Oocyte quality is impaired in a hyperandrogenic PCOS mouse model by increased Foxo1 expression.

One of the most important characteristics of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is excess androgen, which has adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes and increases the risk of offspring developing metabolic disorders. Foxo1 has been shown to play an important role in PCOS, but whether it has an affect on oocyte's quality in PCOS remains unclear. The current research investigated the effect of excess androgen exposure on mouse oocyte quality, as well as the possible molecular mechanism. Timelapse incubator was used to culture oocytes in vitro and evaluate the maturation process. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by laser confocal microscope. Immunofluorescence staining assays were performed to examine the expression of Foxo1 and γ-H2AX. Relative mRNA level of Foxo1 and Caspase3 were examined by RT-qPCR. Results showed Germinal vesicle breakdown and maturation rates of oocytes from hyperandrogenic PCOS mice were significantly decreased in vitro, while in vitro maturation showed a marked delay from the germinal vesicle breakdown to metaphase II stage in PCOS group. Expression levels of reactive oxygen species, Foxo1, Caspase3, and γ-H2AX were significantly increased, whereas mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly decreased in oocytes from PCOS mice. These results indicate that excess androgen exposure induced oxidative stress, which further induced high expression of Foxo1, resulting in more DNA damage and apoptosis in oocytes. The current findings provide new knowledge for exploring the mechanism of decreased oocyte quality in hyperandrogenic PCOS.

Effects of heatwave features on machine-learning-based heat-related ambulance calls prediction models in Japan.

Researchers agree that there is substantial evidence of an increasing trend in both the frequency and duration of extreme temperature events. Increasing extreme temperature events will place more pressure on public health and emergency medical resources, and societies will need to find effective and reliable solutions to adapt to hotter summers. This study developed an effective method to predict the number of daily heat-related ambulance calls. Both national- and regional-level models were developed to evaluate the performance of machine-learning-based methods on heat-related ambulance call prediction. The national model showed a high prediction accuracy and can be applied over most regions, while the regional model showed extremely high prediction accuracy in each corresponding region and reliable accuracy in special cases. We found that the introduction of heatwave features, including accumulated heat stress, heat acclimatization, and optimal temperature, significantly improved prediction accuracy. The adjusted coefficient of determination (adjusted R2) of the national model improved from 0.9061 to 0.9659 by including these features, and the adjusted R2 of the regional model also improved from 0.9102 to 0.9860. Furthermore, we used five bias-corrected global climate models (GCMs) to forecast the total number of summer heat-related ambulance calls under three different future climate scenarios nationally and regionally. Our analysis demonstrated that, at the end of the 21st century, the total number of heat-related ambulance calls in Japan will reach approximately 250,000 per year (nearly four times the current amount) under SSP-5.85. Our results suggest that disaster management agencies can use this highly accurate model to forecast potential high emergency medical resource burden caused by extreme heat events, allowing them to raise and improve public awareness and prepare countermeasures in advance. The method proposed in Japan in this paper can be applied to other countries that have relevant data and weather information systems.

Correlation of onset time and influencing factors for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction / 国际脑血管病杂志

Cerebrovascular diseases and cardiovascular diseases are among the top causes of death worldwide. In recent years, the concept of "brain-heart co-treatment" has gradually gained popularity. Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases have similar pathological foundations, pathogenesis, comorbidities, and treatment methods. However, there is currently limited research on whether the two have a chronological order of the first onset and which is the index event of the other. However, elucidating the above issues is of great significance for the secondary prevention of cardiocerebrovascular diseases. This article reviews the correlation of onset time and influencing factors for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction.

Research progress on animal models of contrast-induced acute kidney injury / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) refers to acute kidney injury that occurs after intravascular contrast media is applied. It is the third most common cause for acute renal failure in hospitalized patients and can cause severe renal impairment and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In severe cases, it can even lead to the death of the patient. Due to its complicated pathogenesis, the pathogenesis of CI-AKI has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, it is of great significance to further study the pathogenesis for the prevention of CI-AKI. Moreover, a good animal model of CI-AKI is an important tool for in-depth research on the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury induced by contrast agents.

Risk factors associated with the progression from keloids to severe keloids / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Keloids are benign fibrous growths that are caused by excessive tissue build-up. Severe keloids exert more significant effects on patients' quality of life than do mild keloids. We aimed to identify factors associated with the progression from mild keloids to severe keloids, as distinct from those associated with the formation of keloids.@*METHODS@#In this retrospective case-control study, 251 patients diagnosed with keloids at West China Hospital between November 2018 and April 2021 were grouped according to the severity of lesions (mild [n = 162] or severe [n = 89]). We collected their basic characteristics, living habits, incomes, comorbidities, and keloid characteristics from Electronic Medical Records in the hospital and the patients' interviews. Conditional multivariable regression was performed to identify the independent risk factors for the progression of keloids.@*RESULTS@#Eighty-nine patients (35.5%) were classified as having severe keloids. We found the distribution of severe keloids varied with sex, age, excessive scrubbing of keloids, family income, the comorbidity of rheumatism, disease duration, characteristics of the location, location in sites of high-stretch tension, the severity and frequency of pain, the severity of pruritus, and infection. Multivariable analysis revealed significant associations between severe keloids and infection (odds ratio [OR], 3.55; P = 0.005), excessive scrubbing of keloids (OR, 8.65; P = 0.001), low or middle family income (OR, 13.44; P = 0.021), comorbidity of rheumatism (OR, 18.97; P = 0.021), multiple keloids located at multiple sites (OR, 3.18; P = 0.033), and disease duration > 15 years (OR, 2.98; P = 0.046).@*CONCLUSION@#Doctors should implement more active and thorough measures to minimize the progression of mild keloids in patients who have any of the following risk factors: infection, excessive scrubbing of keloids, low or middle family income, comorbidity of rheumatism, multiple keloids located at multiple sites, and disease duration > 15 years.

A follow up study on the correlation between sleep duration and body mass index in primary and middle school students in Zhejiang Province from 2017 to 2019 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand sleep behavior among primary and middle school students and its impact on overweight and obesity changes, to provide evidence for developing obesity prevention and controlling strategies in children and adolescents.@*Methods@#Primary and middle school students from three cities in Zhejiang Province who participated in questionnaire surveys and physical measurements in both 2017 and 2019 were selected. A follow up dataset of 605 students was developed and the relationship between sleep duration and body mass index was analyzed.@*Results@#From 2017 to 2019, BMI Z scores for male and female participants increased by 0.24 and 0.13, respectively. BMI Z scores increased by 0.29 in students of 9-12 years old and increased by 0.11 and 0.25 in urban and rural students, respectively ( P <0.05). The prevalence of insufficient sleep duration increased from 37.0 % to 41.8% simultaneously ( χ 2=3.68, P =0.06). After adjusting for confounding factors, the BMI Z score of students with insufficient sleep was 0.20 higher than those with sufficient sleep duration ( P <0.01). Compared with participants who had sufficient sleep duration from 2017 to 2019, participants whose sleep duration changed from sufficient to insufficient, and those who always had insufficient sleep duration increased by 0.23, respectively ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Insufficient sleep duration is a risk factor for obesity. Shortened sleep duration is related to weight gain, and maintaining sufficient sleep duration may reduce the risk of obesity in children and adolescents.

Circuit Designed for Driving Blower in Non-invasive Positive Airway Pressure Respirator / 中国医疗器械杂志

One of critical technologies in a non-invasive positive airway pressure respirator is to output the airflow for meeting the requirement of respiratory patient in breath. In order to develop a safe and reliable blower driving system, a circuit based on the special chips MC33035 and MC33039 was designed. The linear relationship between the input control voltage and the output air flow was achieved. This designed circuit will be embedded in the non-invasive ventilator system as a module. And based on this circuit, the secure and controllable ventilation flow can be performed.

Fasting blood glucose predicts the outcome after intravenous thrombolytic therapy in patients with severe acute ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of fasting blood glucose on clinical outcome after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with severe acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:From January 2016 to November 2020, consecutive patients with severe AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis in the Department of Neurology, Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital were enrolled retrospectively. Severe AIS was defined as the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥15. The primary endpoint was the clinical outcome evaluated according to the modified Rankin Scale at 90 d after onset. 0-2 was defined as a good outcome and a score of >2 were defined as a poor outcome. The secondary endpoint events were any intracranial hemorrhage and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Intracranial hemorrhage was defined as any local or distant parenchymal hemorrhage shown by craniocerebral imaging during the hospitalization. sICH was defined as any intracranial hemorrhage and the NIHSS score increased by ≥4 within 7 d after treatment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the independent influencing factors of various endpoint events. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of fasting blood glucose levels for endpoint events. Results:A total of 113 patients with severe AIS treated with intravenous thrombolysis were included, and 73 (64.6%) had a poor outcome; 29 (25.7%) had intracranial hemorrhage, of which 10 (8.8%) were sICH. Multivariate analysis showed that fasting blood glucose was the independent risk factors for poor outcome (odds ratio [ OR] 1.451, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.053-2.000; P=0.023) and sICH ( OR 1.235, 95% CI 1.013-1.504; P=0.036). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of fasting blood glucose predicting poor clinical outcome at 90 d after onset was 0.731 (95% CI 0.637-0.824), the optimal cut-off value was 6.25 mmol/L, and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 63.0% and 82.5% respectively. The area under the curve of fasting blood glucose predicting sICH was 0.728 (95% CI 0.577-0.878), the optimal cut-off value was 7.98 mmol/L, and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 70.0% and 77.7% respectively. Conclusion:Fasting blood glucose is an independent predictor of sICH and poor outcome at 90 d after onset in patients with severe AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis.

Self-reported taste and smell disorders in patients with COVID-19: distinct features in China

ObjectivesWe aimed to explore the frequencies of nasal symptoms in patients with COVID-19, including loss of smell and taste, as well as their presentation as the first symptom of the disease and their association with the severity of COVID-19. MethodsIn this retrospective study, 1,206 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were included and followed-up by telephone call one month after discharged from Tongji Hospital, Wuhan. Demographic data, laboratory values, comorbidities, symptoms, and numerical rating scale scores (0-10) of nasal symptoms were extracted from the hospital medical records, and confirmed or reevaluated by the telephone follow-up. ResultsFrom COVID-19 patients (N = 1,172) completing follow-up, 199 (17%) subjects had severe COVID-19 and 342 (29.2%) reported nasal symptoms. The most common nasal symptom was loss of taste (20.6%, median score = 6), while 11.4% had loss of smell (median score = 5). The incidence of nasal symptom including loss of smell and loss of taste as the first onset symptom was <1% in COVID-19 patients. Loss of smell or taste scores showed no correlation with the scores of other nasal symptoms. Loss of taste scores, but not loss of smell scores, were significantly increased in severe vs. non-severe COVID-19 patients. Interleukin (IL)-6 and lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels positively correlated with loss of taste scores. About 80% of COVID-19 patients recovered from smell and taste dysfunction in 2 weeks. ConclusionIn the Wuhan COVID-19 cohort, only 1 out of 10 hospital admitted patients had loss of smell while 1 out 5 reported loss of taste which was associated to severity of COVID-19. Most patients recovered smell and taste dysfunctions in 2 weeks.

Associations between renal functions and exposure of arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in adults living near a petrochemical complex.

BACKGROUND: The understanding for the impact of petrochemical pollutants exposure on renal functions is limited. OBJECTIVES: Our study examined the associations between renal functions and pollutants exposure in adult residents living in the vicinity of a petrochemical industry. METHODS: We recruited 2069 adult residents near a big petrochemical complex in Taiwan in 2009-2012, and they were categorized into high exposure (HE) and low exposure (LE) groups based on their address to source by 10 km radius. Study subjects were measured the urinary levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium, and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Taiwanese Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation, and the chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence and risks were defined according to KDIGO 2012 guidelines. Adjusted generalized linear and logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the associations between petrochemical exposure and renal functions. RESULTS: Subjects in the HE areas had significantly lower eGFR, higher CKD prevalence, and higher levels of urinary arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium and 1-OHP. The closer to complex and high exposure group of study subjects were significantly associated with the decrease in eGFR, higher ORs for CKD and high-intermediate risk of CKD. In addition, the study subjects who had two-fold urinary arsenic and 1-OHP levels were significantly with decreased 0.68 and 0.49 ml/min/1.73 m2 of eGFR, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Residing closer and higher arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure were associated with the renal impairment and risks of CKD among the residential population near the petrochemical industry.

Optimal waiting period for fresh embryo transfer after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis: a retrospective cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Very few studies have been conducted regarding the optimal time interval between hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and the embryo transfer (ET). Investigation of this optimal time may be helpful for assisted reproductive technology. Therefore, we investigated effects of the interval between hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and ET upon in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle outcomes.@*Methods@#Patients were recruited between January 2014 and September 2017 at the Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Patients who were diagnosed with intra-uterine adhesion (IUA) and underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis before fresh IVF-ET or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection cycles were classified into three groups according to the interval between hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and ET: less than 90 days (Group 1), 90 to 180 days (Group 2), and greater than 180 days (Group 3). Baseline characteristics, controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) response, and pregnancy outcomes after ET were compared. Analysis of variance or non-parametric tests were used to test numerical data. The Pearson’s Chi-squared test was used to test categorical data.@*Results@#A total of 312 patients were recruited as follows: 112 in Group 1, 137 in Group 2, and 63 in Group 3. There were no differences in baseline and COS characteristics among the three groups. The live-birth rate in Group 2 (40.1%) was significantly higher than that in Group 1 (17.9%; χ2 = 14.545, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the rates of biochemical, ongoing, and clinical pregnancy, and biochemical and clinical pregnancy abortion, as well as stillbirth among the groups. In the mild IUA patients, the live-birth rate was significantly higher in Group 2 (42.6%) compared with Group 1 (22%; χ2 = 8.413, P = 0.004). In the moderate IUA patients, Group 2 (35.7%) had a higher frequency of live births than Group 1 (6.7%; χ2 = 8.187, P = 0.004).@*Conclusions@#The optimal waiting period for fresh ET after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis was 90 to 180 days in the current study.

Optimal waiting period for fresh embryo transfer after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis: a retrospective cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Very few studies have been conducted regarding the optimal time interval between hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and the embryo transfer (ET). Investigation of this optimal time may be helpful for assisted reproductive technology. Therefore, we investigated effects of the interval between hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and ET upon in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle outcomes.@*METHODS@#Patients were recruited between January 2014 and September 2017 at the Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Patients who were diagnosed with intra-uterine adhesion (IUA) and underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis before fresh IVF-ET or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection cycles were classified into three groups according to the interval between hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and ET: less than 90 days (Group 1), 90 to 180 days (Group 2), and greater than 180 days (Group 3). Baseline characteristics, controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) response, and pregnancy outcomes after ET were compared. Analysis of variance or non-parametric tests were used to test numerical data. The Pearson's Chi-squared test was used to test categorical data.@*RESULTS@#A total of 312 patients were recruited as follows: 112 in Group 1, 137 in Group 2, and 63 in Group 3. There were no differences in baseline and COS characteristics among the three groups. The live-birth rate in Group 2 (40.1%) was significantly higher than that in Group 1 (17.9%; χ = 14.545, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the rates of biochemical, ongoing, and clinical pregnancy, and biochemical and clinical pregnancy abortion, as well as stillbirth among the groups. In the mild IUA patients, the live-birth rate was significantly higher in Group 2 (42.6%) compared with Group 1 (22%; χ = 8.413, P = 0.004). In the moderate IUA patients, Group 2 (35.7%) had a higher frequency of live births than Group 1 (6.7%; χ = 8.187, P = 0.004).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The optimal waiting period for fresh ET after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis was 90 to 180 days in the current study.

Ligands-Coordinated Zr-Based MOF for Wastewater Treatment.

Isostructural zirconium-based metal⁻organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) have attracted the attention of researchers because of their remarkable stability at high temperatures and high pressures and their chemical stabilities against acids and bases. Due to this stability, Zr-MOFs can be utilized in adsorption research, and the adsorption performance of a Zr-MOF depends on the pore size and the surroundings of the MOF. In this study, as the dimensions changed and the adsorption was carried out, the Zr-MOF material remained stable, and the adsorption of the best state was achieved at 235 mg/g. Through the simulation of theoretical kinetic models of Zr-MOFs, we initially postulated that the adsorption capacity is proportional to the pore size and that acid orange 7 (AO7) was adsorbed by the MOFs. Afterwards, we verified our hypotheses through a series of Brunauer⁻Emmett⁻Teller (BET) data analysis; non-local density function theory (NLDFT) was mainly used to analyze the data. Moreover, we determined that physical adsorption occurs on the surface of the MOFs during the adsorption process, while chemisorption occurs in the form of dye molecules combining with active sites. Ultimately, we concluded that the larger the pore size, the stronger the adsorption capacity, and this contribution casts a new light on the issue of wastewater treatment.

Adsorption Behavior of High Stable Zr-Based MOFs for the Removal of Acid Organic Dye from Water.

Zirconium based metal organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) have become popular in engineering studies due to their high mechanical stability, thermostability and chemical stability. In our work, by using a theoretical kinetic adsorption isotherm, we can exert MOFs to an acid dye adsorption process, experimentally exploring the adsorption of MOFs, their external behavior and internal mechanism. The results indicate their spontaneous and endothermic nature, and the maximum adsorption capacity of this material for acid orange 7 (AO7) could be up to 358 mg·g-1 at 318 K, estimated by the Langmuir isotherm model. This is ascribed to the presence of an open active metal site that significantly intensified the adsorption, by majorly increasing the interaction strength with the adsorbates. Additionally, the enhanced π delocalization and suitable pore size of UiO-66 gave rise to the highest host-guest interaction, which further improves both the adsorption capacity and separation selectivity at low concentrations. Furthermore, the stability of UiO-66 was actually verified for the first time, through comparing the structure of the samples before and after adsorption mainly by Powder X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis.

Effect of Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Tang on sleep disturbances in menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Tang (GGLMT), a decoction prepared with herbal medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, on sleep disturbances in women with menopause. METHODS: Totally 162 participants were recruited for the treatment of sleep difficulty from February, 2012 to December, 2014. Decoction of 200 mL was taken by every participant twice daily in half an hour after lunch and dinner during two weeks. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) and menopausal symptoms and quality of life were evaluated by the menopause rating scale (MRS) and the Chinese version of World Health Organization quality of life-BREF at the final fellow-up in the fourth weekend after beginning. RESULTS: The average scores of PSQI had reduced from (13.82 ± 4.97) to (8.14 ± 3.19), 95% CI (－ 4.87, － 3.05) after 2-week GGLMT treatment in the fourth week. GGLMT improved symptoms in patients with more severe conditions (MRS ≥ 16). Three adverse drug reaction, mouth ulcer, constipation, and folliculitis, might be related with GGLMT and disappeared after withdrawals of the treatment. CONCLUSION: For menopausal women suffering from chronic sleep disturbances, our findings suggest that two weeks treatment of GGLMT was safe and effective.

Simultaneous Determination of Three Kinds of Effective Constituents in Cannabis Plants by Reversed-phase HPLC / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To establish a high performance liquid chromatographic （HPLC） method for simultaneous determination of three effective constituents, including tetrahydrocannabinol （THC）, cannabidiol （CBD） and cannabinol （CBN） in Cannabis plants.@*METHODS@#A C₁₈ column was used in this study, and acetonitrile-phosphate buffer （0.015 mol/L KH₂PO₄） was used as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. At a detection wavelength of 220 mm, UV absorption spectra were collected at the wavelength range of 190-400 nm, and the spectra and retention time were counted as qualitative evidence.@*RESULTS@#THC, CBD and CBN could be well separated by this method. Three components had good linear relationship in the range of 0.4-40 μg/mL （R²≥0.999 3）. The recoveries were over 87%. The limits of detection were 1.8 ng, 2.0 ng and 1.3 ng, respectively. The relative standard deviation （RSD） were less than 5% for both inter-day and intra-day precisions.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Reversed-phase HPLC method is simple, rapid and accurate, and it is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative detection of THC, CBD and CBN in Cannabis plants.

HPLC-MS/MS determination of febuxostat in human plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic study / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To develop a sensitive and rapid HPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of febuxostat in human plasma. METHODS: The plasma samples were extracted with ethyl acetate after addition of internal standard and 0.1% formic acid solution, the extract was evaporated and the dry residue was reconstituted with 1 mL of methanol and 5 μL was injected to the API3000 HPLC-MS/MS system for analysis. The analytical column was SHISEIDO, CAPCELLPAK C18(2.0 mm × 50 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase was composed of 0.1% formic acid in water-0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (15: 85) and the flow rate was 0. 25 mL · min-1. Detection was performed with multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) using positive electrospray ionization (ESI). The pharmacokinetic characteristics of the febuxostat tablet(febuxostat 40 mg) was investigated in 12 healthy volunteers after single oral dose administration of 40 or 80 mg febuxostat and multiple oral dose administration of 40 mg febuxostat. The serial blood samples were collected and after centrifugation, the plasma was separated and analysed by HPLC-MS/MS established. RESULTS: The calibration curves were linear over the concentration ranges of 10.02-8020 ng · mL-1. The lower limit of quantifications was 10.02 ng · mL-1. Inter- and intra-day precisions were less than 12.40% and accuracy was within 85.75%-105.91%. Extraction recoveries were around 87% and the ana-lytes were proved to be stable under all the required conditions. Total runtime of an analyte was only 2.0 min. Results of the statistical analysis indicated that febuxostat followed linear kinetics in healthy Chinese volunteers at the investigated dose range of 40 to 80 mg. No significant drug accumulation was found after multiple dose administration of 40 mg febuxostat tablets. Furthermore, there was no significant difference of pharmacokinetics between males and females in Chinese population. CONCLUSION: This method is rapid, sensitive, specific and applicable to the pharmacokinetic study in human of febuxostat.

Effectiveness of adaptive optics system in satellite-to-ground coherent optical communication.

Adaptive optics (AO) systems can suppress the signal fade induced by atmospheric turbulence in satellite-to-ground coherent optical communication. The lower bound of the signal fade under AO compensation was investigated by analyzing the pattern of aberration modes for a one-stage imaging AO system. The distribution of the root mean square of the residual aberration is discussed on the basis of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the residual aberration of the AO system. The effectiveness of the AO system for improving the performance of coherent optical communication is presented in terms of the bit error rate and system availability.

Simultaneous derivatization and extraction of chlorophenols in water samples with up-and-down shaker-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometric detection.

A new up-and-down shaker-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UDSA-DLLME) for extraction and derivatization of five chlorophenols (4-chlorophenol, 4-chloro-2-methylphenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichloro-phenol, and pentachlorophenol) has been developed. The method requires minimal solvent usage. The relatively polar, water-soluble, and low-toxicity solvent 1-heptanol (12 µL) was selected as the extraction solvent and acetic anhydride (50 µL) as the derivatization reagent. With the use of an up-and-down shaker, the emulsification of aqueous samples was formed homogeneously and quickly. The derivatization and extraction of chlorophenols were completed simultaneously in 1 min. The common requirement of disperser solvent in DLLME could be avoided. After optimization, the linear range covered over two orders of magnitude, and the coefficient of determination (r (2)) was greater than 0.9981. The detection limit was from 0.05 to 0.2 µg L(-1), and the relative standard deviation was from 4.6 to 10.8 %. Real samples of river water and lake water had relative recoveries from 90.3 to 117.3 %. Other emulsification methods such as vortex-assisted, ultrasound-assisted, and manual shaking-enhanced ultrasound-assisted methods were also compared with the proposed UDSA-DLLME. The results revealed that UDSA-DLLME performed with higher extraction efficiency and precision compared with the other methods.

Screening of Reference Genes for Real-time Fluorescence Quantitative PCR in Amomum villosum Lour / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To identify the reliable reference genes for gene expression analysis of the pericarp and seed of Amomum villosum Lour. by using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction ( qRT-PCR). Methods Using the fruits ( separated into peels and seeds) of A. villosum at three different developmental periods as the experimental material, 5 candidate reference genes (β-actin, EF-1α, GAPDH, PGK, TUA) with steady expression were screened out by the high throughout sequencing of transcriptome and expression profile data. The qRT-PCR technique was applied to study the expression levels of 5 candidate reference genes in different samples. The stability of the candidate reference genes were evaluated by GeNorm and NormFinder software. Results The 5 reference genes had different stabilities in the pericarp and seed of A. villosum Lour. at different development periods . The order of the steadiness of reference genes showed by GeNorm was EF-1α = TUA>PGK>GAPDH>β-actin. The results of NormFinder revealed that EF-1α was the most stable, followed by TUA, and the order of the other three genes was as same as the results of GeNorm. Conclusion EF-1αand TUA could be used as double reference genes for the normalization of gene expression in A. villosum fruits at different developmental periods by using qRT-PCR.