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Abstract Background The red-crowned crane is one of the vulnerable bird species. Although the captive population has markedly increased over the last decade, infectious diseases can lead to the death of young red-crowned cranes while few virological studies have been conducted. Methods Using a viral metagenomics approach, we analyzed the virome of tissues of the dead captive red-crowned crane with diarrhea symptoms in Dongying Biosphere Reserve, Shandong Province, China and feces of individual birds breeding at the corresponding captive breeding center, which were pooled separately. Results There is much more DNA and RNA viruses in the feces than that of the tissues. RNA virus belonging to the families Picornaviridae, and DNA viruses belonging to the families Parvoviridae, associated with enteric diseases were detected in the tissues and feces. Genomes of the picornavirus, genomovirus, and parvovirus identified in the study were fully characterized, which further suggested that infectious viruses of these families were possibly presented in the diseased red-crowned crane. Conclusion RNA virus belonging to the families Picornaviridae, and DNA viruses belonging to the families Genomoviridae and Parvoviridae were possibly the causative agent for diarrhea of red-crowned crane. This study has expanded our understanding of the virome of red-crowned crane and provides a baseline for elucidating the etiology for diarrhea of the birds.

Pulsatilla chinensis (Bge.) Regel (PC) is one of the most commonly used Chinese medicines and has a history of thousands of years. This article reviews the research results of anti-cancer activity and its mechanism of action obtained from experimental, clinical, pharmacokinetic and bioinformatic studies in recent years. A large number of studies have shown that PC exerts had anti-cancer effects on different types of tumor cells by inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell cycle and energy metabolism, inducing autophagy, and inhibiting angiogenesis. The literature has shown that PC can trigger the expression of autophagy-related molecules, activate the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, inhibit the phosphorylation of PI3K downstream factors, down-regulate the expression of glycolysis-related proteins, and regulate a series of cancer-related signal pathways and proteins. The molecular mechanisms involved in PC include signal pathways such as Notch, PI3K/AKT/m TOR, AKT/mTOR, and MEK/ERK. The article also discusses the derivatives of the active ingredients in PC, which greatly improved the anti-cancer effect. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the biological effects and mechanisms of PC against cancer. The analysis of the literature shows that PC can be used as a potential drug candidate for the treatment of cancer.

Surfactants adsorption onto carbonate reservoirs would cause surfactants concentrations decrease in surfactant flooding, which would decrease surfactant efficiency in practical applications of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. Different surfactants could be classified as cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants according to the main charge, or be classified as chemical surfactant and bio-surfactant according to the surfactant origin. However, the research on different type surfactants adsorption on carbonate reservoirs surface differences was few. Therefore, five representative surfactants (CTAB, SDS, TX-100, sophorolipid, rhamonilipid) adsorption effect onto carbonate reservoirs surface was studied. Owing to the fact that the salinity and temperature in underground carbonate reservoirs were high during the EOR process, it is vital to study the salinity effect and temperature effect on surfactant adsorption. In this study, different surfactants species, temperature and salinity adsorption onto carbonate reservoirs were studied. The adsorption isotherms were fitted by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Linear models, and the first three models fitting effect were good. The results showed that cationic surfactants adsorption quantity was higher than anionic surfactants, and the non-ionic surfactants adsorption quantity was the lowest. When the temperature increased, the surfactants adsorption would decrease, because the adsorption process was exothermic process, and increasing temperature would inhibit the adsorption. The higher salinity would increase surfactants adsorption because higher salinity could compress electric double layer. In order to decrease surfactants adsorption, SiO2 nanoparticles and TiO2 nanoparticles were added to surfactants solutions, and then surfactants could adsorb onto nanoparticles surface, then the steric hindrance between surfactant molecules would increase, which could decrease surfactants adsorption. Contact angle results indicated that surfactants adsorption made the carbonate reservoir wettability alteration. In the end, surfactants (with or without SiO2 nanoparticles) adsorption onto carbonate reservoirs mechanism were studied by molecular dynamics simulation. The simulation results indicated that the surfactants molecules could adsorb onto SiO2 nanoparticles surface, and then the surfactants adsorption quantity onto carbonate rocks would decrease, which was in accordance with the experiments results.

Abstract Chemical profile and antioxidant potency of essential oils (EOs) of Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. (thyme oils) obtained from Loess Plateau in China had been studied. 130 constituents of thyme oils were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and carvacrol ethyl ether was firstly reported as a new natural product, which has been used as a synthetic flavoring substance with no safety concern. The thyme oils showed the anti-oxidant activity using 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and conferred protection against oxidative stress in zebrafish. In addition, a class of carvacrol analogues was found to develop as potential natural antioxidant products of thyme oils from Loess Plateau by the correlation analysis. YL-thyme oil performed the best antioxidant activity in this research, which could be recommended as preferred sources of thyme oils. Furthermore, YL-thyme oil exhibited a potent antioxidant capacity by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, enhancing the endogenous antioxidant system, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and activation of Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in zebrafish.

Thymus quinquelostatus Celak, a kind of food additive and folk medicine, has obvious antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. However, there have been no reports about the cardioprotective effects of polyphenol-rich fraction from Thymus quinquelostatus Celak (TCPRF). Here, we predicted the targets and pathways of TCPRF related to myocardial ischemia (MI) using network pharmacology, and examined the effects as well as the mechanisms of TCPRF in ISO-induced MI mice. The results verified that TCPRF could decrease the serum CK level, improve ECG and the pathological alterations of myocardium. TCPRF also increased SOD activity, decreased MDA content, reduced the positive apoptotic cells, decreased the expression of Bax, and increase the expression of Bcl-2, PI3K and p-AKT in the myocardium. These results demonstrated that TCPRF was able to alleviate ISO-induced MI injury, which is partly related to inhibiting myocardium apoptosis, antioxidation and activating PI3K/AKT pathway.

Hyperoside is an active ingredient in plants, such as Hypericum monogynum in Hypericaceae, Crataegus pinnatifida in Rosaceae and Polygonum aviculare in Polygonaceae. Its pharmacologic effects include preventing cancer and protecting the brain, neurons, heart, kidneys, lung, blood vessels, bones, joints and liver, among others. Pharmacokinetic analysis of hyperoside has revealed that it mainly accumulates in the kidney. However, long-term application of high-dose hyperoside should be avoided in clinical practice because of its renal toxicity. This review summarises the structure, synthesis, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicity of hyperoside.

Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody is approved as an option for third-line treatment of advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer in several countries, but no anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment is yet approved for first-line treatment of advanced G/GEJ cancer. We report a phase Ib trial of HX008, a highly selective, humanized anti-programmed death-1 monoclonal antibody, plus oxaliplatin and capecitabine as first-line treatment for advanced G/GEJ cancer. Patients with previously untreated, locally advanced or metastatic G/GEJ cancer were enrolled. All patients received HX008 3 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks, oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 every 3 weeks (up to 6 cycles), and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 orally twice daily for 14 days continuous dosing followed by a 7-day break. The primary end point was the incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events. In total, 35 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up was 12.7 months. Most frequent (>10%) grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were anemia (27.5%), neutropenia (20%), thrombocytopenia (17.1%), leukopenia (17.1%) and fatigue (17.3%). Objective response rate was 60.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 42.1–76.1%). Disease control rate was 77.1% (95% CI 59.9–89.6). Median time to response and duration of response were 1.4 months (range 1.3–2.9) and 12.3 months (range 1.4–17.9+), respectively. Median PFS was 9.2 months (95% CI 5.4-not reached). These results demonstrated that HX008 combined with oxaliplatin plus capecitabine was well tolerated and demonstrated encouraging efficacy as first-line treatment for advanced G/GEJ cancer. This study was registered in china, register number was CTR20181270.

Abstract Noninvasive prenatal detection of monogenic diseases based on cell‐free DNA is hampered by challenges in obtaining a sufficient fraction and adequate quality of fetal DNA. Analyzing rare trophoblastic cells from Papanicolaou smears carrying the entire fetal genome provides an alternative method for noninvasive detection of monogenic diseases. However, intracellular labeling for identification of target cells can affect the quality of DNA in varying degrees. Here, a new approach is developed for nondestructive identification of rare fetal cells from abundant maternal cells based on endoplasmic reticulum staining and linear discriminant analysis (ER‐LDA). Compared with traditional methods, ER‐LDA has little effect on cell quality, allowing trophoblastic cells to be analyzed on the single‐cell level. Using ER‐LDA, high‐purity of trophoblastic cells can be identified and isolated at single cell resolution from 60 pregnancies between 4 and 38 weeks of gestation. Pathogenic variants, including –SEA/ deletion mutation and point mutations, in 11 fetuses at risk for α‐ or β‐thalassemia can be accurately detected by this test. The detection platform can also be extended to analyze the mutational profiles of other monogenic diseases. This simple, low‐cost, and noninvasive test can provide valuable fetal cells for fetal genotyping and holds promise for prenatal detection of monogenic diseases.

Background/Aims: Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) can relieve esophageal obstruction and prolong survival time of patients with esophageal cancer, it can induce nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation in many cancers, which plays a negative role in PDT. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the most potent artemisinin derivative, can enhance the effect of PDT on esophageal cancer cells. However, the mechanism is still unclear. Methods: We generated stable cell lines expressing the super-repressor form of the NF-κB inhibitor IκBα and cell lines with lentivirus vector-mediated silencing of the HIF-1α gene. Esophageal xenograft tumors were created by subcutaneous injection of Eca109 cells into BALB/c nude mice. Four treatment groups were analyzed: a control group, photosensitizer alone group, light alone group, and PDT group. NF-κB expression was detected by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by real-time PCR, NF-κB, HIF-1α, and VEGF protein by western blot, and Ki-67, HIF-1α, VEGF, and NF-κB protein by immunohistochemistry. Results: PDT increased NF-κB activity and the gene expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the DHA groups, particularly the combined DHA and PDT treatment group, abolished the effect. The combined treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. NF-κB activity and HIF-1α expression were also reduced in the stable IκBα expression group, whereas the former showed no change in HIF-1α-silenced cells. Conclusion: DHA might increase the sensitivity of esophageal cancer cells to PDT by inhibiting the NF-κB/HIF-1α/VEGF pathway.

Background: Saponins identified from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds are reported effective on dyslipidemia. However, the definite mechanism is still not elucidated systematically. In this study, we evaluate the effects of saponin extract on cholesterol absorption, metabolism, synthesis, and reverse cholesterol transport in vivo. Methods: Saponin extract was prepared according to a craft established in our previous study. After the establishment of dyslipidemia model, 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups, namely the control group (normal diet plus normal saline), HFD group (high fat diet plus normal saline), Lipitor group (high fat diet plus Lipitor (2 mg/kg)), and L, M, and H-saponin groups (high fat diet plus saponin in dosages of 6, 12, and 24 mg/kg, respectively). Rats were sacrificed at the end of the 9th week after treatment. Biochemical characteristics of rats were tested, histopathological sections of liver tissue were observed, and the protein and mRNA expression of related factors of cholesterol in the intestine and liver were determined. One-way ANOVA test (SPSS software version 11.5, Chicago, IL, USA) was used to determine statistically significant differences between the HFD and other groups. Results: In saponin groups, the serum lipid, bile acid efflux, anti-peroxide activities, and lipid area of liver tissue improved. Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and scavenger receptor class B type I elevated in the liver. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase levels were suppressed in both the serum and liver. However, significant cholesterol efflux was not found and Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 levels elevated in the intestine. Conclusion: The mechanisms of saponin in Fenugreek effect on ameliorating dyslipidemia are probably related to accelerated cholesterol metabolism, inhibited cholesterol synthesis, and facilitated reverse cholesterol transport, but not cholesterol absorption.

In this study, surfactants were used to enhance heavy oil–solid separation, and a detailed mechanism was explored by SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins, asphaltenes) analysis, element analysis, AFM measurement, and molecular dynamic simulation. Surfactants could effectively decrease oil/solid interaction force and then oil–solid separation would be enhanced. The oil–solid interactive force was in relation to surfactants concentration, pH value, asphaltene content, and salinity. The molecular dynamics simulation results show that the dissociation of saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resin, and asphaltene (SARA) on carbonate minerals is gradually weakened for all surfactants. In the process of molecular dynamics simulation of surfactant stripping SARA, firstly, the surfactant molecules adsorb on the surface of SARA molecules. After that, the surfactant peels SARA molecules off the surface of calcite under the influence of molecular thermal motion. In this process, surfactant molecules will not be directly adsorbed on the surface of trace minerals. The results of energy/temperature balance indicated that saturates, aromatics and resins could remain stable when the molecular dynamics simulation time reached 2000 ps with the phenomenon that saturates, aromatics could liberate from minerals totally within 2000 ps. The molecular dynamics simulation of asphaltenes will not liberate from calcite surface within 6000 ps, meanwhile, they could not reach the energy balance/energy balance within 6000 ps. The functional groups of surfactant molecules would have interactions with the SARA functional group, resulting in different dissociation effects of SARA. The results of molecular dynamics simulation are consistent with the experiment results. The separation effect of saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resin, and asphaltene in five kinds of surfactants were different. The molecular dynamic simulation results were in accordance with the SARA analysis.

Context: CYP3A4 and P-gp together form a highly efficient barrier for orally absorbed drugs and always share the same substrates. Our previous work revealed that chrysosplenetin (CHR) significantly augmented the rat plasma level and anti-malarial efficacy of artemisinin (ART), partially due to the uncompetitive inhibition effect of CHR on rat CYP3A. But the impact of CHR on P-gp is still unknown. Objective: The present study investigates whether CHR interferes with P-gp-mediated efflux of ART and elucidates the underlying mechanism. Materials and methods: P-gp-over-expressing Caco-2 cells were treated with ART (10 μM) or ART-CHR (1:2, 10:20 μM) in ART bidirectional transport experiment. ART concentration was determined by UHPLC-MS/MS method. Healthy male ICR mice were randomly divided into nine groups (n = 6) including negative control (0.5% CMC-Na solution, 13 mL/kg), ART alone (40 mg/kg), verapamil (positive control, 40 mg/kg), ART-verapamil (1:1, 40:40 mg/kg), CHR alone (80 mg/kg), ART-CHR (1:0.1, 40:4 mg/kg), ART-CHR (1:1, 40:40 mg/kg), ART-CHR (1:2, 40:80 mg/kg) and ART-CHR (1:4, 40:160 mg/kg). The drugs were administrated intragastrically for seven consecutive days. MDR1 and P-gp expression levels in mice small intestine were examined by performing RT-PCR and western blot analysis. ABC coupling ATPase activity was also determined. Results: After combined with CHR (1:2), Papp (AP-BL) and Papp (BL-AP) of ART changed to 4.29 × 10 − 8 (increased 1.79-fold) and 2.85 × 10 − 8 cm/s (decreased 1.24-fold) from 2.40 × 10 − 8 and 3.54 × 10 − 8 cm/s, respectively. Efflux ratio (PBA/PAB) declined 2.21-fold (p

The paper presents the results of an experimental study of separation efficiency and distribution of flow parameters over the cross-section of the distillation columns. The experiments were carried out on the large-scale research setup “Large Freon Column” with the diameter of 0.6 and 0.9 m. Experimental data were obtained at uniform and non-uniform irrigation of the Mellapak 350.Y and Sulzer 500X structured packings by the controlled liquid distributor. The mixture of refrigerants R114 and R21 was used as the working liquid at the pressure of 3 bar in the column. The liquid distributor with independently controlled valves for each drip point was used for controlled packing irrigation. Local temperature distributions of the liquid phase and counter-current vapor flow in the cross-section and over the packing height were recorded using a sequence of fast-response temperature sensors. Periodic irrigation of the structured packing can affect large-scale non-uniformity of mixture composition and flow parameter distribution over the cross-section and height of the transfer unit. Significantly non-uniform packing irrigation within a separate semiperiod leads to rearrangement of the structure of large-scale non-uniformity inside the packing. The new method for dynamically controlled irrigation of the packing is suggested. This method is aimed at destruction of stationary large-scale maldistribution over the column cross-section and achievement of higher separation efficiency of a completely wetted packing.

Major depression (MD) is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In this study we investigated the interaction of variations in the G-protein beta 3 subunit (GNB3) and cAMP response element binding protein 1 (CREB1) genes with negative life events in the pathogenesis of MD. One GNB3 polymorphism (rs5443) and four CREB1 polymorphisms (rs2253206, rs2551941, rs6740584, rs11904814) were investigated based on known associations with MD.512 patients with MD and 513 control subjects were genotyped. The frequency and severity of negative life events were measured by the Life Events Scale (LES). Gene-environment interactions (G×E) were assessed using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method.Differences in GNB3 rs5443 allele frequencies and genotype distributions were observed between MD patients and controls. Significant G×E interactions were detected between negative life events and genotypic variation of all five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Individuals carrying the T- allele of rs5443 (CC), A- allele of rs2253206 (GG), T- allele of rs2551941 (AA), C- allele of rs6740584 (TT) or G- allele of rs11904814 (TT) conferred susceptibility to MD in subjects only exposed to high-negative life events. However, individuals with the T+ allele of rs5443 (CT, TT) were susceptible to MD when exposed to low negative life events.Interactions between GNB3, CREB1 and negative life events were revealed. Further evidence is provided about the role of the environment in genetic vulnerability to MD.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new treatment for esophageal cancer which has been shown to be effective in the elimination of tumor. However, PDT could induce the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in many photosensitizers based PDT, which plays a negative role in PDT. In addition, our previous results have shown that dihydroartemisinin (DHA), which was the most potent one of artemisinin derivatives, has anticancer activity in esophageal cancer cells. Methods: Cell viability was determined by MTT analysis, and apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Nuclear extract was obtained for determining NF-κB DNA-binding activity, while total protein extract obtained for downstream gene expression by western blot. Results: We demonstrated DHA enhanced PDT-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in both human esophageal cancer cell lines Eca109 and Ec9706 in vitro. The mechanism was at least partially due to DHA deactivated PDT-induced NF-κB activation, so as to decrease tremendously the expression of its target gene Bcl-2. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that DHA augments PDT-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells, and that inactivation of NF-κB activity is a potential mechanism by which DHA sensitizes esophageal cancer cells to PDT-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis.

The adsorption-desorption combined process has been considered as a promising method for the industrial VOCs (volatile organic compounds) treatment. Herein, a carbon-silicon composite adsorbent material has been prepared for the removal of VOCs at lower potential flammable risk. The preparation involves two main steps: Extrusion forming and thermal treatment. The carboxymethyl cellulose and silicate were adopted as binder and fire retardant respectively. The molding and inflaming retarding mechanisms were proposed and discussed. Results show that the newly prepared doping combined material is micro-mesoporous with a specific surface area of 729 m2/g. The maximum adsorption capacity of carbon-silicon doping combined material to p-xylene is observed to be 292 mg/g. The adsorption is found to be favorable, which is well described by the Yoon-Nelson model and Freundlich isotherm. The combined material is also found to possess reversible adsorption to p-xylene; without sacrificing (

The heat released during the industrial gas adsorption (e.g., volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) on adsorbents (e.g., activated carbon) would lead to the risks of fire and explosion in the adsorption column. Herein, a novel highly-porous Vinylbenzyl chloride-Divinylbenzene (VBC-DVB) polymeric adsorbent was synthesized with embedded microcapsules (Hypercrosslinked VBC-DVB Beads (HVPM)). These microcapsules have a polydivinylbenzene-phase change materials (DVB-PCMs) core-shell structure. Paraffin wax was used as PCM filling in the spherical capsule. This microcapsules-embedded polymeric adsorbent HVPM (Φ1.5–2.0 mm) is found to possess a high specific surface area (~665 m²/g) and micropore-dominant structure. It also has heat storage capability indicated by DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) analysis (11.1 J/g heat of fusion between 35.0 and 48.2 °C) for the encapsulated paraffin wax. The lab adsorption tests proved the capabilities of HVPM in adsorbing VOCs (toluene, 0.21 g/g) and controlling the temperature inside the adsorption column during the dynamic adsorption process, in which the temperature rise was lowered by 62.5%, relatively.

In this study, a series of choline-based amino acid ionic liquids have been synthesized in an economic method and are used to assist solvents with extracting asphalt from carbonate rocks. All of the ionic liquids perform well in extracting asphalt, especially choline histidine, by which the single-step recovery of asphalt is up to 91%. Furthermore, oil product with higher quality (fewer solids entrained) is also obtained. Molecular dynamics simulation and thermodynamic equilibrium method are applied to investigate the role of amino acid ionic liquids via interaction energy calculation and surface free energy calculations. The simulation results suggest that the ionic liquid phase is beneficial for the transfer of oil fraction from the carbonate surface to the organic solvent phase. Moreover, the results of simulated calculation show that the introduction of a functional group with conjugated structures into ionic liquid, such as an imidazole ring and a benzene ring, is beneficial for enhancing oil recovery, which are in accordance with the results of experimental tests.

In this study, SHT (switchable-hydrophilicity triethylamine, [Et3NH]·[HCO3]) has been synthesized and instrumentally characterized by Fourier transform⁻infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The operational synthesis conditions of SHT were optimized and determined at 25 °C, Et3N/H2O volume ratio of 1:2 and CO2 injection rate at 300 mL/min. When it was used to extract heavy oil from unconventional oil ore, it was found that it could break maltenes-in-water emulsions. When asphaltenes were present in the oil phase, it was observed that SHT could cooperate with asphaltenes. These results indicated that SHT works with asphaltenes, leading to synergistic effects in stabilizing oil⁻water (o/w) emulsions.

Estrogen-related genes and the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene play a critical role in estrogen metabolism, and those polymorphisms are associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer. However, little is known about the association between these polymorphisms and the efficacy of anastrozole. The aim was to investigate the impact of the genetic polymorphisms, CYP19A1, 17-β-HSD-1 and FTO, on the response to anastrozole in metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) and to evaluate the impact of those polymorphisms on various clinicopathologic features. Two-hundred seventy-two women with hormone receptor-positive MBC treated with anastrozole were identified retrospectively. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and genotyped for five variants in three candidate genes. Time to progression was improved in patients carrying the variant alleles of rs4646 when compared to patients with the wild-type allele (16.40 months versus 13.52 months; p = 0.049). The rs4646 variant alleles were significantly associated with longer overall survival (37.3 months versus 31.6 months; p = 0.007). This relationship was not observed with the rs10046, rs2830, rs9926298 and rs9939609 polymorphisms. The findings of this study indicate that rs4646 polymorphism in the CYP19A1 gene may serve as a prognostic maker of the response to anastrozole in patients with MBC who are treated with anastrozole.

BackgroundDepression is a major health concern for college students due to its substantial morbidity and mortality. Although low parental education has been identified as a factor in depression in college students, the mechanisms through which parental educational achievement affects students' depression are not well understood. We tested whether adverse family and college environments mediate the relationship between parental educational level and depression among Chinese college students.MethodsA total of 5180 respondents were selected using a cross-sectional survey. We examined the association of parental education, adverse family and college environments with depression in college students using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Beck Depression Inventory and socio-demographic questionnaires.ResultsLower parental educational level is significantly correlated with depression in college students in our sample. Additionally, low family economic status, paternal or maternal unemployment, long periods spent apart from family, family conflicts, having been scolded and beaten by parents, poor or dissatisfying test performance, conflict with friends, heavy course load and failure in selection processes are also associated with parental education. Low family economic status, paternal or maternal unemployment, long periods spent apart from family, family conflicts, poor or dissatisfying test performance, conflict with friends and heavy course load mediated the relationship between parental education and depression in college students.ConclusionsAdverse family and college environments could explain the influence of parental educational level on depression in college students.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been reported to be good process aids for enhanced bitumen recovery from oil sands. However, after the extraction, some ionic liquids are left in the residual solids or solutions. Herein, a washing–ion exchange combined method has been designed for the removal of two imidazolium-based ILs, ([Bmim][BF4] and [Emim][BF4]), from residual sands after ILs-enhanced solvent extraction of oil sands. This process was conducted as two steps: water washing of the residual solids to remove ILs into aqueous solution; adsorption and desorption of ILs from the solution by the sulfonic acid cation-exchange resin (Amberlite IR 120Na). Surface characterization showed that the hydrophilic ionic liquids could be completely removed from the solid surfaces by 3 times of water washing. The ionic liquids solution was treated by the ion-exchange resin. Results showed that more than 95% of [Bmim][BF4] and 90% of [Emim][BF4] could be adsorbed by the resins at 20 °C with contact time of 30 min. The effects of some typical coexisted chemicals and minerals, such as salinity, kaolinite (Al4[Si4O10](OH)8), and silica (SiO2), in the solution on the adsorption of ionic liquids have also been investigated. Results showed that both kaolinite and SiO2 exerted a slight effect on the uptake of [Bmim][BF4]. However, it was observed that increasing the ionic strength of the solution by adding salts would deteriorate the adsorption of [Bmim]+ on the resin. The adsorption behaviors of two ILs fit well with the Sips model, suggesting the heterogeneous adsorption of ionic liquids onto resin. The adsorption of ionic liquids onto Amberlite IR 120Na resin was found to be pseudo-second-order adsorption. The regeneration tests showed stable performance of ion-exchange resins over three adsorption–desorption cycles.

Background and objective Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein of newcastle disease virus is an important immunogen for oncolysis. We designed three different expression plasmids encoding the HN protein targeted to different subcellular compartments: cytoplasmic (Cy-HN), secreted (Sc-HN) and membrane-anchored (M-HN). On the basis of antitumor effect in vitro, the aim of this study is to investigate the anti-tumor immunity effect of HN protein in vivo. Methods In the present study, we developed a mouse model in order to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of the intratumorally injected modified HN proteins and the anti-tumor immunity by lymphocyte proliferative response and CTL activity test. Results Although all three DNA constructs elicited an immune response, tumor-bearing mice intratumorally injected with M-HN demonstrated a significantly better anti-tumor effect than those injected with Cy-HN or Sc-HN (Day 18: P=0.022; Day 21: P < 0.01). It also showed that this anti-tumor effect was mediated by higher lymphocyte proliferative response and CTL activity in mice intratumorally injected with M-HN [M-HN vs Cy-HN, P=0.019; M-HN vs Sc-HN, P=0.043; M-HN vs pcDNA3.1(+), P < 0.01]. Conclusion The anti-tumor immunity of Newcastle disease virus HN protein is influenced by differential subcellular targeting. The membrane-anchored form of the HN protein appears to be an ideal candidate to improve the specific cellular immunity.

A new, simple one-step approach has been developed to synthesize lignin and lignin amine coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. These nanoparticles (lignin magnetic nanoparticles (LMNPs) and lignin amine magnetic nanoparticles (LAMNPs)) are found to possess not only magnetic response but also pH-dependent adsorption behavior. Results show that the combination of lignin with nanoparticles increased the adsorption capacities 2–5 times higher than other traditional single lignin based adsorbents (211.42 mg/g for methylene blue (MB) by LMNPs and 176.49 mg/g for acid scarlet GR (AS-GR) by LAMNPs). Meanwhile, by simply adjusting the pH, the dye-loaded adsorbents can be regenerated to recycle both adsorbents and dyes with a desorption efficiency up to 90%. Mechanistic study shows that dye structure and surface charges of adsorbents play the most important part in adsorption where dyes interact with the adsorbent surface via π–π stacking and electrostatic attraction interactions. The efficient fabrication method, eco-friendly reactant, quick magnetic separation, high adsorption and desorption efficiency suggest this novel type of nano-adsorbents to be promising materials for efficient dye pollutant removal and recovery.

BackgroundAlthough self-esteem is related to problematic drinking, the mechanisms by which it affects drinking remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coping mechanisms mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among Chinese men and women with alcohol use disorders and to recommend appropriate interventions for drinking problems.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. A sample of 5,689 community residents was screened, and 517 male and 172 female problematic drinkers were chosen to participate in this study. A self-esteem scale, a coping questionnaire and an alcohol use disorder identification test were completed in order to assess participants' self-esteem, coping mechanisms and alcohol use disorders, respectively. Participants' socio-demographic data were also gathered at this stage. The resulting data were examined via descriptive statistics, correlations and bootstrap analyses.ResultsLower self-esteem levels were related to problematic drinking, and there were no gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. A relationship between low self-esteem and negative coping was observed only in men. Negative coping thus mediated the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among men, but this was not the case for women. Positive coping did not mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among the participants, regardless of gender.ConclusionsSelf-esteem and coping strategies are correlated among problematic drinkers. In addition, there are gender differences in the manners in which negative coping mediates the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. Problematic drinking interventions directed at males should simultaneously address low self-esteem and negative coping.

BackgroundBurnout is recognized as an occupational hazard, and nursing has a high risk of burnout. This study aims to explore the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap) and burnout among Chinese nurses and the mediating role of coping style in this relationship.MethodsA total of 1,496 nurses (effective response rate: 80.11%) from two large general hospitals in Daqing City of China were selected as participants. Data were collected via the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (CMBI), the psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ-24), the Chinese Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ) and demographic and caregiver-patient relationship. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the mediating role of positive coping and negative coping, and we used the Bootstrap method to confirm the mediating effect.ResultsSelf-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism of nurses were all negatively related with emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment among Chinese nurses. Positive coping partially mediated the relationship between hope/optimism and emotional exhaustion and between self-efficacy/optimism and reduced personal accomplishment. Negative coping fully mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion, and in the regression model self-efficacy was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion. And negative coping also partially mediated the relationship between hope/optimism and emotional exhaustion and between optimism and depersonalization.ConclusionPsyCap had effects on burnout and coping style was a mediator in this relationship among Chinese nurses. Nurses who had a strong sense of self-efficacy adopted more negative coping style, which in turn would lead to higher levels of emotional exhaustion. These findings shed light on the influence of negative coping on burnout, and positive coping was a positive resource for fighting against nurses' burnout. Hence, in order to avoid negative coping style, improve skill of coping and enhance PsyCap of nurses, active interventions should be developed in the future.

Kaxabu is an Austronesian language of Taiwan with fewer than ten speakers, all of whom are over the age of seventy and mainly use Taiwanese Southern Min in daily life. A number of morphological changes are observed. The affixes 'perfective' and ta-...-i 'hortative' have become fossilized and have been replaced by other more productive lexical or morphosyntactic processes. Reflexes of the Proto-Austronesian monosyllabic suffixes *-en 'UVP', *-an 'UVL', and *-i 'IMP/DEP.UVL' have become clitics while the disyllabic prefixes pa-ka- 'CAUS (STAT)' (reconstructed at the PAN level as *pa-ka-) and ma-ti- 'wear (AV)' now also occur as (function/content) words paka 'cause, make' and mati 'wear'. The aim of this paper is to examine these morphological changes, and more specifically, affix fossilization, which constitutes the last step of grammaticalization in paradigmaticity and deaffixation, which is an instance of degrammaticalization. These two processes are quite opposite and result from two concomitant factors which are causing language change: (i) language obsolescence, which induces fossilization, and (ii) language contact with Taiwanese Southern Min, which causes deaffixation. Based on these findings, we demonstrate that Kaxabu uses syntactic processes more, and morphological processes less than other Formosan languages, and that it is changing from an agglutinating language to a more isolating language. Keywords: Kaxabu; Formosan Language; Morphological Changes; Fossilization; Deaffixation; Taiwanese Southern Min; Agglutinating; Isolating, 1. INTRODUCTION. (1) Kaxabu and Pazeh are two dialects of the same language which was coined 'Pazeh-Kaxabu' by Ferrell (1968), part of the Austronesian languages of Taiwan, but not officially [...]