Dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces lipid accretion by regulating fatty acid metabolism in Nile tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus)

Background: Excessive white fat accumulation in humans and other animals is associated with the development of multiple metabolic diseases. It is unknown whether dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces lipid deposition in high fat diet-fed Nile tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus).Results: In the present study, we found that dietary supplementation with 1% or 2% arginine decreased the deposition and concentration of fats in the liver;the concentrations of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein in the serum;and the diameter of adipocytes in intraperitoneal adipose tissue. Compared with the un-supplementation control group, the hepatic activities of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase, and hepatic concentration of malondialdehyde were reduced but these for catalase and superoxide dismutase were enhanced by dietary supplementation with 2% arginine. Arginine supplementation reduced the total amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids, while increasing the total amounts of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the liver. These effects of arginine were associated with reductions in mRNA levels for genes related to lipogenesis(sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase α, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, and fatty acid synthase) but increases in mRNA levels for genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation(carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α). In addition, hepatic mRNA levels for Δ4 fatty acyl desaturase 2 and elongase 5 of very long-chain fatty acids were enhanced by arginine supplementation.Conclusion: These results revealed that dietary L-arginine supplementation to tilapia reduced high fat diet-induced fat deposition and fatty acid composition in the liver by regulating the expression of genes for lipid metabolism.

Removal of manganese from waste water by complexation-ultrafiltration using copolymer of maleic acid and acrylic acid

Copolymer of maleic acid and acrylic acid （PMA-100）, combining with polyvinyl butyral （PVB） ultrafiltration membrane was used for the removal of Mn（II） from waste water by complexation-ultrafiltration. The carboxylic group content of PMA-100 and the rate of complexation reaction were measured. Effects of the mass ratio of PMA-100 to Mn（II） （n）, pH, background electrolyte, etc on the rejection rate （R） and permeate flux （J） were investigated. The results show that carboxylic group content of PMA-100 is 9.5 mmol/g. The complexation of Mn（II） with PMA-100 is rapid and completed within 5 min at pH 6.0. Both R and J increase with pH increasing in the range of 2.5-7.0, and R increases with the increase of n at pH 6.0 while J is little affected. The background electrolyte leads to the decrease of R, and CaCl2 has much greater effect on R than NaCl at the same ionic strength.

Equilibrium of Extraction of Succinic, Malic, Maleic and Fumaric Acids with Trioctylamine

Extraction equilibrium features of succinic acid, malic acid,maleic acid and fumaric acid were investi- gated systematically withtrioctylamine (TOA) in chloroform, 4-methyl-2-pentanone (MIBK) and1-octanol. Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysisof organic samples loaded with the acid shows that amine forms 1:1complex of ion-pair association with succinic acid, malic acid andmaleic acid, and 1:1, 2:1 complex of ion-pair association withfumaric acid. It is proposed that the complex forms depend on thesecond dissociation constant of the dibasic acid, pK_a2.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Biomaterial: Maleic Anhydride-modified Poly(dl-lactic acid)

A novel modified poly(dl-lactic acid) (PDLLA) was obtained by covalently grafting of maleic anhydride onto the backbone of PDLLA, attempting to improve PDLLA’s hydrophilicity and cell affinity and to provide reactive groups for further chemical modification. FTIR, 13C NMR and DSC were used to characterize the maleic anhydride-modified PDLLA.

Synthesis and Characteristic Study on Complexes of Europium(Ⅲ) and Maleic Acid Doped with Non-Fluorescent Ions

Complex of europium （Ⅲ） with maleic acid, and binuclear complexes of europium（Ⅲ）with maleic acid doped with non-fluorescent ions gadolinium, lanthanum and yttrium, were synthesized. The compositions and structures of complexes were characterized with elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR and DSC-TG. Fluorescent properties were studied with fluorescence spectrum. The results indicated that the strongest fluorescent complexes were obtained when the ratio of europium and non-fluorescent ion was 8：2. The order of Eu^3＋ fluorescence strengthened by three doped rare earths was Gd^3＋ 〉La^3＋ 〉Y^3＋

The UV Aging Properties of Maleic Anhydride Esterified Starch/Polylactic Acid Composites

Esterified starch/polylactic acid（ES/PLA） blending composite was prepared by melting extrusion with maleic anhydride esterified starch and PLA as the raw materials. The composite was accelerated aging by using UV aging box, and its properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, thermo gravimetric analysis（TGA） and mechanical testing machine. FT-IR and SEM results show that the infrared absorption peak intensities of C-O, C-H, and C=O in aged samples decrease gradually with increasing aging time. The damage degree of surface and internal of aged samples increases gradually. XRD analysis results show that after aging treatment, the crystalline diffraction peak of thermoplastic esterified starch at 2θ = 21° disappears and the diffraction peaks of PLA at 2θ = 16.5° appear, indicating that the hydrolysis rate of esterified starch is greater than that of PLA. The crystallinity of PLA in aged sample shows an increasing trend at first followed by a decreasing one along with the increasing time of aging treatment, suggesting that the hydrolysis of amorphous regions of PLA is more preferential than its crystalline regions. Because of the influence of crystal structure and the change of composition structure, the initial decomposition temperature of aging test specimen gradually increases with the extension of aging time. The maximum decomposition rate temperature and residual mass increases at first, and then decrease after the aging time extending to 1600 h. As the aging time increases, the damage degree of combination interface between esterification starch and PLA is exacerbated, resulting in the tensile strength and bending strength of aged specimen decreasing gradually.

Investigation of the Reaction Mechanism of Itaconic Acid/Maleic Acid Copolymer System and Cotton Cellulose

The reaction mechanism of IA/MA copolymer system andcotton cellulose is conjectured and verified, the two keysteps, such as the formation of cyclic anhydride interme-diates and the building of ester crosslinklng, and the ef-fect of sodium hypophosphite are especially emphasized,by FT - IR spectroscopy and acid- base titration anal-yses. The experiments reveal that carboxylic acids main.ly change to cyclic anhydride in the pre - drying step andSodium Hypophosphite (SHP) has effect on it, but mostester - crosslinkages are built in the curing step and SHPhas effects on both anhydride formation and ester -crosslinking formation.

Graft co-polymerization of maleic acid and vinyl acetate onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) powder by pre-irradiation technique

Binary monomers of maleic acid and vinyl acetate are grafted onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) powder by pre-irradiation induced graft polymerization technique in emulsion solution. The co-grafting of binary monomers is successfully proved by FT-IR spectroscopy analysis. The influences of the absorbed dose, reaction temperature, reaction time, total concentration of monomers, and feed ratio of binary monomers on the degree of grafting are investigated. The thermal property of grafted PVDF powder was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-gravimetry analysis (TGA).

Kinetics of Maleic Acid/Itaconic Acid In-situ Polymerization on Cotton

Cotton fabric samples are padded with maleic acid (MA) and itaconic acid (IA) finishing bath in the presence of potassium persulfate (K 2S 2O 8), and then dried at different temperatures for different time intervals. The portion of unreacted monomers on cotton fabric samples is determined by means of measuring the double bond content. The kinetic data (rate constants, Arrhenius activation energy, frequency factor) of the in-situ polymerization have been calculated.

Synthesis of Coordination Polymers Using Different Maleic Acid Ligands under Hydrothermal Conditions

A novel coordination polymer, [ Ni （mal） （1,10＇-phen） （ H2O） ] n （ 1 ） （ mal = malate, 1,10＇-phen = 1,10- phenanthroline） was synthesized using malic acid which was generated from maleic acid via hydrothermal reaction. Complex 1, which displays a two-dimensional supramolecular network, was formed by the addition reaction of Ni and maleic acid with water molecules. To our knowledge, several coordination polymers have been directly synthesized from malic acid, but these types of complexes have seldom been synthesized from maleic acid via hydrothermal reactions. When Ni（ Ⅱ ） ion was changed to Zn（ Ⅱ） ion under the same condition, two-dimensional covalent complex 2 [ Zn2 （fma） 2 （1,10＇-phen） 2 ] n （fma = fumatic acid） was formed. Furthermore, complex 2 exhibits intense photolumi- nescent property at room temperature.

Microwave-assisted Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone with Maleic Acid as Initiator and Drug Release Behavior of Ibuprofen-Poly(ε-caprolactone) System

Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) with weight-average molar mass over 10000 g/mol was synthesized by microwave-assisted ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone (e-CL) with maleic acid (MA) as initiator (2.45 GHz, 360 W, 85 min). Ibuprofen-PCL controlled release system was prepared directly by the ROP of e-CL in its mixture with ibuprofen. The release of ibuprofen from the system was sustained and steady.

Effects of L-arginine on preeclampsia risks and maternal and neonatal outcomes:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To summarize whether the supplementation of L-arginine in pregnant women helps in management of preeclampsia and its impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes.Methods:Studies conducted from the past 17 years(1999 to 2016).were referred from database like Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials(CENTRAL),Scopus,Google Scholar and PubMed.Out of 134 studies,7 studies were included.L-arginine versus placebo was considered for quantitative analysis.Modified Cochrane data extraction form was used to collect the data.The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane’s risk of bias assessment tool in RevMan 5.4 and the summary of findings was determined using GradePro software.Results:L-arginine showed a significant reduction of preeclampsia[odds ratio(OR)0.38;95%confidence interval(CI)0.25,0.58)].There was a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure[mean difference(MD)-2.47;95%CI-4.53,-0.42]and diastolic blood pressure(MD-0.97;95%CI-3.83,1.89).The effects of L-arginine on secondary outcomes like maternal gestational age,latency,neonatal weight,and appearance,pulse,grimace,activity,respiration(APGAR)score at 1st and 5th minute were not statistically significant.Conclusions:L-arginine supplementation is effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure of preeclamptic patients.However,it has no noticeable effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes.

The Effect of Methacrylic Acid and Maleic Acid on the Isothermal Kinetics of Acrylic Acid Crosslinking Co-polymerization under Conventional and Microwave heating

The kinetics of free-radical crosslinking co-polymerization(FRCCP)of acrylic acid(AA)with both methacrylic acid(MA)(PAMA hydrogel)and maleic acid(MAL)(PAMAL hydrogel)was investigated under the conditions of isothermal conventional heating(CH)and under the conditions of microwave heating(MWH)with controlled cooling.The kinetics curves of FRCCP of PAMA and PAMAL hydrogels under the conditions of CH are described with the kinetics model of second order chemical reaction,whereas the kinetics curves under the conditions of CH are described with the kinetics model of Polany-Winger.It is proved that MWH leads to the changes in the rate of FRCCP and to the changes in the values of the kinetic parameters activation energy(Ea)and pre-exponential factor(lnA).It was found the existence of relationship between the values of the kinetic parameters calculated for MWH and CH for PAMA and PAMAL hydrogel synthesis process,which is well-known as compensation effect.The effect of MWH on the kinetics of FRCCP for PAMA and PAMAL hydrogel formation were explained by applying the model of activation by selective energy transfer(SET).The changes in kinetics model,rate of FRCCP and kinetics parameters,caused with the MWH can found wide application in designing novel technologies for obtaining polymers and for synthesis of polymers with novel physico-chemical properties.The suggested mechanism of activation for polymerisation under the conditions of MWH also enables development of novel reaction systems and technologies for polymers productions.

A STUDY OF SILICA-SUPPORTED CROSS-LINKED POLY (MALEIC ACID-CO-STYRENE)-PLATINUM COMPLEX IN THE HYDROGENATION OF p-CRESOL

A silica-supported cross-linked poly(maleic acid -co- styrene)-platinum complex (PMS-Pt) has been prepared and found to be active in the hydrogenation of p-cresol under mild conditions (303-323K, 1.01 x 10(5)Pa). In this hydrogenation system water serves as a solvent and p-cresol can be converted to 4-methylcyclohexanol quantitatively via 4-methylcyclohexanone as intermediate.

Covalent Immobilization of Lipase on Poly(acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid) Ultrafiltration Hollow Fiber Membrane

Lipase from Candida rugosa was covalently immobilized on the surface of an uhrafihration hollow fiber membrane fabricated from poly （ acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid） （ PANCMA ） in which the carboxyl groups were activated with 1-ethyl-3-（ dimethylaminopropyl ） carbodiimide hydrochloride （ EDC ） and dicyclohexyl carbodiimide （ DCC ）/ N-hydroxyl succinimide（NHS）, respectively. The properties of the immobilized lipase were assayed and compared with those of the free enzyme. The maximum activities were observed in a relatively broader pH value range at high temperatures for the immobilized lipase compared to the free one. It was also found that the thermal and pH stabilities of lipase were improved upon immobilization and at 50 ℃ the thermal inactivation rate constant values are 2. 1 × 10^ -2 for the free lipase, 3.2 × 10^-3 for the immobilized lipase on the EDC-activated PANCMA membrane and 3.5 × 10^-3 for the immobilized lipase on the DCC/NHS-activated PANCMA membrane, respectively.

COPOLYMERS OF 2-ACRYLAMIDO-2-METHYL-1-PROPANESULFONIC ACID/MALEIC ACID:SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

2-Acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid （AMPS）, and maleic acid （MA） copolymerized with different feed ratios using N,N-dimethylformamide as a solvent and benzoyl peroxide （Bz2O2） as an initiator at 70℃. Structure and composition of copolymers for a wide range of monomer feed were determined by elemental analysis （content of N for AMPS-units）. Monomer reactivity ratios for AMPS （M1）-MA （M2） pair were determined by the application of conventional linearization methods such as Fineman-Ross （F-R）, Kelen-Tudos（KT） and Extended Kelen-Tudos （EKT） and a nonlinear error invariable model method using a computer program RREVM. The characterizations were done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） thermal gravimetry analysis （TGA）, and and X-ray diffraction. The antimicrobial effects of polymers were also tested on various bacteria, and yeast.

Synthesis of the Biomimetic Polymer: Aliphatic Diamine and RGDS Modified Poly(d,l-lactic acid)

A novel poly（d, /-lactic acid） （PDLLA） based biomimetic polymer was synthesized by grafting maleic anhydride, butanediamine and arg-gly-asp-ser （RGDS） peptides onto the backbone of PDLLA, aiming to overcome the acidity and auto-accelerating degradation of PDLLA during degradation and to improve its biospecificity and biocompatibility. The synthetic copolymer was characterized by FTIR, ^13C NMR and amino acid analyzer （AAA）.

SYNTHESIS OF MESOPOROUS POLY(STYRENE-co-MALEIC ANHYDRIDE)/SILICA HYBRID MATERIALS VIA A NONSURFACTANT-TEMPLATED SOL-GEL PROCESS

Mesoporous poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)/silica hybrid materials have been prepared. The synthesis was achieved by the HCl-catalyzed sol-gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer in the presence of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as a coupling agent and citric acid as a nonsurfactant template or pore-forming agent, followed by ethanol extraction. Characterization results from nitrogen sorption isotherms and powder X-ray diffraction indicate that polymer-modified mesoporous materials with large specific surface areas (e.g. 900 m(2)/g) and pore volumes (e.g. 0.6 cm(3)/g) could be prepared. As the citric acid concentration is increased, the specific surface areas, pore volumes and pore diameters of the hybrid materials increase.

SYNTHESIS AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF A NEW CHOLIC ACIDCONTAINING COPOLYMER

A new copolymer was synthesized by free radical polymerization in solution from methyl 3α-methylacryloyl-7α, 12α-dihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oate (MACAME) and maleic anhydride (MAN). The copolymer was characterized by FT-IR and functional group analysis. The reactivity ratios of the two monomers were estimated [r_1 = 11.6 (MACAME), r_2 = 0.01(MAN)] by conducting a series of copolymerizations with a variety of monomer feed compositions and analyzing thecopolymer composition. Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analyses of the samples indicate that thecopolymer possesses good thermal stability. The temperature at which the copolymer samples experienced a 10% weight loss(T_(WL)) is over 287℃, and the T_g ranged from 174 to 185℃ for the copolymers.

In vitro Degradation of Butanediamine-Grafted Poly(DL-Lactic acids)

The degradation of butanediamine-grafted poly（DL-lactic acid） polymers （BDPLAs） in vitro together with PDLLA and maleic anhydride-grafted poly（DL-lactic acid） polymers （MPLAs） was investigated by observation of the changes of the pH value of incubation media, and weight loss ratio during degradation duration of 12 weeks. The results reveal that the acidity of PDLLA degradation products was weakened or neutralized by grafting butanediamine onto PDLLA. A uniform degradation of BDPLAs was observed in comparison with an acidity-induced auto-accelerating degradation featured by PDLLA and MPLAs. The biodegradation behaviors of BDPLAs can be adjusted by controlling the content of BDA. BDPLAs might be a new derivative of PDLLA-based biodegradable materials for medical applications without acidity-caused irritations and acidity-induced auto-accelerating degradation behavior as that of PDLLA.