Search

Background:. Endotoxin tolerance (ET) is a protective phenomenon in which pre-treatment with a tolerance dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to dramatically elevated survival. Accumulating evidence has shown that peripheral T cells contribute to the induction of ET. However, what happens to T cell development in the thymus under ET conditions remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to analyze the alterations in thymocyte populations (double-positive [DP] and single-positive [SP] cells) under ET conditions. Methods:. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS at a concentration of 5 mg/kg to establish an LPS tolerance model and were divided into two groups: a group examined 72 h after LPS injection (72-h group) and a group examined 8 days after LPS injection (8-day group). Injection of phosphate-buffered saline was used as a control (control group). Changes in thymus weight, cell counts, and morphology were detected in the three groups. Moreover, surface molecules such as CD4, CD8, CD44, CD69, and CD62L were analyzed using flow cytometry. Furthermore, proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine production, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway signaling were analyzed in thymocyte populations. The polymorphism and length of the T-cell receptor (TCR) β chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis DNA laser scanning analysis (ABI 3730). Results:. Thymus weight and cell counts were decreased in the early stage but recovered by the late stage in a murine model of LPS-induced ET. Moreover, the proportions of DP cells (control: 72.130 ± 4.074, 72-h: 10.600 ± 3.517, 8-day: 84.770 ± 2.228), CD4+ SP cells (control: 15.770 ± 4.419, 72-h: 44.670 ± 3.089, 8-day: 6.367 ± 0.513), and CD8+ SP cells (control: 7.000 ± 1.916, 72-h: 34.030 ± 3.850, 8-day: 5.133 ± 0.647) were obviously different at different stages of ET. The polymorphism and length of TCR β chain CDR3 also changed obviously, indicating the occurrence of TCR rearrangement and thymocyte diversification. Further analysis showed that the expression of surface molecules, including CD44, CD69, and CD62L, on thymocyte populations (DP and SP cells) were changed to different degrees. Finally, the proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine production, and ERK pathway signaling of thymocyte populations were changed significantly. Conclusion:. These data reveal that alterations in thymocyte populations might contribute to the establishment of ET.

Wheat stripe rust, due to infection by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating disease that causes significant global grain yield losses. Yr36, which encodes Wheat Kinase START1 (WKS1), is an effective high-temperature adult-plant resistance gene and confers resistance to a broad spectrum of Pst races. We previously showed that WKS1 phosphorylates the thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase protein and reduces its ability to detoxify peroxides, which may contribute to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). WKS1-mediated Pst resistance is accompanied by leaf chlorosis in Pst-infected regions, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that WKS1 interacts with and phosphorylates PsbO, an extrinsic member of photosystem II (PSII), to reduce photosynthesis, regulate leaf chlorosis, and confer Pst resistance. A point mutation in PsbO-A1 or reduction in its transcript levels by RNA interference resulted in chlorosis and reduced Pst sporulation. Biochemical analyses revealed that WKS1 phosphorylates PsbO at two conserved amino acids involved in physical interactions with PSII and reduces the binding affinity of PsbO with PSII. Presumably, phosphorylated PsbO proteins dissociate from the PSII complex and then undergo rapid degradation by cysteine and aspartic proteases. Taken together, these results demonstrate that perturbations of wheat PsbO by point mutation or phosphorylation by WKS1 reduce the rate of photosynthesis and delay the growth of Pst pathogen before the induction of ROS.

By employment of an amide-functionalized tetracarboxylic ligand 5,5′-(carbonylbis(azanediyl))-diisophthalic acid (H4cbab), a new polyhedral metal–organic framework (MOF) with the chemical formula of {[InZn2(cbda)2(H2O)2](NMF)3}n (1, NMF = N-methylformamide) has been synthesized under the solvothermal reaction condition. The structural feature was studied via the single crystal X-ray diffraction along with ultimate analysis. This as-prepared MOF shows excellent luminescence performance which can be able to detect Al3+ ions selectively. In aqueous solutions, the detection limitation for Al3+ ion is 0.56 µM, which is significantly below the highest standard of 7.41 µM for Al3+ ion in drinking water that is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). The protective effect of compound against periodontitis was further explored. The viable cell counts (CFU) number was counted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of compound on bacterial growth. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried on in order to measure accurately the proportion of inflammatory cytokines in gingival fluid around the implant. The potential binding modes of the synthesized compounds as well as the targeted protein was explored by calculating docking with high accuracy as well as pose scoring process.

A concise strategy for the synthesis of vinylsilanes from an iron-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes has been developed. The catalyst and reagents are commercially available and easy to handle, providing a simple and practical method for iron-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydrosilylation with a good functional group tolerance.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA), which are commonly found in feed products, exhibit serious negative effects on the reproductive systems of domestic animals. However, the toxicity of mycotoxins on the uterine function of donkey (Equus asinus) remains unclear. This study investigated the biological effects of DON and ZEA exposure on donkey endometrial epithelial cells (EECs). It was administered 10 μM and 30 μM DON and ZEA to cells cultured in vitro. The results showed that 10 μM DON exposure markedly changed the expression levels of pyroptosis-associated genes and that 30 μM ZEA exposure changed the expression levels of inflammation-associated genes in EECs. The mRNA expression of cancer-promoting genes was markedly upregulated in cells exposed to DON and 30 μM ZEA; in particular, 10 μM and 30 μM DON and ZEA markedly disturbed the expression of androgen and estrogen secretion-related genes. Furthermore, Q-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analyses verified the different expression patterns of related genes in DON- and ZEA-exposed EECs. Collectively, these results illustrated the impact of exposure to different toxins and concrete toxicity on the mRNA expression of EECs from donkey in vitro.

A convenient and efficient Pd(acac)2/Xantphos-catalyzed regioselective hydrosilylation of allenes has been developed. This convenient catalyst proved to be suitable for a broad range of allenes, offering a general and efficient route to branched allylsilanes in high yields with exceptional regioselectivity. A Pd(0) species involved mechanism is proposed.

A porous organic polymer (POL-Xantphos) was synthesized and employed as a heterogeneous ligand for selective hydrosilylation of alkynes. It exhibits high selectivity and catalytic efficiency toward a broad range of alkynes. Owing to the confinement effect of the micropore structure, POL-Xantphos was far superior to the monomeric Xantphos ligands in controlling the selectivity. By performing hydrosilylation in a flow reactor system, separation and regeneration of the Ni/POL-Xantphos catalyst are easily achieved without any loss in selectivity or activity.

A Co(acac)2 /POL-Xantphos@10PPh3 -catalyzed hydrosilylation of unsymmetrical internal alkynes with Ph2 SiH2 has been developed for the synthesis of highly selective syn-α-vinylsilane products. Furthermore, terminal alkynes were also used and gave the products with excellent regioselectivity and a wide functional group tolerance. Because this porous organic polymer combines the selectivity and activity merits of Xantphos with the stability advantage derived from the high concentration of PPh3 , the Co(acac)2 /POL-Xantphos@10PPh3 can be recycled multiple times without loss of activity and selectivity. This heterogeneous catalyst is expected to find promising applications in industrial synthesis.

(1) Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) are type B trichothecene mycotoxins that exert serious toxic effects on the reproduction of domestic animals. However, there is little information about the toxicity of mycotoxins on testis development in Equus asinus. This study investigated the biological effects of DON and ZEA exposure on Sertoli cells (SCs) of Equus asinus, (2) Methods: We administered 10 μM and 30 μM DON and ZEA to cells cultured in vitro, (3) Results: The results showed that 10 μM DON exposure remarkably changed pyroptosis-associated genes and that 30 μM ZEA exposure changed inflammation-associated genes in SCs. The mRNA expression of cancer-promoting genes was remarkably upregulated in the cells exposed to DON or 30 μM ZEA, in particular, DON and ZEA remarkably disturbed the expression of androgen and oestrogen secretion-related genes. Furthermore, quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analyses verified the different expression patterns of related genes in DON- and ZEA-exposed SCs, (4) Conclusions: Collectively, these results illustrated the impact of exposure to different toxins and concrete toxicity on the mRNA expression of SCs from Equus asinus in vitro.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a natural contaminant of various food and feed products representing a significant problem worldwide. Since the occurrence of ZEA in grains and feeds is frequent, the present study was carried out to evaluate the possible effects of ZEA on steroid production and gene expression of porcine granulosa cells, using RNA-seq analysis. Porcine granulosa cells were administered 10 μM and 30 μM ZEA during 72 h of culture in vitro. Following ZEA treatment the gene expression profile of control and exposed granulosa cells was compared using RNA-seq analysis. The results showed that in the exposed granulosa cells ZEA significantly altered the transcript levels, particularly steroidogenesis associated genes. Compared with the control group, 10 μM and 30 μM ZEA treatment significantly increased the mRNA expression of EDN1, IER3, TGFβ and BDNF genes and significantly reduced the mRNA expression of IGF-1 and SFRP2 genes. In particular, ZEA significantly decreased the expression of genes essential for estrogen synthesis including FSHR, CYP19A1 and HSD17β in granulosa cells. Furthermore, Q-PCR and Western-blot analysis also confirmed reduced expression of these genes in ZEA exposed granulosa cells. These effects were associated with a significant reduction of 17β-estradiol concentrations in the culture medium of granulosa cells. Collectively, these results demonstrated a concretely deleterious effect of ZEA exposure on the mRNA expression of steroidogenesis related genes and the production of steroid hormones in porcine ovarian granulosa cells in vitro.

Zearalenone (ZEA), one of the most prevalent estrogenic mycotoxins, is mainly produced by Fusarium fungi and has been proven to affect the reproductive capacity of animals. Exposure of farm animals to ZEA is a global public health concern because of its toxicity and wide distribution in animal feeds. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that ZEA possesses estrogenic activity in mice, swine, Equus asinus and cattle. The precise mechanism of the reproductive toxicity of ZEA has not been established yet. This article reviews evidence on the deleterious effects of ZEA on mammalian folliculogenesis from early to final oogenesis stages. Such effects include impaired granulosa cell (GC) development and follicle steroidogenesis, reduced oocyte nest breakdown, damaged meiotic progression, poor fetal oocyte survival, accelerated primordial follicle activation and enhanced follicle atresia. These phenomena may result in reproductive and non-reproductive problems in domestic animals. In addition, emerging data indicates that ZEA may cause mRNA expression changes in the GCs. In general, E. asinus is more sensitive than swine to ZEA exposure. Finally, results of in vivo animal studies and in vitro tests are reported and discussed.

Present in many plant foods, biogenic phenolic compounds are important bioactive phytonutrients with high anti-oxidant activity and thereby are praised for their health-promoting properties. However, current food nutrient improvement by high phenolic content in staples is limited by the shortage of genetic resources rich in phenolic compounds. To resolve this obstacle, we developed a non-destructive massive analytical approach to screen wheat phenolic mutants. In grains, multiple mutant lines showed significantly higher contents of flavonoids or cell wall-bound phenolic esters. Moreover, five mutants showed higher anti-oxidant potentials in wall-bound phenolic compounds ranging from 15% to 20%, with the maximal close to natural black wheat. In contrast to black wheat, two mutants accumulated higher phenolic compounds in the endosperm. lrf4 was mapped by BSR to a concentrated genomic region in the short arm of chromosome 1A. The present work represents an efficient high-throughput strategy to increase wheat anti-oxidant potential through traditional mutagenesis.

Methyl 3-amino-6-methoxythieno [2,3-b] quinoline-2-carboxylate (PU-48) is a novel diuretic urea transporter inhibitor. The aim of this study is to investigate the profile of plasma pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion by oral dosing of PU-48 in rats. Concentrations of PU-48 within biological samples are determined using a validated high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. After oral administration of PU-48 (3, 6, and 12 mg/kg, respectively) in self-nanomicroemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) formulation, the peak plasma concentrations (Cmax), and the area under the curve (AUC0&ndash, &infin, ) were increased by the dose-dependent and linear manner, but the marked different of plasma half-life (t1/2) were not observed. This suggests that the pharmacokinetic profile of PU-48 prototype was first-order elimination kinetic characteristics within the oral three doses range in rat plasma. Moreover, the prototype of PU-48 was rapidly and extensively distributed into thirteen tissues, especially higher concentrations were detected in stomach, intestine, liver, kidney, and bladder. The total accumulative excretion of PU-48 in the urine, feces, and bile was less than 2%. This research is the first report on disposition via oral administration of PU-48 in rats, and it provides important information for further development of PU-48 as a diuretic drug candidate.

The compound 3,4‑dichlorophenyl‑propenoyl‑sec.‑butylamine (3,4‑DCPB) is an antiepileptic drug. The purpose of the present research was to identify cytochrome P450 (CYP450) responsible for the metabolism of 3,4‑DCPB and evaluate the effects of 3,4‑DCPB on the activities of CYP450 enzymes. 3,4‑DCPB was incubated with rat liver microsomes (RLMs) plus six CYP450 enzyme-specific inhibitors, or six recombinant human CYP450 enzymes (rhCYP450s). The concentrations of 3,4‑DCPB and six CYP450 enzyme-activities probe drugs were detected by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC). The results showed that the prototype of 3,4‑DCPB was metabolized by multiple CYP450 enzymes into three metabolites, and the predominant isoforms were CYP2D6 (metabolite M1), CYP1A2 (M2), CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 (M3), respectively., in the presence of β-NADPH (1 mM) in RLMs or rhCYP450s. Compared with the control (PB-), phenobarbital pre-treatment (PB+) significantly enhanced levels (all of p 0.01) of hydroxylmethytobutamide (CYP2C9), 4‑hydroxy‑mephenytoin (CYP2C19), acetaminophen (CYP1A2), 6‑hydroxychlorzoxazone (CYP2E1) and oxidized nifedipine (CYP3A4), respectively, in spite of dextrophan (CYP2D6) was not markedly enhanced in RLMs. Conversely, the inhibitory ratios of 3,4‑DCPB (16 μg/mL, 59 μM) on the activities of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 were 97.6%, 59.0%, 53.5% and 36.5%, respectively. However, CYP2E1 (both of PB- and PB+) and CYP3A4 (PB+) were not inhibited by 3,4‑DCPB in RLMs. In conclusion, the present study showed that 3,4‑DCPB was metabolized by multiple CYP450 enzymes. 3,4‑DCPB inhibited the activities of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6, rather than that CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 enzymes, suggesting that the different effects of 3,4‑DCPB on the CYP450 enzymes might influence metabolic drug-drug interaction in antiepileptics therapy.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of crystalline state and a formulation of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) on oral bioavailability of 6-benzyl-1-benzyloxymethyl-5-iodouracil (W-1), a novel non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, in rats. The crystalline states of W-1 were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). The SNEDDS was formulated by medium-chain lipids, characterized by droplet particle size. The plasma concentrations of W-1 were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that W-1 compound were presented as crystalline forms, A and B, the degree of crystallization in form B was higher than that in form A. The SNEDDS of W-1 displayed a significant increase in the dissolution rate than W-1 powder. Furthermore, after oral administration of W-1 (100 mg/kg), the pharmacokinetic parameters of form A, form B, and W-1 SNEDDS were as follows: AUC

Ding-Ping Bai,1,* Xi-Feng Zhang,2,* Guo-Liang Zhang,3,4 Yi-Fan Huang,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan5 1Fujian Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; 2College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China; 3Dong-E-E-Jiao Co., Ltd., Shandong, China; 4National Engineering Research Center for Gelatin-based Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, China; 5Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are frequently used in industrial products such as paint, surface coating, and cosmetics, and recently, they have been explored in biologic and biomedical applications. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ZnO NPs on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and autophagy in human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3). Methods: ZnO NPs with a crystalline size of 20 nm were characterized with various analytical techniques, including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and autophagy were examined using a series of cellular assays. Results: Exposure of cells to ZnO NPs resulted in a dose-dependent loss of cell viability, and the characteristic apoptotic features such as rounding and loss of adherence, enhanced reactive oxygen species generation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were observed in the ZnO NP-treated cells. Furthermore, the cells treated with ZnO NPs showed significant double-strand DNA breaks, which are gained evidences from significant number of γ-H2AX and Rad51 expressed cells. ZnO NP-treated cells showed upregulation of p53 and LC3, indicating that ZnO NPs are able to upregulate apoptosis and autophagy. Finally, the Western blot analysis revealed upregulation of Bax, caspase-9, Rad51, γ-H2AX, p53, and LC3 and downregulation of Bcl-2. Conclusion: The study findings demonstrated that the ZnO NPs are able to induce significant cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and autophagy in human ovarian cells through reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress. Therefore, this study suggests that ZnO NPs are suitable and inherent anticancer agents due to their several favorable characteristic features including favorable band gap, electrostatic charge, surface chemistry, and potentiation of redox cycling cascades. Keywords: zinc oxide nanoparticles, human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3, mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, autophagy

Xi-Feng Zhang,1,2 Feng-Hua Huang,1 Guo-Liang Zhang,3 Ding-Ping Bai,4 De Felici Massimo,5 Yi-Fan Huang,4 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan6 1College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China; 2Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China; 3National Engineering Research Center for Gelatin-based Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dong-E-E-Jiao Co., Ltd, DongE, Shandong, China; 4Fujian Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; 5Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Rome, Italy; 6Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Background: Recently, there has been much interest in the field of nanomedicine to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Combination therapy seems to be most effective when two different molecules that work by different mechanisms are combined at low dose, thereby decreasing the possibility of drug resistance and occurrence of unbearable side effects. Based on this consideration, the study was designed to investigate the combination effect of reduced graphene oxide-silver nanoparticles (rGO-AgNPs) and trichostatin A (TSA) in human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3). Methods: The rGO-AgNPs were synthesized using a biomolecule called lycopene, and the resultant product was characterized by various analytical techniques. The combination effect of rGO-Ag and TSA was investigated in SKOV3 cells using various cellular assays such as cell viability, cytotoxicity, and immunofluorescence analysis. Results: AgNPs were uniformly distributed on the surface of graphene sheet with an average size between 10 and 50 nm. rGO-Ag and TSA were found to inhibit cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of rGO-Ag and TSA at low concentration showed a significant effect on cell viability, and increased cytotoxicity by increasing the level of malondialdehyde and decreasing the level of glutathione, and also causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, the combination of rGO-Ag and TSA had a more pronounced effect on DNA fragmentation and double-strand breaks, and eventually induced apoptosis. Conclusion: This study is the first to report that the combination of rGO-Ag and TSA can cause potential cytotoxicity and also induce significantly greater cell death compared to either rGO-Ag alone or TSA alone in SKOV3 cells by various mechanisms including reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DNA damage. Therefore, this combination chemotherapy could be possibly used in advanced cancers that are not suitable for radiation therapy or surgical treatment and facilitate overcoming tumor resistance and disease progression. Keywords: graphene, trichostatin, cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, double-strand DNA breaks

Gangue existing states largely affect the high-temperature characteristics of iron ores. Using a micro-sintering method and scanning electron microscopy, the effects of gangue content, gangue type, and gangue size on the assimilation characteristics and fluidity of liquid phase of five different iron ores were analyzed in this study. Next, the mechanism based on the reaction between gangues and sintering materials was unraveled. The results show that, as the SiO2 levels increase in the iron ores, the lowest assimilation temperature (LAT) decreases, whereas the index of fluidity of liquid phase (IFL) increases. Below 1.5wt%, Al2O3 benefits the assimilation reaction, but higher concentrations proved detrimental. Larger quartz particles increase the SiO2 levels at the local reaction interface between the iron ore and CaO, thereby reducing the LAT. Quartz-gibbsite is more conductive to assimilation than kaolin. Quartz-gibbsite and kaolin gangues encourage the formation of liquid-phase low-Al2O3-SFCA with high IFL and high-Al2O3-SFCA with low IFL, respectively.

A theoretical investigation on the pH-induced switching of mixed polyelectrolyte brushes was performed by using a molecular theory. The results indicate that the switching properties of mixed polyelectrolyte brushes are dependent on the pH values. At low pH, negatively charged chains adopt a compact conformation on the bottom of the brush while positively charged chains are highly stretched away from the surface. At high pH values, the inverse transformation takes place. The role of pH determining the polymer chains conformation and charge behavior of mixed polyelectrolyte brushes was analyzed. It is found that there exists a mechanism for reducing strong electrostatic repulsions: stretching of the chains. The H+ and OH− units play a more important role as counterions of the charged polymers do. The collapse of the polyelectrolyte chains for different pH values could be attributed to the screening of the electrostatic interactions and the counterion-mediated attractive interaction along the chains.

Both (3R,5S)- and (3R,5R)-gingerdiols were synthesized. Their 1,3-diol motifs were derived from enantiopure epoxy chiral building blocks that were readily accessible from D-gluconolactone. The effect of deuterating the OH groups of the natural isomer on its optical rotation was also examined. In the course of the syntheses of the targets, an unexplored cross-metathesis (CM) reaction of unprotected 5-substituted pent-1-ene-3,5-diols was investigated, in which the CM product readily underwent an allylic epimerization and oxidation, as the starting diols rearranged into ketones with unprecedented ease. These problems were eventually resolved by performing the CM reaction in toluene in the presence of phenol. The cause of these unexpected, yet very interesting phenomena, was determined to be the presence of the unprotected OH group at C-5 of the 5-substituted pent-1-ene-3,5-diol. A mechanistic rationale is also presented.

The appropriate content and distribution of sinter moisture play an important role in the granulation of iron ores. In this study, the effects of porosity, size distribution, and particle shape on the water absorption rate (WAR) of four types of iron ores were analyzed by using the immersion method and capillary water absorption method. In addition, the mechanism underlying the water absorption process in iron ores was unraveled. It is found that the WARs of iron ores decrease quickly with the increase in water absorption time at the initial stages of water absorption. With further increase in absorption time, the WARs decrease gradually, until near 0. Iron ores with higher porosity, smaller particle size, and plate-like structure have the higher WARs. Compared with pores in the single-particle iron ore, voids among particles in the multi-particle iron oxide play an important role at the initial stages of water absorption. The water absorption mechanism of all single-particle and multi-particle iron ores analyzed in this study includes four steps, wherein the first three steps play a significant role in the sintering process.

Epilepsy remains a major medical problem for which there is no effective treatment. Oxidative damage plays an important role in epilepsy pathogenesis and may represent a target for treatment of epilepsy. Recent studies have suggested that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) binds to antioxidant response element (ARE) to induce antioxidant and phase II detoxification enzymes under conditions of oxidative stress, which reduces oxidative damage and accumulation of toxic metabolites. This study evaluated the role of Nrf2-ARE signal pathway in protecting the brain from seizure-mediated damage. Wistar rats and Nrf2-deficient or control mice were chronic kindled in the amygdala. Sulforaphane (SF) was used to activate Nrf2-ARE signal pathway. The progression of kindling, the cognitive impairment and oxidative stress parameters were assessed to determine the extent of seizure-mediated brain damage. Our results indicate that activation Nrf2-ARE signal pathway with SF in hippocampus suppressed the progression of amygdala kindling, and also ameliorated the cognitive impairment and oxidative stress induced by epileptic seizure. These observations suggest that Nrf2-ARE signal pathway may represent a strategic target for epilepsy therapies.

Iron ore’s assimilation characteristic reflecting the beginning formation temperature of liquid phase in sintering process plays very important role on the fluidity of liquid phase and bonding strength of sinter body. Experimental study of assimilation characteristics of 12 kinds of iron ores were conducted using micro-sinter equipment, and pure reagent simulating tests of assimilation characteristic were also carried out for the purpose of achieving the influence of chemical composition on the assimilation characteristic. In addition, effects of assimilation characteristic of iron ore on the fluidity and bonding capacity of bonding phase were also researched. This study showed that SiO2 and LOI promoted the assimilation of iron ore, low Al2O3 (

Oxidative stress resulting from excessive free-radical release is likely implicated in the initiation and progression of epilepsy. Therefore, antioxidant therapies have received considerable attention in epilepsy treatment. It is well known that the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor (Nrf2) binds to antioxidant response element (ARE) to induce antioxidant and phase II detoxification enzymes under conditions of oxidative stress, which reduces oxidative stress and accumulation of toxic metabolites. However, whether Nrf2-ARE pathway is activated after seizure has not been studied. In the present study, Wistar rats were rapidly kindled in the amygdala. Twenty-four hours after the last seizure, the hippocampus of control, sham and kindled rats were examined for oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde and glutathione) by spectrophotometry, the expression of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) were determined using immunohistochemistry, Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that the kindled seizures induced oxidative stress, the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and NQO1 at protein or gene levels significantly increased in hippocampus after seizure. According to these results, it could be postulated that Nrf2-ARE signal pathway was activated in the hippocampus after seizure.

The zinc-nickel alloy coatings were electrodeposited by changing the concentration of the NiSO4 • 6H2O in the plating bath. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the coating’s surface morphology. The EDS was applied to test the coating’s nickel content. The corrosion resistance was studied by using the Tafel curves, AC impedance spectra and the neutral salt spray test. The results showed that: The coating’s nickel content could reach 12.56% when the NiSO4 • 6H2O concentration was 8g/L in the bath and the coating was very smooth, dense and bright. Its corrosion potential was low and its corrosion reaction resistance was best with red rust time up to 46d, so it had good corrosion resistance. But when the NiSO4 • 6H2O concentration was changed, the coatings’ corrosion resistance would be more or less changed.

In this paper, bulk heterojunction solar cells with poly-(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methylester (PCBM) as an active layer and modified poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as a buffer layer are fabricated. The buffer layer is modified by adding 1% to 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) into PEDOT: PSS solution before spin-coating. The conductivity of modified PEDOT:PSS and the performance of solar cells with modified PEDOT:PSS are measured. The highest conductivity of modified PEDOT:PSS with 4% DMSO can achieve 89.693 S/cm. The performance of organic solar cell with PEDOT:PSS modified by 4% DMSO is the best. The 4% DMSO-modified-PEDOT:PSS cell has a power conversion efficiency of 3.34%, V oc of 5.7 V, J sc of 14.56 mA/cm2 and filling factor (FF) of 40.34%.

Dextran catches increasing attentions as a drug carrier because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability and ease of modification. In this study, we synthesized the derivated dextran by grafting with 1-(3-aminopropyl) imidazole. The dextran-based nanoparticles with sizes of 1H NMR, SEM, AFM and Zetasizer.

Silicon (Si) can enhance the resistance to rice sheath blight causing by Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani), but ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid involved in disease resistance with Si application on is scarcely known. The susceptible cultivar Ningjing 1 was selected to determine the effects of Si on disease index of rice sheath blight as well as if ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid were involved in disease resistance. The results showed that Si application reduced the disease index of sheath blight by 15.62. For uninoculated plants, Si application alone did not change the concentration of ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid significantly. For inoculated plants, Si application increased the concentration of ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid significantly. It is conclued that the important way of Si mediated resistance in rice against sheath blight is probably through increasing ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid.

The surface dirty defect of untrimmed aluminum foil was analyzed by SEM and EDS. The results show that the amount of the aluminum powders on the cold rolling sheet is too much, which caused the surface dirty defect. The quantitative analysis of dealumination demonstrated that the oil film strength of rolling process is the key factor to solving the dirty defect, the larger oil film strength, the smaller dealuminated quantity. When oil film strength is more than 290 N, dealuminated quantity will decrease. By increasing casting rate and improving oil film strength in sheet and strip process, the surface dirty defect on untrimmed surface is successfully eliminated.

The solubility data of sodium 4-nitrotoluene-2-sulfonate (NTSNa) in aqueous organic solutions (propanol + water) and (ethylene glycol + water) were measured at temperatures ranging from (290 to 351) K using a dynamic method. The mole fraction of water in solvent mixtures ranged from 0 to 0.8. The solubility values are correlated with the electrolyte non-random two-liquid (E-NRTL) model. From the results obtained, the E-NRTL model provides a satisfactory mathematical representation of the experimental results for the (NTSNa + propanol + water) system and an unsatisfactory result for the (NTSNa + ethylene glycol + water) system. Thus, the modified Apelblat model is applied to describe the (NTSNa + ethylene glycol + water) system also. The calculated (solid + liquid) equilibrium temperatures with the modified Apelblat model are in good agreement with the experimental results. The root-mean-square deviations of solubility temperature varied from (0.08 to 0.94) K for two models. The effect of different aqueous organic solutions on the reaction of oxidation 4-nitrotoluene-2-sulfonic acid (NTS) to 4,4′-dinitrostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DNS) was discussed.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the disposition, distribution, excretion and plasma protein binding of 6-benzyl-1-benzyloxymethyl-5-iodouracil (W-1) in rats. Concentrations of W-1 within biological samples were determined using a validated high performance liquid chromatography method. The plasma protein binding of W-1 was examined by equilibrium dialysis method. After oral administration of W-1 (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively) in self-microemulsifying drug delivery system formulation, the pharmacokinetic parameters of W-1 were as follows: the peak plasma concentrations (C max) were 0.42, 1.50 and 2.55 μg/mL, the area under the curve (AUC0-t) were 0.89, 2.27 and 3.96 µg/h mL and the plasma half-life (t 1/2) were 5.15, 3.77 and 3.77 h, respectively. Moreover, the prototype of W-1 was rapidly and extensively distributed into fifteen tissues, especially higher concentrations were detected in intestine, stomach and liver, respectively. The plasma protein binding of W-1 in rat, beagle dog and human were in the range of 97.96-99.13 %. This study suggested that W-1 has an appropriate pharmacokinetics in rats, such as rapid absorption, moderate clearance, and rapid distribution to multiple tissues. Those properties provide important information for further development W-1 as an anti-HIV-1 drug candidate.

Low-pressure nanofiltratioin (NF) membranes were prepared with hydroxyl groups ended hyperbranched polyester (HPE) using polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membrane as the porous support. The prepared membranes are characterized using Fourier transforms infrared spectrometry, scanning electro microscopy, atom force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle. The results indicated that the crosslinked HPE formed a uniform, ultra-thin and active layer on PSf support. Water permeability and salt rejection of the membranes were measured at the trans-membrane pressures as low as 0.3 MPa. NF membranes exhibited high enhancement in water permeability while maintaining high rejection of salts. The rejections of the nanofiltration membrane to Rhodamine B and Xylenol orange were 100 and 98.4%, respectively. The study indicated that these NF membranes could be applied to separate small organic molecules.

The solubilties of potassium chloride and potassium sulfate in aqueous glycerol solutions have been measured at temperatures ranging from (289 to 349) K using a dynamic method. The solute-free mass...

The solubility of sodium 4-nitrotoluene-2-sulfonate (NTSNa) in binary solvent mixtures (methanol + water), (ethanol + water), and (2-methoxyethanol + water) was investigated over the temperature range from (288 to 344) K. The mole fraction of water in solvent mixtures ranged from 0 to 0.8. The solubility data are described by the electrolyte non-random two-liquid (E-NRTL) model. The E-NRTL binary interaction parameters are expressed as a function of temperature, and were obtained from the experimental data. The root-mean-square deviations of solubility temperature varied from (0.20 to 1.35) K.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes were hydrophilic modified with hydroxyl group terminated hyperbranched poly(amine-ester) (HPAE). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to study the chemical change of PVDF membranes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that some HPAE molecules were retained in PVDF membrane through polymer chain coiling. The presence of HPAE would improve the hydrophilicity of PVDF membrane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize the morphology of different membranes. The thermodynamic stability for PVDF/DMAc/HPAE/Water system was characterized by the determination of the gelation values. Precipitation kinetics for PVDF/DMAc/HPAE/Water system was studied by precipitation time measurement. The water contact angle indicated that the hydrophilicity and the biocompatibility corresponding to protein adsorption of PVDF membrane were improved significantly after blending with hydrophilic HPAE molecules. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A new purification process was developed to remove impurities in metallurgical grade silicon (MG-Si) by electromagnetic induction slag melting (EISM). Vacuum melting furnace was used to purify boron in different slag systems. The results show that the removal effect in SiO2-CaO-Al2O3 systems is better than that in other slag systems by EISM. The boron content in MG-Si is successfully reduced from 1.5×10−5 to 0.2×10−5 during EISM at 1 823 K for 2 h. Meanwhile, Al, Ca and Mg elements in MG-Si are also well removed and their removal efficiencies reach 85.0%, 50.2% and 66.7%, respectively, which indicates that EISM is very effective to remove boron and metal impurities in silicon.

The solubilities of decanedioic acid in binary solvent mixtures consisting of ethanol + cyclohexane, ethanol + n-heptane, and ethylene glycol + water were determined by a dynamic method over the temperature range of 291–352 K. The solubility in mixed solvents was slightly greater than both of the pure components (the synergistic effect) at some compositions in the systems of decanedioic acid + ethanol + cyclohexane or n-heptane. The measured solid–liquid equilibrium (SLE) data were correlated with the Wilson model and the non-random two liquid (NRTL) model. Furthermore, the relation between the synergistic effect and the azeotropy character of the mixtures of solvents was discussed.

Objective To establish a method based on a pseudotyped virus assay for screening drugs for anti-H5N1 avian influenza virus, and then to evaluate anti-virus activity of traditional Chinese herbal compounds with the function of purgation, detoxification, cooling the blood and reinforcing the healthy qi based on seropharmacology. Methods Pseudotyped viruses expressing H5N1 virus hemagglutinin were constructed. Herb-medicated sera were prepared by feeding Wistar rats traditional Chinese herbal compounds. Then inhibitory effects of different drug-medicated sera against pseudotyped virus were evaluated based on incubating serum with pseudotyped viruses or target cells such as Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and human embryonic kidney cell line 293T cells, and the expression of hemagglutinin (HA) protein was detected by flow cytometry. Results Pseudotyped virus could be neutralized by specific 2B4 monoclonal antibody at doses of 50 μL (500 μg), 25 μL (250 μg) and 12.5 μL (125 μg), which showed that it was a feasible assay to screen drugs. No significant difference was observed in inhibition against H5N1 pseudotyped virus between herb-medicated sera and control serum (P>0.05), meanwhile, the herb-medicated sera also could not inhibit HA expression. Conclusion Pseudotyped virus assay is a safe, effective, and exact method for screening anti-H5N1 avian influenza virus herbs, and herb-medicated sera prepared by administration of herbs with the function of purgation, detoxification, cooling the blood and reinforcing the healthy qi do not contain active ingredient or monomer which can inhibit HA and sialic acid-α 2,3-galatose.

Objectives: To investigate the epidemiological and clinical features of 308 hospitalized patients suffering from infection with novel H1N1 influenza virus in China from May to August 2009, and to examine the effects of oseltamivir treatment for mild cases. Methods: Information on H1N1 influenza patients confirmed by real-time RT-PCR assay was gathered and analyzed from an influenza surveillance system, including demographic features, clinical symptoms and signs, therapeutic regimen, and duration of fever and virus shedding. Results: The clinical course of infected individuals appeared mild. Mainly young adults were affected. Most cases had low or mid-level fever, cough, headache, rhinorrhoea, and sore throat. Few patients had vomiting (1.3%) and diarrhea (3.9%). Oseltamivir treatment did not shorten the duration of fever. Furthermore, early oseltamivir treatment as well as early conventional supportive treatment without antiviral drugs contributed to a reduction in the duration of virus shedding. Conclusions: In the first pandemic wave, novel H1N1 virus caused disease primarily in adults, causing mild febrile illness. Mildly ill patients cleared the virus rapidly even in the absence of oseltamivir treatment.

The photophysical properties of a series of hydroxyl Corroles, Corrole-F, Corrole-Cl, Corrole-Br, Corrole-I and Corrole-2I, have been investigated by steady-state and time-resolved transient spectroscopy. The absorption spectra show a strong peak around 420 nm corresponding to B band and several weak Q absorption bands between 450 nm and 650 nm, exhibiting much stronger Q band absorption than that of porphyrin. The absorptions of these Corroles increase with the atom weight and the number of halogen atoms. All samples show similar fluorescence characteristics of an emission peak at 650 nm. The fluorescence intensities significantly decrease with the atom weight and the number of halogen atoms. The fluorescence quantum yield of Corrole-I is 0.947%, which is larger than that of Corrole-2I (0.381%). The fluorescence dynamics of the hydroxyl Corroles shows that both the fluorescence lifetime and the intersystem-crossing transition time of these Corroles decrease sharply with the increase of the atom weight and the number of halogen atoms, which may lead to the increase of the triplet state quantum yield. The heavy-atom effect on active oxygen of PDT has also been discussed by the end of this paper.

Several N-alkyl and hydroxyethyl-substituted iminosugar derivatives, including L-altro and D-galacto epimers, were synthesized and the effects of these synthetic iminosugars on proliferation of mouse splenocytes were evaluated in the MTT assay. The experimental data demonstrated that the N-alkylated D-galacto iminosugars showed better inhibitory activities than L-altro analogues, which might hold potential as immunosuppressive agents.

A specific, sensitive and stable high-performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of methyl 3-amino-6-methoxythieno [2,3-b]quinoline-2-carboxylate (PU-48), a novel diuretic thienoquinolin urea transporter inhibitor in rat plasma. In this method, the chromatographic separation of PU-48 was achieved with a reversed-phase C18 column (100 × 2.1 mm, 3 μm) at 35°C. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and water with 0.05% formic acid added with a gradient elution at flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Samples were detected with the triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer with multiple reaction monitoring mode via electrospray ionization source in positive mode. The retention time were 6.2 min for PU-48 and 7.2 min for megestrol acetate (internal standard, IS). The monitored ion transitions were mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) 289.1 → 229.2 for PU-48 and m/z 385.3 → 267.1 for the internal standard. The calibration curve for PU-48 was linear over the concentration range of 0.1-1000 ng/mL (r2 > 0.99), and the lower limit of quantitation was 0.1 ng/mL. The precision, accuracy and stability of the method were validated adequately. The developed and validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of PU-48 in rats.

A series of mono-hydroxyl corrole bearing a fluorine (1), chlorine (2), bromine (3) and iodine (4) atom on its 10-phenyl group have been synthesized. Fluorescence spectroscopy shows that the halogen atom at meso-phenyl group of corroles exhibit significant heavy-atom effect on their photophysical properties. Fluorescence quantum yields and the lifetime of these corroles decrease with the increasing of the atomic weight of halogen atoms. The quenching of the fluorescence could be interpreted in terms of a heavy atom-induced increase in intersystem crossing from S1 to T1. The intersystem crossing rate constant of these corroles were also determined by transient fluorescence spectra.

The solubility data have been measured experimentally for decanedioic acid in n-butanol, 2-butanol, n-pentanol, n-hexanol, and binary solvents 2-propanol + water from (294 to 351) K. The system con...

Solubilities of nonanedioic acid in binary ethanol + water solvent mixtures have been determined by the dynamic method using a laser monitoring observation technique over a temperature range from (292.35 to 345.52) K and a solvent composition, mole fraction of ethanol of solute-free x20, range from 0.0 to 1.0. The experimental results showed that in pure water the solubility of nonanedioic acid increased slowly with temperature below 342.77 K but increased significantly above 342.77 K. The nonanedioic acid + ethanol + water system was found to exhibit a synergistic effect on solubility. The fusion enthalpy and melting temperature of nonanedioic acid were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The modified λh equation, the Wilson equation, and the NRTL equation have been applied to correlate a subset of the experimental data. These models can successfully describe the solubility of nonanedioic acid in the binary mixtures with an ethanol mole fraction higher or equal to 0.2811.

The solubilities of sebacic acid in mixed solvents n-propanol + water have been measured by a dynamic method using a laser monitoring observation technique over a temperature range (288 to 351) K. A synergistic effect on solubility was found to occur in sebacic acid + n-propanol + water mixed systems. To detect the synergistic effect, solubilities of sebacic acid in 14.35 %, 36.97 %, 79.81 %, and 90.00 % mole fraction ethanol aqueous solution were determined to supplement our previous report. A weak synergistic effect was found for sebacic acid + ethanol + water mixed systems. The solid−liquid equilibrium (SLE) data have been fitted using the λh equation, the Wilson equation, and the NRTL equation. The comparison between the experimental and the calculated solubilities for the three models is reasonable, and the root-mean-square deviations for each system range from (0.30 to 1.95) K.

In this work, rhamnolipid production was investigated using waste frying oil as the sole carbon source. By culture in shaking flasks, a naturally isolated strain synthesized rhamnolipid at concentration of 12.47 g/L and its mutant after treatment by UV light increased this productivity to 24.61 g/L. Fermentation was also conducted in a 50 L bioreactor and the productivity reached over 20 g/L. Hence, with a stable and high productive mutant strain, it could be feasible to reuse waste frying oil for rhamnolipid production on industrial scale.

A novel HPLC-UV method with pre-column derivatization by using 2-mercaptoethanol was established for determination of 1,2-[bis(1,2-benzisoselenazolone-3(2H)-ketone)]-ethane (BBSKE) in dog plasma. The derivatives were identified by mass spectrometry. The method had a good linear range of 0.05-2 microg/ml (r(2)=0.9995). The lower limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.05 microg/ml. The precision and accuracy were less than 7%. After dosing of BBSKE (30 mg/kg, p.o. and 0.79 mg/kg, i.v.) in dogs, AUC(0-t) were 5.72+/-2.42 and 1.35+/-0.41 microg h/ml; t(1/2) were 4.6+/-2.1 and 1.7+/-0.6h, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study in dogs.

The pharmacokinetics (PK) and metabolism of 3,4-dichlorophenyl-propenoyl-sec.-butylamine (3,4-DCPB), a novel antiepileptic drug, were investigated after its oral administration to rats (100 mg/kg) by HPLC. The absorption and elimination of 3,4-DCPB were rapid. 3,4-DCPB was found to undergo extensive metabolism as the major route of elimination. Structures of the metabolites present in rat plasma were identified with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). It was concluded that 3,4-DCPB was involved in the multiple metabolic pathways (hydrolysis, dealkylation and oxidation) and the hydrolysis product, 3,4-dichloro-cinnamic acid (M1) appeared to be the major metabolite.