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During pregnancy, the fetus needs to obtain a lot of nutrients from the mother, but the micronutrient deficiencies in pregnancy are not clear at present, and there is no reliable basis for nutrient intake and supplement. The purpose of this study was to understand the levels of essential elements in whole blood of pregnant women during various pregnancy stages at different ages and in different regions, to evaluate the deficiency of essential elements in Chinese pregnant women, and to explore the feasibility of using the elemental pattern to characterize maternal status. Whole blood samples of 11222 healthy pregnant women enrolled in different areas of China from Jan–Dec 2019, were analyzed for concentrations of six essential elements including Mn, Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Fe, using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. A retrospective comparative study during different pregnancy periods at different ages and in different regions in whole blood essential elements content from non-pregnant normal women and pregnant normal women was developed using multivariate statistical analysis. Principal component analysis evaluation elemental pattern was used to characterize pregnancy status of pregnant women. In general, the levels of six essential elements in whole blood of pregnant women can satisfy the needs of normal physiological activities. With the development of pregnancy, the contents of Cu and Mn increased, while the contents of Fe and Mg decreased, and the contents of Zn and Ca have no noteworthy change. At the same gestation stage, the Cu content in whole blood of elderly pregnant women was higher. There were some differences in whole blood essential elements content of pregnant women in different regions. Principal component analysis and heat map analysis showed the feasibility of using bioinformatics research strategies to identify different pregnancies. There are differences in the content of whole blood essential elements of women at different stages of pregnancy in different regions. It was found that there was no obvious deficiency in whole blood essential elements levels of pregnant women in recent years. The pattern of essential elements has a certain application potential in the evaluation of pregnancy and pregnant women's health status. • Pregnant women need real and effective nutritional guidance of essential elements. • Element levels of pregnant women in different gestational periods, ages and regions are significant differences. • Elemental pattern in whole blood can characterize maternal status. • Whole blood elements levels can indicate the stage of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo evaluate the photometry technical and analytical performance of a newly launched Mindray BS-2000M1 clinical chemistry system (BS-2000M1). Design and Methods The photometric parameters were evaluated according to the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) Automatic Chemistry Analyzer Guideline. The precision, accuracy, linearity and interference were evaluated according to CLSI protocols EP5-A2, EP9-A2, EP6-A and EP7-A2 respectively. The trueness verification on Ca2 +, Mg2 +, P− and Cl− was conducted by comparing with the reference methods using fresh samples. Results The photometer accuracy, precision, linearity, stability and stray light at 340nm were acceptable. The within-run coefficients of variation (CVs) ranged from 0.16% to 2.13% and the total CV ranged from 0.64% to 4.12%. A good correlation (R>0.95) of method comparison between BS-2000M1 and our reference system was observed for most of the parameters tested with exception of Ca2 + (R=0.85), Mg2 + (R=0.71), P− (R=0.96, Slope=0.88), Cl− (R=0.93), and ASO (R=0.94, Slope=0.93, intercept=− 8.81). The trueness verification on Ca2 +, Mg2 +, P− and Cl− showed acceptable results on both BS-2000M1 and our reference systems. Linearity study showed acceptable linearity range for all parameters. Significant interferences occurred for some evaluated parameters, but were identical to the manufacturer statement. Conclusions Mindray BS-2000M1 achieved the desirable photometry technical and analytical performance, and is therefore suitable for its utilization in modern clinical laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microtubule target agents (MTAs) are widely-used clinical anti-cancer drugs for decades, but the acquired drug resistance severely restricted their application. Thioredoxin reductases (TrxR) was reported to be overexpressed in most tumors and closely related to high risk of cancer recurrence and drug resistance, making it a potential target for anticancer drug discovery. Multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) by a single molecule provide a logical and alternative approach to drug combinations. In this work, based on the structure-activity relationships obtained in our previous study, some structure modifications were performed. On one hand, the retained skeleton structure of MTAs endowed its tubulin polymerization inhibition activity, on the other hand, the selenium-containing structure and α,β-unsaturated ketone moiety endowed the TrxR inhibition activity. As results, the newly obtained compounds exhibited superior anti-proliferative activities towards various human cancer cells and drug-resistance cells, and displayed high selectivity towards various human normal cells. The mechanism study revealed that the dual effect of cell cycle arrest triggered by targeting tubulin and the abnormal accumulation of ROS caused by TrxR inhibition eventually lead to cell apoptosis. Notably, compared with the MTA agents CA-4P, and the TrxR inhibitor Ethaselen, the optimized compound 14c , which served as dual-targeting inhibitor of tubulin and TrxR, exerted greatly improved in vivo anti-tumor activity. In summary, 14c deserved further consideration for cancer therapy. [Display omitted] • Structure modifications of chalcone derivatives as tubulin and TrxR dual targeting agents were performed. • The optimized compound 14c exerted high cytotoxicity towards both sensitive and resistant cancer cells. • Compound 14c disturbed tubulin-microtubule equilibrium and thus inducing cell cycle arrest. • 14c inhibited TrxR activity, induced ROS accumulation and MMP dysfunction and eventually led to cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic methods are indispensable for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In this study, a multiplex PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography assay for diagnosis of four STI pathogens, namely Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae), Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis) , Ureaplasma (U. urealyticum and U. parvum), and Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), was established and evaluated. Based on the hybridization of probes and interaction between streptavidin and biotin, PCR products were visualized through hybridization of specific probes and enzymatic color generation. The sensitivity and specificity of all four pathogens were evaluated. Clinical performance of the test was evaluated using 295 specimens, and comparisons among results were determined via culture or colloidal gold assay. No cross-reactions were observed, confirming the high specificity of this method. The limit of detection (LOD) of the four STI pathogens was 100 copies/μL. The sensitivity between PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography and culture or colloidal gold assay ranged from 84.6% to 100%. The specificity was between 93.5% and 96.6%, positive predictive value ranged from 53.6% to 86.7%, negative predictive value was over 98.3%, kappa value ranged from 0.676 to 0.864 (Cohen's kappa coefficient test), and the agreement rate was over 93.5%. In conclusion, PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography serves as a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for simultaneous diagnosis of four STI pathogens. • PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography was rapid, sensitive, and specific. • This assay was able to simultaneously detect four sexually transmitted pathogens. • PCR products were visualized through hybridization of probes and color generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural products are a large source of clinically effective antitumor drugs. Millepachine, a natural product derived from leguminous plants, was reported to display antitumor activity. In this study, the novel compound, (1H-indol-5-yl) (5-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)methanone (MIL-1), was designed and synthesized by fusing millepachine and indole rings. MIL-1 exerted much better antitumor activity than millepachine, manifesting as a 24- to 201-fold increase in vitro cytotoxicity and a 2.4-fold increase in in vivo antitumor activity in hepatocellular cell lines-derived models. The immunofluorescence and HPLC detection revealed that MIL-1 was a potent microtubule targeting agent by interfering with the equilibrium of tubulin-microtubule dynamics and irreversibly binding to tubulin. MIL-1 displayed remarkable antitumor activity with an IC 50 of 31–207 nM towards various human cancer cell lines derived from various organs and tissues, and it exerted no evidence of toxicity against normal cells. Mechanistic studies showed that MIL-1 arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase and induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3 activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Moreover, the superior antitumor effect of MIL-1 is worthy of further detailed study for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). • MIL-1 derived from natural product millepachine were designed and synthesized. • MIL-1 exerted a 24–201 folds increase in cytotoxicity than millepachine. • MIL-1 exerted a 2.36-fold increase in vivo antitumor activity. • MIL-1 targeted tubulin system through binding irreversibly to β-tubulin. • MIL-1 arrested cell cycle at G2/M phase and induced HepG2 cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal degradation of moxa floss was studied with TG/DSC and TG-FTIR. • The mass loss rate was relatively low, indicating it burned mildly and slowly. • Combustion heat was released continuously and steadily in a long temperature period. • Infrared radiation spectra emitted by burning moxa floss was similar to human skin. The combustion of moxa floss was investigated by thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimeter (TG/DSC), thermogravimetric/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) and an infrared radiation spectrum-detecting system. The average mass loss rate at the major stage of combustion was 1.08%/min with a peak at 7.86%/min. Moxa floss burning released the integral heat of 9188 mJ/mg from the temperature of 200 °C to 500 °C. The peak heat flow during char combustion stage was higher than those of other stages. The results indicated the combustion of moxa floss was a mild and slow process, releasing heat continuously and steadily. The infrared radiation spectra of burning moxa stick were in a range of 2.5–13.0 µm and showed double peaks at 3.75 µm and 8.75 µm. Thus, this study provided insight into why moxa floss biomass is the optimal material for thermal therapy and is beneficial for the development of electric thermal stimulation alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]