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Background: Exposure to PM 2.5 has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, with limited understanding of constituent-specific contributions., Objectives: To explore the associations between long-term exposure to PM 2.5 constituents and neurodegenerative diseases., Methods: We recruited 148,274 individuals aged ≥ 60 from four cities in the Pearl River Delta region, China (2020 to 2021). We calculated twenty-year average air pollutant concentrations (PM 2.5 mass, black carbon (BC), organic matter (OM), ammonium (NH 4 + ), nitrate (NO 3 - ) and sulfate (SO 4 2- )) at the individuals' home addresses. Neurodegenerative diseases were determined by self-reported doctor-diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Generalized linear mixed models were employed to explore associations between pollutants and neurodegenerative disease prevalence., Results: PM 2.5 and all five constituents were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of AD and PD. The observed associations generally exhibited a non-linear pattern. For example, compared with the lowest quartile, higher quartiles of BC were associated with greater odds for AD prevalence (i.e., the adjusted odds ratios were 1.81; 95% CI, 1.45-2.27; 1.78; 95% CI, 1.37-2.32; and 1.99; 95% CI, 1.54-2.57 for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively)., Conclusions: Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and its constituents, particularly combustion-related BC, OM, and SO 4 2- , was significantly associated with higher prevalence of AD and PD in Chinese individuals., Environmental Implication: PM 2.5 is a routinely regulated mixture of multiple hazardous constituents that can lead to diverse adverse health outcomes. However, current evidence on the specific contributions of PM 2.5 constituents to health effects is scarce. This study firstly investigated the association between PM 2.5 constituents and neurodegenerative diseases in the moderately to highly polluted Pearl River Delta region in China, and identified hazardous constituents within PM 2.5 that have significant impacts. This study provides important implications for the development of targeted PM 2.5 prevention and control policies to reduce specific hazardous PM 2.5 constituents., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The investigation of regional water purification functionality and its influencing factors holds significant pragmatic implications in understanding the potential of regional water purification, guiding context-specific regional comprehensive planning schemes, and environmental conservation measures. The study site, situated along the southern coast of Hangzhou Bay, represents a prototypical region characterized by intricate land-sea interactions that bear substantial economic and ecological functions. By assimilating a meticulously collected topographical and land-use dataset, in conjunction with site-specific meteorological records, the water purification model embedded within the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs (InVEST) framework was employed to scrutinize the spatiotemporal dynamics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads, discharges, and removals within the southern coast of Hangzhou Bay. The prime objective of this study was to unravel the differentials in water purification functionality under diverse developmental scenarios. The investigation unearthed distinct temporal discrepancies in N and P discharges and removals over two temporal dimensions. Relative to the benchmark year 2000, the total N load experienced a reduction of 276.72 t, whereas the N discharge and removals decreased by 140.86 and 137.86 t, respectively, in the year 2020. In contrast, the total P load observed an increase of 93.65 t, accompanied by a surge in P discharge and removals by 28.91 and 64.74 t, respectively. Spatially, the distribution pattern of N and P discharges exhibited a general inclination of elevated values in the northern region and subdued values in the southern region, with certain pockets in the southern region exhibiting pronounced peaks, intimately associated with land-use typologies. Simulation analyses conducted under distinct scenarios unveiled that under the natural development priority scenario, the N and P discharges within the study area amounted to 1 682.36 and 115.50 t, respectively. Conversely, under the scenario emphasizing economic development, the regional N and P discharges showed an approximate escalation of 83.02% and 79.93%, correspondingly. In contrast, under the scenario emphasizing environmental conservation, the regional N and P discharges exhibited a notable decline of approximately 79.96% and 56.44%, respectively. Hence, the scenario prioritizing the amalgamation of environmental conservation and development effectively reduced the N and P discharges within the region, bolstering the water purification functionality. The results derived from this study furnish a solid theoretical foundation for effectuating region-specific planning schemes fostering coordinated economic and ecological advancement within the study area.

Global ecosystem services (ESs) are experiencing a significant decline, necessitating the development of robust environmental governance policies. To address the lack of integrated planning with heavy industry as the research object and a lack of knowledge of ES trade-offs and synergies in China's ecological and environmental governance. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of four ESs (water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ)) were determined in the study area of Liaoning Province. Explore the mechanisms that shape ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies and the factors that influence them. Spearman's correlation and difference analyses were proposed to determine the spatial and temporal distributions of trade-offs and synergistic relationships among ESs. In addition, we constructed a multiscale geo-weighted regression (MGWR) model to investigate driver spatial heterogeneity affecting trade-offs and synergies. The results revealed that (1) In the study area, ESs were on the rise in Liaoning Province. (2) Temporally, ESs were overwhelmingly dominated by synergies; at the spatial scale, ESs were dominated by trade-offs of varying degrees, with the area of synergy between WY and SC being the highest. (3) ESs demonstrated spatial heterogeneity in intensity and were more impacted by natural factors such as vegetation cover, elevation, and precipitation than by characteristics related to human activity. This study helps improve understanding of the interactions and dependencies among ESs and can provide a reference for ecological governance and improvements in Liaoning Province., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The clinical data and follow-up results of 27 paraspinoid aneurysms treated by Willis covered stent (WCS) in Department of Neurosurgery, Army Medical University from May 2014 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 17 cases (63.0%) were treated with WCS alone, and 10 cases (37.0%) were assisted with coiling embolization. During the follow-up, postoperative internal leakage occurred in 2 patients(7%), of which 1(type Ⅰ) wasself-healing and the other 1 (type Ⅲ) was cured by WCS implantation again. The remaining patients had no aneurysm recurrence, unobstructed parent artery, stent displacement and internal stenosis. 92.6% (25/27) of the improved mRS scores were good. WCS is a safe and effective method for the treatment of parabedinal aneurysms.

Objective: To investigate the potential regional homogeneity (ReHo) brain activity changes in patients with corneal ulcer (CU) and their possible relationship with clinical symptoms., Materials and Methods: Forty patients with CU (26 men and 14 women), and 40 healthy controls (HCs) (26 men and 14 women) closely matched in age, sex, and weight underwent resting-state functional MRI scans, respectively. The ReHo method was applied to evaluate synchronous neural activity changes. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to show high test-retest stability and high degree of sensitivity and specificity. We utilized the correlation analysis to calculate the relationship between the average ReHo signal values in different brain areas and the clinical symptoms in CU patients., Results: Compared with the HCs, CU patients had significantly increased ReHo values in right cerebellum posterior lobe, left cerebellum posterior lobe, left inferior temporal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, left angular gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, right angular gyrus and bilateral superior frontal gyrus, and decreased ReHo values in right anterior cingulate and left precentral gyrus. ROC curve analysis of each brain regions showed the accuracy of AUC was perfect except the right cerebellum posterior lobe. Nevertheless, there was no clear evidence of prominent relevance between the average ReHo values in brain areas and the clinical symptoms., Conclusion: Corneal ulcer caused dysfunctional adaption in different brain areas, which including relatively increased values and decreased values. This finding may help us take a further step in exploring the underlying pathologic mechanisms of CU.

Biothiols play critical roles in many biological processes and their aberrant is related to a variety of syndromes. A simple and reliable colorimetric method is developed in this work for biothiols detection based on an oxidase mimic, a metal organic framework (MOF) MIL-53(Fe), and a peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). In this design, MIL-53(Fe) is utilized to catalyze the conversion of TMB to a blue colored 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine diimine, which can be read on a spectrophotometer at 652 nm. The oxidation-induced blue color generation can be efficiently inhibited by biothiols, thus a colorimetric analytical method is proposed for biothiols detection based on the above system. Under optimal conditions, a linear relationship in a range from 1 to 100 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) at 120 nM are achieved with Cys as a model target. The developed platform is further applied to evaluate cellular biothiols in normal (RWPE-1) and cancer (LNCap) cell lines, revealing that the overall biothiols level in LNCap is much higher than that in RWPE-1. This work renders a powerful tool for identifying cancer cells in a simple manner for biomedical diagnosis associated with biothiols., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Monitoring superoxide anions in living cells have attracted much academic and biomedical interest due to their important role in metabolic processes. Herein, we confined ultra-small nano-Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 in chitosan and designed a unique puffy woven sphere consisted by nanowires. Further constructed an effective in situ detection chip using the as-synthesized nano-Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -chitosan for electrochemical sensing of superoxide anions from murine breast tumor cells (4T1). The excellent biocompatibility of chitosan and large size of the Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -chitosan spheres greatly reduced the damage and toxicity of the detection interface to the living cells, while the ultra-small nano-Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 in chitosan could effectively catalyze the superoxide anions released from cells. The nano-Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -chitosan-based sensor exhibited high sensitivity (1.6 μA μM -1 ), low detection limit (9.4 nM at S/N = 3) and good selectivity for O 2 •- . After cell culture on the surface of nano-Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -chitosan based electrode. As a miniature analytical and sensing platform, results further suggest that the prepared chip offers a more sensitive detective superoxide anions (O 2 •- ) released from 4T1 cell lines than traditional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Iodine edge-doped graphene can improve the capacity and stability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Our theoretical calculations indicate that center-iodization can further significantly enhance the anode catalytic process. To experimentally prove the theoretical prediction, iodine-doped graphene materials were prepared by one-pot hydrothermal and ball-milling approaches to realize different doping-sites. Results show that the center-iodinated graphene (CIG) anode exhibits a remarkably high reversible capacity (1121 mA h g-1 after 180 cycles at 0.5 A g-1), long-cycle life (0.01% decay per cycle over 300 cycles at 1 A g-1) and high-rate capacity (374 mA h g-1 after 800 cycles at 8 A g-1), which greatly improves the performance of the edge-iodinated graphene anode and these results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. More importantly, the CIG anode also delivers a high-rate capacity and excellent cycling stability (279 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles at 10 A g-1) in full-cells. Both the theoretical analysis and experimental investigation reveal the enhancement mechanism, in which the center-iodization increases the surface charge for fast electron transfer rate, improves the conductivity for charge transport and rationalizes the pore structure for enhanced mass transport and ion insertion/desertion, thus resulting in a high rate capacity and long cycle life. This work not only discloses the critical role of catalytic sites including both amounts and site positions but also offers great potential for high-power rechargeable LIB applications.

In this work, we reported a novel and slack rose-like metal organic precursor designed by coordinating p-phenylenediamine with cobalt ion. After subsequent pyrolysis and acid etching process, the as-prepared Co-N-C catalyst delivered a superior catalytic activity and long-term durability. Further applied in the Zn-air battery, it also displayed a comparable performance with 20% Pt/C.

Monitoring superoxide anion radicals in living cells has been attracting much academic and industrial interest due to the dual roles of the radicals. Herein, we synthesized a novel nanostructured cobalt phosphate nanorods (Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 NRs) with tunable pore structure using a simple and effective micro-emulsion method and explored their potential utilization in the electrochemical sensing of superoxide anions. As an analytical and sensing platform, the nanoscale biomimetic enzymes Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 NRs exhibited excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards superoxide anion (O 2 •- ) with a low detection limit (2.25nM), wide linear range (5.76-5396nM), and long-term stability. Further, the nanoscale biomimetic enzyme could be efficiently applied in situ to electrochemically detect O 2 •- released from human malignant melanoma cells and normal keratinocyte, showing excellent real time quantitative detection capability. This material open up exciting opportunities for implementing biomimetic enzymes in nanoscale transition metal phosphates and designing enzyme-free biosensors with much higher sensitivity and durability in health and disease analysis than those of natural one., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new sesquiterpene, namely suberosoid (1), was isolated from the South China Sea gorgonian coral Subergorgia suberosa. The chemical structure of 1 was established as an unusual sesquiterpene containing 4-methylenecyclohex-2-enone system, by extensive analyses of NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Suberosoid (1) exhibited cytotoxic effect against HeLa cell lines with IC50 value being 10.6 μM.

In this communication, a novel platanus hispanica-like, highly integrated hierarchical electrocatalyst, with Co-carbon nanotubes anchored through porous Co embedded carbon sphere frameworks (Co-CNTFs), was fabricated using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. More importantly, the prepared Co-CNTFs demonstrate even better activity than commercial Pt electrocatalysts in an alkaline medium. This presented CVD approach provides an effective way to grow metal-CNTs in situ through various metal-complex-derived functional nanomaterials and can be expanded to metallic oxide, metallic sulfide, and metallic phosphide, among others, to introduce carbon nanotube frameworks with a multitude of potential applications.

We report a general approach for the synthesis of yolk-shell-structured porous dicobalt phosphide/zinc oxide@porous carbon polyhedral/carbon nanotube hybrids (Co 2 P/ZnO@PC/CNTs) derived from bimetal-organic frameworks, and explore their potential utilization in the electrochemical sensing of superoxide anions. Beyond our expectation, the trace level of O 2 ˙ - released from living cells has also been successfully captured by our designed sensor. The presented strategy for the controlled design and synthesis of bimetal-organic frameworks-derived functional nanomaterials offers prospects of developing highly active electrocatalysts in non-enzyme sensors.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently attracted much interest in electrochemical fields due to their controlled porosity, large internal surface area, and countless structural topologies. However, the direct application of single component MOFs is limited since they also exhibit poor electronic conductivity, low mechanical stability, and inferior electrocatalytic ability. To overcome these problems, we implanted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into manganese-based metal-organic frameworks (Mn-BDC) using a one-step solvothermal method and found that the introduction of MWCNTs can initiate the splitting of bulky Mn-BDC into thin layers. This splitting is highly significant in that it enhances the electronic conductivity and electrocatalytic ability of Mn-BDC. The constructed Mn-BDC@MWCNT composites were utilized as an electrode modifying material in the fabrication of an electrochemical sensor and then were used successfully for the determination of biomolecules in human body fluid. The sensor displayed successful detection performance with wide linear detection ranges (0.1-1150, 0.01-500, and 0.02-1100 μM for AA, DA and UA, respectively) and low limits of detection (0.01, 0.002, and 0.005 μM for AA, DA and UA, respectively); thus, this preliminary study presents an electrochemical biosensor constructed with a novel electrode modifying material that exhibits superior potential for the practical detection of AA, DA and UA in urine samples.

Homogeneously distributed self-assembling hybrid graphene-based aerogels with 3D interconnected pores, employing three types of carbohydrates (glucose, β-cyclodextrin, and chitosan), have been fabricated by a simple hydrothermal route. Using three types of carbohydrates as morphology oriented agents and reductants can effectively tailor the microstructures, physical properties, and electrochemical performances of the products. The effects of different carbohydrates on graphene oxide reduction to form graphene-based aerogels with different microcosmic morphologies and physical properties were also systemically discussed. The electrochemical behaviors of all graphene-based aerogel samples showed remarkably strong and stable performances, which indicated that all the 3D interpenetrating microstructure graphene-based aerogel samples with well-developed porous nanostructures and interconnected conductive networks could provide fast ionic channels for electrochemical energy storage. These results demonstrate that this strategy would offer an easy and effective way to fabricate graphene-based materials., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to examine the effects of Lefty A protein on transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-mediated apoptosis in human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2). HK-2 cells were transfected with the human Lefty gene to induce the secretion of endogenous Lefty A protein. Following exposure of the HK-2 cells to recombinant human TGF-β1 (10 ng/ml), p-Smad2/3 protein levels were examined by western blot analysis, and cellular apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry 6, 12, 24 and 48 h following TGF-β1 treatment. Coculture of renal tubular epithelial cells with TGF-β1 resulted in a significant increase in p-Smad2/3 protein levels and the rate of cell apoptosis, which were attenuated by liposome-mediated transfection with the Lefty gene. Lefty A protein was able to inhibit the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and markedly attenuate TGF-β1-mediated apoptosis in human renal tubular epithelial cells. Taken together, these results indicated that the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway most likely mediates apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells. In addition, Lefty A protein is capable of inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad pathway to reduce TGF-β1/Smad-mediated apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells. This study may provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of urinary tract obstruction disease using Lefty A protein.

We have demonstrated an environmentally friendly in situ assembly method for the preparation of novel three-dimensional TiO2/graphene oxide (TiO2/GO) nanostructures with favorable flower-shaped architectures. Very little information on such a morphology of TiO2/GO nanostructures is available in the literature. The as-synthesized sample was characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements and Raman spectroscopy. Also the TiO2/GO composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic properties.

Two patients presented with initial symptoms of headache and fever, and two weeks later had disturbance of consciousness. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed pleocytosis >500×10²/L. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple brain lesions at sites of high aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) expression. Case 1 presented optic neuritis four years after the first attack and case 2 had symptoms of myelitis three weeks after headache. Serum AQP-4 antibody was positive in both cases, and the diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) was made. Accordingly, NMOSD can initially present as meningoencephalitis mimicking intracranial infection, and the characteristic MRI imaging is quite critical for differentiation.

Objective: To investigate the antiobesity effect of Jueming Prescription (JMP), a Chinese herbal medicine formula, and its influence on mRNA expressions of beta3 adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) and uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) in adipose tissue of diet-induced obese rats., Methods: Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (n =8) that was on a standard chow diet, and the obese model group (n =42) that was on a diet of high fat chow. Two weeks after the high fat diet, 29 obese rats in the obese model group were further randomly divided into 3 groups: the untreated obese model group (n =9), the metformin group (n =10, metformin 300 mg kg⁻¹ day)⁻¹, and the JMP group (n =10, JMP 4 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹). After 8-week treatment, body weight, wet weight of visceral fat, and percentage of body fat (PBF) were measured. The levels of fasting blood glucose, serum lipids, and insulin were assessed, and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was calculated. The adipose tissue section was stained with hematoxylin-Eosin, and the cellular diameter and quantity of adipocytes were evaluated by light microscopy. The mRNA expressions of beta3-AR and UCP-2 from the peri-renal fat tissue were determined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: Compared with the obese model group, treatment with JMP resulted in significantly lower body weight, wet weight of visceral fat, PBF, and diameter of adipocytes, and significantly higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, ISI (all P<0.01), JMP increased the mRNA expressions of beta3-AR and UCP-2 from perirenal fat tissue (P <0.05, P<0.01)., Conclusions: JMP could reduce body weight and adipocyte size; and the effect was associated with the up-regulation of beta3-AR and UCP-2 expressions in the adipose tissue and improvement of insulin sensitivity.

We have demonstrated an environment-friendly biomimetic synthesis method for the preparation of TiO(2) nanomaterials with different crystal phases and morphologies. This is the first time that it has been found that the crystal phase of TiO(2) can be controlled just by using different biotemplates, and cannot be changed by calcination up to 750 °C. In our experiment, anatase TiO(2) was obtained by using yeast and albumen templates, while rutile TiO(2) was formed by using dandelion pollen as the template.

In the title compound C(13)H(27)N(2)O(3) (+)·Cl(-)·H(2)O, obtained by deprotecting the amino and carboxyl groups of an inter-mediate in the synthesis of the cyclic penta-peptide Galaxamide, a number of hydrogen-bonding inter-actions occur including aminium N-H⋯Cl, amide-carboxyl N-H⋯O, water O-H⋯Cl and carbox-yl-water O-H⋯O associations. The aminium N-H⋯Cl⋯H-N bridging extensions give rise to zigzag chains extending along the a axis, the overall two-dimensional structure lying in the (110) plane.

Objective: To study the effects of Zhenqing Recipe (ZQR) and earthworm on the expressions of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in renal tissues of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats., Methods: The T2DM model rats induced by high sucrose/fat feeding and low dose streptozotocin injecting were randomly divided into the model group, the ZQR group, and the earthworm group. A normal control group was also set up. ZQR extract was given at the daily dose of 24 g/kg body weight by gastrogavage to rats in the ZQR group. The earthworm extract was given at the daily dose of 2.6 g/kg body weight by gastrogavage to rats in the earthworm group. Equal volume of distilled water was given to rats in the normal control group and the model group by gastrogavage. The medication was once daily for 8 successive weeks. The fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum PAI-1, 24-h urinary albumin excretion (UAE), and endogenous creatinine clearance rate (CCr) were detected. The structural changes of renal tissues stained with Periodic Acid-Schiff were observed by light microscope. The expressions of TGF-beta1 and PAI-1 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. And the mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-beta1 and PAI-1 in the renal cortex were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blot respectively., Results: Compared with the normal control group, the FBG, serum PAI-1, UAE, the mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-beta1, and PAI-1 significantly increased in the model group, and CCr obviously decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, FBG, serum PAI-1, UAE obviously decreased (P<0.01) and CCr obviously increased (P<0.05) in the ZQR group. FBG was not obviously lowered in the earthworm group. The serum PAI-1 and UAE both decreased obviously (P<0.05, P<0.01) and CCr increased (P<0.05) in the earthworm group. The effects of ZQR were superior to the earthworm. The renal pathological changes got improved in the ZQR group and the earthworm group. The mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-beta1 and PAI-1 significantly decreased in the ZQR group and the earthworm group, especially in the ZQR group., Conclusions: Early application of ZQR and earthworm in treatment of T2DM rats with nephropathy was effective in protecting the kidney. Its mechanism may possibly be correlated with inhibition of TGF-beta1 expression, resulting in down-regulation of PAI-1 expression. ZQR showed better effects than earthworm.

Extrapontine myelinolysis and pure word deafness are very uncommon disorders. Here, we report a case of a 19-year-old woman who suffered from osmotic demyelination syndrome with coincidence of typical pure word deafness. As a consequence of rapid correction of hyponatremia, the patient demonstrated an initial onset of cortical deafness, and then progressed to generalized auditory agnosia, which eventually developed into confined verbal auditory agnosia (pure word deafness). Bilateral extrapontine myelinolysis was confirmed using brain magnetic resonance imaging. This case suggests that verbal and nonverbal stimuli may involve separate thalamocortical pathways.

An extractive biocatalytic method of aqueous two-phase system was employed for stereoinversing (R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol into (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol by Candida parapsilosis CCTCC M203011. It was observed that substrate and product inhibitions in microbial stereoinversion through one-pot oxidation and reduction were removed efficiently by extractive biocatalysis in aqueous two-phase system with PEG 4000/phosphate potassium system, and that the substrate concentration was enhanced from 15 to 30 g/L with product optical purity of 99.02% e.e. and yield of 90% after 60 h. Simultaneously, it was observed that change in cell morphology impedes the further enhancement of substrate concentration in this system but can be reversibly changed after stereoinversion or cultivation in systems without PEG.

Background: Acetylcholine induced inwardly rectifying current (I(KACh)) is a heteromultimeric complex formed by Kir3.1 and Kir3.4 subunits and plays important roles in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is a common disorder among Chinese, the frequency of AF is about 0.61%, and in patients with strokes it is 12.1%. We hypothesise that lone paroxysmal AF genetic variation in Kir3.4 may predispose the atria to fibrillation in the Chinese population., Methods: We recruited 186 patients with lone paroxysmal AF, and 210 matched controls by age (49.61+/-8.04 years), sex, smoking habit, and left atrial dimension in Zhejiang Province, China. Genotype of Kir3.4 was determined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. The SPSS statistical software was used for chi(2) test. LD and haplotypes were calculated using SHESIS software package., Results: Three synonymous known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Kir3.4 were genotyped, including C171T (rs6590357), G810T (rs7118824) and C834T (rs7118833). We found low levels of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between C171T and G810T (D'=0.272), complete LD between SNPs G810T and C834T (D'=1) in AF patients and controls. The case-control analysis revealed that the frequency of genotype and allele in three SNPs are significantly different between lone paroxysmal AF patients than in control subjects. The odds ratio (OR) for AF 171T and 810T alleles were 1.546 (95% CI 1.015-2.355) and 1.520 (95% CI 1.012-2.284), respectively, when compared with patients without Kir3.4T alleles in these two loci. The OR for AF in patients with C-T genotype were 13.364 (95% CI 5.710-31.278) and 37.135 (95% CI 9.050-152.381) when comparing patients with T-G genotype., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that C171T and G810T SNPs in Kir3.4 gene might be risk factors for lone paroxysmal AF in Chinese population.

Many studies involving lexical access in picture-naming tasks have been undertaken at a point in time, mainly focusing on age of acquisition (AoA). To identify the real determinates of lexical access in recovery and their traces in the brain, we carried out a longitudinal study on a Chinese pure anomic patient using multiple logistic regression analysis. We found that AoA played an important role in early recovery but not in total recovery, whereas familiarity was significant in the whole process. From a new dynamic point of view, our results indicate that AoA and familiarity are the main determinants of lexical access in anomia recovery. We suggest that the changing effects of AoA during recovery may be related to the pathologic process; AoA and familiarity should be taken into account in constructing materials to assess and treat anomic patients.

Objective: To explore the detection rate of myocardial bridge (MB) in coronary angiography and its clinical significance., Method: The clinical data of 2 165 cases who had received selective coronary angiography were studied retrospectively., Results: MB was detected in 66 patients (3. 0% ) , among whom 62 were found in left anterior descending artery. Among the 58 cases with isolated myocardial bridge, 24 had no remarkable symptoms, whereas 34 showed clinical symptoms such as angina. The arterial stenosis beneath MB was significantly correlated with clinical symptoms (P < 0. 05 )., Conclusion: The improvement of the detection rate of MB can effectively decrease misdiagnosis and benefit the treatment.

Objective: To explore the effect of Zhenqing Recipe (ZQR) on renal structure and expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in experimental type 2 diabetic rats., Methods: The rat models of type 2 diabetic were set up by intraperitoneally giving small-dose streptozotocin (STZ) after fed with high carbohydrate and high fat diets for one month. The model rats were randomly divided into the model group,the high and low dose ZQR-treated groups,and the enalapril-treated group; a normal control group was also established. The course of treatment continued 8 weeks. The expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-1, and fibronectin (FN) in renal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. The morphological changes of glomeruli and renal tubules were checked by microscopy., Results: Compared with the normal control group, the expression of TIMP-1 and FN increased and MMP-9 decreased in the model group; the treated groups could decrease the expressions of TIMP-1 and FN, and increase the expression of MMP-9, especially the high-dose ZQR group had the best effect. The morphological changes of renal tubules and glomerulus in the treated groups were improved better as compared with the model group., Conclusion: The protective effect of ZQR on renal structure may be achieved by modulating the expressions of MMP-1 and TIMP-1.

Objective: To describe a HPLC method for assessing betaine in Fufang Guilu granule., Method: The content of betainephenaxcyl bromide in Fufang Guilu granule was determined by HPLC. The analytical column was a shim-pack CLC-ODS (6.0 mm x 150 mm) filling a 5 microm stationary phase; The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water(35:65) with 0.1 mol x L(-1) NaClO4; The flow-rate was 1 mL x min (-1); The detector was set at 254 nm., Result: The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.09-0.585 microg (r = 0.9997). The average recovery of the method was 98.4%, RSD 2.5% (n = 5)., Conclusion: The results showed that this method was reliable and accurate, and can be used for quality control of Fufang Guilu granule.

Aliquots from 40 plasma pools preserved with metaphosphoric acid were assayed for their ascorbic acid values after 12, 24, and 42 months of storage at -70 degrees C. Similarly, aliquots from 16 plasma pools were assayed for values of retinol, several carotenoids, and two tocopherols at 15.5, 27.5, and 51.5 months of storage at -70 degrees C. There were no indications of important losses of these antioxidant micronutrients during storage from the first to the last assay.