Kaempferia parviflora Extract Alleviated Rat Arthritis,Exerted Chondroprotective Properties In Vitro,and Reduced Expression of Genes Associated with Inflammatory Arthritis

Kaempferia parviflora Wall. ex Baker (KP) has been reported to attenuate cartilage destruction in rat model of osteoarthritis. Previously, we demonstrated that KP rhizome extract and its active components effectively suppressed mechanisms associated with RA in SW982 cells. Here, we further evaluated the anti-arthritis potential of KP extract by using multi-level models, including a complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis and a cartilage explant culture model, and to investigate the effects of KP extract and its major components on related gene expressions and underlying mechanisms within cells. In arthritis rats, the KP extract reduced arthritis indexes, with no significant changes in biological parameters. In the cartilage explant model, the KP extract exerted chondroprotective potential by suppressing sulfated glycosaminoglycans release while preserving high accumulation of proteoglycans. In human chondrocyte cell line, a mixture of the major components equal to their amounts in KP extract showed strong suppression the expression of genes-associated inflammatory joint disease similar to that of the extract. Additionally, KP extract significantly suppressed NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. The suppressing expression of necroptosis genes and promoted anti-apoptosis were also found. Collectively, these results provided supportive evidence of the anti-arthritis properties of KP extract, which are associated with its three major components.     

Response ofClostridium Acetobutylicum to the presence of mixed extractants

The volumetric productivity of many fermentations is productlimited.In situ removal of these products with liquid organic extractants is limited by either a low product distribution coefficient or toxicity of the extractant. This paper presents results from studies using mixed extractants, namely mixtures of toxic extractants that have high distribution coefficients for the product and nontoxic extractants that have low distribution coefficients. The production of butanol byClostridium acetobutylicum was chosen as a model system for these studies. The mechanisms of toxicity of mixed extractants and the observed responses to their presence are discussed.     

利用代谢组学研究大气细颗粒物的生殖毒性效应

大气细颗粒物(PM2.5)污染已成为严峻的环境问题,探究PM2.5的毒性效应和机理变得尤为重要.本研究利用基于液相色谱/质谱的代谢组学技术,分析经PM2.5悬混液气管滴注暴露后成年雄性大鼠睾丸代谢组的全局变化,采用偏最小二乘判别分析法和非参数检验进行统计分析.结果表明,PM2.5暴露组大鼠睾丸的油提和水提代谢指纹谱均可与对照组实现准确区分,表明PM2.5暴露对大鼠睾丸的整体代谢网络产生了显著影响,最终鉴定出56个差异代谢物.通路分析显示,PM2.5暴露会引起大鼠睾丸的氨基酸和核苷酸代谢紊乱、类固醇激素代谢失衡以及脂类代谢异常,而这些重要通路可能是PM2.5生殖毒性的关键分子事件.     

Characterization of lead and lead leaching properties of lead glazed ceramics from the Solis Valley, Mexico, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT)

Ingestion of relatively small amounts of lead is now recognized to cause significant neurological and cognitive effects in humans. Large quantities may be fatal, yet lead poisoning, especially of children, is still a major public health concern in many parts of the world. In rural Mexican communities lead oxide (PbO) is added to ceramic glaze as a fluxing agent, lowering starting firing temperatures to 500 °C. The purpose of this study is to characterize the lead chemical forms in ceramic glazes from the Solis Valley, Mexico, to investigate lead leaching properties of these ceramics, and to demonstrate the applicability of lead isotope signatures as a means of tracing lead source origins. Ceramics were collected from the rural village of Santa Maria de Canchesda, State of Mexico, Mexico. Dried liquid glazes, post-fired glaze material, and pure PbO were analyzed by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). Results from DRIFT analysis indicate that PbO (1429 cm⁻¹ band) is the active form of lead found in liquid glazes and ceramics. Some shifting of 1429 cm⁻¹ PbO peak to lower wavenumbers occurs in post-fired ceramics, and this may be due to the formation of lead bisilicate during firing. Ceramics samples were leached in 0.02 M citric acid solution for 1 min, and leached lead concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Lead concentrations in these leachates varied from 0.4-80.4 μg ml⁻¹, while the control pottery from the US leached only 0.1 μg ml⁻¹ lead. Elemental distributions on glaze surfaces were identified by laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS. Nitric acid extracts of soils, teeth, and ceramic glazes were analyzed for lead isotope ratios (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb vs. ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb) using ICP-MS. Similarities of tooth and ceramic lead isotope ratios indicate that ceramics may be a substantial source of body lead burden in the Solis Valley. This study demonstrates the applicability of lead isotope ratios for lead source identification, and it identifies potential health risks from ceramic use induced lead toxicity within the Solis Valley.     

蓝藻水华衍生的微囊藻毒素污染及其对水生生物的生态毒理学研究

富营养化导致的蓝藻水华频发,引发各种衍生物污染,严重时造成重大生态灾害事件,甚至危及人类健康。其中微囊藻毒素以其毒性大、分布广和结构稳定的特点,成为水环境中常见的潜在危害物质,它主要由微囊藻产生,是一类具有多种异构体的环状七肽物质。本文根据微囊藻毒素污染现状及其水生生态毒理学研究的最新研究进展,介绍了微囊藻毒素的理化性质及其产生、迁移和转化,在我国天然水体、水库源水和饮用水中的污染现状以及部分水产品中的微囊藻毒素累积情况,较全面地评述了微囊藻毒素的分子致毒机理以及对水生生态系统的重要组成成分--常见水生植物和鱼类的生态毒理学效应,并提出了该领域未来研究的主要方向。     

Synthesis,spectroscopic characterization (IR, 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR,electrospray mass spectrometry) and toxicity of new organotin(IV) complexes with N,N′,O‐ and N,N′,S‐scorpionate ligands

New organotin(IV) derivatives containing the anionic ligands bis(3,5‐dimethylpyrazol‐1‐yl)dithioacetate [LCS₂]⁻ and bis(3,5‐dimethylpyrazol‐1‐yl)acetate [LCO₂]⁻ have been synthesized from reaction between (CH₃)₂SnCl₂ and lithium salts of the ligands. Mononuclear complexes of the type {[LCX₂](CH₃)₂SnCl} (X = S or O) have been obtained and fully characterized by elemental analyses and FT‐IR in the solid state and by NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn) spectroscopy, conductivity measurements and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in solution. The acute toxicity of new organotin(IV) derivatives on rat was studied, comparing their effect with those of dimethyltin chloride (CH₃)₂SnCl₂. The comparison of LD₅₀ of organotin(IV) complexes and (CH₃)₂SnCl₂ administered intraperitoneally, as a single dose, evaluated in vivo on rats, showed that toxicity decreases as follows: (CH₃)₂SnCl₂ > LCO₂ > LCS₂. The effect of these organotin(IV) complexes on DNA was evaluated in vitro and in vivo on rats treated with different doses of these compounds (1/20 LD₅₀ and 1/100 LD₅₀). The lymphocyte DNA status was assessed by the comet assay, a rapid and sensitive single‐cell electrophoresis technique, used to detect primary DNA damage in individual cells. After 36 h from the start of treatment the two new organotin(IV) derivatives induced a significant rise in comet assay parameters, indicating an increasing presence of damaged DNA. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced Optical Image Verification Based on Joint Transform Correlator Adopting Fourier Hologram

In this paper two new architectures for optical image verification are proposed. Both architectures are based on conventional joint transform correlators (JTCs) adopting a Fourier hologram and can significantly improve the recovered image quality. First, an input phase-only function is Fourier transformed and then interferes with a reference wave that is diffracted from a plane wave incident on another random phase mask. Second, two phase-only functions are placed at the two input sides of a beamsplitter such that the interference pattern of their Fourier transforms can be detected. To obtain a predefined target image in the output plane, one of the input phase functions is iteratively retrieved by the use of the projection onto constraint sets algorithm. Simulation results show that the less mean squared error and better image quality are obtained for both the binary and grayscale images.     

Method development for the determination of iron in milligram amounts of rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) from cultivation experiments using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

The amount of sample that is available for analysis in laboratory plant cultivation experiments is usually very limited. Highly sensitive analytical techniques are therefore required, even for elements that are present in the plants at mg g^–1 concentrations, and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was chosen in this work because of its micro-sampling capability, and its relatively simple operation. Four micro-methods were investigated for the determination of iron in roots and leaves of rice plants: i) a micro-digestion with nitric and hydrochloric acids, ii) a slurry procedure using tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) tissue solubilizer, iii) a slurry prepared in 1.4 mol L^–1 nitric acid, and treated in an ultrasonic bath, and iv) the direct analysis of solid samples. The micro-digestion was suffering from high blank values and contamination problems, so that it could not be recommended for routine purposes. The TMAH method exhibited poor precision and occasional low recoveries, particularly for real samples. Direct solid sampling analysis gave results similar to those obtained with the slurry technique with ultrasonic agitation for the determination of iron in certified reference materials with iron content up to about 100 g g^–1, but was too sensitive for the investigated rice plants, which had an iron content up to several mg g^–1. The slurry technique with ultrasonic treatment of the samples, suspended in dilute nitric acid, was finally adopted as the method of choice.The method was then applied for the determination of iron in the leaves and in different compartments of the roots of two rice cultivars, one sensitive to iron toxicity, an important nutritional disorder, and the other one resistant to iron toxicity. The results suggest that the higher resistance to iron toxicity of the second cultivar is due to a smaller uptake of iron from the soil, resulting in lower iron levels in all compartments of the plant.     

PATH INTEGRAL SOLUTION OF NONLINEAR DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF STRUCTURE UNDER WIND EXCITATION

IntroductionThe dynamic behavior of the nonlinear structure under wind excitation has beenobserved very complicated.Taking guyed masts as an example,only a few collapsingaccidents occurred under extreme atmospheric conditions[1],many took place under mild…