control including follow-up management, emotional and lifestyle intervention in occupational places could promote the development of the prevention, treatment and control of hypertension among staff in colleges and universities.

Although chondrogenesis and osteogenesis are considered as two separate processes during endochondral bone formation after birth, recent studies have demonstrated the direct cell transformation from chondrocytes into bone cells in postnatal bone growth. Here we use cell lineage tracing and multiple in vivo approaches to study the role of Bmpr1a in endochondrogenesis. Our data showed profound changes in skeletal shape, size and structure when Bmpr1a was deleted using Aggrecan-CreERT2 in early cartilage cells with a one-time tamoxifen injection. We observed the absence of lineage progression of chondrocyte-derived bone cells to form osteoblasts and osteocytes in metaphyses. Furthermore, we demonstrated the key contribution of growth plate chondrocytes and articular chondrocytes, not only for long bone growth, but also for bone remodeling. In contrast, deleting Bmpr1a in early osteoblasts with 3.6 Col 1-Cre had little impact on skeletal shape and size except for a sharp increase in osteoblasts and osteocytes, leading to a profound increase in bone volume. We conclude that chondrogenesis and osteogenesis are one continuous developmental and lineage-defined biological process, in which Bmpr1a signaling in chondrocytes is necessary for the formation of a pool or niche of osteoprogenitors that then contributes in a major way to overall bone formation and growth.

This paper reports a study of the electronic properties, structural stability and catalytic activity of the W13@Pt42 core-shell structure using the First-principles calculations. The degree of corrosion of W13@Pt42 core-shell structure is simulated in acid solutions and through molecular absorption. The absorption energy of OH for this structure is lower than that for Pt55, which inhibits the poison effect of O containing intermediate. Furthermore we present the optimal path of oxygen reduction reaction catalyzed by W13@Pt42. Corresponding to the process of O molecular decomposition, the rate-limiting step of oxygen reduction reaction catalyzed by W13@Pt42 is 0.386 eV, which is lower than that for Pt55 of 0.5 eV. In addition by alloying with W, the core-shell structure reduces the consumption of Pt and enhances the catalytic efficiency, so W13@Pt42 has a promising perspective of industrial application.

A controlled new oxidant sulfate radical anion (SO4.–) was found and it can be easily prepared by mixing Na2S2O4 and TBHP with stirring. In this new metal-free oxidation system (Na2S2O4/TBHP), SO4.– can be used as a controllable oxidant to oxidize various aromatic alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes in good yields without any acid formation at room temperature. SO4.– was determined by a DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide) spin-trapping EPR method at room temperature on a Bruker E500 spectrometer and the results suggested that SO4.– was generated in this transformation.

A novel and convenient copper (II) bromide and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.1]undec-7-ene (DBU) or 1,10-phenanthroline catalysis protocol for the construction of α-alkyl-β-keto sulfones via C(sp3)-H bond functionalization followed by C(sp3)-S bond formation between aryl ketones and sodium sulfinates at room temperature has been developed. This method is applicable to a wide range of aryl ketones and sodium sulfinates. The electronic effects of aryl ketones and ligands effects of the copper salts are crucial for this transformation. Typically, substituted aryl ketones with electron-withdrawing group do not need any ligand to give a good to excellent yield, while substituted aryl ketones with electron-donating group and electron-rich heteroaromatic ketones offer a good to excellent yield only under the nitrogen-based ligands. The practical value of this transformation highlights the efficient and robust one-pot synthesis of α-alkyl-β-keto sulfones.

A new type of NADH model compound has been synthesized by an efficient and convenient method. This model compound exhibits high reactivity and enantioselectivity in asymmetric reduction reactions. The results show that chiral NADH model S could be effectively combined with Mg2+ to form ternary complexes. This novel C3 symmetrical NADH model is capable of fluorescence emission at 460 nm when excited at 377 nm.

Alcohols and alkenes are the most abundant and commonly used organic building blocks in the large-scale chemical synthesis. Herein, this is the first time to report a novel and operationally simple coupling reaction of vinylarenes and aliphatic alcohols catalyzed by manganese in the presence of TBHP (tert-butyl hydroperoxide). This coupling reaction provides the oxyalkylated products of vinylarenes with good regioselectivity and accomplishes with the principles of step-economies. A possible reaction mechanism has also been proposed.

A nickel- and manganese-catalyzed decarboxylative cross coupling of α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with cyclic ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and 1, 4-dioxane was developed. Oxyalkylation was achieved when nickel acetate was used as catalyst, while manganese acetate promoted the reaction of alkenylation.

A synthetic approach to stable enols was introduced and series of acyclic aliphatic solid enols were obtained and characterized. Relationship between the structure and the stability of these enols was discussed. Gaussian 09 calculations had been carried out to rationalize the stability of the enols. These enol structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS, IR, partly by single crystal X-ray structure analysis and the protons exchange experiments. This work showed that very stable acyclic aliphatic enols can be synthesized efficiently without any purification.