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The Chuantieling gel patch (CGP), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, is an external treatment for asthma. It has shown remarkable effectiveness in alleviating asthma‐related airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. Nevertheless, there is currently no information available regarding the analysis of quality markers for CGP, and there is a need for further improvement in quality control research. In this study, we developed an HPLC fingerprinting method for CGP and conducted a comprehensive methodological investigation. We assessed the similarity among 10 batches of CGP, identified common peaks, and quantified the content of seven major quality markers. Furthermore, we built a network pharmacology–based 'active ingredients–targets–pathways–diseases' network to forecast the potential mechanisms of action for the primary active components in asthma treatment. Our findings demonstrated that the developed CGP fingerprinting and content determination methods were consistent and trustworthy. We verified the existence of 25 shared peaks and successfully identified 7 chromatographic peaks, including sinigrin thiocyanate, ephedrine hydrochloride, methyleugenol, imperatorin, cinnamaldehyde, emodin, and 6‐gingerol, using reference standards. The network pharmacology analysis suggested that these seven active components may target proteins such as STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), MAPK3 (mitogen‐activated protein kinase 3), and TP53 (tumor protein P53) and influence various diseases through pathways including cancer pathways, hepatitis B, and PI3K–Akt (phosphoinositide 3‐kinase–protein kinase B) signaling. This study provides insight into the complex multicomponent composition of CGP, and the predictive analysis through network pharmacology sets the stage for uncovering the mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic effects of CGP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyaniline is the most famous conducting polymer and also a promising organic cathode material for rechargeable batteries, however, it has demonstrated poor utilization of its theoretical capacity (294 mAh g−1) and inferior cycling stability in previous studies. Herein, for the first time, its fully reduced form, i.e., leucoemeraldine base (LB), is studied as an alternative to the commonly used emeraldine salt and base (ES and EB). For the three different forms, the precise structures are carefully determined, and the electrochemical performance are systematically investigated. Within 2.0−4.3 V, LB realizes almost full capacity utilization (92%) that is much superior to those of ES and EB. Within 2.0−4.2 V, it shows both high reversible capacity (277 mAh g−1) and cycling stability (84% capacity retention after 1000 cycles). The combination of electrochemical analysis, density functional theory calculation, and ex situ characterization reveals that the capacity utilization is positively associated with the pristine proportion of ─NH─ groups, and the capacity fading is caused by the irreversible electrochemical deprotonation at high charge potential. This work promotes both the electrochemical performance and mechanistic understanding of polyaniline to a new stage, towards practical application in energy storage devices as a low‐cost, high‐performance, sustainable, and green cathode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic cathode materials (OCMs) have been widely applied in aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries (ARZBs), but there are still many novel structures to be explored for better electrochemical performance and clearer mechanism. Herein, we have studied an organic biological dye, namely thionin (Thn‐CH3COO), as a bipolar‐type OCM for ARZBs based on its electroactive phenothiazine unit. In the optimal electrolyte of 2 M Zn(CF3SO3)2, Thn‐CH3COO exhibited the lowest solubility and thus the highest cycling stability (94 % capacity retention after 100 cycles), with a reversible capacity of 162 mAh g−1 (the theoretical value is 186 mAh g−1) and a discharge plateau at ∼0.8 V vs. Zn2+/Zn. Various characterization and DFT calculations have revealed that both CH3COO− and CF3SO3− anions and H+ cations participated the p‐type and n‐type reactions, respectively. In brief, the novel structure, competitive performance, and exhaustive mechanism investigation will facilitate the further development of ARZBs based on OCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to assess student nurses' competence and attitude toward spiritual care and analysed the associated factors. Design: Cross‐sectional study using an online survey. Methods: From April 14 to June 14, 2018, a convenience sample of 938 student nurses were recruited from six schools of Nursing in Hunan Province, China. Data were collected by using the Chinese versions of the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (C‐SCCS) and the Spiritual Care Attitude Scale (C‐SCAS). Results: The average total score on the C‐SCCS was 21.42 (±4.27) out of 30 and the C‐SCAS was 58.03 (±9.90) out of 75. Factors such as liking the nursing profession, attending a spiritual care course, participation in classroom learning or expert lecture, and supporting continuous and systematic training were the strongest predictors of higher spiritual care competence and attitude. A better attitude about spiritual care was a relatively moderate and significant predictor of higher spiritual care competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations in the area of tumor‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) open a new horizon in developing cancer biology and its potential as cancer biomarkers. Following this prospect, we aimed to identify that the role of successfully isolated EVs from drug‐resistance cells in the progression of non‐small–cell lung cancer (NSCLC). P‐EVs and R‐EVs secreted by A549 cells and drug‐resistant A549‐R cells respectively were extracted and characterized. The targeting relationship between miR‐425 and MED1 was verified. Cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis after treatment of P‐EVs, R‐EVs, miR‐425 inhibitor, miR‐425 mimic, pcDNA‐MED1, or phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K)/AKT inhibitor LY294002 were detected. Furthermore, xenograft tumor in nude mice was established for further confirming our in vitro findings. P‐EVs and R‐EVs were successfully extracted and could be internalized by A549 cells. A549‐R cells and R‐EVs showed higher miR‐425 expression compared with A549 cells and P‐EVs, respectively. miR‐425 delivered by R‐EVs could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion, while inhibit apoptosis of NSCLC cells. MED1 was the target gene of miR‐425. EVs‐encapsulated miR‐425‐derived from A549‐R cells could promote the progression of NSCLC in vivo through regulating DAPK1‐medicated PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, miR‐425 delivered by R‐EVs promoted tumorigenesis in vivo. Taken together, the result suggested that EVs‐delivered miR‐425‐derived from A549‐R cells promoted the progression of NSCLC through regulating DAPK1‐medicated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have debuted as the photovoltaic devices with the most potential and progress is being made at an unprecedented pace. Meanwhile, additive engineering is continuously pushing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and device stability to higher levels by passivating defects and regulating crystallization behaviors. Considering the scalable fabrication of PSCs in the following stage, seeking green additives for optimizing perovskites is extremely valuable and paramount. Herein, we pioneer a green additive engineering method using fumaric acid (FMAC) to optimize the three‐cation perovskites to obtain highly efficient PSCs. FMAC not only optimizes crystallization behaviors to endow the perovskite films with a large grain size and few grain boundaries, but also forms a strong interaction with Pb2+/I− of the perovskites, thereby stabilizing the [PbI6]4− octahedral framework of the perovskite crystal lattices and effectively passivating the surface defects. On this basis, FMAC improves the photoelectric properties of perovskites and in particular, suppresses the nonradiative recombination. Consequently, the PCE of PSCs incorporating FMAC rises to 20.48%, exceeding that (19.18%) of the pristine device. In addition, FMAC also enhances the stability of PSCs. Therefore, we provide a significant strategy using a green additive to enhance the photovoltaic performance of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical utility of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) to detect mutation has been well documented; however, routine practice of the use of MPE involves collection of the cell pellet to detect mutation, and limited studies have interrogated the MPE supernatant as an alternative source of tumor‐derived DNA for mutation profiling. In this study, we investigated the potential of MPE supernatant as a liquid biopsy specimen by comparing its mutation profile with that of matched MPE cell pellets, tissue, and plasma samples. Methods: Sequencing data from 17 patients with matched lung tissue, plasma, and MPE samples were retrospectively analyzed. Capture‐based targeted sequencing was performed on matched plasma and MPE supernatant samples obtained from 154 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Results: MPE supernatants had significantly higher median maximum allelic fractions (maxAFs) than their corresponding cell pellets (P = 0.008) and plasma samples (P = 0.036), and a comparable maxAF value to that of tissue samples (P = 0.675). Comparison of MPE supernatant and matched plasma samples from the larger cohort (n = 154) revealed a comparable mutation detection rate; however, MPE supernatant had a significantly higher median maxAF than plasma (20.3% vs. 1.13%; P < 0.001). Furthermore, the concordance rates between MPE supernatant and plasma for single‐nucleotide and copy number variations were 56% and 18%, respectively, suggesting that MPE supernatant reveals a more comprehensive mutation spectrum, particularly for copy number variations. Conclusion: Overall, our study shows that MPE supernatant is an optimal alternative source of tumor‐derived DNA for comprehensive mutation profiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bayinsukhtu tungsten deposit is a newly discovered quartz‐vein tungsten deposit in the Xing'an–Mongolia Orogenic Belt (XMOB) in southern Mongolia, hosted by the Bayinsukhtu granite porphyry. The granite porphyry is located mainly south of the study area, over 3 km2. The rock consists of quartz and feldspar phenocrysts in a fine‐grained matrix, also mainly composed of feldspar and quartz. The granite porphyry samples demonstrate high SiO2 and high alkalinity. All samples also straddle the high‐potassium calc‐alkaline series. In a plot of the molar ratios of A/NK versus A/CNK, the granites are metaluminous. The chondrite‐normalized REE patterns are characterized by large negative Eu anomalies and fractionated LREEs. The U–Pb age of zircons from the granite porphyry is 298.8 ± 1.8 Ma, and the Sm–Nd age of the five wolframite samples from the tungsten deposit is 303 ± 19 Ma. The cooling age of the granite porphyry and tungsten mineralization is within the error of measurement and is of the Late Carboniferous age. Geological and geochronological evidence shows that the tungsten mineralization and the granite porphyry at Bayinsukhtu are genetically closely related and that they are results of Carboniferous magmatism. Their tectonic setting is related to the accretion of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt during the late Paleozoic era. The results show that the ages of the quartz porphyry and tungsten mineralization are the same within the margin of error. Furthermore, the geological and geochronological evidence indicates that the quartz porphyry and tungsten mineralization are products of Carboniferous magmatism. Their tectonic settings are related to the accretion of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) during the late Paleozoic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ganoderma lucidum is an edible medicinal mushroom known as “Lingzhi” in China and “Reishi or Manetake” in Japan. It is a highly prized vitality‐enhancing herb for more than 2000 years. G. lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) has been identified as one of the major bioactive components and developed into a drug named “Ji 731 Injection” in China since 1973. The large‐scale production of the drug began in 1985 and approved by the Chinese FDA as “Polysaccharidum of G. lucidum Karst Injection” (Ling Bao Duo Tang Zhu She Ye) in 2000, which is applied intramuscularly. After more than forty years of clinical use, its efficacy, safety and long‐term tolerability have been recognized by neurologists. It is one of a few non‐hormonal drugs used for treating refractory myopathy. It is also used for combination therapy, which reduces the amount of glucocorticoid required for myopathy patient who is in remission. In addition, it reduces adverse reactions and improves the quality of life for cancer patients during chemotherapy. We found 81 qualified chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of GLPS both in English and in Chinese spanning from 1973 to 2017 by searching CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang database and PubMed. The molecular mechanisms underlying GLPS's antioxidant, anti‐tumour, immune‐modulatory, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and other activities are discussed. Both preclinical and clinical studies are either deliberated or indexed in the current article. We aimed at providing a molecular picture as well as a clinical basis to comprehend GLPS as one of few polysaccharide‐based modern medicines with complicated chemical and pharmacological properties that prevent it from entering the world's market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the applications of 2D materials have been broadened by engineering their mechanical, electronic, and optical properties through either lateral or vertical hybridization. Here, the successful design and fabrication of a novel triphasic 2D material by vertically stacking lateral 2H-/1T′-molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) heterostructures on graphene with the assistance of supercritical carbon dioxide is reported. This triphasic structure is experimentally shown to significantly enhance the photocurrent densities for hydrogen evolution reactions. First-principles theoretical analyses reveal that the improved photoresponse should be ascribed to the beneficial band alignments of the triphasic heterostructure. More specifically, electrons can efficiently hop to the 1T′-MoS2 phase via the highly conductive graphene layer as a result of their strong vertical interfacial electronic coupling. Subsequently, the electrons acquired on the 1T′-MoS2 phase are exploited to fill the photoholes on the photoexcited 2H-MoS2 phase through the lateral heterojunction structure, thereby suppressing the recombination process of the photoinduced charge carriers on the 2H-MoS2 phase. This novel triphasic concept promises to open a new avenue to widen the molecular design of 2D hybrid materials for photonics-based energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultralow Pt-loading Au nanoparticles have been fabricated on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) by using underpotential deposition (UPD) monolayer redox replacement process. The Pt/Au/RGO modified electrode exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward catechol and hydroquinone. Under the optimized condition, the separation of peak-to-peak between hydroquinone and catechol is 197 mV, which is wide enough to distinguish the isomers of benzenediol. Catechol is detected by the Pt/Au/RGO/GCE with a low detection limit in the presence of hydroquinone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer foams are used extensively in a variety of applications. A firm understanding of bubble nucleation is vital to predict foam properties based on process conditions. However, a number of theoretical and experimental challenges have thus far limited progress in this area. We propose the use of a scaling theory to connect nucleation behavior to well understood bulk phase behavior of polystyrene-CO2 systems, which can be predicted by equations of state, such as the Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state. Scaling theory of nucleation asserts that when the reversible work of critical nucleus formation is properly normalized and plotted against the normalized degree of supersaturation, the resulting scaling curve is insensitive to temperature and the materials being used. Once the form of the scaling function is known, it can be used to predict the nucleation barrier knowing only the initial foaming conditions and calculating only bulk thermodynamic values. Using an extension of diffuse interface theory, we determined the slope of the scaling curve near saturation. This initial slope allows us to constrain the scaling function for better predictions of the reversible work. We also performed a series of experiments to help verify the accuracy of the scaling theory. The scaled free energy barriers determined from our experiments are consistent with the scaling function so constructed, and our theoretical results qualitatively agree with those found previously. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]