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This study aimed to create a comprehensive evaluation method for sewage sludge (SS) treatment and disposal technologies, considering carbon emission and environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) were conducted on six SS treatment and disposal technologies in China. The assessments used the IPCC emission factor approach to calculate carbon emissions and the CML2001 method to determine environmental impact factors. Additionally, a colour-coded method was implemented to quantify the evaluation results. The study found that S1 (anaerobic digestion + land application) had the lowest carbon emissions and environmental impact, making it the optimal technology. The S1 scenario had carbon emissions of 669â kg CO2(t DS)-1 and environmental impacts of 5.20E-10. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to show the impacts of each unit in the six technologies on total carbon emissions and environmental impacts. The results showed that landfilling has a high sensitivity to carbon emissions and environmental impacts. Therefore, controlling greenhouse gases and toxic substances in sludge landfills is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and environmental pollution.
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A traditional grid model for soil sampling may suffer from poor efficiency and low accuracy. With a nonferrous metal processing plant as the study area, a three-dimensional kriging interpolation model was built based on this plant's preliminary investigation data for arsenic (As), and a detailed survey sampling programme was proposed. The sampling density at the pollution interval of the surface soil was estimated by the coefficient of variation method, and the sampling depth was determined by the pollution interval of the vertical prediction results. The results showed that the encrypted soil sampling distribution optimisation method obtains greater pointing accuracy with fewer points. The sampling accuracy was 87.62% after optimising the depth of pointing. Moreover, this approach could save 66.13% of the sampling costs and 56.93% of the testing costs compared to a full deployment programme. This study provides a new and cost-effective method for predicting the extent of contamination exceedance at a site and provides valuable information to guide post-remediation strategies for contaminated sites.
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Arsénico , Contaminantes del Suelo , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Suelo , Contaminación AmbientalRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a rare highly heterogeneous disease. In this paper, we present a case of NIID featured in cortical involvement in left hemisphere of brain and the imaging changes in the process of the disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old female was hospitalized due to recurrent attacks of headache with cognitive impairment and tremor for 2 years. The symptoms of headache episodes were reversible. The characteristic radiologic change was high intensity signal involving the grey matter-white matter junction on the brain diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), which existed in the frontal lobe and then extended backwards. Atypical features on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences showing small patchy high signals in the cerebellar vermis. High signals and edema were detected on FLAIR images along the cortex of the left occipito-parieto-temporal lobes, expanding and gradually shrinking in the follow-up visit. Besides, cerebral atrophy and bilateral symmetrical leukoencephalopathy were also detected. Skin biopsy and genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis of NIID. CONCLUSION: Except for typical radiological change strongly suggesting NIID, it is also necessary to notice the insidious symptoms of NIID combining with some atypical imaging features to make an early diagnosis. Skin biopsies or genetic testing should be carried out early in patients with highly suspected NIID.
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Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas/complicaciones , Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas/patología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , CefaleaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: There are few studies on risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD). The relationship between NMOSD relapse and COVID-19 needs to be evaluated. The objective of our study is to identify the risk factors of COVID-19 infection and NMOSD relapse among NMOSD patients with COVID-19. METHOD: A total of 379 NMOSD patients registered in a NMOSD database were included in this case-control study after the end of the COVID-19 quarantine and restriction policies on December 6, 2022 in China. Data were obtained from the database. Additional information was obtained by questionnaires and the Neurology out-patient clinic. The clinical characteristics of NMOSD patients with COVID-19 were described. Risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection and outcome among patients with NMOSD were analyzed. Risk factors associated with relapse in NMOSD patients with COVID-19 were also identified. RESULTS: 239 (63.1%) NMOSD patients were infected with COVID-19. Patients with NMOSD who were infected with COVID-19, in comparison to those without COVID-19, were younger at the time of interview (median [IQR] age: 43.00 [32.00-55.00] vs 49.50 [35.25-56.00] years, P = 0.029), younger at NMOSD onset (median [IQR] age: 38.00 [27.00-51.00] vs 45.00 [32.00-52.75] years, P = 0.013), had abnormal visual evoked potentials before infection (73.4% vs 54.3% P = 0.029), had lower baseline Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADL) scores (median [IQR] ADL: 14.00 [14.00-16.00] vs 14.00 [14.00-19.00], P = 0.014) or lower baseline modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores (1.12±0.749 vs 1.33±0.991, P = 0.037), and were less frequently treated with more than 10 mg prednisone or 8 mg methylprednisolone (25.0% vs 36.0%,p = 0.026). All 9 NMOSD patients who had symptomatic cerebral syndrome developed moderate/severe COVID-19. A higher percentage of patients with moderate/severe COVID-19 experienced more than one core clinical NMOSD symptoms (61.5% vs 55.1%, p = 0.044), compared to patients with mild COVID-19. Higher risk of NMOSD relapse among NMOSD patients with COVID-19 was associated with higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores (median[IQR] EDSS: 2.00 [1.00-3.00] vs 1.50 [1.00-2.25], P = 0.037) and drug treatments disruption (21.6% vs 5.0% P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: NMOSD patients with younger age, lower baseline ADL or mRS had higher incidence of being diagnosed with COVID-19 during pandemic. Glucocorticoid use may decrease the risk of COVID-19. NMOSD patients with symptomatic cerebral syndrome before the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Drug treatment disruption may result in relapse among NMOSD patients with COVID-19.
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COVID-19 , Neuromielitis Óptica , Humanos , Adulto , Neuromielitis Óptica/tratamiento farmacológico , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Actividades Cotidianas , Potenciales Evocados Visuales , Pandemias , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/complicaciones , Recurrencia , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
Although hair loss is not a horrible disease, it sometimes reduces the patients' quality of life (QOL) and increases their mental stress. Currently, there is no effective treatment for hair loss. It is known that honeybee propolis has various biological activities, including stimulating the proliferation of hair matrix keratinocytes. However, little is known with the hair promoting activity of stingless bee propolis. Hence, this study investigates the hair growth-promoting activity of Philippines stingless bee propolis extract and the underlying a molecular mechanism of promoting hair growth. For the evaluation of hair growth stimulating activity, 99.5% ethanolic extract of Philippines stingless bee propolis is examined using the simple shaving model in C57BL/6N mice. Melaninization of dorsal skin and histological analysis of hair follicles (HFs) revealed that propolis promotes hair growth by stimulating HFs development. The expression of mRNA (Wnt3a, Ctnnb1/ß-catenin, Lef1, and Bmp2) and protein (WNT3A and ß-catenin) of selected Wnt/ß-catenin associated genes explains Philippines stingless bee propolis promoting HFs development by activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. These results suggest that the treatment of propolis strongly promotes hair growth by stimulating the development of HFs via activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. This further indicates the potential of Philippines stingless bee propolis as a novel promising agricultural product for hair growth.
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Própolis , Vía de Señalización Wnt , Ratones , Abejas , Animales , beta Catenina/metabolismo , Calidad de Vida , Filipinas , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Cabello , AlopeciaRESUMEN
We studied the Z/E preference of N-phenylthioacetamide (thioacetanilide) derivatives in various solvents by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, as well as molecular dynamics (MD) and other computational analyses. Our experimental results indicate that the Z/E isomer preference of secondary (NH)thioamides of N-phenylthioacetamides shows substantial solvent dependency, whereas the corresponding amides do not show solvent dependency of the Z/E isomer ratios. Detailed study of the solvent effects based on molecular dynamics simulations revealed that there are two main modes of hydrogen (H)-bond formation between solvent and (NH)thioacetamide, which influence the Z/E isomer preference of (NH)thioamides. DFT calculations of NH-thioamide in the presence of one or two explicit solvent molecules in the continuum solvent model can effectively mimic the solvation by multiple solvent molecules surrounding the thioamide in MD simulations and shed light on the precise nature of the interactions between thioamide and solvent. Orbital interaction analysis showed that, counterintuitively, the Z/E preference of NH-thioacetamides is mainly determined by steric repulsion, while that of sterically congested N-methylthioacetamides is mainly determined by thioamide conjugation.
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Simulación de Dinámica Molecular , Tioamidas , Enlace de Hidrógeno , Espectroscopía de Resonancia Magnética , Solventes/química , Tioamidas/químicaRESUMEN
Objective: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in China is low, although it has been increasing recently. Owing to the paucity of data on immunotherapy acceptance in the Chinese population, we conducted this study to analyze factors affecting the acceptance of immunotherapy and selection of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) based on personal and clinical data of patients with MS. Methods: In this study, data were obtained from the Multiple Sclerosis Patient Survival Report 2018, which was the first national survey of patients with MS in China. There were 1,212 patients with MS from 31 provinces who were treated at 49 Chinese hospitals over a 4-month period from May 2018 to August 2018, and the patients were asked to complete online questionnaires to assess their understanding of the disease. Results: In general, highly educated patients with frequent relapses were more willing to receive treatment regardless of DMTs or other immunotherapy, and patients with more understanding of the disease opted to be treated. Younger patient population, patients with severe disease course, and those with more symptoms were likely to choose the treatment. Moreover, a higher proportion of women chose to be treated with DMTs than with other immunotherapies. Conclusions: Education status and patient awareness of the disease impact the treatment acceptance in Chinese patients with MS. Therefore, we call for improving the awareness of MS disease and social security to help patients to improve their quality of life.
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Determining an ecological and environment damage baseline is the foundation of natural resource damage assessment. In complex damage assessment, the importance of a baseline is often underestimated or ignored. Existing baseline determination methods are insufficiently accurate and poorly available in practical application, which affect the damage assessment work. Based on the definition of baseline and the shortcomings of existing baseline-determination methods, this paper suggests the original site point (OSP) method as a determination principle. The baseline calculation area can be directly determined according to the site conditions in a sludge storage site with clear pollution distribution, and the OSP method has the advantage of determining the baseline rapidly. For a waste oil sludge storage site with unclear pollution distribution, the baseline calculation area should be determined according to preliminary and detailed sampling data. The calculation results of the two sites indicate that the baseline determined using the OSP method and the reference point (RP) method are similar, and the results of the environmental standard (ES) method are superior to those of the other two methods. The order of accuracy of baseline determination methods is the historical data (HD) method > the OSP method > the RP method > the model calculation (MC) method > the ES method. Through two application cases, this paper discusses the applicability of the OSP method and finally establishes the determination steps of the method. The OSP method has proven effective in determining the baseline, and the fast and accurate baseline determination method is more helpful for damage assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1263-1273. © 2021 SETAC.
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Monitoreo del Ambiente , Contaminación Ambiental , China , Recursos Naturales , Medición de RiesgoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and ensuing immune activation are central to the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases. However, the influence of BBB permeability on the clinical signs and prognosis of newly diagnosed neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) has not been examined. We investigate the relationships between BBB permeability as showed by the albumin quotient (qalb) and clinical features of NMOSD. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data of 46 patients, including peripheral blood (PB) measures (serum albumin concentration and total leukocyte, neutrophil, total lymphocyte, CD4+ T cell, and CD8+ T cell counts, complement C3 and C4 concentrations, AQP4-IgG titer),autoimmune antibody titers (ANA/SSA/SSB/Ro-52), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters (total leukocyte count, total protein and albumin concentrations, AQP4-IgG titer), were compared between qalb(BBB permeability) increased and normal groups. Complete measures were not obtained from 9 patients, but all other measures were included in the analysis. RESULTS: According to the calculated qalb, 15 patients with albumin quotient (qalb) > (4 + age/15) × 10-3 were assigned to the qalb increased (high BBB permeability) group (33%) and the remainder to the qalb normal group. Compared to the qalb normal group, the qalb increased group exhibited significantly lower serum albumin (P=0.001) and CD4+ T cell count (P=0.044), CD8+ T cell count (P=0.014), and total T lymphocyte count (P=0.016). The qalb increased group proved higher CSF albumin, total protein, leukocyte count, and IgG titer (all P=0.000). Optic neuritis and optic nerve abnormalities on magnetic resonance images were also more frequent in the qalb increased group (P=0.037 and 0.038, respectively). Patients in the qalb increased group showed significantly poorer treatment response as indicated by the lower post-treatment change in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score compared to the qalb normal group. CONCLUSIONS: BBB permeability is strongly associated with the clinical features and treatment response of newly diagnosed NMOSD. The qalb is a potentially valuable indicator of disease severity and an index to guide personalized treatment.
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Barrera Hematoencefálica/metabolismo , Inflamación/metabolismo , Neuromielitis Óptica/metabolismo , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anticonvulsivantes/uso terapéutico , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neuromielitis Óptica/sangre , Neuromielitis Óptica/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Neuromielitis Óptica/tratamiento farmacológico , Permeabilidad , Pronóstico , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The protective property of propolis across a wide spectrum of diseases has long been realized, yet the anti-tumor efficacy of this bioactive substance from Philippine stingless bees has remained poorly understood. Here, we showed the tumor-suppressing potential of crude ethanolic extract of Philippine stingless bee propolis (EEP) in in vitro models of gastric cancer highlighting the first indication of remarkable subtype specificity towards differentiated-type human gastric cancer cell lines but not the diffuse-type. Mechanistically, this involved the profound modulation of several cell cycle related gene transcripts, which correlated with the prominent cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. To reinforce our data, a unique differentiated-type gastric cancer model, A4gnt KO mice, together with age-matched 60 week-old C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to treatment groups receiving distilled water or EEP for 30 consecutive days. EEP treatment induced significant regression of gross and histological lesions of gastric pyloric tumors that consistently corresponded with specific transcriptional regulation of cell cycle components. Also, the considerable p21 protein expression coupled with a marked reduction in rapidly dividing BrdU-labeled S-phase cells unequivocally supported our observation. Altogether, these findings support the role of Philippine stingless bee propolis as a promising adjunct treatment option in differentiated-type gastric cancer.
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Adenocarcinoma , Neoplasias Experimentales , Própolis/farmacología , Neoplasias Gástricas , Adenocarcinoma/tratamiento farmacológico , Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma/patología , Animales , Abejas , Línea Celular Tumoral , Puntos de Control de la Fase G1 del Ciclo Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Neoplasias Experimentales/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Experimentales/metabolismo , Neoplasias Experimentales/patología , Fase de Descanso del Ciclo Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Neoplasias Gástricas/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Gástricas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologíaRESUMEN
AIMS: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The disease mechanisms driving progressive MS remain unresolved. Without this information, current therapeutic strategies are unsatisfactory in preventing disease progression. Our previous work revealed that DL-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) treatment reduced demyelination in an ethidium bromide mouse model of demyelination. Here, we examine the effect of NBP in the cuprizone model of demyelination by evaluating the pathologic, functional, and behavioral consequences of treatment with NBP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty mice were divided randomly into 4 groups: a normal diet group, a cuprizone diet group, and two NBP groups (10 and 20â¯mg/kg). CNS infiltration by microglia, axon health and myelination were assessed using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, and the levels of cytoplasmic complexes were assessed by Western blotting. KEY FINDINGS: The results showed the neuroprotective effects of the NBP included suppressing the microglia activation through inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression, thus decreasing activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. In particular, myelin density was increased due to an increased mean number of mature oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the high-dose NBP (20â¯mg/kg) subgroup through reduced oligodendrocyte apoptosis. Meanwhile, increased expression of myelin sheath proteins, including proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin basic protein (MBP), was observed in the same subgroup. SIGNIFICANCE: These data suggest that NBP may not only have anti-inflammatory properties but also promote the survival of OLs in a mouse cuprizone model of demyelination. NBP may have a potential role in the treatment of MS.
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Benzofuranos/farmacología , Enfermedades Desmielinizantes/tratamiento farmacológico , Esclerosis Múltiple/metabolismo , Animales , Astrocitos/metabolismo , Axones/patología , Cuerpo Calloso/efectos de los fármacos , Cuerpo Calloso/fisiología , Cuprizona/farmacología , Enfermedades Desmielinizantes/metabolismo , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Regulación de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Microglía/efectos de los fármacos , Esclerosis Múltiple/tratamiento farmacológico , Esclerosis Múltiple/fisiopatología , Vaina de Mielina/metabolismo , FN-kappa B/efectos de los fármacos , Fármacos Neuroprotectores/farmacología , Oligodendroglía/efectos de los fármacos , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). A typical finding on spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of NMOSD is longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). However, patients with NMOSD presenting with short-segment transverse myelitis (STM) during myelitis attacks associated with breast cancer are uncommon. We report a case of a 35-year-old woman with STM and left eye optic neuritis. The patient was positive for serum aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-IgG), and a biopsy of the left breast showed invasive ductal carcinoma. The patient was diagnosed with NMOSD and breast malignancy. This is the first report of a patient with NMOSD whose spinal MRI showed STM and serum test showed that the patient's AQP4-IgG was positive and complicated by breast cancer. This case improves our understanding of the association between NMOSD and cancer and raises the question of whether it was a coincidental occurrence. It is important to search for extensive malignancies in patients presenting with atypical MRI or no reaction to traditional therapies.
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Anticuerpos/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Acuaporina 4/inmunología , Neoplasias de la Mama/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Carcinoma/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Mielitis Transversa/sangre , Adulto , Neoplasias de la Mama/complicaciones , Neoplasias de la Mama/diagnóstico por imagen , Carcinoma/complicaciones , Carcinoma/diagnóstico por imagen , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Mielitis Transversa/complicaciones , Mielitis Transversa/diagnóstico por imagen , Médula Espinal/diagnóstico por imagenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Serum samples are widely used in clinical research, but a comprehensive research of the stability of parameters relevant to chronic hepatitis and the effect of a relatively long-term (up to 10 years) storage on the stability have rarely been studied. AIMS: To investigate the stability of chronic hepatitis-related parameters in serum samples after long-term storage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The storage stability of common clinical parameters such as total bile acid (TBA), total bilirubin (TBIL), potassium, cholesterol, and protein parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), albumin, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and also hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL10) were tested in serum samples after storing at -20°C or -70°C for 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10 years. RESULTS: Levels of TBA, TBIL, and protein parameters such as ALT, CK, GGT, HDL, and HBsAg decreased significantly, but levels of potassium and cholesterol increased significantly after long-term storage, whereas blood glucose and triglycerides were stable during storage. HBV DNA remained stable at -70°C but changed at -20°C, whereas HCV RNA was stable after 1-, 2-, and 3-year storage. CXCL10 was still detectable after 8-year storage. CONCLUSIONS: Low temperatures (-70°C/80°C) are necessary for storage of serum samples in chronic hepatitis B research after long-term storage.
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Recolección de Muestras de Sangre/normas , Criopreservación/normas , Hepatitis B Crónica/sangre , Manejo de Especímenes/normas , Análisis Químico de la Sangre , Humanos , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
A new cyclolanostane triterpenoid xyloside, soulieoside P (1), and a known oleanane-type saponin, hederasaponin B (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Souliea vaginata. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic and HRESIMS analysis, as well as chemical methods. Compound 1 showed significant inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 7.6-11.2 µM against three human cancer cell lines, while compound 2 exhibited no hepatoprotective effect on CCI4-induced injury of human HepG2 cells, in the tested range of 0.1-100 µM.
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Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/aislamiento & purificación , Glicósidos/aislamiento & purificación , Ácido Oleanólico/aislamiento & purificación , Ranunculaceae/química , Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/química , Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/farmacología , Línea Celular Tumoral , Glicósidos/química , Glicósidos/farmacología , Humanos , Ácido Oleanólico/química , Ácido Oleanólico/farmacologíaRESUMEN
The "flipped classroom" teaching model practiced in the teaching of Theories of Different Schools of Acupuncture and Moxibustion curriculum was introduced. Firstly, the roles and responsibilities of teachers were clarified, indicating teachers provided examples and lectures, and a comprehensive assessment system was established. Secondly, the "flipped classroom" teaching model was split into online learning, classroom learning and offline learning. Online learning aimed at forming a study report by a wide search of relevant information, which was submitted to teachers for review and assessment. Classroom learning was designed to communicate study ideas among students and teachers. Offline learning was intended to revise and improve the study report and refined learning methods. Lastly, the teaching practice effects of "flip classroom" were evaluated by comprehensive rating and questionnaire assessment, which assessed the overall performance of students and overall levels of paper; the learning ability was enhanced, and the interest and motivation of learning were also improved. Therefore, "flipped classroom" teaching mode was suitable for the curriculum of Theories of Different Schools of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, and could be recommended into the teaching practice of related curriculum of acupuncture and tuina.
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Terapia por Acupuntura , Acupuntura/educación , Curriculum , Modelos Educacionales , Humanos , Aprendizaje , Moxibustión , Instituciones Académicas , EnseñanzaRESUMEN
This study uses sodium acetate as fuel to construct bioelectricity in coating-type three-dimensional microbial fuel cells anode. The coating-type three-dimensional anode was constructed using iron net as structural support, adhering a layer of carbon felt as primary coating and using carbon powder and 30% PTFE solution mixture as coating. The efficiency of electricity production and wastewater treatment were analyzed for the three-dimensional acetate-fed (C2H3NaO2) microbial fuel cells with the various ratio of the coating mixture. The results showed that the efficiency of electricity production was significantly improved when using the homemade coating-type microbial fuel cells anode compared with the one without coating on the iron net, which the apparent internal resistance was decreased by 59.4% and the maximum power density was increased by 1.5 times. It was found the electricity production was greatly influenced by the ratio of the carbon powder and PTFE in the coating. The electricity production was the highest with apparent internal resistance of 190 Ω, and maximum power density of 5189.4 mW m(-3) when 750 mg of carbon powder and 10 ml of PTFE (i.e., ratio 75:1) was used in the coating. With the efficiency of electricity production, wide distribution and low cost of the raw materials, the homemade acetate-fed microbial fuel cells provides a valuable reference to the development of the composition microbial fuel cell anode production.
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Fuentes de Energía Bioeléctrica/microbiología , Carbono/química , Electricidad , Acetato de Sodio/metabolismo , Electrodos , Aguas Residuales/químicaRESUMEN
A series new 2H-chromene-3-carboxamide derivatives 4a-4t were synthesized and evaluated as monoamine oxidase A and B (MAO-A and MAO-B) inhibitors. Among them, compound 4d (IC50 = 0.93 µM, IC(50 iproniazid) = 7.80 µM) showed the most activity and higher MAO-B selectivity (64.5-fold vs. 1-fold) with respect to the MAO-A isoform. The active compound 4d was also docked into the hMAO-B complex structure active site to determine the probable binding model. The results indicated that conserved residue CYSA 172 was important for ligand binding via hydrogen bond interaction, Pi-Pi interaction was found between the benzene-ring of compound 4d and residue ILEA 199.
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Benzopiranos/síntesis química , Benzopiranos/farmacología , Diseño de Fármacos , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/síntesis química , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/farmacología , Monoaminooxidasa/metabolismo , Benzopiranos/química , Benzopiranos/metabolismo , Técnicas de Química Sintética , Humanos , Concentración 50 Inhibidora , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Monoaminooxidasa/química , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/química , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/metabolismoRESUMEN
Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a surrogate marker of acute inflammatory lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Data from experiments suggest that apolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays an important role in the antiinflammatory and immunological process in MS/EAE. Recent researches have shown that lack of ApoE leads to loss of cerebrovascular integrity and BBB breakdown causing neuronal injury. Cerebrovascular effects of ApoE might be another important element resulting to more susceptibility to MS/EAE. However, there is no direct evidence that ApoE dependently contributes to maintaining BBB integrity in EAE. In this study, we induced EAE in ApoE-/- mice and wild-type mice. During EAE, our results show that lack of ApoE increased the Evan's blue (EB) permeability of BBB. Furthermore, deficiency of ApoE upregulated MMP-9 expression activity but decreased the expression of endothelial cell tight junction integral proteins claudin-5 and occludin. Our result also suggests that the protective role of ApoE in EAE by maintaining BBB integrity could be another interesting therapeutic target at MS/EAE.
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Apolipoproteínas E/metabolismo , Barrera Hematoencefálica/metabolismo , Encefalomielitis Autoinmune Experimental/metabolismo , Metaloproteinasa 9 de la Matriz/metabolismo , Animales , Apolipoproteínas E/genética , Permeabilidad Capilar , Claudina-5/genética , Claudina-5/metabolismo , Femenino , Metaloproteinasa 9 de la Matriz/genética , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ocludina/genética , Ocludina/metabolismoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: To assess whether biomarker τ protein could differentiate between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search to identify studies on τ protein, patients with AD, and patients with VaD. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) τ protein levels were compared to discriminate among patients with AD, healthy controls, and patients with VaD by a meta-analysis. RESULTS: Patients with AD exhibit significantly higher CSF τ protein levels than healthy controls or patients with VaD in the Chinese population. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that CSF τ protein levels were found to be significantly associated with AD in the Chinese population. Measurement of τ protein could help in attenuating the strict distinction between AD and VaD.
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Enfermedad de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Péptidos beta-Amiloides/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Demencia Vascular/diagnóstico , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Proteínas tau/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Péptidos beta-Amiloides/metabolismo , Pueblo Asiatico , Biomarcadores/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Ensayos Clínicos como Asunto , Humanos , Proteínas tau/metabolismoRESUMEN
Apolipoprotein E (apoE) has been detected to possess anti-inflammatory properties that can contribute to protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, its impact on Th1 and Th17 responses in EAE is unclear. In this study, we induced EAE in apoE-/- mice and wild-type mice. We observed that the absence of apoE resulted in the increased proportion of Th1 and Th17 cells in the spleens and brains, as well as up-regulated expressions of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-12, IL-1ß and IL-6) and transcription factors (RORγt and T-bet) in the CNS. ApoE-/- mice also showed the increased release of proinflammatory cytokines by macrophages in vitro. In addition, we used a mimetic peptide of apoE, which mimic the functions of apoE except for lipid transport. ApoE mimetic peptide could reverse the above negative effect in EAE. Thus, apoE can modulate Th1 and Th17 responses, likely through its inhibitory effect on the secretion of cytokines by macrophages. Our result also suggests that apoE mimetic peptide might be developed into a therapeutic agent for multiple sclerosis.