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A method for the preparation of nitriles from primary amides using trichloroacetonitrile and a catalytic amount of cupric acetate is described. Using this method, amides including aromatic amides, aromatic heterocyclic amides and aliphatic amides were converted into the corresponding nitriles in moderate to good yields. Trichloroacetonitrile reacted with amide in the presence of cupric acetate to form trichloroacetamide, which has been isolated and confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive behavior has become a serious public health problem among adolescents worldwide. We aimed to assess the associations between tobacco and alcohol use and aggressive behavior among adolescents in 55 Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs). Data from 55 LMICs that had done a Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2009 and 2017, comprising 187,787 adolescents aged 12–17 years, were used to examine the associations between tobacco and alcohol use and aggressive behavior. Among adolescents in the 55 LMICs, the proportion of aggressive behavior was 5.7 %. Compared with none tobacco users, those who used tobacco on 1–5 days (odds ratio [OR] = 2.00, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.89–2.11), 6–9 days (2.76, 2.48–3.08), 10–19 days (3.20, 2.88–3.55), and ≥20 days (3.88, 3.62–4.17) during the past 30 days were positively associated with aggressive behavior. Compared with none alcohol users, those who used alcohol on 1–5 days (1.44, 1.37–1.51), 6–9 days (2.38, 2.18–2.60), 10–19 days (3.04, 2.75–3.36), and ≥20 days (3.25, 2.93–3.60) during the past 30 days were positively associated with aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior, tobacco use and alcohol use were assessed by self-reported questionnaires, which might be prone to recall bias. Higher amounts of tobacco and alcohol use are associated with aggressive behavior among adolescents. These findings emphasize the need to strengthen tobacco and alcohol control efforts to reduce tobacco and alcohol use targeting adolescents in LMICs. • Aggressive behavior, mainly including physical fighting and bullying, has become a serious public health problem among adolescents worldwide. • Limited studies address the dose-response association between tobacco and alcohol use and aggressive behavior. • Our findings emphasize the need to strengthen tobacco and alcohol control efforts to reduce tobacco and alcohol use to further prevent and control aggressive behavior among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the preparation of primary amides from nitriles using hydrogen peroxide and a catalytic amount of sodium molybdate in ethanol is described. Using this method, nitriles including aromatic nitriles, aromatic heterocyclic nitriles and aliphatic nitriles were converted into the corresponding amides in moderate to high yields. Electronic and steric effects of substituent have a significant effect on the reactivity of nitrile, nitriles with electron-withdrawing group at the para or meta position show high reactivities and they can be converted into the corresponding amide in good to high yield at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial active packaging enables extensive biological effects to improve food safety. However, it still remains difficult to achieve controlled and precise release of bioactive compounds to the specific target location with required quantity in food packaging applications. Here, a novel relative humidity (RH) - responsive polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/CS) composite nanofibrous film incorporated with 4-terpineol/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes (4-TA@β-CD ICs) was engineered by electrospinning that can be exploited as a functional packaging materials. The characterization results showed the thermal stability of the films was enhanced after the incorporation due to the hydrogen bonds between ICs and biopolymers. Besides, the 4 wt% 4-TA@β-CD ICs/PVA/CS film exhibited optimized morphology, crystallinity, mechanical properties, and water vapor permeability. The incorporation of ICs dramatically promoted the antioxidant and inhibition activity of the film especially towards Shewanella putrefaciens. Moreover, the release behavior of 4-TA indicated that high RH accelerated the releasing rate, and the film obtained a sustained-release effect. Finally, the film with long-term antibacterial effectiveness succeeded in extending the shelf life of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps by an additional 2 days at 4 °C. This work developed a RH-responsive release packaging material, which may serve as an effective active food packaging. [Display omitted] • A humidity-responsive packaging film was fabricated by electrospinning. • The film performed excellent inhibition effect on S. putrefaciens. • The film realized controlled release of 4-TA triggered by RH. • The film extended the shelf life of shrimps to 7 days and maintained their quality. • The humidity responsive system provided a new pathway for active packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence shows that liver-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We identified a novel liver-specific lncRNA, FAM99A, and examined its clinical significance and biological functions in HCC.Methods: The expression level and clinical value of FAM99A in HCC were examined using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and were further verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in our HCC cohort. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were also applied to identify independent prognostic indicators for HCC patients. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and Transwell assays were performed to evaluate the effects of FAM99A on the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of HCC cells in vitro. A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model was implemented to determine the effect of FAM99A on the tumor growth of HCC cells in vivo. RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry assays were performed to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of FAM99A in HCC.Results: The three public online databases and qRT-PCR data showed that FAM99A was frequently downregulated in HCC tissues and inversely correlated with microvascular invasion and advanced histological grade of HCC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that decreased FAM99A was significantly associated with poor overall survival of HCC patients based on TCGA database (P = 0.040), ICGC data portal (P < 0.001), and our HCC cohort (P = 0.010). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model based on our HCC cohort suggested that FAM99A was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival for HCC patients (hazard ratio: 0.425, P = 0.039). Upregulation of FAM99A suppressed the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion capacities of HCC cells in vitro, and knockdown of FAM99A had the opposite effects. A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model demonstrated that overexpression of FAM99A significantly inhibited the tumor growth of HCC cells in vivo. Seven tumor-related proteins (PCBP1, SRSF5, SRSF6, YBX1, IGF2BP2, HNRNPK, and HNRNPL) were recognized as possible FAM99A-binding proteins by the RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry assays.Conclusion: Our results suggest that FAM99A exerts cancer-inhibiting effects on HCC progression, and it may be a promising prognostic indicator for HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of entrepreneurship loans in China, the construction of a credit evaluation system of risk loans has become an important financial safeguard measure. This paper mainly studies the following three aspects. Firstly, in view of the subjective factors in the approval process of venture loans, based on the credit evaluation system of commercial banks and the data characteristics of venture loans, a credit evaluation system based on venture loans is constructed. Secondly, the randomized uniform design method is used to improve the population initialization method to realize the uniform distribution of the individual population. Finally, aiming at the problem of low efficiency of venture loan audit, this paper proposes an optimized BP neural network to evaluate the venture loan. Especially, through data processing, a credit index system is constructed, and then the optimized BP neural network model is determined in parameters. The model contains 15 input nodes, 1 hidden layer, and 2 output layers. Finally, the simulation shows that the optimized BP neural network model has obvious advantages in the loan evaluation. This paper includes the development status of credit evaluation of venture loans is empirically studied by using an optimized BP neural network model of nonexpected output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus flavus is a saprophytic fungus that can be found across the entire world. It can produce aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), which threatens human health. CreA, as the central factor in carbon catabolite repression (CCR), regulates carbon catabolism and AFB1 biosynthesis in A. flavus. Additionally, SsnF-RcoA are recognized as the corepressors of CreA in CCR. In this study, ssnF and rcoA not only regulated the expressions of CCR factors and hydrolase genes, but also positively affected mycelia growth, conidia production, sclerotia formation, and osmotic stress response in A. flavus. More importantly, SsnF and RcoA were identified as positive regulators for AFB1 biosynthesis, as they modulate the AF cluster genes and the relevant regulators at a transcriptional level. Additionally, the interactions of SsnF-CreA and RcoA-CreA were strong and moderate, respectively. However, the interaction of SsnF and RcoA was weak. The interaction models of CreA-SsnF, CreA-RcoA, and SsnF-RcoA were also simulated with a docking analysis. All things considered, SsnF and RcoA are not just the critical regulators of the CCR pathway, but the global regulators involving in morphological development and AFB1 biosynthesis in A. flavus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to investigate the function of LINC01146 in HCC.Methods: The expression of LINC01146 in HCC tissues was explored via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and was verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in our HCC cohort. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the relationship between LINC01146 and the prognosis of HCC patients. Cell Counting Kit 8, colony formation assays, Transwell assays, flow cytometric assays, and tumour formation models in nude mice were conducted to reveal the effects of LINC01146 on HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatic methods were used to explore the possible potential pathways of LINC01146 in HCC.Results: LINC01146 was significantly decreased in HCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues and was found to be related to the clinical presentations of malignancy and the poor prognosis of HCC patients. Overexpression of LINC01146 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro, while promoting their apoptosis. In contrast, downregulation of LINC01146 exerted the opposite effects on HCC cells in vitro. In addition, overexpression of LINC01146 significantly inhibited tumour growth, while downregulation of LINC01146 promoted tumour growth in vivo. Furthermore, the coexpressed genes of LINC01146 were mainly involved in the "metabolic pathway" and "complement and coagulation cascade pathway".Conclusion: LINC01146 expression was found to be decreased in HCC tissues and associated with the prognosis of HCC patients. It may serve as a cancer suppressor and prognostic biomarker in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The dose distribution of heavy ions at the edge of the target region will have a steep decay during radiotherapy, which can better protect the surrounding organs at risk. Objective. To analyze the dose decay gradient at the back edge of the target region during heavy ion radiotherapy. Methods. Treatment planning system (TPS) was employed to analyze the dose decay at the edge of the beam under different incident modes and multiple dose segmentation conditions during fixed beam irradiation. The dose decay data of each plan was collected based on the position where the rear edge of the beam began to fall rapidly. Uniform scanning mode was selected in heavy ion TPS. Dose decay curves under different beam setup modes were drawn and compared. Results. The dose decay data analysis showed that in the case of single beam irradiation, the posterior edge of the beam was 5 mm away, and the posterior dose could drop to about 20%. While irradiation in opposite direction, the posterior edge of the beam was 5 mm away, and the dose could drop to about 50%. In orthogonal irradiation of two beams, the posterior edge of the beam could drop to about 30-38% in a distance of 5 mm. Through the data analysis in the TPS, the sharpness of the dose at the back edge of the heavy ion beam is better than that at the lateral edge, but the generated X-ray contamination cannot be ignored. Conclusions. The effect of uneven CT value on the dose decay of heavy ion beam should also be considered in clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichloroacetonitrile has been found to be an efficient dehydrating agent for a range of aldoximes including aromatic and heterocyclic aldoxime yielding the corresponding nitriles in moderate to good yields. The dehydration reactions can take place in non-acetonitrile media without the aid of a metal catalyst. In addition, it has been confirmed that trichloroacetonitrile was converted into trichloroacetamide in the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of quinoxaline–chalcone conjugates have been prepared by aldolic condensation and aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction, and their anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines including benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cell (BPH-1), neuron-like rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) and human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) were evaluated in vitro. All of the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate to good activity against the cancer cell lines selected. Particularly, Compound A5 showed the excellent potent activity against BPH-1 and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 10.4 and 9.1 μM, respectively, which is similar to doxorubicin (14.1 and 9.2 μM, respectively). As well as compound B6 exhibited most excellent activity toward PC12 with IC50 values of 16.4 μM. Compound A10 exhibited 55.4, 36.8 and 54.5 folds higher selectivity for BPH-1, PC12 and MCF-7 cells than for HEK-293 cell, respectively. In addition, theoretical biological activities of compounds A5 and A10 were evaluated by SwissADME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtucarbamate A was purified from Disporum cantoniense with good antitussive property. In present work, a series of obtucarbamate A derivatives were designed and synthesized from obtucarbamate A by microwave method, and their antitussive activity were evaluated. The results showed that the toluene diisocyanate was obtained with a yield of 95.1% using a simple method, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone as solvent, temperature of 190 °C, microwave irradiation at 60 W power for 30 min. All compounds have good antitussive activity, and small steric hindrance unsaturated groups of ester chains and amino groups favor activity. It is the first reported of obtucarbamate A derivatives used as antitussive, and the results provide a basis for the application of obtucarbamate derivatives as new antitussive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Liver‐specific non‐coding RNAs have been reported to play crucial roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the possible biological performance of a novel liver‐specific long non‐coding RNA, LINC02499, in HCC. Methods: The association between LINC02499 expression and HCC was evaluated based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and then confirmed in a HCC cohort by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The effects of LINC02499 on HCC cells were verified by gain‐ and loss‐of‐function assays. Pathway enrichment analyses were used to explore the potential mechanism of LINC02499 in HCC. Results: LINC02499 expression was remarkably decreased in HCC tissues compared to adjacent non‐tumor tissues based on TCGA (P < 0.001) and GEO databases (P < 0.001) and our HCC cohort (P < 0.001). Decreased LINC02499 was also significantly associated with poorer overall survival in both the TCGA database (P = 0.009) and our HCC cohort (P = 0.002). Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that LINC02499 showed a good performance in HCC diagnosis (area under the curve = 0.879, P < 0.001), and both sensitivity and specificity were 83.8%. In addition, up‐ and downregulated LINC02499 significantly impacted proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of HCC cells in vitro. Pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the potential target genes of LINC02499 were involved in "Complement and coagulation cascades" and "Butanoate metabolism" pathways. Conclusion: LINC02499 could be a potential novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HCC patients, and it could exert a tumor suppressor role in the progression of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Chloroquine at a low dosage protects RGCs against death and apoptosis. • Chloroquine activates anti-apoptosis genes and reversing apoptotic proteins. • An in vivo protective role of chloroquine was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A cationic gemini surfactant templated magnetic cubic mesoporous silica Fe 3 O 4 @14-3-14-MCM-48 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized and utilized in the magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction (MDSPE) of nine endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from the migrants of food contact materials by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC–DAD). Fe 3 O 4 @14-3-14-MCM-48 can interact with EDCs through electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic effect, and hydrogen bonding effect. It showed excellent adsorption performance for EDCs with short alkyl chain phenols, which showed higher hydrophilicity and less retained by normal mesoporous silica with single chain surfactant as template. The parameters affecting MDSPE efficiency were optimized, and the optimum extraction conditions were adsorbent amount, 20 mg; elution solvent, methanol/acetonitrile mixture at 50/50 (v/v); NaCl concentration, 30 g/L; sample pH 5.0. Under the optimized condition, the limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 1.0–2.5 and 2.9–7.5 ng/mL, respectively. Good linearity was observed in the range of 10–200.0 ng/mL with correlation coefficients of >0.997 and the recoveries were in the range of 92.6–102.3%. The developed method was successfully applied to the detection of phenolic EDCs migrants from food contact materials. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A magnetic cubic mesoporous silica Fe 3 O 4 @14-3-14-MCM-48 material was synthesized. • Optimal conditions for MDSPE of EDCs were obtained. • The synthesized material was successfully applied to the enrichment of EDCs from the migrants of food contact materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An efficient strategy is provided for methyl levulinate production from duckweed. • Dual functionalized IL [C 3 H 6 SO 3 HPy]HSO 4 is effective for duckweed conversion. • 88.0% conversion and 73.7% methyl levulinate yield are shown at 170 °C for 5 h. • Duckweed liquefaction and methyl levulinate yield are highly temperature dependent. • Solvent has an obvious intensified effect on process efficiency via esterification. Abstract In this study, an efficient strategy is proposed for selective methyl levulinate production from duckweed, a typical fast-growing aquatic microalgae in warm and humid regions, in the presence of acidic ionic liquids (ILs). The results show that IL structure has a significant effect on its acidic strength, which finally determines the process efficiency for levulinate methyl generation. With the optimized catalyst of [C 3 H 6 SO 3 HPy]HSO 4 , 88.0% duckweed is consumed, resulting in a comparable methyl levulinate yield of 73.7% and a process efficiency of 81.8% at 170 °C for 5 h. Furthermore, this process is substantially influenced by the reaction condition, particularly, it is significantly temperature-dependent. In addition, solvent has a remarkable intensified effect on the process efficiency, which dramatically decreases from 81.8 to 53.7% when methanol is replaced by water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of ionic liquids most often involves the use of organic solvents or hazardous chemicals, especially for hydrophilic ionic liquids prepared from metathesis reaction. In this study, the salting-out effect was proposed to promote the metathesis reaction to afford water-miscible ionic liquids. The reaction proceeds in aqueous solution saturated with an inorganic precursor salt. After reaction for only 10 min, the hydrophilic product can be easily obtained by spontaneous liquid–liquid phase-separation caused by the salting-out effect, followed by concentration and filtration. In this process, no organic solvents or hazardous chemicals are required, and the saturated solution and inorganic by-product can be easily reused and recycled respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major global contributor to disability and death. Few studies have investigated the impacts of short-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤1 μm (PM 1) and ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5) constituents on MI mortality. We aimed to estimate the risks of MI mortality related to short-term exposures to PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 2.5 constituents. Daily MI deaths, daily concentrations of PM 1 , PM 2.5 , PM 2.5 chemical compositions, and meteorological data in Qingdao during 2015–2019 were collected. We used a time-stratified case-crossover design fitted with a conditional quasi-Poisson regression incorporated with distributed lag model to quantify the associations between PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 2.5 chemical compositions and MI mortality. Subgroup analyses were further implemented based on sex, age, and season. There were 36,235 MI deaths in Qingdao during 2015–2019. The results of single-day lagged effects showed that PM 1 (lag0 and lag1 days), PM 2.5 (lag0 and lag1 days), sulfate (lag0 and lag1 days), nitrate (lag0 day), ammonium (lag0 and lag1 days), and black carbon (BC, lag0 and lag1 days) were positively related to an elevated risk of MI death. The cumulative effects of per interquartile range (IQR) rise in PM 1 , PM 2.5 , sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and BC concentrations lasting for three days (lag02 day) were related to excess risks of 2.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2%, 4.9%), 2.0% (0.1%, 3.9%), 2.2% (0.3%, 4.1%), 2.0% (0.1%, 3.9%), 2.0% (0.1%, 4.0%), and 2.1% (0.2%, 3.9%) for MI mortality, respectively. Significant effects of PM 1 , PM 2.5 , sulfate, and BC exposures on excess risks of MI mortality were observed in aging subpopulations or during the cold season. Short-term exposures to PM 1 , PM 2.5 , sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and BC were linked to elevated risks of MI mortality. These results strengthen the case for implementing policies to reduce air pollution. • The effects of PM 1 on MI mortality may be slightly higher than that of PM 2.5. • Sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and BC exposures may raise the risks of MI mortality. • Significant effects of PM and constituent exposures were observed in aging subgroup. • Clean heating policies should cover the scope of PM 2.5 constituents in Qingdao. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the selective hydration of nitrile to amide by employing commercially available acetaldoxime and inexpensive oxometallate such as molybdate, vanadate, and tungstate in environmentally friendly water is described. Under this protocol, nitriles including aromatic nitriles, heterocyclic nitriles, and aliphatic nitriles were converted into the corresponding amides in good to excellent yields. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition ofSynthetic Communications®for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It remains controversial whether polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) represents a subtype of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) or is a distinct disease entity. This study aimed to compare and analyze systemic and serum risk factors for nAMD and PCV in an aging Chinese population. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 108 patients with nAMD, 131 patients with PCV, and 219 control subjects. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), apolipoprotein B (APOB), complement 3 (C3), and complement 4 (C4) together with data on systemic risk factors, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary artery disease (CAD), and asthma, were collected. Chi-square tests, independent-samples t tests, and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of risk factors with nAMD and PCV. Results: Patients with PCV and those with nAMD were likely to have hyperlipidemia (P < 0.001). CAD (P = 0.020) and hypertension (P = 0.006) correlated significantly with nAMD and PCV, respectively. Although no association of age and asthma with PCV or nAMD was found (P > 0.05), DM was associated with PCV development (OR = 0.535, P = 0.044). Regarding serum risk factors, HDL, LDL, TG, APOB, and C3 were significantly associated with nAMD (OR < 0.001, P < 0.001; OR = 0.028, P < 0.001; OR = 0.175, P < 0.001; OR = 0.922, P = 0.022; OR < 0.001, P < 0.001) and PCV (OR = 0.001, P = 0.001; OR = 0.097, P = 0.003; OR = 0.410, P = 0.037; OR = 0.895, P = 0.001; OR = 0.001, P < 0.001). Compared with nAMD, higher levels of HDL (P = 0.003) and LDL (P = 0.016) and lower levels of TG (P = 0.039) were found in patients with PCV, but the association of systemic risk factors between the two diseases was not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that hyperlipidemia is significantly associated with both nAMD and PCV. Serum lipid and complement levels have an effect on the pathogenesis of nAMD and PCV, and consideration of the differences between systemic and serum risk factors should be taken into account in clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe here a method for selective hydration of nitriles into the corresponding amides by employing commercially available acetaldoxime and simple transition metal catalysts such as nickel salts, zinc salts, cobalt salts and manganese salts in water. Nickel salts show the highest catalytic activity, owing to their relatively small diameter of the metal cation. Nitriles having electron-withdrawing groups could be converted into the corresponding amides in excellent yields using nickel catalyst at room temperature. Heterocyclic nitriles with heteroatom lone pair positioned ortho to the nitrile group show high reactivity; even these special nitriles could be hydrated by transition metal catalyst and water at refluxing temperature in the absence of acetaldoxime. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective and efficient procedure for the oxidation of various sulfides with sodium tungstate dihydrate with 30% hydrogen peroxide in the presence of trioctylmethylammonium dihydrogen phosphate, respectively, to the corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones is reported. The oxidation reaction is carried out at –5 to 0 °C in the presence of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins for sulfoxides or at 50–60 °C for sulfones. The mild reaction conditions, easy workup, and good yields of the products are the major advantages of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: To investigate microscopic changes in corneal morphology in chloroquine (CQ)-treated patients without corneal abnormalities being diagnosable by slit lamp microscopy. Methods: Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were divided into two groups: group 1 included 26 patients receiving chloroquine therapy; group 2 included the other 10 patients, not receiving chloroquine therapy. The control group included 15 healthy subjects. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP) and slit lamp microscopy and in vivo confocal microscopy examinations were performed on all subjects. Results: In group 1, hyperreflective abnormal particles were found in different layers of the cornea in 19 (75%) of 26 eyes by confocal microscopy. The deposits were present within the superficial epithelium (14/19), basal epithelium (8/19) and anterior stroma (5/19). In both RA groups, more beaded and tortuous fibers were seen in the sub-basal corneal nerve bundles, and the sub-epithelial and stromal nerves had much more branches, than did normal controls. The anterior keratocyte density in group 1 was lower than in group 2 ( P < 0.05) and the number of sub-basal nerves was larger than in group 2 ( P < 0.05). Cumulative dosage had a statistically significant correlation with anterior keratocyte density, the number of sub-basal nerves and the density of abnormal particles. Conclusion: Corneal microdeposits are an important manifestation of chloroquine-induced keratopathy. Corneal stroma cell density and corneal nerve number and morphology changes are also useful for detecting early chloroquine-induced keratopathy. This would be proved in our future longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mild method for the metal-catalysed conversion of aldoximes to amides has been achieved by the combined use of copper(II) acetate and MeCN in EtOH under reflux. The presence of a catalytic amount of MeCN (0.05 equiv.) accelerated the reaction and improved the yield. Aryl, heteroaryl and alkyl aldoximes were transformed into the corresponding amides in moderate to good yield. 2-Furyl and 2-thiophenyl aldoximes, which possess a heteroatom lone pair positioned ortho to the oximido group, showed enhanced reactivity, and the corresponding amides were obtained in excellent yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis is a very serious complication of cesarean section, understanding the influencing factors is important to the prevention and management of sepsis. We aimed to analyze the associated risk factors of sepsis of cesarean section, to provide evidences into the clinical management and nursing care of cesarean section.Methods: Patients who underwent cesarean section surgery from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021 in our hospital were included. The characteristics of patients were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze the influencing factors of sepsis of cesarean section.Results: A total of 3819 patients undergoing cesarean section were included, the incidence of sepsis in patients undergoing cesarean section was 0.84%. There were significant differences in the age, vaginal delivery attempt, premature rupture of membranes, preoperative hemoglobin, estimated blood loss during surgery and postoperative urinary tube implacement between sepsis and no sepsis patients (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analyses found that age ≥ 35y(OR3.22, 95%CI1.20 ~ 5.15), gestational diabetes(OR2.64, 95%CI1.91 ~ 4.15), vaginal delivery attempt(OR2.05, 95%CI1.70 ~ 4.42), premature rupture of membranes(OR2.42, 95%CI1.02 ~ 4.20), preoperative hemoglobin ≤ 105 g/L(OR4.39, 95%CI1.02 ~ 7.88), estimated blood loss during surgery ≥ 400 ml(OR1.81, 95%CI1.35 ~ 3.01), postoperative urinary tube implacement(OR2.19, 95%CI1.27 ~ 2.50) were the risk factors of sepsis in patients undergoing cesarean section(all p < 0.05). Escherichia Coli(46.15%), Enterococcus faecalis(17.95%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(12.83%) were the most commonly-seen bacteria in sepsis patients.Conclusion: In clinical practice, medical workers should carry out strict management and early prevention of related risk factors during the perioperative period of pregnant women, to effectively reduce the occurrence of sepsis after cesarean section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconducting detectors have great potential in detecting microwaves and infrared waves due to their high sensitivity and accuracy in observational results. We have proposed and designed a readout system for frequency-division multiplexing superconducting detector arrays, along with corresponding backend processing and control software. The readout system consists of a baseband signal transmission board, a baseband signal receiver board, an intermediate frequency board, and a server. The baseband signal transmission board and the baseband signal receiver board are designed based on Xilinx radio frequency systems-on-chip. The backend processing and control software has been developed using the Browser/Server architecture. In this study, our designed readout system covers a resonator frequency range of 4–6 GHz or 6–8 GHz, with a multiplexing ratio of 1000:1 for each signal line. The corresponding backend processing and control software can implement functionalities such as system startup, data acquisition, real-time data flow display, I–Q sweep, and nonlinear compensation of the readout system. In the recent experiments, we tested the performance of the entire system and provided the test results for the radio frequency loop test and connecting with superconducting detector array. The experimental results showed that our proposed readout system, aided by the backend processing and control software, is capable of multiplexing readout of large-array frequency-division multiplexing resonators and can be applied in various superconducting detector arrays as well. This system lays a solid foundation for future frequency-division multiplexing readout and large-array readout of superconducting detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be related to the occurrence and development of a variety of cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a large number of potential HCC-related lncRNAs remain undiscovered and are yet to be fully understood. Methods: Differentially expressed lncRNAs were first obtained from the tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues of five HCC patients using high-throughput microarray chips. Then the expression levels of 10 differentially expressed lncRNAs were verified in 50 pairs of tissue samples from patients with HCC by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The oncogenic effects of lncRNA-4045 (ENST00000524045.6) in HCC cell lines were verified through a series of in vitro experiments including CCK-8 assay, plate clone formation assay, transwell assay, scratch assay, and flow cytometry. Subsequently, the potential target genes of lncRNA-4045 were predicted by bioinformatics analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization assay, and RNA sequencing. The mechanism of lncRNA-4045 in HCC was explored by WB assay as well as rescue and enhancement experiments. Results: The results from microarray chips showed 1,708 lncRNAs to have been significantly upregulated and 2725 lncRNAs to have been significantly downregulated in HCC tissues. Via validation in 50 HCC patients, a novel lncRNA lncRNA-4045 was found significantly upregulated in HCC tissues. Additionally, a series of in vitro experiments showed that lncRNA-4045 promoted the proliferation, invasion, and migration of HCC cell lines, and inhibited the apoptosis of HCC cell lines. The results of qRT-PCR in HCC tissues showed that the expression levels of AKR1B10 were significantly positively correlated with lncRNA-4045. LncRNA-4045 knockdown significantly down-regulated AKR1B10 protein expression, and overexpression of lncRNA-4045 led to significant up-regulation of AKR1B10 protein in HCC cell lines. Lastly, down-regulation of AKR1B10 could partially eliminate the enhancement of cell proliferation induced by lncRNA-4045 overexpression, while up-regulation of AKR1B10 was shown to enhance those effects. Conclusion: LncRNA-4045 may promote HCC via enhancement of the expression of AKR1B10 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] With the ever-growing demand for high-capacity energy storage technologies, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have drawn increasing attention. Ti 2 B 2 , a typical two-dimensional MBenes material, has been considered as a strong contender for anode materials of LIBs with significant performance. However, the limited Li storage capacity of MBenes has hindered its wide applications. To address this issue, we have functionalized Janus-structured MBenes, denoted as Ti 2 B 2 X a X b (X a /X b = N, O, S, Se). Employing first-principles simulations based on density functional theory, we have investigated the geometric characteristics and electrochemical properties of Ti 2 B 2 X a X b. Our results reveal that Ti 2 B 2 NO exhibits an exceptionally large theoretical specific capacity of 1091.17 mAh·g−1, improved by 2.4 times compared with the pristine Ti 2 B 2 (456 mAh·g−1). Li atoms on the O side of Ti 2 B 2 NO possess a low diffusion barrier of 0.33 eV, which is conducive to the rapid charging and discharging of the battery. Moreover, the open-circuit voltage of Ti 2 B 2 NO within the safe voltage range of 0–1 V ensures the safety of battery operation. Overall, our study sheds light on understanding the underlying mechanism of surface functionalization on the Li storage properties of Janus-structured MBenes from atomic-scale, laying the groundwork for future design of high-performance anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Space High-cadence Observing Telescope (SHOT) is proposed to conduct a wide-field survey in one of the frequency bands between 1 and 3 THz with an aperture of 0.8 m. It will provide complete terahertz and far-infrared photometry with low-resolution spectroscopy throughout the sky, promoting the study of fast radio bursts, the formation and evolution of stars, and other scientific goals. The telescope will adopt a superconducting kinetic inductance detector to achieve a wide survey of terahertz imaging. This work designs the optical system of SHOT to obtain a large FOV of up to 1.5 deg and match the detector with the size of 60 mm × 60 mm and pixel pitch of 0.8 mm. The primary optical system adopts a Ritchey–Chrétien design. By adding a corrector lens to the optical system and optimization, the aberrations mainly caused by the optical elements in the detector system are reduced. The influence of each component assigned to different terahertz materials is analyzed. The results show that TPX is more suitable than the other two materials. The performance of the optimized optical system is close to its diffraction limit. It will have the characteristics of high image quality and compact layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In-depth studies on plant ion uptake and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) at the molecular level will help to further reveal the effects of PGPR on plants and their interaction mechanisms under salt stress. Methods: Cotton was inoculated with a PGPR-Enterobacter cloacae Rs-35, and the ion uptake capacity, membrane transporter protein activity, and expression of key genes were determined under salt stress. Changes in the endogenous hormone content of cotton were also determined. Further, the genome-wide metabolic pathway annotation of E. cloacae Rs-35 and its differential enrichment pathway analysis of multi-omics under salinity environments were performed. Results: In a pot experiment of saline-alkali soil, E. cloacae Rs-35-treated cotton significantly increased its uptake of K+ and Ca2+ and decreased uptake of Na+, elevated the activity of the H+-ATPase, and increased the sensitivity of the Na+/H+ reverse transporter protein on the vesicle membrane. Meanwhile, inoculation with E. cloacae Rs-35 could promote cotton to maintain the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content under salt stress. Genome-wide annotation showed that E. cloacae Rs-35 was respectively annotated to 31, 38, and 130 related genes in osmotic stress, phytohormone and organic acid metabolism, and ion uptake metabolic pathway. Multi-omics differences analysis showed that E. cloacae Rs-35 were enriched to tryptophan metabolism, multiple amino acid biosynthesis, carbon and glucose synthesis, and oxidative phosphorylation metabolic pathways at the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. Conclusion: E. cloacae Rs-35 can promote cotton balance cell ion concentration, stabilize intracellular IAA changes, stimulate induction of systemic tolerance, and promote the growth of cotton plants under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new DMF-derived ionic liquid electrolyte [EDMF]BF 4 was prepared, characterized and applied as a high-capacitance electrolyte for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). [EDMF]BF 4 was measured to have very high ionic conductivity and low viscosity (24.8 mS cm−1 and 21.6 mPa s at 25 °C), as well as a comparable electrochemical window (4.4 V, on a GC electrode) with [EMIm]BF 4 , which is one of the most widely studied ionic liquid electrolytes with high performance. Therefore, [EDMF]BF 4 was used as a non-volatile electrolyte for activated carbon-based EDLCs. The [EDMF]BF 4 -based EDLCs are capable to operate stably over a voltage of 2.7 V, and the specific capacitance of activated carbon was determined to be 165 F g−1 (100th cycle at 1 mA cm−2 and 30 °C), which is much larger than in the case of [EMIm]BF 4 (126 F g−1). Besides, [EDMF]BF 4 showed lower ohmic resistance and double layer resistance than [EMIm]BF 4 in EDLCs. The high performance of [EDMF]BF 4 electrolyte should be related to the quasi-linear [EDMF] cation of moderate size, which is presumably more suitable for enhanced ion mobility and compact electric double layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and progression. In this study, we aim to evaluate the expression of lncRNA FAM99B and its biological function in HCC. Methods: The expression level of FAM99B in HCC was assessed based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). HCCLM3 was transfected with lentivirus containing full-length FAM99B to obtain stable overexpressing cell line. Cell Counting Kit 8, clone formation, and transwell assays were used to investigate the effects of FAM99B in HCC progression. In addition, Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and PANTHER pathway analyses were conducted to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: FAM99B was found to be downregulated in HCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues based on TCGA, GEO, and qRT-PCR data. Our results revealed that downregulated FAM99B was significantly associated with vascular invasion, advanced histologic grade, and T stage. Kaplan–Meier analysis using TCGA data indicated that decreased FAM99B levels were significantly associated with poor overall survival in patients with HCC. Moreover, overexpression of FAM99B significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Pathway analyses showed that the co-expressed genes of FAM99B mainly participated in the pathways "Metabolic pathways" and "Blood coagulation". Conclusion: Our results suggest that FAM99B may serve as a tumor suppressor in HCC and may provide a promising therapy target for patients with HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, the anion exchange reaction of an organic cation chloride with excess KHCO 2 to synthesize formate-based ionic liquids (ILs) was performed in water, and the water-miscible IL products were easily obtained via salting-out phase separation caused by the excess KHCO 2. According to the synthesis results, a set of heuristic rules could be generated as follows. First of all, the more "hydrophobic" ILs required less amount of excess KHCO 2 for salting-out phase separation. Secondly, the amphiphilic ILs with a long cationic alkyl chain (e.g. , octyl) are likely to form reverse micelles to encapsulate inorganic salt (i.e. , KCl), resulting in relatively high residual contents of K+ and Cl−. Lastly, cooling would exert a positive effect on the salting-out phase separation and thus expand the application range of this method. For example, [C 2 -MIm]HCO 2 was prepared at −18 °C, because it has to be phase-separated out by cooling. The basic properties of these ILs were also thoroughly characterized and analyzed, such as melting point, thermal decomposition temperature, density, refractive index, surface tension, viscosity and conductivity etc. Highlights • Formate-based ionic liquids were prepared in water via salting-out phase separation. • [C 2 -MIm]HCO 2 was prepared at −18 °C via low temperature phase separation. • KHCO 2 was used as both reactant and salting-out agent. • The KHCO 2 dosage and reaction yield depend on the hydrophobicity of the product. • Thermophysical properties of ionic liquids were characterized and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphynes (GYs) are a novel type of carbon allotrope composed of sp and sp2 hybridized carbon atoms, boasting both a planar conjugated structure akin to graphene and a pore‐like configuration in three‐dimensional space. Graphdiyne (GDY), the first successfully synthesized member of GYs family, has gained much interest due to its fascinating electrochemical properties including a greater theoretical capacity, high charge mobility and advanced electronic transport properties, making it a promising material for energy storage applications for lithium‐ion and hydrogen storage. Various methods, including heteroatom substitution, embedding, strain, and nanomorphology control, have been employed to further enhance the energy storage performance of GDY. Despite the potential of GDY in energy storage applications, there are still challenges to overcome in scaling up mass production. This review summarizes recent progress in the synthesis and application of GDY in lithium‐ion and hydrogen storage, highlighting the obstacles faced in large‐scale commercial application of GDY‐based energy storage devices. Suggestions on possible solutions to overcome these hurdles have also been provided. Overall, the unique properties of GDY make it a promising material for energy storage applications in lithium‐ion and hydrogen storage devices. The findings presented here will inspire further development of energy storage devices utilizing GDY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MCM-48 mesoporous silica was functionalized with dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride, a quaternary ammonium salt with a long hydrophobic chain, to prepare a new sorbent for the dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) of seven endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) including 4-hexylphenol, 4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol in water. A series of differently functionalized MCM-48 materials were also synthesized, and they served as reference materials to study the mechanism. The developed DSPE method was combined with HPLC with fluorescence detection to evaluate the adsorption performance. The results indicated that the quaternary ammonium-functionalized MCM-48 mesoporous silica can be used as ideal sorbent for EDCs in water with recoveries of higher than 95% due to the electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic effect. Hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions in other synthesized materials could lead to about 25–30% increase in recoveries, but the results for polyhydroxy compounds were still not satisfying. The quaternary ammonium-functionalized MCM-48 mesoporous silica was successfully applied to the DSPE of EDCs in real water samples. The optimum extraction conditions were sorbent amount, 15 mg; desorption time; 5 min; elution volume, 0.8 mL; sample pH 3.0; and salt addition, 5 g/L. The limits of detection were in the range of 1.2–2.6 ng/L, while the limits of quantitation were in the range of 4.3–8.3 ng/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ingenious device has been designed to screen for effective aromatic plants to food preservation. • This study found that the essential oil of Monarda didyma L. can effectively inhibit the growth of blueberry pathogens. • The anti-fungi activity of the essential oil of M. didyma was improved by nano-emulsification. • The primary pathogen and initial point of infection of blueberry were identified. The reduction in blueberry harvest due to pathogen infection was reported to reach 80%. Essential oil (EO) can provide a new way to preserve blueberry. Here, in search for plants volatiles with preservation ability, a novel device was designed for the screening of aromatic plants led to the discovery of hit plant Monarda didyma L. Consequently, antifungi activity of M. didyma EO (MEO) and its nano-emulsion (MNE) were tested. 2 species of pathogenic fungi were isolated from blueberries, namely Alternaria sp. and Colletotrichum sp. were used as the target strains. In the in vitro activity test, the pathogenic were completely inhibited when the EO was 4 µL or 1.0 µL/mL. Compared with EO, MNE exhibited superior antimicrobial activity. Moreover, MNE can cause serious morphological changes and result in a decrease in the rot and weightlessness rate of blueberry. Hence, NME represents a promising agent for the preservation of postharvest blueberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Efficient Mo(VI)-Catalyzed Hydration of Nitrile with Acetaldoxime" by Xiaoyun Ma, Ying He and Ming Lu is presented.

Electrocoagulation (EC) which is characterized by in-situ generation of coagulant and hydroxide flocs with high absorption ability is an environmental-friendly process for treating wastewater with heavy metal ions and toxic organics. In order to get a systematic understanding of EC process, a steady state model considering electrochemical, hydrolysis reaction, mass and momentum transfer was established. The coagulant (Al 3+ ), H + and OH − are generated at the direction of streamline. However, the concentration of these species increases and reaches its maximum near inlet and after that they decrease gradually to a much lower level. We found that there are three areas in EC channel: acid front, base front and buffering area, which has also been found in electro-kinetic remediation. At the direction of streamline, the electro-generated Al 3+ is gradually hydrolyzed to hydroxides. The anionic and cationic hydroxides accumulate in acid front and base front respectively. The insoluble hydroxides will accumulate in buffering area, which could be considered as a trap for hydroxide flocs and pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between dietary patterns (DPs) and diabetes risk remains inconsistent in terms of intake and frequency. Objectives: To explore the association between dietary patterns (DPs) and diabetes risk. Methodology: We recruited 13,587 volunteers from a cohort study in Guangxi. Principal component analysis was used to define DPs, and logistic regression was used to explore the associations. Results: In both model 1 (grouped by history of diabetes) and model 2 (grouped by current Glu), frequencies of dessert intake and fruit intake are significantly different between people with and without diabetes risk (all p<0.01). Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses all show that a limited frequency of dessert intake (less than 3–4 times per week) significantly reduced diabetes risk before or after adjustment in both model 1 and model 2, and a more frequency of fruit intake (more than 3–4 times per week) significantly decreased diabetes risk in model 1. After sub-analysis by age and sex, the associations between diabetes risk and frequency of dessert intake and fruit intake still exist. Conclusion: The DPs of Southern Chinese in Guangxi were related to food abundance and frequency of intake. Habitual fruit intake and moderate frequencies of sweets were associated with decreased diabetes risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present new method for the selective hydration of nitriles into amides employs acetaldoxime and a simple transition-metal catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To investigate changes in corneal densitometry (CD) and visual quality following small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) in patients with mild-to-moderate myopia. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on 24 and 25 patients (46 eyes each) who underwent SMILE and LASEK, respectively, for mild-to-moderate myopia. The visual quality and CD values were recorded. Using the Pentacam Scheimpflug system, CD values were collected in three concentric optical zones at the depths of the anterior, central, and posterior layers. Efficacy, safety, predictability, corneal wavefront aberrations, and QoV scores were measured to evaluate visual quality. A correlation analysis was performed between changes in CD and clinical characteristics. Results. There were no statistical differences in efficacy and safety indices between the two groups. At 3 months postoperatively, a pronounced reduction in several zones was observed in the LASEK group (p < 0.05), whereas no obvious change was observed in the SMILE group. There were obvious changes in the CD values in several zones in the SMILE and LASEK groups (p < 0.05) after 1 year. The magnitude of the CD changes in the anterior and central corneal layers was smaller in the SMILE group than in the LASEK group (all p < 0.05). Lower HOAs, spherical aberration, and horizontal comas of the anterior and whole corneal surfaces were observed in the SMILE group. QoV scores were similar between the two groups. Conclusion. CD decreased in the SMILE and LASEK groups after 1 year; there was a smaller reduction in SMILE than in LASEK. SMILE and LASEK did not differ significantly in terms of safety and effectiveness in correcting mild-to-moderate myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The dual-responsive active packaging was constructed by in situ growth of MOF on TOCNF substrate. • The pectin coating "gatekeeper" can prevent the premature release of carvacrol. • The release of carvacrol could be triggered by acid condition and pectinase. • The CAR@ZIF-8/TOCNF/Pec film performed excellent antimicrobial activities. • The CAR@ZIF-8/TOCNF/Pec film can prolong the shelf life of fruits. Developing stimuli-responsive on-demand release systems is very important to effectively suppress microbial infections and excessive food decomposition. However, the commonly designed controlled release systems with a single responsiveness cannot accurately response to environmental changes in food packaging scenarios. Herein, a pH/enzyme dual-responsive active packaging was fabricated based on in situ growth of ZIF-8 nanoparticles (ZIF-8 NPs) on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose (TOCNF) film and loading with carvacrol (CAR), after that electrostatic adsorbing pectin as "gatekeeper" for fruit preservation. The developed CAR@ZIF-8/TOCNF/Pec film was able to respond to acidic condition and pectinase produced by microorganisms in the case of fungal infections during food storage, thus possessing a dual-responsive controlled-release function. The release rate of CAR reached approximately 86.84 ± 1.82 % at pH = 5.0 and reached 88.65 ± 1.86 % in the presence of pectinase (1.0 mg/mL) after 168 h. In addition, the CAR@ZIF-8/TOCNF/Pec film performed superior inhibition efficacy against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus , and Aspergillus niger. The CAR@ZIF-8/TOCNF/Pec film was highly effective in preserving the freshness of fungus-inoculated raspberries and mangoes, and inhibited the spread of fungal spores during storage for 5 and 7 days, respectively. Therefore, this work provided a promising, smart and eco-friendly strategy for on-demand and precise release of bioactive ingredients during food storage and preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study aimed to assess the ocular toxicity of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) by confocal microscopy, multifocal electroretinography (mfERG), and scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDxVCC) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: A cross-sectional, comparative case series study was retrospectively conducted on 61 patients under HCQ treatment for RA without fundoscopic anomalies (group 1), 65 RA patients with no HCQ treatment (group 2), and 27 normal subjects (group 3). A comprehensive ophthalmological examination, including confocal microscopy, mfERG, and GDxVCC, was performed in the three groups. Results: In group 1, the duration of treatment ranged from 19 to 96 months (54.9 ± 15.2 months). The mean cumulative dose of HCQ was 446.1 ± 164.0 g (range 114–864 g). Confocal microscopy revealed hyper-reflective abnormal particles in 45 patients (73.8%) and beaded, tortuous fibers in 34 patients (55.7%) in group 1. No corneal change was observed in the other two groups. The mfERG responses in the 6 concentric rings (R1–R6) among the three groups differed except at R3 (all p < 0.05), and data from R1–R6 were not significantly different between groups 2 and 3. The retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were statistically thinner in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Early signs of corneal and neural retina structure changes were detected in patients with RA treated with HCQ. Whether these findings should be a mark of drug recession still needs further study and more evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) often causes serious damage to central vision. The mechanisms behind it remain unclear. Method: In this study, monocular form deprivation was applied to induce high myopia, and 532-nm laser was employed to induce CNV in guinea pig. The development of neovascularization was measured comprehensively by fundus fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Gene expression was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Results: The proliferation of new blood vessels increased with time and peaked at 21 days. At each time point after laser photocoagulation, the incidence of CNV was higher in form-deprived myopia (FDM) group than in control group. Myopic CNV started earlier and decreased more slowly. The obvious continuous fluorescein leakage could last as long as 1 month. The expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increased and peaked at 14 days in both groups after laser photocoagulation. Moreover, after laser photocoagulation, miR-21 expression was upregulated in both groups, reached a peak at 7 days, with a level much higher in FDM group. In addition, miR-21 expression was positively correlated with VEGF and HIF-1α expression in both groups. Conclusion: miR-21 correlated with HIF-1α-VEGF signaling pathway may promote CNV formation in high-myopia guinea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: rs1999930 and rs4711751 have recently been identified as novel variants associated with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in populations of European ancestry. We aimed to investigate whether these two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with neovascular AMD (nAMD) or with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), a variant of AMD in Asians, using a Chinese case-control study. Methods: A total of 900 subjects, including 300 controls, 300 cases with nAMD and 300 cases with PCV, were included in the present study. Genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood leukocytes. The allelic variants of rs1999930 and rs4711751 were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The differences in allele distribution between cases and controls were tested by a χ2 test, with additional adjustments for age and gender using logistic regression. The statistical power was also calculated. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: No statistically significant association was observed between the two polymorphisms of nAMD or PCV phenotype (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). The difference remained insignificant after correction for age and gender (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). The statistical powers to detect the association between these two SNPs and nAMD or PCV range from 0.05 to 0.36, assuming conventional levels of statistical significance. Conclusions: In the present study, we could not replicate the reported association of these two SNPs and either nAMD or PCV in a Chinese population, suggesting that they are unlikely to be a major AMD and PCV susceptibility gene locus in the Chinese population. Considering the low power value, a large sample size is required to draw more reliable conclusions. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Vitamin C (Vc) has been found to promote corneal wound healing after alkali burns. However, the specific mechanism and functional modes are still unclear. The present study sought to assess the mechanisms of Vc function on corneal alkali burns. Methods. Eighty BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: a normal group without alkali injury (n = 10), an alkali injury group without any treatment (1-day group, n = 10), a Vc group treated with topical 10% Vc (Vc group, n = 30), and a control group treated with topical sterile water (control group, n = 30). Except in the blank control group, the alkali injuries were induced in one eye of each mouse. The mice in the treatment group were given Vc by topical application (q 1 h for 6 days), while those in the control group were given topical sterile water. The clinical evaluations, including corneal fluorescent staining, corneal opacity, and neovascularization, were assessed on days 1, 4, 7, and 10 using slit-lamp microscopy. Ten mice at each time point were sacrificed. The protein expressions in the corneas of p63, PCNA, CK3, MPO, CD31, and α-SMA were detected by immunohistochemistry to examine the corneal epithelial stem cells, corneal epithelium wound healing, corneal stroma inflammation, neovascularization, and fibrosis. Results. The scores of the corneal epithelium defects, corneal neovascularization, and corneal opacities in the Vc group were significantly decreased compared to the control group on day 10. We found that Vc promoted the activation of the corneal epithelial stem cells as shown by a higher number of p63-positive and PCNA-positive cells and an increased CK3 expression when compared with the control group p < 0.001 . The central corneal re-epithelialization was completed by day 10. Moreover, Vc inhibited MPO, CD31, and α-SMA expressions. These results first indicated that the frequent use of topical Vc in the first 6 days of corneal alkali burns alleviated corneal inflammatory cell infiltration, activated corneal epithelial stem cell activity, and reduced corneal neovascularization and fibrosis within 10 days. Conclusions. The study, therefore, showed the therapeutic benefits of Vc on corneal alkali burns and provided new insight into the mechanisms of Vc regulation on corneal wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanuts are frequently infected by Aspergillus strains and then contaminated by aflatoxins (AF), which brings out economic losses and health risks. AF production is affected by diverse environmental factors, especially water activity (aw). In this study, A. flavus was inoculated into peanuts with different aw (0.90, 0.95, and 0.99). Both AFB1 yield and conidia production showed the highest level in aw 0.90 treatment. Transcriptional level analyses indicated that AF biosynthesis genes, especially the middle- and later-stage genes, were significantly up-regulated in aw 0.90 than aw 0.95 and 0.99. AtfB could be the pivotal regulator response to aw variations, and could further regulate downstream genes, especially AF biosynthesis genes. The expressions of conidia genes and relevant regulators were also more up-regulated at aw 0.90 than aw 0.95 and 0.99, suggesting that the relative lower aw could increase A. flavus conidia development. Furthermore, transcription factors involved in sexual development and nitrogen metabolism were also modulated by different aw. This research partly clarified the regulatory mechanism of aw on AF biosynthesis and A. flavus development and it would supply some advice for AF prevention in food storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and straightforward method for the oxidation of benzyl halides and some related compounds to the corresponding carbonyl compounds is reported using hydrogen peroxide catalysed by 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) in water. The corresponding carbonyl compounds were obtained with excellent yields in a short time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trelagliptin succinate is a dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibitor which is used as a new long-acting drug for once-weekly treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In the present study, a rapid, sensitive and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated for separation and determination of trelagliptin succinate and its eight potential process-related impurities. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Xselect CSH™ C 18 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5.0 μm) column. The mobile phases comprised of 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in water as well as acetonitrile containing 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid. The compounds of interest were monitored at 224 nm and 275 nm. The stability-indicating capability of this method was evaluated by performing stress test studies. Trelagliptin succinate was found to degrade significantly in acid, base, oxidative and thermal stress conditions and only stable in photolytic degradation condition. The degradation products were well resolved from the main peak and its impurities. In addition, the major degradation impurities formed under acid, base, oxidative and thermal stress conditions were characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap). The method was validated to fulfill International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) requirements and this validation included specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision and robustness. The developed method in this study could be applied for routine quality control analysis of trelagliptin succinate tablets, since there is no official monograph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the association between proteomic changes and potential pathogenesis in the human cornea with respect to the duration of wearing soft contact lenses (SCLs). A total of 96 corneal stroma samples, obtained via small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), were equally grouped according to the duration of wearing SCL: 0Y, did not wear SCL; 5Y, wore SCL for<5 years; 5–10Y, wore SCL for 5–10 years; O10Y, wore SCL for>10 years. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify and quantify protein profiles in the corneal stroma. Expression levels of CO1A1, CO4A1, NFKB1, and IL6RB were determined using western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. This study quantified a total of 5,668 proteins across samples and identified 2,379 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) with significantly increased abundance in the three SCL-wearing groups compared with that in the non-SCL-wearing group. Compared with those in the 0Y group, the molecular functions of DEPs in the 5Y, 5–10Y, and O10Y groups were mainly related to translation regulator activity, antigen binding, peptidase inhibitor activity, participation in extracellular matrix (ECM) production, complement activation, and inflammatory responses. Pathway enrichment analysis of DEPs showed that the sphingolipid, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling pathways were activated in the human corneal stroma after long-term SCL use. Inflammation-related proteomic components in human corneal stroma increased after long-term use of SCL and may act as an essential factor in the molecular pathogenesis of corneal stroma damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]