[Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among infants in Chongqing urban area].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among infants in Chongqing urban area, and to provide a basis for early intervention in cases of childhood obesity. METHODS: A total of 2139 infants aged one month were selected by stratified cluster sampling. They underwent growth monitoring and evaluation at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months after birth. Meanwhile, related factors were investigated using a standardized questionnaire. The data was subjected to multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the risk factors for overweight and obesity among infants aged 18 months. RESULTS: The detection rate of overweight and obesity increased rapidly after birth, reaching 26.04% at six months, and then decreased gradually, reaching 15.89% at 18 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed nine variable factors that were significantly correlated with overweight and obesity among infants aged 18 months, including nutritional status of the father, nutritional status of the infants at birth and at 6, 9 and 12 months after birth, feeding patterns at 3 months, frequency of vegetable intake at 12 months, frequency of sweet beverage addition at 18 months, and bedtime at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity are prevalent among infants in Chongqing urban area, and these conditions are affected by multiple factors. Early comprehensive intervention is recommended to curb prevalence.

4-Bromo-1H-pyrrole-2-carb-oxy-lic acid.

In the title compound, C(5)H(4)BrNO(2), the non-H atoms of the pyrrole ring and the Br atom are approximately coplanar, with an r.m.s. deviation from the best fit plane of 0.025 (6) Å;. The dihedral angle between the plane of the carb-oxy group and this plane is 14.1 (2)°. In the crystal, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules together, forming corrugated sheets parallel to the bc plane.

Analyses of n-alkanes degrading community dynamics of a high-temperature methanogenic consortium enriched from production water of a petroleum reservoir by a combination of molecular techniques.

Despite the knowledge on anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons and signature metabolites in the oil reservoirs, little is known about the functioning microbes and the related biochemical pathways involved, especially about the methanogenic communities. In the present study, a methanogenic consortium enriched from high-temperature oil reservoir production water and incubated at 55 °C with a mixture of long chain n-alkanes (C(15)-C(20)) as the sole carbon and energy sources was characterized. Biodegradation of n-alkanes was observed as methane production in the alkanes-amended methanogenic enrichment reached 141.47 µmol above the controls after 749 days of incubation, corresponding to 17 % of the theoretical total. GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of putative downstream metabolites probably from the anaerobic biodegradation of n-alkanes and indicating an incomplete conversion of the n-alkanes to methane. Enrichment cultures taken at different incubation times were subjected to microbial community analysis. Both 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and DGGE profiles showed that alkanes-degrading community was dynamic during incubation. The dominant bacterial species in the enrichment cultures were affiliated with Firmicutes members clustering with thermophilic syntrophic bacteria of the genera Moorella sp. and Gelria sp. Other represented within the bacterial community were members of the Leptospiraceae, Thermodesulfobiaceae, Thermotogaceae, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes and Candidate Division OP1. The archaeal community was predominantly represented by members of the phyla Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Corresponding sequences within the Euryarchaeota were associated with methanogens clustering with orders Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales and Methanobacteriales. On the other hand, PCR amplification for detection of functional genes encoding the alkylsuccinate synthase α-subunit (assA) was positive in the enrichment cultures. Moreover, the appearance of a new assA gene sequence identified in day 749 supported the establishment of a functioning microbial species in the enrichment. Our results indicate that n-alkanes are converted to methane slowly by a microbial community enriched from oilfield production water and fumarate addition is most likely the initial activation step of n-alkanes degradation under thermophilic methanogenic conditions.

Analysis of alkane-dependent methanogenic community derived from production water of a high-temperature petroleum reservoir.

Microbial assemblage in an n-alkanes-dependent thermophilic methanogenic enrichment cultures derived from production waters of a high-temperature petroleum reservoir was investigated in this study. Substantially higher amounts of methane were generated from the enrichment cultures incubated at 55 °C for 528 days with a mixture of long-chain n-alkanes (C(15)-C(20)). Stoichiometric estimation showed that alkanes-dependent methanogenesis accounted for about 19.8% of the total amount of methane expected. Hydrogen was occasionally detected together with methane in the gas phase of the cultures. Chemical analysis of the liquid cultures resulted only in low concentrations of acetate and formate. Phylogenetic analysis of the enrichment revealed the presence of several bacterial taxa related to Firmicutes, Thermodesulfobiaceae, Thermotogaceae, Nitrospiraceae, Dictyoglomaceae, Candidate division OP8 and others without close cultured representatives, and Archaea predominantly related to uncultured members in the order Archaeoglobales and CO(2)-reducing methanogens. Screening of genomic DNA retrieved from the alkanes-amended enrichment cultures also suggested the presence of new alkylsuccinate synthase alpha-subunit (assA) homologues. These findings suggest the presence of poorly characterized (putative) anaerobic n-alkanes degraders in the thermophilic methanogenic enrichment cultures. Our results indicate that methanogenesis of alkanes under thermophilic condition is likely to proceed via syntrophic acetate and/or formate oxidation linked with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis.

[Clinical observation on acupotomy for treatment of simple obesity].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy differences among acupotomy, electroacupuncture and acupuncture for treatment of simple obesity. METHODS: One hundred and five cases were randomly divided into an acupotomy group, an electroacupuncture group and an acupuncture group, 35 cases in each group, and Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc, were selected in three groups and also with selection of acupoints according to symptoms. The acupotomy group was treated with acupotomy 40 mm in length and 0.6 mm in diameter, the electroacupuncture group with the Han's LH402A electroacupuncture stimulator and the acupuncture group with simple acupuncture treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects of three groups were compared. The obesity signs such as body weight, body mass index (BMI), obesity degree, etc., and blood lipid and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were observed. RESULTS: The markedly effective rate of 91.4% (32/35) in the acupotomy group was higher than that of 71.5% (25/35) in the electroacupuncture group and that of 42.9% (15/35) in the hand acupuncture group (both P<0.05). There were significant differences in the obesity signs and blood fat and FBS of the three groups before and after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). The differences rates of body weight, BMI, obesity degree, chest circumference, waistline, thighline, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol before and after treatment in the acupotomy group were all better than those in the electroacupuncture group and in the acupuncture group (all P<0.05), and the differences rates of hipline, FBS in the acupotomy group were better than those in the acupuncture group (both P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Acupotomy treatment can obviously reduce fat, FBS and blood lipid and has obvious therapeutic effects on simple obesity.

rac-Dimethyl 2-(1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamido)-butane-dioate.

The title compound, C(11)H(14)N(2)O(5), was synthesized by condensation of (RS)-2-amino-succinic acid dimethyl ester with 2-trichloro-acetyl-pyrrole at room temperature. The amide group is twisted by 7.4 (1)° from the plane of the pyrrole ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into chains extending along the c axis.

Methyl 2-(1H-indole-3-carboxamido)-acetate.

The title compound, C(12)H(12)N(2)O(3), was synthesized by condensation of methyl amino-acetate with 3-trichloro-acetyl-indole. In the crystal, inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into chains parallel to the b axis. The chains are further connected into a three-dimensional network by N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the indole N atom. In the molecule, the indole skeleton is nearly planar [maximum deviation = 0.012 (1) Å] and the mean plane of the amido group is twisted from the mean plane of indole ring by 17.2 (1)°.

Methyl 3-(1H-indole-3-carboxamido)propionate hemihydrate.

The title compound, C(13)H(14)N(2)O(3)·0.5H(2)O, was synthesized by the condensation of methyl 3-amino-propionate with 3-trichloro-acetyl-indole. The two organic mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit are both close to planar, with r.m.s. deviations from the best fit plane through all of the non-H atoms of 0.004 (2) Šfor mol-ecule A and 0.006 (1) Šfor mol-ecule B. Also, the five- and six-membered rings of the indole systems are inclined at 1.67 (8) and 1.50 (8)° in mol-ecules A and B, respectively. In the crystal structure, the organic molecules are connected by inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains. O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen-bond inter-actions involving the water molecules inter-link these chains, forming double chains approximately parallel to the a axis.

1-Benzyl-N-methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamide.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(13)H(14)N(2)O, contains two independent mol-ecules, which differ in the twist of the phenyl ring: the N(pyrrole)-C(H(2))-C-C torsion angles are -73.0 (3) and 17.1 (3)°. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked through N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into chains extending along the a axis.