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It is intriguing to modulate the fluorescence emission of DNA-scaffolded silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) via confined strand displacement and transient concatenate ligation for amplifiable biosensing of a DNA segment related to SARS-CoV-2 (

Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis), also called red bean, is a legume of Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family. This crop is native to East Asia and is also commercially available in other parts of the world. It is becoming a research focus owing to its distinct nutritional properties (e.g., abundant in polyphenols). The diverse health benefits and multiple utilization of this pulse are associated with its unique composition. However, there is a paucity of reviews focusing on the nutritional properties and potent applications of adzuki beans. This review summarizes the chemical compositions, physicochemical properties, health benefits, processing, and applications of adzuki beans. Suggestions on how to better utilize the adzuki bean are also provided to facilitate its development as a functional grain. Adzuki bean and its components can be further developed into value-added and nutritionally enhanced products.

Four new sesquiterpene quinone meroterpenoids, dysideanones F-G (1-2) and dysiherbols D-E (3-4), were isolated from the marine sponge Dysidea avara collected from the South China Sea. The new structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data including HR-MS and 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and their absolute configurations were assigned by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD calculations. Anti-inflammatory evaluation showed that dysiherbols D-E (3-4) exhibited moderate inhibitory activity on TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation in human HEK-293T cells with IC

Around the whole world, smoking is considered harmful to human health, such as increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD, such as coronary heart disease and stroke) and lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore whether nicotine, the main component of tobacco, has adverse effects on heart rate variability (HRV) in adolescents, so as to remind adolescents not to smoke and not to take pleasure in abusing nicotine. In this study, 40 male and 40 female young healthy nonsmoking subjects were selected to analyze the changes of HRV after taking 4 mg nicotine orally. We found that nicotine reduced HRV in young healthy male and female subjects, and there was no gender difference in this effect ( P > 0.05 ). In conclusion, smoking is harmful to the cardiac system of young people, especially when nicotine content ≥4 mg dosage.

BACKGROUND: The study of unstable atherosclerotic plaques is limited by the absence of ideal animal models to reproduce the plaque instability observed in humans. In this study, we attempted to develop a novel animal model for vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques using dehydrated ethanol lavage in rabbits fed a Western diet (WD). METHODS: A total of 30 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were randomized to 5 groups, including a control group with or without WD, a balloon injury with WD group, and an ethanol injury with or without WD group. Operations were conducted using the right common carotid artery as the target vessel. All animals were followed up for 3 months unless a vascular event occurred. Blood samples and carotid artery specimens were ultimately collected for analysis of atherogenesis. RESULTS: Compared to rabbits in which lesions were induced by balloon injury, those subjected to an ethanol lavage with high cholesterol diet showed progressive atherosclerotic lesions in all carotid artery segments, which were characterized by greater plaque burden, smaller minimum lumen area (MLA), and increased vulnerability as indicated by abundant macrophages, scattered smooth muscle cell (SMC) composition, higher matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in plaques, thinner fibrous cap thickness, and higher possibility of stroke event (50% vs. 0%). Meanwhile, the serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels in the ethanol injury group with a high-cholesterol diet were significantly higher than those in the balloon injury group after 3 months (all P

A major challenge to the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) is the development of resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and chemotherapy. It is imperative to discover effective therapies to overcome drug resistance and improve clinical outcomes. We have developed a novel class of silicon-containing compounds and evaluated the anticancer activities and mechanism of action using cellular and animal models of drug-resistant PCa. Five organosilicon compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activities in the NCI-60 panel and established drug-resistant PCa cell lines. GH1504 exhibited potent in vitro cytotoxicity in a broad spectrum of human cancer cells, including PCa cells refractory to ADT and chemotherapy. Molecular studies identified several potential targets of GH1504, most notably androgen receptor (AR), AR variant 7 (AR-v7) and survivin. Mechanistically, GH1504 may promote the protein turnover of AR, AR-v7 and survivin, thereby inducing apoptosis in ADT-resistant and chemoresistant PCa cells. Animal studies demonstrated that GH1504 effectively inhibited the in vivo growth of ADT-resistant CWR22Rv1 and chemoresistant C4-2B-TaxR xenografts in subcutaneous and intraosseous models. These preclinical results indicated that GH1504 is a promising lead that can be further developed as a novel therapy for drug-resistant PCa.

In this work, the CeO2-decorated SrLi2Ti6O14 anode was successfully prepared through a solid-state process. The space-charge effect induced by the internal adsorption of ions on the CeO2 surface can easily result in a formation of an excellent conductive interfacial layer between CeO2 and SrLi2Ti6O14. The good electrical contact between CeO2 and SrLi2Ti6O14 offers more active sites for the electrolyte storage and redox reaction, and promotes the intercalation/deintercalation of lithium ions, and thus improves the rate performance and cycle stability. Due to its unique structure and composition, the CeO2-decorated SrLi2Ti6O14 composites exhibit high reversible capacities, good cycle performance and outstanding rate performance. Especially, the CeO2 (5 wt%)-decorated SrLi2Ti6O14 anode shows the most excellent electrochemical performance, which delivers a large charge capacity of 121.3 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention of 94.48% after 100 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. However, the corresponding charge capacity and capacity retention of pristine SrLi2Ti6O14 are 100.5 mAh g−1 and 86.77%, respectively. The CeO2(5 wt%)-decorated SrLi2Ti6O14 with enhanced rate capacity, cycle stability and structural stability is a potential electrode material candidate for Li-ion battery.

Sprouts are recognized as nutritional and functional vegetables. In this study, 17 selected seeds were germinated simultaneously. The antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content (TPC) were determined for seeds and sprouts of all species. Both seed and sprout of white radish, with the highest antioxidant capacity, and TPC among all the 17 species, were further determined for phenolic metabolomics. Four phenolic classes with 316 phenolic metabolites were identified. 198 significantly different metabolites with 146 up-regulated and 52 down-regulated were confirmed, and high amounts of phenolic acids and flavonoids were found to be accumulated in the sprout. Several metabolism and biosynthesis, including phenylpropanoid, favone and flavonol, phenylalanine, and various secondary metabolites, were significantly activated. Significant correlations were found among FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, TPC, and phenolic profiles. Therefore, white radish sprout could be served as antioxidant and could be a good source of dietary polyphenols.

BackgroundCysteine-rich 61 (CYR61) is implicated in many pulmonary diseases. However, the relationship between CYR61 and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients was unknown. This research aimed to estimate the correlations of serum CYR61 with severity and prognosis in CAP patients through a prospective cohort study.MethodsAll 541 CAP patients were enrolled in this study. Fasting venous blood was collected. Clinical characteristics and demographic information were obtained. CYR61 and inflammatory cytokines were detected in serum using ELISA.ResultsSerum CYR61 was gradually increased in parallel with severity scores in CAP patients. Correlative analysis indicated that serum CYR61 was strongly associated with many clinical parameters in CAP patients. Moreover, mixed logistic and linear regression models found that there were positive correlations between serum CYR61 and CAP severity scores after adjusted for age, BMI, and respiratory rate. Stratified analyses suggested that age affected the associations between serum CYR61 and severity scores. On admission, higher serum CYR61 levels elevated the risks of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agent, ICU admission, death, and longer hospital stays during hospitalization. Moreover, serum CYR61 in combination with severity scores upregulated the predictive capacities for severity and death than single serum CYR61 or severity scores in CAP patients.ConclusionThere are significantly positive dose-response associations of serum CYR61 on admission with the severity and adverse prognostic outcomes, demonstrating that CYR61 is involved in the pathophysiology of CAP. Serum CYR61 may be used as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis in CAP patients.

Theabrownins (TBs) in dark tea have received increasing attention for their multiple health benefits. In this study, ultrasound assisted extraction with deep eutectic solvent (UAE-DES) was developed for the extraction of TBs from Kangzhuan dark tea (KZDT). The highest yield (12.59%) of TBs was obtained using UAE-choline (ChCl)/malic acid (MA) with a liquid to solid ratio of 20:1 (v/w), ultrasonic power of 577 W, ultrasonic time of 25 min, and water content of 30%. TBs were further eluded by silica gel to obtain six theabrownine fractions (TBFs), namely, TBFs1, TBFs2, TBFs3, TBFs4, TBFs5, and TBFs6. LC-MS/MS revealed that flavonoids, terpenes, phenolic acids, alkaloids, lipids, and amino acids are the leading components of TBFs. The TBFs4, with the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP values of 45.08 ± 0.42 μM Ascorbic acid/g DW, 178.52 ± 0.29 μM Trolox/g DW, and 370.85 ± 6.00 μM Fe(II)/g DW, respectively, showed the highest antioxidant activity among all the TBFs. Overall, this study first provided the evidence that UAE-ChCl/MA combining with silica gel was effective to extract TBs from KZDT, and the 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin-6-glucoside and neohesperidin were found as the leading compounds in the TBFs, providing a guidance for the chemical research and further utilization of dark tea and its TBs.

Background The 2019 Bosniak classification (version 2019) of cystic renal masses (CRMs) provides a systematic update to the currently used 2005 Bosniak classification (version 2005). Further validation is required before widespread application. Purpose To evaluate the interobserver agreement of MRI criteria, the impact of readers' experience, and the diagnostic performance between version 2019 and version 2005. Materials and Methods From January 2009 to December 2018, consecutive patients with CRM who had undergone renal MRI and surgical-pathologic examination were included in this retrospective study. On the basis of version 2019 and version 2005, all CRMs were independently classified by eight radiologists with different levels of experience. By using multirater κ statistics, interobserver agreement was evaluated with comparisons between classifications and between senior and junior radiologists. Diagnostic performance between classifications by dichotomizing classes I-IV into lower (I-IIF) and higher (III-IV) classes was compared by using the McNemar test. P < .05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. Results A total of 207 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 49 years ± 12; 139 male and 68 female patients) with CRMs were included. Overall, interobserver agreement was higher with version 2019 than version 2005 (weighted κ = 0.64 vs 0.50, respectively; P < .001). Interobserver agreement between senior and junior radiologists did not differ between version 2019 (weighted κ = 0.65 vs 0.64, respectively; P = .71) and version 2005 (weighted κ = 0.54 vs 0.46; P < .001). Diagnostic specificity for malignancy was higher with version 2019 than with version 2005 (83% [92 of 111] vs 68% [75 of 111], respectively; P < .001), without any difference in sensitivity (89% [85 of 96] vs 84% [81 of 96]; P = .34). Conclusion In the updated Bosniak classification, interobserver agreement improved and was unaffected by observers' experience. The diagnostic performance with version 2019 was superior to that with version 2005, with higher specificity. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Choyke in this issue.

Sweet tea (

The high geological background and the residual pollution of historical zinc smelting in the karst area of northwest Guizhou has led to serious soil heavy metal pollution. In order to understand the characteristics of soil heavy metal pollution in agricultural land, wasteland, and forestland, 126 surface and profile soil samples were collected from a typical zinc powder factory-polluted small watershed in Weining County, Northwest Guizhou Province. The concentrations and distribution characteristics of Cd, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn in soils were studied. The results showed that the average

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is a very popular health drink and has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to its various bioactive substances. Among them, L-theanine, a unique free amino acid, is one of the most important substances in tea and endows tea with a special flavor. Moreover, L-theanine is also a bioactive compound with plenty of health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anticancer, metabolic regulatory, cardiovascular protective, liver and kidney protective, immune regulatory, and anti-obesity effects. Due to the unique characteristics and beneficial functions, L-theanine has potential applications in the development of functional foods. This review summarized the influencing factors of L-theanine content in teas, the main health benefits and related molecular mechanisms of L-theanine, and its applications in food, understanding of which can provide updated information for the further research of L-theanine.

The increasing demand of hemp (

A novel endoglucanase gene (1425 bp), designated thrcel5A, was cloned from Thermoactinospora rubra YIM 77501Tand determined to be a member of glycoside hydrolase family 5. The putative amino acid sequence displayed 76% conservation with reported endoglucanases (GenBank: SCG57304.1) from Micromonospora siamensis. Thrcel5A was expressed in Escherichia coli BL 21 (DE3) and purified using Ni2+-affinity chromatography. The resulting purified protein displayed high hydrolytic activity against the sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose and β-(1, 3; 1, 4)-glucans from barley and beechwood xylan, with specific activities of 85.7 ± 1.5, 120.3 ± 2.6, and 22.9 ± 1.1 U/mg, respectively. The optimal pH and temperature for the recombinant enzyme were determined to be 8.5 and 60 °C, respectively. Additionally, ThrCel5A was thermotolerant as it retained more than 60% of its original activity after an incubation at 60 °C for 2 h. Moreover, ThrCel5A can hydrolyze β-(1, 3; 1, 4)-glucan into prebiotics, such as cellobiose, cellotriose, and cellotetrose. Its endoglucanase activity was significantly affected by link sequences and CBM2. Due to being an alkali-tolerant, thermostable, and multifunctional cellulolytic enzyme, ThrCel5A is an attractive candidate for use in production of prebiotics.

Background Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the mainstay of treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Unfortunately, although ADT initially prolongs survival, most patients relapse and develop resistance. Clinical failure of these treatments in CRPC highlights the urgent need to develop novel strategies to more effectively block androgen receptor (AR) signaling and target other oncogenic factors responsible for ADT resistance. Methods We developed a small-molecule compound LG1836 and investigated the in vitro and in vivo activity of LG1836 against CRPC in cellular and animal models. Results LG1836 exhibits potent in vitro cytotoxicity in CRPC cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that LG1836 inhibits the expression of AR and AR variant 7, partially mediated via proteasome-dependent protein degradation. LG1836 also suppresses survivin expression and effectively induces apoptosis in CRPC cells. Significantly, as a single agent, LG1836 is therapeutically efficacious in suppressing the in vivo growth of CRPC in the subcutaneous and intraosseous models and extends the survival of tumor-bearing mice. Conclusions These preclinical studies indicate that LG1836 is a promising lead compound for the treatment of CRPC.

Three unusual chlorinated PKS-NRPS hybrid metabolites, flavipesides A-C (1-3), were isolated from a strain of marine sponge symbiotic fungus Aspergillus flavipes 164013. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, and absolute configurations were assigned by single-crystal X-ray diffraction with ECD spectral analysis. Flavipesides A-C showed potent pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 0.07-0.23 μM.

Herein we report an oxidative coupling reaction for N–S/S–S bond formation substituted N,N′-disulfanediyl bis(N′-((E)-benzylidene)acetohydrazide). It provides a direct approach for the synthesis of disulfides with good yields.

Tea (

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of polymerase-chain-reaction by saliva.We searched Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. A case-control or cohort study designed to explore the saliva specimens for diagnosing the cytomegalovirus infection was eligible for this study. Sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated.Nine articles were selected for the meta-analysis. For assessing saliva PCR with urine culture, the SEN, SPE, and DOR were 0.97 [95% confidential interval (CI):0.61,1.00] 1.00 [95%CI:0.99, 1.00] 15672 [95%CI:558, 440325], respectively; for assessing saliva PCR with urine PCR, the SEN, SPE, and DOR were 0.87 [95%CI:0.79, 0.92] 1.00 [95%CI:1.00, 1.00] 15637 [95%CI:5946, 41126], respectively; for total assessment, the SEN, SPE, and DOR were0.91 [95%CI:0.70, 0.98] 1.00 [95%CI:1.00, 1.00] 8493 [95%CI:1429, 50487], respectively.We reported that saliva PCR performed well in the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection.

Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV), is an acute infectious disease transmitted by ticks that has recently been identified. There are no reports of epidemic serotypes in Liaoning Province, PR China. The aim of this study was, therefore, to identify genotypes of SFTSV in this province. Methods In 2019, quantitative PCR testing was performed on 17 patients suspected of being infected with SFTS in Liaoning Province and on 492 ticks from the counties and cities surrounding the patients’ residences. Four samples were subjected to virus isolation and whole-genome amplification. Results Molecular diagnostic results confirmed SFTSV infection in five of the 17 suspected cases of SFTS and in 12 of the 492 ticks, with a prevalence of 2.4%. Four strains of SFTSV were successfully isolated from patients’ blood and ticks. Phylogenetic analysis after whole-genome amplification and sequencing showed that they all belonged to genotype A of SFTSV. Conclusions This study is the first to determine the genotype of SFTSV in patients and ticks in Liaoning Province, PR China. The results deepen our understanding of the SFTS epidemic and provide information on the variability in mortality rate among genotypes. Graphical Abstract

Background To investigate occasional hypertension in preschool children aged 5–6 years, and to analyze its association with overweight or obesity to provide the basis for early prevention. Methods Cluster random sampling was used to select 63 out of 1,802 kindergartens in 16 districts of Tianjin from 2016 to 2018. Blood pressure, height, and weight were measured among 21,393 children aged 5–6 years. A retrospective questionnaire survey was conducted to collect environmental factors. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between overweight or obesity and occasional hypertension, after adjustment for environmental factors. Results The prevalence of high blood pressure in preschool children of Tianjin was 11.9%, and the rate of occasional hypertension was 17.5%. The detection rate of abnormal blood pressure in overweight and obese children was significantly higher than that in normal weight children (P < 0.01). After adjusted for environmental factors, overweight and obesity were positively associated with high blood pressure and occasional hypertension. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of overweight for high blood pressure and occasional hypertension was 1.61 (1.41–1.83) and 1.79 (1.61–1.99), respectively; and odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of obesity for high blood pressure and occasional hypertension was 2.15 (1.85–2.50) and 3.16 (2.82–3.53), respectively. Conclusions Overweight and obesity increase the risk of occasional hypertension in preschoolers.

Despite the recent successes in siRNA therapeutics, targeted delivery beyond the liver remains the major hurdle for the widespread application of siRNA in vivo. Current cationic liposome or polymer-based delivery agents are restricted to the liver and suffer from off-target effect, poor clearance, low serum stability, and high toxicity. In this study, we have genetically engineered a non-cationic tumor-targeted universal siRNA nanocarrier. This protein nanocarrier consists of three function domains: dsRNA binding domain (dsRBD) (from human protein kinase R) for any siRNA binding, 18-histidines for endosome escape, and two RGD peptides at N-and C-termini for targeting tumor and tumor neovasculature. We showed that cloned dual-RGD-dsRBD-18his (dual-RGD) protein protects siRNA against RNases, induces effective siRNA endosomal escape, specific targets on integrin αvβ3 expressing cells in vitro, and homes siRNA to tumor in vivo. The delivered siRNA leads target gene knockdown in the cell lines and tumor xenografts with low toxicity. This multifunctional, biomimetic, charge-neutral siRNA carrier is biodegradable, low toxic, suitable for mass production by fermentation, and serum stable, holding great potential to provide a widely applicable siRNA carrier for tumor-targeted siRNA delivery.

Background: The previous studies have revealed that IL-27 was involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary inflammatory diseases. However, the role of IL-27 in the community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was unclear. The goal of this research was to explore the associations of serum IL-27 with the severity and prognosis among CAP patients through a prospective cohort study.Methods: The whole of 239 healthy population and 239 CAP patients were enrolled. Fasting blood samples were collected. Inflammatory cytokines were detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Demographic characteristics and clinical information were analyzed. Results: Serum IL-27 was significantly risen in CAP patients compared with control subjects on admission. Besides, serum IL-27 was gradually increased in line with CAP severity scores among CAP patients. Analysis on relevance suggested that serum IL-27 was associated with blood routine indices, renal function, liver function, myocardial function and inflammatory cytokines. Linear regression and logistic regression revealed that serum IL-27 was positively correlated with CAP severity scores. Logistic regression demonstrated that serum IL-27 on admission was positively correlated with vasoactive agent usage and longer hospital stay during hospitalization among CAPO patients. Conclusions: Serum IL-27 is markedly and positively associated with the severity and poor prognosis among CAP patients, indicating that IL-27 may involve in the pathophysiological process of CAP. Serum IL-27 may be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CAP patients.

BackgroundResistin is an endogenous ligand of Toll-like receptor 4 that activates several inflammatory signals. But the physiological function of resistin in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains unknown. The goal of this research was to explore the associations between serum resistin and the severity and prognosis in CAP patients through a retrospective cohort study.MethodsAll 212 CAP patients and 106 healthy cases were enrolled. Demographic characteristics were extracted. Serum resistin was determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prognosis was tracked in CAP patients.ResultsSerum resistin on admission was raised in CAP patients compared with control cases. The level of resistin was gradually increased in parallel with CAP severity scores in CAP patients. Pearson and Spearman analyses revealed that serum resistin was positively correlated with CAP severity scores, white blood cells, urea nitrogen, creatinine, and inflammatory cytokines among CAP patients. There were negative relationships between resistin and hematocrit and albumin in CAP patients. Besides, linear and logistic regression analyses further indicated that serum resistin on admission was positively associated with CAP severity scores among CAP patients. Follow-up research revealed that serum resistin elevation on admission prolonged hospital stay in CAP patients.ConclusionSerum resistin on admission is positively correlated with the severity and hospital stay in CAP patients, indicating that resistin may be involved in the physiological process of CAP. Serum resistin may be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis for CAP.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background Brachydactyly, a developmental disorder, refers to shortening of hands/feet due to small or missing metacarpals/metatarsals and/or phalanges. Isolated brachydactyly type E (BDE), characterized by shortened metacarpals and/or metatarsals, consists in a small proportion of patients with Homeobox D13 (HOXD13) or parathyroid-hormone-like hormone (PTHLH) mutations. BDE is often accompanied by other anomalies that are parts of many congenital syndromes. In this study, we investigated a Chinese family presented with BDE combined with pectus carinatum and short stature. Methods A four-generation Chinese family was recruited in June 2016. After informed consent was obtained, venous blood was collected, and genomic DNA was extracted by standard procedures. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to screen pathogenic mutation, array comparative genomic hybridization (Array-CGH) analysis was used to analyze copy number variations, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), stride over breakpoint PCR (gap-PCR), and Sanger sequencing were performed to confirm the candidate variation. Results A 3.06-Mb deletion (chr12:25473650–28536747) was identified and segregated with the phenotype in this family. The deletion region encompasses 23 annotated genes, one of which is PTHLH which has been reported to be causative to the BDE. PTHLH is an important regulator of endochondral bone development. The affected individuals showed bilateral, severe, and generalized brachydactyly with short stature, pectus carinatum, and prematurely fusion of epiphyses. The feature of pectus carinatum has not been described in the PTHLH-related BDE patients previously. Conclusions The haploinsufficiency of PTHLH might be responsible for the disease in this family. This study has expanded the knowledge on the phenotypic presentation of PTHLH variation.

Several series of novel tryptophan-derived rhodanine derivatives were synthesized and identified as potential competitive PTP1B inhibitors and antibacterial agents. Among the compounds studied, 10b was found to have the best in vitro inhibition activity against PTP1B (IC50 = 0.36 ± 0.02 μM). In addition, the compounds also showed potent inhibition against other PTPs, especially CDC25B. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that compounds 7c and 10b could occupy both the catalytic site and the adjacent pTyr binding site simultaneously. The compounds also showed higher levels of activity against gram-positive strains, the gram-negative strain Escherichia coli 1924, and multidrug-resistant gram-positive bacterial strains. Compounds 7c, 8c, 9e, 10a, and 10c had comparable or more potent antibacterial activity than the positive controls.

Sweet tea (Lithocarpus litseifolius [Hance] Chun) is a new resource for food raw materials, with plenty of health functions. This study aimed to investigate the preventive effect and potential mechanism of sweet tea extract (STE) against ulcerative colitis (UC). Briefly, BABL/c mice were treated with STE (100 and 400 mg/kg) for 2 weeks to prevent 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC. It was found that STE supplementation significantly prevented DSS-induced UC symptoms; suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as myeloperoxidase and tumor necrosis factor-α; increased the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines; and up-regulated the expression of tight junction proteins (Zonula occludens-1 and Occludin). STE also altered the gut microbiota profile of UC mice by increasing Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Alistipes and inhibiting Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Helicobacter, accompanied by a significant increase in the content of butyric acid. Moreover, STE increased the expression of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 43 and GPR109A and inhibited the expression of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) in the colon. In conclusion, this study indicated that STE has a good preventive effect on UC by regulating gut microbiota to activate butyrate-GPR-mediated anti-inflammatory signaling and simultaneously inhibit HDAC3/NF-κB inflammatory signaling.

Considering the effects of molecular symmetries, a series of novel organic small molecule hole-transporting materials are simulated by using density functional theory (DFT) and Marcus theory of electron transfer. As a fundamental understanding, the energy level alignments and the charge transport properties are explored for their potential applications. Our results show that, compared with the dissymmetric cases, the symmetric molecules exhibit obvious advantages with more deep energy levels, more delocalized frontier molecular orbitals, and more blue-shifted absorption spectra. By adding oxygen-bridge and sulfur-bridge in the core unit of spiro-OMeTAD, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels of new designed molecules are obviously down-shifted from −5.08 eV to −5.20 eV, whereas the linked nitrogen-bridge makes the HOMOs up-shifted due to its strong electron-donating capacity. Meanwhile, our results also indicate that the delocalized frontier molecular orbitals in symmetric cases can effectively enhance the electronic coupling between adjacent molecules, and coupled with the lower reorganization energies, the high hole mobilities are obtained. In addition, inserting linked atoms in core unit or changing molecular symmetry only have slightly influences on the aspects of electron-hole dissociation, solubility and stability. Through systemic investigations, several promising candidates are proposed toward more efficient PSCs, and we hope that our work could provide some clues for the experimentalists to design and synthesize new small molecule materials.

Background Previous studies found that S100A9 may involve in the pathophysiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the role of S100A9 was unclear in the CAP. The goal was to explore the correlations of serum S100A9 with the severity and prognosis of CAP patients based on a prospective cohort study. Methods A total of 220 CAP patients and 110 control subjects were recruited. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Serum S100A9 and inflammatory cytokines were measured. Results Serum S100A9 was elevated in CAP patients on admission. Serum S100A9 was gradually elevated parallelly with CAP severity scores. Additionally, inflammatory cytokines were increased and blood routine parameters were changed in CAP patients compared with control subjects. Correlation analysis found that serum S100A9 was positively associated with CAP severity scores, blood routine parameters (WBC, NLR and MON) and inflammatory cytokines. Further, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there were positive associations between serum S100A9 and CAP severity scores. Besides, the prognosis of CAP was tracked. Serum higher S100A9 on the early stage elevated the death of risk and hospital stay among CAP patients. Conclusion Serum S100A9 is positively correlated with the severity of CAP. On admission, serum higher S100A9 elevates the risk of death and hospital stay in CAP patients, suggesting that S100A9 may exert a certain role in the pathophysiology of CAP and regard as a serum diagnostic and managing biomarker for CAP.

Modern phytolith research is the premise to accurately reconstruct the regional paleovegetation and paleoclimate. It is thus particularly important to study the spatial distribution characteristics of the phytolith assemblages and the response of the phytolith to environmental factors. In this study, we collected 54 topsoil samples along the isohyet of 600 mm in Northeast China to examine the distribution patterns of phytolith along the gradient of single environmental factor. With this special sampling method, we targeted to reveal the responses of phytolith assemblages in the topsoil to the variation of temperature. The results showed that there were a large number of phytoliths with various morphotypes in the 54 topsoil samples in Northeast China. The phytolith morphotypes were the same, including elongate, lanceolate, blocky, cuneiform, tabular, saddle, rondel, bilobate, trapeziform polylobate, prism, silicified stomata, conduit, papillae, sclereid and carinate. In gene-ral, the contributions of elongate and lanceolate were high; the contributions of short cell phytoliths, blocky, tabular and cuneiform were small relatively; the contributions of the other types of phytoliths were less than 1.0% and appeared sporadically in the topsoil samples. Besides, the phytolith assemblages of the topsoil samples were different among Xiaoxing'an Mountains, Songliao Plain and Liaoxi hills. Combined with the discriminant analysis, the samples from the three regions could be effectively separated based on the phytoliths assemblages, with a total accuracy of 94.4%. Specifi-cally, the average percentage of elongate, lanceolate, prism was the largest in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, and was the smallest in Liaoxi hills; the percentage of saddle, bilobate, papillae was the largest in Liaoxi hills and the smallest in Xiaoxing'an Mountains; the percentage of blocky, tabular, cuneiform was the largest in Songliao Plain. Meanwhile, the percentages of the elongate, lanceolate, prism, saddle, bilobate, papillae, blocky, tabular, cuneiform were significant diffe-rences among the three regions. There were significant negative correlations between the percentages of elongate, lanceolate, prism and the annual average temperature, and positive relationships between the percentages of the blocky, tabular, cuneiform, bilobate, papillae and the annual average temperature. However, the percentage of saddle, rondel and trapeziform polylobate did not change with increasing annual average temperature.植硅体的现代过程研究是利用植硅体这一指标精准恢复区域古植被、古气候的前提和关键环节,探讨表土植硅体组合的空间分布特征及其对环境因子的响应尤为重要。本研究在东北地区沿着年降水量为600 mm等降水线采集54块表土样品,研究单一温度控制下表土植硅体的空间分布规律,以期寻找对温度比较敏感的植硅体类型。结果表明: 54块表土样品中植硅体类型相同,共鉴定出15类,分别是棒型、尖型、块状、扇型、扁平状、帽型、鞍型、哑铃型、齿型、三棱柱型、硅化气孔、导管型、硅质突起、弓型、椎骨状,且主要以棒型、尖型为主,短细胞、块状、扁平状次之,其他类型植硅体的平均百分含量不足1.0%。小兴安岭、松辽平原和辽西低山丘陵3个区域的表土植硅体组合特征存在差异,判别分析结果能够将3个区域样点有效区分开,总的判别正确率为94.4%,其中棒型、尖型、三棱柱型的平均含量在小兴安岭最大,在辽西低山丘陵最小;而鞍型、哑铃型、硅质突起与之相反;块状、扁平状、扇型则主要是在松辽平原最大,且棒型、尖型、三棱柱型、鞍型、哑铃型、硅质突起、块状、扁平状和扇型的百分含量在3个区域之间存在显著差异。棒型、尖型、三棱柱型的百分含量与年均温之间存在显著负相关,块状、扁平状、扇型、哑铃型、硅质突起的百分含量与年均温呈显著正相关,而鞍型、帽型、齿型的百分含量与年均温没有显著相关性。.

Gynecological cancers, including breast, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, cervical and vulvar cancers are among the major threats to modern life, particularly to female health. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in normal development of organisms, as well as the tumorigenesis process, and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a large infrequently spliced lncRNA, which have been implicated in different gynecological cancers. MALAT1 is overexpressed in breast, ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancers, which initiates cancer progression by inducing changes in the expression of several anti-apoptotic and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes. Targeting MALAT1 is an important strategy to combat gynecological cancers, and application of RNA-interference technology and chemotherapeutic process are crucial to target and minimize MALAT1 activity. The present review discusses the role of MALAT1 in gynecological cancers, and potential strategies to target this lncRNA to develop cancer therapeutics. However, further clinical studies are required to determine the prognostic potential of MALAT1 in gynecological cancers.

Abies chensiensis Van Tiegh. (Pinaceae) is a rare and endangered endemic conifer in China. In this study, using the Illumina sequencing platform, we firstly characterized its whole plastid genome sequence. Our study revealed that A. chensiensis have a typical plastid genome of 121,498 bp in length, comprised of a large single copy region of 76,484 bp, a small single copy region of 42,654 bp and two inverted repeat regions of 1180 bp. A total of 113 genes, 74 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA, and 4 rRNA genes were identified. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that A. chensiensis was placed as a sister to the congeneric A. sibirica.

Background: Previous studies found that S100A9 may involve in the pathophysiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the role of S100A9 in the CAP was unclear. The goal was to explore the correlations of serum S100A9 with the severity and prognosis of CAP patients based on a retrospective cohort study.Methods: A total of 220 CAP patients and 110 control subjects were recruited. Demographic and clinical data were extracted. Serum S100A9 and inflammatory cytokines were measured.Results: Serum S100A9 was elevated in CAP patients on admission. Furthermore, serum S100A9 was gradually elevated parallelly with CAP severity scores. Inflammatory cytokines were increased and blood routine parameters were changed in CAP patients compared with control subjects. Correlation analysis found that serum S100A9 was positively associated with CAP severity scores, blood routine parameters (WBC, NLR and MON) and inflammatory cytokines. Furtherly, logistical regression demonstrated that there were positive associations between serum S100A9 and CAP severity scores. Besides, the prognosis of CAP was tracked. Serum higher S100A9 on the early stage was positively correlated with the death of risk and hospital stay among CAP patients. Conclusion: Serum S100A9 is positively correlated with the severity of CAP. On admission, serum higher S100A9 elevates the risk of death and hospital stay in CAP patients, suggesting that S100A9 may exert a certain function in the pathophysiology of CAP and regard as a serum diagnostic and managing biomarker for CAP.

To investigate the molecular mechanism of miR-520a-3p regulating the secretion of cytokines in cervical cancer.The matching between miR-520a-3p and the NF-κB complex subunit RELA was analyzed by TargetScanHuman, and then the luciferase reporting system was used to detect whether miR-520a-3p targeted the NF-κB complex subunit RELA. After cervical cancer HELA cells stimulated by LPS, in the overexpression group or the knockout group, miR-520a-3p mimics or inhibitor were mixed with transfection reagent and dripped into HELA cells. The expression levels of colony stimulating factor (GCSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 19 (IL-9), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 12 p40 (IL-12 p40), interleukin 12 p70 (IL-12 p70), interleukin 13 (IL-13), interleukin 17 (IL-17), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-5 (MCP-5), small inducible cytokine A5 (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in both the overexpression group and the knockout group. Each experiment was repeated three times.miR-520a-3p targeted the 3'UTR of RELA. After activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the protein expression levels of cytokines GCSF, GM-CSF, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-12 p70, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MCP-5, RANTES, TNFα secreted by HELA cells of cervical cancer were increased significantly (miR-520a-3p inhibits cytokine secretion in HELA cells of cervical cancer by targeting RELA, a key molecule in the NF-κB signaling pathway.目的: 探讨miR-520a-3p调控宫颈癌细胞因子分泌的分子机制。方法: 通过TargetScanHuman分析miR-520a-3p与NF-κB复合体亚基RELA的匹配情况,然后通过荧光素酶报告系统检测miR-520a-3p是否靶向NF-κB复合体亚基RELA;使用LPS刺激宫颈癌HELA细胞后,将miR-520a-3p mimics与转染试剂混合后滴入HELA细胞中,此为过表达组;将miR-520a-3p inhibitor与转染试剂混合后滴入HELA细胞中,此为敲低组,通过酶联免疫吸附试验检测过表达组和敲低组GCSF, GM-CSF, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-12 p70, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MCP-5, RANTES, TNFα的表达水平。每次实验重复3次。结果: miR-520a-3p靶向RELA的3’UTR;LPS激活NF-kB信号通路后,宫颈癌HELA细胞分泌的细胞因子GCSF, GM-CSF, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-12 p70, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MCP-5, RANTES, TNFα的蛋白表达水平上升(

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