Journal Staff

There are fewer longitudinal studies from China on symptoms as described for the sick building syndrome (SBS). Here, we performed a two-year prospective study and investigated associations between environmental parameters such as room temperature, relative air humidity (RH), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O-3), particulate matter (PM10), and health outcomes including prevalence, incidence and remission of SBS symptoms in junior high schools in Taiyuan, China. Totally 2134 pupils participated at baseline, and 1325 stayed in the same classrooms during the study period (2010-2012). The prevalence of mucosal symptoms, general symptoms and symptoms improved when away from school (school-related symptoms) was 22.7%, 20.4% and 39.2%, respectively, at baseline, and the prevalence increased during follow-up (P<0.001). At baseline, both indoor and outdoor SO2 were found positively associated with prevalence of school-related symptoms. Indoor O-3 was shown to be positively associated with prevalence of skin symptoms. At follow-up, indoor PM10 was found to be positively associated with new onset of skin, mucosal and general symptoms. CO2 and RH were positively associated with new onset of mucosal, general and school-related symptoms. Outdoor SO2 was positively associated with new onset of skin symptoms, while outdoor NO2 was positively associated with new onset of skin, general and mucosal symptoms. Outdoor PM10 was found to be positively associated with new onset of skin, general and mucosal symptoms as well as school-related symptoms. In conclusion, symptoms as described for SBS were commonly found in school children in Taiyuan City, China, and increased during the two-year follow-up period. Environmental pollution, including PM10, SO2 and NO2, could increase the prevalence and incidence of SBS and decrease the remission rate. Moreover, parental asthma and allergy (heredity) and pollen or pet allergy (atopy) can be risk factors for SBS

Poly[μ-aqua-μ4-terephthalato-strontium]

In the title compound, [Sr(C8H4O4)(H2O)]n, the SrII atom exhibits coordination number eight, with six O atoms from four carboxylate groups (two bidentate and two monodentate) of terephthalate ligands and two water O atoms. The SrO8 polyhedra are linked into inorganic chains by sharing three coplanar O atoms. These inorganic chains are extended along the b axis to form layers in the ab plane by O—C—O linking. Parallel layers are connected by terephthalic groups, forming a three-dimensional framework. O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions are observed

Thoughts on Intervention in HIV/AIDS with Traditional Chinese Medicine

AbstractsHIV/AIDS has become a worldwide pandemic and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is the only generally recognized effective therapy at present. However, various unresolvable problems appear with the widespread use of HAART. Traditional Chinese Medicine shows good efficacy for intervention in HIV/AIDS and could become an effective treatment option

cis-Bis(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N′)bis­(thio­cyanato-κN)magnesium(II)

The title compound, [Mg(NCS)2(C12H8N2)2], has been synthesized from the hydro­thermal reaction of MgCl2, KSCN, 1,10-phenanthroline and H2O. Its structure is isotypic with the MnII, FeII, CoII, NiII, CuII and ZnII analogues. The MgII cation has a slightly distorted octa­hedral geometry containing four N atoms from two 1,10-phenanthroline mol­ecules and two N atoms from two thio­cyanate anions. The asymmetric unit contains one-half mol­ecule, and the complete complex has 2 symmetry

A quantum secret sharing scheme with verifiable function

In the $\left( {t,n} \right)$ threshold quantum secret sharing scheme, it is difficult to ensure that internal participants are honest. In this paper, a verifiable $\left( {t,n} \right)$ threshold quantum secret sharing scheme is designed combined with classical secret sharing scheme. First of all, the distributor uses the asymmetric binary polynomials to generate the shares and sends them to each participant. Secondly, the distributor sends the initial quantum state with the secret to the first participant, and each participant performs unitary operation that using the mutually unbiased bases on the obtained $d$ dimension single bit quantum state ($d$ is a large odd prime number). In this process, distributor can randomly check the participants, and find out the internal fraudsters by unitary inverse operation gradually upward. Then the secret is reconstructed after all other participants simultaneously public transmission. Security analysis show that this scheme can resist both external and internal attacks

Dipotassium samarium(III) molybdate(VI) phosphate(V), K2Sm(MoO4)(PO4)

The title compound, K2Sm(MoO4)(PO4), has been prepared under atmospheric conditions using a high temperature solution growth (HTSG) method. The structure of K2Sm(MoO4)(PO4) is isotypic with other A 2 M(MoO4)(PO4) compounds, where A = Na or K, and M = trivalent rare earth cation. It can be described as being built up from two-dimensional anionic layers with composition [Sm(MoO4)(PO4)]2− that are stacked along the c axis and are inter­connected by K+ cations which are in an eightfold coordination by O atoms. The SmO8, MoO4 and PO4 polyhedra exhibit 2 symmetry

Inhibition of G1P3 expression found in the differential display study on respiratory syncytial virus infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading viral pathogen associated with bronchiolitis and lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children worldwide. The respiratory epithelium is the primary initiator of pulmonary inflammation in RSV infections, which cause significant perturbations of global gene expression controlling multiple cellular processes. In this study, differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction amplification was performed to examine mRNA expression in a human alveolar cell line (SPC-A1) infected with RSV.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 2,500 interpretable bands on denaturing polyacrylamide gels, 40 (1.6%) cDNA bands were differentially regulated by RSV, in which 28 (70%) appeared to be upregulated and another 12 (30%) appeared to be downregulated. Forty of the expressed sequence tags (EST) were isolated, and 20 matched homologs in GenBank. RSV infection upregulated the mRNA expression of chemokines CC and CXC and interfered with type α/β interferon-inducible gene expression by upregulation of MG11 and downregulation of G1P3.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>RSV replication could induce widespread changes in gene expression including both positive and negative regulation and play a different role in the down-regulation of IFN-α and up-regulation of IFN-γ inducible gene expression, which suggests that RSV interferes with the innate antiviral response of epithelial cells by multiple mechanisms.</p