Poly[[[μ-1,1′-(butane-1,4-di­yl)diimidazole-κ2 N 3:N 3′](μ-cyclo­hexane-1,4-dicarboxyl­ato-κ4 O 1,O 1′:O 4,O 4′)nickel(II)] 0.25-hydrate]

In the title coordination polymer, {[Ni(C8H10O4)(C10H14N4)]·0.25H2O}n, the coordination of the NiII ion is distorted octa­hedral. The 1,1′-(butane-1,4-di­yl)diimidazole ligand and the cyclo­hexane-1,4-dicarboxyl­ate dianion bridge metal centres, forming a two-dimensional (4,4) network. The network is consolidated by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the statistically occupied water molecules and O atoms of the two carboxylate groups

Maternal Prenatal Factors and Child Adiposity in Associations with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Term-Born Chinese Children at the Age of 2 Years

Early growth has long-lasting associations with adult metabolic health. However, the association of adiposity with cardiometabolic risk factors in toddlers remains poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the association of maternal prenatal factors and child adiposity with child cardiometabolic risk factors among boys and girls aged 2 years. This was a birth cohort study of 549 term-born children in Shanghai, China, with follow-up data at the age of 2-years. Child anthropometric and adiposity measurements included weight, length, and skinfold thickness (triceps, subscapular, and abdominal). Child cardiometabolic risk factors included random morning plasma glucose, serum insulin, lipids, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP). At 2 years, overweight/obesity (weight-for-length z score, ZWFL > 2) was associated with 12.6 (95%CI 7.7, 17.4) mmHg higher SBP, and 7.9 (4.1, 11.8) mmHg higher DBP in boys, with similar results observed in girls. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were associated with 3.0 (0.1, 5.8) higher SBP, 3.17 (0.90, 5.44) mmHg higher DBP, 0.24 (0.01,0.47) mmol/L higher plasma glucose, and 0.26 (0.01,0.51) mmol/L higher serum triglycerides after adjustment for child age, sex, and ZWFL. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and child overweight/obesity were associated with higher SBP and DBP at the age of 2 years

Serum ApoB levels in depressive patients: associated with cognitive deficits

Cognitive deficits have been regarded as one of the most significant clinical symptoms of depressive disorder. Accumulating evidence has shown that apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels, which are responsible for inducing neurodegeneration, may be involved in cognitive deficits. This study examines cognitive deficits, and the correlation of serum ApoB levels with cognitive deficits of depressive disorder. 90 depressive patients and 90 healthy controls with matched age and gender were recruited. Cognition was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Serum ApoB levels in depressive patients were measured by immunoturbidimetric method. Our results showed that depressive patients had lower scores of cognition including RBANS total score and subscales of language and delayed memory (all, p \u3c 0.001) than healthy controls after controlling for the variables. The differences in cognitive functions also passed Bonferroni corrections. Serum ApoB levels were negatively correlated with delayed memory score in depressive patients (r = −0.30, p = 0.01). Furthermore, stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that serum ApoB levels independently contributed to delayed memory in depressive patients (t = −2.68, p = 0.01). Our findings support that serum ApoB levels may be involved in delayed memory decline in depressive patients. Depressive patients also experience greater cognitive deficits, especially in delayed memory and language than healthy controls

Reduced tolerance to abiotic stress in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing a Capsicum annuum multiprotein bridging factor 1

BACKGROUND: The pepper fruit is the second most consumed vegetable worldwide. However, low temperature affects the vegetative development and reproduction of the pepper, resulting in economic losses. To identify cold-related genes regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) in pepper seedlings, cDNA representational difference analysis was previously performed using a suppression subtractive hybridization method. One of the genes cloned from the subtraction was homologous to Solanum tuberosum MBF1 (StMBF1) encoding the coactivator multiprotein bridging factor 1. Here, we have characterized this StMBF1 homolog (named CaMBF1) from Capsicum annuum and investigated its role in abiotic stress tolerance. RESULTS: Tissue expression profile analysis using quantitative RT-PCR showed that CaMBF1 was expressed in all tested tissues, and high-level expression was detected in the flowers and seeds. The expression of CaMBF1 in pepper seedlings was dramatically suppressed by exogenously supplied salicylic acid, high salt, osmotic and heavy metal stresses. Constitutive overexpression of CaMBF1 in Arabidopsis aggravated the visible symptoms of leaf damage and the electrolyte leakage of cell damage caused by cold stress in seedlings. Furthermore, the expression of RD29A, ERD15, KIN1, and RD22 in the transgenic plants was lower than that in the wild-type plants. On the other hand, seed germination, cotyledon greening and lateral root formation were more severely influenced by salt stress in transgenic lines compared with wild-type plants, indicating that CaMBF1-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants were hypersensitive to salt stress. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of CaMBF1 in Arabidopsis displayed reduced tolerance to cold and high salt stress during seed germination and post-germination stages. CaMBF1 transgenic Arabidopsis may reduce stress tolerance by downregulating stress-responsive genes to aggravate the leaf damage caused by cold stress. CaMBF1 may be useful for genetic engineering of novel pepper cultivars in the future

Sex differences in neural substrates of risk taking: Implications for sex-specific vulnerabilities to internet gaming disorder

Background and aims: Sex differences in internet gaming disorder (IGD) remain unknown. Investigating sex-specific neural features that underlie the core risk factor (i.e., risk-taking) of IGD would help in understanding sex-specific vulnerabilities to IGD and advance sex-specific treatments and prevention for IGD. Methods: 111 participants (28 IGD males, 27 IGD females, 26 recreational game user (RGU) males, 30 RGU females) completed a probability discounting task during fMRI scanning. Results: First, among RGUs, males showed a higher risk-taking tendency and greater neural activation associated with risk/ value evaluation for reward (the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), left putamen) and smaller activation associated with cognitive control (the inferior frontal gyrus) than females during the contrast of risky-safe choices. Moreover, males showed a greater modulatory effect of risky choices on the connection from the vmPFC/ACC to the left putamen than females. Second, IGD males showed decreased activation in the vmPFC/ACC and left putamen compared to RGU males, whereas this decrease did not exist in IGD females. Discussion: Males show a higher risktaking tendency than females. Altered neural substrates associated with risky decision-making exist in IGD males but not in IGD females. Conclusions: The present findings fill the gap in information on the behavioral and neural substrates underlying IGD among females and demonstrate that a high risk-taking tendency is a risk factor and core symptom only in IGD males but not in IGD females. It is necessary to design and adopt distinct treatments and prevention strategies for IGD in males and females

Characteristics of atmospheric compositions in the background area of Yangtze River delta during heavy air pollution episode

In order to understand the formation and evolution of recurrent severe haze pollution episodes in Yangtze River Delta, China, a short comparative sampling campaign was conducted at the Lin’an background monitoring station from 25 November 2013 to 14 December 2013. The characteristic concentrations of PM2.5, black carbon, CO2, CO, and CH4 have been systematically recorded at the abovementioned site. Coupled with detailed analysis of air backward trajectories, fire spot distribution surrounding the studied site and meteorological impacts, temporal trend, diurnal variation, and intercorrelation of the aforementioned species have also been comprehensively investigated throughout prehaze, haze, and posthaze periods