Recent Progress in Luminescent Cu(I) Halide Complexes: A Mini-Review.

Copper(I) halide complexes are well sought-after materials due to their rich structural diversities and photophysical properties. Profoundly, there is a direct relationship between each structural variation and luminescence of these complexes, for a purported use. In this review, recent publications within the last 2 years about copper(I) halide complexes, centering on their structural dimensionalities with derivatives of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur ligands, have been considered alongside their effects on luminescence.

Preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio predicts survival in primary hepatitis B virus-positive hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

BACKGROUND: Both inflammation and immunity are associated with the development of malignancy. The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been confirmed as a prognostic factor for several malignant diseases. The purpose of our study was to analyze prognostic significance of preoperative LMR in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 253 patients with primary HBV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent a curative operation were enrolled in this retrospective study. The relationship between preoperative LMR and survival outcomes was analyzed through Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Patients with a high LMR had a significantly higher mean overall survival than those with a low LMR (67 months vs 55 months, P=0.023), and high LMR remained significant for longer survival in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.147; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.085-0.253; P=0.021). Furthermore, patients with a high LMR also had a higher median recurrence-free survival than those with a low LMR in univariate analyses (60 months vs 48 months, P=0.026) and multivariate analyses (hazard ratio, 0.317; 95% CI: 0.042-1.023; P=0.032). However, the survival benefit was limited to patients with advanced cancer. CONCLUSION: LMR was confirmed as an independent prognostic biomarker for primary HBV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

Prognostic significance of ischemia-modified albumin for severe acute pancreatitis.

Background: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is characterized by the noxious combination of severe systemic inflammation and hypoperfusion and oxidative stress. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) was recognized as a novel marker of oxidative stress and ischemia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum IMA level in patients with SAP and analyze its prognostic significance. Methods: A total of 72 patients with SAP were enrolled. Serum IMA level was measured within 24 hours of the onset of SAP, and baseline characteristics were recorded. The BISAP, APACHE II and SOFA scores were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to evaluate predictive ability of LMA for in-hospital mortality of SAP. Kaplan-Meier analysis was further used to compare in-hospital mortality difference between high LMA and low LMA. Results: The overall in-hospital mortality rate of all 72 SAP patients was 23.6%. Non-survivor group had higher serum IMA (107.2±10.8 VS 88.4±11.9, P<0.05) than survivor group. Otherwise, the optimal cutoff levels for the IMA predicting in-hospital mortality of patients with SAP was 112 U/ml using a sensitivity of 77.4% and a specificity of 76.2% as optimal conditions (AUC, 0.734; 95% CI: 0.615-0.852; P=0.002). IMA level also was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor for SAP in multivariate analysis. Patient with high IMA level (≥112 U/ml) had poorer survival rate than low IMA (<112 U/ml) in log-rank test of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (P<0.05). Conclusions: Serum IMA level can be considered as an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality of patients with SAP.

In vitro-activated tumor-specific T lymphocytes prolong the survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Conventional tumor managements have limited survival benefits and cause severely impaired immune function in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) whereas immunotherapies could restore antitumor immunity. This prospective cohort study was aimed at investigating the efficacy of in vitro-activated tumor-specific T lymphocytes combined with chemotherapy on the survival of patients with advanced GC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-four postoperative patients were enrolled in this study to receive either activated T lymphocytes immunotherapy combining chemotherapy (71 patients) or only receive postoperative chemotherapy (203 patients). Overall survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier with log-rank test and Cox's regression methods. RESULTS: The immunotherapy prolonged 9.8-month median survival for advanced gastric cancer (29.70 vs 19.70 months, P=0.036). Furthermore, immunotherapy significantly benefited the survival of patients who underwent radical, palliative resection, and stage III malignancy. No serious adverse effect was observed in the immunotherapy group. CONCLUSION: In vitro-activated tumor-specific T lymphocytes prolonged survival in patients with advanced GC.

Prognostic value of preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation and immunity have an important role in the development of cancer. The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been shown to be of prognostic value in several malignant forms. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prognostic significance of preoperative LMR in post-curative resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: A total of 144 patients with primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent curative operation were enrolled in this retrospective study. The correlation between preoperative LMR and survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, an elevated preoperative LMR was significantly associated with an increased overall survival (OS) (19 months vs 12 months, P=0.000), and this result remained significant in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.148; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.085-0.252; P=0.000). Furthermore, patients with high LMR also had higher median recurrence-free survival (RFS) than patients with low LMR in univariate (18 months vs 10 months, P=0.000) and multivariate analyses (HR: 0.148; 95% CI: 0.085-0.252; P=0.000). Subgroup analyses showed that both patients with stage III cancer and patients with stage I+II cancer can obtain OS and RFS benefits from high LMR. CONCLUSION: LMR can be considered as an independent prognostic biomarker for operable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

[Establishment of a rabbit model of scoliosis induced by asymmetric load using springs].

OBJECTIVE: To establish rabbit model of scoliosis induced with stable asymmetric lumbar loads. METHODS: Scoliosis was induced in 10 two-month-old New Zealand rabbits using 316L stainless steel springs placed between the unilateral transverse processes of L2 and L5. Serial radiographs were documented before and at 1, 4, 8, 9 and 12 weeks after the operation. At weeks, the rabbits were randomly divided into SR group (n=5) with the spring removed and SK group (n=5) without spring removal. RESULTS: All the rabbits survived the experiment with Cobb angle all greater than 10 degree at the end of the experiment. Significant changes were found in the Cobb angles and kyphotic angles at 1, 4 and 8 weeks after the operation (P<0.05). At 8 weeks, the Cobb angle, the kyphotic angle and the length of the spring were similar between SR and SK groups (P>0.05), and in the 4 weeks following spring removal in SR group, the Cobb angle and the kyphosis decreased significantly compared with those in SK group (P<0.05). Micro-CT showed that the BV/TV of the concave side was greater than that of the convex side. The length of the spring did not show obvious changes during the experiment (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Asymmetric lumbar loading is a convenient, time-saving, and highly reproducible approach for establishing rabbit models of scoliosis.

Identification of domestication-related loci associated with flowering time and seed size in soybean with the RAD-seq genotyping method.

Flowering time and seed size are traits related to domestication. However, identification of domestication-related loci/genes of controlling the traits in soybean is rarely reported. In this study, we identified a total of 48 domestication-related loci based on RAD-seq genotyping of a natural population comprising 286 accessions. Among these, four on chromosome 12 and additional two on chromosomes 11 and 15 were associated with flowering time, and four on chromosomes 11 and 16 were associated with seed size. Of the five genes associated with flowering time and the three genes associated with seed size, three genes Glyma11g18720, Glyma11g15480 and Glyma15g35080 were homologous to Arabidopsis genes, additional five genes were found for the first time to be associated with these two traits. Glyma11g18720 and Glyma05g28130 were co-expressed with five genes homologous to flowering time genes in Arabidopsis, and Glyma11g15480 was co-expressed with 24 genes homologous to seed development genes in Arabidopsis. This study indicates that integration of population divergence analysis, genome-wide association study and expression analysis is an efficient approach to identify candidate domestication-related genes.

Therapeutic effects of smecta or smectite powder on rats with paraquat toxication.

BACKGROUND: The plasma concentration of paraquat is closely related to the prognosis of patients with paraquat toxication, and the most common cause of death from paraquat poisoning is multiple organ failure (MOF). This study aimed to evaluate therapeutic effect of smecta on the plasma concentrations of paraquat and multi-organ injury induced by paraquat intoxication in rats. METHODS: A total of 76 healthy adult SD rats were randomly divided into group A (control group, n=6), group B (poisoned group, n=30) and group C (smecta-treated group, n=30). Rats in groups B and C were treated intragastrically with PQ at 50 mg/kg, and rats in group A was treated intragastrically with saline (1 mL). Rats in group C were given intragastrically smecta at 400 mg/kg 10 minutes after administration of PQ, while rats in other two groups were treated intragastrically with 1 mL saline at the same time. Live rats in groups B and C were sacrificed at 2, 6, 24, 48, 72 hours after administration of PQ for the determination of paraquat plasma concentrations and for HE staining of the lung, stomach and jejunum. The rats were executed at the end of trial by the same way in group A. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of paraquat (ng/mL) ranged from 440.314±49.776 to 4320.6150±413.947. Distinctive pathological changes were seen in the lung, stomach and jejunum in group B. Lung injuries deteriorated gradually, edema, leukocyte infiltration, pneumorrhagia, incrassated septa and lung consolidation were observed. Abruption of mucosa, hyperemic gastric mucosa and leukocyte infiltration were obvious in the stomach. The hemorrhage of jejunum mucosa, the abruption of villus, the gland damage with the addition of inflammatory cell infiltration were found. Compared to group B, the plasma concentration of paraquat reduced (P<0.01) and the pathological changes mentioned above were obviously alleviated in group C (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Smecta reduced the plasma concentration of paraquat and alleviated pathologic injury of rats with PQ poisoning.

Mapping quantitative trait loci for seed size traits in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.).

Seed size traits in soybean--length, width and thickness--and their corresponding ratios--length-to-width, length-to-thickness and width-to-thickness--play a crucial role in determining seed appearance, quality and yield. In this study, an attempt was made to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the aforementioned seed size traits in F(2:3), F(2:4) and F(2:5) populations from the direct and reciprocal crosses of Lishuizhongzihuang with Nannong 493-1, using multi-QTL joint analysis (MJA) along with composite interval mapping (CIM). A total of 121 main-effect QTL (M-QTL), six environmental effects, eight environment-by-QTL interactions, five cytoplasmic effects and 92 cytoplasm-by-QTL interactions were detected. Fifty-two common M-QTL across MJA and CIM, 21 common M-QTL in more than two populations and 5 M-QTL in all three populations showed the stability of the results. Five M-QTL had higher heritability, greater than 20%. In addition, 28 cytoplasm-by-QTL and 4 environment-by-QTL interactions were confirmed by CIM. Most M-QTL were clustered in eight chromosomal regions. Our results provide a good foundation for fine mapping, cloning and designed molecular breeding of favorable genes related to soybean seed size traits.

[Effects of different managements on soil humic acid structural features in chestnut soil on typical Leymus chinensis steppe, Inner Mongolia, China].

Grazing has a lot of effects on grassland soil properties. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of different managements on soil humic acids. Soil samples were collected from the surface soil of four adjacent plots ( I , II , III and IV) at a long-term experiment site of the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (IMGERS), the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The structure features of humic acids were investigated by cross-polarization magic angle spinning 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (CP/MAS 13C-NMR), FTIR and elemental analysis. The results indicated that the humic acid extracted from the grazing plots were characterized by a higher degree of humification, including loss of polysaccharides, decrease in lignin content and increase in aromaticity. Compared with the humic substances from the grazing plots, the humic substances from fenced plots showed a lower degree of humification and were considerably more aliphatic in nature.

(E)-1-(4-Bromo-phen-yl)-3-(2-fur-yl)prop-2-en-1-one.

In the title compound, C(13)H(9)BrO(2), the benzene and furan rings form a dihedral angle of 44.35 (14)°. The crystal packing exhibits no significantly short inter-molecular contacts.

[Emergy analysis of ecological-economic system in Liaoning Province].

By the methods of emergy analysis, this paper studied the emergy flow in the ecological-economic system in Liaoning Province in 1990-2005, and the relationships between the environmental stress caused by resources' input, output and consumption and the sustainable development of the Province. The results showed that in Liaoning Province, the non-renewable resources occupied over 74% of the total consumed emergy, and the realistic population in 2005 was 3.26 times higher than the supportable population. In 1990-2005, the emergy yield ratio decreased from 65.40 to 10.13, emergy loading ratio increased from 2.72 to 7.18, and emergy sustainable index decreased from 24.03 to 1.41. The rapid economic growth in Liaoning Province was chiefly supported by the consumption of vast non-renewable resources, which caused the pressure of economic development on ecosystem getting more and more intense, the economic development increasingly depending on exogenous resources, and the sustainable development of Liaoning ecological-economic system having a continuing decrease. To realize the sustainable development in Liaoning Province, the principles of reduction, reutilization and recycling should be taken as the guidelines for promoting the reuse of wastes and the closed fine circulation of resources to minimize the discharge of wastes.

[A simulated study on mapping QTL in a segregating sub-population].

For mapping QTLs, phenotypes of the traits in segregating population derived from the cross between two isogenic lines of the targeted QTL may reflect its genotype if the effect of the QTL is relatively large. In order to map the QTL, it is necessary to use a large sample under the high density of markers around the QTL. However, it increases experimental costs. In order to save the costs, it is possible to map the QTL using the sub-population that consists of plants with homogenous recessive. In this paper, the sub-population was used to estimate the recombination fraction between the marker and the QTL, and its standard error for F2, backcross (BC), double haploid (DH) and recombinant inbred lines (RIL) populations, respectively. The results from Monte Carlo simulation showed that the estimation of recombination fraction based on the sub-population is consistent with that obtained from the full population, and the precision of the former is same as that of the later under the same sample size.

[Ecological footprint in building green university].

Ecological footprint is one of the best indexes to evaluate the level of green university. The approaches of ecological footprint are made up of compound approach and component approach. This paper introduces the basic principle and algorithm of the componential approach of ecological footprint, taking Northeastern University as an example and using this approach in the research of campus. Result show that the ecological footprint of Northeastern University 2003 was 24 787hm2, needing the productive land of ecology about 25 000hm2 support all kinds of consumption of the school and absorb the offal. The ecological efficiency of the school was 0.94cap/hm2. In the ecological footprints, the energy's footprints is the largest, it accounted for more than 2/3 of the total footprints, the next are food consumption and solid rubbish.