Morning Versus Evening Dosing of Sublingual Immunotherapy in Allergic Asthma: A Prospective Study.

Background: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been proved to be an effective and safe treatment for allergic asthma (AS) in children. Nonetheless, several issues regarding SLIT remain to be resolved, including the information about optimal administration timing. Methods: A total of 163 AS children aged 4-13 years were enrolled and randomized into the morning dosing (MD) group and the evening dosing (ED) group. Participants received SLIT with Dermatophagoides farinae drops between 7:00 a. m. and 9:00 a.m. (for the MD group) or between 8:00 p. m. and 10:00 p.m. (for the ED group). The total asthma symptom score (TASS), total asthma medicine score (TAMS), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/forced volume vital capacity (FVC), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and adverse events (AEs) were assessed at baseline, 0.5 and 1 year during the 1-year SLIT. Results: After 1 year, 62 patients in the MD group and 63 patients in the ED group completed the entire study. The clinical efficacy, pulmonary function and FeNO in both groups improved significantly at 0.5 and 1 year (p < 0.001). Compared to the MD group, the ED group showed significant lower ACQ score at 0.5 year (p < 0.001) and lower FeNO at 1 year (p < 0.05). No significant difference between two groups was observed in AE rate (p > 0.05). All AEs occurred in the first month, with no systemic AEs reported. Conclusion: 1-year house dust mite (HDM) SLIT is effective and well-tolerated in AS children regardless of administration time. SLIT dosing in the evening might enhance the asthma control level and reduce FeNO level compared with SLIT dosing in the morning.

Preparation of dummy molecularly imprinted polymers based on dextran-modified magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4 for the selective detection of acrylamide in potato chips.

Novel dummy magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (dex-MMIPs) were prepared for highly selective recognition and fast enrichment of acrylamide (AA) in potato chips. Propionamide (PA) was used as dummy template molecule and the Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified with carboxymethyl dextran were developed as supports. Methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (EGDMA) were chosen as the functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the synthesized dex-MMIPs. The adsorption of dex-MMIPs reached equilibrium within 20 min, and the maximum adsorption quantity (Qm) was 19.28 mg/g with the dissociation constant (Kd) of 35.7 mg/L. Moreover excellent recognition toward acrylamide was achieved compared to analogs, such as N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and nicotinamide (VPP). The satisfactory recoveries of 83.9-96.8% were achieved for selective separation and enrichment of AA in spiked potato chips by dex-MMIPs.

[Characteristics of seawater nutrients during the occurrence of brown tide in the coastal area of Qinhuangdao, China]. / ç§¦çš‡å²›æµ·åŸŸè¤æ½®ç”Ÿæ¶ˆè¿‡ç¨‹ä¸­è¥å »ç›ç‰¹å¾.

Brown tide that occurred in Qinhuangdao coastal waters from 2009 to 2015 caused huge losses of local marine aquaculture and coastal tourism, with devastating effects on marine ecosystems. Nutrients are important biogenic elements for algal growth. It is of great significance to examine the fluctuation characteristics of nutrients in the process of brown tide to understand the nutritional mechanism of brown tide. Based on the survey data of 30 stations located in Qinhuangdao coastal area from April to June 2014, we analyzed nutrient characteristics during the occurrence of brown tide and its relationship with the population dynamics of Aureococcus anophagefferens. The results showed that the concentration of dissolved nitrogen (DN) in April, May and June 2014 was 265.65, 355.36 and 323.71 µg·L-1 respectively, and the concentration of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was 196.98, 242.88 and 177.69 µg·L-1, accounting for 74.2%, 68.3% and 54.9% of DN, respectively. The concentration of dissolved phosphorus (DP) in April, May and June was 15.95, 11.39 and 11.14 µg·L-1 respectively. In April and May, PO43--P accounted for a large proportion of the DP, 74.8% and 80.9% respectively. In June, the proportion of PO43--P in DP fell to 33.8%, and the proportion of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in DP rose to 66.2%. The concentration of SiO32--Si in April, May and June was 70.95, 181.13 and 120.68 µg·L-1, respectively. Except for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in May and DON, the distribution of other nutrients had clear characteristics that it decreased gradually from inshore to the offshore, with the relatively high concentrations in river mouth. Through R-factor analysis and nutrient structure analysis, it was found that in April, brown tide was at the development stage, and DOP might be the main driving factor for the growth of A. anophagefferens. In May, brown tide was at the maintenance stage, and water temperature became the main controlling factor. When water temperature was higher than 12 ℃, brown tide could occur. In June, brown tide began to decay, and PO43--P had greater effects on the community structure of phytoplankton. DON was the important factor causing the outbreak of brown tide, with a concentration threshold of 150 µg·L-1 and the ratio DON/DIN being greater than 1.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of repirinast tablets in healthy Chinese subjects

ABSTRACT Repirinast is a new, synthetic, disodium cromoglycate-like antiallergic agent for oral administration in humans. This study evaluated the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of repirinast tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers. This was a phase I, open-label, randomized, single- and multiple-dose study. Subjects were assigned to receive a single dose of repirinast tablet at either 150, 300, or 450 mg, or multiple doses of 150 mg twice daily for 5 days. Plasma samples were analyzed with LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters of active metabolite MY-1250 (deesterified repirinast) were calculated using non-compartmental analysis with WinNonlin software. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. All adverse events (AEs) were mild and of limited duration. No serious adverse event (SAE), death or withdrawal from the study was observed. In the single-dose study, Cmax was reached at about 0.75 hour, and the mean t1/2 was approximately 16.21 hours. Area under curve (AUC) and Cmax increased with dose escalation, but dose proportionality was not observed over the range of 150 to 450 mg. In the multiple-dose study, the steady-state was reached within 3 days with no accumulation. Repirinast tablet was well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects.

Phosphorus-doped helical carbon nanofibers as enhanced sensing platform for electrochemical detection of carbendazim.

A combined chemical vapor deposition with high-pressure annealing has been developed for the production of phosphorus-doped helical carbon nanofibers (P-HCNFs). The resulting P-HCNFs have a large specific surface area, well-defined three-dimensional hierarchical helical structure and rapid apparent heterogeneous electron transfer. Based on the high electrocatalytic activity, the P-HCNFs were used to develop an amperometric sensor for carbendazim detection. The experimental results demonstrated that the sensor is promising for the determination of carbendazim in food samples due to the high sensitivity, wide linear range and low detection limit.

Analysis of Trace Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) in Vegetables Using Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

A reliable, sensitive, and cost-effective method was developed for determining three quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) including dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and didodecyldimethylammonium chloride in various vegetables using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The variety and acidity of extraction solvents, extraction times, and cleanup efficiency of sorbents were estimated to obtain an optimized procedure for extraction of the QACs in nine vegetable matrices. Excellent linearities (R(2) > 0.992) were obtained for the analytes in the nine matrices. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.7-6.0 and 2.3-20.0 µg/kg (dry weight, dw) in various matrices, respectively. The recoveries in the nine matrices ranged from 70.5% to 108.0% with relative standard deviations below 18.0%. The developed method was applied to determine the QACs in 27 vegetable samples collected from Guangzhou in southern China, showing very high detection frequency with a concentration of 23-180 µg/kg (dw).

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of a new 6-alkoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyridazine.

A series of 6-alkoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyridazine derivatives were synthesized. In initial screening and quantitative evaluation, compound 2r was among the most active agents, exhibiting in the same time the lowest toxicity. In the anti-maximal electroshock test, it showed median effective dose (ED50) of 17.3 mg/kg and median toxicity dose (TD50) of 380.3 mg/kg, and the protective index (PI) of 22.0, which is much better than PI of the reference drugs. In a subsequent test, compound 2r had median hypnotic dose (HD50) of 746.6 mg/kg, thus demonstrating much better margin of safety compared to reference drugs. Compound 2r also showed oral activity against MES-induced seizures and lower oral neurotoxicity. For explanation of the putative mechanism of action, compound 2r was tested in chemical induced models.

Carbonyl compounds and BTEX in the special rooms of hospital in Guangzhou, China.

The occurrence of carbonyl compounds and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEXs) was assessed in the indoor and outdoor air of a hospital in Guangzhou, China. The pharmacy room, the preparing traditional Chinese medicine room, the supply room (where the medical appliances are disinfected), the laundry and the garbage room were selected as sampling sites. Acetaldehyde (ranging from 4.56 to 66.8 microg m(-3)) was in all samples the most abundant among the 18 carbonyls detected, and toluene (ranging from 33.5 to 264 microg m(-3)) among the BTEXs. The indoor/outdoor (I/O) concentration ratios of BTEXs in the morning were always >1.0, and close to 1.0 or slightly <1.0 in the afternoon, while the concentration ratios of carbonyls in the afternoon showed large variation. These ratios demonstrate the significance of outdoor emissions that deteriorate the indoor air quality at the various rooms of the hospital. The possible sources of BTEXs and carbonyls in these rooms are discussed with the use of specific ratios and with the use of statistical methods, like principal components analysis.

Effects of electrokinetic treatment of a heavy metal contaminated soil on soil enzyme activities.

There is a growing concern on the potential application of a direct current (DC) electric field to soil for removing contaminants, but little is known about its impact on soil enzyme activities. This study investigated the change of enzyme activities of a heavy metal contaminated soil before and after electrokinetic (EK) treatments at lab-scale and the mechanisms of EK treatment to affect soil enzyme activities were explored. After treatments with 1-3 V cm(-1) of voltage gradient for 420 h, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil heavy metal concentration and enzyme activities were analyzed. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of soil copper were about 65% and 83% without and with pH control of catholyte, respectively, and all the removal efficiencies of cadmium were above 90%. The soil invertase and catalase activities increased and the highest invertase activity was as 170 times as the initial one. The activities of soil urease and acidic phosphatase were lower than the initial ones. Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that the soil invertase and acidic phosphatase activities were significantly correlated with soil pH, EC, and DOC at P<0.05, but the soil urease activities had no correlation with the soil properties. On the other hand, the effects of DC electric current on solution invertase and catalase enzyme protein activities indicated that it had negative effect on solution catalase activity and little effect on solution invertase activity. From the change of invertase and catalase activities in soil and solution, the conclusion can be drawn that the dominant effect mechanism is the change of soil properties by EK treatments.

[Effects of ginsenoside and berberine on secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines in lung carcinoma cell line PG].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of ginsenoside (Gs) and berberine (Ber), two kinds of active components of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in PG cells. METHODS: Co-culture system of human lung carcinoma cell line PG and human T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat was established. PG cells were treated with Gs (100 microg/ml) and Ber (10 mug/ml) for twenty-four hours, and then cocultured with Jurkat cells. After 24-hour coculture, the state of Jurkat cells was observed with inverted microscope. The viable count of Jurkat cells was detected by trypan blue staining after 6- and 24-hour coculture, and the apoptosis of Jurkat cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. PG cells were treated with 100, 50, 25 microg/ml Gs and 10, 5, 2.5 microg/ml Ber respectively, and the content of TGF-beta1 and PGE(2) in PG cells was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) method. RESULTS: After coculture with PG cells treated with Gs and Ber, the number of Jurkat cells was less than blank control group, and the apoptosis rates of Jurkat cells in Gs- and Ber-treated groups were higher than blank control group. Gs and Ber could promote the secretion of TGF-beta1 in PG cells, but could not change the level of PGE(2). CONCLUSION: Gs and Ber can promote the growth inhibition and apoptosis of Jurkat cells induced by PG cells, which may be related to the up-regulation of Gs and Ber on TGF-beta1 secretion in PG cells.

Occurrence of organic contaminants in sewage sludges from eleven wastewater treatment plants, China.

This study presents the occurrence of 43 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) listed as priority pollutants by both China and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in sewage sludges collected from eleven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of mainland and Hong Kong, China. Thirty-six SVOCs were detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and at least 14 in each sample. The most abundant compounds were phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with total concentrations ranging from 10 to 114mgkg(-1) dry weight (d.w.) (with a mean of 30mgkg(-1) d.w.) and from 1.4 to 33mgkg(-1)d.w. (with a mean of 16mgkg(-1) d.w.), respectively, followed by chlorobenzenes, nitroaromatics, haloethers and halogenated hydrocarbons which occurred generally at concentrations lower than 10mgkg(-1) d.w. Large variations were observed between the concentrations of individual compounds as well as their total concentrations in sludge samples from different WWTPs. The highest values of sum concentration of 16 PAHs and of 6 PAEs were found in sewage sludge from Beijing. The mean total concentration of each class of SVOCs in sewage sludge from mainland was remarkably higher than that from Hong Kong. The concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in 91% sludge samples met the limit (100mgkg(-1)d.w.) proposed by the Europe Union for land application, whereas the PAH concentrations of 64% sludge samples exceeded the maximum permissible concentration (6.0mgkg(-1)d.w.). The occurrence of SVOCs in this study are compared with other studies and their sources are discussed.

[Effect of Astragalus polysaccharides in promoting neutrophil-vascular endothelial cell adhesion and expression of related adhesive molecules].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the detoxication and tissue generation effect of Astragalus (As) in wound healing and its relation with inflammatory reaction, through observing the effect of Astragalus polysaccharides (AP) on neutrophil-endothelial cell adhesion and expression of related adhesive molecules. METHODS: Human polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) or human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) was treated separately with AP, AP plus interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to study the effect of AP on PMN adhesion with HUVEC by rose bengal staining, and that on expression of superficial adhesive factor by means of Cell-ELISA and APAAP method. RESULTS: When AP acted on HUVEC, it could significantly promote the adhesion of HUVEC with PMN, while when AP acted on PMN, the adhesion would not increase. When HUVEC was treated by AP plus IL-1, the IL-1 induced PMN adhesion with HUVEC could be strengthened, and the expression of HUVEC superficial adhesive factor ICAM-1 induced by IL-1 and TNF was strengthened also, but when PMN treated with AP, it showed no effect on the expression of adhesive factor CD18. CONCLUSION: AP promotes the adhesion between neutrophil and endothelial cell by way of promoting the expression of superficial I-CAM-1 on surface of endothelial cells, so as to improve the inflammatory reaction in the wound healing course, it possibly is one of the biological bases of the detoxication and tissue generation effects of AP.