Retrospective Analysis of Death Cases of Oral Diphenidol Hydrochloride Poisoning.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the characteristics of postmortem examination, chemical examination and scene investigation of deaths caused by oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning, and so as to provide a reference for proper settlement and prevention of such deaths. METHODS: The data of 22 deaths caused by oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning in a city from January 2018 to August 2020 were collected, including case details, scene investigations, autopsies, chemical examinations and digital evidence. Thirty-one cases of deaths caused by oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning reported in previous literature were also collected. RESULTS: In the 53 oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning death cases, 50 cases were suicide, 2 cases were accidental, while 1 case was undetermined. Fifty-two cases were found in the medical records or crime scene investigation reports with doses ranging from 775 mg to 12 500 mg, and 23 deceased were detected with postmortem blood concentrations ranging from 2.71 mg/L to 83.1 mg/L. Clinical symptoms were recorded in 6 patients, including conscious disturbance and convulsion. Among the 45 cases which were performed with external examination, 23 cases autopsied. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the deceased of oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning were suicide. No significant correlation was found between dose and blood concentration through the retrospective analysis of cases.

[Effect of Filter Speed and Water Quality on Ammonia Removal in Groundwater Containing Iron, Manganese, and Ammonia at Low Temperature].

In a groundwater plant we carried out a process operation test of biological removal of iron and manganese nitrification coupled with completely autotrophic ammonium removal over nitrite (CANON) (Fe(Ⅱ) 2.91-6.35 mg·L-1, Mn(Ⅱ) 0.47-0.98 mg·L-1, NH4+-N 1.15-2.26 mg·L-1) at low temperature (6-8℃), to explore the effects of filter speed and water quality on ammonia nitrogen removal. The results showed that the mature low-temperature biological filter column, which had been out of service for one month, was cultured for 40 days at a filtration rate of 2 m·h-1 and successfully started. In this process, when the water inlet concentration remained the same, the improved filter speed would reduce the efficiency of ammonia nitrogen capture by the filter column, increase the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the depth of the filter layer, and improve the efficiency of ammonia nitrogen ions capture by anaerobic ammonia oxidation bacteria (AnAOB) in the depth of the filter layer, so that the ammonia nitrogen removed by CANON in the water increased, while the ammonia nitrogen removed by nitrification decreased. When the filter speed remained unchanged, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in water was increased to make the ammonia nitrogen with higher concentration enter the filter layer, which increased the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the zone where ammonia nitrogen and nitrous nitrogen coexist, and improved the net catching efficiency of AnAOB on ammonia nitrogen ions in the filter layer, thus resulting in an increase in ammonia nitrogen removed by CANON.

[Low Temperature Ammonia Nitrogen Removal from an Iron, Manganese, and Ammonia Groundwater Purification Process with Different Concentrations of Iron and Manganese].

In a groundwater plant, removal of iron, manganese, and ammonia nitrogen was performed via a purification process using a filter column at a low temperature (5-6℃). Iron, manganese and ammonia [Fe(Ⅱ) 0-19.26 mg·L-1, Mn(Ⅱ) 0.52-2.05 mg·L-1, and NH4+-N 0.37-2.59 mg·L-1] were analyzed to explore the ammonia nitrogen removal efficiency under different iron and manganese concentrations. The results showed that when the concentration of manganese in the inlet water was maintained at approximately 0.6 mg·L-1 and the concentration of ferrous iron in the inlet water was increased, with the increase of iron oxides in the filter layer, the ratio of ammonia nitrogen removed by adsorption of iron oxides increased, while the ratio of ammonia nitrogen removed by nitrification will decreased and adsorption preceded nitrification. When the concentration of ferrous iron in the water was maintained at approximately 8 mg·L-1and 11 mg·L-1, and the concentration of manganese in the water was increased, the proportion of ammonia nitrogen removed by adsorption did not increase with the increase of manganese oxide, and the removal route of ammonia nitrogen hardly changed. This is because less manganese oxides were formed 20 cm before the filter layer, which had little effect on the ammonia nitrogen adsorbed in this range. The production area of manganese oxides was concentrated below 20 cm of the filter layer, and most ammonia nitrogen was removed by adsorption and nitrification before this area, and the manganese oxides in this area did not adsorb ammonia nitrogen.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci for Prunus mongolica (Rosaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite primers were developed in Prunus mongolica (Rosaceae), a relict flora endemic in arid areas of the Asian interior, to investigate the genetic diversity, phylogeography, population structure, and history of the species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-one microsatellite loci, including di-, tri-, and tetranucelotide repeats, were identified using transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatic screening. The number of alleles ranged from seven to 11 and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.545 to 1.000 and 0.600 to 0.989, respectively. Most of the primers also amplified in a group of congeneric species (P. triloba, P. davidiana, P. persica, P. cerasifera, and P. serrulata). CONCLUSIONS: This set of microsatellite loci is useful for studying the genetic diversity of P. mongolica. In addition, they can also be used to investigate the population structure, phylogeography, and landscape genetic patterns of congeneric species.

Simulation of biatrial conduction via different pathways during sinus rhythm with a detailed human atrial model.

In order to better understand biatrial conduction, investigate various conduction pathways, and compare the differences between isotropic and anisotropic conductions in human atria, we present a simulation study of biatrial conduction with known/assumed conduction pathways using a recently developed human atrial model. In addition to known pathways: (1) Bachmann's bundle (BB), (2) limbus of fossa ovalis (LFO), and (3) coronary sinus (CS), we also hypothesize that there exist two fast conduction bundles that connect the crista terminalis (CT), LFO, and CS. Our simulation demonstrates that use of these fast conduction bundles results in a conduction pattern consistent with experimental data. The comparison of isotropic and anisotropoic conductions in the BB case showed that the atrial working muscles had small effect on conduction time and conduction speed, although the conductivities assigned in anisotropic conduction were two to four times higher than the isotropic conduction. In conclusion, we suggest that the hypothesized intercaval bundles play a significant role in the biatrial conduction and that myofiber orientation has larger effects on the conduction system than the atrial working muscles. This study presents readers with new insights into human atrial conduction.

[Formaldehyde inhalation may damage olfactory bulb and hippocampus in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of formaldehyde inhalation on the morphological damage, and Glu, GABA and NOS contents in olfactory bulb and hippocampus of rats. METHODS: Twenty SD rats were equally divided into two groups: rats in the control group inhaled fresh air, while the animals in experimental group were exposed to the air containing formaldehyde (12.5 mg/m(3), 4 h/d) for 7 days. Then rats were sacrificed and frozen sections of olfactory bulb and hippocampus were prepared. The morphological changes were examined and the Glu, GABA and NOS contents were detected using Nissl-staining, immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. RESULT: Compared with the control group, there was a significant confusion and shrink of neuron morphology in experimental group, the number and staining intensity of Glu and NOS positive cells and protein contents were reduced. The protein expression of GABA was also decreased in the formaldehyde group. CONCLUSION: Formaldehyde inhalation can cause a severe morphological damage of olfactory bulb and hippocampus in SD rats,which may further impair memory and learning ability through the reduction of Glu, GABA and NOS expression.

Molecular mechanism for conformation mobility of the active center of glucose oxidase adsorbed on single wall carbon nanotubes.

A critical issue in bioelectrochemical applications, that use electrodes modified by nanomaterials, like enzyme sensor modified by Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs), is to ensure high activity of the active center of an immobilized enzyme protein. Since Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD) along with other amino residues, including His559, Glu412 and His516, constitute the active center of the catalytic site conformation of which could determine the activity of enzyme, it is important to understand the molecular mechanism of their mobility and the potential impact on the catalytic activity while GOx is immobilized on SWCNTs. However, this dynamic mechanism still remains blurry at the atomic level due to the active center being embedded in the apo-GOx and the limitations of appropriate experimental methods. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, as a successful approach for exploring some interaction details between protein and nanomaterials, was performed to investigate the mobility mechanism of the active center and the consequence for the possible change of catalytic activity in this study. The trajectory and bond distance clearly indicate that the adsorption of GOx onto SWCNTs with different orientations bring observable different interaction properties in the conformational mobility in active center. These results would help us understand some substantial factors for the activity of biomacromolecule while immobilized on nanomaterials.

Conformational Mobility of GOx Coenzyme Complex on Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes.

A critical issue in bioelectrochemical applications that use electrodes modified by Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) is to ensure high activity of the catalytic site of an immobilized enzyme protein interacting with nanomaterials. Since Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD), a coenzyme of glucose oxidase (GOx), is the active center of the catalytic site, conformation of which could determine the activity of enzyme, it is important to understand the dynamic mechanism of its conformational mobility while GOx is adsorbed on SWCNTs with multiple orientations. However, this dynamic mechanism still remains unclear at the atomic level due to the coenzyme being embedded in the apo-GOx and the limitations of appropriate experimental methods. In this study, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to investigate the conformational mobility mechanism of the coenzyme. The trajectory and the interaction energy clearly indicate that the adsorption of GOx onto SWCNTs plays an important role in the conformational mobility of the coenzyme, and its mobility is greatly affected by the distribution of water molecules due to it being hydrophobic.