Effects of family multi-generational relationship on multimorbidity and healthy life expectancy for second generations: insight from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVE: In the context of aging, Chinese families consisting of more than three generations (grandparents, parents, children) are the norm. The second generation (parents) and other family members may establish a downward (contact only with children) or two-way multi-generational relationship (contact with children and grandparents). These multi-generational relationships may have the potential effect on multimorbidity burden and healthy life expectancy in the second generation, but less is known about the direction and intensity of this effect. This study aims to explore this potential effect. METHODS: We obtained longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study from 2011 to 2018, which included 6,768 people. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between multi-generational relationships and the number of multimorbidity. The Markov multi-state transition model was used to analyze the relationship between multi-generational relationships and the severity of multimorbidity. The multistate life table was used to calculate healthy life expectancy for different multi-generational relationships. RESULTS: The risk of multimorbidity in two-way multi-generational relationship was 0.830 (95% CIs: 0.715, 0.963) times higher than that in downward multi-generational relationship. For mild multimorbidity burden, downward and two-way multi-generational relationship may prevent aggravation of burden. For severe multimorbidity burden, two-way multi-generational relationship may aggravate the burden. Compared with two-way multi-generational relationship, the second generations with downward multi-generational relationship has a higher healthy life expectancy at all ages. CONCLUSION: In Chinese families with more than three generations, the second generations with severe multimorbidity burden may aggravate the condition by providing support to elderly grandparents, and the support provided by offspring to the second generations plays a vital positive role in improving the quality of life and narrowing the gap between healthy life expectancy and life expectancy.

Decorating S-doped Cu-La bimetallic oxides with UIO-66 to increase the As(III) adsorption capacity via synchronous oxidation and adsorption.

Arsenite (As(III)) is more toxic and difficult to remove than arsenate (As(V)). In this study, an S-doped Cu-La bimetallic oxide (S-CuLaO) decorated with metal-organic framework (MOF) composite (S-CuLaO@UIO-66) was synthesized and applied for the adsorption of As(III). The maximum adsorption capacity of As(III) by S-CuLaO@UIO-66 was as high as 171 mg/g, which was much higher compared with other MOF compounds reported to date. The UIO-66 support improved the dispersion and reduced the size of the S-CuLaO particles, which increased the number of exposed adsorption reactive sites. Study of the mechanism revealed that the synchronous oxidation and adsorption significantly increased the removal of As(III). O2∙- was produced by the receiving electron from the dissolved oxygen from Cu(I) in S-CuLaO, which converted As(III) to As(V). Furthermore, the stability and reusability S-CuLaO@UIO-66 (without regeneration) was investigated at a low As(III) concentration (approximately 1000 µg/L) in deionized water and well water. The residual arsenic concentration ranged from 0.8 to 2.8 µg/L in deionized water and 3-58.2 µg/L in well water within 240 min during three cycles. Generally, this study suggests that combining an optimal oxide with a stable MOF is a promising approach for the fabrication of composite adsorbents.

Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of five rhubarb anthraquinones in rats after oral administration of effective fraction of anthraquinones from rheum officinale.

Rhubarb, a famous traditional Chinese medicine, shows a wide range of physiological activities and pharmacological benefits. Rhubarb anthraquinones are perceived as the pharmacologically active compounds of Rhubarb, and understanding metabolism of them is crucial to assure safety and effectiveness of clinical application. In this study, the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of five rhubarb anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, physcion) were systematically investigated after oral administration of rhubarb extract to rats.An HPLC method was developed and validated for quantitation of five rhubarb anthraquinones in rat plasma, tissues, urine and faeces to investigate the Pharmacokinetic characteristics. The results showed that the proposed method was suitable for the quantification of five anthraquinones in plasma, tissue and excreta samples with satisfactory linear (r > 0.99), precision (<10%) and recovery (85.12-104.20%). The plasma concentration profiles showed a quick absorption with the mean Tmax of 0.42-0.75 h and t1/2 of 6.60-15.11 h for five anthraquinones. The analytes were widely distributed in most of the tissues. Approximately 0.13-10.59% and 28.47-81.14% of five anthraquinones were recovered in urine and faeces within 132 h post-dosing, which indicated the major elimination route was faeces excretion.In summary, this study lays a foundation for elucidating the pharmacokinetic rule of rhubarb anthraquinone and the important data can provide reliable scientific resource for further research.

Transcriptome profiling of human oocytes experiencing recurrent total fertilization failure.

There exist some patients who face recurrent total fertilization failure during assisted reproduction treatment, but the pathological mechanism underlying is elusive. Here, by using sc-RNA-seq method, the transcriptome profiles of ten abnormally fertilized zygotes were assessed, including five zygotes from one patient with recurrent Poly-PN zygotes, and five zygotes from a patient with pronuclear fusion failure. Four zygotes with three pronuclear (Tri-PN) were collected from four different patients as controls. After that, we identified 951 and 1697 significantly differentially expressed genes (SDEGs) in Poly-PN and PN arrest zygotes, respectively as compared with the control group. KEGG analyses indicated down regulated genes in the Poly-PN group included oocyte meiosis related genes, such as PPP2R1B, YWHAZ, MAD2L1, SPDYC, SKP1 and CDC27, together with genes associated with RNA processing, such as SF3B1, LOC645691, MAGOHB, PHF5A, PRPF18, DDX5, THOC1 and BAT1. In contrast, down regulated genes in the PN arrest group, included cell cycle genes, such as E2F4, DBF4, YWHAB, SKP2, CDC23, SMC3, CDC25A, CCND3, BUB1B, MDM2, CCNA2 and CDC7, together with homologous recombination related genes, such as NBN, XRCC3, SHFM1, RAD54B and RAD51. Thus, our work provides a better understanding of transcriptome profiles underlying RTFF, although it based on a limited number of patients.

The protocadherin alpha cluster is required for axon extension and myelination in the developing central nervous system.

In adult mammals, axon regeneration after central nervous system injury is very poor, resulting in persistent functional loss. Enhancing the ability of axonal outgrowth may be a potential treatment strategy because mature neurons of the adult central nervous system may retain the intrinsic ability to regrow axons after injury. The protocadherin (Pcdh) clusters are thought to function in neuronal morphogenesis and in the assembly of neural circuitry in the brain. We cultured primary hippocampal neurons from E17.5 Pcdhα deletion (del-α) mouse embryos. After culture for 1 day, axon length was obviously shorter in del-α neurons compared with wild-type neurons. RNA sequencing of hippocampal E17.5 RNA showed that expression levels of BDNF, Fmod, Nrp2, OGN, and Sema3d, which are associated with axon extension, were significantly down-regulated in the absence of the Pcdhα gene cluster. Using transmission electron microscopy, the ratio of myelinated nerve fibers in the axons of del-α hippocampal neurons was significantly decreased; myelin sheaths of P21 Pcdhα-del mice showed lamellar disorder, discrete appearance, and vacuoles. These results indicate that the Pcdhα cluster can promote the growth and myelination of axons in the neurodevelopmental stage.

Light-enhanced acid catalysis over a metal-organic framework.

A Brønsted acid-functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF), MIL-101-SO3H, was prepared for acid-engaged esterification reactions. Strikingly, for the first time, the MOF exhibits significantly light-enhanced activity and possesses excellent activity and recyclability, with even higher activity than H2SO4 under light irradiation.

A MOF-derived Co-CoO@N-doped porous carbon for efficient tandem catalysis: dehydrogenation of ammonia borane and hydrogenation of nitro compounds.

The one-step pyrolysis of a zeolite-type metal-organic framework, Co(2-methylimidazole)2 (ZIF-67), produces an N-doped porous carbon incorporating well-dispersed Co/CoO nanoparticles, which exhibit excellent catalytic activity, chemoselectivity and magnetic recyclability for the tandem dehydrogenation of ammonia borane and hydrogenation of nitro compounds at room temperature.

A metal-organic framework-templated synthesis of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles encapsulated in porous carbon for efficient and chemoselective hydrogenation of nitro compounds.

The γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles well dispersed in porous carbon were fabricated via a Fe-based metal-organic framework-templated pyrolysis. The resultant product exhibits excellent catalytic activity, chemoselectivity and magnetic recyclability for the hydrogenation of diverse nitro compounds under mild conditions.

Metal-organic framework-based CoP/reduced graphene oxide: high-performance bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.

Efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), especially bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting, are highly desired. In this work, with rationally designed sandwich-type metal-organic framework/graphene oxide as a template and precursor, a layered CoP/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite has been successfully prepared via pyrolysis and a subsequent phosphating process. The resultant CoP/rGO-400 exhibits excellent HER activity in acid solution. More importantly, the catalyst manifests excellent catalytic performances for both the HER and OER in basic solution. Therefore, it can be utilized as a bifunctional catalyst on both the anode and cathode for overall water splitting in basic media, even displaying superior activity to that of the integrated Pt/C and IrO2 catalyst couple.

Conversion of a metal-organic framework to N-doped porous carbon incorporating Co and CoO nanoparticles: direct oxidation of alcohols to esters.

A Co-based metal-organic framework, ZIF-67, has been exploited as a self-template to afford N-doped porous carbon incorporating Co NPs with surface-oxidized CoO species, which exhibit excellent catalytic activity, selectivity and magnetic recyclability toward the direct oxidation of alcohols to esters with O2 as a benign oxidant under mild conditions.

MIL-101-SO3H: a highly efficient Brønsted acid catalyst for heterogeneous alcoholysis of epoxides under ambient conditions.

For the first time, a ∼100% sulfonic acid functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF), MIL-101-SO3H, with giant pores has been prepared by a hydrothermal process followed by a facile postsynthetic HCl treatment strategy. The replete readily accessible Lewis acidic and especially Brønsted acidic sites distributed throughout the framework as well as high stability endow the resultant MOF exceptionally high efficiency and recyclability, which surpass all other MOF-based catalysts, for the ring opening of epoxides with alcohols (especially, methanol) as nucleophiles under ambient conditions.