Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Yi Qi Yang Yin and Blood Activating Formula on Blood Glucose and Renal Function in Early Diabetic Nephropathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To study the effects of acupuncture combined with the formula of Yi Qi Yang Yin and blood activating (A-YBF) on blood glucose levels and renal function in patients with early diabetic nephropathy. Methods: 96 patients with early diabetic nephropathy treated in our hospital from April 2021 to April 2022 were included in the study and divided into the control group (conventional medical treatment) and the study group (A-YBF), with 48 cases in each group. The efficacy and adverse effects were recorded by comparing the Chinese medicine symptom points, blood glucose level, renal function, and inflammatory factor level between the two groups before and after the treatment. Results: The clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < .05). Before treatment, no difference was found between the primary and secondary symptom scores of the two groups (P > .05); after treatment, the primary and secondary symptom scores of the study group were lower than those of the control group (P < .05). Before treatment, there was no difference in fasting blood glucose (FPG) and 2h postprandial glucose (2hPG) levels; 24h urine protein quantification, cystatin C (Cys-C), urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels; and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels between the two groups (P > .05). After treatment, FPG and 2hPG levels; 24h urine protein quantification, Cys-C and UAER levels; and GDF-15, IL-1ß, IL-17, and SAA levels were lower in the study group than in the control group, while eGFR levels were higher than those in the control group (P < .05). Conclusion: A-YBF can effectively reduce blood glucose levels and improve renal function in patients with early diabetic nephropathy and can be promoted in clinical application.

Conjugating Coumarin with Tetraphenylethylene to Achieve Dual-State Emission for Reversible Mechanofluorochromism and Live Cell Imaging.

Dual-state emission luminogens (DSEgens) are receiving research interest in the construction of multifunctional materials due to their inherent advantage of high emission efficiency in both the molecularly dispersed solution state and the solid state. However, it remains challenging in synthesizing DSEgens via a delicate manipulation of the molecular structures. This work presents an example of bright DSEgen synthesis by tuning the molecular electronic structures and conformations. Three coumarin-tetraphenylethylene (TPE) molecules with a donor-acceptor electronic structure and highly twisting conformations have been synthesized. While compound resulting from direct conjugation of coumarin with a TPE unit shows aggregation-induced emission, compound with an N,N-diaminoethyl modification on the 7-position of coumarin and compound with a further phenyl linker between coumarin and TPE units feature strong dual-state emission. Benefiting from their strong solid emission and twisting conformations, these fluorophores display reversible mechanofluorochromism. Finally, applications for rewritable information storage in the solid state and live-cell imaging in the solution state were demonstrated.

Exercise Plus Acupuncture on Consensus Acupoints Versus Acupoints Selected by the Theory of Equal Impact on Tendons, Bones, and Muscles for Knee Osteoarthritis.

Context: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative disorder that significantly affects patients' quality of life. Acupuncture and exercise are the most popular treatments currently. The outcomes for acupuncture for KOA, however, are controversial, with some researchers finding that the addition of acupuncture to exercise therapy provided no additional improvement in pain scores. Objective: The study intended to evaluate the therapeutic effects for KOA of exercise in combination with acupuncture on acupoints selected using the Traditional Chinse Medicine (TCM) theory of Equal Impact on Tendons, Bones, and Muscles (EITBM) in comparison with that of acupoints selected using classical consensus for the treatment. Design: The research team performed a randomized controlled trial. Setting: The study took place in the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. Participants: Participants were 70 patients with KOA who visited the hospital between December 2020 and February 2021. Intervention: Participants in both group received acupuncture plus exercise therapy. The research team randomly assigned participants to one of two groups: (1) 35 to the intervention group, which received acupuncture using acupoints selected using EITBM, and (2) 35 to the control group, which received acupuncture using the classical consensus acupoints. Both groups performed a 25-min session of acupuncture three times weekly for 4 weeks, with the exercise therapy following the acupuncture each time. Outcome Measures: The research team assessed clinical efficacy at baseline and postintervention. The primary outcome measures included assessments: (1) of knee joint pain using a visual analog scale (VAS), (2) of knee joint pain, flexibility, and function using the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale; and (3) joint range of motion (ROM). The secondary outcome measures included measurement of serum levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Results: The VAS and WOMAC scores significantly decreased for both groups between baseline and postintervention, and the intervention group's decrease was significantly greater than that of the control group. The ROM of knee flexion was significantly higher in both groups postintervention than at baseline, and the intervention group's increase was significantly higher than that of the control group. The serum IL-1ß, TNF-α, and MMP-13 also significantly decreased postintervention in both groups, and the intervention group's levels were significantly lower than those of the control group. The total effective rate was 94.1% in the intervention group, 32 out of 34 participants, and 75.8% in the control group, 25 out of 33 participants, which was significantly different. Conclusions: Acupuncture, in combination with exercise, can relieve symptoms, improve joint function, and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß and TNF-a) as well as MMP-13 for patients with KOA. The outcomes for acupuncture using EITBM acupoints were significantly better than those of the acupoints selected using classical consensus.

Investigation of the Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Holographic Meridian Scraping Therapy on Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of holographic meridian scraping therapy on patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and its impact on serum IL-1ß and TNF-α levels. Methods: A prospective study was conducted, enrolling seventy KOA patients admitted to the Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between August 2021 and April 2022. The patients were divided into two groups using the random number table method: control group (n = 35) and treatment group (n = 35). The control group received oral celecoxib capsules (100 mg, twice daily), while the treatment group received an additional daily holographic meridian scraping session (20 minutes/day). Throughout the two-week study, the researchers continuously monitored the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and the changes in serum IL-1ß and TNF-α expression. Results: The treatment group demonstrated significantly better overall efficiency and efficacy compared to the control group (P < .05). Both groups exhibited decreased VAS and WOMAC scores after treatment in comparison to pre-treatment levels (P < .05), with the treatment group showing lower scores than the control group after treatment (P < .05). Furthermore, serum TNF-α and IL-1ß levels in both groups decreased after treatment compared to pre-treatment levels within the same group (P < .05). The treatment group had significantly lower serum TNF-α and IL-1ß levels than the control group after treatment (P < .05). Conclusions: Combining holographic meridian scraping therapy with celecoxib effectively treats KOA and significantly improves patient conditions, along with reductions in serum TNF-α and IL-1ß levels.

Functional divergence of GLP genes between G. barbadense and G. hirsutum in response to Verticillium dahliae infection.

Germin-like proteins (GLPs) play important roles in plant disease resistance but are rarely reported in cotton. We compared the expression of GLPs in Verticillium dahliae inoculate G. hirsutum (susceptible) and G. barbadense (resistant) and enriched 11 differentially expressed GLPs. 2741 GLP proteins identified from 53 species determined that GLP probably originated from algae and could be classified into 7 clades according to phylogenetic analysis, among which Clade I is likely the most ancient. Cotton GLP (two allopolyploids and two diploids) genes within a shared clade were highly conserved. Intriguingly, clade VII genes were mainly located in gene clusters that derived from the expansion of LTR transposons. Clade VII members expressed mainly in root which is the first battle against Verticillium dahlia and could be induced more intensely in G. barbadense than G. hirsutum. The GLP genes are resistant to Verticillium dahliae, which can be further investigated against Verticillium wilt.

A computational and experimental investigation of donor-acceptor BODIPY based near-infrared fluorophore for in vivo imaging.

TD-DFT quantum calculation was performed to predict and/or illustrate the electronic transition, the related absorption and emission maxima of some pyrrole-difluoroboron derivatives with different electron donor-acceptor unit or π-conjugated degree. Upon the calculated results, a new near infrared (NIR) fluorophore (abbreviated as TPBD-BP) was designed and fabricated through linking triphenylamine and pyrrole-difluoroboron units to benzothiadiazole (BTD) backbone. The fluorescence of TPBD-BP in solid state centered at 932 nm, which was 985 nm for TPBD-BP nanoparticles (TPBD-BP dots) encapsulated in PEG-6000. The fluorescence of TPBD-BP in both solid state and dots exhibited off-peak tail emission to NIR-II region (extended to 1300 nm). The TPBD-BP dots showed excellent water solubility, biocompatibility and aggregation induced emission (AIE), which was suitable to be applied in vivo imaging. NIR-II emission signal of TPBD-BP dots can be observed in the reproductive organ of normal nude mice after tail vein injection. This attractive combination of computational and experimental investigation would help to develop new-typed small-molecular NIR fluorophores.

Molecular Packing-Controlled Mechanical-Induced Emission Enhancement of Tetraphenylethene-Functionalised Pyrazoline Derivatives.

Organic mechanofluorochromic (MFC) materials with mechanical-induced emission enhancement (MIEE) are scarce. Herein, Aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active tetraphenylethene-functionalised pyrazoline derivatives with various non-conjugated substituent groups (Br, F, N,N-dimethylamino and cyano groups for TPEB, TPEF, TPEN and TPECN, respectively) were designed and synthesised. The fluorescence spectra of the compounds in the solid state were sensitive to mechanical stimuli and exhibited unique MFC properties. The solid fluorescence peaks of all compounds were red shifted, whereas the quantum yields of TPEB, TPEF and TPEN were increased and that of TPECN was slightly reduced after grinding. The MIEE mechanism was systematically investigated through structure-property relationship studies. The results showed that the pyrazoline ring of TPEB with MIEE property formed H-dimer aggregates with weak π-π stacking in the solid state. After grinding, the synergistic effects of conformational planarization and destructive π-π interactions induced the red shift of the fluorescence peak and the intensity enhanced. TPECN formed incompact J-aggregates with weak intermolecular interactions instead. The conformational planarization and increased intermolecular interactions induced by grinding led to the red-shifted peak and the slightly reduced intensity. These results clearly demonstrated that the translation of packing arrangements is an efficient method to design MIEE materials, which opens a new scope for designing unique MFC materials.

Orbital teratoma in the foetus: a rare case without proptosis.

BACKGROUND: Congenital orbital teratoma is relatively rare, and few reports of prenatal ultrasound findings in such cases have been published. CASE PRESENTATION: A rare case of congenital orbital teratoma at 24 + 2 weeks of gestation was previously diagnosed as microphthalmia, noting how orbital teratoma without proptosis is different from microphthalmia, retinoblastoma and intracranial teratoma. Ultrasound examination, analysis of gross specimens, and histopathological evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of orbital teratoma. CONCLUSION: Prenatal ultrasound examination is useful for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of congenital orbital teratoma.

Association between metal cobalt exposure and the risk of congenital heart defect occurrence in offspring: a multi-hospital case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have investigated heavy metal exposure could increase the occurrence of congenital heart defects (CHDs). However, there are limited data regarding the relationship between cobalt exposure and CHD occurrence in offspring. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between cobalt exposure in mothers and the risk of CHDs in offspring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to explore the association between cobalt exposure and occurrence of congenital heart defect (CHD), a case-control study with 490 controls and 399 cases with CHDs in China were developed. The concentrations of cobalt in hair of pregnant woman and fetal placental tissue were measured and processed by a logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between cobalt exposure and risk of CHDs. RESULTS: The median concentration of hair cobalt in the control and case group was 0.023 ng/mg and 0.033 ng/mg (aOR, 1.837; 95% CI, 1.468-2.299; P < 0.001), respectively. And the median (5-95% range) fetal placental cobalt concentrations were 19.350 ng/g and 42.500 ng/g (aOR, 2.924; 95% CI, 2.211-3.868; P < 0.001) in the control and case groups, respectively. Significant differences in the middle level of cobalt in hair were found in the different CHD subtypes, including septal defects, conotruncal defects, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (P < 0.001). Dramatically, different cobalt concentrations in fetal placental tissue were found in all subtypes of cases with CHDs (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The finding suggested that the occurrence of CHDs may be associated with cobalt exposure.

The facile and visualizable identification of broad-spectrum inhibitors of MDM2/p53 using co-expressed protein complexes.

MDM2 is a well-known oncoprotein overexpressed in a variety of cancers, and the identification of inhibitors that disrupt the MDM2/p53 interaction is of great interest in anticancer drug development. Here we designed a platform for the facile and visualizable identification of inhibitors of MDM2 using co-expressed protein complexes of MDM2/p53. A hexahistidine-tag on MDM2 allows the binding of the protein complex to the Ni-NTA affinity resin, while the fluorescent protein fused to p53 enables the direct visualization of the interaction of p53 with MDM2. Hence, the inhibition of the MDM2/p53 interaction can be observed with the naked eye. The assay can be set up by directly loading cell lysate to the Ni-NTA affinity resin, and no chemical modification of proteins is needed. In addition to the qualitative analyses, the binding affinity of inhibitors to the MDM2 protein can be quantified by fluorescence titration. The applications of this system have been verified using small molecules and peptide inhibitors. As a proof of concept, we screened a small library using this platform. Interestingly, two types of novel inhibitors of MDM2, including cyclohexyl-triphenylamine derivatives and platinum complexes, were identified and their binding affinities were obtained. Quantitative measurements show that these new types of inhibitors demonstrate a high binding affinity (up to Kd = 51.9 nM) to MDM2.

Prenatal findings in a fetus with X-linked recessive type of chondrodysplasia punctata (CDPX1): a case report with novel mutation.

BACKGROUND: X-linked recessive chondrodysplasia punctate (CDPX1) is a rare congenital disorder of bone and cartilage development, caused by a mutation in the arylsulfatase E (ARSE) gene located on chromosome Xp22.3. Although most of the affected men had mild symptoms, some had more severe symptoms, and had a poor prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a male fetus diagnosed with CDPX1. Ultrasound clearly showed that hypoplasia of the midface, flatness of face, low flatness of the nose, collapse of the tip of the nose, accompanied by severe spinal stenosis and secondary ossification center of the femoral metaphysis appeared in advance. Chromosome analysis of the amniotic fluid cells revealed 46, XY. Whole exome sequencing showed that there was a novel missense mutation of c.640G > A in ARSE gene on X chromosome. Three protein function prediction software FATHMM、Polyphen-2、PROVEAN have shown that the novel missense mutation of c.640G > A in this study was pathogenic. CONCLUSIONS: Our case is a novel mutation and presents a typical characterization of the disease, which can expand the spectrum of mutations of the ARSE gene and is helpful for prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of this disease.

Prognostic significance of pretreatment plasma D-dimer levels in patients with spinal chordoma: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Plasma D-dimer levels, a marker of hypercoagulation, have not only been used as an indicator for cascaded reaction in the coagulation process but are also reported to be an underlying biomarker in several types of cancers. This retrospective cohort study was designed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative plasma D-dimer level in patients with spinal chordoma. METHODS: We enrolled 224 patients who underwent surgery for spinal chordoma between 2002 and 2015 at Changzheng Orthopedic Oncology Center. Preoperative clinical parameters were recorded and evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. The correlation between preoperative plasma D-dimer levels and survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff value of pretreatment D-dimer was 840 µg/L determined by X-tile. DFS (disease-free survival) was 64.7% and OS (overall survival) was 75% in the cohort. Multivariate Cox regression model identified D-dimer level as an independent prognostic factor of DFS and OS, as well as treatment history, preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale, preoperative Frankel score, pathology classification and adjuvant radiotherapy (p < 0.05). In addition, D-dimer level may also be an effective supplement for defining tumor Enneking staging (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher pretreatment plasma D-dimer level was associated with a poor prognosis in chordoma and could be used as an independent prognostic factor for the survival of the patients with spinal chordoma. With supplementation of D-dimer level, Enneking stage may be more able to accurate stratify individualized risk and determine clinical management. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Symptomatic postoperative spinal epidural hematoma after spine tumor surgery: Incidence, clinical features, and risk factors.

STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to provide some useful information concerning the incidence, clinical features, and risk factors for symptomatic postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (SPSEH) in an isolated cohort of patients undergoing spine tumor surgery. SETTING: Hospital in Shanghai, China. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent surgery for spine tumors between August 2012 and August 2017, and conducted a case-control study involving 16 patients who received evacuation surgery due to SPSEH after spine tumor surgery and 48 controls without SPSEH. Case and control subjects were matched at 1:3 by pathological diagnosis, tumor size (±1 cm), resection mode, surgical approach, and the operation team. Data of SPSEH subjects along with 48 matched controls were further obtained from a detailed review of the medical records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors for developing SPSEH. RESULTS: SPSEH evacuation surgery was performed after 16 of 5421 (0.30%) spine tumor surgeries. Angiogenic tumors were the most susceptible tumors developing SPSEH. Very large hematomas, continuous blood loss, and delayed hematomas were characteristic clinical presentations for SPSEH after spine tumor surgery. Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that patients suffering from at least one medical comorbidity and patients with Frankel grade of A-C had a significantly higher risk of developing SPSEH. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of SPSEH after spine tumor surgery requiring surgical evacuation was 0.30%. Medical comorbidity and Frankel grade were identified as independent risk factors for SPSEH development.

Recurrence or neurological loss? Resection mode selection for patients with large sacral chordoma: an analysis of prognostic factors and quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection represents the main therapeutic method for sacral chordoma, but plans for resection mode must weigh neurological loss against complete tumor excision, a difficult balance to strike. The purpose of this study was to provide useful information contributing to surgical decision making in sacral chordoma. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 47 patients with large sacral chordoma. Prognostic factors affecting recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Quality of life was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire and compared using Student's t test. RESULTS: Resection mode was the independent prognostic factor affecting RFS, while independent prognostic factors affecting OS were resection mode and postoperative recurrence. As for quality of life, the en bloc resection group showed a higher score in emotional well-being, while the piecemeal resection group scored better in function well-being. No significant difference was identified in total the FACT-G score between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: On the one hand, en bloc resection showed huge advantages in disease control for sacral chordoma. On the other hand, despite the unsatisfaction in functional well-being, en bloc resection did not sacrifice quality of life significantly in terms of the total FACT-G score.

Association of maternal disease and medication use with the risk of congenital heart defects in offspring: a case-control study using logistic regression with a random-effects model.

Objective To examine the association between maternal diseases and congenital heart defects (CHDs) and to evaluate whether those associations vary with corresponding medication use. Methods A multi-hospital case-control study conducted from February 2010 to December 2014 analysed 916 controls and 1236 cases. Participating mothers were asked whether they suffered from influenza, common cold, herpes and threatened abortion or had used corresponding medication during the periconception period or the early pregnancy period. We used a random-effects logistic regression model to compute the odds ratios (ORs), adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) while controlling for potential confounders. Results Compared with the results for mothers with no exposure, there were significant associations between maternal diseases with medication non-use and CHDs in the aggregate, including influenza (AOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.13-2.95), common cold (AOR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.60-2.64) and herpes (AOR, 7.00; 95% CI, 2.15-22.84). There was no significant association between medication users and offspring with any subtype of CHDs, except that maternal common cold with medication use slightly increased the risk of the specific subtype, namely, isolated cardiac defects. However, an association was observed between maternal threatened abortion and medication and isolated cardiac defects (AOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.01-1.75). Conclusion Maternal influenza, common cold, herpes and threatened abortion from 3 months before pregnancy through the first trimester were associated with an increased risk of congenital heart disease in offspring. The teratogenic effect of these conditions may be attenuated by medication use, except for threatened abortion.

ILKAP Binding to and Dephosphorylating HIF-1α is Essential for Apoptosis Induced by Severe Hypoxia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Integrin-linked kinase-associated phosphatase (ILKAP), a serine/threonine phosphatase that belongs to the protein phosphatase 2C family, has a role in cell survival and apoptosis. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is the key transcription factor in the response to oxygen deficiency in mammals. Direct phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of HIF-1α affect its function. The present study investigated the role of ILKAP on HIF-1α dephosphorylation and cell behavior. METHODS: HIF-1α was induced by hypoxia. Physical binding between ILKAP and HIF-1α was demonstrated by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. HIF-1α transcriptional activity was investigated using a hypoxia-response element-containing luciferase reporter plasmid. Cell viability was evaluated by a trypan blue dye exclusion assay. ILKAP function was explored by a gain and loss assay with an overexpression plasmid and shRNA infection. RESULTS: ILKAP physically interacted with HIF-1α and induced its dephosphorylation. Both the HIF-1α-p53 interaction and apoptosis relied on ILKAP. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the ILKAP directly binds and dephosphorylates HIF-1α and responsible for severe hypoxia-induced cell apoptosis.

Mechanoresponsive Material of AIE-Active 1,4-Dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole Luminophores Bearing Tetraphenylethylene Group with Rewritable Data Storage.

A new tetraphenylethylene (TPE) functionalized 1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole derivative (APPTPECN) was synthesized with obvious aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active by simple synthetic method. APPTPECN exhibited reversible mechanofluorochromic (MFC) behavior. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations exhibited that the MFC nature is originated through a conversion from the microcrystalline to amorphous phase under the stimulus of external force. The results obtained would be of major help in understanding the MFC mechanism and designing new MFC materials. Compound APPTPECN has the potential possibility to employ in rewritable data storage and is of assistance in the rational design of smart luminescent materials.

Association between maternal aluminum exposure and the risk of congenital heart defects in offspring.

BACKGROUND: Aluminum (Al) is the third most common element in the earth' s crust and has been reported to be teratogenic. However, there is lack of understanding about the association between maternal aluminum exposure and the risks of birth defects such as congenital heart defects (CHDs). METHODS: A multi-center, hospital-based case-control study was performed at four maternal and child tertiary hospitals in China. A total of 223 cases with CHDs and 223 controls without any abnormalities were recruited according to the inclusion and matching criteria. Hair samples were prepared and measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The correlation between CHDs and maternal aluminum concentrations was estimated by a 1:1 conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The geometric mean and median of hair aluminum levels in isolated or multiple CHD cases was significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.05). A significant association was found between increased hair aluminum concentrations and the risk of total CHDs in offspring (adjusted odds ration [aOR], 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-3.13), especially in some subtypes of CHDs, such as septal defects (aOR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.15-4.10), conotruncal defects (aOR, 5.42; 95%CI, 2.43-12.10), and right ventricular outflow track obstruction (aOR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.08-5.44). However, there was no statistically significant association with left ventricular outflow track obstruction (aOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 0.95-2.88). CONCLUSION: A high maternal aluminum concentration may significantly increase the risk of delivering a child with a CHD, such as a septal defect, conotruncal heart defect and right-side obstruction.

Dual-functional analogous cis-platinum complex with high antitumor activities and two-photon bioimaging.

Here we have designed and synthesized a novel analogous cis-platinum complex (TDPt) with strong two-photon absorption properties and higher stability upon laser irradiation. Interestingly, a higher cytotoxicity against three types of cancer cells compared to that of commercial cis-platinum was observed. The initial confocal micrographs showed that lysosomes may be the biological targets of such TDPt, except the conventional presumed DNA. This hypothesis was further confirmed by the two-photon microscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrograph. These results form an important basis for future "on-site observation" of the anticancer mechanism of the Pt(II) complex.

Complex-formation-enhanced fluorescence quenching effect for efficient detection of picric acid.

Amine-functionalized α-cyanostilbene derivatives (Z)-2-(4-aminophenyl)-3-(4-butoxyphenyl)acrylonitrile (ABA) and (Z)-3-(4-butoxyphenyl)-2-[4-(butylamino)phenyl]acrylonitrile (BBA) were designed for specific recognition of picric acid (PA), an environmental and biological pollutant. The 1:1 host-guest complexes formed between the chemosensors and PA enhanced fluorescence quenching, thus leading to sensitive and selective detection in aqueous media and the solid phase.