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Background and Objectives: 4-Methylumbelliferone (4-MU) is a coumarin compound that can be extracted from the medicinal plant with anti-cancer properties, Smilax china L. In recent years, studies have revealed its potential as an anti-tumor and anti-metastasis drug with promising effects in cancer treatment. Despite an increase in research on the metabolic patterns of tumor cells, no prior research has suggested that 4-MU inhibits tumor proliferation by blocking glycolysis. This thesis presents evidence that 4-MU binds to proteins involved in glycolysis, thus mediating its anti-tumor effects. Materials and Methods: Network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and molecular docking were utilized to forecast the potential targets and probable pathways of 4-MU's anti-cancer activity, and the affinity of 4-MU towards potential targets was discovered using microscale thermophoresis (MST) detection. Results: The results of transcriptome analysis brought to light that the genes with differential expressions were primarily enriched in metabolic pathways, including glycolysis-related proteins. Using network pharmacology and molecular docking, our study identified Heat Shock Protein 90 Alpha Family Class A Member 1 (Hsp90AA1), mitochondria, phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD2), and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) as potential targets of 4-MU. The strong binding affinity between 4-MU and these proteins was confirmed by the MST assay. Conclusion: The findings indicate that 4-MU can hinder glycolysis by binding to glycolysis-associated proteins such as Hsp90AA1, PGK2, GPD2, and GPI. This results in the prevention of the energy supply to the tumor tissue, which ultimately curbs tumor growth, thereby demonstrating its anti-tumor properties. These results conclude that 4-MU has the capacity to be a novel glycolysis inhibitor for cancer treatment. Moreover, the identification of these glycolysis-associated proteins as possible targets for cancer therapy offers new avenues for research in the field of cancer treatment, thus providing further valuable evidence for the anti-cancer mechanism of 4-MU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a strategy for screening and validating of antioxidant compounds and components from leaves of yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius Poepp. and Endl.) by variable selection based on weight analysis. The theoretical basis of variable selection lies in that the varied quantity of variables will influence the activity results of samples. The ethyl acetate fraction (sample 0) with high DPPH scavenging activity was further separated using silica gel chromatographic column to obtain 17 subfractions (samples 1–17). The 18 samples contain different compounds exhibited different DPPH radical scavenging activities. Two components A and B with time range of 2.00–12.00 min and 53.00–64.00 min on the chromatogram were selected by variable selection, respectively. Simultaneously, a large number of compounds with different retention times (RTs) were screened out. Five predicted compounds, including chlorogenic acid, methyl caffeate, ethyl caffeate, homoeriodictyol, quercetin 3,7-dimethyl ether were isolated and verified by DPPH radical scavenging ability assay. The radical scavenging rates of those compounds were higher than that of ethyl acetate fraction and the positive control butylated hydroxyltoluene (BHT). Meanwhile, components A and B also show strong antioxidant activity. The radical scavenging activity of component A is higher than that of compounds which contained in component A, indicating the existence of synergistic antioxidant activity of compounds. The results of variable selection show that the proposed method is simple and reliable in screening the most active components and compounds. The method could be used for screening of compounds and components from other herbal plants with other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the prevalence and predictive variables of sarcopenia. Methods: We recruited participants from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital Multicenter Prospective Longitudinal Sarcopenia Study (PPLSS). Muscle mass was quantified using bioimpedance, and muscle function was quantified using grip strength and gait speed. Logistic regression revealed the relationships between sarcopenia and nutritional, lifestyle, disease, psychosocial and physical variables. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was 9.2%‐16.2% and 0.26%‐9.1%, respectively. Old age, single status, undernourishment, higher income, smoking, low physical activity, poor appetite and low protein diets were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age was a risk factor for all stages of sarcopenia, and participants above 80 years were greater than fivefold more susceptible to sarcopenia, while lower physical activity was an independent risk factor. The optimal cut‐off value for age was 71 years, which departs from the commonly accepted cut‐off of 60 years. Female participants were greater than twofold less susceptible to sarcopenia than male participants. The sterol derivative 25‐hydroxyvitamin D was associated with fourfold lower odds of sarcopenia in male participants. Several protein intake variables were also correlated with sarcopenia. Based on these parameters, we defined a highly predictive index for sarcopenia. Conclusions: Our findings support a predictive index of sarcopenia, which agglomerates the complex influences that sterol metabolism and nutrition exert on male vs female participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, metal-organic compounds have been considered as ideal sacrificial templates to obtain transition metal oxides for electrochemical applications due to their diverse structures and tunable properties. In this work, a new kind of cobalt-based metal organic compound with a layered structure was designed and prepared, which was then transformed into ultrafine cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanocrystallites via a facile annealing treatment. The obtained Co3O4 nanocrystallites further assembled into a hierarchical shale-like structure, donating extremely short ion diffusion pathway and rich porosity to the materials. The special structure largely alleviated the problems of Co3O4 such as inferior intrinsic electrical conductivity, poor ion transport kinetics and large volume changes during the redox reactions. When evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the shale-like Co3O4 (S-Co3O4) exhibited superior lithium storage properties with a high capacity of 1045.3 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA g−1 and good rate capabilities up to 10 A g−1. Moreover, the S-Co3O4 showed decent electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries due to the above-mentioned comprehensive merits (380 and 153.8 mA h g−1 at 50 and 5000 mA g−1, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plays an important role in comprehensive therapy for breast cancer, but response prediction is imperfect. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a novel technique that can quantitatively evaluate tissue stiffness. In this study, we sought to investigate the application value of SWE for early prediction of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. Methods: We prospectively evaluated tumor stiffness in 62 patients with breast cancer using SWE, which was performed at baseline and after the second cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, all of the patients underwent surgery. We investigated the correlations between the relative changes in tumor stiffness (Δ stiffness) after 2 cycles of chemotherapy and the pathologic response to the therapy. Results: Compared with baseline values, tumor stiffness after 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly decreased in responders (P <.001) but not in nonresponders (P =.172). The Δstiffness was significantly higher in responders (−42.194%) than in nonresponders (−23.593%; P =.001). As determined at either the baseline or after the second cycle of chemotherapy, tumor stiffness was significantly lower in responders than in nonresponders (P =.033 and.009, respectively). The Δ stiffness threshold for distinguishing between responders and nonresponders was −36.1% (72.92% sensitivity and 85.71% specificity). Furthermore, correlating Δ stiffness with clinical and pathologic characteristics, we found that estrogen and progesterone receptor expression showed statistically significant correlations with Δ stiffness (estrogen receptor, P =.008; progesterone receptor, P =.023). Conclusions: Early evaluation of relative changes in tumor stiffness using SWE could effectively predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer and might indicate better therapeutic strategies on a timelier basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol S (BPS) is an environmental endocrine disruptor widely used in industrial production. BPS induces oxidative stress and exhibits male reproductive toxicity in mice, but the mechanisms by which BPS impairs steroid hormone synthesis are not fully understood. Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2(Nrf2)/HO‐1 signaling is a key pathway in improving cellular antioxidant defense capacities. Therefore, this study explored the effects of exposure to BPS on testosterone synthesis in adult male mice and its mechanisms with regard to the Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathway. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to BPS (2, 20, and 200 mg/kg BW) with sesame oil as a vehicle (0.1 ml/10 g BW) per day for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that compared with the control group, serum testosterone levels were substantially reduced in the 20 and 200 mg/kg BPS treatment groups, and testicular testosterone levels were reduced in all BPS treatment groups. These changes were accompanied by a prominent decrease in the expression levels of testosterone synthesis‐related enzymes (STAR, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, HSD3B1, and HSD17B3) in the mouse testis. In addition, BPS induced oxidative stress in the testis by upregulating the messenger RNA and protein levels of Keap1 and downregulating the levels of Nrf2, HO‐1, and downstream antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD1, and Gpx4). In summary, our results indicate that exposure of adult male mice to BPS can inhibit Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling and antioxidant enzyme activity, which induces oxidative stress and thereby may impair testosterone synthesis in testicular tissues, leading to reproductive damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence of multidrug resistance among enterococci makes effective treatment of enterococcal infections more challenging. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are vulnerable to oral trauma and lesions as they feast on bamboo. Enterococci may contaminate such oral lesions and cause infection necessitating treatment with antibiotics. However, few studies have focused on the virulence and drug resistance of oral-derived enterococci, including Enterococcus faecium, in giant pandas. In this study, we analyzed the prevalence of 8 virulence genes and 14 drug resistance genes in E. faecium isolates isolated from saliva samples of giant pandas held in captivity in China and examined the antimicrobial drug susceptibility patterns of the E. faecium isolates. Results: Twenty-eight isolates of E. faecium were successfully isolated from the saliva samples. Four virulence genes were detected, with the acm gene showing the highest prevalence (89%). The cylA, cpd, esp, and hyl genes were not detected. The isolated E. faecium isolates possessed strong resistance to a variety of drugs; however, they were sensitive to high concentrations of aminoglycosides. The resistance rates to vancomycin, linezolid, and nitrofurantoin were higher than those previously revealed by similar studies in China and other countries. Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate the drugs of choice for treatment of oral E. faecium infection in the giant panda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downhole continuous spiral folded plate heaters that generate high temperature air to heat oil shale are an efficient method of in-situ oil shale extraction. In this paper, the physical model of downhole continuous spiral folded plate heater and the physical model of oil shale heating are established respectively, and Fluent software is used to numerically simulate the above physical model. The heat transfer characteristics, outlet temperature, and comprehensive performance of this heater under different mass flow rates and heating powers are studied, and the heater performance is analyzed by the above indexes. The heating parameters were used to heat the physical model of oil shale. The optimal working parameters were determined by heating time and cost, and the working parameters were used to heat the other four physical models of oil shale. The oil production rate, heating rate, and accumulated power consumption of oil shale were analyzed, and the results were analyzed. The results show that the continuous type spiral folded plate heater has the best performance with the operating parameters of 10 kW power and 0.01624 kg/s mass flow rate, and the model IV has the shortest heating time, the fastest oil yield, and the lowest cumulative power consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we designed ternary ZnSnO3 particle-reinforced Cu matrix composites and evaluated the hot deformation behavior of ZnSnO3/Cu composites. The hot deformation characteristics of typical dynamic recrystallization were probed by the resulting true stress–strain curves of ZnSnO3/Cu composites. The influences of deformation conditions, including temperatures (650–850 °C) and strain rates (0.01–5 s−1), on the flow stress of the designed composites were investigated. This revealed that the peak stress increased with the increasing of strain rate and decreasing of temperature. Additionally, the activation energy was calculated to be 237.05 kJ/mol and followed by yielding a constitutive equation for low-stress ZnSnO3/Cu composites. The processing maps established by dynamic materials model theory indicated that the designed composites possessed excellent hot workability, and then the processing parameters (790–850 °C and 0.01–0.04 s−1) of the ZnSnO3/Cu composites were determined for practical industrial production. Our work discloses the deformation behavior of ZnSnO3/Cu matrix composites and extends the rational process design for ternary ceramic/metal materials with excellent hot workability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims : Pseudomonas koreensis, a subgroup of the P. fluorescens complex, is a potential plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium. This study explored the mechanisms of plant growth promotion by P. koreensis and its potential to induce stress tolerance in tomato. Methods: Tomato plants in pots were inoculated with P. koreensis GS and cultured for 60 days. RNA sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to detect global transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in tomato leaves. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for quantification of plant hormones. Results: The inoculated plants showed more vigorous growth, with higher leaf chlorophyll content and shoot biomass compared with uninoculated controls. The activities of several defense enzymes (e.g., phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) were enhanced in the leaves of inoculated plants. A total of 737 differentially expressed genes were identified, which were related to plant hormone biosynthesis, MAPK signaling transduction, and polyphenol biosynthesis. The contents of specific metabolites related to plant growth and stress tolerance, including polyphenols (phenylpropanoids) and amino acids (tryptophanand and proline), were increased after inoculation. Plant hormones such as indole-3-acetic acid participated in plant growth promotion by P. koreensis. Conclusions: P. koreensis promoted plant growth and showed potential to induce stress tolerance in tomato by enhancing auxin and polyphenol-related pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used for the treatment of renal carcinoma. However, drug resistance remains the reason for failure of chemotherapy. Oridonin, extracted from Chinese herb medicine, displays anti-tumor effect in several types of cancer. Whether oridonin could enhance the effect of 5-FU in renal carcinoma has not been studied. Methods 786-O cells were used in the current study. Cell death was measured by MTT assay or live- and dead-cell staining assay. Glutathione (GSH) level was examined by ELISA. Necroptosis was identified by protein levels of receptors interaction protein-1 (RIP-1) and RIP-3, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1) release, and poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase-1 (Parp-1) activity. Using a xenograft assay in nude mice, we tested the anti-tumor effects of the oridonin combined with 5-FU. Results 5-FU only induced apoptosis in 786-O cells. Oridonin activated both apoptosis and necroptosis in 786-O cells. Oridonin-induced necroptosis was reversed by addition of GSH or its precursor N -acetylcysteine (NAC). Oridonin-induced necroptosis was associated by activated JNK, p38, and ERK in 786-O cells, which were abolished by GSH or NAC treatment. However, JNK, p38, and ERK inhibitors showed no effect on oridonin induced-cell death. GSH or NAC treatment partly abolished the synergistic effects of oridonin and 5-FU on cell death. Oridonin enhanced the cytotoxicity of 5-FU both in vitro and in vivo . Conclusion Oridonin enhances the cytotoxicity of 5-FU in renal cancer cells partially through inducing necroptosis, providing evidence of using necroptosis inducers in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the front and back cover and also talks about the editorial board and staff and advisory members and the research papers discussed in the periodical "Journal of Materials Chemistry A" .

The paper presents the results of an application of response surface method to aid the analysis of variation of static and dynamic properties of micromirror. The multiphysics approach was taken into account to elaborate finite element model of electrostatically actuated microdevice and coupled analyses were carried out to yield the results. Used procedure of metamodel fitting is described and its quality is discussed. Elaborated approximations were used to perform the sensitivity analysis as well as to study the propagation of variation introduced by uncertain and control parameters. The input parameters deal with geometry, material properties and control voltage. As studied output characteristics there were chosen the resultant static vertical displacement of reflecting surfaces and the resonance frequency related to the first normal mode of vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an explicit numerical method for accurate calculation of the scattering matrix and its poles, and apply this method to describe the multi-channel scattering in the multiple quantum-wells structures. The S-matrix is continued analytically to the unphysical region of complex energy values. Results of calculations show that there exist one or more S-matrix poles, corresponding to the over-barrier resonant states critical for the effect of the absolute reflection of holes in the energy range where only the heavy ones may propagate over barriers in a structure. Light- and heavy-hole states are described by the Luttinger Hamiltonian matrix. In contrast to the single quantum-well case, at some parameters of a multiple quantum-wells structure the number of S-matrix poles may exceed that of the absolute reflection peaks, and at different values of parameters the absolute reflection peak corresponds to different resonant states. The imaginary parts of the S-matrix poles and hence the lifetimes of resonant states as well as the widths of resonant peaks of absolute reflection depend drastically on the quantum-well potential depth. In the case of shallow quantum wells there is in fact a long-living over-barrier resonant hole state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems exist worldwide with Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI's). The Spray Research Group (SRG) have been working with relevant industries in developing a product which can provide a delivery system for treatment chemicals for surfaces, including the design and testing of a novel Spill-Return Atomiser (SRA) for this purpose. A comprehensive description of this atomiser has already been given. This paper reports on a new application of this atomiser and discusses the problem of spray coating for disinfection that has been considered very little in previous work. The related spray coating performance tests in developing the product are thus provided. The experimental work includes determining the required spray duration and the coverage area produced by different sprays, including the analysis of the effects of atomiser positions, configurations, and the required number of atomisers. Comparison is made with the efficacy of an ultrasonic gas atomiser that is currently used for this purpose. The investigation has found that the utilisation of fine sprays (10μm>D32>25μm) at high liquid pressure (<12MPa) and low flow rates (<0.3 l/min) is suitable for surface disinfection in healthcare applications (i.e. MRSA, VRSA etc). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser mass spectrometry is a new chemical trace analysis method with high selectivity, sensitivity and speed. The mass-resolved resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectra of chloroethylenes-trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene are firstly reported in the range 305.0-325.0 nm. The mass-resolved excited spectra and laser power index of fragment ions CCl+ are presented. The experimental results indicate that 310.8 nm is the suitable ionization wavelength for detection of trichloroethylene and 322.5 nm for the detection of tetrachloroethylene in this wavelength range. The detection limits of these two chloroethylenes of concentration range expressed in µg/L are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]