Synthesis of composite materials combining magnetic metal-organic frameworks and conjugated organic frameworks for selective extraction of carbendazim and thiabendazole residues from Chinese herbal medicine samples.

A magnetic metal-organic framework MIL-68(Al) and a covalent organic framework were used as magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbents in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) to detect carbendazim (CBZ) and thiabendazole (TBZ). The main parameters affecting the extraction in the MSPE process were studied and optimized. Fe3O4@MIL-68(Al) coated with 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene and terephthaldehyde (Fe3O4@MIL-68(Al)@TAPB-PDA-COF) was analyzed and verified. The material was proven to be suitable for adsorbing CBZ and TBZ. Various adsorption models were used to study its adsorption mechanism. The adsorption results were in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Fe3O4@MIL-68(Al)@TAPB-PDA-COF over CBZ and TBZ were 54.24 and 67.87 mg g-1, respectively, and the equilibrium adsorption time was 200 min. Fe3O4@MIL-68(Al)@TAPB-PDA-COF with excellent recyclability showed higher adsorption capacity and selectivity. A method based on Fe3O4@MIL-68(Al)@TAPB-PDA-COF combined with HPLC-UV was established under the optimal extraction conditions and used to separate and detect trace imidazole drugs in Chinese herbal samples, achieving a low limit of detection (0.65-1.30 µg L-1) with excellent linear correlation (r > 0.999). The recovery rate and relative standard deviation were 86.05-99.78 % and 0.15-4.90 %, respectively. Therefore, the Fe3O4@MIL-68@TAPB-PDA-COF can be regarded as an effective adsorbent for the pretreatment of CBZ and TBZ drugs in Chinese herbal samples.

[Analysis and Simulation of the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Habitat Quality and Carbon Storage in the Weibei Dry Plateau Region of Shaanxi].

Exploring the spatial and temporal pattern evolution of habitat quality and carbon storage has a positive feedback effect on establishing an ecological security barrier and optimizing the spatial pattern of national land in the WeiBei Arid Plateau Region of Shaanxi. This study took the Weibei Plateau Region as a case study, simulated the spatial pattern of land use for different development scenarios of 2035 based on the PLUS model, and used the InVEST model to analyze the characteristics of habitat quality and carbon storage distribution in the study area from 1980 to 2020 and under multi-scenarios in the future. The results showed that:①the area of the low-grade habitat quality area in the study area expanded by 462.55 km2, and the carbon stock decreased by 7.85×106 t over the past 40 years, both of which showed an overall decreasing trend yearly. ②During the study period, the degraded habitat quality areas were concentrated in the northeastern part of the study area within Yan'an City, and the upgraded areas were distributed in strips near water sources or at higher elevations. The high carbon stock areas were concentrated in the complex terrain and sparsely populated areas in the study area, and the decreasing carbon stocked areas were scattered throughout the study area in a dotted pattern without obvious aggregation. ③In 2035, carbon stock decreased to different degrees in all states except for the natural development scenario. In the economic priority development scenario, the habitat quality low grade area covered 20787.41 km2, which was the simulated scenario of the fastest growth rate of low-grade area and the largest reduction of high-grade area compared with the early stage of the simulation. The results of this study can provide decision references and data support for low carbon green development and ecological restoration in the study area.

Estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms and risk of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis involving 18 studies.

Genetic and epigenetic changes in the estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) gene, according to multiple lines of evidence, might alter its expression and its downstream signaling thereby increasing the risk of developing prostate cancer. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine whether polymorphisms in two intronic restriction sites in the ER-α (PvuII and XbaI) gene contribute to prostate cancer. A literature search for eligible studies published before November 5, 2013 was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, China Biology Medicine (CBM), and CNKI databases. Pooled crude odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Eighteen case-control and cohort studies were included in this meta-analysis with a total 4,884 prostate cancer cases and 10,134 healthy controls. Two common ER-α polymorphisms were examined: IVS1-397 C>T (a.k.a. the PvuII restriction site, rs2234693) and IVS1-351 A>G (a.k.a. the XbaI restriction site, rs9340799). Results from this meta-analysis showed that the PvuII polymorphism was not significantly associated with prostate cancer risk in any of the racial subgroups, either by allelic or genotypic frequencies. However, this meta-analysis revealed that the G allele in the XbaI polymorphism was associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of prostate cancer. In a stratified analysis based on ethnicity, the XbaI G allele remained significantly correlated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in Africans; this correlation, however, was not found in Caucasians or Asians. In summary, a positive association correlation was observed between frequencies of the XbaI (A>G) polymorphism and prostate cancer, especially in Africans, but not such correlation was found with regard to the frequency of the PvuII (C>T) polymorphism.