Association of atopy with disease severity in children with pneumonia.

Background: pneumonia (MPP) is common among children, but the impact of atopy on MPP severity in children is unknown. This study investigated whether atopic vs. nonatopic children had greater MPP severity.

Collaborative hydrothermal and calcination fabrication of ZnOS heterostructures for visible-light-driven H production.

Photocatalytic water splitting is forecasted as a promising strategy for H production. In this work, novel zinc oxide/zinc sulfide (ZnOS-) ( = 1, 2, 3 and 4) heterostructures were fabricated by a collaborative hydrothermal and calcination method with different amounts of trithiocyanuric acid. The formation of ZnOS- heterostructures was confirmed by PXRD, XPS, and HRTEM.

[Atractylenolide â… improves acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury in mice by inhibiting MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway].

This study explored the protective effect of atractylenolide Ⅰ(AO-Ⅰ) against acetaminophen(APAP)-induced acute liver injury(ALI) in mice and its underlying mechanism. C57 BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into a control group, an APAP group(500 mg·kg~(-1)), a low-dose combination group(500 mg·kg~(-1) APAP + 60 mg·kg~(-1) AO-Ⅰ), and a high-dose combination group(500 mg·kg~(-1) APAP + 120 mg·kg~(-1) AO-Ⅰ). ALI was induced by intraperitoneal injection of APAP(500 mg·kg~(-1)).

Hunzeylanines A-E, Five Bisindole Alkaloids Tethered with a Methylene Group from the Roots of .

Five novel bisindole alkaloids, hunzeylanines A-E (), with an unprecedented skeleton were isolated from the roots of . Compounds represent the first examples of akuammine-pleioarpamine-type bisindole alkaloids fused with a dihydropyran unit. Their structures including absolute configurations were established through comprehensive spectroscopic data analyses and computational calculation methods.

A U-shaped Association of Breastfeeding Duration with Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Postmenopausal Women.

Breastfeeding is related to maternal health. However, the association of women's breastfeeding duration with cognitive function in their later life is limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to accurately evaluate the association in Chinese postmenopausal women.

[Mechanisms of tanshinone Ⅱ_A in reducing 4-HNE-induced hepatocyte damage by activating PPARα].

Tanshinone â…¡_A( Tan â…¡_A),the liposoluble constituents of Salvia miltiorrhiza,can not only ameliorate the lipidic metabolism and decrease the concentration of lipid peroxidation,but also resist oxidation damage,scavenge free radicals and control inflammation,with a protective effect on prognosis after liver function impairment. Therefore,the studies on the exact mechanism of Tan â…¡_A in protecting the liver can provide important theoretical and experimental basis for the prevention and treatment effect of Tan â…¡_A for liver injury. In the present study,the protective effects and mechanism of Tan â…¡_A on 4-hydroxynonenal( 4-HNE)-induced liver injury were investigated in vitro.

Ervadivamines A and B, Two Unusual Trimeric Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids from Ervatamia divaricata.

Ervadivamines A (1) and B (2), two unprecedented trimeric monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, were isolated from Ervatamia divaricata. They are the first examples of vobasine-iboga-vobasine-type alkaloid with both C-C and C-N linkage patterns. Their structures including absolute configurations were fully accomplished by extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electric circular dichroism methods.

Protective Effect of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate on Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background/aims: Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common consequence of acute kidney injury. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which is derived from the pentose phosphate pathway, is essential for the proper functioning of essential redox and antioxidant defense systems. Previous studies have indicated that NADPH is responsible for protecting the brain from ischemic injury.

Identification of DNA-PKcs as a primary resistance factor of salinomycin in osteosarcoma cells.

Malignant osteosarcoma (OS) is still a deadly disease for many affected patients. The search for the novel anti-OS agent is extremely urgent and important. Our previous study has proposed that salinomycin is a novel anti-OS agent.

SC79 rescues osteoblasts from dexamethasone though activating Akt-Nrf2 signaling.

Dexamethasone (Dex) causes osteoblast cell injuries. In the present research, we tested the potential effect of SC79, a novel and specific Akt activator, against Dex in osteoblasts. In primary murine osteoblasts and osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, pretreatment with SC79 significantly attenuated Dex-induced cell death.

Non-viral liposome-mediated transfer of brain-derived neurotrophic factor across the blood-brain barrier.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the repair of central nervous system injury, but cannot directly traverse the blood-brain barrier. Liposomes are a new type of non-viral vector, able to carry macromolecules across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain. Here, we investigate whether BDNF could be transported across the blood-brain barrier by tail-vein injection of liposomes conjugated to transferrin (Tf) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and carrying BDNF modified with cytomegalovirus promoter (pCMV) or glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter (pGFAP) (Tf-pCMV-BDNF-PEG and Tf-pGFAP-BDNF-PEG, respectively).

[Characterization of Plasma Induced by Laser Effect on Coal Sample].

With the output of an OPG/OPA pumped by the third harmonic output 355 nm of a pulsed Nd·YAG laser as radiation source, the emission spectrum of laser induced coal sample plasma is created. The emission spectral line shows the character of Lorenz profile. So Stark broadening is the main widening way of this plasma system.

[Pharmacognostical study of Cyperus rotundus growing in Wen-River area].

Objective: To study the macroscopic, microscopic identification and chemical components of Cyperus rotundus growing in Wen-River area.

Methods: The features of different parts of Cyperus rotundus were described by material morphology and microscopic identification, the chemical components of aerial part and rhizome of Cyperus rotundus were studied by chemical experiment and GC-MS analysis.

Results: Summarized the transverse section structure of rhizome, stem and leaf of Cyperus rotundus, the chemical components of aerial part and the components and relative content of volatile oil in rhizome were determined.

A novel axial-stress bioreactor system combined with a substance exchanger for tissue engineering of 3D constructs.

This study introduced a prototype of an axial-stress bioreactor system that supports long-term growth and development of engineered tissues. The main features of this bioreactor are an integrated substance exchanger and feedback control of pH and POâ‚‚. A 21-day study was conducted to validate the system's ability to maintain a stable environment, while remaining sterile.

BMI is strongly associated with hypertension, and waist circumference is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia, in northern Chinese adults.

Background: Obesity is closely associated with chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and dyslipidemia. We analyzed the optimal obesity index cut-off values for metabolic syndrome (MetS), and identified the obesity index that is more closely associated with these chronic diseases, in a population of northern Chinese.

Methods: We surveyed 8940 adults (age, 20-74 years) living in northern China for chronic diseases.

Postweaning low-calcium diet promotes later-life obesity induced by a high-fat diet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a postweaning low-calcium diet on later obesity and explore the underlying mechanisms. Ninety-six male rats were weaned at 3 weeks of age, fed standard (STD: 0.50% calcium, n=48) and low-calcium (LC: 0.

Curcumin, a potential inhibitor of up-regulation of TNF-alpha and IL-6 induced by palmitate in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through NF-kappaB and JNK pathway.

Objective: To investigate the attenuating effect of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory compound derived from dietary spice turmeric (Curcuma longa) on the pro-inflammatory insulin-resistant state in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Methods: Glucose uptake rate was determined with the [3H] 2-deoxyglucose uptake method. Expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by quantitative RT-PCR analysis and ELISA.

[Longchang granule upregulates the expression of bax in the prostatic hyperplastic tissues of rats].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Longchang Granule in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Methods: Rat models of prostate hyperplasia were made by castration and testosterone propionate injection. After treated respectively with Longchang Granule and Longbishu by gastrogavage for 30 days, all the model rats were killed and their prostate glands harvested for the measurement of the wet weight and detection of the expression of bax in the prostatic hyperplastic tissues by RV 2-step method.

Effects of orexins on myoelectric activity of sphincter of Oddi in fasted rabbits.

Aim: To investigate the effects of peripheral orexins on myoelectric activity of the sphincter of Oddi (SO) in fasted rabbits, and carry out a preliminary investigation into the mechanisms underlying these effects.

Methods: Myoelectric activity of SO in fasted rabbits was recorded before and after intravenous or local application of orexins. The effects of intravenous atropine on orexin-increased myoelectric activity of SO were tested.

[Argyrophil nucleolar organizer regions as biomarker of effect for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure].

Objective: To study whether the argyrophil nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) in T lymphocytes of peripheral blood in coke-oven workers can be used as a biomarker of effect for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure.

Methods: Fifty-two male coke-oven workers were divided into three groups according to exposure levels of coke oven emissions: high-exposure, middle-exposure and low-exposure workers. Additionally 10 men without occupational PAH exposure were chosen as control group.