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This study aims to investigate the relevant mechanism by which hydrazinocurcumin (HC) interferes with A431 cell autophagy by inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway. Different concentrations of HC are used to treat A431 cells to study the effects of HC on A431 cell proliferation and apoptosis. Real‐time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to further explore the relationship of HC with the JAK signaling pathway and autophagy. Double immunofluorescence staining is used to detect the fluorescence localization of LC3 and STAT3 after HC treatment. With increasing HC concentrations, A431 cell viability decreases in a dose‐dependent manner, and the apoptosis rate increases significantly. Laser confocal colocalization reveals that the fluorescence of labeled LC3 protein is significantly increased, and the fluorescence of labeled STAT3 is significantly reduced in this study. HC may induce autophagy in A431 cells and affect cell proliferation by downregulating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, rice straw biochar modified with Co3O4-Fe3O4 (RSBC@Co3O4-Fe3O4) was successfully prepared via calcinating oxalate coprecipitation precursor and employed as a catalyst to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the treatment of Rhodamine B (RhB)-simulated wastewater. The results indicated that RSBC@Co3O4-Fe3O4 exhibited high catalytic performance due to the synergy between Co3O4 and Fe3O4 doping into RSBC. Approximately 98% of RhB (180 mg/L) was degraded in the RSBC@Co3O4-Fe3O4/PMS system at initial pH 7 within 15 min. The degradation efficiency of RhB maintained over 90% after the fourth cycle, illustrating that RSBC@Co3O4-Fe3O4 displayed excellent stability and reusability. The primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) answerable for the degradation of RhB were 1O2, •OH, and SO4•−. Moreover, the intermediates involved in the degradation of RhB were identified and the possible degradation pathways were deduced. This work can provide a new approach to explore Co-based and BC-based catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor is one of the important factors affecting human life and health in today's world, and scientists have studied it extensively and deeply, among which autophagy and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway are two important research directions. The JAK/STAT3 axis is a classical intracellular signaling pathway that assumes a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and vascular neogenesis, and its abnormal cell signaling and regulation are closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. Therefore, the JAK/STAT3 pathway in tumor cells and various stromal cells in their microenvironment is often considered as an effective target for tumor therapy. Autophagy is a process that degrades cytoplasmic proteins and organelles through the lysosomal pathway. It is a fundamental metabolic mechanism for intracellular degradation. The mechanism of action of autophagy is complex and may play different roles at various stages of tumor development. Altered STAT3 expression has been found to be accompanied by the abnormal autophagy activity in many oncological studies, and the two may play a synergistic or antagonistic role in promoting or inhibiting the occurrence and development of tumors. This article reviews the recent advances in autophagy and its interaction with JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway in the pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peimine and peiminine are isosteroidal alkaloids with multiple biological activities, such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, but their cellular uptake and pharmacodynamics are unclear. In this study, a rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of peimine and peiminine concentrations in A549 cells. In the pharmacodynamic study, the selected inflammatory cytokines were IL-8, MMP-9, and TIMP-1. The results demonstrated that all calibration curves exhibited good linearity (r > 0.9970). The RSDs of intraday and interday precision and accuracy were less than 6.73% and 1.76% and 7.73% and 3.05% for peimine and peiminine, respectively. Moreover, the average analytic recoveries ranged from 83.85% to 113.67%, and the matrix effect was within 95.05%–111.29%. The uptake experiment showed a time-dependent characteristic in the A549 cells. The combination group had increased uptake and had a longer Tmax than the single group. In the experimental pharmacodynamics groups, the anti-inflammatory effects of the 100.0 µg/mL combination group were the most obvious. This investigation, for the first time, explores the cellular uptake profiles and pharmacodynamics of peimine and peiminine in A549 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We disclose an concise synthesis of alkynylcyclopropane derivatives containing adjacent quaternary carbon centers via a transition‐metal free cascade enyne rearrangement and cyclopropanation process. This methodology, started from a variety of allenylphosphine oxides and N‐tosylhydrazones, features the advantage of transition‐metal‐free, operational simplicity, wide substrate scope and good functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and rapid soft‐templating coupled with one‐pot solvent thermal method is developed to synthesize S‐doped magnetic mesoporous carbon (S‐doped MMC). In this method, phenolic resin is used as a carbon precursor and Pluronic copolymer P123 is used as a template and 2,5‐dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole is used as sulfur source. Prepared S‐doped MMC processes a high specific surface area, the Fe3O4 particles are well embedded in the mesoporous carbon walls that exhibit a strong magnetic response, and the hydrated iron nitrate loading amount of 0.808 g is the best. Batch adsorption experiments are carried out at different pH, initial concentration, temperature, and contact time on the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) by S‐doped MMC. The kinetic data of the adsorption process are better fitted with pseudo‐second‐order model than the pseudo‐first‐order model. Langmuir model is more suitable for the equilibrium data than Freundlich model. The thermodynamic parameters including ΔG0, ΔH0, and ΔS0 indicate that the adsorption is a feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic process. Finally, it is found that the coexistence of PO43−, NO3−, SO42−, Cl−, and CO32− does not influence the adsorption process. These results illustrate S‐doped MMC can be an efficient adsorbent for the removal of MO from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the functions of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) called FOXD2 adjacent opposite strand RNA 1 (FOXD2-AS1) have been well studied in multiple human cancer types, its expression status and detailed roles in cervical cancer remain unknown and merit investigation. This study was aimed at assessing FOXD2-AS1 expression in cervical cancer and at determining its effects on the aggressive behavior of cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. Expression of FOXD2-AS1 in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines was determined via reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. The effects of FOXD2-AS1 on cervical cancer cells were examined by a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow-cytometric analysis, migration and invasion assays, and an in vivo tumorigenicity assay. FOXD2-AS1 was found to be significantly upregulated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. High FOXD2-AS1 expression was notably linked with the Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, lymph node metastasis, and depth of cervical invasion in patients with cervical cancer. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed significantly shorter overall survival of patients when the tumor expression of FOXD2-AS1 was higher in comparison with those in patients with lower FOXD2-AS1 expression. In vitro functional assays revealed that downregulation of FOXD2-AS1 led to suppression of proliferation, migration, and invasiveness as well as to the induction of apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. In addition, FOXD2-AS1 silencing hindered tumor growth in vivo. Mechanism investigation revealed that FOXD2-AS1 functioned as a molecular sponge of microRNA-760 (miR-760). Furthermore, hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) was validated as a direct target gene of miR-760 in cervical cancer cells. Moreover, an miR-760 knockdown reversed the effects of FOXD2-AS1 silencing on cervical cancer cells. FOXD2-AS1 possesses significant oncogenic activity in cervical cancer progression; this activity is mediated by sponging of miR-760 with consequent upregulation of HDGF. The FOXD2-AS1 –miR-760–HDGF axis might harbor promising targets for novel treatment strategies of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel interpenetrated 2-fold Mn-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) (SC-7 and SC-8), assembled from the rigid ligand H3TATB (4,4′,4′′-s-triazine-2,4,6-triyl-tribenzoic acid) and Mn ions with the assistance of the flexible N-donor linker BIB (bis((1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzene) or TIPA (tris(4-imidazolylphenyl)amine), have been successfully prepared. The as-obtained MOFs show two distinct topological structures with the symbols 44·62 and (52·6)(53·6·73·82·9) due to discrepancies between the flexibilities of the bi-imidazole and tri-imidazole linkers. The electrodes based on the as-prepared bulk Mn-MOFs behave as alkaline batteries in electrochemical cells and deliver high capacities (279 and 172 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 for SC-7 and SC-8, respectively). Theoretical mechanism analyses indicate that the surface-controlled (k1v) process can be transformed into a diffusion-dominated (k2v1/2) process when the charging time exceeds 30 seconds in the MOF-based systems. Our research provides a new strategy to construct an increasing number of stable redox sites in MOFs for application to battery-capacitor hybrid devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple precipitation-calcination method was used to successfully prepare palygorskite (PAL)/CuO composite catalyst. As-prepared PAL/CuO composites were characterized by X-ray diffractions, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis diffused reflectance spectra. Photocatalytic activities of PAL/CuO composites were evaluated by the Cr(VI) reduction efficiency in the presence of tartaric acid under the illumination of visible light. Compared with a single component of PAL or CuO, the PAL/CuO composite catalyst showed outstanding photocatalytic performance, and Cr(VI) was completely reduced within 30 min. Effects of test parameters, such as initial pH, catalyst loading, and concentrations of tartaric acid, on the reduction efficiency of Cr(VI) have also been investigated. It is worth mentioning that the as-synthesized PAL/5.9CuO catalyst shows good reusability and can be effective in a wide range of pH (3–9) with quite high catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weedy rice infestation has been expanding with the increasing proportion of direct-seeded rice (DSR) systems in China. Limited herbicides are effective against weedy rice due to its high similarity with cultivated rice. Hence, it is important to figure out some non-chemical management strategies for weedy rice. One of the methods is to reduce the size of seed bank by inducing weedy rice germination. Petri dish germination experiment found that weedy rice with different seed morphologies showed an absence of primary dormancy. The field phenology study showed that weedy rice differed from cultivated rice in many features including plant height, number of tillers, fresh weight, and days required for earing when sown from 1 June to 1 October, and in the case of late sowings (between 1 August and 1 October), the plants produced no heads despite a high germination rate. Simulated field experiment to induce germination found that when soil moisture content was 22.2% and day/night temperatures were 20/15 °C, respectively, germination was more than 60% up to 10 days after sowing; at higher levels of soil moisture and temperature, germination was faster and germination percentage was higher. These results indicated that weedy rice seed bank size could be reduced by inducing the seed germination with post harvest irrigation as the seedlings would be killed overwinter in lower-middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China. • Some ecotypes of weedy rice seed showed an absence of seed dormancy. • Weedy rice phenology showed differed in many features sown from 1 June to 1 October. • Weedy rice produced no heads when sown after 1 August despite a high germination rate. • Flood irrigation before harvesting induced the seeds to germinate. • Seedlings cannot survive the winter and the seed bank will be reduced in the next year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of polyethyleneimine functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 by using a one-step solvothermal method is reported in this paper. The effect of the amount of polyethyleneimine on the properties of the prepared materials including the shape, size, and adsorption performance was investigated in detail. The magnetic adsorbent with the best adsorption capacity was prepared and used for the removal of Pb(II) in an aqueous medium. Adsorption experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of different sorption parameters, such as pH, initial concentration of Pb2+, and contact time. Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models were used for isotherm and kinetic studies, through which a maximum adsorption capacity of 143 mg g−1 could be calculated. Pb(II) could be desorbed from magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified with polyethyleneimine by 0.5 mol L−1 HCl and used for five cycles without any adsorption performance loss, indicating that the polymeric magnetic adsorbent used in this work had good reusability and great potential for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies and primarily presents with hyperandrogenism. Although environmental factors and genetic factors are thought to be the major reason, there still exists a lot of questions need to be answered. High expression of C-terminal-binding protein 1 antisense (CTBP1-AS) was identified as an independent risk factor for PCOS; however, the molecular mechanism of CTBP1-AS in PCOS regulation is unknown. In the present study, the expression level of CTBP1-AS was found to be significantly upregulated in patients with PCOS compared with healthy control patients. CTBP1-AS knockdown was demonstrated to reduce the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of granulosa tumor cells in vitro. It was also identified that the two core catalytic subunits of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2 and embryonic and ectoderm development protein) interacted with CTBP1-AS in primary granulosa cells and KGN cells. In addition, cryptotanshinone treatment was demonstrated to effectively downregulate CTBP1-AS expression level. Data from the present study suggested a pathophysiological role of CTBP1-AS in PCOS and may provide a new potential target for PCOS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel TiO2/hydroniumjarosite composite photocatalyst has been synthesized by a simple hard template method. X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet (UV)-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement were used to characterize the composite photocatalyst. Photocatalytic performance of the prepared composite catalyst was evaluated in a heterogeneous Fenton-like process using methyl orange (MO) as a probe contaminant. The TiO2/hydroniumjarosite composite exhibited remarkable enhancement on the photocatalytic activity compared with bare TiO2 or hydroniumjarosite toward the oxidation of MO under UV light irradiation. Increased light absorption intensity, larger specific surface area, and open porous structure are believed to be the main reasons for enhanced photocatalytic performance of TiO2/hydroniumjarosite composite. Results suggest that the as-prepared TiO2/hydroniumjarosite composite is an effective and promising photo-Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of MO and purification of wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]