The effect of reaction media cosolvent water activity, temperature and pH on Novozym 435-caulyzed enantioselective esterification of ketoprofen was systematically explored. Novozym 435 showed high catalytic activity and enantioselectivity in cyclohexane; E value increases markedly by addition of toluene to cyclohexane; the optimum temperature and the initial water activity were found to be 30℃ and 0.09 respectively; pH shows little effect on enzymatic reaction wilson the scope studied.

OBJECTIVEThe reproductive goals of married couples living in impoverished areas of China affect survival rates and quality of life of female children in those areas. The goal of this study was to collect information on parents' attitudes toward reproduction, gender preferences/prejudices, and to collect relevant socioeconomic and demographic data.

METHODSRandom sample families were enrolled from 3 poverty counties. Sample size included parents of 1800 children from birth to 6 years old. The children were divided into 6 age groups at one-year interval. Baseline data were collected and a questionnaire (endorsed by UNICEF) was used to evaluate reproductive expectations and gender preferences of parents.

RESULTS(1) The success of the One Child Family program has lead to a decreased overall birthrate. (2) The gender ratio (boys:girls) of the 3 counties studied was 100:87-100:95-100:97. No gender imbalance was found in this study. (3) The "Boy Preference" was still expressed by both fathers (69.0%) and mothers (65.7%). Approximately 40% of fathers and 37% of mothers interviewed expressed that only a male child would be acceptable. (4) Approximately 65% of both fathers and mothers recognize that girls are more likely to care for aging parents.

CONCLUSIONGovernment initiatives have encouraged small families, yet in this region gender ratio of newborns is still normal. More educational and social programs are needed to influence perceptions regarding gender and to eliminate the suboptimal status/poorly perceived value of girls in many societies.

Attitude ; Child ; Child Mortality ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Culture ; Female ; Goals ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Interpersonal Relations ; Male ; Parent-Child Relations ; Parents ; psychology ; Poverty Areas ; Prejudice ; Quality of Life ; Survival Rate ; Women's Rights

OBJECTIVETo study blood Leptin level of 154 (78 male, 76 female) Chinese obese/non-obese children aged 0 - 14 years during 1999 - 2001.

METHODSThe gender- and age-specific distribution pattern of Leptin and its relationship with anthropometric parameters (waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, lean body mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, BMI/Kaup index etc.) and blood insulin level were recorded.

RESULTS(1) The blood Leptin level in healthy non-obese kids ranged from 1.01 - 29.92 (ng/ml), the mean values and SD were 2.99 +/- 2.13 (ng/ml) [90% confidence interval was 1.36 - 14.21 (ng/ml) in boys and 1.74 - 21.17 (ng/ml) in girls]. There was no significant difference in the blood Leptin level between serum and plasma. (2) The blood Leptin level was higher in overweight/obese kids than that in non-obese kids (P < 0.001). (3) There was significant difference in the blood Leptin levels between boys and girls groups (P = 0.023), especially in non-obese group (P = 0.004). The multiple regression analysis showed that there was no correlation between gender and blood Leptin level when body fat factor was added (P = 0.138, 0.241, 0.990), but there was still a strong correlation between blood leptin level and BMI, FM and BF% (P < 0.001). (4) There was a correlation between blood Leptin level and age (P = 0.005), especially in overweight/obese group and in girls (P = 0.001). The blood Leptin level rose from early puberty, especially in girl group (P = 0.045). There was significant difference in blood Leptin level in different age groups (P < 0.001) (5) There were strong positive correlation between blood Leptin level and BMI, BM and FM%, a weak correlation with LBM, and no correlation with W/H ratio in boys and a positive relationship in girls. The Quatatic equation was better than the linear equation in description of the correlation mentioned above. (6) There was a correlation between blood Leptin from 0 to 7 yr and birth weight (P = 0.001), after 7 yr of age this correlation disappeared (P = 0.456). (7) A positive correlation was seen between blood Leptin level and blood insulin level (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe blood Leptin level of 0 - 14 years old children is consistent with the level of growth of adiposity tissue and the degree of adiposity rebound.

Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Birth Weight ; physiology ; Body Constitution ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Insulin ; blood ; Leptin ; blood ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Regression Analysis ; Sex Factors

The aim was to investigate the effect of particle size on transfection efficiency of chitosan (CS)-based nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were synthesized through complex coacervation CS with plasmid DNA (pDNA). Three kinds of pDNA/CS nanoparticles with different sizes (250, 580 and 1300 nm) were prepared by altering the adding rate and the vortexing time. The particle size, zeta potential and the stability in cultural medium were evaluated by zetasizer. The association efficiency was determined by spectrofluorophotometer. The combination of chitosan with pDNA as well as the ability to protect pDNA from nuclease degradation was analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The transfection efficiency of pDNA/CS nanoparticles in HEK293 cells was investigated by flow cytometry. Using CS grafted fluorescein isothiocyanate as a fluorescent marker, the adsorption features of the nanoparticles were visualized by fluorescence microscopy and the cellular uptake percent was quantitated by flow cytometry. The internalization process of the nanoparticles was visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) using nanoparticles of the size of 250 nm. Results showed that the three kinds of pDNA/CS nanoparticles had no differences in zeta potential, association efficiency, protection ability, stability and transfection efficiency in HEK293. The nanoparticles were all adsorbed on cell surface in the form of aggregates, and similar cellular uptake percent as well as quantities were observed 4 h post-incubation with HeLa cells. CLSM images showed that the aggregates below 2 microm could be internalized by endocytosis. These results suggest that the transfection efficiency of pDNA/CS nanoparticles does not depend on particle size in the range from 250 nm to 1300 nm.
Chitosan ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; metabolism ; DNA ; administration & dosage ; Endocytosis ; Genetic Vectors ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; Particle Size ; Plasmids ; Transfection

Objective Diabetic mice models were established.Hearts were separated from the body,reperfused after ischemia,and disposed of with the extraneous calcitonin gene-ralated peptide (CGRP),to prove if the CGRP had protective effect on the early-staged diabetic mice with cardiac ischemia.Method ICR mice were injected with Streptozocins intraperitoneally to establish diabetic model.The model mice and the normal mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:two diabetic groups,two control groups.Hearts of the experimental mice were taken out from the chest cavity alive,and hanged on the Langendorff steadily for 30min.Western blot and radioimmunoassay techniques were used to test expression of Vanilloid receptor(VR1) and CGRP in myocardic tissue;Madlab system was used to test the cardiac function,which including left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP),left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP),heart rate (HR),and coronary artery flow (CF),in the process of ischemic reperfusion,And ELISA assay kit was used to measure the concentration of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in perfusion fluid collected from the heart.Result Expressions of VR1 and CGRP in diabetic hearts were significantly lower than those in normal ones 2 weeks later(P＜0.01).By comparing with normal hearts,diabetic hearts had higher LVEDP and CF (P＜0.05),and lower LVDP and HR(P＜0.05).However,release of LDH were lower than normal ones (P＜0.05).Predisposition of normal and diabetic hearts with CGRP can improve the cardiac function after ischemie injury.And the beneficial effect was more profound in early-staged diabetic hearts than in normal ones.Conclusion The diabetes disease(DM) can impair the expression of CGRP in myocardiac tissue.The extraneous CGRP may exert more potent protective effect on cardiac function in the early-staged diabetic heart.

The study aims to investigate the embryo-fetus development toxicity of the novel PPAR-δ agonist HS060098 on SD rats. The pregnant rats that were randomly divided into the solvent control group (1% hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose water solution) and HS060098 suspension groups (10, 30 and 100 mg x kg(-1) xd(-1)) were orally administered with HS060098 suspension or vehicle during the gestation of 6 -15 days (GD6-15). At termination (GD20), female rats were sacrificed. The pregnant females were evaluated by corpora lutea count, implantation sites, existence and death of embryos. Fetal sex, weight, externals, variations and malformations of viscus and skeleton were observed. The results show that there were no significant abnormality in maternal general conditions and fetal appearance as well as viscera, but in the 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) group, the maternal weight gain decreased greatly (P < 0.01) and the skeletal ossification delayed remarkably (P < 0.01); in the 30 mg x kg(-1) xd(-1) group, the fatal and litter number of incompletely ossified sternebrae II was higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05); the skeletal malformations occurred in all dose groups, which indicate that the novel PPAR-δ agonist HS060098 had maternal toxicity and adversely effected fetal skeletal development under the experimental conditions.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; Embryonic Development ; drug effects ; Female ; Fetal Weight ; PPAR delta ; agonists ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Toxicity Tests

Humans ; Tuberculosis ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; surgery ; Vocal Cords

OBJECTIVEYoga is becoming more and more popular in the female society while the concomitant sports injury is seldom mentioned. Many clinicians have noted that yoga may result in knee problems, which though requires more researches to corroborate. This investigation was conducted to ascertain the relationship between yoga and meniscus injury as well as the extent of impairment according to variant yoga practice periods.

METHODSTotally 819 women aged 20-49 years who practiced yoga or other popular sports including badminton, jogging, climbing hills, etc for at least one hour per day were selected to participate in this research. These subjects were required to complete a questionnaire and receive relevant physical examination. Magnetic resonance (MR) scan of the knee was recommended for the suspicious subjects for ultimate diagnosis. The subject with abnormal meniscus MR signals was defined as a case and matched with two controls in terms of age and body mass index (BMI). Altogether there were 273 cases and 546 controls. The nested case-control model was adopted to assess the risk of meniscus injury between variant exposures in practicing yoga and several other popular sports. Moreover, the 181 yoga subjects were subdivided into three groups according to different exercise durations, followed by further analysis with the variables of age, BMI and Lysholm score.

RESULTSYoga was found associated with a higher risk (P equal to 0.008, OR equal to 1.621) of meniscus injury compared with badminton, jogging and climbing hills. The three yoga subgroups showed statistical difference between each other in terms of Lysholm score (P equal to 0.027) and BMI (P equal to 0.003). The subjects with longer-term yoga practice had lighter weight but lower Lysholm scores.

CONCLUSIONSYoga perhaps exerts destructive impact on the meniscus for Chinese women, yet it needs further verifications. Furthermore, the female yoga players with longer exercise duration are more susceptible to meniscus injury though they can become leaner.

Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Motor Activity ; Tibial Meniscus Injuries ; Yoga

Objective:To observe the lipid-lowering effect of different transdermal absorption enhancers applied to the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in hyperlipidemia model rabbits, and to explore the possible mechanism. Methods:Forty New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 5 groups using the random number table method, with 8 rats in each group. Rabbits in the blank group were fed routinely with normal diet; rabbits in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the hyperlipidemia model. Rabbits in the blank and the model groups were not treated. After the model was prepared, rabbits in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion without transdermal absorption enhancer; rabbits in the laurocapram group and the borneol group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion with laurocapram or borneol respectively. After 4 weeks of treatment, serum was collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the liver tissues were isolated for immunohistochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western-blotting (WB) detection. Results: Serum ELISA results showed that leptin was significantly decreased in the model group compared with the blank group (P＜0.05); compared with the model group, leptin was significantly increased in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer, the laurocapram and the borneol groups (all P＜0.05); compared with the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group, leptin was significantly increased in the laurocapram group and the borneol group (both P＜0.05); there was no significant difference in leptin between the laurocapram and the borneol groups (P＞0.05). The qPCR results of rabbit liver tissues showed that the mRNA expressions of leptin, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the model group were significantly lower than those in the blank group (all P＜0.05); compared with the model group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, leptin receptor (LR), JAK2 and STAT3 in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer, the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly increased (all P＜0.05); compared with the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, LR, JAK2 and STAT3 in the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly increased (all P＜0.05); compared with the laurocapram group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, LR, JAK2 and STAT3 in the borneol group were significantly increased (P＜0.05). The trend of immunohistochemistry and WB detection results was basically consistent with the qPCR assay results. The immunohistochemistry and WB detection results of phosphorylated JAK2 (phospho-JAK2) and phosphorylated STAT3 (phospho-STAT3) were basically consistent with those of JAK2 and STAT3. Conclusion: The molecular expression of Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in the hyperlipidemia model rabbits was decreased. The molecular expression of Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 pathway was significantly increased after the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion. The application of laurocapram and borneol, as transdermal absorption enhancers, in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion could more obviously up-regulate the factors of the Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 lipid-regulating pathway than the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion alone.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the elastic limit and relevant enclasp force of the non-precious metal casting clasp.

METHODSCasting clasp samples of five cobalt-chromium alloys and one 18 - 8 nickel-chromium alloy were made from prefabricated clasp wax by invesing, casting, sandblasting, and ultrasonic cleaning. The process of casting clasp samples deflected by loading and returned by unloading was tested and electric signals were collected by an omnipotent material machine. The analog electric signal was converted to digital signal by an analog to digital converter and stored in a computer. The elastic limit and the relevant enclasp force were analyzed using a relative software.

RESULTSThe elastic limit and the relevant enclasp force of the casting clasp made from the 18 - 8 nickel-chromium alloy were smallest and those of the clasps made from the cobalt-chromium alloys in various brands were different. The range of the elastic limit of the cobalt-chromium alloy casting clasp with the length of 5.0 mm in undercut was 0.28 mm-0.33 mm and the relevant enclasp force was 14.42 g-19.28 g.

CONCLUSIONSIn clinic, we should select the suitable undercut deepness wherein the cobalt-chromium alloy casting clasps, according to different brands of the casting alloy, undercut length, undercut slope, and the clasp thickness.

Chromium Alloys ; Cobalt ; Dental Alloys ; Dental Clasps ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Denture, Partial, Removable ; Elasticity ; Humans ; Nickel ; chemistry ; Stress, Mechanical