Abstract The conversion of sesamin to asarinin is a promising route for the production of asarinin. This work reports the affection of acid type and strength of the catalyst on the conversion of sesamin to asarinin and the effect of various reaction conditions in anhydrous ethanol using phosphotungstic acid (HPW) as catalyst. The experimental results indicate that the activity of sesamin conversion is determined by strong B acids. L acids are not active for the reaction, and do not show synergy with B acids for the formation of asarinin. Reaction time, HPW dosage and temperature have significant effects on sesamin conversion. A maximum asarinin yield of 57.93% was achieved. The reaction kinetics in the temperature range 55-75 °C were studied. The kinetic curves can be successfully fitted with an opposing first-order reaction model. The activation energy (Ea) for this reaction is found to be 105.2 ± 0.4 kJ/mol.

Resumo O objetivo do estudo foi investigar os efeitos da atividade física (AF) na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC) em crianças e adolescentes. Realizamos uma pesquisa nas bases Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer-Link e EBSCO-host. A Escala Newcastle-Ottawa revisada foi utilizada para avaliar o risco de enviesamento. Um total de 21 estudos foi incluído. De forma geral, foram encontradas associações de médio porte entre AF e baixa frequência e alta frequência em crianças e adolescentes. O alto nível de AF teve um desvio padrão significativamente maior dos intervalos e raiz da média da soma dos quadrados de diferenças entre os intervalos RR adjacentes em crianças e adolescentes. Os efeitos de AF sobre VFC foram consistentes em crianças e adolescentes. Nossa revisão sistemática e meta-análise revelou que AF e VFC em crianças e adolescentes são de médio porte. Promover a participação de crianças e adolescentes em atividade física de moderada à vigorosa (AFMV) aumentará a atividade nervosa parassimpática e diminuirá a atividade nervosa simpática. Nossas descobertas apoiam a motivação de crianças e adolescentes a se envolverem mais na AFMV em suas vidas diárias para melhorar o funcionamento do sistema nervoso autônomo e promover a segurança cardiovascular.

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of physical activity (PA) on heart rate variability (HRV) in children and adolescents. We conducted a research of Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer-Link and EBSCO-host. The revised Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used in an investigative analysis to assess bias risk. A total of 21 studies were included. Overall, medium-sized associations were found between PA and low frequency and high frequency in children and adolescents. High PA level had significantly higher standard deviation of RR intervals and root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent RR intervals in children and adolescents. The effects of PA on HRV were consistent in children and adolescents. Our systematic review and meta-analysis revealed medium-sized between PA and HRV in children and adolescents. Promoting children’s and adolescents’ participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) will increase parasympathetic nerve activity and decreased sympathetic nerve activity. Our findings support motivating children and adolescents to engage in more MVPA in their daily lives to improve autonomic nervous system function and promote cardiovascular safety.

Resumo O objetivo do estudo foi investigar os efeitos da atividade física (AF) na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC) em crianças e adolescentes. Realizamos uma pesquisa nas bases Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer-Link e EBSCO-host. A Escala Newcastle-Ottawa revisada foi utilizada para avaliar o risco de enviesamento. Um total de 21 estudos foi incluído. De forma geral, foram encontradas associações de médio porte entre AF e baixa frequência e alta frequência em crianças e adolescentes. O alto nível de AF teve um desvio padrão significativamente maior dos intervalos e raiz da média da soma dos quadrados de diferenças entre os intervalos RR adjacentes em crianças e adolescentes. Os efeitos de AF sobre VFC foram consistentes em crianças e adolescentes. Nossa revisão sistemática e meta-análise revelou que AF e VFC em crianças e adolescentes são de médio porte. Promover a participação de crianças e adolescentes em atividade física de moderada à vigorosa (AFMV) aumentará a atividade nervosa parassimpática e diminuirá a atividade nervosa simpática. Nossas descobertas apoiam a motivação de crianças e adolescentes a se envolverem mais na AFMV em suas vidas diárias para melhorar o funcionamento do sistema nervoso autônomo e promover a segurança cardiovascular.

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of physical activity (PA) on heart rate variability (HRV) in children and adolescents. We conducted a research of Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer-Link and EBSCO-host. The revised Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used in an investigative analysis to assess bias risk. A total of 21 studies were included. Overall, medium-sized associations were found between PA and low frequency and high frequency in children and adolescents. High PA level had significantly higher standard deviation of RR intervals and root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent RR intervals in children and adolescents. The effects of PA on HRV were consistent in children and adolescents. Our systematic review and meta-analysis revealed medium-sized between PA and HRV in children and adolescents. Promoting children’s and adolescents’ participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) will increase parasympathetic nerve activity and decreased sympathetic nerve activity. Our findings support motivating children and adolescents to engage in more MVPA in their daily lives to improve autonomic nervous system function and promote cardiovascular safety.

Abstract Compared with central penetration, the eccentric penetration of jet into a liquid-filled composite armor (LCA) shows a more obvious lateral displacement due to the asymmetric impact by the shock wave and liquid radial reflux. Based on this characteristic, the reaming process in the liquid layer during the shaped charge jet (SCJ) penetrates into the strongly-constrained liquid-filled composite armor (SLCA) eccentrically, the interference process of jet is subjected to the asymmetric impact by the shock wave and liquid radial reflux, and the lateral movement process of the SCJ under lateral force loading is analyzed to study the influence of SLCA on the stability of incoming SCJ during eccentric penetration. Theoretical and X-ray experimental results show that when the eccentricity distance is [0 mm, 12 mm], the severely disturbed velocity range and total disturbed velocity range of the SCJ increase with the increase of the eccentricity distance, while the maximum lateral displacement of the SCJ decreases slightly with the increase of the eccentricity distance at [1 mm, 12 mm].

Abstract Introduction The temporal behavior of atrial electrograms (AEGs) collected during persistent atrial fibrillation (persAF) directly affects ablative treatment outcomes. We investigated different durations of AEGs collected during persAF using recurrence quantification analysis (RQA). Methods 797 bipolar AEGs with different durations (from 0.5 s to 8 s) from 18 patients were investigated. Four RQA-based attributes were evaluated based on AEG durations: determinism (DET); recurrence rate (RR); laminarity (LAM); and diagonal lines’ entropy (ENTR). The Spearman correlation (ρ) between each duration versus 8 s was calculated. AEG classification was performed following the CARTO criteria (Biosense Webster) and receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created for the RQA variables. Results The RQA variables successfully discriminated the AEGs: the area under the ROC curves were as high as 0.70 for AEGs with 3.5 s or greater. Three types of AEGs were found using these variables: normal, fractionated and temporally unstable. The number of unstable AEGs decreased with longer AEG segments. Different AEG durations significantly affected the RQA variables (P<0.0001), with no statistical difference between the durations 6 s, 7 s and 8 s for DET, LAM and ENTR, and no difference between 7 s and 8 s for RR (P<0.0001). AEGs with 3 s or longer have shown ρ ≥ 80% for all variables. Conclusion The RQA variables have been shown effective in the characterization of AEGs collected during persAF with a shorter duration than current recommendations, which motivates their use for the characterization of atrial substrate during persAF ablation.

Abstract Brønsted acidic ionic liquids composed of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, triethylbutylammonium, and 1-butylpyridinium cation counterparts and HSO4‾ and H2PO4‾ anion counterparts were used as the catalysts for the selective chlorination of glycerol with hydrogen chloride to 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol. From the perspective of the glycerol conversion and product yields, the catalytic activities of the ionic liquids containing HSO4‾ were higher than the ionic liquids containing H2PO4‾. As compared with the carboxylic acid catalysts, Brønsted acidic ionic liquids favored the catalytic chlorination of glycerol to 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol. When the glycerol chlorination was catalyzed by the Brønsted acidic ionic liquids at 110 ºC for 12 h with the catalyst loading of 0.75 mol·kg‾1 glycerol, the 3-chloro-1,2-propandiol yield was more than 81% at the complete conversion of glycerol.

ABSTRACT Aims: To evaluate the HBeAg seroconversion rate in real clinical setting and explore its predictors in long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: 251 patients were recruited from January 2001 to September 2009 in four hospitals in Hebei province, China, for this retrospective study. Clinical and laboratory data before and after treatment with lamivudine (LAM, 100 mg daily), adefovir (ADV, 10 mg daily), telbivudine (LDT, 600 mg daily), entecavir (ETV, 0.5 mg daily), and LAM/ADV combination were compared among three groups according to treatment outcomes: synchronous HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconversion, anti-HBe development after treatment, and no anti-HBe. Adherence was also evaluated. Results: In real clinical setting, cumulative HBeAg seroconversion rates were 14.3%, 32.7%, 43.0%, 46.9%, and 50.5% after 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 years, respectively. 45 patients (17.9%) were non-adherent. Adherence (p < 0.001, Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.203), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (p < 0.001, HR = 2.049), and non-vertical transmission (p = 0.006, HR = 1.656) were predictors of HBeAg seroconversion. Conclusion: Adherence, elevated ALT, and non-vertical transmission are predictors of HBeAg seroconversion in CHB patients treated with NAs.

ABSTRACT Objective Pendred syndrome (PS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterised by sensorineural hearing loss and thyroid dyshormonogenesis. It is caused by biallelic mutations in the SLC26A4 gene encoding for pendrin. Hypothyroidism in PS can be present from birth and therefore diagnosed by neonatal screening. The aim of this study was to examine the SLC26A4 mutation spectrum and prevalence among congenital hypothyroidism (CH) patients in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China and to establish how frequently PS causes hearing impairment in our patients with CH. Subjects and methods Blood samples were collected from 192 CH patients in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, and genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. All exons of the SLC26A4 gene together with their exon-intron boundaries were screened by next-generation sequencing. Patients with SLC26A4 mutations underwent a complete audiological evaluation including otoscopic examination, audiometry and morphological evaluation of the inner ear. Results Next generation sequencing analysis of SLC26A4 in 192 CH patients revealed five different heterozygous variations in eight individuals (8/192, 4%). The prevalence of SLC26A4 mutations was 4% among studied Chinese CH. Three of the eight were diagnosed as enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct (EVA), no PS were found in our 192 CH patients. The mutations included one novel missense variant p.P469S, as well as four known missense variants, namely p.V233L, p.M147I, p.V609G and p.D661E. Of the eight patients identified with SLC26A4 variations in our study, seven patients showed normal size/location of thyroid gland, and one patients showed a decreased size one. Conclusions The prevalence of SLC26A4 pathogenic variants was 4% among studied Chinese patients with CH. Our study expanded the SLC26A4 mutation spectrum, provided the best estimation of SLC26A4 mutation rate for Chinese CH patients and indicated the rarity of PS as a cause of CH.

Las Desviaciones de la Vertical (DOV, del inglés Deflections of the Vertical) son información esencial en la simplificación de la observación geodésica, el campo gravitatorio terrestre y el perfeccionamiento del modelo geoide, y el cambio de la masa terrestre. Se estimaron los componentes meridional y principal vertical de las desviaciones de la vertical oceánica global con la información altimétrica de TOPEX/Poseidón, Jason 1 y Jason 2, de 1992 a 2013, con un método de cruce para analizar la distribución espacio-temporal de las desviaciones de la vertical marinas. Comparadas con las desviaciones de la vertical obtenidas con el modelo EGM2008 (Modelo de Gravitación de la Tierra), la precisión de los componentes meridional y principal vertical puede aumentarse 0.98" y 1.02", respectivamente. Se estudiaron las series temporales de la media anual de las desviaciones de la vertical desde 1992 a 2013 para obtener la ley anual de variación. Los cambios anuales de los componentes meridional y principal vertical son muy pequeñas en la mayoría de los océanos. Sin embargo, los cambios anuales son mayores en aquellos océanos con una topografía submarina de grandes ondulaciones. También se analizó la distribución espacial de las desviaciones de la vertical oceánicas. Las desviaciones de la vertical absolutas alrededor de los continentes, islas y fosas oceánicas mayores son superiores que aquellas sobre los otros océanos. Los componentes meridional y vertical principal son consistentes con las direcciones de la longitud y la latitud, respectivamente.

Deflections of the Vertical(DOV) are essential data in the geodetic observation reduce, the earth gravity field and geoid model refinement, and the mass earth change. The meridional and prime vertical components of global oceanic DOVs are estimated from altimetry data of TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and Jason-2, through 1992 to 2013 with the crossover method, to analyze the temporal-spatial distribution of marine DOVs. Comparing with the EGM2008-modelled DOVs, precisions of meridional and prime vertical components can be up to 0.98” and 1.02”, respectively. The time series of annual mean DOVs from 1992 to 2013 are studied to get the annual variation law. Annual changes of meridional and prime vertical components are small over most oceans. But the annual changes are significantover oceans with large submarine topography undulations.The spatial distribution of oceanic DOVs is also analyzed. The absolute DOVs over oceans around lands, islands, and large oceanic trenches are greater than those over the other oceans. The meridional and prime vertical components are consistent withthe longitude and latitude directions, respectively.

Background: Transforming growth factor-ß receptor II (TGFBR2) is a key component of TGF-ß signaling pathway. TGFBR2 can be detected in the generation of heart. The mouse embryos of TGFBR2 gene knockout exhibited congenital heart defects. Methods: We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between TGFBR2 gene polymorphisms and congenital heart defects in Han Chinese population. 125 patients with congenital heart defects and 615 unrelated controls were recruited. Two tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) in 5’ upstream of TGFBR2 gene (rs6785358, -3779A/G; rs764522, -1444C/ G) were selected and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. Results: A significant difference was seen in the distribution of genotypes between patients with congenital heart defects and controls for SNP rs6785358 (P=0.043). For SNP rs6785358 the carrier of the G allele (AG/GG genotype) showed a significantly higher risk of congenital heart defects compared with AA homozygotes (OR=1.545, 95% CI: 1.013-2.356). Further analysis by sex stratification indicated that individuals carrying G allele (AG/GG genotype) for SNP rs6785358 have a higher susceptibility to congenital heart defects (OR=2.088, 95%CI: 1.123-3.883, P=0.019) in males, but not females (OR=1.195, 95%CI: 0.666-2.146, P=0.55). No statistical significance was detected in the distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies for SNP rs764522 between patients and controls. Conclusion: Our result suggested that SNP rs6785358 of TGFBR2 gene was associated with increased risk of congenital heart defects in Han Chinese men and further research would be warranted.

Antecedentes: Factor de crecimiento transformante ß receptor II (TGFBR2) es un componente clave de la via de señalización de TGF-ß. TGFBR2 puede ser detectado en la generación de corazón. Los embriones de ratón de TGFBR2 gene knockout mostraron defectos congénitos del corazón. Métodos: Hemos realizado un estudio de casos y controles para investigar la asociación entre polimorfismos del gen TGFBR2 y defectos congénitos del corazón en la población china han. 125 pacientes con defectos congénitos del corazón y 615 unrelated controles fueron reclutados. Marcado de dos polimorfismos de nucleótido único (tagsnps) en 5 ‘aguas arriba del gen TGFBR2 (rs6785358, - 3779a / g; rs764522, - 1444c / g) fueron seleccionados y genotipados por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) - polimorfismos de longitud de fragmentos de restricción (RFLP) de ensayo. Resultados: Se observó una diferencia significativa en la distribución de genotipos entre pacientes con defectos congénitos del corazón y controles para SNP rs6785358 (P = 0043). La SNP rs6785358 el porteador del alelo G (AG / GG genotipo) mostraron un importante crecimiento y mayor riesgo de defectos congénitos del corazón en comparación con AA homocigotos (OR = 1.545, IC del 95%: 1.013-2.356). Más análisis por sexo estratificación indicó que los individuos con alelo G (AG / GG genotipo) para SNP rs6785358 tienen una mayor susceptibilidad a defectos congénitos del corazón (OR = 2.088, IC del 95%: 1.123-3.883, p = 0.019) en machos, pero no en las mujeres (OR = 1.195, IC del 95%: 0.666-2.146, p = 0.55). No hay significación estadística fue detectado en la distribución de los genotipos y frecuencias de alelos de SNP rs764522 entre pacientes y controles. Conclusión: Nuestros resultados sugieren que el SNP rs6785358 de gen TGFBR2 se asoció con un mayor riesgo de defectos congénitos del corazón en los chinos han hombres y más investigación estaría justificada.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) may represent a potential noninvasive molecular biomarker for various pathological conditions. Moreover, the detection of circulating miRNAs can provide important novel disease-related information. In particular, inflammation-associated miR-155 and endothelial-enriched miR-126 are reported to be associated with vascular homeostasis. Vascular damage is a common event described in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We hypothesized that miR-155 and miR-126 may be detectable in the circulation and serve as potential biomarkers for risk stratification. In this study, we assessed miR-155 and miR-126 in the plasma of 30 ESRD patients and 20 healthy controls using real-time quantification RT-PCR. The circulating levels of miR-155 and miR-126 were significantly reduced in patients with ESRD compared to healthy controls. However, there was no significant difference of circulating miR-155 and miR-126 levels between prehemodialysis and posthemodialysis patients. Furthermore, both circulating miR-126 and miR-155 correlated positively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (miR-126: r = 0.383, P = 0.037; miR-155: r = 0.494, P = 0.006) and hemoglobin (miR-126: r = 0.515, P = 0.004; miR-155: r = 0.598, P < 0.001) and correlated inversely with phosphate level (miR-126: r = -0.675, P < 0.001; miR-155: r = -0.399, P = 0.029). Pearson’s correlation was used to compare circulating levels of miRNAs with clinical parameters. These results suggested that circulating miR-155 and miR-126 might be involved in the development of ESRD. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the role of circulating miR-155 and miR-126 as candidate biomarkers for risk estimation.