FAM family gene prediction model reveals heterogeneity, stemness and immune microenvironment of UCEC.

Background: Endometrial cancer (UCEC) is a highly heterogeneous gynecologic malignancy that exhibits variable prognostic outcomes and responses to immunotherapy. The Familial sequence similarity (FAM) gene family is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of various malignancies, but the extent of their involvement in UCEC has not been systematically studied. This investigation aimed to develop a robust risk profile based on FAM family genes (FFGs) to predict the prognosis and suitability for immunotherapy in UCEC patients. Methods: Using the TCGA-UCEC cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we obtained expression profiles of FFGs from 552 UCEC and 35 normal samples, and analyzed the expression patterns and prognostic relevance of 363 FAM family genes. The UCEC samples were randomly divided into training and test sets (1:1), and univariate Cox regression analysis and Lasso Cox regression analysis were conducted to identify the differentially expressed genes (FAM13C, FAM110B, and FAM72A) that were significantly associated with prognosis. A prognostic risk scoring system was constructed based on these three gene characteristics using multivariate Cox proportional risk regression. The clinical potential and immune status of FFGs were analyzed using CiberSort, SSGSEA, and tumor immune dysfunction and rejection (TIDE) algorithms. qRT-PCR and IHC for detecting the expression levels of 3-FFGs. Results: Three FFGs, namely, FAM13C, FAM110B, and FAM72A, were identified as strongly associated with the prognosis of UCEC and effective predictors of UCEC prognosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the developed model was an independent predictor of UCEC, and that patients in the low-risk group had better overall survival than those in the high-risk group. The nomogram constructed from clinical characteristics and risk scores exhibited good prognostic power. Patients in the low-risk group exhibited a higher tumor mutational load (TMB) and were more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. Conclusion: This study successfully developed and validated novel biomarkers based on FFGs for predicting the prognosis and immune status of UCEC patients. The identified FFGs can accurately assess the prognosis of UCEC patients and facilitate the identification of specific subgroups of patients who may benefit from personalized treatment with immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

Biotic and abiotic drivers of ecosystem multifunctionality: Evidence from the semi-arid grasslands of northern China.

Ecosystem functioning plays a crucial role in maintaining human welfare. Terrestrial ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services simultaneously, such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, water purification, and biodiversity conservation, known as ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). However, the mechanisms by which biotic and abiotic factors, and their interactions regulate EMF in grasslands are unclear. We conducted a transect survey to illustrate the single and combined effects of biotic factors (including plant species diversity, trait-based functional diversity, community-weighted mean (CWM) of traits, and soil microbial diversity) and abiotic factors (including climate and soil) on EMF. Eight functions were investigated, including aboveground living biomass and litter biomass, soil bacterial biomass, fungal biomass, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biomass, and soil organic carbon storage, total carbon storage and total nitrogen storage. We detected a significant interactive effect between plant species diversity and soil microbial diversity on the EMF; Structural equation model showed that soil microbial diversity indirectly affected EMF by regulating plant species diversity. These findings highlight the importance of the interaction effect of above- and below-ground diversity on EMF. Both plant species diversity and functional diversity had similar explanatory power for the variation in EMF, implying that niche differentiation and multifunctional complementarity among plant species and traits are essential in regulating the EMF. Furthermore, the effects of abiotic factors on EMF were stronger than those of biotic factors via direct and indirect pathways affecting above- and below-ground biodiversity. As a dominant regulator, the soil sand content was negatively correlated with EMF. These findings indicate the vital role of abiotic mechanisms in affecting EMF, and deepen our understanding of the single and combined effects of biotic and abiotic factors on EMF. We conclude that soil texture and plant diversity, representing crucial abiotic and biotic factors, respectively, are important determinants of the EMF of grasslands.

Efficient removal of uranium(VI) from aqueous solution by a novel phosphate-modified biochar supporting zero-valent iron composite.

Uranium (U) is an important strategic resource as well as a heavy metal element with both chemical and radiotoxicity. At present, the rapid and efficient removal of uranium from wastewater remains a huge challenge for environmental protection and ecological security. In this paper, phosphate-modified biochar supporting nano zero-valent iron (PBC/nZVI) was triumphantly prepared and fully characterized. The introduction of polyphosphate can greatly increase the specific surface area of biochar pores, and then the zero-valent iron can be evenly distributed on the surface of material, thus leading to excellent removal performance of the PBC/nZVI for U(VI). The theoretical maximum U(VI) removal capacity of PBC/nZVI was up to 967.53 mg/g at pH 5. The results of adsorption kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics showed that the adsorption of uranium by PBC/nZVI was a monolayer physical adsorption and endothermic reaction. And the PBC/nZVI has favorable selectivity toward uranium against the interference of coexisting metal ions. Further mechanism studies show that the excellent uranium removal performance of PBC/nZVI is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of physical adsorption and chemical reduction. This work proves that the PBC/nZVI has a wide application prospect in the field of uranium wastewater treatment.

Grassland Degradation Has Stronger Effects on Soil Fungal Community Than Bacterial Community across the Semi-Arid Region of Northern China.

Soil microbes play crucial roles in grassland ecosystem functions, such as soil carbon (C) pool and nutrient cycle. Soil microbes in grasslands are susceptible to the degradation mediated by climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. However, research on how the degradation influences the diversity and community structure of different soil microbial taxa is relatively scarce. We conducted a large-scale field survey to describe the effects of four degradation levels (PD: potential degradation, LD: light degradation, MD: moderate degradation, and SD: severe degradation) on soil bacterial and fungal community in the semi-arid grasslands of northern China. We found that soil moisture, nutrients, and clay content decreased, but soil sand content increased along the increasing degradation gradient. However, the degradation had no effects on soil pH and the C:N ratio. Grassland degradation had non-significant effect on soil bacterial diversity, but it significantly affected soil bacterial community structure. The degradation decreased soil fungal diversity and had a relatively larger influence on the community structure of soil fungi than that of bacteria. The community composition and structure of soil fungi were mainly affected by soil nutrients and texture, while those of soil bacteria were mainly affected by soil pH. These results indicate that changes in soil properties induced by grassland degradation mainly drive the variation in the soil fungal community and have less effect on the soil bacterial community. This study reveals the sensitivity of soil fungal community to grassland degradation, highlighting the priority of soil fungal community for the management and restoration of degraded grasslands.

Effects of microbial transglutaminase on textural, water distribution, and microstructure of frozen-stored longtail southern cod (Patagonotothen ramsayi) fish mince gel.

Frozen-stored fish mince tend to have poor gelling ability due to significant myosin denaturation caused by freezing. In this study, microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) was used to improve the quality of fish mince gel products made from frozen-stored longtail southern cod (LSC). The gel strength of the gel product increased with the addition of MTGase and reached a plateau value of ~19 N mm beyond 300 U/kg of MTGase, at the same condition, T22 was reduced from 57.22 to 49.77 ms, T23 was reduced from 1,273.88 to 1,072.27 ms. As the MTGase addition increased from 0 to 400 U/kg, the hardness of the fish surimi gel increased from 14.52 to 21.36 N, and the microstructure changed from loose to dense, respectively. This study showed that MTGase could promote gelation to improve the quality of frozen-stored LSC fish mince gel, especially at 300 U/kg, which potentially can be utilized to produce good surimi gel products out of frozen-stored fish.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and biological activities of Arisaematis Rhizoma].

Arisaematis Rhizoma included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the dried tuber of Arisaema erubescens, A. heterophyllum or A. amurense in the family Araceae. This paper mainly focuses on the classification and summary of the chemical components and structures reported in recent years in the above three varieties of this medicinal material included in the pharmacopoeia, including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, lignans and benzene ring derivatives, steroids and terpenes, glycosides and esters, etc. Then we reviewed the reported biological activities of these chemical components, including cytotoxicity, antitumor activity, antibacterial activity, nematicidal activity, etc. Although there have been reports on the review of the chemical composition of the medicinal material, the structure and classification of the chemical composition in these reviews are not clear enough. This review provides a basis for the later study of the chemical composition of this medicinal material, especially the identification of the chemical structures. And most of the current reviews on the biological activity of this medicinal material are mainly for the crude extract. This paper mainly summarized the biological activity of related monomer compounds and expected to lay a foundation for the development of novel high-efficiency and low-toxicity active leading compounds from Arisaematis Rhizoma.

[Percutaneous fixation with helical bridge combined fixation system for long split fractures involving the middle and upper humerus].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of percutanous fixation with helical bridge combined fixation system (BCFS) for treatment of long split fractures involving the middle and upper humerus. METHODS: Between February 2018 and February 2020, 15 patients of long split fractures involving the middle and upper humerus were treated. There were 6 males and 9 females, with an average age of 62 years (range, 37-82 years). The fractures were caused by slipping in 7 cases, falling from height in 3 cases, and traffic accident in 5 cases. According to AO classification, the shaft fractures were rated as type A in 4 cases, type B in 9 cases, and type C in 2 cases. And all fractures extended to proximal humerus; and the proximal fractures were rated as one-part fracture in 11 cases and two-part fracture in 4 cases according to Neer classification. The interval between injury and operation was 1-7 days (mean, 3.2 days). Nine patients underwent closed reduction and 6 patients underwent open reduction after lengthening the incisions. All fractures were percutaneously internal fixated with helical BCFS after reduction. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incision healing, and fracture healing were recorded. Constant-Murley score was used to evaluate shoulder joint function, and Mayo score was used to evaluate elbow joint function. RESULTS: The operation time ranged from 55 to 175 minutes, with an average of 76.5 minutes; the intraoperative blood loss ranged from 80 to 300 mL, with an average of 185.5 mL. All incisions healed by first intention, without infection or radial nerve injury. All patients were followed up 12-23 months, with an average of 16 months. The fractures all reached clinical healing, and the healing time was 12-20 weeks, with an average of 14.5 weeks. At 1 year after operation, the Constant-Murley score of the affected side was 88.7±7.6, and there was no significant difference when compared with that of the healthy side (90.8±8.3) ( t=1.421, P=0.052). According to the elbow Mayo score, the score of the affected side was 97.6±6.5, and there was no significant difference when compared with the healthy side (97.7±7.3) ( t=0.433, P=0.913). CONCLUSION: The helical BCFS can avoid the dissection of deltoid insertion and prevent the iatrogenic radial nerve injury. With satisfied effectiveness, it is suggested for minimally invasive surgical treatment of long split fractures involving the middle and upper humerus.

Validating the textural characteristics of soft fish-based paste through International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative recommended tests.

One in every twelve people worldwide suffers from dysphagia that affects the swallowing mechanism and some patients require a special texture-modified food for their sustenance. Fish is a great source of nutrients and proteins, however the commercially dysphagia diet made from fish is limited. This study investigated the textural characteristics of a soft fish paste produced from steamed grass carp fillet with different the water addition, grinding cycles and ratio of starch with the mixture of steamed fillet and water, following International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) guidelines and other instruments. The water addition and particle size affected the physical properties, and the starch had a certain masking effect on fishy odor. The mixture of steamed fish fillets and water (91:9 wt/wt) was ground in a colloid mill for 3 cycles. The fish paste was then sterilized by adding sugar, salt, and starch in the mixture (ratios of 0.5:100, 0.5:100, and 0.6:100, wt/wt, respectively) and mixing well. The paste conformed to Level 4-pureed and extremely thick of IDDSI framework. The fish paste product had a light fishy odor that was acceptable to sensory specialists.

Genotype-Guided Dosing of Warfarin in Chinese Adults: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Warfarin is an effective treatment for thromboembolic disease but has a narrow therapeutic index; optimal anticoagulation dosage can differ tremendously among individuals. We aimed to evaluate whether genotype-guided warfarin dosing is superior to routine clinical dosing for the outcomes of interest in Chinese patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, single-blind, parallel-controlled trial from September 2014 to April 2017 in 15 hospitals in China. Eligible patients were ≥18 years of age, with atrial fibrillation or deep vein thrombosis without previous treatment of warfarin or a bleeding disorder. Nine follow-up visits were performed during the 12-week study period. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of time in the therapeutic range of the international normalized ratio during the first 12 weeks after starting warfarin therapy. RESULTS: A total of 660 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to a genotype-guided dosing group or a control group under standard dosing. The genotype-guided dosing group had a significantly higher percentage of time in the therapeutic range than the control group (58.8% versus 53.2% [95% CI of group difference, 1.1-10.2]; P=0.01). The genotype-guided dosing group also achieved the target international normalized ratio sooner than the control group. In subgroup analyses, warfarin normal sensitivity group had an even higher percentage of time in the therapeutic range during the first 12 weeks compared with the control group (60.8% versus 48.9% [95% CI, 1.1-24.4]). The incidence of adverse events was low in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of genotype-guided warfarin dosing were superior to those of clinical standard dosing. These findings raise the prospect of precision warfarin treatment in China. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02211326.

Low-temperature steaming improves eating quality of whitefish.

In this study, effects of different steaming conditions (temperature-time scales) on quality characteristics of cooked whitefish (Coregonus peled) were characterized to guide product development. Investigation of three cooking conditions, including 60°C (3-20 min) 80°C (1-12 min) and 100°C (1-6 min) indicated that properties including textural properties, cooking loss, color change, water holding capacity (WHC), and protein content were all significantly correlated to the cooking condition. It was observed that the color changes of fish meat, especially the brightness L* were strongly correlated to the relative extraction rate (RER) of myofibrillar proteins (MFPs), which could be considered as a marker for the doneness of the cooked whitefish. Our results indicated that during the steaming process, the water holding capacity of the fish continued to decline, and the cooking loss continued to increase. However, a sudden jump in cooking loss occurred when the fish sample became overcooked. To minimize cooking loss, a good control of the doneness hence is needed to avoid overcooking. Moreover, results of this study demonstrated that low-temperature steaming could better maintain the springiness and cohesiveness of the fish as the myofibrillar proteins experienced less sudden swelling and shrinkage. Hence, low temperature steaming should be the preferred method for whitefish processing to minimize the negative impact on fish sensory qualities.

Impact of the CYP4F2 gene polymorphisms on the warfarin maintenance dose: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Warfarin is an oral anticoagulant with significant interpatient variability in dosage. A large number of studies have confirmed that the individual warfarin dose is mainly affected by the cytochrome P450 complex subunit 2C9 and vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1. However, the association between cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2) gene polymorphisms and warfarin dosage in the Asian population remains controversial. To investigate the impact of the CYP4F2 polymorphism rs2108622 (p.V433M) on warfarin dose requirement, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. According to the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria set, a comprehensive literature search was performed, and the studies published before August 5, 2015 were searched for in PubMed, EMBASE and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. The references were checked by two independent reviewers. The association between the warfarin maintenance dose and CYP4F2 polymorphism was analyzed. Twenty-two studies were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the CYP4F2 genotype CC, carriers of the CT and TT genotypes required a 9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.0-13.0] and 20% (95% CI, 13.0-27.0) higher warfarin dose, respectively. In the combined analysis, T carriers (CT+TT) required an 11% (95% CI, 8.0-14.0) higher warfarin dose compared to the CC genotype. In addition, there was a 10% (95% CI, 5.0-15.0) higher warfarin dose in TT carriers compared to the CT genotype (all P<0.05). The results of the meta-analysis suggest that the effects of the CYP4F2 polymorphism on individual warfarin dose have a statistically significant difference, and the effect degree is variable in the subgroups. Further studies are expected to explore whether the pharmacogenetics model including the CYP4F2 polymorphism can strengthen the prediction of warfarin dose.

Influence of APOE Gene Polymorphism on Interindividual and Interethnic Warfarin Dosage Requirement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Warfarin is the most extensively used coumarin anticoagulant. It has been shown that the anticoagulant effect of warfarin is associated with genetic variation. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a possible candidate to influence the maintenance dose of warfarin. ApoE affects the vitamin K cycle by mediating the uptake of vitamin K into the liver. The vitamin K cycle is the drug target of warfarin. However, the association between genetic variants of the APOE gene and warfarin dose requirement is still controversial. METHODS: Revman 5.3 software was used to analyze the relationship between APOE genotypes and warfarin dose requirements. RESULTS: In our meta-analysis, the E2/E2 genotype was significantly associated with warfarin dose. E2/E2 patients required 12% (P = 0.0002) lower mean daily warfarin dose than E3/E3 carriers. In addition, subgroup analysis showed that Asians with the E4/E4 genotype tended to need lower warfarin maintenance doses, while the African American E4/E4 carriers needed slightly higher doses than E3/E3 carriers; however, these subgroups were very small. CONCLUSION: This is the first meta-analysis of the association between APOE genotypes and warfarin dose. APOE E2/E2 might be one of the factors affecting warfarin dose requirements. The effect of APOE may vary between ethnicities.

[Effect of N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline on differentiation from pulmonary fibroblast to myofibroblast mediated by Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) can inhibit the differentiation of pulmonary fibroblasts into myofibroblasts by regulating Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) pathway mediated by transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1). METHODS: Primary culture of pulmonary fibroblasts was performed by trypsinization method. Four generations of pulmonary fibroblasts were divided into control group, TGF-ß-induced differentiation group, Y-27632 treatment group, and Ac-SDKP treatment group. The intracellular distributions of ROCK, serum response factor (SRF), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The protein expression of ROCK, SFR, α-SMA, and type I and type III collagen in pulmonary fibroblasts was measured by Western blot. The mRNA expression of ROCK, SFR, and α-SMA was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the pulmonary fibroblasts stimulated by TGF-ß1 had a lot of α-SMA antibody-labeled myofilaments in parallel or cross arrangement, as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy, and the mRNA and protein expression of ROCK, SRF, and α-SMA and protein expression of type I and type III collagen increased significantly after 6, 12, and 24 h of stimulation (P < 0.05). Compared with the TGF-ß1-induced differentiation group, the Y-27632 treatment group and Ac-SDKP treatment group had significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of ROCK, SRF, and α-SMA and protein expression of type I and type III collagen at the same time point (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Ac-SDKP can inhibit the differentiation of pulmonary fibroblasts into myofibroblasts and the synthesis of collagen in rats by regulating the ROCK pathway mediated by TGF-ß1. That may be one of the mechanisms by which Ac-SDKP acts against (silicotic) pulmonary fibrosis.

[Regulating effect of N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline on activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase pathway in rats with silicosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory effect of N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (AcSDKP) on the activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal transduction pathway and its role in silicotic fibrosis. METHODS: A rat model of silicosis was developed by intratracheal instillation. Sixty rats were randomly divided into 4-week control group (n = 10), 8-week control group (n = 10), 4-week silicosis model group (n = 10), 8-week silicosis model group (n = 10), AcSDKP treatment group (n = 10), and AcSDKP prevention group (n = 10). The content of hydroxyproline in lung tissue was measured using a p-dimethylaminoben-zaldehyde reagent; the expression levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 (TGF-ß1), phospho-JNK, JNK, and c-jun in lung tissue were measured by Western blot. The lung fibroblasts from neonatal rats were cultured, and the 4th generation of cells were used in the experiment; these cells were divided into control group, TGF-ß1 stimulation group, SP600125 intervention group, and AcSDKP intervention group. The distributions of phospho-JNK and c-jun in lung fibroblasts were observed by immunocytochemistry; the expression levels of type I collagen and type III collagen in lung fibroblasts were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression levels of TGF-ß1, phospho-JNK, and c-jun and the content of hydroxyproline in the AcSDKP treatment group were 70.60%, 78.03%, 79.85%, and 71.28%, respectively, of those in the 4-week silicosis model group (P < 0.05) and 77.99%, 66.73%, 69.94%, and 64.82%, respectively, of those in the 8-week silicosis model group (P < 0.05); the expression levels of TGF-ß1, phospho-JNK, and c-jun and the content of hydroxyproline in the AcSDKP prevention group were 84.56%, 61.18%, 64.73%, and 74.96%, respectively, of those in the 8-week silicosis model group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of phospho-JNK and c-jun in the AcSDKP intervention group were 54.59% and 55.56%, respectively, of those in the TGF-ß1 stimulation group; the expression levels of type I collagen and type III collagen in the AcSDKP intervention group were 79.9% and 84.4%, respectively, of those in the TGF-ß1 stimulation group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: AcSDKP exerts anti-silicotic fibrosis effect probably by inhibiting the activation of JNK signal transduction pathway mediated by TGF-ß1 and the deposition of interstitial collagen.

[Anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin].

OBJECTIVE: To study and compare the anti-inflammatory effect and molecular mechanism of artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin. METHOD: Mouse mononuclear macrophage RAW264.7 cells were stimulated to release inflammatory mediators such as TNF-alpha, IL-6 and NO, in order to assess the drugs' inhibitory effect on macrophage's release of above inflammatory mediators. The levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were determined by ELISA and the cytotoxicity was determined by MTT method. The protein expression of iNOS, COX-2 and beta-actin were tested by Western blot. The enzymatic activity of COX-2 was determined by colorimetric method. RESULT: Dihydroartemisinin significantly inhibited LPS-induced release of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and NO from RAW264.7 in mice with the concentration range of 12.5 - 100 micromol x L(-1), and showed good dose dependence. Artemisinin only inhibited the IL-6 release to a certain extent. CONCLUSION: Dihydroartemisinin inhibits macrophages from releasing inflammatory factors TNF-alpha and IL-6 and inflammatory mediators NO by down-regulating iNOS protein. Artemisinin may help dihydroartemisinin to show its anti-inflammatory effect through metabolism.

[Analysis of the impurity of bacterium source of standard endotoxin by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry].

To analyse the impurity of bacterium source of standard endotoxin, 3-hydroxy fatty acid species in different endotoxin standards was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using N, O-bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide as the silanizing reagent. GC/MS analysis was performed using a gas chromatograph equipped with a 60 m x 0.25 mm i. d. DB-5 fused silica capillary column and an injector at 250 degrees C. Helium was used as the carrier gas under a constant pressure of 206 kPa. The oven was programmed at a rate of 5 degrees C /min from 90 degrees C (held for 5 min) to 280 degrees C (held for 5 min). The sample size was 1 microL. The transfer line was kept at 280 degrees C. The quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in electron impact (EI) ionization mode, and the temperature of the source was kept at 250 degrees C. The kind of 3-hydroxy fatty acids in 9 000 EU/tube national standard endotoxin, 20 EU/tube working standard endotoxin, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and deionized water were determined to study the purity of bacterium source of the standard endotoxin. It was shown that 9 000 EU/tube endotoxin standard and Escherichia coli only contained 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid. There was 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid in 20 EU/tube working standard endotoxin, which indicated the presence of impurity of bacterium source.

[Classification of terpenes and terpene oxides in volatile oil of Fruit of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. Et Maxim) Harms with gas chromatographic retention parameters].

Gas chromatographic (GC) retention parameters (A and B values) for 24 volatile compounds in volatile oil of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. Et Maxim) Harms were obtained from the retention times under five temperature-programming conditions with self-developed GC_AB software based on Levenberg-Marquardt method. The correlation analysis between A and B parameters of terpene and its oxides was carried out. Good linear relationships between A and B parameters were built for seven monoterpenes (C10H16) , nine sesquiterpenes (C15H24), three monoterpene oxides (C10HnO) and three sesquiterpene oxides (C15HnOx) at the same carbon number, respectively. But poor A-B linearity was built for the group formed from monoterpenes and monoterpene oxides or that formed from sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene oxides at the same carbon number. At the same time the A-B relationships for monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their oxides are not collinear. Therefore, this discipline is applied in the assistant identification for terpenes with different carbon numbers and in the classification between terpenes and their oxides. It shows that GC retention parameters calculated from retention times under several temperature-programming conditions are useful for the classification of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their oxides in the analysis of volatile oils from traditional Chinese herbs.

[Analysis of the volatile oil from the stem of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms with several hyphenated methods of gas chromatography].

Gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/qMS), gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (GC/FTIR) and gas chromatography/orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/oaTOFMS) were applied to analyze the volatile oil from the stem of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms. Based on the spectra search function of GC/qMS with the aid of the discriminability of the geometrical isomer by GC/FTIR and the ability to determine the accurate mass charge ratio (m/z) by GC/oaTOFMS, 68 GC eluants were identified successfully. Compared with the results obtained by GC/qMS only, the analytical results obtained by these hyphenated methods of gas chromatography are more reliable.