Altered circulating GDF-15 level predicts sex hormone imbalance in males with major depressive disorder

Background: It has been hypothesized that higher growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) level and lower testosterone/ estradiol (T/E) ratio are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD), yet the underlying effect of serum GDF15 on hinting the T/E ratio imbalance is not fully understood. We observed the correlation between serum T/E ratio and circulating GDF15 in male depressed cohort. // Methods: The sample consisted of participants (aged 18 ~ 65 years) from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University with MDD (n = 412) defined according to a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-V (SCID), and male healthy controls (n = 137). Serum levels of testosterone, estradiol, and depression risk biomarkers (thyroid hormone, lipids, hs-CRP, Tenascin-C [TNC], GDF15, KLF4, Gas6, and sgp130) were measured. The associations among log-transformed T/E ratio and these biomarkers were analyzed using univariate correlation analysis, category analyses, and linear regression adjusting for standard risk factors. // Results: Of the sample, 36.89% had lower T/E ratio ( 20:1). After multivariable adjustment, T/E ratio was negatively associated with GDF15 (-0.095 [95% CI -0.170 ~ -0.023] standard deviation [SD] change per SD increase in lg[T/E], P = 0.015) and inversely related to TNC (-0.085 [95% CI -0.167 ~ 0.003] standard deviation [SD] change per SD increase in lg[T/E], P = 0.048). Serum T/E ratio was negatively associated with GDF15 level in both FT3, TSH and HDL strata, whereas this association was not observed in TNC. In T/E ratio strata analyses, there is a significant and negative correlation among T/E ratio and GDF15 in depressive patients with sex hormone imbalance, yet this relationship was not investigated in patients with sex hormone balance. // Conclusion: In our community-based observation, circulating GDF-15 level was greatly and inversely associated with serum T/E ratio, indicating that higher GDF-15 alerts sex hormone imbalance in patients with MDD

Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials from Monosodium Glutamate and Application in Reduction of p-Nitrophenol

Nitrogen-doped carbons (NCs) as supports for metal catalysts used in heterogeneous reactions are increasingly being investigated. In this work, NCs were prepared from monosodium glutamate (MSG) by direct carbonization, which were used as supporters to prepare Bi/NC catalysts. The Bi/NC catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and nitrogen adsorption isotherm. The results indicate that nitrogen was doped in the formation of pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, and graphitic N. The NCs possess high surface area (~652 m2/g) and uniform mesopore size (~2.11 nm). Bismuth nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed uniformly in NC with diameter of 10-20 nm. The catalytic performances were investigated using the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) with excess potassium borohydride as a model reaction, the results indicating that the Bi/NC catalysts have higher activity and better reusability than the Bi/AC catalyst. Under the following conditions: 100 mL of 4-NP (2 mM), 0.03 g of 3%Bi/NC, n(KBH4) : n(4-NP) = 40:1, and at room temperature, the rate constant k can reach 0.31 min-1. Copyright © 2018 BCREC Group. All rights reserved Received: 28th July 2017; Revised: 1st September 2017; Accepted: 7th September 2017; Available online: 22nd January 2018; Published regularly: 2nd April 2018 How to Cite: Cai, K.Y., Zhou, Y.M., Wang, P., Li, H., Li, Y., Tao, W. (2018). Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials from Monosodium Glutamate and Application in Reduction of p-Nitrophenol. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 13 (1): 89-96 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.13.1.1428.89-96

Preparation of Metal-Free Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Material and Its Catalytic Performance

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials (NCMs) were prepared via hydrothermal treatment together with pyrolysis under nitrogen atmosphere by using melamine as nitrogen source and sucrose as carbon source. The NCMs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that nitrogen species were successfully doped into NCMs in the formation of pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, graphitic N, and oxidized N. With the temperature of pyrolysis increasing, the total amount of nitrogen species decreased, while the proportion of graphitic N increased. The catalytic performance was investigated by the reduction of p-nitrophenol with excessive KBH4 at 30 ℃. The reaction rate constant can reach 1.06 min-1 for NCM-800. The NCM-800 has good stability, which can be used for 8 cycles without obvious deactivation.

Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials from Monosodium Glutamate and Application in Reduction of p-Nitrophenol

Nitrogen-doped carbons (NCs) as supports for metal catalysts used in heterogeneous reactions are increasingly being investigated. In this work, NCs were prepared from monosodium glutamate (MSG) by direct carbonization, which were used as supporters to prepare Bi/NC catalysts. The Bi/NC catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and nitrogen adsorption isotherm. The results indicate that nitrogen was doped in the formation of pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, and graphitic N. The NCs possess high surface area (~652 m2/g) and uniform mesopore size (~2.11 nm). Bismuth nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed uniformly in NC with diameter of 10-20 nm. The catalytic performances were investigated using the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) with excess potassium borohydride as a model reaction, the results indicating that the Bi/NC catalysts have higher activity and better reusability than the Bi/AC catalyst. Under the following conditions: 100 mL of 4-NP (2 mM), 0.03 g of 3%Bi/NC, n(KBH4) : n(4-NP) = 40:1, and at room temperature, the rate constant k can reach 0.31 min-1. 

Tri-Band Dual-Polarized Shared-Aperture Antenna Arrays with Wide-Angle Scanning and Low Profile for 5G Base Stations

A novel tri-band shared aperture antenna (TSAA) array is proposed in this paper to meet the requirements of modern base station antennas for multi-band antenna fusion and independent control. Different antenna types are utilized for each operating band, including 3D-printed dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) for the middle bands (MB, 3.4 to 3.6 GHz) and high bands (HB, 5.4 to 5.6 GHz), and dipole antennas forthe low band (LB, 1.85 to 2.15 GHz). The TSAA comprises a 1x4 dipole antenna array for LB, a 2x7 MB antenna array located at the edges of the aperture, and a 2x12 HB antenna array at the aperture center. The LB dipole antenna array is positioned above the MB and HB antenna arrays, providing wideband electromagnetic transparency for both MB and HB simultaneously. By exploiting the high dielectric permittivity ofthe DRAs, the overall array profile is miniaturized to 0.13 0 (0 is the free-space wavelength at central frequency of LB), while the array element spacing meets scanning conditions for suppressing grating lobes and achieving wide-angle control of each frequency band. Additionally, the adoption of symmetric -shaped stripline coupled feeding technology in the LB antenna effectively improves the problem of tilted radiation patterns of the HB antenna

Aplikasi Image Thresholding Untuk Segmentasi Objek

Salah satu operasi di dalam analisis citra adalah segmentasi citra, yaitu memisahkan objek dari latar belakangnya atau dari objek lain yang tidak menjadi perhatian. Metode sementasi yang sederhana adalah dengan operasi pengambangan (thresholding). Operasi pengambangan menghasilkan citra biner, yang dalam hal ini objek yang diacu di-set berwarna putih sedangkan latar belakangnya di-set berwarna hitam (atau sebaliknya bergantung kasusnya). Makalah ini mempresentasikan penggunaan operasi pengambangan untuk melakukan segmentasi objek. Eksperimen dilakukan dengan menggunakan kakas MATLAB. Hasil eksperimen memperlihatkan bahwa pemilihan nilai ambang (threshold) yang tepat sangat menentukan keberhasilan segmentasi

A Lumped Model for Rotational Modes in Phononic Crystals

We present a lumped model for the rotational modes induced by the rotational motion of individual scatterers in two-dimensional phononic crystals comprised of square arrays of solid cylindrical scatterers in solid hosts. The model provides a physical interpretation of the origin of the rotational modes, reveals the important role played by the rotational motion in the band structure, and reproduces the dispersion relations. The model increases the possibilities of wave manipulation in phononic crystals. In particular, expressions, derived from the model, for eigen-frequencies at high symmetry points unambiguously predict the presence of a new type of Dirac-like cone at the Brillouin center, which is found to be the result of accidental degeneracy of the rotational and dipolar modes

急性曼陀罗中毒患者临床护理观察

Mandala is used medicinally to treat cough and asthma, conscious sedation. Entire individual plant is poisonous, and the toxic substances are hyoscyamine and scopolamine and atropine, etc. It is a rare case that patients were poisoned by Mandala in clinical practice. More reports were about the cases that patients were poisoned by seeds, fruit, leaf and flower. The toxicity would stimulate and restrain the central nervous system successively, block the reactions of acetylcholine, resist and paralyze the parasympathetic nerve. The paper discusses continuous blood purification treatment and clinical nursing of mandala poisoning patients by case analysis.曼陀罗内服可用来平喘止咳，镇静麻醉。曼陀罗全株有毒，毒性物质为莨菪碱、东莨菪碱和阿托品等。在临床中遇到的曼陀罗中毒罕见。有病例报道多为误食曼陀罗种子、果实、叶、花所致，其毒性作用是对中枢神经先兴奋后抑制，阻断乙酰胆碱反应，对抗和麻痹副交感神经。本文通过病例分析，探讨如何对曼陀罗中毒患者行连续性血液净化治疗、临床护理