[Determination of 22 mycotoxins in milk by liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometry].

Mycotoxins have carcinogenic, mutagenic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, and teratogenic properties. Thus, these substances have attracted significant attention because they pose a threat to human health. As research on mycotoxins deepens, new structural analogues of mycotoxins are constantly being discovered. In this study, a method based on high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometry was established for the simultaneous determination of 22 mycotoxins in milk. A simple, effective, and rapid pretreatment method was optimized by focusing on the solvent type, extractant volume, and extracting salt based on the characteristics of the mycotoxins and sample matrix. The analytes were extracted using 0.5% formic acid acetonitrile solution and added with sodium chloride to separate fats from water. The samples were centrifuged at 8000 r/min (4 ℃) for 5 min using a centrifuge and then concentrated using nitrogen. The dry residue was dissolved with 50% methanol aqueous solution. Twenty-two mycotoxins were separated on a ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 chromatographic column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 µm), and quantitative analysis was performed using the isotope internal standard method. The analytes were determined by liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometry in positive electrospray ionization mode. Qualitative analyses of the compounds were performed in full mass spectrometry/data-dependent tandem mass spectrometry (MS/dd-MS2) mode. Good linearities in the range of 0.5-100.0 µg/L were observed for the 22 mycotoxins, and the correlation coefficients (R2) were greater than 0.999. The limits of detection (S/N=3) and quantification (S/N=10) ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 µg/kg and from 1.0 to 1.5 µg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries of the 22 mycotoxins at three spiked levels of 1.5, 5.0, and 15 µg/kg were between 84.7% and 100.8%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.2%-9.9%. These findings indicate that the method has high sensitivity and accuracy as well as good precision. Finally, the method was applied to the detection and analysis of mycotoxins in 25 actual commercial milk samples. The results revealed that the selected samples were not contaminated with any of the mycotoxins analyzed. Thus, the proposed method is useful as a quick preprocessing and confirmatory method for the simultaneous determination of mycotoxins in milk.

Prevalence of tobacco dependence and associated factors in China: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018-19.

Background: Tobacco dependence is the key barrier to successful smoking cessation. However, little is known about its prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics and determinants. We aimed to estimate the prevalence, associated factors and burden of tobacco dependence in China. Methods: During 2018-2019, the nationally representative 2018 China Health Literacy Survey (2018 CHLS) invited 87,708 participants to participate using a multistage stratified sampling method from 31 provinces (or equivalent) in mainland China, and 84,839 participants aged 20-69 with valid data were included in the analysis. We diagnosed tobacco dependence based on international criteria (ICD-10, DSM-4) and tailored to Chinese population according to China Clinical Guideline for Tobacco Cessation (2015 version). The prevalence of tobacco dependence was estimated overall and by sociodemographic factors. The Logistic regression was conducted to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for tobacco dependence and success of smoking cessation (being ex-smokers), with different levels of adjustment. These were used to estimate the total number of adults who were tobacco dependent in China. Findings: In China, the estimated prevalence of current smoking was 25.1%, significantly higher in men than in women (47.6% vs 1.9%). The prevalence of current smoking varied approximately 3-fold (12.9% to 37.9%) across 31 provinces of China. Among general population aged 20-69 years, the prevalence of tobacco dependence was 13.1% (95% CI:12.2-14.1). Among current smokers, the prevalence of tobacco dependence was 49.7% (46.5-52.9%), with no difference between men and women (49.7% vs 50.8%). The prevalence of tobacco dependence was associated significantly with smoking intensity, defined by pack-years (1.62 [1.54-1.70] per 10 pack-years), cigarettes smoked per day (2.01 [1.78, 2.27] per 10 cigarettes), and smoking starting age (0.93 [0.90, 0.97] per 5 years). Given smoking intensity, the prevalence of tobacco dependence also varied by age, gender, certain socioeconomic status and regions. Compared with those without tobacco dependence, ever smokers with tobacco dependence were less likely to be ex-smokers (2.88, 2.59-3.21). In China, 183.5 (170.4-197.4) million adults (177.5 million were men) were tobacco dependent in 2018. Interpretation: In China, tobacco dependence is highly prevalent, with approximately half of current smokers being addictive, highlighting the need for coordinated effort to improve awareness, diagnosis and treatment of tobacco dependence. Funding: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Initiative for Innovative Medicine (CAMS 2021-I2M-1-010), National Key R&D Program of China (grant no 2017YFC1309400), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no 81720108001). Note: Chinese translation of abstract is available in appendix section.

Maresin-2 alleviates allergic airway inflammation in mice by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, Th2 type immune response and oxidative stress.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory system. Maresin-2 (MaR2) is biosynthesized from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by macrophages, display strong anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving activity. To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of MaR2 on asthmatic mice induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in conjunction with the adjuvant aluminum hydroxide. Twenty four female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control, OVA, OVA + MaR2, and OVA + dexamethasone (Dexa) groups. MaR2 or Dexa were given as a treatment for OVA-induced asthma. Serum, bronchoalveolar alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were collected for further analysis. The Pathological changes of lung tissue, proportion of inflammatory cells in BALF, levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF or serum, oxidative stress indices, and the protein concentration of ASC, MPO, Ly-6G, ICAM-1, NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in lung tissues were evaluated. Compared with the OVA group, both OVA + MaR2 and OVA + Dexa group had reduced inflammation and mucus secretion in lung tissue, number of inflammatory cells in BALF, levels of related inflammatory cytokines in serum or BALF, and expressions of ASC, MPO, Ly-6G, ICAM-1, NLRP3 and Caspase-1 proteins in lung tissue. In addition, the oxidative stress was alleviated as indicated by decreased MDA, and elevated SOD and GSH. MaR2 has an obvious protective effect on OVA-induced bronchial asthma in mice, in a similar manner as Dexa. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the Th2 type immune response, the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and oxidative stress.

The experience of tobacco withdrawal symptoms among current smokers and ex-smokers in the general population: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018-19.

Objective: To clarify the extent to which smokers in the general population experience tobacco withdrawal symptoms and whether such experience differs in those who continue to smoke and those who stopped smoking. Methods: We included relevant questions in the nationally-representative China Health Literacy Survey (CHLS) conducted in 2018-2019. Among 87,028 participants, there were 22,115 ever-smokers aged 20-69 years who provided information on their smoking history and their experience of tobacco withdrawal symptoms. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to explore the association between withdrawal symptoms and other variables. Results: Among ever-smokers, there were 19,643 (88.8%) current smokers and 2,472 (11.2%) ex-smokers. Among current smokers, 61.3% reported having tried to quit smoking in the past. Overall, 61.1% of current smokers reported experiencing withdrawal symptoms: 69.9% of those who tried to quit smoking in the past and 47.5% of those who did not. A lower proportion of ex-smokers experienced withdrawal symptoms (46.3%) and the difference remained significant after controlling for demographic characteristics (OR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.62-1.93, P < 0.001). The most commonly reported withdrawal symptoms in both current smokers and ex-smokers were craving, restlessness and anxiety. In the multivariable-adjusted analyses, those who experienced withdrawal symptoms when they tried to quit smoking (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.86-2.27) were less likely to successfully quit. Conclusions: The clinical picture of the tobacco withdrawal syndrome is the same in current smokers and in ex-smokers, but ex-smokers are less likely to have experienced it. The experience of discomfort when unable to smoke is common and seems likely to be a major factor contributing to maintaining smoking behavior not just among individuals seeking help with quitting smoking, but among smokers generally.

An Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Material and PEI Composites for Sensitive Detection of 4-Nitrophenol.

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with nitrogen-doped carbon materials (NC) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) composites to design an electrochemical sensor for detecting 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The NC materials were prepared by a simple and economical method through the condensation and carbonization of formamide. The NC materials were dispersed in a polyethyleneimine (PEI) solution easily. Due to the excellent properties of NC and PEI as well as their synergistic effect, the electrochemical reduction of the 4-NP on the surface of the NC-PEI composite modified electrode was effectively enhanced. Under the optimized conditions, at 0.06-10 µM and 10-100 µM concentration ranges, the NC-PEI/GCE sensor shows a linear response to 4-NP, and the detection limit is 0.01 µM (the signal-to-noise ratio is three). The reliability of the sensor for the detection of 4-NP in environmental water samples was successfully evaluated. In addition, the sensor has many advantages, including simple preparation, fast response, high sensitivity and good repeatability. It may be helpful for potential applications in detecting other targets.

Anxiety and depression and its correlates in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Wuhan.

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first broke-out in Wuhan China in December 2019, and spread throughout the entire country within a short time. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of depression and anxiety and associated risk factors were analysed in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This single-center cross-sectional study focussed on measuring depression and anxiety using self-report scales. Linear regression was used to determine independent predictors for depression and anxiety. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients who were confirmed to have COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms were diagnosed in 35.9% and 38.5% of the patients, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis found female gender was an independent predictor for higher depression severity index. Having family members who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and family members who died from COVID-19 were independently associated with higher depression severity index and anxiety score. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 especially those who had family members diagnosed with COVID-19 or died from COVID-19 were more susceptible to depression and anxiety than were other patients. Effective strategies should be pursued to improve the mental health of this patient population.Key pointsPatients with COVID-19 showed a significantly high prevalence of depression and anxiety.Female patients were associated with higher risk of depression.Patients with family members diagnosed as COVID-19 or died from this disease were associated with higher risk of depression and anxiety.

A holistic strategy for discovering structural analogues of drug residues in meat using characteristic structural fragments filtering by high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

A holistic strategy for discovering structural analogs was established using characteristic structural fragments filtering by high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry and successfully employed for discovering potential hazards in meat. The mass spectrometry fragmentation mechanisms of 113 compounds (including sulphonamides, tetracyclines, benzimidazoles, steroid hormones, cephalosporins, ß-blockers) were investigated and a new strategy for screening of characteristic fragment ions was proposed. To process the data acquired by two scan modes, firstly an integrated filtering strategy was conducted to facilitate the characterisation of multi-class drugs. The integrated filtering strategy was applied to reduce interference in the raw data, which could help extracting the MS1 characteristics of the homolog-type chemical substances and expand the screening of the compounds as effectively as possible. This strategy was based on a combination of nitrogen rule, neutral loss and multiple characteristic fragment ions filtering. The method was validated by rapid screening and identification of targeted compounds in spiked samples. Particularly, the successful detection of several new compounds indicated that this strategy had significant advantages over individual filtration methods and could be a promising method for screening and identifying newly homolog-type drug residues in complex samples.

1α,25(OH)2D3 Radiosensitizes Cancer Cells by Activating the NADPH/ROS Pathway.

The radioresistance of tumors affect the outcome of radiotherapy. Accumulating data suggest that 1α,25(OH)2D3 is a potential anti-oncogenic molecule in various cancers. In the present study, we investigated the radiosensitive effects and underlying mechanisms of 1α,25(OH)2D3 in vitro and in vivo. We found that 1α,25(OH)2D3 enhanced the radiosensitivity of lung cancer and ovarian cancer cells by promoting the NADPH oxidase-ROS-apoptosis axis. Compared to the group that only received radiation, the survival fraction and self-renewal capacity of cancer cells treated with a combination of 1α,25(OH)2D3 and radiation were decreased. Both apoptosis and ROS were significantly increased in the combination group compared with the radiation only group. Moreover, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a scavenger of intracellular ROS, reversed the apoptosis and ROS induced by 1α,25(OH)2D3, indicating that 1α,25(OH)2D3 enhanced the radiosensitivity of cancer cells in vitro by promoting ROS-induced apoptosis. Moreover, our results demonstrated that 1α,25(OH)2D3 promoted the ROS level via activating NADPH oxidase complexes, NOX4, p22phox, and p47phox. In addition, knockdown of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) abolished the radiosensitization of 1α,25(OH)2D3, which confirmed that 1α,25(OH)2D3 radiosensitized tumor cells that depend on VDR. Similarly, our study also evidenced that vitamin D3 enhanced the radiosensitivity of cancer cells in vivo and extended the overall survival of mice with tumors. In summary, these results demonstrate that 1α,25(OH)2D3 enhances the radiosensitivity depending on VDR and activates the NADPH oxidase-ROS-apoptosis axis. Our findings suggest that 1α,25(OH)2D3 in combination with radiation enhances lung and ovarian cell radiosensitivity, potentially providing a novel combination therapeutic strategy.

Facile Fabrication of CeO2/Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites for Vanillin Detection in Commercial Food Products.

In this paper, CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the solvothermal method and dispersed uniformly in graphene oxide (GO) aqueous solution by ultrasonication. The homogeneous CeO2-GO dispersion was coated on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and the CeO2/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified electrode (CeO2/ERGO/GCE) was obtained by potentiostatic reduction. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that CeO2 nanocrystals were uniformly coated by gossamer like ERGO nanosheets. The electrochemical behavior of vanillin on the CeO2/ERGO/GCE was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). It was found that the CeO2/ERGO/GCE has high electrocatalytic activity and good electrochemical performance for vanillin oxidation. Using the second derivative linear sweep voltammetry (SDLSV), the CeO2/ERGO/GCE provides a wide range of 0.04-20 µM and 20 µM-100 µM for vanillin detection, and the detection limit is estimated to be 0.01 µM after 120 s accumulation. This method has been successfully applied to the vanillin detection in some commercial foods.

Isostructural and Multivalent Anion Substitution toward Improved Phosphate Cathode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Polyanion-type phosphate materials are highly promising cathode candidates for next-generation batteries due to their excellent structural stability during cycling; however, their poor conductivity has impeded their development. Isostructural and multivalent anion substitution combined with carbon coating is proposed to greatly improve the electrochemical properties of phosphate cathode in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Specifically, multivalent tetrahedral SiO4 4- substitute for PO4 3- in Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 (NVP) lattice, preparing the optimal Na3.1 V2 (PO4 )2.9 (SiO4 )0.1 with high-rate capability (delivering a high capacity of 82.5 mAh g-1 even at 20 C) and outstanding cyclic stability (≈98% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 1 C). Theoretical calculation and experimental analyses reveal that the anion-substituted Na3.1 V2 (PO4 )2.9 (SiO4 )0.1 reduces the bandgap of NVP lattice and enhanced its structural stability, Na+ -diffusion kinetics and electronic conductivity. This strategy of multivalent and isostructural anion substitution chemistry provides a new insight to develop advanced phosphate cathodes.

Rational design of ultra-small photoluminescent copper nano-dots loaded PLGA micro-vessels for targeted co-delivery of natural piperine molecules for the treatment for epilepsy.

In recent days, reported researches demonstrated that encapsulation of natural hydrophobic drug molecules (Piperine) into the biodegradable polymer system with nanoformulations opens a novel prospect in bio-nanomedicine field. Generally, the nanostructured materials embedded with the drug molecules could render enhanced efficiency in therapies. Piperine is a chief alkaloid compound of natural black pepper exhibits excellent anti-convulsant efficiency in the anti-epileptic treatment. Nonetheless, the poor water solubility of the piperine molecules has some difficulties in drug delivery and clinical applications. Herein we report the synthesis of Copper oxide quantum dots coated Hyaluronic acid (HA)/ Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with for the effective delivery of piperine in the targeted drug delivery for epilepsy treatment. The physicochemical characterization was performed using the as prepared material. The crystal structure, surface morphology and the elemental composition were investigated from XRD, SEM, TEM and EDX analyses respectively. The surface morphology clearly stated the loading of CuO QDs loaded HA/PLGA microspheres. The capping of the polymer matrix was also studied using FTIR analysis. A Photoluminescence spectrum is also recorded. This study was illustrating that Piperine loaded CuQDs@HA/PLGA nanostructures exhibit improved neuroprotection and encourage the activation of astrocytes in chemical kindling model of epilepsy. This proposed material could be a novel and effective therapeutic platform for the targeted drug delivery systems.

Theoretical identification of buckyonion fullerene C20@C60 isomers by XPS and NEXAFS spectroscopy.

The C 1s X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy of two buckyonion fullerene C20@C60 isomers were theoretically simulated by density functional theory (DFT) method. In this paper, we mainly investigated the relationship between spectroscopy and structure and obtained the spectral dependence on the structures with different symmetries. Our results showed that both XPS and NEXAFS spectra exhibited remarkable dependence on the molecular structures, thus these two spectroscopic techniques could be adopted to identify the two C20@C60 isomers effectively. Additionally, we found that the building block approach could not predict the spectra for C20@C60 isomers due to the strong interaction between the two layer cages. Finally, we studied the decompositions of the total spectra from carbon atoms in different local environments to analyse the origins of the main features.

Seasonal and inter-annual community structure characteristics of zooplankton driven by water environment factors in a sub-lake of Lake Poyang, China.

BACKGROUND: Sub-lakes are important for the maintenance of the ecosystem integrity of Lake Poyang, and zooplankton play an important role in its substance and energy flow. METHODS: A seasonal investigation of zooplankton was conducted in spring (April), summer (July), autumn (October) and winter (January of the following year) from 2012 to 2016 in a sub-lake of Lake Poyang. The aim of the present study was to understand the seasonal dynamics and interannual variation of zooplankton communities and their relationship to environmental factors. RESULTS: A total of 115 species were identified in all samples in the four years, which comprised of 87 Rotifera, 13 Cladocera and 15 Copepoda. Rotifera was the dominant group in terms of quantity, and its species richness and abundance were significantly higher when compared to Cladocera and Copepoda (P < 0.05), while Cladocera dominated in terms of biomass. The species richness of Rotifera exhibited a significant seasonal difference (P < 0.05). Both the density and biomass of zooplankton revealed significant seasonal differences (P < 0.05). In general, the density and biomass of zooplankton were higher in summer and autumn, when compared to winter and spring. Biodiversity indices were dramatically lower in spring than in the other seasons. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis suggested that these zooplankton communities can be divided into three groups: spring community, summer-autumn community, and winter community. The seasonal succession of zooplankton communities did not have interannual reproducibility. In high water level years, the dominant species of zooplankton (Cladocerans and Copepods) in the wet season had a lower density, and the result in low water level years was exactly the opposite. The redundancy analysis revealed that water temperature (WT), conductivity, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) had significant effects on the zooplankton community. CONCLUSIONS: The community structure of zooplankton has a significant seasonal pattern, but has no interannual repeatability. In high water level years, the dominant species of zooplankton (Cladocerans and Copepods) in the wet season had a lower density, and the result in low water level years was exactly the opposite. The density, biomass and diversity indices of zooplankton were significantly different in different seasons. The present study was helpful in the further understanding of the ecosystem stability of lakes connected with rivers, providing scientific guidance for the protection of lake wetlands.

Depression at Baseline Is an Independent Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

Background:Depression has been recognized as a risk factor for cognitive impairment (CI) from cross-sectional datasets. This multicenter prospective study investigated the association between depression and cognitive decline in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.Methods:This multicenter prospective cohort study included 458 PD patients who were followed up for 2 years. The Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) was used for assessment of global cognitive function, Trail-Making Tests A and B for executive function, subtests of the Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for immediate and delayed memory, visuospatial skill, and language ability. Depression was assessed using Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale.Results:During the 2-year follow-up, patients with moderate/severe depression at baseline showed a significant decline in global cognitive function (80.5 ± 15.2 vs 76.6 ± 15.5, p = 0.008), while patients without depression or with mild depression kept a stable global cognitive function. In the meantime, patients without depression showed significant improvements in immediate memory, visuospatial skill, and language ability. However, no significant improvement in these parameters was shown in depression groups. In multivariable linear regression analysis, depression at baseline was a significant predictor of worsening global cognitive function, whether depression was analyzed as a continuous variable (odds ratio [OR] = -0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.27, -0.01, p = 0.031) or a rank variable (OR = -1.88, 95% CI -3.30, -0.45, p = 0.010). Moreover, higher depression score or more severe depression degradation was significantly associated with decline of immediate memory, delayed memory, and language skill.Conclusion:Depression was a significant risk factor for worsening of CI in PD patients.

Dendrite-free deposition on lithium anode toward long-life and high-stable Li//graphite dual-ion battery.

Metallic lithium protection plays a crucial role on improving the electrochemical properties of Li-anode-based batteries. Herein, for an advanced Li//graphite dual-ion battery, constructing a robust and conductive film of carbon nanofibers on a Li anode effectively achieves dendrite-free Li growth and hence significantly enhances the long-life cyclic stability.

Analysis of 27 ß-Blockers and Metabolites in Milk Powder by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

This paper presents an application of high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) for the analysis of 27 ß-blockers and metabolites in milk powder. Homogenized milk power samples were extracted by acetonitrile and purified by using Oasis PRiME HLB solid-phase extraction cartridges. The Ascentis® C8 chromatographic column was used to separate the analytes. The quantification was achieved by using matrix-matched standard calibration curves with carazolol-d7 and propranolol-d7 as the internal standards. The results show an exceptional linear relationship with the concentrations of analytes over wide concentration ranges (0.5⁻500 µg kg-1) as all the fitting coefficients of determination r² are > 0.995. All the limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) values were within the respective range of 0.2⁻1.5 µg kg-1 and 0.5⁻5.0 µg kg-1. Overall average recoveries were able to reach 66.1⁻100.4% with the intra- and inter-day variability under 10%. This method has been successfully applied to the screening of ß-blockers and metabolites in commercial milk powders. At the same time, the corresponding characteristic fragmentation behavior of the 27 compounds was explored. The characteristic product ions were determined and applied to the actual samples screening.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation improves muscle atrophy induced by chronic hypoxia-hypercapnia through the MicroRNA-486/PTEN/FoxO1 pathway.

Previous work has confirmed that the chronic hypoxia-hypercapnia (CHH) associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contributes to the development of skeletal muscle atrophy. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) has shown some efficacy when used as a treatment to reduce skeletal muscle atrophy. The present study focuses on the MicroRNA-486/PTEN/FoxO1 pathway with the goal of identifying its physiological role in skeletal muscle atrophy induced by CHH as well as its role during NMES treatment. To test this, 32 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. After completion of the disease modeling, gastrocnemius muscles were collected from all animals and cross-sectional areas of muscular fiber were observed and analyzed via H&E staining. MiR-486 expression was further assessed by qRT-PCR, and protein levels of TNF-α, PTEN, p-Akt, Akt, FoxO1, atrogin-1 and MuRF1 were measured by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. CSA, miR-486, and the ratio p-Akt/Akt were significantly reduced in the CHH group, while the levels of TNF-α, PTEN, FoxO1, atrogin-1, and MuRF1 were markedly increased. Importantly, these findings were reversed as a result of NMES. Thus, the MicroRNA-486/PTEN/FoxO1 pathway functions in muscle protein synthesis and degradation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Our research provides a theoretical basis for the application of NMES as a means of improving muscle atrophy. Moreover, these therapeutic targets provide possible clues relevant to the treatment of amyotrophic diseases.

A high-throughput screening method of bisphenols, bisphenols digycidyl ethers and their derivatives in dairy products by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A simple and universal analytical method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for high throughput screening of 21 bisphenols, bisphenols digycidyl ethers and their derivatives in dairy products was developed. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize sample preparation conditions based on a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method. The analytes were extracted by using 15 mL acetonitrile with 1% acetic acid, and the extracts were further purified by using 190 mg of C18 and 390 mg of PSA. The extracts were analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization (ESI) source. Linearity was assessed by using matrix-matched standard calibration and good correlation coefficients (r2 > 0.99) were obtained. The limits of quantitation (LOQs) for the analytes ranged from 0.02 to 5 µg kg-1. The extraction recoveries were in a range of 88.2%-108.2%. Good method reproducibility in terms of intra- and inter-day precision was observed, yielding relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 8.9% and 9.9%, respectively. The validation method results revealed that the proposed method was sensitive and reliable. Finally, this method was successfully applied to dairy product analysis.

Poly[[tetra-aqua-tetra-kis-[µ3-5-(pyridine-4-carboxamido)-isophthalato]nickel(II)diterbium(III)] tetra-hydrate].

In the title compound, {[NiTb2(C14H8N2O5)4(H2O)4]·4H2O} n , the Tb(III) ion is coordinated by one water mol-ecule and seven O atoms from four 5-(pyridine-4-carboxamido)-isophthalate (L) ligands in a distorted square-anti-prismatic arrangement, while the Ni(II) ion, lying on an inversion center, is six-coordinated in an octa-hedral geometry by two pyridine N atoms, two carboxyl-ate O atoms and two water mol-ecules. One L ligand bridges two Tb(III) ions and one Ni(II) ion through two carboxyl-ate groups and one pyridine N atom. The other L ligand bridges two Tb(III) ions and one Ni(II) ion through two carboxyl-ate groups, while the uncoordinating pyridine N atom is hydrogen bonded to an adjacent coordinating water mol-ecule. Extensive O-H⋯O, N-H⋯O and O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds play an important role in stabilizing the crystal structure.

[Status of knowledge and behavior of drug use among residents in 5 provinces in China in 2011].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of knowledge and behavior of drug use among urban and rural residents in 5 provinces in China to suggest priority intervention strategies and measures for drug use health education. METHODS: From March to May of 2011, 6159 urban and rural residents were selected from Beijing, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Shaanxi provinces by the multistage stratified sampling method and were investigated by the questionnaires on drug use knowledge and behavior. RESULTS: The residents' average awareness rate for 11 pieces of basic drug use information was 48.3% (32,750/67,749). The residents' average awareness rate in the rural (40.3%, 9189/22 792) was lower than that in metropolitan (51.9%, 11 483/22 110) and small and middle-sized cities (52.9%, 12,078/22,847) and the differences had statistical significance (χ2=889.30, P<0.01). Overall, 77.0% (4742/6159) of residents purchased drug according to the doctors' prescription; 36.9% (2271/6159) of residents bought by their experiences; 33.3% (2049/6159) of residents did not know whether they had bought faked drugs; 32.7% (2016/6159) of residents did not read instructions carefully before using drug; 83.4% (5134/6159) of residents stored drugs in their house and only 29.2% (1798/6159) of residents would check up expired drugs regularly; 59.6% (3673/6159) of residents changed drug by themselves after suspected adverse reaction of drugs. CONCLUSION: Chinese urban and rural residents' knowledge level of drug use is inadequate and drug use behaviors are not optimistic. Drug use health education should be enhanced among urban and rural residents.