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BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a concern due to its rapid increase in incidence in recent years. AIM: To investigate the correlation and predictive value of serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), triglyceride (TG), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D] with GDM in early pregnancy. METHODS: A total of 99 patients in early pregnancy admitted to Peking University International Hospital from November 2015 to September 2017 were included, and underwent a fasting glucose test and oral glucose tolerance test screening at 24-28 wk of pregnancy. Of these cases with GDM, 51 were assigned to group A and the remaining 48 cases without GDM were enrolled in group B. Serum PAPP-A, TG and 25-(OH)D in the two groups were compared and their correlation with blood sugar was analyzed. In addition, their diagnostic value in GDM was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Group A had markedly lower serum PAPP-A and 25-(OH)D levels and a significantly higher serum TG level than group B, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Furthermore, Pearson analysis identified that PAPP-A and 25-(OH)D levels were negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (r = -0.605, P < 0.001), (r = -0.597, P < 0.001), while TG and FBG levels were positively correlated (r = 0.628, P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cut-off value of serum PAPP-A level in the diagnosis of GDM were 72.55%, 82.35%, 0.861 and 16.340, respectively, while the sensitivity of TG in diagnosing GDM was 86.27%, the specificity was 66.67%, the AUC was 0.813, with an optimal cut-off value of 1.796. The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, AUC and optimal cut-off value of serum 25-(OH)D were 64.71%, 70.59%, 0.721 and 23.140, respectively. Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that FBG, vascular endothelial growth factor, Flt-1, serum PAPP-A, TG, and 25-(OH)D were related risk factors leading to GDM in patients. CONCLUSION: Serum PAPP-A, TG, and 25-(OH)D levels are all correlated with blood glucose changes in GDM, and are independent factors affecting the occurrence of GDM and have certain value in the diagnosis of GDM.

In this paper, a low nickel superalloy used for automotive valves was treated at different heat treatments. The metallographic structure and hardness with various heat treatment process were studied. Optimized process guarantees test superalloy can meet the technical requirements.

To explore bioactive polysaccharides from medicinal fungi, a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide SB1-1 was extracted from the stroma of Shiraia bambusicola by enzyme assisted extraction, ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatographies. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses showed that SB1-1 was a neutral polysaccharide composed of mannose, glucose and galactose at a molar ratio of 1.1:1.9:1.0, and had a molecular weight of 18.3 kDa. SB1-1 was composed of a mannan core and glucose and galactose side chains. The mannan core was composed of (1 → 2)-α-Manp substituted by the side chains (1 → 6)-α-d-Manp, (1 → 4)-α-d-Glcp and (1 → 6)-α-d-Glcp with different degrees of polymerization at the C-6. The galactose side chains had the backbone of (1 → 6)-β-d-Galf. There were two branch sites on every five sugars on average at the O-2 of →6)-β-Galf(1→, and the branches consisted of →2)-β-d-Galf(1→ and terminal β-d-Galf(1→. The potential immunomodulatory activities of SB1-1 on RAW264.7 macrophages were investigated. The results showed that SB1-1 could activate macrophage and significantly improve its phagocytic ability by neutral red uptake assay. Additionally, SB1-1 enhanced the productions of IL-1, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α in the RAW264.7 macrophages by stimulation of SB1-1, while significantly increased the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) production. This study demonstrated that the galactofuranose-containing polysaccharide SB1-1 from S. bambusicola which is a novel mannogalactoglucan, could enhance the activation of macrophages.

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials have shown charming photo-Fenton capability for the treatment of refractory organic wastewater. In this study, CuFe-LDH hybridized with N-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) was investigated to further enhance the photo-Fenton capability. The results showed that the assembly techniques of coprecipitation and the hydrothermal method could synthesize the target material, CuFe-LDH/N-CQDs, successfully. CuFe-LDH/N-CQDs could possess a 13.5% higher methylene blue (MB) removal rate than CuFe-LDH in 30 min due to the accelerated redox cycles of Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Cu(III)/Cu(II), resulting from the photo-induced electron transfer from N-CQDs to CuFe-LDH via a d&ndash, &pi, conjugation electronic bridge. Moreover, CuFe-LDH/N-CQDs has excellent photo-Fenton capability in the pH range of 2&ndash, 11, even after being reused five times. This study would provide an efficient and stable photo-Fenton catalyst for the treatment of refractory organic wastewater.

Substantial concentrations of penicillin V potassium (PVK) have been found in the environment, which may pose potential threats to human health and contribute to the emergence of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains. In this study, antibiotic-degrading bacterial strains for PVK were isolated from sludge and characterized. Ochrobactrum tritici was selected for the biodegradation of PVK with high efficiency. To enhance its PVK degradation ability, a whole-cell biodegradation process was established and optimized using Ochrobactrum tritici. The degradation rate with 0.5 mg/ml PVK reached 100% within 3 h. The potential biodegradation pathway was also investigated. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides new insights into the biodegradation of PVK using an Ochrobactrum tritici strain, a promising candidate strain for the industrial biodegradation of β-lactam antibiotics., Substantial concentrations of penicillin V potassium (PVK) have been found in livestock manure, soil, and wastewater effluents, which may pose potential threats to human health and contribute to the emergence of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains. In this study, bacterial strains capable of degrading PVK were isolated from sludge and characterized. Strain X-2 was selected for biodegradation of PVK. Based on morphological observations and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, strain X-2 was identified as an Ochrobactrum tritici strain. To enhance the PVK degradation ability of PVK, a whole-cell biodegradation process of Ochrobactrum tritici X-2 was established and optimized. In the whole-cell biodegradation process, the optimal temperature and pH were 30°C and 7.0, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the degradation rate using 0.5 mg/ml PVK reached 100% within 3 h. During biodegradation, two major metabolites were detected: penicilloic acid and phenolic acid. The present study provides a novel method for the biodegradation of PVK using Ochrobactrum tritici strains, which represent promising candidates for the industrial biodegradation of PVK. IMPORTANCE Substantial concentrations of penicillin V potassium (PVK) have been found in the environment, which may pose potential threats to human health and contribute to the emergence of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains. In this study, antibiotic-degrading bacterial strains for PVK were isolated from sludge and characterized. Ochrobactrum tritici was selected for the biodegradation of PVK with high efficiency. To enhance its PVK degradation ability, a whole-cell biodegradation process was established and optimized using Ochrobactrum tritici. The degradation rate with 0.5 mg/ml PVK reached 100% within 3 h. The potential biodegradation pathway was also investigated. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides new insights into the biodegradation of PVK using an Ochrobactrum tritici strain, a promising candidate strain for the industrial biodegradation of β-lactam antibiotics.

In this paper, tungsten oxide nanorods were successfully synthesized by using ordered mesoporous silica of SBA-15 as a template and 12-phosphotungstic acid as a precursor of tungsten oxide under a hydrogen (H2) atmosphere. XRD and HRTEM characterization show that the composition of tungsten oxide synthesized is WO2.83. The gas sensing test results show that WO2.83 can detect 5 ppb H2S. Moreover, the response of the sensor fabricated with WO2.83 to 200 ppb H2S at the optimal operating temperature of 280 °C is as high as 1.8, which is increased by nearly 50% than that of the common WO3 without redundant oxygen vacancies. The improved gas sensing properties can be attributed to rich oxygen vacancies in the WO2.83. Our present results also demonstrate that WO2.83 with a lot of oxygen vacancies can significantly enhance the gas response to ultra-low concentration H2S, and this method of manufacturing defects has great potential in improving the gas-sensing performance of metal oxide semiconductor. Figure 1

Camellia oleifera is an important Chinese commercial crop. Camellia oleifera can display abnormal leaves due to infection by the parasitic fungus Exobasidium gracile. Exobasidium gracile was isolated from infected leaves and used in fermentation, and exopolysaccharides EP0-1 and EP0.5-1 were purified from the fermentation broth. EP0-1 was an alkaline polysaccharide consisting mainly of the linkages &alpha, d-Manp(1&rarr, &rarr, 2)-&alpha, and &rarr, 6)-&alpha, 3)-&alpha, d-Glcp(1&rarr, and&rarr, 4)-&alpha, terminal &beta, d-Galf, (1&rarr, 5)-&beta, d-Galf, and terminal &beta, D-GlcN(1&rarr, EP0.5-1 was an acidic galactofuranose-containing polysaccharide. It contained the linkages of &alpha, 2, 6)-&alpha, d-GlcUA(1&rarr, Galactofuranose linkages were composed of terminal &beta, 6)-&beta, d-Galf and (1&rarr, 2)-&beta, d-Galf. Exobasidium gracile exopolysaccharides displayed significant immunoregulatory activity by activating macrophages. This research indicates that infected leaves from Camellia oleifera including the exopolysaccharides produced by the parasitic fungus Exobasidium gracile by are worth further investigation as a functional product.

To resolve the materials corrosion problems during exploiting high H2S/CO2 oil and gas field, the corrosion behavior of 718 nickel base alloy for 720 hours was studied, the conditions of the experiment is about temperature=177°C, P(H2S)=3.0MPa, P(CO2)=13.5MPa, solution mixed NaCl 20%wt.. The Electronic Parts Manufacturers Association (EPMA) and electrochemical methods was applied to characterize the microstructure, chemical composition and impedance characteristics of corrosion film. The results show that the surface of corrosion film is mainly composition by sulphide of Ni, Cr and Fe, the inside of corrosion film is mainly composition by oxide of Ni, Cr and Fe, electrochemical analysis found the alloy could resist corrosion in this environment.

With the application upgrade of alloy 718 in the marine oil exploitation, higher corrosion resistance demands has been presented for structure design and reasonable material application of drilling and production equipments; thus there is an urgent need to understand influences of grain size on corrosion behavior of such alloy in sea water environment. In this experiment, different solution treatments are applied to nickel-based alloy 718. As a result, specimens with grain size varied from ASTM No. 9 to No. 3.5 grades. The influences of grain size on the electrochemical behaviors in simulated sea water (3.5% sodium chloride solution) are investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization curves. Alloy 718 shows good corrosion resistance in this electrolyte solution, however, grain size still has an effect on its electrochemical corrosion behaviors to a certain extent. With the time going, testing results show that coarse-grained alloys with larger grain size have higher impedance values and smaller corrosion current densities, indicating a better corrosion resistance than fine-grained specimens. However, when the grain size increases further, the corrosivity resistant nature of alloy 718 would decline. Testing results show that specimen with size of ASTM No. 5 has the best corrosion resistance.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Shiraia bambusicola is a parasitic fungus on the twigs of bamboos. Its relatively large stroma has high medicinal value and can treat a variety of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cold stomach pain, sciatica, injuries, chronic bronchitis, and infantile. It is widely distributed in many provinces in Southern China and also is also found in Japan. Aim of the study Medicinal fungi were important resources for bioactive polysaccharides. To explore bioactive polysaccharides from Shiraia bambusicola, a heteropolysaccharide SB2-1 was purified and obtained from S. bambusicola and its immunostimulating activity was researched. Materials and methods The polysaccharide from S. bambusicola was extracted and purified using enzyme assisted extraction, ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. Molecular weight of polysaccharide was estimated by high performance gel permeation chromatography. Monosaccharide compositions were determined by high performance liquid chromatography after pre-column derivatization and UV detection. Structure information was elucidated by IR spectrum, GC-MS analysis after methylation and gradual acid hydrolysis of the polysaccharide. The RAW264.7 cells were used to study the immunostimulating activity in vitro. Results Physicochemical and structural analyses showed that SB2-1 was a neutral heteropolysaccharide with molecular weight at 22.2 kDa and consisted of glucose, galactose and mannose at a ratio of 2.0:1.5:1.0. The structure of SB2-1 was a branched polysaccharides composed of a mannan core and side chains consisted of glucose and galactose. The mannan core was composed of (1→2)-Manp as the main chain. Glucose with (1→4)-D-Glcp, (1→2)-D-Glcp and (1→6)-D-Glcp at different degrees of polymerization were linked at C-6 and C-3 of the (1→2)-Manp as the side chains. The galactose with the linages of (1→6)-D-Galf, →2)-D-Galf(1→ and terminal D-Galf(1→ also existed in the side chain. The study on the immunostimulating activities of SB2-1 and its core structure P-2 were investigated on RAW264.7 macrophages. The results showed that SB2-1 could activate RAW264.7 macrophage and significantly improve its phagocytic ability by neutral red uptake experiment. Meanwhile, SB2-1 increased significantly higher inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) production and the productions of IL-1, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α. The effect of SB2-1 was better than its core structure P-2 produced by gradual acid hydrolysis, which meant the side chains played an important role in the immunostimulating activities. Conclusions The investigation demonstrated that the galactofuranose-containing mannogalactoglucan was characteristic polysaccharides in S. bambusicola and could enhance the activation of macrophages.

A reference extractive, containing multiple active known compounds, has been considered to be an alternative to individual reference standards. However, in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) the great majority of reference extractives have been primarily used for qualitative identification by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and few studies on the applicability of reference extractives for quantitative analysis have been presented. Using Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge as an example in this paper, we first present a preliminary discussion on the feasibility and applicability of reference extractives for the quantitative analysis of TCMs. The reference extractive of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge, comprised of three pharmacological marker compounds, namely cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA, was prepared from purchased Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge by extraction with acetone under reflux, followed by silica gel column chromatography with stepwise elution with petroleum ether-ethyl acetate (25:1, v/v, 4.5 BV) to remove the non-target components and chloroform-methanol (10:1, v/v, 3 BV) to yield a crude reference extractive solution. After concentration, the solution was further purified by preparative reversed-phase HPLC on a C18 column with isocratic elution with 77% methanol aqueous solution to yield the total reference extractive of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge. Thereafter, the reference extractive was applied to the quality assessment of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD). The validation of the method, including linearity, sensitivity, repeatability, stability and recovery testing, indicated that this method was valid, reliable and sensitive, with good reproducibility. The developed method was successfully applied to quantify seven batches of samples collected from different regions in China and the results were also similar to those obtained using reference standards, with relative standard deviation (RSD) &lt, 3%. Preparation of a reference extractive of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge was significantly less expensive and time consuming than preparation of a corresponding reference standard. Quantitative analysis using a reference extractive was shown to be simple, low-cost, time-saving and practical, with high sensitivity and good stability, and is, therefore, a strong alternative to the use of reference standards.

BACKGROUND A pilot-scale production was developed to produce oligopeptide powder from black-bone silky fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus Brisson) muscle (BSFP) by two-step enzymatic hydrolysis and multistage separation. The resultant BSFP was assessed for antioxidant activities against four free radicals (hydroxyl, 1,1-dipheny-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide and peroxyl) and against the peroxidation of linoleic acid in a lipid peroxidation model system. After separation by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), five major fractions of BSFP were tested for DPPH radical scavenging activity and subjected to mass spectrometry to identify the active peptides. RESULTS BSFP showed potential antioxidant activity in four assay systems. Three RP-HPLC fractions produced higher antioxidant effect than BSFP, with Fraction 4 showing the strongest activity. A total of 18 peptides were identified, and two peptides – Leu-Trp-Arg and Asn-Met – had strong scavenging activity, with IC50 values of 2.28 ± 0.05 and 4.65 ± 0.09 mg mL−1, respectively. Asn-Met is a novel antioxidative peptide that has not been previously reported. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that the pilot-scale production of BSFP was a practical way to produce peptides with high value and potential antioxidant activity. BSFP and its antioxidative peptides can be a source of natural antioxidant and used as a food additive. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

A large series of N6-substituted-4′-thioadenosines were synthesized starting from d -gulonic-γ-lactone, and structure–activity relationships were studied at the human A3 and other subtypes of adenosine receptors (ARs). 2-Chloro-substituted and 2-H analogues were compared. 2-Chloro-N6-methyl-4′-thioadenosine 19b was a highly potent and selective agonist (Ki = 0.8 ± 0.1 nM in binding) at the A3AR, and displayed the same relative efficacy in receptor activation as a known full agonist, Cl-IB-MECA. Most of N6-substituted-4′-thioadenosines were less potent in binding than the corresponding N6-substituted-adenosines or N6-substituted-4′-thioadenosine-5′-uronamides. N6-(3-Iodobenzyl) derivative 19g was demonstrated to be an A3AR-selective partial agonist displaying a Ki value of 3.2 nM.

The present work describes the asymmetric synthesis of D- and L-apio-2',3'-dideoxynucleoside analogues, 4 and 5 with 2'-hydroxyl group via a common intermediate 9, starting from D-galactose. Stereoselective dihydroxylation and deoxygenation through radical inversion were successfully employed to synthesize the key intermediate 12 with D-apio structure, while stereoselecetive hydroboration-oxidation was used for the synthesis of another key intermediate 18 with L-apio structure.

Soybean oligopeptides (SOP) with low molecular weights were prepared by two-step enzymatic hydrolysis on a pilot-scale. Peptide and free amino acid contents of SOP were 82.5 ± 1.13 % and 3.7 ± 0.28 % respectively. The molecular weight distribution of SOP was mainly bellow 1,000 Da (85.4 %), 56.7 % of which were 140–500 Da. SOP showed strong stability to proteolytic digestion by pepsin and trypsin. The antioxidant activities and in vitro and in vivo antihypertensive effects of SOP were evaluated. Results showed that SOP exhibited 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging effect (IC50 = 4.5 ± 0.13 mg/mL), and significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid oxidation system (IC50 = 1.2 ± 0.09 mg/mL). SOP had potent angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity (IC50 = 1.1 ± 0.06 mg/mL), and antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats at a dose of 200 mg/kg. This study indicated that SOP could be a natural antioxidative or antihypertensive compound in the medicine and food industries.

Taurine has positive effects on bone metabolism. However, the effects of taurine on osteoblast apoptosis in vitro have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of taurine on apoptosis of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. The data showed that 1, 5, 10, or 20 mM taurine resulted in 16.7, 34.2, 66.9, or 63.7% reduction of MC3T3-E1 cell apoptosis induced by the serum deprivation (serum-free α-MEM), respectively. Taurine (1, 5, or 10 mM) also reduced cytochrome c release and inhibited activation of caspase-3 and -9, which were measured using fluorogenic substrates for caspase-3/caspase-9, in serum-deprived MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, taurine (10 mM) induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phospho-rylation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Knockdown of the taurine transporter (TAUT) or treatment with the ERK-specific inhibitor PD98059 (10 μM) blocked the activation of ERK induced by taurine (10 mM) and abolished the anti-apoptotic effect of taurine (10 mM) in MC3T3-E1 cells. The present results demonstrate for the first time that taurine inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis via the TAUT/ERK signaling pathway. Key words: Taurine; Osteoblasts; Apoptosis; Taurine transporter; ERK

Radon has long been known to contribute to risk of lung cancer, especially in undergound miners who are exposed to large amounts of the carcinogen. Recently, however, lower amounts of radon present in living areas have been suggested as an important cause of lung cancer. In an effort to clarify the relationship of low amounts of radon with lung cancer risk, we placed alpha-track radon detectors in the homes of 308 women with newly diagnosed lung cancer and 356 randomly selected female control subjects of similar age. Measurements were taken after 1 year. All study participants were part of the general population of Shenyang, People's Republic of China, an industrial city in the northeast part of the country that has one of the world's highest rates of lung cancer in women. The median time of residence in the homes was 24 years. The median household radon level was 2.3 pCi/L of air; 20% of the levels were greater than 4 pCi/L. Radon levels tended to be higher in single-story houses or on the first floor of multiple-story dwellings, and they were also higher in houses with increased levels of indoor air pollution from coal-burning stoves. However, the levels were not higher in homes of women who developed lung cancer than in homes of controls, nor did lung cancer risk increase with increasing radon level. No association between radon and lung cancer was observed regardless of cigarette-smoking status, except for a nonsignificant trend among heavy smokers. No positive associations of lung cancer cell type with radon were observed, except for a nonsignificant excess risk of small cell cancers among the more heavily exposed residents. Our data suggest that projections from surveys of miners exposed to high radon levels may have overestimated the overall risks of lung cancer associated with levels typically seen in homes in this Chinese city. However, further studies in other population groups are needed to clarify the carcinogenic potential of indoor radon.

We have established structure-activity relationships of novel 4'-thionucleoside analogues as the A(3) adenosine receptor (AR) agonists. Binding affinity, selectivity toward other AR subtypes, and efficacy in inhibition of adenylate cyclase were studied. From this study, 2-chloro-N(6)-methyl-4'-thioadenosine-5'-methyluronamide (36a) emerged as the most potent and selective agonist at the human A(3) AR. We have also revealed that, similar to 4'-oxoadenosine analogues, at least one hydrogen on the 5'-uronamide moiety was necessary for high-affinity binding at the human A(3) AR, presumably to allow this group to donate a H bond within the binding site. Furthermore, bulky substituents on the 5'-uronamide reduced binding affinity, but in some cases large 5'-uronamide substituents, such as substituted benzyl and 2-phenylethyl groups, maintained moderate affinity with reduced efficacy, leading to A(3) AR partial agonists or antagonists. In several cases for which the corresponding 4'-oxonucleosides have been studied, the 4'-thionucleosides showed higher binding affinity to the A(3) AR.

In this short note, we prove a characteristic property of nest algebras. This property is closely related to the extreme point structure of nest algebras.

From the medullae of Juncus effusus, 13 compounds were isolated: a (2S)-2,3-isopropylidene-1-O-p-coumaroyl glyceride (juncusyl ester A), 2-O-p-coumaroyl glyceride (juncusyl ester B), (2S)-1-O-p-coumaroyl glyceride, 5α-spinasterol, β-sitosterol, β-sitosteryl-β- d -glycoside, effusol, p-coumaric acid, isoscutellarein pentamethyl ether, nobiletin, quercetin, rutinose and vanillic acid. Juncusyl esters A and B are new compounds.

4'-Thio analogues 3-5 of Cl-IB-MECA (2) (K(i) = 1.0 +/- 0.2 nM at the human A(3) adenosine receptor) were synthesized from d-gulono-gamma-lactone via 4-thioribosyl acetate 14 as the key intermediate. All synthesized 4'-thionucleosides exhibited higher binding affinity to the human A(3) adenosine receptor than Cl-IB-MECA, among which 4 showed the most potent binding affinity (K(i) = 0.28 +/- 0.09 nM). 4 was also selective for A(3) vs human A(1) and human A(2A) receptors by 4800- and 36000-fold, respectively.