Aerobic training attenuates cardiac remodeling in mice post-myocardial infarction by inhibiting the p300/CBP-associated factor.

Aerobic training (AT), an effective form of cardiac rehabilitation, has been shown to be beneficial for cardiac repair and remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). The p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) is one of the most important lysine acetyltransferases and is involved in various biological processes. However, the role of PCAF in AT and AT-mediated cardiac remodeling post-MI has not been determined. Here, we found that the PCAF protein level was significantly increased after MI, while AT blocked the increase in PCAF. AT markedly improved cardiac remodeling in mice after MI by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). In vivo, similar to AT, pharmacological inhibition of PCAF by Embelin improved cardiac recovery and attenuated ERS in MI mice. Furthermore, we observed that both IGF-1, a simulated exercise environment, and Embelin protected from H2O2-induced cardiomyocyte injury, while PCAF overexpression by viruses or the sirtuin inhibitor nicotinamide eliminated the protective effect of IGF-1 in H9C2 cells. Thus, our data indicate that maintaining low PCAF levels plays an essential role in AT-mediated cardiac protection, and PCAF inhibition represents a promising therapeutic target for attenuating cardiac remodeling after MI.

Lower-Temperature Nucleation and Growth of Colloidal CdTe Quantum Dots Enabled by Prenucleation Clusters with Cd-Te Bond Conservation.

The reason why heating is required remains elusive for the traditional synthesis of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) of II-VI metal chalcogenide (ME). Using CdTe as a model system, we show that the formation of Cd-Te covalent bonds with individual Cd- and Te-containing compounds can be decoupled from the nucleation and growth of CdTe QDs. Prepared at an elevated temperature, a prenucleation-stage sample contains clusters that are the precursor compound (PC) of magic-size clusters (MSCs); the Cd-Te bond formation occurs at temperatures higher than 120 °C in the reaction. Afterward, the PC-to-QD transformation appears via monomers at lower temperatures in dispersion. Our findings suggest that the number of Cd-Te bonds broken in the PC reactant is similar to that of Cd-Te bonds formed in the QD product. For the traditional synthesis of ME QDs, heating is responsible for the M-E bond formation rather than for nucleation.

Room-Temperature Formation of CdTeSe Magic-Size Clusters from Oleate-Capped CdTe Precursor Compounds via CdSe Monomer Substitution.

We report the first room-temperature synthesis of ternary CdTeSe magic-size clusters (MSCs) that have mainly the surface ligand oleate (OA). The MSCs display sharp optical absorption peaking at ∼399 nm and are thus referred to as MSC-399. They are made from prenucleation-stage samples of binary CdTe and CdSe, which are prepared by two reactions in 1-octadecene (ODE) of cadmium oleate (Cd(OA)2) and tri-n-octylphosphine chalcogenide (ETOP, E = Te and Se) at 25 °C for 120 min and 80 °C for 15 min, respectively. When the two binary samples are mixed at room temperature and dispersed in a mixture of toluene (Tol) and octylamine (OTA), the CdTeSe MSC-399 develops. Also, when the CdSe sample is added to CdTe MSC-371 in a dispersion, the transformation from CdTe MSC-371 to CdTeSe MSC-399 is seen. We propose that the MSCs develop from their precursor compounds (PCs) that are relatively transparent in optical absorption, such as CdTeSe MSC-399 from CdTeSe PC-399 and CdTe MSC-371 from CdTe PC-371. The formation of CdTeSe PC-399 undergoes monomer substitution and not anion exchange, which is the reaction of CdTe PC-371 and the CdSe monomer to produce CdTeSe PC-399 and the CdTe monomer. Our study provides evidence of monomer substitution for the transformation from binary CdTe to ternary CdTeSe PCs.

A diet-wide association study for liver cancer risk: findings from a prospective cohort study in Chinese men.

Dietary factors have been extensively investigated as possible risk factors for liver cancer, but the evidence is inconclusive. Our study systematically assessed the association between 142 foods and nutrients and liver cancer risk in a Chinese population using a diet-wide association study. Based on data from 59,844 men in the Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS), we assessed the diet intake by dietary questionnaires. Cox regression was used to quantify the association between each food and nutrient and liver cancer risk. A false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.05 was used to select the foods and nutrients for validation. In the cohort, 431 liver cancer cases were identified during 712,373 person-years of follow-up. Retinol (HR per 1 SD increment = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14) was associated with a higher risk of liver cancer, whereas onions (HR per 1 SD increment = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.84) and manganese (HR per 1 SD increment = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.78-0.94) were inversely associated with liver cancer risk. In the replication analysis, estimates for these foods and nutrients were similar in magnitude and direction. Our findings confirm that retinol, onions and manganese were associated with liver cancer risk, which provides reliable evidence between diet and liver cancer development.

Sex-specific impact of dietary patterns on liver cancer incidence: updated results from two population-based cohort studies in China.

PURPOSE: The associations between dietary patterns and liver cancer risk have received much attention, but evidence among the Chinese population is scarce. This study aims to update the results of two cohort studies and provide the sex-specific associations in the Chinese population. METHODS: This study was based on two cohorts from the Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS) and the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS). Diet information was collected by validated food frequency questionnaires. Dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis. Cox regression model was utilized to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for associations between dietary patterns and liver cancer risk. RESULTS: During median follow-up years of 11.2 (male) and 17.1 (female) years, 427 males and 252 females were identified as incident primary liver cancer cases. In males, vegetable-based dietary pattern was inversely associated with liver cancer (HRQ4-Q1: 0.67, 95%CI 0.51-0.88, Ptrend < 0.001). Interaction analysis indicated that in males lower vegetable-based dietary pattern score and older age/medical history of chronic hepatitis combined increase the hazard of liver cancer more than the sum of them, with a 114% and 1061% higher risk, respectively. In females, the fruit-based dietary pattern was associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer (HRQ4-Q1: 0.63, 95%CI 0.42-0.95, Ptrend = 0.03). In both males and females, null associations were observed between the meat-based dietary pattern and the risk of liver cancer. CONCLUSION: A vegetable-based dietary pattern in males and a fruit-based dietary pattern in females tended to have a protective role on liver cancer risk. This study provided updated information that might be applied to guide public health action for the primary prevention of liver cancer.

Residential mobility and liver cancer risk: findings from a prospective cohort study in Chinese women.

BACKGROUND: Residential mobility is believed to influence the occurrence and development of cancer; however, the results are inconclusive. Furthermore, limited studies have been conducted on Asian populations. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between residential mobility and liver cancer risk among Chinese women. METHODS: We enrolled 72,818 women from urban Shanghai between 1996 and 2000, and then followed them until the end of 2016. Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the association between residential mobility and liver cancer risk. A linear trend test was conducted by ranking variables. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted, excluding participants with follow-up times of less than 2 years, to prevent potential bias. RESULTS: During the 1,269,765 person-years of follow-up, liver cancer was newly diagnosed in 259 patients. Domestic migration (HR = 1.47, 95% CI, 1.44-1.50), especially immigration to Shanghai (HR = 1.47, 95% CI, 1.44-1.50) was associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. In addition, migration frequency, age at initial migration and first immigration to Shanghai had linear trends with an increased liver cancer risk (Ptrend <0.001). The results were similar when excluding participants with less than two years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The possible association between residential mobility and a higher risk of liver cancer in women could suggest the need for effective interventions to reduce adverse environmental exposures and enhance people's health.

A dramatic decline in fruit citrate induced by mutagenesis of a NAC transcription factor, AcNAC1.

Citrate is a common primary metabolite which often characterizes fruit flavour. The key regulators of citrate accumulation in fruit and vegetables are poorly understood. We systematically analysed the dynamic profiles of organic acid components during the development of kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.). Citrate continuously accumulated so that it became the predominate contributor to total acidity at harvest. Based on a co-expression network analysis using different kiwifruit cultivars, an Al-ACTIVATED MALATE TRANSPORTER gene (AcALMT1) was identified as a candidate responsible for citrate accumulation. Electrophysiological assays using expression of this gene in Xenopus oocytes revealed that AcALMT1 functions as a citrate transporter. Additionally, transient overexpression of AcALMT1 in kiwifruit significantly increased citrate content, while tissues showing higher AcALMT1 expression accumulated more citrate. The expression of AcALMT1 was highly correlated with 17 transcription factor candidates. However, dual-luciferase and EMSA assays indicated that only the NAC transcription factor, AcNAC1, activated AcALMT1 expression via direct binding to its promoter. Targeted CRISPR-Cas9-induced mutagenesis of AcNAC1 in kiwifruit resulted in dramatic declines in citrate levels while malate and quinate levels were not substantially affected. Our findings show that transcriptional regulation of a major citrate transporter, by a NAC transcription factor, is responsible for citrate accumulation in kiwifruit, which has broad implications for other fruits and vegetables.

Sex-Specific Correlation Analysis of Branched-Chain Amino Acids in Dietary Intakes and Plasma among Chinese Adults.

BACKGROUND: Previous findings about the influence of dietary intakes of the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) on their plasma concentrations have been limited and inconsistent, and evidence from the Chinese population was lacking. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the diet-plasma BCAA correlations in Chinese male and female adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a nested case-control study within 2 prospective population-based cohorts in Shanghai, China. Diet information was collected by the food frequency questionnaires. Plasma BCAA concentrations were measured by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Spearman correlations and linear regression models were conducted to examine the relationships between dietary BCAA intakes and plasma BCAA. The multivariable model was adjusted for age at the interview, total energy intake, time of blood collection from last meal, dietary patterns, body mass index (in kg/m2), type 2 diabetes, and physical activity. RESULTS: A total of 322 males (median age of 57.0 y) and 187 females (median age of 60.0 y) were included in this cross-sectional study. The geometric means of dietary intake of leucine, isoleucine, valine, and BCAA were 4937.7, 3029.6, 3268.5, and 11237.4 mg/d in males, and 4125.7, 2567.8, 2754.3, and 9449.4 mg/d in females. The geometric means of plasma concentrations of leucine, isoleucine, valine, and BCAA were 181.9, 65.0, 219.8, and 469.4 µM/L in males and 161.6, 61.1, 206.5, and 431.6 µM/L in females. Only leucine (r = 0.1660, P = 0.0028) and total BCAA (r = 0.1348, P = 0.0155) in males exhibited weak positive correlation coefficients. After adjustment for the covariates, leucine, isoleucine, valine, and total BCAA in dietary intakes and plasma were not correlated in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese male and female adults, dietary intakes are not major determinants of plasma concentrations of BCAA, and plasma concentrations might not be reflected by usual dietary intakes of BCAA.

Cross-sectional relationships between general and central adiposity and plasma amino acids in Chinese adults.

Adiposity is an important determinant of blood metabolites, but little is known about the variations of blood amino acids according to general and central adiposity status among Chinese population. This study included 187 females and 322 males who were cancer-free subjects randomly selected from two cohorts in Shanghai, China. Participants' plasma concentrations of amino acids were measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Linear regression models were used to examine the cross-sectional correlations between general and central adiposity and amino acid levels. A total of 35 amino acids in plasma were measured in this study. In females, alanine, aspartic acid and pyroglutamic acid were positively correlated with general adiposity. In males, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, valine and pyroglutamic acid showed positive correlations, and glutamine, serine and glycine showed negative correlations with both general and central adiposity; phenylalanine, isoleucine and leucine were positively correlated and N-phenylacetylglutamine was negatively correlated with general adiposity; asparagine was negatively correlated with central adiposity. In summary, general adiposity and central adiposity were correlated with the concentrations of specific plasma amino acids among cancer-free female and male adults in China. Adiposity-metabolite characteristics and relationships should be considered when studying blood biomarkers for adiposity-related health outcomes.

Joint impact of BMI, physical activity and diet on type 2 diabetes: Findings from two population-based cohorts in China.

AIMS: Limited epidemiological data on the combined impact of several lifestyle factors on type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence was reported in Chinese population. This study aimed to examine how combinations of BMI, physical activity and diet relate to T2D incidence and estimate corresponding population attributable risk in the general population. METHODS: A total of 56,691 male and 70,849 female participants aged 40-74 years old in two population-based cohorts from the Shanghai Men's and Women's Health Studies were used for analysis. The Cox regression model was used to estimate the association between lifestyle factors collected at baseline and T2D incidence. Multivariable-adjusted population attributable risks were calculated for specific combinations of lifestyle factors. RESULTS: There were 3315 male and 5925 female incident T2D, with corresponding density incidence rates of 6.39 and 6.04 per 1000 person-years. If the healthiest group of healthy lifestyle index (HLI) was used as a reference, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of T2D increased monotonically in men [2.04 (1.75, 2.38); 2.94 (2.53, 3.42); 4.31 (3.66, 5.07)] and women [1.85 (1.64, 2.08); 2.79 (2.49, 3.13); 4.14 (3.66, 4.67)]. One point increase of HLI was related to 35% and 35% lower risk in men and women. About 52.7% and 58.4% cases in men and women could have been avoided if participants had been adherent to a healthy lifestyle of maintaining healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet and keeping physically active. CONCLUSIONS: An increased number of healthy lifestyle factors were associated with a decreased risk of T2D in the Chinese population. Future interventions targeted at combined healthy lifestyle factors are needed to reduce the burden of T2D.

A Real-Time In Situ Demonstration of Direct and Indirect Transformation Pathways in CdTe Magic-Size Clusters at Room Temperature.

The transformations of colloidal semiconductor magic-size clusters (MSCs) are expected to occur with only discrete, step-wise redshifts in optical absorption. Here, we challenge this assumption presenting a novel, conceptually different transformation, for which the redshift is continuous. In the room-temperature transformation from CdTe MSC-448 to MSC-488 (designated by the peak wavelengths in nanometer), the redshift of absorption monitored in situ displays distinctly continuous and/or step-wise behavior. Based on conclusive evidence provided by real-time experiments, the former transformation is apparently direct and intra-cluster with a relatively large energy barrier. The latter transformation is indirect and assisted by MSC precursor compounds (PCs). The former transformation follows the latter often, being predominant at a relatively high temperature. The present findings encourage a reconsideration of the absorption redshift reported previously for transformations of binary II-VI MSCs, together with the pathway associated without the increase of cluster mass.

Dietary fat intake and liver cancer incidence: A population-based cohort study in Chinese men.

To date, limited studies have focused on the association between dietary fat and liver cancer risk, especially in China. Our study aims to evaluate the association between dietary fat intake and liver cancer incidence risk in men. Dietary fat intake was obtained through a validated food frequency questionnaire in a Chinese prospective cohort. The Cox regression model was utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). After exclusion, 59 998 recruitments were finally analyzed with a total follow-up time of 714 339 person-years, 431 incident liver cancer cases were newly identified among them. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for the highest vs lowest quartile of total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) were 1.33 (1.01-1.75), 1.50 (1.13-1.97), 1.26 (0.96-1.65), and 1.41 (1.07-1.86), and the corresponding P-trend values were .008, .005, .034, and .005, respectively. In the secondary analysis among participants tested for hepatitis B virus, we found that higher intakes of saturated fat and PUFA were also associated with increased liver cancer risks. Besides, high risks of per standard deviation alterations of the total fat, saturated fat and MUFA were detected in liver cancer, and these results were similar to those concluded from the full-cohort analysis. In conclusion, dietary intakes of total fat, saturated fat, PUFA, and probably MUFA might increase liver cancer risks. Our study provides suggestive advice to public administration on dietary suggestions, and related measures taken from managing dietary fat intake might reduce liver cancer incidence.

Reversible Transformations at Room Temperature among Three Types of CdTe Magic-Size Clusters.

We report the first observation of the reversible transformations that occur among three types of CdTe magic-size clusters (MSCs) in dispersion at room temperature and discuss our understanding of the transformation pathway. The reversible transformations were achieved with CdTe prenucleation stage samples, which were prepared with reactions of cadmium oleate [Cd(OA)2] and tri-n-octylphosphine telluride in 1-octadecene and were then dispersed in mixtures of toluene and a primary amine at room temperature. Three types of OA-passivated CdTe MSCs evolved, exhibiting sharp optical absorption singlets peaking at 371, 417, and 448 nm. The MSCs and their immediate precursor compounds (PCs; with no sharp optical absorption) are labeled by the MSC absorption peak wavelengths. The transformation between MSC-371 and MSC-417 has a distinct isosbestic point at ∼385 nm and that between MSC-417 and MSC-448 at ∼430 nm. Our findings suggest that these PC-enabled reversible transformations occur through a process of quasi-isomerization, transforming between PCs and their counterpart MSCs, combined with substitution reactions that cause transformation between the two involved PCs.

Polyoxometalate-Templated Cobalt-Resorcin[4]arene Frameworks: Tunable Structure and Lithium-Ion Battery Performance.

By employing a bowl-like tetra(benzimidazole)resorcin[4]arene (TBR4A) ligand, two new polyoxometalate-templated metal-organic frameworks (POMOFs), [Co8Cl14(TBR4A)6]·3[H3.3SiW12O40]·10DMF·11EtOH·20H2O (1) and [Co3Cl2(TBR4A)2(DMF)4]·[SiW12O40]·2EtOH·3H2O (2), have been prepared under solvothermal conditions (DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide). 1 shows a 2D cationic layer, whereas 2 exhibits a 3D framework. Remarkably, the Keggin POMs in 1 and 2 were located in the cavities formed by two bowl-like resorcin[4]arenes in sandwich fashions. Their framework structures were highly dependent on the coordination modes of the TBR4A ligands. To increase the conductivity of POMOFs, the samples of 1 and 2 were loaded on the conductive polypyrrole-reduced graphene oxide (PPy-RGO) via ball milling (1@PG and 2@PG). Then, the obtained composites experienced calcination at a proper temperature to produce 1@PG-A and 2@PG-A. The resulting 1@PG-A and 2@PG-A composites, with improved conductivities, uniform sizes and micropores, exhibited promising electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries. We herein proposed a size-controlled route for the rational fabrication of functional POMOFs and their usage in energy fields.

Non-motor symptoms are associated with midline tremor in essential tremor.

OBJECTIVES: Essential tremor (ET) patients presenting tremor in the midline structures may be a distinct subtype of the syndrome. Therefore, we sought to explore the clinical manifestations, especially non-motor symptoms (NMS) of Chinese ET patients with midline tremor (MT). METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, we grouped 290 definite or probable ET patients based on their MT conditions. The NMS in ET patients were evaluated using the NMS scale (NMSS). NMS and other clinical correlates were then compared among subgroups with, and without MT. RESULTS: We revealed that 39.0%, 27.6%, and 6.9% of the patients respectively had neck, voice, and facial tremors. With the accumulation of tremor in midline structures, NMS became more severe and prevalent. Logistic regression analyses revealed that factors such as: female gender (OR = 2.164, 95% CI: 1.307-3.583), having least or highest action arm tremor (OR = 2.512, 95% CI: 1.520-4.151), having higher score of sleep/fatigue domain (OR = 1.692, 95% CI: 1.004-2.850) and mood/apathy (OR = 1.926, 95% CI: 1.143-3.246) domain, to be independently associated with MT manifestation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the heterogeneity of symptoms in ET patients with MT, especially in prominent NMS. In addition, the discrepancy of NMS between patients with, and without MT provides novel insight into the underlying pathophysiology and therapeutic of ET.

Lack of association between appendectomy and Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein from the enteric nervous system is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The appendix contains abundant α-synuclein and lacks a blood-tissue barrier, suggesting that appendectomy might reduce α-synuclein aggregation, and therefore the risk of PD. Studies on this intriguing possibility have not come to consistent conclusions. METHODS: PubMed, Embase (via Ovid), and the Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials were searched for studies published through February 20, 2019 on the potential relationship between appendectomy and PD. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and evaluated the quality of included studies. Data were summarized as pooled effect sizes (RRs or SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), which were calculated using the inverse variance method and a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic and explored in subgroup analyses. RESULTS: Of the 408 references screened, six studies involving 3,554,540 people were included eventually. Appendectomy did not significantly affect PD risk (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.87-1.20, I2 = 83.1%, P = 0.789) or delay its onset (SMD 0.21, 95% CI - 0.03 to 0.44, I2 = 43.4%, P = 0.083). CONCLUSION: The available evidence suggests no protective effect of appendectomy against PD. Future studies should seek to clarify the role of inflammation, α-synuclein pathology and the gut-brain axis in PD pathogenesis.

Therapeutic Role for TSP-2 Antibody in a Murine Asthma Model.

BACKGROUND: Specific immunotherapy, including agonists for Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), have been shown to protect from allergies and to have a high immunomodulatory capacity. METHODS: A new antibody, TSP-2, reactive against an epitope of the extracellular domain of TLR2, was identified. The effect of the antibody on dendritic cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and flow cytometric analysis. The effect of TSP-2 in a murine asthma model induced with ovalbumin (OVA) was assessed. The model is a form of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and was analyzed by whole-body plethysmography, the measurement of Th1/Th2 cytokines in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum by ELISA, and the CCK-8 assay for lymphocyte proliferation. The effect of TSP-2 on the maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) was assessed by flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: TSP-2 promoted the maturation of dendritic cells and the proliferation of lymphocyte in vitro and in vivo. The effect of TSP-2 on T helper 1 (Th1)/Th2 cytokine secretion was slightly more powerful than that of Pam3CSK4. TSP-2 antibody reduced AHR and OVA-specific IgE levels in allergic asthma. TSP-2 antibody also reduced lung inflammation and decreased leukocyte numbers in an OVA-sensitized and challenged asthma model. TSP-2 antibody increased OVA-stimulated I-A, CD80, CD86, and MHC-II levels on BMDCs. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a novel therapeutic strategy for AHR, which uses antibodies reactive against TLR2. It also provides theoretical evidence for the control of allergic asthma by targeting TLR2.

Analysis of flood inundation in ungauged basins based on multi-source remote sensing data.

Floods are among the most expensive natural hazards experienced in many places of the world and can result in heavy losses of life and economic damages. The objective of this study is to analyze flood inundation in ungauged basins by performing near-real-time detection with flood extent and depth based on multi-source remote sensing data. Via spatial distribution analysis of flood extent and depth in a time series, the inundation condition and the characteristics of flood disaster can be reflected. The results show that the multi-source remote sensing data can make up the lack of hydrological data in ungauged basins, which is helpful to reconstruct hydrological sequence; the combination of MODIS (moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer) surface reflectance productions and the DFO (Dartmouth Flood Observatory) flood database can achieve the macro-dynamic monitoring of the flood inundation in ungauged basins, and then the differential technique of high-resolution optical and microwave images before and after floods can be used to calculate flood extent to reflect spatial changes of inundation; the monitoring algorithm for the flood depth combining RS and GIS is simple and easy and can quickly calculate the depth with a known flood extent that is obtained from remote sensing images in ungauged basins. Relevant results can provide effective help for the disaster relief work performed by government departments.

Analysis of the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of vegetative drought and its relationship with meteorological factors in China from 1982 to 2010.

Drought is a complex natural phenomenon that can cause reduced water supplies and can consequently have substantial effects on agriculture and socioeconomic activities. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of vegetative drought and its relationship with meteorological factors in China. The Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) dataset calculated from NOAA/AVHRR images from 1982 to 2010 was used to analyse the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of vegetative drought in China. This study also examined the trends in meteorological factors and their influences on drought using monitoring data collected from 686 national ground meteorological stations. The results showed that the VCI appeared to slowly rise in China from 1982 to 2010. From 1982 to 1999, the VCI rose slowly. Then, around 2000, the VCI exhibited a severe fluctuation before it entered into a relatively stable stage. Drought frequencies in China were higher, showing a spatial distribution feature of "higher in the north and lower in the south". Based on the different levels of drought, the frequencies of mild and moderate drought in four geographical areas were higher, and the frequency of severe drought was higher only in ecologically vulnerable areas, such as the Tarim Basin and the Qaidam Basin. Drought was mainly influenced by meteorological factors, which differed regionally. In the northern region, the main influential factor was sunshine duration, while the other factors showed minimal effects. In the southern region and Tibetan Plateau, the main influential factors were sunshine duration and temperature. In the northwestern region, the main influential factors were wind velocity and station atmospheric pressure.

[Development in synthesis of andrographolide derivatives].

Andrographolide is one of the major natural active constituents in Andrographis panniculata of Acanthaceae family. Andrographolide and its derivatives are proved to posses a wide range of biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-tumor, anti-human immunodeficiency virus(HIV), hepatoprotective and α-glucosidase inhibition activity. In this paper, the development of synthesis of rographolide derivatives and their related pharmacological activities were reviewed.