[Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of thallium in blood]

OBJECTIVE

Colloidal palladium was used as chemical modifier in the determination of blood thallium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

METHODS

Blood samples were precipitated with 5% (V/V)nitric acid, and then determined by GFAAS with colloidal palladium used as a chemical modifier. 0.2% (W/V)sodium chloride was added in the standard series to improve the matrix matching between standard solution and sample.

RESULTS

The detection limit was 0.2 μg/L. The correlation coefficient was 0.9991. The recoveries were between 93.9% to 101.5%.The relative standard deviations were between 1.8% to 2.7%.The certified reference material of whole blood thallium was determined and the result was within the reference range Conclusion: The method is accurate, simple and sensitive, and it can meet the needs of detection thallium in blood entirely.

Synthesis and characterization of hydrophobic association hydrogels with tunable mechanical strength

Tunable tough HA-gels are designed: straight gels remain in water for 160 days as branched ones degrade within two months.

Big Data and Analytics in Healthcare

This editorial is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on "Big Data and Analytics in Healthcare". The amount of data being generated in the healthcare industry is growing at a rapid rate. This has generated immense interest in leveraging the availability of healthcare data (and "big data") to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. However, the nature of healthcare data, and especially big data, presents unique challenges in processing and analyzing big data in healthcare. This Focus Theme aims to disseminate some novel approaches to address these challenges. More specifically, approaches ranging from efficient methods of processing large clinical data to predictive models that could generate better predictions from healthcare data are presented.

A phase 2 randomized dose-ranging study of the JAK2-selective inhibitor fedratinib (SAR302503) in patients with myelofibrosis

In this phase 2 open-label randomized study, 31 patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk myelofibrosis received fedratinib 300, 400 or 500 mg once daily in consecutive 4-week cycles. Mean spleen volume reductions at 12 weeks (primary end point) were 30.3% (300 mg), 33.1% (400 mg) and 43.3% (500 mg). Spleen response rates (patients achieving ⩾35% spleen reduction) at 12/24 weeks were 30%/30% (300 mg), 50%/60% (400 mg) and 64%/55% (500 mg), respectively. By 4 weeks, improvements in myelofibrosis (MF)-associated symptoms were observed. At 48 weeks, 68% of patients remained on fedratinib and 16% had discontinued because of adverse events (AEs). Common grade 3/4 AEs were anemia (58%), fatigue (13%), diarrhea (13%), vomiting (10%) and nausea (6%). Serious AEs included one case of reversible hepatic failure and one case of Wernicke's encephalopathy (after analysis cutoff). Fedratinib treatment led to reduced STAT3 phosphorylation but no meaningful change in JAK2V617F allele burden. Significant modulation (P<0.05, adjusted for multiple comparisons) of 28 cytokines was observed, many of which correlated with spleen reduction. These data confirm the clinical activity of fedratinib in MF. After the analysis cutoff date, additional reports of Wernicke's encephalopathy in other fedratinib trials led to discontinuation of the sponsored clinical development program.

[The gene expression of the protein SLAWD, mediating the toxic effect of destruxin A on Spodoptera litura larvae, in procaryotic cells: purification and characterization]

Spodoptera litura is one of the most destructive phytophagous pest infesting cotton, vegetable, oilseed and ber crops around the world. Dextruxin A (DA), is a one of a kind microbial insecticide, which has potent toxins with bioactivity against S. litura larvae. An abnormal wing disc (AWD) protein was identified as a DA toxic effect protein in S. litura SL-1 cells. To better understand the role of the AWD gene of S. litura (SLAWD) it was purified and characterized. The entire coding region of the SLAWD gene was cloned into a pET-32a(+) expression vector and transformed into competent Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. SDS-PAGE and western blotting analysis and western blotting showed that the best induction conditions were 1 mmol mL(-1) isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) for 6 h at 37°C; the molecular weight of the fusion protein was 35.0 kDa. The production of polyclonal antibodies and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the titer of antiserum was 1:25,600; western blotting analysis showed that the recombinant SLAWD was recognized by the anti-SLAWD polyclonal antibody. AWD is a key protein involved in wing development in insects. These tools will assist in the further characterization of SLAWD and studies on the mechanism of action of destruxin A.

Hierarchical NiCo2 O4 nanosheets grown on Ni nanofoam as high-performance electrodes for supercapacitors

A high-performance electrode for supercapacitors is designed and synthesized by growing electroactive NiCo2 O4 nanosheets on conductive Ni nanofoam. Because of the structural advantages, the as-prepared Ni@NiCo2 O4 hybrid nanostructure exhibits significantly improved electrochemical performance with high capacitance, excellent rate capability, and good cycling stability.

Growth of Ultrathin ZnCo2O4 Nanosheets on Reduced Graphene Oxide with Enhanced Lithium Storage Properties

The growth of ultrathin ZnCo2O4 nanosheets on reduced graphene oxide (denoted as rGO/ZnCo2O4) via a facile low-temperature solution method combined with a subsequent annealing treatment is reported. With the assistance of citrate, interconnected ZnCo2O4 nanosheets can assemble into hierarchically porous overlays on both sides of rGO sheets. Such a hybrid nanostructure would effectively faciliate the charge transport and accommodate volume variation upon prolonged charge/discharge cycling for reversible lithium storage. As a result, the rGO/ZnCo2O4 nanocomposite manifests a very stable high reversible capacity of around 960 mAh g-1 over 100 cycles at a low current density of 90 mA g-1 and excellent rate capability.

Preparation of carbon-coated NiCo2 O4 @SnO2 hetero-nanostructures and their reversible lithium storage properties

Carbon-coated NiCo2 O4 @SnO2 core-shell hetero-nanostructures are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process and subsequent carbon nano-coating. When evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the 3D hetero-nanostructures exhibit enhanced lithium storage properties due to advantageous structural features.

Free-standing ultrathin CoMn2O4 nanosheets anchored on reduced graphene oxide for high-performance supercapacitors

Free-standing ultrathin CoMn₂O₄ nanosheets are successfully assembled on reduced graphene oxide via a simple trisodium citrate (TSC) assisted co-precipitation method with a post-annealing treatment.

One-step synthesis of free-standing α-Ni(OH)₂ nanosheets on reduced graphene oxide for high-performance supercapacitors

In this work, a hierarchical hybrid structure of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported ultrathin α-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets (denoted as α-Ni(OH)2@rGO NSs) has been developed successfully via an environmentally friendly one-step solution method. The resulting product of α-Ni(OH)2@rGO NSs was further characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller. The ultrathin α-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets of around 6 nm in thickness are uprightly coated on the double sides of rGO substrate. When evaluated as electrodes for supercapacitors, the hybrid α-Ni(OH)2@rGO NSs demonstrate excellent supercapacitor performance and cycling stability, compared with the self-aggregated α-Ni(OH)2 powder. Even after 2000 cycles, the hybrid electrodes still can deliver a specific capacitance of 1300 F g(-1) at the current density of 5 A g(-1), corresponding to no capacity loss of the initial cycle. Such excellent electrochemical performance should be attributed to the ultrathin, free-standing, and hierarchical nanosheets of α-Ni(OH)2, which not only promote efficient charge transport and facilitate the electrolyte diffusion, but also prevent aggregation of electro-active materials effectively during the charge-discharge process.

The development and characterization of a 57K single nucleotide polymorphism array for rainbow trout

In this study, we describe the development and characterization of the first high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array for rainbow trout. The SNP array is publically available from a commercial vendor (Affymetrix). The SNP genotyping quality was high, and validation rate was close to 90%. This is comparable to other farm animals and is much higher than previous smaller scale SNP validation studies in rainbow trout. High quality and integrity of the genotypes are evident from sample reproducibility and from nearly 100% agreement in genotyping results from other methods. The array is very useful for rainbow trout aquaculture populations with more than 40 900 polymorphic markers per population. For wild populations that were confounded by a smaller sample size, the number of polymorphic markers was between 10 577 and 24 330. Comparison between genotypes from individual populations suggests good potential for identifying candidate markers for populations' traceability. Linkage analysis and mapping of the SNPs to the reference genome assembly provide strong evidence for a wide distribution throughout the genome with good representation in all 29 chromosomes. A total of 68% of the genome scaffolds and contigs were anchored through linkage analysis using the SNP array genotypes, including ~20% of the genome assembly that has not been previously anchored to chromosomes.

Finding the striatum in sheep: use of a multi-modal guided approach for convection enhanced delivery

Our goal is delivery of a long-term treatment for Huntington's disease. We administer intracerebrally in sheep adeno-associated virus (AAV) to establish optimal safety, spread and neuronal uptake of AAV based therapeutics. Sheep have large gyrencephalic brains and offer the opportunity to study a transgenic Huntington's disease model. However, lack of a relevant brain stereotactic atlas and the difficulty of skull fixation make conventional stereotaxy unreliable. We describe a multi-modal image-guidance technique to achieve accurate placement of therapeutics into the sheep striatum.

Epidemiological comparison of clinical manifestations according to HLA-B*27 carrier status of Chinese ankylosing spondylitis patients

The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the clinical manifestations between HLA-B27(+) and HLA-B27(-) ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients in order to obtain knowledge of the impact of HLA-B27 status on AS, and to inform clinical treatment. A nationwide epidemiological investigation was performed from November 2008 to October 2010. The demographic data and clinical characteristics, and the status of HLA-B27 were collected using questionnaires and laboratory assay, respectively. A total of 2144 patients (78.5% males and 78.4% HLA-B27(+) AS patients) participated in this study. The percentages of males, patients with family history, and involvement of lumbar spine, thoracic spine and hip joints, were observed to be significantly higher in the HLA-B27(+) AS patients than in their HLA-B27(-) AS peers.

Gene expression profile of type II spinal cord decompression sickness

STUDY DESIGN

This study was an experimental, controlled, animal study.

OBJECTIVE

This study was to determine the changes of molecular pathology in spinal cord decompression sickness (SC-DCS) based on a rabbit model of SC-DCS with the aid of an all-gene expression profile chip.

SETTING

Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.

METHODS

A gene expression profile chip containing 43 803 genes was used to compare the gene expressions in the spinal cords of four male New Zealand white rabbits in the SC-DCS and control groups, respectively. Selected differentially expressed genes were identified with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The chip hybridization results showed that the SC-DCS group had nine upregulated and seventeen downregulated genes, compared with the control group. These genes were mainly related to inflammation, ion channels, the cell cycle, material transfer and apoptosis. The qRT-PCR results showed that parathyroid hormone and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) genes were upregulated compared with the control group (P<0.01). However, the acyl-CoA synthetase and voltage-gated channel genes were downregulated (P<0.05). The immunohistochemical staining results confirmed that there were significantly greater expression levels of TNF-α in the spinal cord tissues of the SC-DCS group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The spinal cord lesions of SC-DCS involve multiple gene changes in the rabbit; however, the significance of these findings needs further research. Meanwhile, the gene expression profile chip results provide us with a better understanding of the pathogenesis of DCS.

Simultaneous HPLC determination of four active compounds in fengshiding capsules, a chinese medicine

A high performance liquid chromatography method was established for simultaneously determining four bioactive components, salicin, liquiritin, paeonolum, and imperatorin in Fengshiding capsule, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for treating rheumatic disease. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Shimadzu Shim-pack Stable Bond C18 column using gradient elution with methanol and water. The analytical method was validated through precision, repeatability and stability, and the relative standard deviation values were less than 3%, respectively. The recoveries of the four investigated compounds ranged from 95.80 to 101.21% with relative standard deviation values less than 3.2%. Then this proposed method was successfully applied to determine six batches of Fengshiding commercial products of capsule dosage form from two pharmaceutical factories. This study might provide a basis for quality control for this traditional Chinese medicine preparation.