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Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a specific biomarker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, cTnI detection kits prepared with antibodies have many defects. Nucleic acid aptamers are sequences of single-strand DNA or RNA that can overcome the deficiency of antibodies. Herein, sandwich ELONA methods were established based on aptamers. Two selected ssDNA aptamers (Apt3 and Apt6) showed high binding affinity and sensibility (Apt3: Kd = 1.01 ± 0.07 nM, Apt6: k = 0.68 ± 0.05) and did not bind to the same domain of cTnI. Therefore, these two aptamers can be applied to the ELONA methods. The detection range of cTnI using the dual-aptamer sandwich ELONA method was 0.05-200 ng/mL, and the bioanalytical method verification results can meet the national standard of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition). There was no difference between results of the dual-aptamer sandwich ELONA method and the diagnostic results of serum obtained from 243 people (P = 0.39, P ˃ 0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of the ELONA with cTnI in serum were 96.46% and 93.85%, respectively. Compared with the FICA kit, which is clinically used, the consequences of ELONA method are closer to the diagnostic results. This study suggests that the aptamers Apt3 and Apt6 have high affinity and strong specificity and that the dual-aptamer sandwich ELONA method has a wide detection range and can be used to determine cTnI in serum, with potential applications in the diagnosis of AMIs.

The present article aims at elucidating the effect of thermo-mechanical controlled processing (TMCP), especially the finish cooling temperature, on microstructure and mechanical properties of high strength low alloy steels for developing superior low temperature toughness construction steel. The microstructural features were characterized by scanning electron microscope equipped with electron backscatter diffraction, and the mechanical behaviors in terms of tensile properties and impact toughness were analyzed in correlation with microstructural evolution. The results showed that the lower finish cooling temperature could lead to a considerable increase in impact toughness for this steel. A mixed microstructure was obtained by TMCP at lower finish cooling temperature, which contained much fine lath-like bainite with dot-shaped M/A constituent and less granular bainite and bainite ferrite. In this case, this steel possesses yield and ultimate tensile strengths of ~ 885 MPa and 1089 MPa, respectively, and a total elongation of ~ 15.3%, while it has a lower yield ratio of ~ 0.81. The superior impact toughness of ~ 89 J at −20 °C was obtained, and this was resulted from the multi-phase microstructure including grain refinement, preferred grain boundaries misorientation, fine lath-like bainite with dot-shaped M/A constituent.

Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease and a neurological disorder that occurs due to a cerebral arterial embolism and rupture. Acute stroke is often accompanied by dysphagia, which reduces patients' intake of food and nutrients, decreases their nutritional status, and affects their quality of life.The study intended to identify the demographic and clinical characteristics of stroke patients with dysphagia and to explore the relationship of those characteristics to nutritional status and prognosis.The research team retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients to compare the nutritional status and prognoses of patients with different demographic and clinical characteristics.The study took place in the Department of Neurology at the First People's Hospital of Shenyang in Shenyang, China.Participants were 789 stroke patients with dysphagia who had been admitted to the general ward of the neurology departments of hospitals of Grade 3 or higher in Northeast China between January 2019 and September 2020. Based on the results of the Nutrition Risk Screening (NRS-2002) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) scales at baseline, participants were enrolled in this study.The outcomes were the correlations between participants' demographic and clinical characteristics and their nutritional statuses and prognoses. The Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate the prognosis of the patients at seven days and three months after participants' enrollment in the study. Using the SPSS 26.0, a t test, chi-square test, and F test were performed to analyze and verify the presence of fundamental differences in baseline characteristics between participants with good nutrition and those with poor nutrition. Also, a statistical correlation analysis was performed.The study showed that participants with different nutritional levels had statistically significant differences in the presence or absence of infections and body temperature and scores on the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), with all P.001. At baseline seven days after enrollment, the prognoses of participants were significantly different for different previous histories of stroke (P.001), family history of stroke (P = .005), presence or absence of infections (P.001), body temperature (P.001), and SSA (P.001) and NIHSS (P.001) scale scores. At three months after enrollment, the prognoses of participants were significantly different for previous history of stroke (P = .003), different body temperatures (P.001), presence or absence of infections(P.001), and SSA (P.001) and NIHSS (P.001) scale scores. Age, gender, family history of stroke, smoking, alcohol consumption, previous history of stroke, education level, SSA scale score, NIHSS scale score, body mass index (BMI), body temperature, and infection were adjusted in the model. Nutritional status as classified by NRS-2002 and SGA was significantly correlated with prognosis (P.001). The prognosis of stroke patients with dysphagia was associated with nutritional status by unconditional logistic regression.The prognosis of stroke patients with dysphagia is related to their nutritional status. A better nutritional status indicates the better prognosis, and vice versa. In clinical treatment, attention should be paid to use of a nutritional intervention.

Transgenic C57BL/6-APCIn this study, we evaluated the effect of Rapa/Lps and 5-FU on APCAs expected, Rapa/Lps and 5-FU significantly suppressed tumor formation, decreased the number of tumors, and tumor load both in two mouse models, and had no influence on mouse weight. Mechanically, the anti-tumor effect of the drug also was associated in inhibiting angiogenesis and proliferation. Furthermore, we found that Rapa/Lps obviously inhibited HUVECs tube formation and migration.Altogether, we revealed the Rapa/Lps synergism with 5-FU decreased colon and small intestinal tumorigenesis in AOM/DSS-treated and APC

Sono-photodynamic therapy (SPDT) activates the same photo-/sonosensitizer and exerts more marked antitumor effects than sonodynamic therapy or photodynamic therapy. We aimed to explore the utilization of curcumin (CUR)-loaded poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) microbubble (MB)-mediated SPDT (CUR-PLGA-MB-SPDT) in HepG2 liver cancer cells. The cytotoxicity and intracellular accumulation of CUR were determined. We used 40 µM CUR as the photo-/sonosensitizer for 3 h. In a comparison of CUR-SDT or CUR-PDT, HepG2 cell viability decreased and apoptotic rate increased in CUR-SPDT. The CUR-PLGA MBs had round spheres with smooth surfaces and an average size of 3.7 µm. In CUR-PLGA MBs, drug entrapment efficiency and drug-loading capacity were 74.29 ± 2.60% and 17.14 ± 0.60%, respectively. CUR-loaded PLGA MBs (CUR-PLGA MBs) had good biocompatibility with normal L02 cells and were almost non-cytotoxic to HepG2 cells. Among CUR-SDT, CUR-PDT, CUR-SPDT or CUR-PLGA-MB-SDT, the cell CUR-PLGA-MB-SPDT had the lowest viability. Transmission electron microscopy revealed pyroptosis and apoptosis in the CUR-PLGA-MB-SPDT group; the potential mechanism was related to the mitochondrial membrane potential loss and increased production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. These findings suggested that CUR-PLGA-MB-SPDT may be a promising treatment for liver cancer.

A new alkylresorcinol, myrothecol A (1), along with two known ones (2 and 3), were isolated from a fungal strain Myrothecium sp. GY170016. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by electronic circular dichroism experiment. This is the first case of the presence of alkylresorcinols in genus Myrothecium. All the isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against human cancer cell line MCF-7 with IC50 values of 16.7, 13.2, 21.3 μM, respectively.

Background and aims Atherosclerosis is a serious cardiovascular disease, featuring inflammation, abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). During atherosclerosis, inflammation may cause low pH. T-cell death-associated gene 8 (Tdag8) is a proton-sensing receptor, however, the role of Tdag8 in VSMCs remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of Tdag8 in VSMCs during atherosclerosis. Methods We examined the expression of Tdag8 in an atherosclerotic model of high-fat-diet-fed ApoE−/− mice, while the role and mechanism of Tdag8 in phenotype transformation, proliferation and migration of VSMCs were investigated in a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results We first found that Tdag8 expression at the mRNA and protein level was significantly increased in atherosclerotic ApoE−/− mice. Immunofluorescence staining showed that Tdag8 was primarily distributed in PCNA-positive VSMCs and the phenotype of VSMCs switching from contractile phenotype to synthetic phenotype. Additionally, the protein level of Tdag8 was upregulated in FBS-treated VSMCs. VSMCs proliferation and migration were inhibited by Tdag8 silencing and increased by Tdag8 overexpression. Further mechanistic studies showed that cAMP level was increased in Tdag8-overexpressing VSMCs and ApoE−/− mice. However, the PKA inhibitor H-89 reversed Tdag8-induced VSMC proliferation and migration. Conclusions The results demonstrate that Tdag8 mediated phenotype transformation, proliferation and migration of VSMCs via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, thus partially contributing to atherosclerosis.

The species-habitat association analysis facilitates a better understanding of species coexis-tence and community assembly. Here, all trees in a 25-hm物种-生境关联分析有利于更好地理解物种共存理论和群落构建机制。根据秦岭落叶阔叶林25 hm

In the present study, a quenching treatment prior to two-stage heat treatment was conducted on a Fe–0.28C–1.55Mn–2.06Al transformation-induced plasticity steel to tailor the final microstructure. Compared with the microstructure of the ferrite, bainite and blocky retained austenite obtained by conventional two-stage heat treatment, the microstructure subjected to quenching plus two-stage heat treatment was composed of the ferrite, lath bainite and film-like retained austenite. The corresponding tensile behavior and mechanical stability of retained austenite were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the mechanical stability of blocky retained austenite grains is lower and most of them transform to martensite during the tensile deformation, which leads to higher ultimate tensile strength and instantaneous work hardening exponent. Film-like retained austenite has relatively higher stability, which could cause sustained work hardening and high ductility as well as product of strength and elongation.

Excessive biomechanical loading is considered an important cause of osteoarthritis. Although the mechanical responses of chondrocytes and osteoblasts have been investigated, their communication during mechanical loading and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully known. The present study investigated the effects of excessive mechanically stretched osteoblasts on the metabolism and apoptosis of chondrocytes, and also assessed the involvement of the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway. In the present study, rat chondrocytes and osteoblasts were subjected to mechanical tensile strain, and an indirect chondrocyte‑osteoblast co‑culture model was established. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to determine the expression levels of genes and proteins of interest. An ELISA was performed to investigate the levels of cytokines, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 13, MMP 3, interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) and prostaglandin E2 (PG E2), released from osteoblasts. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the apoptosis of chondrocytes exposed to stretched osteoblast conditioned culture medium. The levels of MMP 13, IL‑6 and PG E2 increased significantly in the supernatants of stretched osteoblasts compared with the un‑stretched group. By contrast, the mRNA expression levels of Collagen 1a and alkaline phosphatase were significantly decreased in osteoblasts subjected to mechanical stretch compared with the un‑stretched group. The mRNA expression level of Collagen 2a was significantly decreased, whereas the expression levels of MMP 13 and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin‑like motifs 5 were significantly increased in chondrocytes subjected to mechanical stretch compared with the un‑stretched group. In the co‑culture model, the results indicated that excessive mechanically stretched osteoblasts induced the catabolism and apoptosis of chondrocytes, which was partly inhibited by Wnt inhibitor XAV‑939. The results of the present study demonstrated that excessive mechanical stretch led to chondrocyte degradation and inhibited osteoblast osteogenic differentiation; furthermore, excessive mechanically stretched osteoblasts induced the catabolism and apoptosis of chondrocytes via the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND This network pharmacology study aimed to identify the active compounds and molecular mechanisms involved in the effects of Hypericum japonicum on cholestatic hepatitis. We validated the findings in an alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) rat model of hepatotoxicity. MATERIAL AND METHODS The chemical constituents and targets of H. japonicum and target genes previously associated with cholestatic hepatitis were retrieved from public databases. A network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software and the STRING database and potential protein functions were analyzed based on the public platform of bioinformatics. ANIT was used to induce cholestatic hepatitis in a rat model using 36 Sprague-Dawley rats, and this model was used to investigate intervention with 3 doses of quercetin (low-dose, 50 mg/kg; medium-dose, 100 mg/kg; and high-dose, 200 mg/kg), the main active component of H. japonicum. Levels of serum biochemical indexes were measured by commercial kits, and the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of markers of liver and mitochondrial function and oxidative stress were detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS The main active ingredients of H. japonicum were quercetin, kaempferol, and tetramethoxyluteolin, and their key targets included prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2), cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase (CYP7A1), and farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Quercetin intervention promoted recovery from cholestatic hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this research provide support for future research on the roles of quercetin, kaempferol, and tetramethoxyluteolin in human liver disease and the roles of the PTGS2, BCL2, CYP7A1, and FXR genes in cholestatic hepatitis.

Background The current study analyzed resected stage I-IIIA pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) cases to define the clinical characteristics, prognosis and long-term outcomes of LELC, with the purpose of guiding clinical management for this rare tumor.Methods Resected stage I-IIIA LELC, adenocarcinoma (ADC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) cases from our center were enrolled. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to minimize the selection bias. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between groups. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors, and a nomogram was developed.Results A total of 159 LELCs, 2,757 ADCs, 1,331 SCCs and 155 ASCs were included. LELC, dominated among younger patients and nonsmokers, always presented without typical imaging manifestations of lung cancer. LELC was a poorly differentiated disease that lacked driver gene mutations and was positive for immunohistochemistry indicators of squamous cell lineage. Survival analyses revealed that OS was significantly better for LELC than for other common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) both before PSM (all P < 0.001) and after PSM (all P < 0.05). Further analyses revealed that early pathological node stage and preoperative albumin level ≥35 were identified as independent prognostic factors favoring OS and DFS.Conclusions LELC, dominated among younger and nonsmoking populations, showed a lower extent of malignancy regarding CT characteristics. It lacked driver gene mutations and was positive for immunohistochemistry indicators of squamous cell lineage. The survival outcome of PSC was better than other common NSCLCs.

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the key components of amino acids and potential mechanistic pathways of myocardial infarction. Methods: We performed case–control metabolite profiling via mass spectrometry in the serum obtained from 33 individuals with acute myocardial infarction, and compared the results to matched healthy volunteers (70 cases). Multi-reaction monitoring was used to evaluate the targeted metabolomics of amino acids by high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry; this method was validated using the standard solution. Moreover, we used the mixed effects models to compare the metabolite concentrations between the cases and controls by regulating relevant biological variables. Results: LC-MS/MS quantitatively determined 33 substances in amino acid metabolism and intestinal microbial metabolites, and provided good results in terms of accuracy, precision, and linearity. The method was validated according to Food and Drug Administration guidelines, and it provided good results in terms of precision, accuracy, and linearity. Thus, significant changes were observed in the aromatic amino acids (tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan), oxidative homeostasis (o-tyrosine), intestinal microbial metabolites (trimethylamine oxide, choline, acetylcholine), and methionine cycle (SAM, SAH, methionine, and homocysteine). Conclusions: A unique metabolite profile involving amino acid and intestinal microbial metabolites is observed in myocardial infarction disorders. The endogenous compounds evaluated in this study can be used as potential biomarkers. Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81803689), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 2018A030310292), Project of Health Science and Technology of Guangzhou (No. 20191A011039), and the YIWEN Talent Project of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (No. 2021#9). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Third Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University. Acute myocardial infarction human serum samples and healthy human serum samples were obtained from The Third Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, and informed consent was obtained from all patients (batch numbers of ethical approval: 2021#026).

Yi-Qing Chen,* Wen-Ting Zhu,* Cai-Yan Lin, Zhong-Wen Yuan, Zhen-Hua Li, Peng-Ke Yan The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Peng-Ke YanThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail gysyypk@126.comBackground: Rapamycin is a promising agent for treating tumors, but clinical applications of rapamycin are limited due to its poor water solubility and low bioavailability. This paper constructs a liposome delivery system for rapamycin to improve the effect in treating colorectal cancer.Methods: We prepared the rapamycin liposomes using the ethanol injection method. The cellular uptake and biodistribution were detected by LC-MS and in vivo imaging system. MTT assay, transwell migration experiment, flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis evaluated the antitumor effect of rapamycin liposomes in vitro. Furthermore, HCT-116 tumor-bearing mice were used to assess the therapeutic efficacy of rapamycin liposomes in vivo.Results: The prepared rapamycin liposomes had a particle size of 100± 5.5 nm and with a narrow size distribution. In vitro cellular uptake experiments showed that the uptake of rapamycin liposomes by colorectal cells was higher than that of free rapamycin. Subsequently, in vivo imaging experiments also demonstrated that rapamycin liposomes exhibited higher tumor accumulation. Therefore, the ability of rapamycin liposomes to inhibit tumor proliferation, migration and to induce tumor apoptosis is superior to that of free rapamycin. We also demonstrated in vivo good antitumor efficacy of the rapamycin liposomes in HCT-116 xenograft mice. In addition, rapamycin liposomes and 5-FU can synergistically improve the efficacy of colorectal cancer via the Akt/mTOR and P53 pathways.Conclusion: Collectively, rapamycin liposomes are a potential treatment for colorectal cancer, as it not only improves rapamycin’s antitumor effect but also synergistically enhances 5-FU’s chemotherapy effect.Keywords: rapamycin liposomes, 5-fluorouracil, Akt/mTOR, P53, colorectal cancer

Context Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) is an indicator of poor fetal growth “programming” an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Little is known about early-life endocrine characteristics in SGA subtypes. Stunting (short) and wasting (skinny) are considered distinct SGA phenotypes in neonatal prognosis. Objectives This work aimed to assess whether SGA infants with stunting or wasting have similar alterations in neonatal endocrine metabolic health biomarkers. Methods This was a nested case-control study based on the 3D (Design, Develop, and Discover) birth cohort in Canada. The study subjects were 146 SGA (birth weight Results Comparing to OGA infants adjusted for maternal and neonatal characteristics, SGA infants with either stunting only or wasting only had lower cord plasma IGF-I and leptin concentrations. HMW adiponectin concentrations were lower in SGA infants with wasting only (P = .004), but similar in SGA infants with stunting only (P = .816). Only SGA infants with both stunting and wasting had substantially lower proinsulin (P Conclusion This study is the first to demonstrate that SGA infants with wasting only are characterized by low HMW adiponectin concentrations, whereas those with stunting only are not. SGA with both stunting and wasting are characterized by low proinsulin and high ghrelin concentrations.

A new alkylresorcinol, myrothecol A (

Wen-Ting Zhu,1,2,* Sheng-Yao Liu,3,* Lei Wu,1,2 Hua-Li Xu,4 Jun Wang,1,2 Guo-Xin Ni,3,5 Qing-Bing Zeng1,2 1Biomaterial Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; 2Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; 3Department of Orthopeadics and Traumatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; 5Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: It has been widely reported that curcumin (CUR) exhibits anticancer activity and triggers the apoptosis of human A549 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. However, its application is limited owing to its poor solubility and bioavailability. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new CUR formulation with higher water solubility and better biocompatibility for clinical application in the future. Materials and methods: In this study, CUR-loaded methoxy polyethylene glycol–polylactide (CUR/mPEG–PLA) polymeric micelles were prepared by a thin-film hydration method. Their characteristics and antitumor effects were evaluated subsequently. Results: The average size of CUR/mPEG–PLA micelles was 34.9±2.1nm with its polydispersity index (PDI) in the range of 0.067–0.168. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were 90.2%±0.78% and 9.1%±0.07%, respectively. CUR was constantly released from the CUR/mPEG–PLA micelles, and its cellular uptake in A549 cells was significantly increased. It was also found that CUR/mPEG–PLA micelles inhibited A549 cell proliferation, increased the cell cytotoxicity, induced G2/M stage arrest and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, the CUR/mPEG–PLA micelles suppressed the migration and invasion of A549 cells more obviously than free CUR. Additionally, CUR/mPEG–PLA micelles inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cells migration, invasion and corresponding tube formation, implying the antiangiogenesis ability. Its enhanced antitumor mechanism may be related to the reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and Bcl-2 as well as the increased expression of Bax. Conclusion: The mPEG–PLA copolymer micelles can serve as an efficient carrier for CUR. The CUR/mPEG–PLA micelles have promising clinical potential in treating NSCLC. Keywords: curcumin, mPEG–PLA, polymeric micelles, A549 cells, HUVECs, angiogenesis

Triclosan (TCS), a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, is widely used in clinical settings and various personal care products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of TCS on reproductive endocrine and function. Here, we show that the exposure of adult female mice to 10 or 100 mg/kg/day TCS caused prolongation of diestrus, and decreases in antral follicles and corpora lutea within 2 weeks. TCS mice showed decreases in the levels of serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and progesterone, and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA with the lack of LH surge and elevation of prolactin (PRL). TCS mice had lower kisspeptin immunoreactivity and kiss1 mRNA in anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and arcuate nucleus (ARC). Moreover, the estrogen (E2)-enhanced AVPV-kisspeptin expression was reduced in TCS mice. In addition, the serum thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)) in TCS mice were reduced with increases in levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid releasing hormone (TRH). In TCS mice, the treatment with Levothyroxine (L-T4) corrected the increases in PRL, TSH and TRH; the administration of L-T4 or type-2 dopamine receptors agonist quinpirole inhibiting PRL release could rescue the decline of kisspeptin expression in AVPV and ARC; the treatment with L-T4, quinpirole or the GPR45 agonist kisspeptin-10 recovered the levels of serum LH and FSH and progesterone, and GnRH mRNA. Furthermore, TCS mice treated with L-T4 or quinpirole resumed regular estrous cycling, follicular development and ovulation. Together, these results indicate that exposing adult female mice to TCS (≥10 mg/kg) reduces thyroid hormones causing hyperprolactinemia that then suppresses hypothalamic kisspeptin expression, leading to deficits in reproductive endocrine and function.

Both bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) are good sources for tissue engineering. To maximize therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, an appropriate source of MSCs should be selected according to their own inherent characteristics for future clinical application. Hence, this study was conducted to compare proliferative, differential and antiapoptosis abilities of both MSCs derived from exercised and sedentary rats under normal and hypoxia/serum deprivation conditions (H/SD). Our results showed that exercise may enhance proliferative ability and decrease adipogenic ability of BMSCs and ADSCs. However, positive effect of exercise on osteogenesis was only observed for BMSCs in either environment. Little effect was observed on the antiapoptotic ability of both MSC types. It was also suggested that biological characteristics of both types were partly changed. It is therefore believed that BMSCs derived from exercised rat on early passage may be a good cell source for bone tissue engineering.

Four new lanthanide(Ш) coordination polymers, [Ln(p-aminobenzoate)2(DMF)(HCOO) (H2O)]n (Ln = Sm 1, Tb 2, Pr 3) and {[Pr(2,5-dcp)(CH3COO)(H2O)]·1.5H2O}n (4) (DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide, 2,5-dcp = pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate), have been synthesized by hydrothermal method. The structures are determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The four polymers all crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/n. Polymers 1 and 2 are isostructural; both SmIII ion of polymer 1 and TbIII ion of polymer 2 are eight-coordinate. Although polymer 3 possesses the same asymmetric unit as polymers 1 and 2, the three are not isomorphous. The PrIII ions in polymers 3 and 4 are nine-coordinate. In polymers 1, 2 and 3 the neighboring units are bridged by formyloxy and extend into infinite chains, which are connected by hydrogen bonds to form a hydrogen bond network. However, polymer 4 is bridged by pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate and acetates to form an infinite 3D network. At room temperature, the IR, UV–Vis–NIR and emission spectra of the four polymers were measured and analyzed. The four polymers emit in the visible or NIR region. The luminescent properties are discussed.

An integrated anoxic/aerobic membrane bio-reactor (A/O MBR) was designed to treat hyperhaline municipal wastewater from a processing zone of Tianjin, China. The characteristics of mixture liquor in MBR and removal performance of COD Cr were studied, and the contribution of membrane and microbes to organic pollutant removal was evaluated and discussed. The experimental results show that MLSS and MLVSS had similar fluctuation and the ratio of MLVSS/MLSS fluctuated at around 0.4. Settling characteristics of the sludge in aerobic zone was nice at the first more than one month operation and was deteriorated significantly after two-month operation. The relative low MLVSS/MLSS ratio was due to the accumulation of large quantity of inert substance and inorganic matters since only once sludge discharge in the four-month investigation period and relative high inorganic substance in influent. The deterioration of sludge settling was caused by the accumulation of the SMP and EPS from microbe and high value of MLSS, which cause an increase in the electrophoretic mobility and surface electronegativity of the sludge and non-filamentous bulking in the bio-reactor. The COD Cr removal efficiency of the integrated A/O MBR system was 80%-95% during the four-month investigation period. Very good organic removal is mainly contributed to the microbial biodegradation. To ensure a high-quality and stable effluent water, the contribution of membrane interception to activated sludge and insoluble organic matters cannot be neglected, especially under an unsatisfied biodegradation.

An integrated anoxic/aerobic membrane bio-reactor (A/O MBR) was designed to treat hyperhaline municipal wastewater from a processing zone of Tianjin, China. The removal performance of the system to ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) was investigated, and the contribution of membrane and microbes to pollutant removal was evaluated and discussed. The adaptability of the system to a high-loading nitrogen impact was also studied. Experimental results show that the removal efficiencies of NH 3 -N and TN of the A/O MBR system were approximately 95% and 50%-70%, respectively, during the four-month investigation period. Very good removal is mainly contributed to the microbial degradation. Membrane interception to nitrogenous matters is insignificant. The contribution of membrane interception is to keep nitrifying bacteria (having a long generation cycle) in the reactor, thus strengthening nitrogen removal. Total phosphorus removal of the A/O MBR system is as high as 60%-80%. Such high removal of TP is unexpected since there was only once sludge discharge from the system during four-month operation period, that is traditional biological phosphorus removal cannot be achieved. Nontraditional biological functions (including sludge particle adsorption to phosphoric matters and microbial assimilation) and membrane interception to insoluble phosphoric matters (mainly organic phosphorus and a small quantity of phosphorus complex) are the main mechanisms of TP removal of the A/O MBR system. Moreover, biological function is predominant, therefore sludge concentration in the reactor is increased and TP removal is enhanced.

Three chromium(III) coordination supramolecules, [CrQ2(H2O)Cl]·H2O 1, [Cr(Pic)2(phen)]·NO3·2.5H2O 2, [Cr(ATA)(phen)]·CH3OH·3H2O 3 (HQ = Quinoline 2-acid, HPic = Picolinic 2-acid, H3ATA = Ammonia triacetic acid, phen = 1,10-Phenanthroline), have been synthesized solvothermally and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra and elemental analysis. The surface electron behavior of chromium complexes have been studied emphatically by surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). Structural analyses indicate that the three complexes are all molecular complexes with the ligands of carboxylate groups; and, they are further connected into supramolecules by hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions. The results of SPS show that there are positive photovoltage response bands within 300–800 nm, which indicate that they all possess obvious photoelectric conversion properties. Energy-band theory for semiconductors and crystal field theory have been combined to analyze and assign the SPS bands. There are three types of band-to-band transitions in the SPS of the complexes; i.e., LMCT bands for Cl → Cr, O → Cr, N → Cr. The similarities and differences between the SPS and UV-Vis absorption spectra for the three complexes were compared and reasonably explained. There was a good correlation between the SPS and UV-Vis absorption spectra.

Background, aims and scope Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] cannot react with either carbonate or hydroxide to form chromium precipitates. However, by using a precipitation technology to treat plating wastewater containing Cr(VI), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II), approximately 78% of Cr(VI) (initial 60 mg/L) was co-removed with the precipitation of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) (each 150 mg/L) by dosing with Na2CO3 (Sun 2003). Direct precipitation by forming Cu(II)-Cr(VI) precipitates followed by adsorption of Cr(VI) onto freshly formed Cu-precipitates was subsequently found to be the main mechanism(s) involved in Cr(VI) co-removal with Cu(II) precipitation by dosing Na2CO3 stepwise to various pH values (Sun et al. 2003). This study was. carried out to further characterize the formation of primary precipitates during the early stages of copper precipitation and simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) with Cu(II). Methods Test metal-solutions were prepared with industrial grade chemicals: CuCl2 x 2H2O, Na2SO4 and K2Cr2207. NaCO3 was added drop-wise to synthetic metal-solution to progressively increase pH. For each pH increment, removal of soluble metals was detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) and surface morphology of precipitates was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). To further characterize the formation of primary precipitates, a series of MINEQL+ thermodynamic calculations/analyses and equilibrium calculations/ analyses were conducted. Results and discussion MINEQL+ thermodynamic calculation indicated that, for a system containing 150 mg/L Cu(II) and 60 mg/L Cr(VI) with gradual Na2CO3 dosing, if any precipitates can be formed at pH 5.0 or lower, it should be in the form of CuCrO4. Comparison tests using systems containing the same equivalent of Cu(II) plus Cr(VI) and Cu(II) plus SO4(2-) showed that the precipitation occurred at a pH of around 5.0 in the Cu(II)-Cr(VI) system and around 6.0 in the Cu(II)-SO4(2-) system. The discrepancy of the precipitation was indeed caused by the formation of Cu-Cr precipitates. The initiation of copper removal at pH around 5.0 for the Cu-Cr co-removal test was not attributable to the formation of Cu-CO3 precipitates, instead, it was most likely through the formation of insoluble Cu-Cr precipitates, such as CuCrO4 and CuCrO4 x 2Cu(OH)2. Experimental tests, equilibrium calculations, MINEQL+ thermodynamic calculations and surface morphologies for systems using higher concentrations of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) further verified the most probable composition of primary precipitates is copper-chromate. Conclusion In the Cu-Cr co-removal test with Na2O3 dosing to increase pH and induce metal precipitation, copper-chromate precipitates are the primary precipitates produced and contribute to the initial simultaneous removal of copper and chromium.