[Distribution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Atmospheric Mercury Speciation in Suzhou].

To explore the variation of mercury in the atmosphere in Suzhou, continuous monitoring of gaseous element mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and particulate bound mercury (PBM) was conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2018, in Suzhou. The weights trajectory analysis method (CWT) and concentration rose were used to analyze the atmospheric mercury sources and concentration variation. The results showed that during the monitoring period, the concentration ranges of GEM, GOM, and PBM in Suzhou were 0-53.3 ng·m-3, 0-256 pg·m-3, and 0-5208 pg·m-3, respectively. The corresponding annual average concentrations of the three mercury species were (2.57±2.09) ng·m-3, (5.27±15.7) pg·m-3, and (16.0±157) pg·m-3, respectively. GEM was the main component of atmospheric mercury in Suzhou. During the monitoring period, the average concentration of GEM in Suzhou was highest in winter, higher in spring than in autumn, and lowest in summer. According to the CWT, the mercury-containing air mass in spring and winter predominantly originated from inland; in summer, it mainly originated from the local area, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea, and in autumn from inland, the Yellow Sea, and the Bohai Sea. The wind and mercury rose charts showed that atmospheric mercury concentrations were higher from inland and lower from the ocean. During the monitoring period, the average concentrations of GEM and PBM in Suzhou were lower during the day than the night. The diurnal variation of GEM and PBM was significantly and strongly correlated with solar radiation, humidity, and air temperature. The average concentration of GOM showed multiple peaks and valleys in one day. Some peaks were caused by fuel oil combustion emissions, and some by O3 oxidation with GEM.

Amplification of HER2 and TOP2A and deletion of TOP2A genes in a series of Taiwanese breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic relevance of topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) copy number change remains not well established. This study is aimed to investigate the frequency and pattern of TOP2A aberrations; to correlate TOP2A alterations with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status and clinicopathological parameters, and further to explore prognostic value of TOP2A and HER2 status in breast cancer in Taiwan. METHODS: We analyzed tissue samples from 311 invasive carcinomas in tissue microarrays for TOP2A and HER2 status by fluorescent in situ hybridization. RESULTS: TOP2A copy number change is an infrequent genetic event (9.8% amplification and 2.7% deletion) and is present in both HER2-amplified and nonamplified tumors. TOP2A amplification is statistically associated with age >50 at diagnosis (P = 0.016) and HER2 amplification (P < 0.001). HER2 amplification, but not TOP2A amplification, is a predictor of unfavorable prognosis (P = 0.002). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that higher histologic grading, positive nodal involvement, and HER2 positivity were associated with poorer overall survival. Cytogenetically, double minutes-type amplification is the predominant pattern for both genes (HER2: 64% and TOP2A: 93.1%). Homogeneous staining region-type signals of both genes are resistant to RNase digestion, supporting that these were not nuclear accumulation of mRNA transcripts. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the prognostic value of tumor grading, nodal involvement, and HER2 status in Taiwanese breast cancer. TOP2A aberrations are an infrequent event independent of HER2 status, and TOP2A amplification carries no prognostic value. The predictive value of TOP2A aberrations in patients of breast cancer taking athracycline-containing treatment in Taiwan remains to be determined in prospectively well-designed clinical trials.

Clinical characteristics of drug-induced liver injury and related risk factors.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed clinically because of diagnostic difficulties caused by lack of laboratory-specific serological markers. In this study, we comprehensively assessed the clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, hepatotoxic drugs, risk factors and outcomes concerning DILI, and explored the similarities in mechanisms between Chinese and Western drug-induced DILI. Patients with a first diagnosis of DILI and a Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) score >3 points were enrolled for systematic retrospective study. Their clinical characteristics, clinical classification, risk factors, laboratory indices, hepatotoxic drugs and outcomes were analyzed. Cholestatic patients had the highest alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and prothrombin time activity (PTA) levels (P<0.05). Patients with medication time ≥30 days had significantly higher positive rate of autoantibodies than those with medication time <30 days. Odds ratio values for DILI-related factors such as hepatobiliary diseases, immune dysfunction, diabetes, hypertension, chronic alcohol consumption and age ≥45 years were 6.552, 6.130, 3.774, 2.801, 2.002 and 1.838, respectively. Pathogeneses of Chinese and Western drug-induced DILI may be substantially the same. DILI accompanied with autoantibody positivity may indicate severe liver injury outcome. Hepatobiliary diseases, diabetes and hypertension are likely to increase drug susceptibility, and more prone to cause liver injury.

Molecular docking of different inhibitors and activators to butyrylcholinesterase.

There are three major active sites of butyrylcholinesterase: catalytic site, peripheral site, and activator site. In this study, pseudosubstrate inhibitors, 1,3,5-alkylcarbamyloxybenzenes (1-11), were designed as the catalytic site directed inhibitors of the enzyme. Automated docking of 1,3,5-tri-n-octylcarbamyloxybenzene 1 into the X-ray crystal structure of butyrylcholinesterase suggested that the configuration of the inhibitor in the enzyme complex is in the (1,3,5)-(cis,trans,trans)-form. Thus, the cis n-octylcarbamyl group of 1 extended itself to the peripheral site; furthermore, two trans n-octylcarbamyl moieties of 1 shielded W82 of the anionic site. 5-N-n-Butylcarbamyloxyresorcinol (12) was further used to characterize the butyryl group binding site of the catalytic site. Automated docking of 12 into the enzyme showed that the best bound rotamer of the inhibitor in the enzyme complex was the trans form. Moreover, the butylcarbamyl moiety of 12 was bound well into the butyryl group binding site of the enzyme. Docking of cage amines into the enzyme indicated that these compounds were bound into the peripheral site of the enzyme. We also found that a small cave, located outside the enzyme around A277-Y282, might play an important role in the activation of the enzyme. Two activators of butyrylcholinesterase, n-butyl-N-carbamyloxy-3,3-dimethylbutane and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, were docked well into the above-mentioned cave.

[Fe-ZSM-5 catalysts with different silica-alumina ratios for N2O, catalytic decomposition].

The Fe-ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared with H-ZSM-5 of different Si/Al ratios by wet ion exchange and chemical vapor deposition. Then the catalysts were investigated by XRD, BET, TEM, UV-vis and NH3-TPD technologies to analyze the iron states in Fe-ZSM-5 zeolites. The results showed that after H-ZSM-5 zeolites were prepared by chemical vapor deposition and heating wet ion exchange, the nano Fe2 O3 particles were uniformly dispersed with the sizes of 8 nm in the Fe-ZSM-5-25 (Si/A1-25). Moreover, there were more oligonuclear Fe3+ Oy clusters in the Fe-ZSM-5-25 catalysts than in Fe-ZSM-5-300 (Si/Al-300). The results of catalytic performance on N2O decomposition showed that Fe-ZSM-5-25 catalysts had higher catalytic activities than Fe-ZSM-5-300 catalysts. The Fe-ZSM-5 catalysts prepared by chemical vapor deposition achieved the best catalytic activity in N2O decomposition among the catalysts prepared by the three methods. Moreover, the presence of O2 only slightly reduced N2O conversion, while NO promoted the N2O decomposition. Finally, after reaction for more than 100 h, Fe-ZSM-5 catalyst showed no obvious deactivation under simulated emission conditions.

[Study on effects and mechanism of traditional Mongolian medicine wuweifengshi capsule on adjuvant arthritis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects and immunoregulation mechanism of the traditional Mongolian medicine Wuweifengshi capsule on adjuvant arthritis (AA). METHOD: Wister rats were divided into several groups: normal group, AA model group, Wuweifengshi capsule groups (with low, moderate, high dose of 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) respectively), and Zhonglun-5 group (original dose of 1.68 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)). The edema degree, the level of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, PGE2, NO and MDA and the activity of SOD in serum were detected. Through cell culture, the effects of the medicine on AA rat's splenic cell's multiplication capacity were studied. The influence of celiac macrophage cell culture fluid of AA rats' on C57BL/6J mice thymic cell multiplication capacity under the medicine was evaluated. RESULT: Wuweifengshi capsule showed an inhibiting function on the level of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, PGE2, NO and increased the activity of SOD in serum, but showed no significant influence on MDA. It also inhibited the AA rat's splenic cell's multiplication capacity and the influence of celiac macrophage cell culture fluid of AA rat's on C57BL/6J mice thymic cell multiplication capacity. CONCLUSION: The anti-AA effect of Wuweifengshi capsule is possibly due to its inhibition of relevant cytokines and its adjustment of corresponding enzyme's activity and immunization organ's cell multiplication capacity.