Publications by authors named "Lijuan Zhao"

The aim of this study was to determine nutrient elements in soybean (Glycine max) plants cultivated in farm soil amended with nCeO2 at 0-1000 mg kg(-1) and nZnO at 0-500 mg kg(-1). Digested samples were analyzed by ICP-OES/MS. Compared to control, pods from nCeO2 at 1000 mg kg(-1) had significantly less Ca but more P and Cu, while pods from 100 mg kg(-1)nZnO had more Zn, Mn, and Cu.

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Currently, most of the nanotoxicity studies in plants involve exposure to the nanoparticles (NPs) through the roots. However, plants interact with atmospheric NPs through the leaves, and our knowledge on their response to this contact is limited. In this study, hydroponically grown cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants were aerially treated either with nano ceria powder (nCeO2) at 0.

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There is lack of information about the effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on cucumber fruit quality. This study aimed to determine possible impacts on carbohydrates, proteins, mineral nutrients, and antioxidants in the fruit of cucumber plants grown in soil treated with CeO2 and ZnO NPs at 400 and 800 mg/kg. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to detect changes in functional groups, while ICP-OES and μ-XRF were used to quantify and map the distribution of nutrient elements, respectively.

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No recent studies have analyzed the rates of or reasons for unanticipated revision surgery within 30 days of primary surgery in spinal deformity patients. Our aim was to examine the incidence, characteristics, reasons, and risk factors for unplanned revision surgery in spinal deformity patients treated at one institution. All patients with a diagnosis of spinal deformity presenting for primary instrumented spinal fusion at a single institution from 1998 to 2012 were reviewed.

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Background: Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3) is a key steroidogenic enzyme that is overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and is associated with the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the expression level of AKR1C3 and the progression of PCa.

Methods: Sixty human prostate needle biopsy tissue specimens and ten LNCaP xenografts from intact or castrated male mice were included in the study.

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Three new 2, 6-disubstituted piperidine alkaloids (1-3), one new polyacetylene (8), together with eight known compounds (4-7, 9-12) were isolated from the whole plants of Lobelia chinensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by a convenient Mosher ester procedure in which the sample was treated with MTPA chlorides in deuterated pyridine directly in NMR tube.

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Objective: To investigate the incidences and characteristics of the ribs and intraspinal abnormalities in surgical patients with congenital scoliosis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the medical records and spine radiographs of 118 patients underwent surgical treatment between January 2010 and March 2011 with congenital scoliosis. The average age was 14 years (3-50 years).

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With the dramatic increase in nanotechnologies, it has become increasingly likely that food crops will be exposed to excess engineered nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, cucumber plants were grown to full maturity in soil amended with either CeO2 or ZnO NPs at concentrations of 0, 400, and 800 mg/kg. Chlorophyll and gas exchange were monitored, and physiological markers were recorded.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is also associated with depression. Although the precise mechanisms that lead to depression in AD are unknown, the impairments in adult hippocampal neurogenesis observed in AD may play a role. Adult-born neurons play a critical role in regulating both cognition and mood, and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with depression in other neurological disorders.

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Oxidative stress caused by doxorubicin (DOX) is believed to be a major underlying molecular mechanism of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Sesamin (Ses), an active component extracted from sesame seeds, exhibits antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, possible protective mechanisms of Ses on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity were investigated in rats and cultured H9C2 cells.

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The toxicological effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in plants are still largely unknown. In the present study, green pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants were treated with 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg kg(-1) of either ZnO NPs or bulk ZnO in organic matter enriched soil.

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Europium doped β-PbF₂ nano-particles with different doping concentration are prepared to investigate the site structure of Eu³⁺ dopants. It is concluded that the site symmetry of Eu³⁺ dopants in β-PbF₂ nano-particles lowers from O(h)to D(4h) with the increase of doping concentration. By X-ray diffraction analysis and photoluminescence spectroscopy study, a doping concentration induced phase transition from lowly doped cubic Pb₃EuF₉ to highly doped tetragonal PbEuF₅ is detected.

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In this review, the literature data on recent advances of the medicinal plant Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. (Simaroubaceae), both phytochemical and biological investigations, are compiled.

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The transfer of nanoparticles (NPs) into the food chain through edible plants is of great concern. Cucumis sativus L. is a freshly consumed garden vegetable that could be in contact with NPs through biosolids and direct agrichemical application.

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A series of rare earth (RE) doped oxyfluoride glasses with the composition of (45-x) SiO2-5Al2O3-40PbF2-10CdF2-xRe2O3 (x = 1, 5, 10, 15) (mol%) were prepared by a traditional melt-quenching method. Glass ceramics (GCs) were obtained after thermal treatment and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to investigate the nanocrystal structure and distortion. Both the dopant type and the doping level play an important role in the distortion of the PbF2-RE lattice.

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Four novel alkaloid-lignan hybrids, lobechinenoids A-D (1-4), were isolated as a mixture of two diastereomeric pairs of enantiomers from the aerial parts of Lobelia chinensis. These compounds are constituted of the union of a tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid and a dihydrobenzofuran neolignan moiety. The structures were determined by detailed analyses of IR, MS and NMR data.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cadmium (Cd) is a harmful environmental pollutant that can cause serious kidney damage and oxidative stress, leading to cell death (apoptosis).
  • Grape seed procyanidins extract (GSPE) has shown antioxidative properties and was tested for its protective effects against Cd-induced kidney damage in an animal study.
  • Results indicated that while Cd reduced important antioxidant enzyme activities and increased cell death, GSPE helped to mitigate oxidative damage and apoptosis by influencing the expression of proteins related to cell survival.
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Objective: Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) is a spinal realignment technique of correcting the sagittal spinal imbalance. Theoretically, the level and degree of resection via a PSO should impact the degree of sagittal correction. However, the quantitative effect of PSO level and focal angular change on postoperative spino-pelvic parameters has not been fully elucidated.

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Rationale: The transition metal carbonyls are among the most important complexes in coordination chemistry. The maximum coordination number in these complexes is seven. Because the cations Sc(+) and Y(+) have empty second outermost d orbital subshells, they can possibly bond eight CO ligands, forming the 18-electron d(10)s(2)p(6) noble gas configuration.

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Previous studies have reported the uptake of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) by plants, but their physiological impacts are not yet well understood. This research was aimed to study the impact of nCeO2 on the oxidative stress and antioxidant defense system in germinating rice seeds. The seeds were germinated for 10 days in nCeO2 suspension at 62.

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Bimetallic clusters of MPb5(-) (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) have been studied using density functional theory and photoelectron imaging spectroscopy. These anionic clusters and their neutrals were determined to be a Pb5 trigonal bipyramid with the coinage metal atom on its triangular facet. This structure of each MPb5(-) or MPb5 was found to be more than 0.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the alleviative effect of intra-articular (IA) injection of xanthan gum (XG) on pain and cartilage degradation in a model of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee osteoarthritis (OA). The rheological study and hyaluronidase (HAse) degradation analysis of XG injection were presented. The effect of pain relief was determined by measurements of paw withdrawal threshold and weight bearing by hind limbs.

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Vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra have been obtained for Cu(2)H(-) and AgCuH(-) using photoelectron imaging at 355 nm. Two transition bands X and A are observed for each spectrum. The X bands in both spectra show the vibration progressions of the Cu-H stretching mode and the broad peaks of these progressions indicate significant structural changes from Cu(2)H(-) and AgCuH(-) to their neutral ground states.

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Naringenin and eriodictyol are chiral flavanones widely present in citrus fruits and herbal products. Pharmacological interest in the two flavanones is well known. Due to the chiral carbon atom, the compounds always exist in the racemic form.

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Nanoparticles (NPs) can interact with naturally occurring inorganic and organic substances in soils, which may change their transport behavior in soil and plants. This study was performed in two steps. In the first step, corn (Zea mays) plants were cultivated for one month in soil amended with 10 nm commercial spheroid ZnO NPs at 0–800 mg kg−1 and sodium alginate at 10 mg kg−1.

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