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Rhododendron williamsianum Rehder & E. H. Wilson 1913, is a plant with important horticultural value. Here we report its chloroplast genome. The total length of the chloroplast genome was 205,424 bp, with a GC content of 35.8%. It consisted of a 107,968 bp large single copy, a 2606 bp small single copy, and a pair of 47,425 bp inverted repeats separating them. Within the chloroplast genome, there were a total of 110 unique genes, which included 76 protein-coding genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 30 tRNA genes. Our phylogenetic analyses indicated that R. williamsianum was closely genetically related to R. sutchuenense and R. jingangshanicum. The findings from this study not only contribute to the genetic database of Rhododendron plants but also have implications for evolutionary research within the family Ericaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodsResultsDiscussionPositive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR) are important metrics of accuracy for diagnostic devices with a binary output. However, the properties of Bayesian and frequentist interval estimators of PLR/NLR have not been extensively studied and compared. In this study, we explore the potential use of the Bayesian method for interval estimation of PLR/NLR, and, more broadly, for interval estimation of the ratio of two independent proportions.We develop a Bayesian-based approach for interval estimation of PLR/NLR for use as a part of a diagnostic device performance evaluation. Our approach is applicable to a broader setting for interval estimation of any ratio of two independent proportions. We compare score and Bayesian interval estimators for the ratio of two proportions in terms of the coverage probability (CP) and expected interval width (EW) via extensive experiments and applications to two case studies. A supplementary experiment was also conducted to assess the performance of the proposed exact Bayesian method under different priors.Our experimental results show that the overall mean CP for Bayesian interval estimation is consistent with that for the score method (0.950 vs. 0.952), and the overall mean EW for Bayesian is shorter than that for score method (15.929 vs. 19.724). Application to two case studies showed that the intervals estimated using the Bayesian and frequentist approaches are very similar.Our numerical results indicate that the proposed Bayesian approach has a comparable CP performance with the score method while yielding higher precision (i.e. a shorter EW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of mothers of school-age children with asthma in care. A phenomenological study was conducted using qualitative research methods from August 2021 to November 2021. Mothers (from Sichuan, China) of school-aged children with asthma who sought outpatient care at the pediatric asthma clinic were purposively sampled based on their occupation, education level, and duration of their child's illness. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in consultation room A07 of the pediatric asthma clinic. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. 23 mothers expressed interest, but data saturation was reached after recruiting 15 mothers.Four main themes encompassing ten sub-themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Negative psychological burden, with sub-themes including anxiety shock, fear of death, guilt, and stigma. (2) Family dysfunction, with sub-themes including impaired quality of life, family emotional crisis, and heavy economic burden. (3) Difficulty in seeking medical treatment. (4) Active response, with sub-themes including emotional adjustment, family empowerment, and social support. In this sample, the caregiving experience of mothers of school-age children with asthma is diverse and complex, reflected not only in personal psychological aspects but also in family functioning and social support. Taking into account various factors, such as addressing psychological well-being, emphasizing family and social support, and promoting the sharing of positive experiences, may result in more effective alleviation of caregiving stress for mothers of school-age children with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practices of online censorship around boys' love (danmei) in mainland China have exhibited continuous change, with varying media targets and nominal justifications. This article explores dynamic transformations in the strategies employed by authorities, media platforms, and danmei creators throughout different time periods. Based on the authors' archival research, the censorship of danmei can be classified into three distinct stages: the years 2004 to 2015, 2016 to 2020, and 2021 to the present. These periods are distinguished by the primary danmei media form that authorities most often target for censorship. We argue that China's digital censorship apparatus has given rise to an unrelenting and intensifying suppression of danmei content, which is further bolstered by the sustained promotion of a media discourse that fosters a culture of disdain for danmei, and hence, has limited spaces for the expansion of danmei fandom and its practitioners' creativity. Moreover, we suggest that there is a continuous and combative interplay between danmei culture and censorship, wherein creative practices become highly responsive to government regulations and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the notions of transmedia storytelling and engagement, this study investigates how practitioners engage with the process of producing and consuming boys' love (BL) audio dramas, the trans-directional communication and interaction between producers and consumers in the transmedia BL subcultural space, and the implications of their engagement for counterculture. We contribute to the growing field of BL studies by providing insights into how practitioners can stimulate these cultural productions as a part of gender–sexuality-related counterculture in the new media space of audio dramas. We argue that the engagement of BL audio drama producers and consumers ('prosumers') features the sense of countering the predominant heteronormativity in China by producing explicit homosexual romance, actively expanding the story elements transmedially, and bringing queer members into the BL audio drama community. In this way, built by both producers and consumers together, the BL audio drama community is no longer a female-only area, but becomes a more inclusive 'third' space constituted by people with diverse sexual identities and orientations. Given its knowledge, perspectives, and experiences, the BL audio drama community, as a countercultural group, has a certain potential to bridge the divide between the female-led BL subculture and the larger queer community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common complication of diabetes and has become the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. The pathogenesis of DKD is complicated, and oxidative stress is considered as a core of DKD onset. High glucose can lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the polyol, PKC, AGE/RAGE and hexosamine pathways, resulting in enhanced oxidative stress response. In this way, pathways such as PI3K/Akt, TGF-β1/p38-MAPK and NF-κB are activated, inducing endothelial cell apoptosis, inflammation, autophagy and fibrosis that cause histologic and functional abnormalities of the kidney and finally result in kidney injury. Presently, the treatment for DKD remains an unresolved issue. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique advantages for DKD prevention and treatment attributed to its multi-target, multi-component, and multi-pathway characteristics. Numerous studies have proved that Chinese herbs (e.g., Golden Thread, Kudzuvine Root, Tripterygium glycosides, and Ginseng) and patent medicines (e.g., Shenshuaining Tablet, Compound Rhizoma Coptidis Capsule, and Zishen Tongluo Granule) are effective for DKD treatment. The present review described the role of oxidative stress in DKD pathogenesis and the effect of TCM intervention for DKD prevention and treatment, in an attempt to provide evidence for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comprehensively evaluates the dynamic effects on China's environment and economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a temporary improvement in air quality. Furthermore, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the atmosphere in China were 36% lower than in the week after last year's Lunar New Year holiday, but this also led to an economic downturn. Moreover, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) decreased significantly. During the back-to-work period, the economy recovered and there was an increase in energy consumption, and CO2, NO2 emissions sharply increased to pre-lockdown levels. In the post-lockdown period, the AOD was lower than that of the same period last year. This study can provide reference for environmental policy making, as it demonstrates to what extent the control of pollution sources can improve air quality. Precise emission reduction and regional joint prevention and control are important and effective means for the prevention and control of O3 pollution. The health and economic benefits of COVID-19 pandemic control measures are incalculable. And this can provide an effective scientific basis and theoretical support for the prevention and control of air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to add to the underrepresented scholarship on feminist critique in Taiwanese cinema by investigating the ways in which female power has been represented in the female-centred Taiwanese film, The Bold, the Corrupt and the Beautiful (BCB). Through a postfeminist reading, this study attempts to challenge the dichotomy of Asian versus Western values in order to engage Taiwanese films into the global debate of feminism. By revealing the problematization of representations of the seemingly powerful female characters in BCB produced by male filmmakers, we unveil the hidden contradiction of feminism and anti-feminism in order to gain a profound understanding of women's power relations and the socio-cultural perception of them in the Taiwanese context. We categorise the three leading female characters into significations of "dominant feminism", "passive feminism", and "recessive feminism", and show how their power is exercised through scheming, seduction and detainment, respectively. Therefore, we argue that these seemingly powerful female images in BCB are all represented as stigmatic which attempts to equalize female power to negativity thereby essentially disavowing feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-throughput sequencing technologies have revealed that the lungs contain a variety of low biomass microbiota associated with various lung diseases. Rat model is an important tool to understand the possible causal relationship between pulmonary microbiota and diseases. Antibiotic exposure can alter the microbiota, however, a direct influence of long-term ampicillin exposure on commensal bacteria of healthy lungs has not been investigated, which could be useful in the study of the relation between microbiome and long-term lung diseases, especially in animal model-making of lung diseases. The rats were aerosolized ampicillin of different concentrations for five months, and then the effect on the lung microbiota was investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The ampicillin treatment by a certain concentration (LA5, 0.2 ml of 5 mg/ml ampicillin) administration leads to profound changes in the rat lung microbiota but not in the low critical ampicillin concentration (LA01 and LA1, 0.1 and 1 mg/ml ampicillin), when compared to the untreated group (LC). The genus Acidobacteria_Gp16 dominated the ampicillin treated lung microbiota while the genera Brucella, Acinetobacter, Acidobacteria_Gp14, Sphingomonas, and Tumebacillus dominated the untreated lung microbiota. The predicted KEGG pathway analysis profile revealed some difference in the ampicillin treated group. The study demonstrated the effects of different concentrations of ampicillin treatment on lung microbiota of rats in a relatively long term. It could serve as a basis for the clinical use of antibiotic and the use of ampicillin to control certain bacteria in the animal model-making of respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To detect the value of serum interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at different disease stages. 141 RA patients were randomly obtained and diagnosed in a large tertiary first-class hospital in Jiangxi Province from November 2021 to January 2022. RA was divided into 38 low activity and remission phase (low remission patients), 72 moderate activity patients, 41 high activity patients, according to the disease activity score 28 (DAS28) of RA and 70 healthy controls. IL-17 and TNF-α in serum detected by flow cytometry; DKK-1by ELISA; rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) by rate scattering turbidimetry; erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) by Widmanstat method; anti-cyclic citrullinated polypeptide antibody (Anti-CCP) by chemiluminescence. The changes among the groups were statistically analysed and evaluated their diagnostic value. ①Anti-CCP, CRP, and ESR levels in the moderate-to-high activity group were higher than controls, while IL-17, TNF-α, and DKK-1levels higher than low remission group, moderate activity group and controls (p < 0.05). ②IL-17, TNF-α and DKK-1 were positively correlated with RA disease activity, with the correlations of IL-17, TNF-α and DKK-1 all over 0.5 (p < 0.05). ③The ROC curve showed that among all indices the AUC of DKK-1 was the largest, 0. 922, and has the highest sensitivity and negative predictive value for RA, 0.965 and 0.953, respectively. The specificity and positive predictive value of TNF-α is highest, 0.918 and 0.921, respectively, combined them had the highest predictive value in moderate-to-high activity RA, with AUC of 0.968, and had the highest sensitivity of 0.965. The IL-17, TNF-α and DKK-1 levels were elevated in RA and positively correlated with disease activity, involved in the Wnt signalling pathway of inflammatory and joint destructive effects, combining them to monitor the RA disease process and biologically treat the cytokines in the pathogenesis of RA were valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of precision medicine and artificial intelligence, the infusion of many drugs has been intelligently controlled according to patients' conditions. However, the infusion of oxytocin (OT) still relies on medical staff responsible for implementing artificial regulation based on observation of fetal electronic monitoring and other maternal and fetal conditions. In this review, we discussed recent trends in intelligent infusion systems, the development status and dilemma of intelligent control of OT infusion, the drug intelligent feedback control system principle, and current risks and challenges to further promote obstetric informatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book consists of three parts: Part I (Chapters 1-4), Part II (Chapters 5-10) and Part III (Chapter 11), plus an introduction and a conclusion. Collective Memory Construction in Russian and US Media i critically examines the construction of several political events that have been widely reflected in US and Russian media in recent years. Collective Memory Construction in Russian and US Media: Ludmila Isurin, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2022, ix + 315pp., £41.99 ebook. [Extracted from the article]

Coal fly ash is regarded as a potential alternative source of rare-earth elements and has gained much attention over the past few years. However, the majority of rare-earth elements in coal fly ash are entrapped in the glassy phase, which makes the recovery of rare-earth elements from coal fly ash extremely challenging. In this paper, two pre-treatments (mechanical grinding and alkali solution treatment) were conducted to enhance the leaching recovery of rare-earth elements from coal fly ash. The best recovery of rare-earth elements by acid leaching after grinding is 79.19% at the optimal conditions. That is due to the increase of surface area, resulting in more rare-earth elements exposed from the glass phase and increase the rate of leaching. The highest rare-earth element recovery gained by acid leaching after alkali pre-treatment is 95.50% in the paper. Alkali solution destroyed the glassy aluminosilicate spheres (such as metal oxide, amorphous silicon in amorphous silica-aluminosilicate) of coal fly ash more efficiently, making it more solvable in hydrochloric acid. This research has focussed on grinding and alkali pre-treatment to provide a theoretical foundation and technology support to the extraction of rare-earth elements from coal fly ash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal fly ash (CFA) in some areas contains higher levels of rare earth elements (REEs), which can be seen as a potential substitute for rare earth resources. As an effective method of hydrometallurgy, alkali fusion has been widely used in the recovery of precious metals from secondary resources. In this study, taking a CFA sample and five REEs named Y, La, Ce, Pr, and Nd in the sample as objects, the mechanism of alkali fusion processes of CFA with different alkali fluxes (Na2CO3, NaCl, Na2O2, NaOH, KOH, and Ca(OH)2) was studied. The results showed that Na2CO3, Na2O2, NaOH, and KOH can destroy the structure of CFA to effectively improve the leaching efficiency of REEs from CFA. The total leaching efficiency of the five REEs can reach to 57.45%, 49.25%, 74.23%, and 64.93%, respectively, when these four alkalis were used as fluxs. In addition, with DSC analysis, the non-model fitting dynamics Kissinger method was used to calculate the kinetic parameters of alkali fusion reaction between CFA and Na2CO3. The calculated alkali fusion activation energy E was 895.52 kJ·mol−1, the pre-exponential factor A was 3.47 × 1041 min−1, and the reaction rate constant K was 1.68 min−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Discourse of Conflict and Crisis: Poland's Political Rhetoric in the European Perspective" by Piotr Cap is a comprehensive analysis of the language and rhetoric used by Poland's Law and Justice party (L&J) during their parliamentary term from 2015 to 2019. The book explores the factors that contributed to L&J's electoral success and popularity, drawing upon theories from critical discourse studies and critical-cognitive pragmatics. It examines the use of fear, threat, and crisis in L&J's discourse, as well as their manipulation of language to strengthen their political leadership. The book also compares L&J's rhetoric to right-wing discourses in other European countries, highlighting similarities and analogies. Overall, the book provides valuable insights into Polish political discourse and its relation to broader European political trends. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the cultural representations of Chinese military-action films which re-interpret China's non-intervention policy and give China's foreign engagements rationality and legitimation. It involves two narrative strategies: (1) framing the protection of nationals abroad as the key incentive behind China's military actions; and (2) emphasizing an unquestioning commitment to sovereignty, to UN authorization, and to the consent of host countries during the intervening process.Then, it points out the propagandistic features of China's military-action films: framing the outside world as a threatening place in which individuals' survival depends on the protection of a powerful nation; cultivating collective narcissism and nationalism; and reframing China's global economic expansion through a"friendship narrative". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Hunan TV's musical talent show Super Girl (2004-2006) had featured high profiling of female tomboyism, presenting numerous female contestants in masculine forms on stage, the tomboyish female celebrity tends to be marginalized, and mostly serve as a foil to the feminine girls who are in the central positions. Until the late 2010s, this curse was broken by Liu Yuxin, a tomboyish female singer in the top Chinese talent show Young With You Season 2 who obtained huge popularity and took the central position in her band. Exemplified by Liu's case, this essay offers a postfeminist reading of the ambivalent ways in which Liu's persona is constructed as a paradoxical site by presenting on-stage performance in a non-normatively masculine manner, and an off-stage personality that is traditionally feminine. In doing so, we unveil the masquerade of the contemporary Chinese talent shows, which attempt to convey an impression of their tolerance of non-traditional feminine identities, while disavowing female masculinity when offset by more conventionally feminine traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) is a serious disease with high mortality. Endoscopic therapy has long been shown to be effective but the optimum technique is still unclear. We aimed to investigate the efficacy, safety and predictive factors of 1-year rebleeding of modified 'sandwich' injection combined with esophageal variceal ligation (EVL) for treating EGVB. A retrospective analysis was performed of 100 patients with EGVB who underwent modified 'sandwich' injection with or without EVL (EVL + and EVL – group). Patient follow-up was 1 year. Outcomes such as control of bleeding, rebleeding, complication rate and mortality were compared. Further, prognostic factors for rebleeding at one year were estimated. No significant differences between two groups regarding initial bleeding control, complications, 6-week rebleeding or mortality in 1-year were observed. Rebleeding rate at 1-year of EVL – group was significantly higher than EVL + group (40 vs 20%, p =.029). Independent predictors of rebleeding at 1-year were gender, bilirubin and whether EVL was combined with injection. Based on this single-center retrospective study, both of the two kinds therapies appeared to have relatively favorable outcomes. With respect to the rebleeding rate at 1-year, modified 'sandwich' injection combined with EVL may be superior to modified 'sandwich' injection alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the lens of an in-depth narrative analysis of the female representation in the highly recognised, award-winning Hong Kong film—Breaking News (大事件), this study interrogates the ways in which the female police officer is represented as a typical female professional in the male-dominated police force and how this representation projects the traditional Hong Kong gender norm. In light of the model of the postfeminist working girl, this paper interweaves the Western postfeminist theories with Hong Kong sociocultural discourse and opens up a new trajectory to engage postfeminism with the cinematic representation of Hong Kong women. The analysis suggests that the female police officer is placed in an "in-between" space where she is allowed to be empowered with outstanding skills and professional competence, but ultimately contained with devalued success because of her potential victimisation or portrayal of less competence than her male counterparts. Thus, the underlining representation of the female police officer's professionalism is presented as a cultural strategy that shows a false impression of female empowerment in which the female power is still dominated by males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationalism is a prominent theme in China's cultural productions. While many studies research nationalistic representations of wars, revolutions and nation-building processes in Chinese socialist cinema and dramas, this article focuses on a marginal media form: political animations. It examines the patriotic discourses in popular Chinese animated series Year Hare Affair and presents three main findings. First, that the series characters represent personified/animalized nation states, reflecting the animator's perceptions of 'self' and 'other' (and 'friends' or 'enemies'), which are highly consistent with the Chinese authority's stance and policy in foreign affairs. Second, that the animation's key theme of 'dreams of being a powerful nation' explicitly demonstrates nationalist and developmental connotations, showing confirmation and resonation of Xi's China Dream initiative. Third, that the animation also moderately deviates from the mainstream representations and offers re-interpretations of the official patriotic narratives with regard to China's performance in international affairs. The analyses conclude a negotiation dynamic between the (half-) independent political animation and the state's hegemony in China's transformative political communication space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on McRobbie's (2009) notion of the "postfeminist masquerade", this article examines the representation of the female perpetrators in the award-winning Hong Kong crime films The Stool Pigeon (Xian Ren, 2010) and Accident (Yi Wai, 2009). It investigates the cinematic representation of female figures in relation to gender issues by articulating a Western postfeminist critique of Chinese sociocultural discourses. Through an in-depth narrative analysis of the female perpetrators in these films, the article demonstrates how female-perpetrated violence is depicted as a form to construct women's images under the dual umbrellas of postfeminism and Chinese traditional values. Furthermore, the article seeks to show how Hong Kong crime films use the postfeminist masquerade as a cultural strategy to reproduce intelligent and strong female characters to disguise their championing of masculine gender norms. In this way, the article argues that the representation of (violent) female transgression is strategically adopted as a postfeminist masquerade in order to present the ostensible impression of female empowerment. However, the graphic depiction of female victimisation, the abbreviated depiction of female violence, and female perpetrators' problematic desires and inevitable punishment reinforce traditional gender hierarchies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractCholesterol is regarded as a signaling molecule in regulating the metabolism and function of fat cells, in which 7-Dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol, however, the exact function of DHCR7 in goat adipocytes remains unknown. Here, the effect of DHCR7 on the formation of subcutaneous and intramuscular fat in goats was investigated in vitro, and the result indicated that the mRNA level of DHCR7 showed a gradual downward trend in subcutaneous adipogenesis, but an opposite trend in intramuscular adipogenesis. In the process of subcutaneous preadipocytes differentiation, overexpression of DHCR7 inhibited the expression of adipocytes differentiation marker genes (CEBP/α, CEBP/β, SREBP1 and AP2), lipid metabolism-related genes (AGPAT6, FASN, SCD1 and LPL), and the lipid accumulation. However, in intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation, DHCR7 overexpression showed a promoting effect on adipocyte differentiation marker genes (CEBP/α, CEBP/β, PPARγ and SREBP1) and lipid metabolism-related genes (GPAM, AGPAT6, DGAT1 and SCD1) expression, and on lipid accumulation. In summary, our work demonstrated that DHCR7 played an important role in regulating adipogenic differentiation and lipid metabolism in preadipocytes in goats, which is of great significance for uncovering the underlying molecular mechanism of adipocyte differentiation and improving goat meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the drug–drug interaction (DDI) between doxorubicin (DOX) and Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DB) solution in mice, and to explore the effect of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) on this type of DDI. The toxicity of DOX in the liver, kidneys, and heart was assessed with alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine (Cr), urea nitrogen (BUN), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), creatine kinase (CK) and histopathology. High-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to determine the concentrations of DOX in the serum, liver, kidneys and heart. Immunohistochemistry and western blots were used to determine the expression levels of P-gp in these tissues. Our results demonstrated that, after co-administration of DOX and DB, survival was significantly decreased compared with either administration of DOX or DB alone, or water. Co-administration of DOX and DB induced elevated levels of toxicity in the heart and kidneys, but not the liver, compared with DOX alone. We conclude that concurrent treatment with DOX and DB results in increased levels of toxicity due to the accumulation of DOX in the body. Delayed excretion of DOX is associated with inhibition of P-gp in liver and kidneys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfoxaflor residues in 14 daily foods, including rice, sorghum, chilli, cucumber, white pear, apple, egg, beef brisket, chicken breast, fish, pork liver, milk, pine nut and honey, were simultaneously determined using a modified QuEChERS and LC–MS/MS method. These foods were classified into three categories to be purified. A combination of 25 mg of octadecylsilane (C18) + 25 mg of primary and secondary amine (PSA) + 50 mg of graphitised carbon black (GCB) + 150 mg of MgSO4 was used to purify the rice, sorghum, honey, apple and white pear. A combination of 25 mg of C18 + 50 mg of PSA + 50 mg of GCB + 150 mg of MgSO4 was used to purify the chilli and cucumber. A combination of 50 mg of C18 + 25 mg of PSA + 50 mg of GCB + 150 mg of MgSO4 was used to purify the pine nuts, egg, beef brisket, chicken breast, fish, pork liver and milk. The linearity coefficient values were greater than 0.9975. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were in the ranges of 0.7‒1.8 and 2.0‒5.0 μg kg−1, respectively. Average recoveries of the sulfoxaflor at the 14 food matrices at spiking levels of 5.0, 10 and 50 μg kg−1 ranged from 74.0% to 100.8%, and the relative standard deviation ranged from 2.2% to 11.2%. This is a simple and rapid method for the determination of sulfoxaflor residues in various kinds of daily foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter five focuses on how defence nationalism both emerges and proceeds as a response to the difficulty of self-care caused by the collapse of symbolic efficiency through the collapse of the Other. Liam Gillespie's monograph, I The Psychosocial Imaginaries of Defence Nationalism i , develops a critical theory of defence leagues like the English Defence League (EDL) and the Australian Defence League (ADL) - two prominent local far-right ethnic nationalist defence leagues - and puts together layers of Lacanian insight to delve into why and how the violence of nationalism by British and Australian defence nationalists emerges and reemerges in the name of patriotism. Chapter three refers to Lacan's psychoanalytic frameworks to explore how defence nationalists use their bodies against others in the name of the nation. [Extracted from the article]

Moving to Chapter 4, Kuzio discusses how Russian nationalism (imperialism) is downplayed, and 'how [W]estern writing exaggerates the influence and evil nature of Ukrainian nationalism' (p. 83). Chapter 1 examines Tsarist, Soviet and Western historiographies of Russia, focusing on Ukraine within the Western historiography of Russia. Nationalism (Imperialism), Racism and War: Taras Kuzio, Bristol: E-International Relations Publishing, 2020, ix + 185pp., open access ebook. [Extracted from the article]

Specific delivery of drugs to bone tissue is very challenging due to the architecture and structure of bone tissue. A seven-repeat sequence of aspartate, a representative bone-targeting oligopeptide, is preferentially used for targeted therapy for bone diseases. In this study, Asp7-cholesterol((Asp)7-CHOL) was synthesized and (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully prepared using both pre-insertion (pre-L) and post-insertion (post-L) methods. The formulation was optimized according to particle size, zeta potential and the drug-loading efficiency of the liposome. In addition, the bone affinity of the (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome was evaluated using a hydroxyapatite (HA) absorption method. The results suggested that (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome show excellent HA absorption; pre-L showed slightly higher HA binding than post-L. However, post-L had a higher DOX entrapment efficiency than pre-L.In vivoimaging further demonstrated that pre-L showed a higher bone-targeting efficiency than post-L, which was consistent within vitroresults. In all, (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome showed excellent bone-targeting activity, suggesting their potential for use as a drug delivery system for bone disease-targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

1. Although emerging evidence indicates the therapeutic effects of Zhizi Bopi Decoction, the extent to which essential ingredients are absorbed and the possible synergistic actions are poorly understood. 2. In this study, MDCK cell model was used to determine the bi-directional permeability and interaction between the main components (geniposide, berberine and glycyrrhizic acid) of Zhizi Bopi Decoction. 3. The transport of the active ingredients was concentration-dependent in both directions. Moreover, the Papp(AP-BL) values of berberine and glycyrrhizic acid were significantly reduced when co-incubation with an ATP inhibitor. Additionally, uptake of berberine, glycyrrhizic acid were clearly inhibited by the inhibitors of P-glycoprotein and MRP2, indicating that P-gp and MRP2 may be involved in the transport of berberine and glycyrrhizic acid, respectively. However, it was found that geniposide may be purely passive diffusion. Furthermore, the combined incubation of geniposide with berberine and glycyrrhizic acid had a powerful sorbefacient effect than use of a single drug alone which may be regulated by tight junctions. 4. In summary, our study provides useful information for pharmacological applications of Zhizi Bopi Decoction and offers new insights into this ancient decoction for further researches, especially in drug synergism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

1. Warfarin and aspirin are widely used in a wide spectrum of thromboembolic and atherothrombotic diseases. Despite the potential efficacy of warfarin–aspirin therapy, the safety and side effect of combined therapy remains unclear. 2. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between warfarin and aspirin in beagles after single and multiple doses. 3. Coadministration of aspirin had no significant effects on the area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC0–t) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of R- and S-warfarin after a single dose of warfarin, but significantly increase the AUC0–tandCmaxand dramatically decrease the clearance (CL) of R- and S-warfarin after multiple dose of warfarin. Accordingly, there was a slight increase in the AUEC0–tandEmaxof activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) after multiple dose of warfarin. 4. Coadministration of warfarin had no markedly effects on the AUC0–tandCmaxof aspirin and its metabolite salicylic acid after single or multiple dose of aspirin. Meanwhile, the AUEC0–tandEmaxof inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) were not significantly affected by warfarin. 5. Our animal study indicated that coadministration of aspirin with warfarin can cause significant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug–drug interactions in beagles. However, more studies are urgently needed to assess related information of warfarin–aspirin drug interactions in healthy volunteers or patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes characterization of two liposome formulations containing thienopyridine derivatives, namely TP-58 and TP-67. By preparing the liposomes, the concentration of the two compounds in ultrapure water was increased up to three orders of magnitude. After i.v. administration of the liposomes in rats, the initial compound plasma concentrations were enhanced more than fifty times relative to that after i.g. administration of the compound suspensions. It was found out that the release rate of TP-67 from the liposome both in vitro and in vivo was not significantly different from that of TP-58. TP-58 was more lipophilic than TP-67 according to partition coefficiency, and TP-67 had greater polarity than TP-58 based on polar surface area (PSA). With DSC, it was found out that the interaction magnitude between TP-67 and the lipid bilayer was not significantly different from that between TP-58 and the lipid bilayer, which accounted for the similarity of the two compounds in release rate both in vitro and in vivo. It indicated liposome can be used as a potential carrier for broading the application of TP-58 and TP-67. Interaction between the thienopyridine derivatives and the lipid bilayer is probably the decisive factor for compound release from the liposomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was designed to study the clinical and histopathological characteristics of patients with the scarring folliculitis type acne inversa in Chinese population. Methods: A total of 21 patients with acne inversa and 6 controls without known dermatological disease were recruited from outpatient department of dermatology and orthopedic surgery. Two-millimeter punch biopsies were taken from 8 patients with acne inversa and 6 controls, fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and stained with haematoxylin and eosin prior to histopathological analysis. Results: There were 12 patients (57.14%) belonging to the scarring folliculitis type presented with double comedones, papules, nodules, depressed scars, and were mainly Hurley stage I (66.67%). Many of the scarring folliculitis type were smokers (58.33%), some had a history of occupational exposure (41.67%) and some were overweight (50%), the mean BMI of which is 25.18±3.16 kg/m2. Histopathological changes such as perifollicular inflammation can be observed in scarring folliculitis type of acne inversa and controls as well. However, epidermal hyperplasia, follicular hyperplasia, sebaceous gland disappearance, destruction of hair follicle and sebaceous gland, collagen hyperplasia, perivascular inflammation, granulomatous inflammation, Micro thrombus were only seen in scarring folliculitis type. The mean surface area in patients (8073.36±15798.43 μm2) was smaller than that in controls (302059.08±502813.78 μm2), with statistically significant difference. (P = 0.024). Conclusion: The scarring folliculitis type in acne inversa in Chinese population could be characterized by depressed scars, double-ended comedones, epidermal cysts and had high proportion of smokers, or occupational exposure with lower Hurley stage, as well as diminished sebaceous gland. Further studies are needed to clarify the relations between the clinical subtypes of acne inversa and their corresponding genetypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]