Synergistically homogeneous-heterogeneous Fenton catalysis of trace copper ion and g-C3N4 for degradation of organic pollutants.

Using the bulk g-C3N4 as a precursor, four g-C3N4 nanosheets were further prepared by ultrasonic, thermal, acid, and alkali exfoliation. The structures of these materials were characterized by various techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synergistical Fenton catalysis of these materials with Cu2+ was evaluated by using rhodamine B as a simulated organic pollutant. The results showed that there existed a significant synergistical Fenton catalysis between Cu2+ and g-C3N4. This synergistic effect can be observed even when the concentration of Cu2+ was as low as 0.064 mg L-1. The properties of g-C3N4 strongly influenced the catalytic activity of the Cu2+/g-C3N4 system. The coexistent of Cu2+ and the alkali exfoliated g-C3N4 showed the best catalytic activity. Hydroxyl radicals as oxidizing species were confirmed in the Cu2+/g-C3N4 system by electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. The synergistic catalysis may be attributed to the easier reduction of Cu2+ adsorbed on the g-C3N4. This study provided an excellent Fenton catalytic system, and partly solved the rapid deactivation of heterogeneous Fenton catalysts caused by the leaching of metal ions.

MicroRNA related prognosis biomarkers from high throughput sequencing data of kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer which could be mainly classified as kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP). KIRP ranks second in terms of morbidity rate which comprised 10%-15% of patients. Till now, there were few biomarkers could forecast the outcomes of KIRP. The aim of this study was to identify novel prognostic biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes for KIRP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we firstly downloaded 326 miRNAs (35 controls vs. 291 patients), 321 mRNAs (33 controls vs. 288 patients) data and their corresponding clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Then, we used DESeq2 analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, pathologic MNT correlation analysis, and specific prognostic model analysis to identify the potential prognosis biomarkers. RESULTS: We found 25 differential expression miRNAs (DEMs) and 7 differential expression genes (DEGs) were associated with the overall survival rates of KIRP patients. After multivariate Cox regression analysis, we established 2 prognostic prediction models and calculated the area under the 1-, 3-, and 5-year curve (AUC) values of DEMs and DEGs respectively. Among them, the prognostic index (PI) of DEMs and DEGs showed good predictive ability which was 0.8293/0.7205, 0.8148/0.7301 and 0.7776/0.6810 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that 3 DEMs and 2 DEGs could be used as prognostic biomarkers to predict the outcome for KIRP. Our study was just a primary analysis based on high-throughput sequencing and clinical information.

[Genotype-phenotype analysis of a homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia pedigree].

Objective: To analyze the genetic characteristics of a five generations pedigree with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). Methods: Prospective study. Twenty family members included a proband diagnosed as familial hyperlipidemia at the cardiology Department of Xi'an Children's Hospital in October 2018 were research object. Clinical data were collected. Genome DNAs were extracted. Whole exons sequencing was performed on the proband using target capture next generation sequencing. Candidate gene mutation sites identified by bioinformatics were verified by Sanger sequencing in the family members. The genotype-phenotype correlation of the pedigree was analyzed between heterozygous mutation carriers and non-carriers. Results: The proband was a 7-years and 10-month-old boy. He was born with a roundgreen bean size yellow skin protuberance in the skin of the coccyx. Since the age of 3-4 years old, xanthoma-like lesions with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 cm gradually appeared in the skin of bilateral elbow joints, knee joints and Achilles tendon. The height, weight and intellectual development of the child were the same as those of normal children at the same age. No similar xanthoma-like lesion was found in the other family members. The proband's total cholesterol (TC) reached 18.16-21.24 mmol/L, and his low density lipoproteincholesterol (LDL-C) was 14.08-15.51 mmol/L. Carotid ultrasonography showed diffuse sclerotic plaques in bilateral carotid and vertebral arteries, and color Doppler echocardiography revealed aortic valve thickening and calcification. Gene testing identified that the proband carried a homozygous mutation C. 418G>A (p. E140K) in LDLR gene inherited from his parents who had a consanguineous marriage and carried a heterozygous mutation of LDLR-E140K, respectively.The TC, LDL-C and apolipoproteinB (ApoB) of LDLR-E140K gene heterozygous carriers ((8.40±0.13), (6.79±0.01) and (1.95±0.05) mmol/L, respectively) were significantly higher than those of non-carriers ((4.59±0.28), (3.35±0.39) and (0.86±0.10) mmol/L, t=7.269, 4.595, 6.311, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: LDLR-E140K gene homozygous mutation is first reported to be associated with most severe phenotype HoFH. The genotype-phenotype analysis of the pedigree shows that the clinical phenotype of the proband with homozygous mutation is the most serious, and all the heterozygous mutation carriers present with hypercholesterolemia phenotype. The investigation confirms that LDLR-E140K is the pathogenic variation of familial hyperlipidemia.

An antibody-free assay for simultaneous capture and detection of glycoproteins by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

A sensitive, and single step reaction assay of glycoproteins in antibody-free mode was proposed on a 4-mercapto-phenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) modified silver nanoparticle film (AgNF) by using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). 4-MPBA/AgNF was designed both as a glycoprotein-specific recognition biosensor and as a Raman reporter for the SERS platform. Variation in the ratio I1574/I1586 for 4-MPBA/AgNF in response to glycoprotein capture constitutes the SERS assay which exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity against nonglycoproteins and is shown to function in complex samples.

Analgesic effect of dezocine in different doses on elderly patients undergoing abdominal operation under general anesthesia and its influence on stress response to postoperative tracheal extubation.

OBJECTIVE: To study the analgesic effect of dezocine in different doses on elderly patients undergoing abdominal operation under general anesthesia and to investigate the influence of dezocine on stress response to postoperative tracheal extubation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 76 elderly patients undergoing abdominal operation under general anesthesia and postoperative analgesia in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2016 were selected, and patients treated with fentanyl were selected as the control group (fentanyl: 10 µg/kg, n=19). The patients were randomly divided into low-dose group (dezocine: 0.05 mg/kg, n=19), medium-dose group (dezocine: 0.1 mg/kg, n=19) and high-dose group (dezocine: 0.15 mg/kg, n=19). The patients in each group were intravenously injected with 0.1 mg/kg tropisetron. The tracheal catheter was withdrawn from patients in each group; the heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and saturation of pulse oxygen (SpO2) of patients in each group before and at 10 min after tracheal extubation were recorded in detail; moreover, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Ramsay sedation score, occurrence rate of adverse reactions, Bruggrmann comfort scale (BCS) score and times of pressing analgesia pump after operation of patients in the four groups were evaluated at 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after operation. RESULTS: Compared with those before operation, there were no statistically significant differences in HR, RR, MAP and SPO2 of patients in low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group at 10 min after tracheal extubation, and HR, RR, MAP and SPO2 of patients in control group were significantly increased after tracheal extubation (p<0.05). The VAS scores of patients in low-dose group within 48 h were significantly higher than those in control group, medium-dose group and high-dose group (p<0.05). The Ramsay sedation scores of patients in low-dose group and medium-dose group were significantly lower than those in control group and high-dose group (p<0.05), and the BCS score of patients in low-dose group was lower than those in medium-dose group, high-dose group, and control group (p<0.05). Besides, the occurrence rates of postoperative adverse reactions of patients in control group and low-dose group were higher than those in medium-dose group and high-dose group (p<0.05), the times of pressing analgesia pump after operation of patients in low-dose group were more than those in control group, medium-dose group and high-dose group (p<0.05), and the times were reduced successively in low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group. Finally, the results of correlation analysis showed that the dose of dezocine was positively correlated with the Ramsay sedation score, but negatively correlated with the VAS score of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Dezocine can effectively enhance the analgesic effect on elderly patients receiving abdominal operation under general anesthesia in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, dezocine can significantly reduce the stress response of elderly patients to postoperative tracheal extubation, and reduce the occurrence rate of adverse complications after abdominal operation under general anesthesia.

Relationship between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and post-stroke depression.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a mental illness characterized by subjective feelings of depression, cognitive dysfunction, and decreased interest. The serotoninergic system is involved in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders and is regulated by the serotonin transporter gene. The serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been examined as a factor associated with depression and other mental disorders. This study was performed to explore the relationship between 5-HTTLPR and PSD in a Han Chinese population. In total, 199 patients with PSD and 202 unrelated non-PSD patients were recruited from psychiatric hospitals. Depression was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition. Blood samples were collected from all patients for 5-HTTLPR genotyping. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared between the two groups. SS genotype frequency was significantly higher in the PSD group than in the non-PSD group. LL genotype frequency was significantly higher in the non-PSD group than in the PSD group (P < 0.01). This study describes a positive association between 5-HTTLPR and PSD in a Han Chinese population and provides genetic evidence to support the genetic susceptibility of PSD.

Characteristic element of matrix attachment region mediates vector attachment and enhances nerve growth factor expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Preliminary studies have suggested that a characteristic element of the matrix attachment region (MAR) in human interferon-ß mediates the adhesion of vectors to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. In this study, we investigated if vector adhesion increased nerve growth factor (NGF) expression in CHO cells. The MAR characteristic element sequence of human interferon-ß was inserted into the multiple-cloning site of the pEGFP-C1 vector. The target NGF gene was inserted upstream of the MAR characteristic element sequence to construct the MAR/NGF expression vector. The recombinant plasmid was transfected into CHO cells and stable monoclonal cells were selected using G418. NGF mRNA and protein expression was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Plasmid reduction experiments were used to determine the state of transfected plasmid in mammalian cells. The insertion of MAR into the vector increased NGF expression levels in CHO cells (1.93- fold) compared to the control. The recombinant plasmid expressing the MAR sequence was digested into a linear space vector. The inserted MAR and NGF sequences were consistent with those inserted into the plasmid before recombination. Therefore, we concluded that the MAR characteristic element mediates vector adhesion to CHO cells and enhances the stability and efficiency of the target gene expression.

Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the biosorption of Cu(II) onto chestnut shell.

The biosorption of Cu(II) onto chestnut shell, a residue of the food processing industry, in a batch adsorber has been studied. Equilibrium isotherms, kinetic data, and thermodynamic parameters have been evaluated. Equilibrium data agreed well with Langmuir isotherm and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models. The adsorption capacity of chestnut shell for Cu(II) was determined with the Langmuir model and was found to be 12.56 mg g(-1) at 293K. The kinetic data were found to follow the pseudo-second-order model. Intra-particle diffusion is not the sole rate-controlling factor. Gibbs free energy was spontaneous for all interactions, and the adsorption process exhibited exothermic enthalpy values. Chestnut shell was shown to be a promising biosorbent for Cu(II) removal from aqueous solutions.

NC1 domain of human type VIII collagen (alpha 1) inhibits bovine aortic endothelial cell proliferation and causes cell apoptosis.

Endostatin, a natural angiogenesis inhibitor, had been identified for years. It opened a new approach for cancer therapy. Sequence analysis revealed that endostatin is the NC1 domain (non-triple-helical domain) of collagen XVIII. In this report, the cDNA of NC1 domain of type VIII collagen (alpha 1) was cloned and expressed as soluble form in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified with Ni-NTA agarose column and named as vastatin. It inhibited the proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cell stimulated by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a dose-dependent manner. The ED(50) of vastatin was 0.6 microg/ml, while the ED(50) of endostatin was 0.5 microg/ml. Treatment of BAE cell with vastatin caused G(0)-G(1) arrest and cell apoptosis. It is interesting that sequence analysis showed that there was only about 12% amino acid sequence homology between vastatin and endostatin. The structure-function relationship of these angiogenesis molecules remains to be elucidated.

[Study on preserving intestinal function and the possible mechanism of hypermetabolic response following severe burn injury].

In order to approach the mechanism of hypermetabolic response following severe burn injury, a new animal model was developed with a specially bred miniswine (Guizhou species). Multiple catheterizations were applied for sampling different blood from portal, inferior mesenteric as will as jugular (central) veins. The animals were sustained with 30% III burn of TB-SA and divided randomly into early feeding group, given a complete diet beginning from 2 hours postburn (N = 6), and delayed feeding group, given the same diet initiating on 4 day postburn (N = 6). The results showed that compared with delayed feeding, early enteral feeding could strengthen the barrier function, decline the rate of translocation of bacteria and endotoxin from the gut to portal vein, reduce obviously blood TNF, CRP and catabolic-hormones, and significantly decrease REE (resting energy expenditure) and urinary 3-Mehis excretion. During the hypermetabolism (PBD7-10), the metabolic response mediated by "intestinal way" was at least 35%. The way of "intestinal tract--macrophages in liver--Hypermetabolism" is a possible mechanism of hypermetabolic response following severe burn injury, and the bacteria and endotoxin translocated from the gut, the active products (IL-1, TNF, etc) released by Kupffer's cells might be the mediating factors of the mechanism.