Alpha lipoamide inhibits diabetic kidney fibrosis via improving mitochondrial function and regulating RXRα expression and activation.

Previous studies have shown mitochondrial dysfunction in various acute kidney injuries and chronic kidney diseases. Lipoic acid exerts potent effects on oxidant stress and modulation of mitochondrial function in damaged organ. In this study we investigated whether alpha lipoamide (ALM), a derivative of lipoic acid, exerted a renal protective effect in a type 2 diabetes mellitus mouse model. 9-week-old db/db mice were treated with ALM (50 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g) for 8 weeks. We showed that ALM administration did not affect blood glucose levels in db/db mice, but restored renal function and significantly improved fibrosis of kidneys. We demonstrated that ALM administration significantly ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction and tubulointerstitial fibrotic lesions, along with increased expression of CDX2 and CFTR and decreased expression of ß-catenin and Snail in kidneys of db/db mice. Similar protective effects were observed in rat renal tubular epithelial cell line NRK-52E cultured in high-glucose medium following treatment with ALM (200 µM). The protective mechanisms of ALM in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) were further explored: Autodock Vina software predicted that ALM could activate RXRα protein by forming stable hydrogen bonds. PROMO Database predicted that RXRα could bind the promoter sequences of CDX2 gene. Knockdown of RXRα expression in NRK-52E cells under normal glucose condition suppressed CDX2 expression and promoted phenotypic changes in renal tubular epithelial cells. However, RXRα overexpression increased CDX2 expression which in turn inhibited high glucose-mediated renal tubular epithelial cell injury. Therefore, we reveal the protective effect of ALM on DKD and its possible potential targets: ALM ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and regulates the CDX2/CFTR/ß-catenin signaling axis through upregulation and activation of RXRα. Schematic figure illustrating that ALM alleviates diabetic kidney disease by improving mitochondrial function and upregulation and activation of RXRα, which in turn upregulated CDX2 to exert an inhibitory effect on ß-catenin activation and nuclear translocation. RTEC renal tubular epithelial cell. ROS Reactive oxygen species. RXRα Retinoid X receptor-α. Mfn1 Mitofusin 1. Drp1 dynamic-related protein 1. MDA malondialdehyde. 4-HNE 4-hydroxynonenal. T-SOD Total-superoxide dismutase. CDX2 Caudal-type homeobox transcription factor 2. CFTR Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. EMT epithelial mesenchymal transition. α-SMA Alpha-smooth muscle actin. ECM extracellular matrix. DKD diabetic kidney disease. Schematic figure was drawn by Figdraw ( www.figdraw.com ).

Recognition of depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse in a Chinese rural sample: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Under-utilization of mental health services is a global health issue. Recognition of mental disorders, as the first step to seeking help from professional sources, has been well studied in developed countries, yet little is known about the situation in rural areas of developing countries like China. The purpose of the study is to understand the recognition of depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse and its predictive factors in a Chinese rural sample METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted on a representative rural adult sample in a cross-sectional study in China (N = 2052). Respondents were presented with three vignettes depicting depression, anxiety and alcohol abuse and asked to label the disorder and its cause to assess their recognition of the three mental disorders. They also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess their current mental health status. RESULTS: The alcohol abuse vignette was more frequently attributed as a mental problem than the depression vignette and anxiety vignette. The correct labeling rate was 16.1 % in the depression vignette, 15.5 % in the anxiety vignette, and 58.2 % in the alcohol vignette. Higher education is the common and also strongest factor positively predicting the recognition of all three vignettes. Beyond that, being female is an independent predictor of correct recognition of alcohol abuse, while recognition of depression and anxiety were positively predicted by younger age. CONCLUSIONS: Lower recognition of depression and anxiety as compared to alcohol abuse confirms the importance and need to increase the public's awareness and knowledge about common mental disorders. Recognition of common mental disorders could be improved through general public campaign and education, while paying attention to the unique predictive factors for each specific disorder and implement targeted intervention.

Association of CYP3A4*18B and CYP3A5*3 polymorphism with cyclosporine-related liver injury in Chinese renal transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between CYP3A4*18B and CYP3A5*3 polymorphism and cyclosporine-related liver injuries in Chinese renal transplant recipients. METHODS: We genotyped 339 renal transplant recipients treated with a triple immunosuppressive regimen including cyclosporine for CYP3A4*18B and CYP3A5*3 polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. RESULTS: The incidence of liver injury in the study population was 36.9% (125/339). At 1 month after transplantation, the trough concentration of cyclosporine (C0) in the group with CYP3A4*1/*1(GG alleles) was significantly higher than in the group with CYP3A4*18B/*1 8B(AA alleles) (p < 0.05). At 3 months after transplantation, the C0 in the group with CYP3A4*1/*1 and group with CYP3A4*1/*18B was markedly higher than in the group with CYP3A4*18B/*18B (p < 0.05). The GG genotypes of CYP3A4*18B were more common in the liver injury group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that subjects carrying the GG genotypes had a 5.136- and 2.528-fold higher risk of developing cyclosporine-related liver injury than those with the AA and GA genotypes. When adjusted for sex, the risk of the CYP3A4*18B genotypes was OR = 4.969 for GG compared to AA (p = 0.030), and OR = 2.634 for GG compared to GA (p = 0.025). However, no association was observed between CYP3A5*3 polymorphisms with cyclosporine-related liver injury. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that the wild type of CYP3A4*18B is a risk factor for the development of cyclosporine- related liver injuries in Chinese renal transplant recipients.

Determination of trace indium in urine after preconcentration with a chelating-resin-packed minicolumn.

A simple and rapid chelating-resin-packed column has been developed for preconcentration of trace indium in biological samples. A large-sized urine sample was pumped through a minicolumn at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min by using a peristaltic pump, and the eluents were analyzed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Four commercially available chelating resins including Chelex-100, Amberlite IRC-50, Duolite GT-73, and Celite 545-AW were studied for evaluating the indium sorption performance. Several parameters, such as pH, resin amount, eluent volume, eluent flow rate, and the volume of sample, were investigated and optimized. A 100-200 mL of the sample was loaded into a column containing 1.2 g of wet Chelex-100 and subjected to the ion-exchange procedure. The retained analytes were eluted with 5.0 mL of 0.1 M HNO(3) and quantified by GFAAS. The correlation coefficient in the range 10-250 ng/mL was of 0.9994. The limit of detection of the proposed method was 2.75 ng/mL. The method developed was successfully applied to analysis of spiked urine samples with good recoveries of 93-103% (n = 6) and reproducibility (relative standard deviation < 4.9%). The accuracy of procedure was confirmed by indium determination in spiked certified reference materials.

The role of structural evolution in the complexation and flocculation of heavy metals by the microbial product poly-γ-glutamic acid.

The process and mechanism of heavy metal flocculation with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by microorganisms, are crucial to their fate in natural environment, wastewater treatment and soil bioremediation applications. However, the structural features of EPS and the relationship between these features and the flocculation process and mechanism remain unclear. In the present study, structural features of the microbial product poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) complexed with the heavy metal ions Pb2+ and Cu2+ were characterized and the evolution of these features was identified as having a key role in the flocculation process and mechanism. The secondary structure of the γ-PGA-Pb complex changed significantly, while that of the γ-PGA-Cu complex was only slightly altered. The significant structural change in γ-PGA-Pb was found to be responsible for the combination of residual COOH and Pb2+, promoting the bridging of inter-colloids and faster growth of hydrodynamic diameter. If the conformation changed sufficiently, such as with the γ-PGA-Pb complex in the pH range 4.6-6.2, pH had no impact on the conversion ratio. The unchanged structure of γ-PGA-Cu prevented the flocculation process, although the coordination mode of γ-PGA-Cu resulted in a higher biosorption capacity. This in-depth molecular-level study provides insight into the γ-PGA flocculation mechanism, promoting the use of γ-PGA and γ-PGA producing microorganisms for application in various remediation strategies.

Nanocopper-loaded Black phosphorus nanocomposites for efficient synergistic antibacterial application.

Novel nanocopper-loaded black phosphorus (BP/Cu) nanocomposites were synthesized to synergistically exert enhanced antibacterial activities aimed at reducing antibiotics abuse. First, both BP and Cu display low biotoxicity, broadening their application in the microbiological field. Second, the unique electronic properties of BP enable BP/Cu nanocomposites to amplify antibacterial effects via interfacial charge transfer, resulting in a surge of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Third, BP/Cu nanocomposites are relatively stable, which helps to avoid the problem that nanocopper alone is highly oxidized. Finally, BP/Cu was synthesized in an environmentally-friendly manner by a one-step reduction method. The BP/Cu nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Their antibacterial properties were investigated comprehensively and discussed in detail by inhibition zone assays, dynamic growth curves, membrane potential assays, and live/dead baclight bacterial viability assays, all of which revealed the antimicrobial activities of BP/Cu nanocomposites. Absorption spectra were measured to determine which ROS species were responsible for the bactericidal mechanisms. In summary, our results demonstrated the potential of nanocomposites based on BP in antibacterial therapy due to its excellent electronic properties and outstanding biological performance. This will pave the way for avoiding antibiotic overuse and for providing security to humans and the environment.

Exposure to culturable airborne bioaerosols during noodle manufacturing in central Taiwan.

Biological hazards associated with the manufacturing of noodles have not been well characterized in Taiwan. This is an issue that flour workers can be exposed to bioaerosols (airborne fungi and bacteria) resulting flour-induced occupational asthma or allergic diseases. This study is to survey the species and concentrations of bioaerosols at different sites within a noodle factory for one year, and to investigate the effects of environmental factors on concentrations of bioaerosols. Air samples were taken twice a day, one day each month using a MAS-100 bioaerosol sampler. Nine species of culturable fungi were identified, with the main airborne fungi being Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus spp., non-sporing isolates and yeasts. Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus were the dominant fungal isolates in the indoor and outdoor air samples. Micrococcus spp. and Staphylococcus xylosus were the dominant bacterial isolates. Peak fungal and bacterial concentrations occurred at the crushing site, with mean values of 3082 and 12,616 CFU/m3. Meanwhile, the most prevalent fungi and bacteria at the crushing site were in ranges of 2.1-1.1 microm and 1.1-0.65 microm, respectively. Significant seasonal differences in total bacterial concentration were observed at all sampling sites (P<0.05). Moreover, significant seasonal differences were observed for most of the fungal genera except Fusarium. Levels of Aspergillus and Rhizopus differed significantly during the two sampling times, as did levels of Micrococcus spp. and Staphylococcus arlettae. Regarding the same operation procedures, relative humidity affected fungi levels more than temperature did. However, crushing generated the highest concentration of bioaerosols among all operation procedures. Furthermore, levels of bacteria at sites fitted with ventilation systems were lower than at sites without ventilation systems, especially at the crushing site. Therefore, we recommend these workers at the crushing site wear breathing protection and improve the local ventilation systems to minimize the biological hazards.

Arterial Spin Labeling for Glioma Grade Discrimination: Correlations with IDH1 Genotype and 1p/19q Status.

Since accurate grading of gliomas has important clinical value, the aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of perfusion values derived from arterial spin labeling (ASL) to grade gliomas. In addition, the correlation between perfusion and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) genotypes and chromosome arms 1p and 19q (1p/19q) status of gliomas was assessed. A total of 52 cases of supratentorial gliomas in adults who received ASL imaging were enrolled in this retrospective study. The cerebral blood flow (CBF) images derived from ASL and anatomical maps were normalized to the Montreal Neurological Institute coordinate system and matched. The mean CBF (meanCBF), the maximum CBF (maxCBF), and their relative values (rmeanCBF and rmaxCBF, respectively) were assessed in each case. The tumor grades, IDH1 genotypes, and 1p/19q status were diagnosed according to the 2016 WHO criteria. Receiver operating characteristic curves were performed to assess the efficacy of perfusion parameters for grading. Qualitatively, all gliomas were divided into high- and low-perfusion groups. The crosstabs chi-square test of independence was performed to calculate contingency coefficient (C) and Cramer V coefficient to assess the correlation between perfusion and IDH1 genotypes and 1p/19q status of gliomas. The rmaxCBF showed the best diagnostic efficacy; meanwhile, rmeanCBF had the best specificity for grade discrimination. In astrocytoma, there was a mild correlation between IDH1 genotypes and tumor perfusion with the Cramer's V coefficient of 0.378. There was no significant association between 1p/19q codeletion and perfusion in grade II and III gliomas.

Different predictors of pain severity across age and gender of a Chinese rural population: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate a 4-week period of pain prevalence and the risk factors of experiencing pain among a rural Chinese population sample. To explore the psychosocial and health condition predictors of pain severity and the interactions of age and gender with these factors in real-life situations among the general adult population in China. METHODS: Data were collected from a random multistage sample of 2052 participants (response rate=95%) in the rural areas of Liuyang, China. Visual analogue scale was used to assess participants' pain experienced and a series of internationally validated instruments to assess their sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health status, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, sleep quality, self-efficacy and perceived stress. RESULTS: The pain prevalence over the 4-week period in rural China was 66.18% (62.84% for men and 68.82% for women). A logistic regression model revealed that being female (adjusted OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.02), age (adjusted OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05), depressive symptoms (adjusted OR=1.07, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.13) and medium-quality sleep (adjusted OR=2.14, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.64) were significant risk factors for experiencing pain. General linear model analyses revealed that (1) pain severity of rural Chinese was related to self-rated physical health and social health; (2) the interactions of age, gender with employment status, depression symptoms, perceived stress and physical health were significant. Simple effect testing revealed that in different age groups, gender interacted with employment status, depression symptoms, perceived stress and physical health differently. CONCLUSIONS: Improving physical and social health could be effective in reducing the severity of pain and the treatment of pain should be designed specifically for different ages and genders among the general population.

Sleep quality and covariates as predictors of pain intensity among the general population in rural China.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to investigate the distribution of sleep quality and its relationship with the prevalence of pain among rural Chinese people and to explore the association between sleep quality and pain intensity among the general population in real-life settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey included a total of 2052 adults from rural areas in Liuyang, Hunan Province, recruited through random multistage sampling. The distributions of sleep quality and pain prevalence among the participants over a 4-week period were described. Because of multicollinearity among variables, the influence of self-rated sleep quality and psychosocial covariates on pain intensity was explored using a ridge regression model. RESULTS: The data showed that participants reporting all categories of sleep quality experienced some degree of pain. Sleep quality, along with physical and mental health, was a negative predictor of pain intensity among the general population. Symptoms of depression positively predicted pain intensity. CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality increased pain intensity among the participants. Both previous research and the present data suggest that improving sleep quality may significantly decrease pain intensity in the general population. The relationship between sleep and pain may be bidirectional. This finding also suggests that treatment for sleep disorders and insomnia should be addressed in future efforts to alleviate pain intensity.

Sol-Gel Hydrothermal Synthesis and Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation Performance of Fe/N Codoped TiO2 Catalysts.

Using Ti(OC4H9)4 as a precursor, Fe(NO3)3⋅9H2O as the source of iron, and NH4NO3 as the source of nitrogen, an Fe/N codoped TiO2 catalyst was prepared using a sol-gel hydrothermal method. The as-prepared powders were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. Fe and N codoping resulted in decreased crystallite size and increased specific surface area. Results of the photocatalytic degradation of acid orange 7 (AO7) in a continuous-flow fluidized-bed reactor indicated that the maximum decolorization (more than 90%) of AO7 occurred with the Fe/N-TiO2 catalyst (dosage of 20 g/L) when a combination of visible light irradiation for 10 h HRT (hydraulic retention time), and a heterogeneous system was used. The AO7 degradation efficiency was considerably improved by increasing the hydraulic retention time from 2.5 to 10 h or by reducing the initial AO7 concentration from 300 to 100 mg/L. The reaction rate increased with the light intensity and the maximum value occurred at 35 mW/cm²; moreover, the efficiency of the AO7 degradation increased when the pH decreased with maximum efficiency at pH 3.

PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 for Screening Depression in Chinese Rural Elderly.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore cut-off scores of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) for depression screening in Chinese rural elderly. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 839 residents aged 60 years and above in rural areas of Liuyang County. PHQ-9 was adopted to evaluate depression. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-I) was adopted to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) as a golden standard. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, positive and negative likelihood ratio, Youden's index and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were analyzed on PHQ-9 and PHQ-2. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alphas of PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 were 0.82 and 0.76, respectively. The score of 8 of the PHQ-9 showed the highest Youden's index of 0.85, with a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.89 respectively, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96-0.98). The score of 3 of PHQ-2 showed the highest Youden's index of 0.79, with both sensitivity and specificity were 0.90 and the AUC was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.90-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Both PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 are valid screening instruments for depression in the rural elderly in China, with recommended cut-off scores of 8 and 3 respectively.

Assessment of mental health literacy using a multifaceted measure among a Chinese rural population.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to assess mental health literacy (MHL) using a standardised multifaceted 20-item instrument called Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) developed by the Chinese Ministry of Health, among a rural Chinese population. SETTING: Four villages in Liuyang county of Hunan province, China. PARTICIPANTS: This was a cross-sectional study. A multistage cluster-sampling method was adopted, leading to a final sampling frame of 2377 residents aged 18-60 years from four villages of Liuyang county. Included in the study were residents aged 18-60 years living in their village for at least half a year; excluded were those not living in the areas during the research period, those with difficulty in communication due to serious physical or mental illness and those who were cognitively impaired or actively psychotic. Finally, 2052 participants completed the survey. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was correct response rate of the MHKQ; secondary outcome measures were association between sociodemographics and MHL, and association between MHL and health outcomes. RESULTS: Correct response rates for the 20 MHKQ items ranged from 19% to 94%, with a mean rate of 58%. Younger age (r=-0.02, p<0.01), higher education (r: 1.38-2.69, p<0.01) and higher income (r=0.41, p<0.01), were independently associated with higher MHL. MHL was independently associated with self-rated general health (r=2.31, p<0.01), depression (r=-0.09, p<0.01) and anxiety (r=-0.07, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MHL in the rural areas of Liuyang is lower than that reported in urban areas of China. There is much room for improvement with regard to MHL promotion in rural areas of China. Younger age, higher education and higher income are the three robust factors related to higher MHL, so cohort-specific educational intervention efforts may be indicated.

Mental Health Help-Seeking Intentions and Preferences of Rural Chinese Adults.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate mental health help-seeking intentions and preferences of rural Chinese adults and determine predictors of the intentions. METHODS: A total of 2052 representative rural residents aged 18-60 completed a cross-sectional survey by face-to-face interviews. The survey included seven questions asking about respondents' help-seeking intentions and preferences, and a series of internationally validated instruments to assess self-perceived health status, depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, mental health literacy, and attitudes towards mental illness. RESULTS: Nearly 80% of respondents were willing to seek psychological help if needed, and 72.4% preferred to get help from medical organizations, yet only 12% knew of any hospitals or clinics providing such help. A multivariate analysis of help-seeking intention revealed that being female, having lower education, higher social health, higher mental health knowledge, and physical causal attribution for depression were positive predictors of help-seeking intention. CONCLUSION: A huge gap exists between the relatively higher intention for help-seeking and significantly lower knowledge of helpful resources. Predictors of help-seeking intention for mental problems in the current study are consistent with previous studies. Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental problems by Chinese rural adults may be best served by focusing on increasing public awareness of help sources, as well as improving residents' mental health literacy and social health, with special focus on males and those more educated.

A comparison of in vitro acylcarnitine profiling methods for the diagnosis of classical and variant short chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Homozygosity and compound heterozygosity for the short chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) gene sequence variants 625G-->A and 511C-->T are associated with ethylmalonic aciduria (EMA), a biochemical indicator of SCAD deficiency. The clinical and biochemical implications of these variants are not fully understood. The effect of these variants on the accumulation of butyrylcarnitine by fibroblasts in culture was studied. METHODS: In vitro acylcarnitine profiling in fibroblasts was carried out using [U-13C]-labeled or unlabeled palmitate in the presence of excess L-carnitine, with or without a medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) inhibitor. Acylcarnitines were analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry. 625G/625G (wild type), 625G/625A and 625A/625A (variant) control fibroblasts were compared with fibroblasts from patients homozygous for inactivating SCAD mutations (SCAD deficient) and from patients with EMA who were homozygous or compound heterozygous for the SCAD variants. RESULTS: Variant control and patient fibroblasts accumulated moderate amounts of butyrylcarnitine compared with wild-type controls and in contrast to the significant amount of butyrylcarnitine accumulated by SCAD deficient fibroblasts, regardless of incubation conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Moderately reduced SCAD activity associated with SCAD variants can be detected using in vitro acylcarnitine profiling methods, which may be used as an indirect measure of SCAD activity.

Effect of one week treatment with Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761) on ischemia-induced infarct volume in gerbils.

The present study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (EGb761) in male gerbils subjected to focal cerebral ischemia produced by permanent occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery. In this study, gerbils were fed standard chow with or without EGb761 (100 mg/kg/day, i.g.) prior to cerebral ischemia for 1 week. Gerbils were anesthetized and craniectomized to expose the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). The right MCA was constricted with an 8-0 suture to produce a permanent ligation. Infarct volume was assessed by TTC (2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride) staining 24 hours after initiation of cerebral ischemia. Results showed that the EGb761 group had significant reduction of infarct volume 4 and 6 mm from the frontal pole by 40% and 30%, respectively when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Mean locomotor activity of gerbils was reduced 24 hours after the occlusion of the MCA in both groups. However, there was no difference in locomotor activity between groups either 30 minutes before or 24 hours after the occlusion (p > 0.05).

Determinants of metals exposure to metalworking fluid among metalworkers in Taiwan.

Metalworking fluids (MWFs) aerosols are known to have carcinogenic potential to humans that monitoring of MWFs is necessary to reduce risks. This study summarizes biological monitoring and occupational hygiene findings from a survey of metalworkers exposed to heavy metals in a socket manufacturing plant. Manganese, nickel, iron, copper, chromium, and zinc were selected for target metals. Air samples were collected and postshift urines were obtained from the thread cutting workers and punch press machine operators. There were positive correlations between the airborne concentrations of Cr, Mn, as well as Zn and the corresponding levels of urine for the exposed groups. Therefore, the integration of biological and environmental monitoring is feasible for Cr, Mn, and Zn. The results indicated significant correlations between the levels of Cu, Cr, Fe, as well as Zn from the air and sump MWFs at thread cutting and punch press sites.

Galangin induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the mitochondrial pathway.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism by which galangin, a polyphenolic compound derived from medicinal herbs, induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. METHODS: The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was used to measure cell viability. Apoptosis was evaluated by in situ uptake of propidium iodide and Hoechst 33258 and was then detected by fluorescence microscopy. Protein expressions were detected by Western blotting. To confirm the apoptotic pathway mediated by galangin, cells were transfected by bcl-2 gene to overexpress Bcl-2 or siRNA to down-regulate Bcl-2 expression. RESULTS: Galangin (46.25-370.0 micromol/L) exerted an anti-proliferative effect, induced apoptosis, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose and time-dependent manner. Treatment with galangin induced apoptosis by translocating the pro-apoptotic protein Bax to the mitochondria, which released apoptosis-inducing factor and cytochrome c into the cytosol. Overexpression of Bcl-2 attenuated galangin-induced HepG2 cell apoptosis, while decreasing Bcl-2 expression enhanced galangin-induced cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that galangin mediates apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway, and may be a potential chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of HCC.

Determination of gallium in human urine by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

This study presents supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) extraction as an inherently safer and cleaner sample treatment method for identifying trace gallium in urine samples. Extraction is performed in the presence of a fluorinated beta-diketones chelating agent, 2,2-dimethyl-6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-3,5-octanedione (HFOD), by unmodified scCO(2). Quantitative extractions are conducted at 80 degrees C and 20.7 MPa with 15 min static plus 15 min dynamic extractions, and are followed by analysis via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS). The proposed procedure is successfully applied to determine the concentrations of gallium in real urine samples spiked with various levels of gallium with satisfactory recoveries of 90.8-100.3% (n=6) and relative standard deviations <10%. A standard reference material (SRM), Seronorm Trace Elements Urine, is used to validate the accuracy of the proposed method.

Recovery of indium from etching wastewater using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.

This study presents supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) extraction as an inherently safer and cleaner method for the recovery of indium (In) from the real etching wastewater obtained from indium tin oxide (ITO) etching process. Efficient chelation-supercritical fluids extraction (SFE) from etching wastewater was obtained at 80 degrees C, a pressure of 20.7MPa, and with 15 min static extractions followed by 15 min dynamic extraction. The extractions were performed using unmodified scCO(2) in the presence of the fluorinated beta-diketone chelating agent, 2,2-dimethyl-6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-3,5-octanedione (HFOD). Percentages of indium recovery from etching wastewater were between 90.8% and 100.3% (n=6) with relative standard deviations of <10%. The accuracy of the procedure was confirmed by determining indium levels in a single element standard solution. The developed method was applied to the analysis of real etching wastewater samples as well as to a commercially available ITO etching reagent (ITO-06SD) with satisfactory results.