[Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention for ulcerative colitis based on Notch1 signaling pathway].

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is one of the common gastrointestinal diseases worldwide. In recent years, the incidence of UC has been continuously increasing, seriously threatening the health of people globally. It thus has become an urgent problem that needs to be addressed. There is research evidence that intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction, including changes in intestinal stem cell secretion lineage, mucosal layer damage, disruption of cell junctions, overactive immune function, and imbalanced gut microbiota, is an important pathogenic factor and molecular basis of UC. The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved signaling pathway in eukaryotes during evolution, which transmits signals through cell connections between adjacent cells, affecting a series of processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, development, migration, and apoptosis. Therefore, the Notch signaling pathway can regulate intestinal stem cells, CD4~+T cells, innate lymphoid cells(ILCs), macrophages(MØ), and intestinal microbiota and thus affect the chemical, physical, immune, and biological mucosal barriers of the intestinal mucosa. Its function is extensive and unique, different from those signaling pathways that mainly focus on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant stress. It can explain the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine from different perspectives. This article reviewed the role of the Notch1 signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of UC and the relevant literature on the targeted prevention and treatment of UC with traditional Chinese medicine, so as to provide new targets and theoretical support for further research on the effective prevention and treatment of UC.

Comparison of the anti-apoptotic effects of 15- and 35-minute suspended moxibustion after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Heat-sensitive suspended moxibustion has a neuroprotective effect against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The duration of heat-sensitive suspended moxibustion (usually from 30 minutes to 1 hour) is longer than traditional suspended moxibustion (usually 15 minutes). However, the effects of 15- and 35-minute suspended moxibustion in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury are poorly understood. In this study, we performed 15- or 35-minute suspended moxibustion at acupoint Dazhui (GV14) in an adult rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Infarct volume was evaluated with the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay. Histopathological changes and neuronal apoptosis at the injury site were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Caspase-9 and caspase-3 expression at the injury site was detected using immunofluorescent staining. Bax and Bcl-2 expression at the injury site was assessed using western blot assay. In the 35-minute moxibustion group, infarct volume was decreased, neuronal apoptosis was reduced, caspase-9, caspase-3 and Bax expression was lower, and Bcl-2 expression was increased, compared with the 15-minute moxibustion group. Our findings show that 35-minute moxibustion has a greater anti-apoptotic effect than 15-minute moxibustion after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Graphene-supported CoPc/TiO2synthesized by sol-gel-hydrothermal method with enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of the typical gas of landfill exhaust.

This work was focused on the enhanced photocatalytic activity of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc)/TiO2under visible light irradiation supported on reduced graphene oxide (RGO). A series of RGO/CoPc/TiO2nanocomposites were synthesized via sol-gel-hydrothermal method. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET surface area, Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra, UV-Vis spectra and Photoluminescence spectra. The results demonstrated that the TiO2existed as anatase phase both of CoPc/TiO2and RGO/CoPc/TiO2composites, and the absorption range in visible light of RGO/CoPc/TiO2composites were broadened further. The photodegradation results of diethyl sulfide, the typical gas of landfill exhaust, under visible light revealed that RGO/CoPc/TiO2nanocomposites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than CoPc/TiO2and pure TiO2, indicating the ideal amount of RGO was 7.5 wt.%, the optimal amount of 7.5% RGO/CoPc/TiO2composite on each plat was 0.3g and the degradation efficiency of diethyl sulfide was about 90%.

[Objective assessment of facial paralysis using infrared thermography and formal concept analysis].

This paper presented a novel approach to objective assessment of facial nerve paralysis based on infrared thermography and formal concept analysis. Sixty five patients with facial nerve paralysis on one side were included in the study. The facial temperature distribution images of these 65 patients were captured by infrared thermography every five days during one-month period. First, the facial thermal images were pre-processed to identify six potential regions of bilateral symmetry by using image segmentation techniques. Then, the temperature differences on the left and right sides of the facial regions were extracted and analyzed. Finally, the authors explored the relationships between the statistical averages of those temperature differences and the House-Brackmann score for objective assessment degree of nerve damage in a facial nerve paralysis by using formal concept analysis. The results showed that the facial temperature distribution of patients with facial nerve paralysis exhibited a contralateral asymmetry, and the bilateral temperature differences of the facial regions were greater than 0.2 degrees C, whereas in normal healthy individuals these temperature differences were less than 0.2 degrees C. Spearman correlation coefficient between the bilateral temperature differences of the facial regions and the degree of facial nerve damage was an average of 0.508, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Furthermore, if one of the temperature differences of bilateral symmetry on facial regions was greater than 0.2 degrees C, and all were less than 0.5 degrees C, facial nerve paralysis could be determined as for the mild to moderate; if one of the temperature differences of bilateral symmetry was greater than 0.5 degrees C, facial nerve paralysis could be determined as for serious. In conclusion, this paper presents an automated technique for the computerized analysis of thermal images to objectively assess facial nerve related thermal dysfunction by using formal concept analysis theory, which may benefit the clinical diagnosis and treatment of facial nerve paralysis.

[Study on the relationship between odor intensity and components concentrations of odor mixture].

Odor pollution has become a serious environmental problem arising from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants. But the studies on odor intensity and other olfactory evaluations are seriously influenced by the diversity, distinct concentration fluctuation and complex interaction of pollutants. In order to explore the relationship between odor intensity and components concentrations of odor mixture, several typical VOCs in indoor environment were used to simulate odor mixtures. A panel of six sensory assessors was employed to rate the odor intensities of the mixture and its unmixed components. The outcome showed that the presence of an odorant barely influenced the odor intensity of the mixture when its nature logarithm of odor activity value (OAV) was lower than 20% of the mixture's total amount. The application of this method as a pretreatment method for the odor mixture could apparently simplify the studies on odor interaction and olfactory evaluation.

A new solid-phase extraction disk based on a sheet of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

A new kind of solid-phase extraction disk based on a sheet of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is developed in this study. The properties of such disks are tested, and different disks showed satisfactory reproducibility. One liter of aqueous solution can pass through the disk within 10-100 min while still allowing good recoveries. Two disks (DD-disk) can be stacked to enrich phthalate esters, bisphenol A (BPA), 4-n-nonylphenol (4-NP), 4-tert-octylphenol (4-OP) and chlorophenols from various volumes of solution. The results show that SWCNT disks have high extraction ability for all analytes. The SWCNT disk can extract polar chlorophenols more efficiently than a C(18) disk from water solution. Unlike the activated carbon disk, analytes adsorbed by the new disks can be eluted completely with 8-15 mL of methanol or acetonitrile. Finally, the DD-disk system is used to pretreat 1000-mL real-world water samples spiked with BPA, 4-OP and 4-NP. Detection limits of 7, 25, and 38 ng L(-1) for BPA, 4-OP, and 4-NP, respectively, were achieved under optimized conditions. The advantages of this new disk include its strong adsorption ability, its high flow rate and its easy preparation.

Disposable ionic liquid coating for headspace solid-phase microextraction of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in paints followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with a disposable ionic liquid (IL) coating was developed for headspace extraction of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in paints. The SPME fiber was coated with IL prior to every extraction, then the analytes were extracted and desorbed on the injection port of gas chromatography, and finally the IL coating on the fiber was washed out with solvents. The coating and washing out of IL from the fiber can be finished in a few minutes. This disposable IL-coated fiber was applied to determine BTEX in water-soluble paints with results in good agreement with that obtained by using commercially available SPME fibers. For all the four studied paints samples, the benzene contents were under the detection limits, but relatively high contents of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (56-271 microg g(-1)) were detected with spiked recoveries in the range of 70-114%. Compared to the widely used commercially available SPME fibers, this proposed disposable IL-coated fiber has much lower cost per determination, comparable reproducibility (RSD < 11%), and no carryover between each determination. Considering that IL possess good extractability for various organic compounds and metals ions, and that task-specific IL can be designed and synthesized for selective extraction of target analytes, this disposable IL coating SPME might has great potential in sample preparation.

Determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in Chinese fuels by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/flame ionization detector.

A method was developed to determine the concentration of methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) in gasoline, diesel and heating oil by gas chromatography(GC) with mass spectrometry(GC-MS) or flame ionization detection (FID). The diluted gasoline was directly injected into the GC, and the complete separation of MTBE from co-eluting hydrocarbons was not required. GC/MS or GC/FID method can be used to analyze MTBE in different concentration range and have good consistency.

Trace analysis of sulfonylurea herbicides in water by on-line continuous flow liquid membrane extraction--C18 precolumn liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection.

An on-line system that consists of continuous-flow liquid membrane extraction (CFLME), C18 precolumn, and liquid chromatography with UV detection was applied to trace analysis of sulfonylurea herbicides in water. During preconcentration by CFLME, five target compounds, including metsulfuron methyl, bensulfuron methyl, tribenuron methyl, sulfometuron methyl, and ethametsulfuron, were enriched in 960 microl of 0.5 mol l(-1) Na2CO3-NaHCO3 (pH 10.8) buffer used as acceptor. This acceptor was on-line neutralized and transported to the C18 precolumn where the analytes were absorbed and focused. Then the focused analytes were injected onto a C18 analytical column for separation and detection at 240 nm. The proposed method was applied to determine sulfonylurea herbicides in water, river, and reservoir water with detection limits of 10-50 ng l(-1) when enriching a 120-ml sample. Throughput is typically one sample per hour.

Determination of sulfonylurea herbicides by continuous-flow liquid membrane extraction on-line coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography.

On-line coupling continuous-flow liquid membrane extraction (CFLME) with HPLC, a novel automatic system was developed for the determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in water. After an automatic trace-enrichment process by CFLME, which is the combination of continuous flow liquid-liquid extraction and support liquid membrane (SLM) extraction, the target analytes were concentrated in 50 microl of 0.2 M Na2CO3-NaHCO3 (pH 10.0) buffer. The concentrated sample solutions were injected directly onto a C18 analytical column with a valve, and detected at 240 nm with a diode array detector. Metsulfuron methyl (MSM), and DPX-A 7881 were baseline separated with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and 67 mM KH2PO4-Na2HPO4 (pH 5.91) buffer (45+55, v+v) at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml min(-1). With an enrichment time of 10 min and enrichment sample volume of 20 ml, the enrichment factors and detection limits are 100 and 0.05 microg l(-1) for MSM, and 96 and 0.1 microg l(-1) for DPX-A 7881, respectively. The linear range and precision (RSD) are 0.1-50 microg l(-1) and 7.0% for MSM, and 0.2-50 microg l(-1) and 9.2% for DPX-A 7881, respectively. This proposed method was applied to determine MSM and DPX-A 7881 in seawater, tap water, and bottled mineral water with spiked recoveries in the range of 83-95% for MSM and 88-100% for DPX-A 7881, respectively.