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This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonisation/infection at admission and acquisition among patients admitted to the intensive care unit. A prospective and multicentre study. This study was conducted in 24 intensive care units in Anhui, China. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and rectal carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonisation was detected by active screening. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyse factors associated with colonisation/infection with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales at admission and acquisition during the intensive care unit stay. There were 1133 intensive care unit patients included in this study. In total, 5.9% of patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonisation/infection at admission, and of which 56.7% were colonisations. Besides, 8.5% of patients acquired carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonisation/infection during the intensive care stay, and of which 67.6% were colonisations. At admission, transfer from another hospital, admission to an intensive care unit within one year, colonisation/infection/epidemiological link with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales within one year, and exposure to any antibiotics within three months were risk factors for colonisation/infection with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. During the intensive care stay, renal disease, an epidemiological link with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales , exposure to carbapenems and beta-lactams/beta-lactamase inhibitors, and intensive care stay of three weeks or longer were associated with acquisition. The prevalence of colonisation/infection with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in intensive care units is of great concern and should be monitored systematically. Particularly for the 8.5% prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales acquisition during the intensive care stay needs enhanced infection prevention and control measures in these setting. Surveillance of colonisation/infection with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales at admission and during the patient's stay represents an early identification tool to prevent further transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonization screening at admission and during the patient's stay is an important tool to control carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales spread in intensive care units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Heavy metals contamination of soil has been considered as a global environmental problem, and consequently various soil amendments have been widely used in immobilization. Previous studies have reported that micro-/nano-hydroxyapatite (MHA/NHA) as a novel chemical material could alleviate soil acidity and reduce the bioavailability of heavy metals. However, the mechanism of soil microorganism responding to the application of MHA/NHA is little studied. Presently, an in-situ field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of MHA/NHA and the other three traditional amendments including alkali slag (AS), lime (L) and apatite (AP) on soil copper (Cu) bioavailability and dominate bacterial population. The results showed that the application of MHA/NHA effectively increased soil pH and decreased soil available Cu content, and showed the highest increasing effects on the activities of urease, catalase and acid phosphatase. Compared with the control, MHA/NHA significantly changed the soil bacterial community structure and increased the bacterial abundance and diversity. Besides, analysis of the dominate population showed that the application of MHA/NHA decreased the relative abundance of acidophiles and the indicator of soil degradation. Additionally, the relative abundance of potential plant growth promoting bacteria increased with the addition of MHA/NHA, which was confirmed by the characteristics (the ability of producing indole acetic acid and siderophore) of bacterial strains. These results suggested that these dominate bacterial populations with significant changes may be regarded as the biomarkers for the recovery of soil ecological environment, which provides a theoretical basis for the ecological evaluation of MHA/NHA. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The addition of micro-/nano-hydroxyapatite (MHA/NHA) combined with Elsholtzia splendens was efficient in immobilization. • The activities of soil enzyme were greatly increased by the application of MHA/NHA. • The abundance and the diversity of bacterial community were increased with the MHA/NHA application. • The relative abundance of acidophiles and the indicator of soil degradation decreased by the addition of MHA/NHA. • The relative abundance of potential plant growth promoting bacteria was increased after the MHA/NHA application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developed herein is a diversity-oriented one-pot multicomponent synthesis of polycyclic 3,3′- pyrrolidinyl-dispirooxindoles 3 via a multicomponent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition event of 3-methyl-4-nitro-5-isatylidenyl-isoxazoles 2 with azomethine ylides (thermally generated in situ from isatins and proline or thioproline). Products bearing four consecutive stereocenters consist of two oxindole moieties and a polycyclic pyrrolidinyl core, including vicinal spiroquaternary stereocenters fused in one ring structure were smoothly obtained in high yields (up to 85% yield) with good diastereoselectivity (up to >20:1). Valuable features of this method were application of 3-methyl-4-nitro-5-isatylidenyl-isoxazoles as 1,3-dipolarophiles and the design of new hybrid architectures for biological screenings through the adequate fusion of these sub-units of isoxazole and 3,3′-pyrrolidinyl-dispirooxindole, generating drug-like molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the effects of intraepididymal quercetin (IE-QE) with those of intraperitoneal quercetin (IP-QE) on testicular torsion/detorsion (TD)-induced ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury of the testes in an experimental rat model.Methods: Twenty-four rats were divided into 4 groups: sham (S), TD, TD treated with IP-QE, and TD treated with IE-QE. The IP-QE group received 20 mg/kg QE intraperitoneally, whereas the IE-QE group received quercetin (QE) epididymally. After surgically induced TD, sera and testicular tissues were obtained for the analysis of biochemical parameters including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), malondialdehyde, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index, histologic changes, and evaluation of germ cell apoptosis.Results: The oxidative stress index and oxidants (malondialdehyde and total oxidant status) were increased with a concomitant decrease in the antioxidants (GPx and total antioxidant status) in the TD group. Severe histopathological damage, indicated by low Johnsen scores and high testicular injury grades, and germ cell apoptosis were found in the TD group compared with the other groups. Rats treated with QE showed significantly less IR injury, with moderately altered biochemical parameters, histopathological damage, and germinal cell apoptosis compared with the TD group. Most importantly, we found no significant differences in the biochemical parameters, histopathological changes, and germinal cell apoptosis between the IP-QE and IE-QE groups.Conclusion: IE-QE was comparable to IP-QE in the treatment of testicular TD. Local QE therapy should be considered as a new approach to treating testicular IR injury due to TD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was designed to demonstrate Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from kidney can alleviate cisplatin-induced kidney injury and renal cell apoptosis through paracrine pathway. Firstly, MSCs were isolated from kidney of young rats, and their surface-specific markers were identified by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence staining. Self-renewal ability of Kidney Mesenchymal Stem Cells (KMSCs) was observed by cell counting and 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) fluorescence staining. KMSCs at logarithmic growth stage were traced and injected into rat through tail vein. The results showed that KMSCs homed in the kidney tissues, decreased the secretion of inflammatory factors (CRP, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6), and alleviated renal function. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H＆E), Masson and Periodic Acid-silver Methenamine (PASM) staining showed that KMSCs could alleviate pathological damage in rats. Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay showed that KMSCs could reduce the apoptosis of rat kidney cells induced by cisplatin. Finally, Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results showed that cisplatin could induce higher expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and lower expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 in kidney tissues. However, KMSCs could reverse the pro-apoptotic effect of cisplatin on kidney cells and improve the survival rate of rats. In conclusion, KMSCs were successfully isolated from kidney tissues, and KMSCs have therapeutic effects on rat kidney injury induced by cisplatin. • KMSCs were successfully extracted from rat kidney tissue and identified by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. • KMSCs were incorporated with BrdU and their proliferation activity was determined. • KMSCs were incubated with Dil tracer and injected into rats through tail vein, and their migration was observed. • Kidney mesenchymal stem cells alleviate cisplatin-induced kidney injury and apoptosis in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dewatering of large amount of industry sludge is one of the significant environmental problems in the pulp and paper industry. Calcium carbonate fillers are an important component in primary sludge from paper mills. In this paper, the role of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) on the dewaterability of simulated mixed paper mill sludge (the mixture of PCC and secondary sludge) without and with FeCl 3 conditioning was studied. The results showed that when the PCC content increased from 0 to 600 mg/g dry sludge (DS) without FeCl 3 conditioning, the moisture content (MC) and the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) decreased from 89.4% and 3.1 × 1013 m/kg to 66.7% and 2.4 × 1012 m/kg, respectively. However, when the PCC content was high enough (> 444 mg/g DS), the effective moisture content (MC*) changed little and the net sludge solid yield (Y N) decreased, indicating that the non-conditioning effect of PCC dominated at high PCC content. Furthermore, increasing PCC content reduced the compressibility coefficient, although the change was insignificant from 1.06 to 0.91. When FeCl 3 was used as the chemical conditioner, FeCl 3 and PCC had additive effects on improving the sludge dewaterability (such as MC, SRF and compressibility). The improving mechanism of PCC on the sludge dewaterability can be explained by the release of Ca2+ from PCC caused by lower pH, the bridging effect of multivalent cation and the formation of more rigid sludge flocs. [Display omitted] ● PCC existed in sludge improve its filterability and compressibility. ● PCC component hardly affected the effective moisture content at high PCC content. ● PCC can improve the sludge dewaterability with the synergistic assistance of FeCl 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new methodology was developed for the synthesis of hexahydro-1 H -pyrido[2,3- b ]indol-2-one scaffolds via a sequential Michael addition/amidation/reductive cyclization process. A wide variety of products bearing a hexahydro-1 H -pyrido[2,3- b ]indol-2-one core with varying degrees of substitution around it, which is a key structural skeleton found in a large number of biologically active natural products and pharmaceutical compounds, were obtained smoothly with high efficiency (up to overall yield of 67%). Furthermore, their biological activities have been preliminarily demonstrated by in vitro evaluation against human prostate cancer cells PC-3, human lung cancer cells A549 and human leukemia cells K562 by the MTT-based assays, using the commercially available standard drug Cisplatin as a positive control. These results suggested there is a trend that lipophilic groups improve the potency, and also suggested a carbonyl moiety located in the hexahydro-1 H -pyrido[2,3- b ]indol-2-one scaffolds is beneficial for the activity. The results also demonstrated that most of the compounds showed considerable cytotoxicities to these three cell lines K562, A549 and PC-3, and that hexahydro-1 H -pyrido[2,3- b ]indol-2-one scaffolds may be potential leads for further antitumor activity screenings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Seed dispersal of Quercus liaotungensis forest was monitored for two cycles in three regions in Shaanxi Province, China. [•] The accumulated seed rain density was ranged 43–123 seeds/m2 in the three study regions. [•] Seed dispersal in the three regions has a roughly similar trend. [•] Arborous species richness has a positive effect on seed rain density, send weight and seed volume. [•] Promoting arborous species richness could enhance seedling establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new synthesis route for the construction of corundum nanosheet-based In2O3 microflowers is presented in this study. InOOH was firstly prepared by a solvothermal process using In(NO3)3·xH2O as a precursor, urea as a precipitant, and a mixture of triethylene glycol and water as the solvent at 200°C for 18h. The corundum nanosheet-based In2O3 microflowers were then obtained by calcining the obtained InOOH at 450°C under ambient atmosphere. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effects of solvent and urea on the fabrication of nanosheet-based corundum In2O3 microflowers were investigated and a self-assembly and transformation mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of the hierarchical nanostructures. The corundum nanosheet-based In2O3 microflowers show strong PL emission at 550nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Jining Cenozoic basalt province, located at the northern margin of the North China Craton, is one of the major Cenozoic basaltic provinces in northern China and Mongolia. In order to constrain the petrogenesis of the Jining basalts and its implications for the geodynamic evolution of the region, four basalt sections in Jining province, the Baiyinxiang, Hanqingba, Xin’anzhan, and Chahanmiao sections, were analyzed for Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotopic compositions. These basalts are predominantly composed of alkaline basalts and tholeiites. The tholeiites are overlain by the alkaline basalts in all but the Chahanmiao section. In general, the Jining basalts are similar to oceanic island basalts in terms of their incompatible element patterns. The ε Hf and ε Nd values of the Jining basalts range from +2.5 to +9.1 and −3.6 to +4.7, respectively. They display an ε Nd–ε Hf trend nearly parallel to, but above the mantle-array defined by oceanic basalts. Their 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary from 0.7036 to 0.7054, 206Pb/204Pb isotopic ratios vary from 16.9 to 18.0, 207Pb/204Pb varies from 15.3 to 15.5, and 208Pb/204Pb varies from 37.1 to 38.1. These data suggest the mixing of an isotopically depleted (i.e., MORB-like) mantle component and an enriched (i.e., EMI-like) component. Our data, in combination with studies of mantle xenoliths in the region, suggest that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle may not have made a significant contribution to the EMI component observed in the Jining basalts. The deviation of the ε Hf–ε Nd trend from the mantle array may reflect the involvement of ancient recycled continental crust in the enriched component. The mixing of melts derived from (a) recycled continental crust and (b) asthenospheric mantle peridotite may be responsible for the geochemical variations observed in the magmatic sequence. This is not only so for the Jining basalts, but also for the commonly occurring inter-layered lava flows found between xenolith-bearing alkaline basalts and tholeiites in the nearby Hannuoba region and many other basaltic provinces. The upwelling of deep mantle material may have been triggered by the western Pacific subduction and derived from above the barrier of the stagnant slab at the ∼600-km mantle transitional zone. The location of the upwelling is likely in the vicinity of Jining and Hannuoba as evidenced by the large magmatic volumes in the North China Craton and the abundant mantle xenoliths hosted by the Hannuoba basalts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soils of metal tolerant and accumulating Chenopodium ambrosioides grown in highly and moderately lead–zinc mine tailings contaminated-soils as well as the adjacent soils with low metal contamination were characterized by using cultivation-independent and cultivation techniques. A total of 69, 73, and 83 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) having 84.8–100% similarity with the closest match in the database were detected among high, moderate, and low-contamination soil clone libraries, respectively. These OTUs had a Shannon diversity index value in the range of 4.06–4.30. There were 9, 10, and 14 bacterial genera specific to high, moderate, and low metal-contaminated soil clone libraries, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Pb-resistant isolates belonged to 8 genera. Pseudomonas and Arthrobacter were predominant among the isolates. Most of the isolates (82–86%) produced indole acetic acid and siderophores. More strains from the highly metal-contaminated soil produced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase than the strains from the moderately and lowly metal-contaminated soils. In experiments involving canola grown in quartz sand containing 200mgkg−1 of Pb, inoculation with the isolated Paenibacillus jamilae HTb8 and Pseudomonas sp. GTa5 was found to significantly increase the above-ground tissues dry weight (ranging from 19% to 36%) and Pb uptake (ranging from 30% to 40%) compared to the uninoculated control. These results show that C. ambrosioides harbor different metal-resistant bacterial communities in their rhizosphere soils and the isolates expressing plant growth promoting traits may be exploited for improving the phytoextraction efficiency of Pb-polluted environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The origin of pressure fluctuations in an internal-loop airlift reactor (ILALR) and its application in the flow transition detection are investigated. It is found that pressure fluctuations can be characterized as global pressure fluctuations and local pressure fluctuations by frequency domain analysis and wavelet analysis. The global pressure fluctuations generated by gas compression in the gas plenum and flow fluctuations in the gas-supply system have almost a linear attenuation in the downcomer and almost no attenuation in the riser, especially in heterogeneous flow regime. However, it is found that the pressure wave from bubble eruption at bed surface has little impact on the wall pressure fluctuations. The global pressure fluctuations may be explained by Sasic''s model. The local bubble-induced pressure fluctuations generated by bubble passage, coalescence and breakage can be determined by bubble passage frequency bandwidth and lower coherence. After extracting the local bubble-induced pressure fluctuations from the origin wall pressure fluctuations, it is shown that the Hurst exponent of the local pressure fluctuations increases faster in the homogeneous flow regime than in the heterogeneous flow regime, which can be employed to indicate the flow regime transition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Black liquor lignin and Fenton sludge were used to prepare magnetic activated carbons (MACs) by one-step pyrolysis using KOH as an effective activator. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed that the addition of Fenton sludge increased the mesopore volume of MACs compared with the control AC, and the addition of KOH not only improved the porosity but also enhanced the formation of high ferromagnetic particles (α-Fe). X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis revealed that the iron-based materials in the MACs were Fe 3 O 4 and α-Fe nanoparticles, indicating good magnetic properties. The textural properties and the magnetic properties of the MACs can be modified by controlling the Fenton sludge/lignin ratio. The adsorption process of MAC 0.5–2 (m Fenton sludge : m lignin : m KOH =0.5:1:2) and MAC 1–2 (m Fenton sludge : m lignin : m KOH =1:1:2) were investigated. The two MACs exhibited good adsorption capacity (q MAC 0.5 − 2 = 307.2 mg g−1 and q MAC 1 − 2 = 184.1 mg g−1) for methylene blue (MB) dye. The adsorption kinetics of MB dye onto two MACs followed the pseudo-second order model and the equilibrium data was fitted best with the Sips isotherm model. The thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous in nature. The recovery efficiency of MAC 0.5–2 and MAC 1–2 remained 84.0% and 92.1% respectively after five-cycle adsorption-desorption. The synthesized MACs with high magnetic separation efficiency, good recovery ability, and high adsorption efficiency can be promising and effective adsorbents for MB dye or other dyes. [Display omitted] • MACs were synthesized by one-step pyrolysis of two industrial wastes. • Fe 3 O 4 and α-Fe nanoparticles formed in MACs, providing excellent separability. • Two optimized MACs showed high adsorption capacity and good reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: SnO2 nanoparticles and ZnO microrods were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The results showed that the mean grain size of the SnO2 nanoparticles was 40nm; the diameter of ZnO microrods was about 1–1.5μm with a length between 8 and 10μm. The gas-sensing properties of the SnO2 nanoparticles, ZnO microrods and the nanocomposite of SnO2 nanoparticles doped with 5–15wt% ZnO microrods were investigated. The gas-sensing properties of the SnO2 nanoparticles were greatly improved by doping with the ZnO microrods. The SnO2–ZnO nanocomposite sensor showed high and quick response to trimethylamine (TMA) at 190–330°C. This sensor showed the advantages of high selectivity, excellent sensitivity, strong stability and prompt response/recovery characteristics in detecting TMA at 330°C. It could be used to detect the freshness of fishes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The our previous study synthesized the chrysin-chromene-spirooxindole hybrids 3 , and further found compound 3e had good antitumor activity against A549 cells in vitro through multi-target co-regulation of the p53 signalling pathway to inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells. This study was designed to evaluate the antitumor effects of compound 3e on Lewis lung carcinoma of C57BL/6 mice in vivo. Compound 3e significantly inhibited the growth of transplanted tumors in C57BL/6 mice and induced the apoptosis of tumor cells. Further studies showed that compound 3e activates and expands the anti-cancer activity of p53 by inhibiting the expression of MDM2, Akt and 5-Lox proteins, accordingly promotes the expressions Bax and inhibit the Bcl-2 protein, the release of Cyt c as well, which resulted in the activation of apoptotic pathway in tumor cells eventually. Moreover, Compound 3e inhibited tumor metastasis by down-regulating VEGF, ICAM-1 and MMP-2 protein expression and angiogenesis. These results suggested that compound 3e exerts an effective antitumor activity in vivo through activating the p53 signaling pathway, which could be exploited as a promising candidate for the development of new anti-tumour drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An improved method to eliminate the persulfate effect for carbohydrate analysis. • Sodium sulfite is the best pretreatment chemical to eliminate the persulfate effect. • The improved method is accurate and reliable based on the results of actual samples. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on activated persulfate have received extensive attention for sludge pretreatment. Persulfate (PS) is a persistent oxidant and the excess persulfate in the sludge affects the carbohydrate analysis using the traditional phenol-sulfuric acid method. In this study, an improved phenol-sulfuric acid method was developed for the determination of carbohydrates in the presence of persulfate, and a critical procedure was introduced before the conventional determination with the assistance of the chemical pretreatments. The best reagent was screened from four reductants (i.e. Na 2 S, KI, Na 2 SO 3 and Na 2 S 2 O 3) and two free-radical scavengers (i.e. phenol and benzoic), and the optimal conditions were determined based on the monosaccharides (i.e. glucose, galactose and mannose) and the polysaccharides in different EPS fractions from two activated sludges. The results showed that Na 2 SO 3 was the best reagent for chemical pretreatment due to redox reaction, high selectivity and colorless oxidation product, and the others were not suitable as pretreatment reagents mainly since the reaction products affect the final spectral analysis. Besides, the optimal Na 2 SO 3 concentration for eliminating the impact of PS was 150 mmol/L, and the relative deviation of measurement is less than 5% if the PS concentration was on more than 100 mmol/L, regardless of the kinds of carbohydrates. Compared with the anthrone-sulfuric acid method and the sulfuric method, the improved phenol-sulfuric acid method has a great advantage for determining the carbohydrate concentration in the presence of PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of structurally diverse chrysin-chromene-spirooxindole hybrids were designed, synthesized via a Knoevenagel/Michael/cyclization of chrysin and isatylidene malononitrile derivatives through utilizing a hybrid pharmacophore approach. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity, and most of the compounds showed stronger anti-proliferative activity than parent compound chrysin. In particular, compound 3e had the highest cytotoxicity towards A549 cells (IC 50 = 3.15 ± 0.51 μM), and had better selectivity in A549 cells and normal MRC-5 cells. Furthermore, compound 3e could significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner, as well as induce the apoptosis possibly through mitochondria-mediated caspase-3/8/9 activation and multi-target co-regulation of the p53 signaling pathway. Thus, our results provide in vitro evidence that compound 3e may be a potential candidate for the development of new anti-tumour drugs. Unlabelled Image • The first example of flavonoid-fused spirooxindoles. • A molecular hybridization strategy. • Compound 3e induced cancer cell apoptosis as a potential anticancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developed herein is a facile and efficient methodology toward the synthesis of novel turmerone motif-fused spiropyrrolidine oxindoles via a multicomponent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition event of dienones 2 with azomethine ylides (thermally generated in situ from isatin derivatives and sarcosine). Products bearing adjacent quaternary–tertiary centers were smoothly obtained in high yields (up to 93% yield) with good diastereoselectivity (up to >20:1). In addition, their biological activity has been preliminarily demonstrated by in vitro evaluation against human lung cancer cells A549 and human leukemia cells K562 by the MTT-based assays, using the commercially available standard drug of Cisplatin as a positive control. The results also demonstrated that most of the compounds showed considerable cytotoxicities to these two cell lines of K562 and A549, showed comparably potent or even more potent than the positive control of Cisplatin (up to 5.1 times), and indicated that novel turmerone motif-fused spiropyrrolidine oxindoles may be potential leads for further biological screenings and may generate drug-like molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is a higher incidence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in selenium-deficient areas. • Mortality of SFTS is higher in severe selenium-deficient areas. • Insufficient serum selenium in humans is associated with poor prognosis in SFTS. Selenium deficiency can be associated with increased susceptibility to some viral infections and even more severe diseases. In this study, we aimed to examine whether this association applies to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). An observational study was conducted based on the data of 13,305 human SFTS cases reported in mainland China from 2010 to 2020. The associations among incidence, case fatality rate of SFTS, and crop selenium concentration at the county level were explored. The selenium level in a cohort of patients with SFTS was tested, and its relationship with clinical outcomes was evaluated. The association between selenium-deficient crops and the incidence rate of SFTS was confirmed by multivariate Poisson analysis, with an estimated incidence rate ratio (IRR, 95% confidence interval [CI]) of 4.549 (4.215−4.916) for moderate selenium-deficient counties and 16.002 (14.706−17.431) for severe selenium-deficient counties. In addition, a higher mortality rate was also observed in severe selenium-deficient counties with an IRR of 1.409 (95% CI: 1.061−1.909). A clinical study on 120 patients with SFTS showed an association between serum selenium deficiency and severe SFTS (odds ratio, OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.00–8.67) or fatal SFTS (OR: 7.55; 95% CI: 1.14–50.16). Selenium deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to SFTS and poor clinical outcomes. This is special type of abstract that is so short and could be inserted after main abstract of article, as a blurb or inserted as annotations into a Table of contents [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and efficient methodology was developed for the synthesis of multifunctional polycyclic spiropyrrolidine oxindoles bearing mesityl oxide unit via a three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of dienones 2 with azomethine ylides (thermally generated in situ from isatin derivatives and proline or thioproline). Products bearing adjacent four chiral carbon centers were smoothly obtained in high yields (up to 98% yield) with diastereoselectivities up to >20:1. Furthermore, the key structural characteristic of the products of such a reaction is the natural product ingredient turmerone motif fused at the 3-position of the spirooxindole core, with varying degrees of substitution around it. In addition, their biological activity has been preliminarily demonstrated by in vitro evaluation against human prostate cancer cells PC-3, human lung cancer cells A549 and human leukemia cells K562 by the MTT-based assays, using the commercially available standard drugs Cisplatin as a positive control. These results suggested there is a trend that lipophilicity groups improve the potency, and also suggested an mesityl oxide moiety located in the polycyclic spiropyrrolidine oxindoles is beneficial for the activity. The results also demonstrated that most of the compounds showed considerable cytotoxicities to these three cell lines K562, A549 and PC-3, and indicated that polycyclic spiropyrrolidine oxindole analogs bearing mesityl oxide unit may be potential leads for further antitumor activity screenings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Rough polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membrane was modified by NIPS method. • K+-π interactions was used to assist dopamine assembly with increased 20 % graft yield. • The hydration layer on the membrane surface was measured by spin–spin relaxation time (T 2) of water using NMR. • The codependent coating improving the antifouling performance on the rough membrane. Mussel-inspired surface modification draws a lot of attention for improving membrane antifouling property. However, it remains a serious challenge to fabricate a strong hydrophilic layer on the rough surface, preventing the pollutants to adhere to them during the filtration process. Here, a progressive cation-π assembly of polydopamine (PDA) was introduced to boost the antifouling property of the rough polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane, which was fabricated by the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method using alcohol as the non-solvent. Afterward, dopamine and 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SMPS) were co-deposited on the rough membranes via K+-π interactions, leading to >20% increment in graft yield compared with DA layer at the same deposition time. In addition, spin–spin relaxation time (T 2) of water of DS modified membrane characterized by relaxation NMR decreased 484.9 ms, revealing strong hydration capability on the membrane surface and excellent water hydrophilicity. Benefited by the hydration capability, improved antifouling performance was obtained against natural organic polymers and crude oil, and good oil-in-water emulsions separation property without pressure. The K+-π interactions assistance dopamine assembly indicated a convenient technique for improving the antifouling performance of the rough membrane with a thick and strong hydrophilic layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim of the study: This work aims to investigate the effects of HSYA on cardiac function and blood pressure. Materials and methods: To evaluate changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), different groups of pentobarbitone-anesthetized normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were treated with intravenous HSYA (0.1–3mg/kg). Isolated WKY rat hearts in Langendorff system were employed for examining the effect of HSYA on hemodynamic. After 30min equilibration time the isolated hearts were perfused with HSYA (30μmol/L) in a stepwise fashion. Potassium channel inhibitors were used to determine the role of potassium channel activation in HSYA effect. Results: Intravenous injection of the HSYA significantly reduced MAP and HR in both normotensive rats and SHR in a dose-dependent manner. HSYA reduced left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), the maximum rate of increase of left ventricular pressure (+dp/dt max) and heart rate (HR) in a dose-dependent manner. HSYA had no remarkable effect on the maximum rate of decrease of left ventricular pressure (−dp/dt max); BKCa and KATP blocker can weakened the inhibitory effect of HSYA on heart function and HR, but KV and KACh blocker did not significantly weaken the HSYA effects. Conclusion: Our results show that HSYA could significantly reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which may be related to activation of BKCa and KATP channels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A method for preparing 125I brachytherapy seeds is presented. Carbon bars were used as the substrates, on which a silver coating was deposited by electroless plating, and then, 125I was adsorbed by iodinating the silver coating so as to prepare source cores. The radioactive cores were sealed individually in the titanium capsule to fabricate the 125I brachytherapy seeds. Quality control checking of the encapsulated 125I seeds for dimension, leakage and surface contamination were performed. And the 125I seeds using carbon bar as the core substrate underwent computed tomography (CT) scan and X-ray imaging to determine the visualization. This paper provides valuable experiences and data for the preparation of 125I brachytherapy seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black liquor and Fenton sludge are common industrial wastes that come from the conventional kraft pulping process and the Fenton wastewater treatment process, respectively. In this study, the biochar-supported iron-based catalysts were synthesized through a simple one-step pyrolysis method using acid-precipitated black liquor (APBL) as carbon source and Fenton sludge as iron source, and were then applied for Fenton-like removal of rhodamine B (RhB) dyes. The optimized catalyst (Fe@BC FAK), pyrolyzed at 900 ºC with KOH as the activator, was mesoporous biochar-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). Under the optimal conditions (50 mg L−1 RhB, initial pH 3, 2 mM H 2 O 2 concentration, catalyst dosage of 0.2 g L−1), the Fe@BC FAK /H 2 O 2 system achieved almost 100% RhB dye removal within 10 min. Moreover, the Fe@BC FAK /H 2 O 2 system also exhibited excellent removal efficiencies for malachite green, crystal violet, and methylene blue. The Fe@BC FAK had a good magnetic separation ability (146.4 emu g−1) and maintained a high removal efficiency of RhB (83.8%) in the presence of H 2 O 2 after five times of recycling/reuse. The degradation of RhB dye was mainly attributed to •OH, including surface-bound •OH and free •OH. Besides the excellent catalytic ability and Fe(III) reduction ability of nZVI itself, the biochar supports with high specific surface area and mesoporous structure also played important roles in the removal of RhB dye, such as adsorbing RhB dyes, alleviating nZVI aggregation, and accelerating the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). [Display omitted] • Catalyst was synthesized from two industrial wastes by one-step pyrolysis method. • The degradation reaction was obtained efficiently at pH 3 with low H 2 O 2 consumption. • Fe@BC FAK exhibited excellent catalytic ability and reusability in removing RhB. • Biochar support facilitated Fe(III) reduction, mass transfer and H 2 O 2 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A total of 110 B3 genes were identified and characterized in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L). • Phytozome and qRT-PCR data analysis revealed tissue-specific expression profiles of PvB3 genes. • Some PvB3s were correlated with auxin (IAA) under salt stress. The plant-specific transcription factor B3 superfamily members mediate plant growth, development, and stress response. Although the B3 gene has been studied in various plants, its role in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) is unknown. In this study, 110 PvB3 genes were identified from the common bean genome and analyzed based on the phylogeny, gene structure, motifs, cis -regulatory elements, collinearity, and Ka/Ks. PvB3s were divided into four subgroups based on motifs and gene structure. The cis -element composition of the most PvB3 were involved in hormone production, abiotic stress response, and germination. Most PvB3 were highly expressed in the vigorously growth tissue of common bean, such as nodules, young pods, and young trifoliate. Moreover, RNA-seq results showed that PvB3 -001/010/027/032/047/048/059/090 were enriched in tryptophan metabolism pathway (involves in AUX/IAA, GH3, and SAUR) of common bean under salt stress. Notably, exogenous IAA treatment could increase endogenous IAA content and the number of lateral roots, while altering the expression level of PvB3s in salt-sensitive common bean variety under salt stress. Taken together, the result indicated that PvB3 transcription factors may be involved in common bean salt stress response by participating in the synthesis and metabolic regulation of IAA. This study provides a theoretical basis for further study on the role of PvB3 s in common bean abiotic stresses response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]