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BackgroundThere is a paucity of literature available as to the relationship between different levels of each metabolic syndrome (MetS) component and decreased GFR. In the present study, we aimed to demonstrate whether MetS always plays a critical role in decreased GFR.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2010 and September 2012, with 75,468 adults enrolled undergoing measurements of blood pressure as well as tests of blood and urine samples. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and the chi-square test was used for categorical variables and described as a percentage.ResultsOf the 75,468 participants, 350 (0.5%) subjects met criteria for the decreased GFR, with a mean age of 48.79 ± 13.76 years. After adjustment for age, diastolic blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein were inversely related to decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in multivariable analyses, with an OR (95% CI) of 0.57 (0.39–0.84) and 0.41 (0.24–0.72), respectively. The prevalence rate of CKD in critical group was 0.73% (154 of 21,127) and 0% (0 of 370) in noncritical group. In analysis stratified by the type of MetS components, the differences in noncritical group and the reference group were not statistically significant (χ2 = 1.349,p > 0.05).ConclusionsMetS does not always play a critical role in decreased GFR, with different levels of individual components of MetS exerting idiosyncratic effects in decreased eGFR. In fact, patients with abnormal body mass index, high triglycerides, and elevated fasting plasma glucose would not have impact on decreased GFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its signaling molecules, EGFreceptor (EGFR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT3), have been considered to play a role in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Plumbagin (PL) is an extracted component from the plant and has been used to treat different kinds of cancer. However, its role in regulation of EGFR and STAT3 during liver fibrosis has not been investigated. In this study, the effects of PL on the regulation of EGFR and STAT3 were investigated in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6). PL significantly attenuated liver injury and fibrosis in CCl4 treated rats. At concentrations of 2 to 6 μM, PL did not induce significant cytotoxicity of HSC-T6 cells. Moreover, PL reduced phosphorylation of EGFR and STAT3 in both fibrotic liver and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) treated HSC-T6 cells. Furthermore, PL reduced the expression of α-SMA, EGFR, and STAT3 in both fibrotic liver and HB-EGF treated HSC-T6 cells. In conclusion, plumbagin could ameliorate the development of hepatic fibrosis through its downregulation of EGFR and STAT3 in the liver, especially in hepatic stellate cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple exciton generation (MEG), also known as carrier multiplication (CM), is a process in which absorption of a single photon produces more than one electron-hole pairs. We introduce PbS QDs with multiple exciton generation (MEG) property into the construction of a novel ZnO@PbS/GO structure photocatalyst and applied to suspended photocatalytic H 2 evolution from water for the first time. The presence of multiple exciton generation process in PbS QDs, which is confirmed by transient absorption spectrum and photocurrent measurements, remarkably improves the photocatalytic efficiency of hydrogen generation combined with the electron-hole separation of GO. This strategy is proposed to open a new way for the photocatalysts design to achieve high efficiency based on QDs materials with MEG property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown beneficial effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation in many autoimmune diseases. However, few studies have focused on the effects of MSCs on autoimmune hepatitis. In our study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of BMSCs (bone mesenchymal stem cells) transplantation in mouse experimental autoimmune hepatitis (EAH) and explored the potential mechanism. BMSCs were injected intravenously into EAH mice. Then, serum levels of ALT and AST, and pathologic alteration of liver tissue were measured to evaluate the liver function and inflammation degree. The expressions of programmed death ligand 1, IL-17 and IL-23 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blotting. Upon serum biochemical levels and pathological examination, the BMSCs-treated mice especially with multiple dosing administration showed significantly reduction of liver damage. Moreover, the expression of IL-17 was down-regulated by BMSCs intervention as compared to the model group, whereas the PD-L1 and IL-23 were up-regulated following the administration of MSCs. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that BMSCs transplantation, especially on multiple dosing, may exert immunosuppression effect to ameliorate EAH through the inhibition of IL-17 and up-regulation of PD-L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel poly(arylene ether sulfone)s containing diphenyl-biphthalazin-dione moieties (PPDESs) are synthesized from 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-phthalazin-1-one, 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone and diphenyl-biphthalazin-dione. Structural analyses such as NMR, FT-IR, instinct viscosity and XRD, as well as property tests including TGA, DSC, DMA, solubility and mechanical properties were carried out on PPDESs. The T g of PPDESs is up to 388 °C, suggesting that PPDESs show excellent thermal resistance. The 5% mass loss temperature (T d5) of PPDESs is up to 513 °C. PPDESs possess excellent mechanic and thermo-mechanical performance which Young's modulus above 1.95 GPa, the tensile strength up to 107 MPa and the storage modulus retention up to 51.6% at 300 °C. Additionally, PPDESs exhibit an appropriate solubility in organic solvents such as chloroform, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, N -methyl pyrrolidone and so on. With the increasing introduction of the diphenyl-biphthalazin-dione, the thermal resistance and mechanical properties of PPDES are improved, while the solubility is slightly reduced. [Display omitted] ● The poly(arylene ether sulfone)s with diphenyl-biphthalazin-dione moieties are prepared. ● Novel polymers combine excellent thermal resistance with favorable solubility. ● The highest glass transition temperature of poly(arylene ether sulfone)s is up to 388 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of La 1−x Sr x FeO 3 (x= 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) cathodes in asymmetric electrocarboxylation of acetophenone with CO 2 induced by chiral auxiliary CoII-(salen) was investigated for the first time. Optically active 2-hydroxy-2-phenylpropionic acid with 94% enantiomeric excess and 68% yield were obtained. The superior asymmetric electrocarboxylation performance may derive from the Fe4+ species and the increased lattice oxygen concentration on the surface of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3 (LSF-0.3) induced by Sr-doping, together with an accelerated electron transfer and an increased electrochemically active surface area. Here, perovskite oxide catalyst has an acid function, which is supplied by Fe4+ ions, can participate in the reaction by coordinating with acetophenone. Moreover, the LSF-0.3 has considerable stability and reusability. By cyclic voltammograms and contrast experiments, a mechanism was proposed for the asymmetric electrocarboxylation reaction. [Display omitted] The superior asymmetric electrocarboxylation performance for La 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3 cathode may stem from the increased concentration of O2– and Fe4+, together with an accelerated electron transfer and an increased electrochemically active surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In earthquake monitoring, an important aspect of the operational effect of earthquake intensity rapid reporting and earthquake early warning networks depends on the density and performance of the deployed seismic sensors. To improve the resolution of seismic sensors as much as possible while keeping costs low, in this article the use of multiple low-cost and low-resolution digital MEMS accelerometers is proposed to increase the resolution through the correlation average method. In addition, a cost-effective MEMS seismic sensor is developed. With ARM and Linux embedded computer technology, this instrument can cyclically store the continuous collected data on a built-in large-capacity SD card for approximately 12 months. With its real-time seismic data processing algorithm, this instrument is able to automatically identify seismic events and calculate ground motion parameters. Moreover, the instrument is easy to install in a variety of ground or building conditions. The results show that the RMS noise of the instrument is reduced from 0.096 cm/s2 with a single MEMS accelerometer to 0.034 cm/s2 in a bandwidth of 0.1–20 Hz by using the correlation average method of eight low-cost MEMS accelerometers. The dynamic range reaches more than 90 dB, the amplitude–frequency response of its input and output within −3 dB is DC −80 Hz, and the linearity is better than 0.47%. In the records from our instrument, earthquakes with magnitudes between M2.2 and M5.1 and distances from the epicenter shorter than 200 km have a relatively high SNR, and are more visible than they were prior to the joint averaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Starch content increased from 2 to 38 % under phosphate starvation. • Phosphorus utilization efficiency of duckweed increased to 762 kg kg−1. • Expression of key genes under phosphate starvation increased by up to 410-fold. • The mechanisms of starch accumulation and phosphorus cycling were revealed. Phosphorus is an essential element for plant growth and reproduction. This study aimed to investigate the metabolic response, growth, and starch accumulation mechanisms in duckweed strain, Landoltia punctata 0202, under phosphate starvation. The results revealed that, under phosphate starvation, the total phosphorus in L. punctata 0202 decreased, while total carbon increased. After 15 days of phosphate starvation, biomass yield increased from 12.64 to123.87 g m−2, while phosphorus utilization efficiency increased to 761.78 g g−1. The starch content accumulated from 2.14 to 38.05 % by Day 15, and the starch yield reached 47.14 g m−2 on Day 15. Furthermore, biochemical and transcriptome analysis results showed a sharp increase in ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase activity and the expression of genes encoding granule starch synthase and starch branching enzyme under phosphate starvation supported starch accumulation in L. punctata 0202. Additionally, large amounts of high-affinity phosphate transporters, vacuolar phosphate efflux transporters, and purple acid phosphatases were expressed. In summary, based on multi-level physiological and biochemical results, transcriptomic analyses, and preliminary analysis of the phosphate efflux transporter protein function, this study revealed the mechanism of starch accumulation induced by phosphate starvation and high-efficiency phosphate recycling in L. punctata. These findings offer an important foundation and insight into the molecular mechanisms influencing the uptake and utilization of nutrients. The screened functional genes exhibited potential for crop improvements under stressful environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical characteristics of kanamycin onto self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified gold electrode (SAM/Au) is investigated by cyclic voltammetry. In the potential range 0–0.6 V, Cu(II) yields a pair of stable redox waves at the bare gold electrode. Epa is located at 0.189 V and Epc at 0.254 V. In contrast, Cu(II) is reduced at a more positive potential and a decreasing current at the kanamycin SAM/Au electrode. Cu(II) and kanamycin can form a stoichiometry complex with chemical ratio of 2:1. The interaction of Cu(II)–kanamycin complex with calf thymus DNA is also studied in the solution. And the interactive mode between Cu(II)–kanamycin complex and DNA is verified by the fluorescence method. Binding constants (K) of the Cu(II)–kanamycin complex to DNA and binding site size (s) are calculated from voltammetric data and equal to 1.5 × 107 l/mol and 4 bp, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The authors conducted a case-control study of Parkinson''s disease patients with and without visual hallucinations to investigate associations of the polymorphisms of the dopamine receptors D2 32806 C>T (Taq1A), D3 Ser9Gly and Msp1, D5 978T>C and dopamine transporter 3′-UTR 40 bp VNTR with visual hallucinations in Parkinson''s disease. No significant differences were found between hallucinators and non-hallucinators in either the genotypic or allelic distributions. Our data suggest that the loci investigated here are not associated with the visual hallucinogenesis in Parkinson''s disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A "turn-on" DNA tweezer was proposed for one-step amplified fluorescent detection of DNA. • A good linear relationship was shown from 40 pM to 20 nM with limit of detection of 10 pM. • It has been successfully utilized to analysis DNA in human serum. A "turn-on" and proximity ligation assay dependent DNA tweezer was proposed for one-step amplified fluorescent detection of DNA. Target DNA can anneal with capture probe to form an entire long sequence. The formed long sequence can circularly open the hairpin, resulting the "turn-on" of DNA tweezers. A good linear relationship was shown from 40 pM to 20 nM with limit of detection of 10 pM. In addition, it has been successfully utilized to analysis DNA in human serum, representing a great and practical application future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust, practical, and scalable approach for the construction of 3-substituted 5-chloro-1,6-naphthyridin-4-one derivatives 13 via the addition of Grignard reagents to 4-amino-2-chloronicotinonitrile (15) was developed. Starting with various Grignard reagents, a wide range of 3-substituted 5-chloro-1,6-naphthyridin-4-one derivatives 13 were conveniently synthesized in moderate-to-good yields through addition–acidolysis–cyclocondensation. In addition, the robustness and applicability of this synthetic route was proven on a 100 g scale, which would enable convenient sample preparation in the preclinical development of 1,6-naphthyridin-4-one-based MET-targeting antitumor drug candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2,7-naphthyridine derivative (AND-OH) was used as a fluorophore in the development of a novel fluorescent turn-on probe (AND-DNBS) by introducing a 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonate functionality. This fluorescent probe was successfully used for sensing glutathione (GSH) in aqueous media and showed favorable properties such as a rapid response time (45 s) and a significant Stokes shift (227 nm). The characteristics of the developed probe are better than those of another probe, namely ND-DNBS , which was also synthesized by our group and most other previously reported fluorescent probes for GSH. The AND-DNBS probe was able to detect GSH via a red emission in living A549 cells and zebrafishes. These results show that AND-DNBS has potential applications as an excellent probe for detecting GSH in various environments. Image 1 • 2,7-Naphthyridine derivative was applied as a fluorophore to construct a new fluorescent probe AND-DNBS for sensing of GSH. • AND-DNBS displayed a remarkable Stokes shift, rapid response time and high fluorescence enhancement when detecting GSH. • AND-DNBS was successfully applied for detecting GSH imaging in living cells and zebrafish models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate interactions between graphene oxide and a Pb2+dependent DNAzyme, based on which a Pb2뇩 with high sensitivity, selectivity and tunable dynamic range is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) has been shown to have a profound negative impact on women's quality of life and lead to increases in health care costs; however, data on HMB among Chinese population is still rather limited. The present study therefore aimed to determine the current prevalence and risk factors of subjectively experienced HMB in a community sample of Chinese reproductive-age women, and to evaluate its effect on daily life.Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey in 2356 women aged 18-50 years living in Beijing, China, from October 2014-July 2015. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors for HMB.Results: Overall, 429 women experienced HMB, giving a prevalence of 18.2%. Risk factors associated with HMB included uterine fibroids (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42-3.16, P < 0.001) and multiple abortions (≥3) (adjusted OR = 3.44, 95% CI = 1.82-6.49, P < 0.001). Moreover, women in the younger age groups (≤24 and 25-29 years) showed higher risks for HMB, and those who drink regularly were more likely to report heavy periods compared with never drinkers (adjusted OR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.20-6.46, P = 0.017). In general, women experiencing HMB felt more practical discomforts and limited life activities while only 81 (18.9%) of them had sought health care for their heavy bleeding.Conclusions: HMB was highly prevalent among Chinese women and those reporting heavy periods suffered from greater menstrual interference with daily lives. More information and health education programs are urgently needed to raise awareness of the consequences of HMB, encourage women to seek medical assistance and thus improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]