Diosgenin derivative ML5 attenuates MPTP-induced neuronal impairment via regulating AMPK/PGC-1α-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion/fission.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the therapeutic impact of diosgenin derivative ML5 on Parkinson's disease (PD) and explore the mechanism underlying mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion/fission.

Methods: We established 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse models and N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP)-induced cell models of PD. The pole test and forced swimming test were used to detect the motor coordination and depressive symptoms in mice.

Insight into mixed chlorine/chloramines conversion and associated water quality variability in drinking water distribution systems.

Mixed chlorine/chloramines are common in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs); however, their transformation and impact on chemical and microbial characteristics are not well understood. We systematically investigated water quality parameters associated with mixed chlorine/chloramine species conversion in 192 samples (including raw, finished, and tap water) collected throughout the year in a city in East China. Various chlorine/chloramine species (free chlorine, monochloramine [NHCl], dichloramine [NHCl], and organic chloramines [OC]) were detected in both chlorinated and chloraminated DWDSs.

[The role and molecular mechanism of miR-494 in disease development and progression].

MicroRNA-494 (miR-494) is a small non-coding RNA located in chromosome 14q32.31 and regulates post-transcriptional gene expression by promoting the degradation of its target mRNAs via binding to the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR). It has been reported that miR-494 plays an important role in the occurrence, development and prognosis of various diseases.

Bioactive prenylated phenolic compounds from the aerial parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

In this work, a bioassay-guided fractionation strategy was used to isolate 26 phenolic compounds from the ethyl acetate partition of an ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. Among them, 8 prenylated phenolic compounds (glycyuralins Q-X) were described for the first time.

Evidence for two types of and its implications for adaptation to new environments.

Spurs have played an important role in the radiation of the genus , but little is known about how the spurless state arose in . Here we aim to characterize the genetic divergence within and gain insights into the origin of this species. A total of 19 populations from and 23 populations from three of its closest relatives (, and ) were sampled in this study.

Discovery of Guanidine Derivatives from Karsch with Metal-Binding and Cholinesterase Inhibition Properties.

Two rare guanidine-type alkaloids, Buthutin A () and Buthutin B (), along with two other compounds (, ), were isolated from Karsch, and determined using extensive spectroscopic data analysis and high resolution-mass spectrometry. Compound showed the most potent inhibition on AChE and BChE with IC values of 7.83 ± 0.

A "Biconcave-Alleviated" Strategy to Construct -Derived Carbon/MoS for Ultrastable Sodium Ion Storage.

Two-dimensional layered materials commonly face hindered electron transfer and poor structure stability, thus limiting their application in high-rate and long-term sodium ion batteries. In the current study, we adopt finite element simulation to guide the rational design of nanostructures. By calculating the von Mises stress distribution of a series of carbon materials, we find that the hollow biconcave structure could effectively alleviate the stress concentration resulting from expansion.

MiR-494-mediated Effects on the NF-κB Signaling Pathway Regulate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Mice.

Objective: To explore the effects of miR-494 inhibition through the NF-κB signaling pathway on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) mouse model.

Methods: The AKI mice induced by LPS were treated with miR-494 antagomir, and the kidney parameters and indicators of oxidative stress were detected. HE and TUNEL staining were performed to observe the kidney histopathology and the apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs), respectively.

New 4-N-phenylaminoquinoline derivatives as antioxidant, metal chelating and cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease.

A series of new 4-N-phenylaminoquinoline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and their anticholinesterase activities, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, metal-chelating ability were tested. Among them, compounds 11j, 11k and 11l had comparable inhibition activities to reference drug galantamine both in AChE and in BChE. Especially, compound 11j revealed the most potent inhibition to eeAChE and eqBChE with IC values of 1.

Research progress of vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of epilepsy.

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) defined drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) that epilepsy seizure symptoms cannot be controlled with two well-tolerated and appropriately chosen antiepileptic drugs, whether they are given as monotherapy or in combination. According to the WHO reports, there is about 30%-40% of epilepsy patients belong to DRE. These patients need some treatments other than drugs, such as epilepsy surgery, and neuromodulation treatment.

Chest wall metastasis in postoperative thyroid cancer: a case report.

Thyroid cancer is common in China. Thyroid adenocarcinoma metastases can be local or distal metastasis. Local metastasis presents as a hard and fixed lymph node in the neck, while distant metastases are found in the lung, skull, vertebrae, and pelvis.

[Effects of Cyclical Temperature Fluctuations on Organic Carbon Mineralization in Purple Soil].

In the natural state, the soil temperature changes periodically throughout the day, but there is no unified opinion on whether the daily variation of soil temperature affects the mineralization of soil organic carbon. Therefore, the effect of cyclical temperature fluctuations on organic carbon mineralization of purple soil, widely distributed in southwest China, was studied by an incubation experiment in the laboratory. These soils were incubated at three constant temperatures (15, 20, and 25℃) with cyclically fluctuating temperatures (the range was within 15/25℃) and two moisture levels (70% water holding capacity (WHC) and submerged condition).

High-Energy Density Li metal Dual-Ion Battery with a Lithium Nitrate-Modified Carbonate-Based Electrolyte.

Lithium (Li) metal is a favorable anode for most energy storage equipment, thanks to its higher theoretical specific capacity. However, nonuniform Li nucleation/growth results in large-sized and irregular dendrites generated from the Li anode, which causes rapid capacity fade and serious safety hazard, hindering its widespread practical applications. In this paper, with the aid of a lithium nitrate (LiNO) additive in a carbonate-based electrolyte, the Li anode shows low hysteresis for in excess of 1000 h at a current density of 0.

Bioaccumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds in fish with different feeding habits along the largest subtropical river, China.

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are becoming an increasing concern regarding bioaccumulation in aquatic biota. However, the effects of regional pollution levels and specific feeding habits on the bioaccumulation of EDCs in fish are rarely reported. 4-Nonylphenol (4-NP), bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) were determined in abiotic compartments [water, sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM)] and fish with different feeding habits along the Pearl River, China.

Protective effects of enhanced minor ginsenosides in Lactobacillus fermentum KP-3-fermented ginseng in mice fed a high fat diet.

Lactobacillus fermentum KP-3 was isolated from Korean pickle and used to ferment ginseng. The changes in the minor ginsenosides in the fermented ginseng were analyzed and the material was evaluated in high fat diet-fed mice. Total ginsenosides increased from 0.

Comparison of intravitreal ganciclovir monotherapy and combination with foscarnet as initial therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis.

Aim: To compare the effectiveness between multiple intravitreal injections of ganciclovir alone and combined with foscarnet as initial treatment for patients with newly-onset cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR).

Methods: The retrospective study observed 37 patients (58 eyes) who suffered from CMVR onset between 2013 and 2015. Among them, 35 eyes underwent 4 weekly intravitreal injections of 3.

[Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Environmental Risk of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the Liuxi River].

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and spatio-temporal distribution of 4--octylphenol (4--OP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), triclosan (TCS), estrone (E1), 17-estradiol (E2), and bisphenol-A (BPA) as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the water of the Liuxi River and to evaluate the risks for estrogenic activity. The results showed that EDCs had been detected at the 14 monitoring sites and the total concentration ranged from 26.07 ng·L to 7109.

Tuning Electrochemical Properties of Li-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes by Adjusting Co/Ni Ratios and Mechanism Investigation Using in situ X-ray Diffraction and Online Continuous Flow Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry.

Owing to high specific capacity of ∼250 mA h g, lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials (LiNi Co MnO) have been considered as one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation cathode materials of lithium ion batteries. However, the commercialization of this kind of cathode materials seriously restricted by voltage decay upon cycling though Li-rich materials with high cobalt content have been widely studied and show good capacity. This research successfully suppresses voltage decay upon cycling while maintaining high specific capacity with low Co/Ni ratio in Li-rich cathode materials.

Deceleration capacity-a novel measure for autonomic nervous system in patients with vasovagal syncope on tilt-table testing.

This study was to investigate the changes of autonomic nerve function and hemodynamics in patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS) during head-up tilt-table testing (HUT). HUT was performed in 68 patients with unexplained syncope and 18 healthy subjects served as control group. According to whether bradycardia, hypotension or both took place during the onset of syncope, the patients were divided during the test into three subgroups: vasodepressor syncope (VD), cardioinhibitory syncope (CI) and mixed syncope (MX) subgroups.

[Removal Behavior of Ibuprofen and Diclofenac in Different Constructed Wetlands].

Ibuprofen and diclofenac, two commonly used pharmaceuticals, were studied to evaluate the removal behavior of acid pharmaceuticals in constructed wetlands (CWs) with different flow types, vegetation and seasons. It was shown that flow types influenced the results significantly. The average removal efficiency of ibuprofen in horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) and vertical subsurface flow (VSSF) CWs (69% and 60%, respectively) was significantly higher than that in surface flow (SF) CWs (26%).

Platinum nanoparticles on porphyrin functionalized graphene nanosheets as a superior catalyst for methanol electrooxidation.

A novel nanostructured catalyst of platinum nanoparticles supported on 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridinio)porphyrin tetra(p-toluenesulfonate) (TMPyP) functionalized graphene (TMPyP-graphene) is synthesized by the hydrothermal polyol process. The as-synthesized nanocomposites are characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical tests. It has been found that Pt nanoparticles of ca.

[Quality of life of inpatients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis and its influential factors].

Objective: To investigate the quality of life ( QOL) of inpatients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis( CWP) and analyse its influential factors, and to provide a theoretical basis for effective control measures.

Methods: Eighty-eight CWP patients in a hospital were included in the study. A questionnaire survey was conducted in them using a self-designed QOL scale.

Bis{1-[(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]-1H-imidazole-κN (3)}bis-(3,5-dicarb-oxy-benzoato-κ(2) O (1),O (1'))nickel(II) octa-hydrate.

In the title complex, [Ni(C9H5O6)2(C11H10N4)2]·8H2O, the Ni(II) ion exhibits site symmetry 2. It has a distorted octa-hedral coordination defined by two N atoms from two symmetry-related 1-[(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]-1H-imidazole ligands and four O atoms from two symmetry-related 3,5-dicarb-oxy-benzoate anions. In the crystal, the complex mol-ecules and solvent water mol-ecules are linked via O-H⋯O, O-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional structure.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells promote hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats.

Objectives: Our goal was to study the ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to stimulate liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats.

Methods: MSCs were isolated from bone marrow and cultured in vitro. Their characteristics were analyzed by flow cytometry.