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In order to find various structural and active compounds, 95 % ethanol extract of P. hydropiper was investigated to obtain five undescribed drimane sesquiterpenes 3-O-angeloyl-11-O-methyldanilol (1), 3-O-tigloyl-11-O-methyldanilol (2), 3-O-(3′-methylbutenoyl)-11-O-methyldanilol (3), 3-O-(2′-metylbutanoyl)-11-O-methyldanilol (4) and 2α, 3β-ditigloyloxy-11-O-methylisodrimeninol (5). Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses. Furthermore, 3-O-angeloyl-11-O-methyldanilol (1) showed moderate anti-platelet aggregation activity according to in vitro pharmacological evaluation. [Display omitted] • Five undescribed compounds were isolated from Polygonum hydropiper. • The isolated compounds were drimane-type sesquiterpenes. • 3-O-angeloyl-11-O-methyldanilol showed anti-platelet aggregation activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new (glaucocalyxin L−N, 1 − 3) and six known ent -kauranoids (4 − 9) were isolated from the aerial part of Isodon japonica var. glaucocalyx. Compounds 1 and 2 are ent- kaurane-type diterpenoids with an adenine group. The structures of the isolated compounds were established using NMR and MS measurements and the absolute configuration of compound 3 was determined using experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. Compounds 6 and 8 showed relatively remarkable inhibitory activities on proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) expression at 20 µM. [Display omitted] • Three undescribed diterpenoids were isolated from Isodon japonica var. glaucocalyx. • Compounds 1 and 2 are ent -kaurane-type diterpenoids with adenine group. • Compounds 6 and 8 exhibited relatively remarkable inhibitory activities of PCSK9 expression in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To expand the resin glycoside composition of Merremia hederacea , aerial parts of M. hederacea were collected and investigated. Two previously undescribed resin glycosides, named merremins H-I were isolated from M. hederacea , and their structures were determined based on spectroscopic data and chemical evidence. The results suggested that merremins H-I had macrolactone structures, forming 18-membered rings. Merremins H-I were evaluated for their M D R reversal activities in KB/VCR cells by the SRB method. Merremin I showed moderate M D R reversal activity and increased the cytotoxicity of vincristine by 2.8-fold when incorporated at 25 μM. [Display omitted] • Two undescribed resin glycosides were isolated from Merremia hederacea. • Merremins H-I had macrolactone structures and 18-membered rings. • Merremin I exhibited moderate multidrug resistance reversal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allium vegetable components have antibacterial, antioxidative, and immune modulation properties, thus potentially exhibiting antitumor effects. Despite evidence from case-control studies, prospective studies linking allium vegetables with gastric cancer (GC) have been sparse. Objective: In a prospective study, we examined whether allium vegetable intake would change the risk of GC occurrence and whether the associations would be modified by vitamin supplementation, garlic supplementation, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment. Methods: The study was conducted on the basis of the Shandong Intervention Trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled, factorial-designed trial (1995-2003) in a well-recognized high-risk area for GC in China. Participants were continuously followed up to December 2017 for 22.3 y (1995-2017). A total of 3229 subjects were included, with information on the intake of allium vegetables (garlic vegetables and scallions), collected by structured questionnaires in 1994. The associations of total and individual allium vegetable intake with the risk of GC were examined, respectively. Results: During the follow-up, 144 incident cases of GC were identified. Garlic vegetable intake was associated with a decreased risk of incident GC (P-trend = 0.02; OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.98, per 1 kg/y increment), whereas scallion intake showed no association (P-trend = 0.80). An inverse association of the risk of GC with total allium vegetable and garlic vegetable intake was particularly stronger among those receiving the placebo for vitamin supplementation or garlic supplementation, indicating potential effect modifications by nutritional supplementation on allium vegetable intake and the risk of developing GC. Similar findings were found for analyses of the combined prevalence of dysplasia or GC. Conclusions: We found a significant reduction in the risk of developing GC with increasing dietary intake of allium vegetables, particularly garlic vegetables. The findings add to the literature on the potential inverse association of garlic vegetable intake with the risk of GC, therefore holding public health implications for dietary recommendations. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00339768. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial part of Hypericum japonicum afforded two new xanthones (1 - 2), together with twelve known compounds (3 - 14). Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated by analysis of MS NMR and their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. All of the isolated compounds were tested for their lipid-lowering activities. Compounds 10 , 11 , 13 exhibited potent lipid-lowering activities (with LDL-Uptake rates 3.02, 2.68 and 1.99, respectively, compared with vehicle control, which was designated as 1.00) and compounds 2 - 5 showed moderate activities (with LDL-Uptake rates 1.46, 1.41, 1.31 and 1.51, respectively). [Display omitted] • Two new xanthones were isolated from Hypericum japonicum. • Japoxanthone A-B possessed a novel carbon skeleton. • Compounds 10 , 11 , 13 exhibited potent lipid-lowering activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid urbanization, flooding events become more frequently in daily life, causing enormous economic damage and loss of life. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is a common approach for mitigating stormwater runoff. However, it showed limited performance in big catchment areas (> 1000 ha). This study proposed an innovative approach by combining conventional WSUD projects with the stormwater pipeline network through linear connections for better stormwater runoff management for a big catchment. The performance of combined WSUD projects and conventional WSUD was evaluated using the urban water system of a catchment (over 1200 ha) in Sydney, Australia, through the water mass balance modelling approach using annual rainfall data of 70 years (from 1950 to 2020). Combined WSUD reduced the stormwater runoff by over 124 ML/yr compared to that of the conventional WSUD model in accommodating future development. Combined WSUD restored the evapotranspiration and infiltration under high, average and low annual rainfall scenarios with an increasing 20-30% increase of evapotranspiration and infiltration in combined WSUD than the conventional WSUD. The results obtained from the study demonstrated that combining WSUDs with the stormwater pipeline network through linear connections is a promising approach in stormwater management and restoring the natural hydrological cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Findings of retrospective studies suggest that sorafenib maintenance post-transplantation might reduce relapse in patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) acute myeloid leukaemia undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. We investigated the efficacy and tolerability of sorafenib maintenance post-transplantation in this population.Methods: We did an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial at seven hospitals in China. Eligible patients (aged 18-60 years) had FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukaemia, were undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, had composite complete remission before and after transplantation, and had haematopoietic recovery within 60 days post-transplantation. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to sorafenib maintenance (400 mg orally twice daily) or non-maintenance (control) at 30-60 days post-transplantation. Randomisation was done with permuted blocks (block size four) and implemented through an interactive web-based randomisation system. The primary endpoint was the 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02474290; the trial is complete.Findings: Between June 20, 2015, and July 21, 2018, 202 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to sorafenib maintenance (n=100) or control (n=102). Median follow-up post-transplantation was 21·3 months (IQR 15·0-37·0). The 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 7·0% (95% CI 3·1-13·1) in the sorafenib group and 24·5% (16·6-33·2) in the control group (hazard ratio 0·25, 95% CI 0·11-0·57; p=0·0010). Within 210 days post-transplantation, the most common grade 3 and 4 adverse events were infections (25 [25%] of 100 patients in the sorafenib group vs 24 [24%] of 102 in the control group), acute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD; 23 [23%] of 100 vs 21 [21%] of 102), chronic GVHD (18 [18%] of 99 vs 17 [17%] of 99), and haematological toxicity (15 [15%] of 100 vs seven [7%] of 102). There were no treatment-related deaths.Interpretation: Sorafenib maintenance post-transplantation can reduce relapse and is well tolerated in patients with FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukaemia undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. This strategy could be a suitable therapeutic option for patients with FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukaemia.Funding: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver fibrosis is an important predictor of mortality in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and liver fibrosis share many common metabolic dysfunctions. We aimed to explore the association between PAD and risk of fibrosis deterioration in NAFLD patients. The study recruited 1,610 NAFLD patients aged ≥ 40 years from a well-defined community at baseline in 2010 and followed up between August 2014 and May 2015. Fibrosis deterioration was defined as the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) status increased to a higher category at the follow-up visit. PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial index of < 0.90 or > 1.40. During an average of 4.3 years' follow-up, 618 patients progressed to a higher NFS category. PAD was associated with 92% increased risk of fibrosis deterioration [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24, 2.98]. When stratified by baseline NFS status, the OR for progression from low to intermediate or high NFS was 1.74 (95% CI : 1.02, 3.00), and progression from intermediate to high NFS was 2.24 (95% CI : 1.05, 4.80). There was a significant interaction between PAD and insulin resistance (IR) on fibrosis deterioration (P for interaction = 0.03). As compared with non-PAD and non-IR, the coexistence of PAD and IR was associated with a 3.85-fold (95% CI : 2.06, 7.18) increased risk of fibrosis deterioration. PAD is associated with an increased risk of fibrosis deterioration in NAFLD patients, especially in those with IR. The coexistence of PAD and IR may impose an interactive effect on the risk of fibrosis deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial distributions of dissolved and particulate dimethylsulfoxide (DMSOd and DMSOp) were investigated off the northern Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summer of 2018, an ecologically and climatically important region of the world. In the upper waters, DMSOd was concentrated in the ice-melt zone because DMSO functions physiologically as an intracellular osmolyte and cryoprotectant. DMSOd concentrations had a weak positive correlation with temperature but a negative correlation with nutrients. This highlighted the importance of temperature-dependent biological activities and photolysis in DMSOd production and the important role of the intracellular antioxidation system in phytoplankton cells. The decrease of average DMSOp:Chl- a ratios in upper waters from west to east, along with decreasing temperatures and increasing diatoms proportions in the phytoplankton, illustrates how seawater DMSO production capacities depend on ambient temperatures and the composition of phytoplankton assemblages. DMSOp were accumulated in deep waters through bio-debris accumulation and microbial activity. • DMSOd was elevated in the ice-melt zone, whereas DMSOp was accumulated in deep waters. • DMSOd was linked to temperature-dependent biological activities and photolysis • The composition of phytoplankton assemblages mediated DMSO spatial distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]