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Developing cost‐effective and high‐active electrocatalysts is vital to enhance the electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, traditional pyrolysis methods require complicated procedures, exact temperatures, and long reaction times, leading to high costs and low yields of electrocatalysts in potential industrial applications. Herein, a rapid and economic laser‐induced preparation strategy is proposed to synthesize three bimetallic sulfide/oxide composites (MMoOS, M=Fe, Co, and Ni) on a nickel foam (NF) substrate. A focused CO2 laser with high energy is applied to decompose Anderson‐type polyoxometalate (POM)‐based precursors, enabling the creation of abundant heteropore and defective structures in the MMoOS composites that have multi‐components of MS/Mo4O11/MoS2. Remarkably, owing to the structural interactions between the active species, FeMoOS shows superior electrocatalytic performance for OER in an alkaline medium, exhibiting a low overpotential of 240 mV at 50 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 79 mV dec−1, and good durability for 80 h. Physical characterizations after OER imply that partially dissolved Mo‐based species and new‐formed NiO/NiOOH can effectively uncover abundant active sites, fasten charge transfer, and modify defective structures. This work provides a rapid laser‐induced irradiation method for the synthesis of POM‐derived nanocomposites as promoted electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient adherence status to the newly introduced family‐based Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection control and management strategy remains unclear, so are its influencing factors. We aim to investigate family members' adherence and its influencing factors during the family‐based H. pylori infection management practice for related disease prevention. Materials and Methods: Based on our previously family‐based H. pylori survey in 2021, 282 families including 772 individuals were followed up 2 years after the initial survey to compare if the investigation and education might improve family member's adherence. The participant's adherence to H. pylori infection awareness, retest, treatment, publicity, gastroscopy, and hygiene habits were followed up, and their influencing factors were also analyzed. Results: The overall participant's adherence to recommendations on H. pylori awareness, retest, treatment, publicity, gastroscopy, and hygiene habits were 77% (187/243), 67.3% (138/205), 60.1% (211/351), 46.5% (107/230), 45.6% (159/349), and 39.1% (213/545), respectively; and all showed improvements compared with their prior survey stages. The top reasons for rejection to treatment, retest, and gastroscopy were forgetting or unaware of H. pylori infection (30.3%), busy (32.8%), and asymptomatic (67.9%), respectively. Independent risk factor for low adherence to treatment was occupation (e.g., staff: OR 4.49, 95% CI 1.34–15.10). Independent favorable factors for treatment adherence were individuals at the ages of 18–44 years (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04–0.89) and had a large family size (e.g., four family members: OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.06–0.41); for retest adherence, it was individuals at the ages of 60–69 years (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.06–0.97); for gastroscopy adherence, it was individuals at the age of 60–69 years (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.28–0.75), and with gastrointestinal symptoms (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.36–0.90). Conclusions: Family‐based H. pylori management increases individual adherence to treatment, retest, and awareness, and there are also improved adherence to gastroscopy, publicity, and personal hygiene recommendations; further efforts are required to enhance the individual adherence rate for related disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was reported that the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway is involved in the regulation of aerobic glycolysis and that brain glycolytic dysfunction results in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Icariin (ICA), an active component extracted from Epimedii Folium, has been reported to produce neuroprotective effects in multiple models of AD, but its underlying mechanism remains to be fully described. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of ICA on animal and cell models of AD and confirm whether the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway has functions in the neuroprotective function of ICA. The 3 × Tg‐AD mice were treated with ICA. HT22 cells, the Aβ25‐35 peptide and Dickkopf‐1 (DKK1) agent (a specific inhibitor of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway) were used to further explore the underlying mechanism of ICA that produces anti‐AD effects. Behavioral examination, western blotting assay, staining analysis, biochemical test, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were applied. We first demonstrated that ICA significantly improved cognitive function and autonomous behavior, reduced neuronal damage, and reversed the protein levels and activities of glycolytic key enzymes, and expression of protein molecules of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, in 3 × Tg‐AD mice back to wild‐type levels. Next, we further found that ICA increased cell viability and effectively improved the dysfunctional glycolysis in HT22 cells injured by Aβ25‐35. However, when canonical Wnt signaling was inhibited by DKK1, the above effects of ICA on glycolysis were abolished. In summary, ICA exerts neuroprotective effects in 3 × Tg‐AD animals and AD cellular models by enhancing the function of glycolysis through activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two colossal global challenges remain energy scarcity and environmental pollution, having evolved into problems that human society cannot ignore. Therefore, developing a material with efficient electromagnetic (EM) interference shielding and electrocatalytic properties has become imperative in promoting sustainable development and establishing environmental protection systems. Herein, a heterodimensional structure is prepared by assembling 3D spirally grown VS2 with 2D FeCo‐LDH, which precisely manipulates macroscopic EM and electrochemical characteristics through defect and interface engineering. The results show that the heterodimensional structure presents an efficient shielding effectiveness of 30.2 dB at 18 GHz. Heterodimensional structure exhibits a low overpotential of 279 mV, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a desirable stability. In addition, based on the unique electrochemical properties and EM response characteristics of the material, a special protective helmet is innovated. The helmet incorporating an autonomous oxygen supply, advanced pressure surveillance, and dynamic stealth supports a more exhaustive safeguard for missions amidst noxious gases, and situations necessitating clandestine operations. This research provides a new idea for the development of multifunctional EM active materials, showing great application prospects in the fields of aerospace engineering, energy, and EM security protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolvin D2 (RvD2), an endogenous lipid mediator derived from docosahexaenoic acid, has been demonstrated to have analgesic effects. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying RvD2 in pain relief. Herein, we demonstrate that RvD2 targeted the P2X3 receptor as an analgesic. The electrophysiological activity of P2X3 receptors was suppressed by RvD2 in rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. RvD2 pre‐application dose‐dependently decreased α,β‐methylene‐ATP (α,β‐meATP)‐induced inward currents. RvD2 remarkably decreased the maximum response to α,β‐meATP, without influencing the affinity of P2X3 receptors. RvD2 also voltage‐independently suppressed ATP currents. An antagonist of the G protein receptor 18 (GPR18), O‐1918, prevented the RvD2‐induced suppression of ATP currents. Additionally, intracellular dialysis of the Gαi/o‐protein antagonist pertussis toxin (PTX), the PKA antagonist H89, or the cAMP analog 8‐Br‐cAMP also blocked the RvD2‐induced suppression. Furthermore, α,β‐meATP‐triggered depolarization of membrane potential along with the action potential bursts in DRG neurons were inhibited by RvD2. Lastly, RvD2 attenuated spontaneous nociceptive behaviors as well as mechanical allodynia produced by α,β‐meATP in rats via the activation of the peripheral GPR18. These findings indicated that RvD2 inhibited P2X3 receptors in rat primary sensory neurons through GPR18, PTX‐sensitive Gαi/o‐proteins, and intracellular cAMP/PKA signaling, revealing a novel mechanism that underlies its analgesic effects by targeting P2X3 receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastatic dissemination of colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common cancer type, is responsible for CRC deaths. Understanding the transition of lymph node metastasis (LNM) from Stage II to Stage III is beneficial in the prognosis and intervention of CRC. In this study, a quantitative proteomic survey was conducted to investigate the LNM‐associated proteins and evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of these target proteins in CRC. By using the LC–MS/MS iTRAQ technology, we analysed the proteomic changes between LMN II and LMN III. Fresh tumours from the CRC specimens consisting of 12 node‐negative (Stage II) and 12 node‐positive (Stage III) cases were analysed by LC–MS/MS iTRAQ proteome analysis. Subsequently, tissue microarray with immunohistochemistry staining was conducted to access the clinicopathological characteristics of these proteins in 116 paraffin‐embedded CRC samples, each for non‐LNM and LNM CRC. To study the effects of the differentially expressed proteins on the potential mechanism, Boyden chamber assay, flow cytometry and shRNA‐based assessments were conducted to examine the role of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the invasiveness of CRC cells and others in vivo xenograft mouse model experiments. Forty‐eight proteins were found differentially expressed between non‐LNM and LNM CRC tissues. Protein abundances of chromogranin‐A (CHGA) and ubiquitin carboxyl‐terminal hydrolase isozyme L1 (UCHL1) were observed in node‐positive CRC (p < 0.05). Knockdown of CHGA and UCHL1 significantly regulate cancer behaviours of HCT‐116, including inhibition of cell migration, invasiveness, cell cycle G1/S arrest and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Mechanistically, the CHGA and UCHL1 inactivation displayed decreased levels of UCH‐L1, chromogranin A, β‐catenin, cyclin E, twist‐1/2, vimentin, MMP‐9, N‐cadherin and PCNA through the activation of the Rho‐GTPase/AKT/NFκB pathways. Histone modification of H3K4 trimethylation of CHGA and UCHL1 promoter were increased to activate their transcription through the signalling transduction such as Rho‐GTPase, AKT and NFκB pathways. Our results indicated that UCHL1 and chromogranin A are novel regulators in CRC lymph node metastasis to potentially provide new insights into the mechanism of CRC progression and serve as biomarkers for CRC diagnosis at the metastatic stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trait matching between mutualistic species is usually expected to maintain mutualism, but empirical studies of trait complementarity and coadaptation in multi‐species assemblages—which represent the reality of most interactions in nature—are few. Here, we studied trait matching between the leafflower shrub Kirganelia microcarpa and three associated seed‐predatory leafflower moths (Epicephala spp.) across 16 populations. Behavioral and morphological observations suggested that two moths (E. microcarpa and E. tertiaria) acted as pollinators while a third (E. laeviclada) acted as a cheater. These species differed in ovipositor morphology but showed trait complementarity between ovipositor length and floral traits at both species level and population level, presumably as adaptations to divergent oviposition behaviors. However, this trait matching varied among populations. Comparisons of ovipositor length and floral traits among populations with different moth assemblages suggested an increase of ovary wall thickness where the locular‐ovipositing pollinator E. microcarpa and cheater E. laeviclada were present, while stylar pit depth was less in populations with the stylar pit‐ovipositing pollinator E. tertiaria. Our study indicates that trait matching between interacting partners occurs even in extremely specialized multi‐species mutualisms, and that although these responses vary, sometimes non‐intuitively, in response to different partner species. It seems that the moths can track changes in host plant tissue depth for oviposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoblasts play an important role in the regulation of bone homeostasis throughout life. Thus, the damage of osteoblasts can lead to serious skeletal diseases, highlighting the urgent need for novel pharmacological targets. This study introduces chemical genetics strategy by using small molecule forskolin (FSK) as a probe to explore the druggable targets for osteoporosis. Here, this work reveals that transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) served as a major cellular target of FSK to obviously induce osteoblast differentiation. Then, this work identifies a previously undisclosed allosteric site in the catalytic core of TGM2. In particular, FSK formed multiple hydrogen bonds in a saddle‐like domain to induce an "open" conformation of the β‐sandwich domain in TGM2, thereby promoting the substrate protein crosslinks by incorporating polyamine. Furthermore, this work finds that TGM2 interacted with several mitochondrial homeostasis‐associated proteins to improve mitochondrial dynamics and ATP production for osteoblast differentiation. Finally, this work observes that FSK effectively ameliorated osteoporosis in the ovariectomy mice model. Taken together, these findings show a previously undescribed pharmacological allosteric site on TGM2 for osteoporosis treatment, and also provide an available chemical tool for interrogating TGM2 biology and developing bone anabolic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density functional theory (DFT) has been carried out to investigate the electronic characteristics, UV–VIS–NIR absorption spectra, and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of two series of zinc porphyrin analogs (FPD‐Nx and TPD‐Nx, x = 0–4) with donor‐π‐donor frameworks. The design of these analogs is based on previously synthesized furan‐linked zinc porphyrins (FPDs) and thiophene‐linked zinc porphyrins (TPDs). It is noted that their electro‐optical features are sensitive to the numbers of N‐coordination atoms and the attached groups. A dramatic enhancement of static first and second hyperpolarizabilities (β0 and γ0) occurs when two furan/thiophene rings are attached to the zinc porphyrin. Among the two series, FPD‐N3 and TPD‐N3 have the largest β0 values of about 7600 a.u. The static γ0 values of these complexes range from 0.41 × 106 to 1.79 × 106 a.u. The FPD‐Nx has a larger γ0 value than the corresponding TPD‐Nx, but the γ0 value of FPD‐N2 is close to that of TPD‐N2. In the dynamic NLO process, the electro‐optical Pockels effect, second harmonic generation, and electro‐optic Kerr effect can be enhanced at the wavelength of 1907 nm. This study provides a new strategy for the experimental design of high‐performance NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic angiosarcoma (HAS) is an aggressive mesenchymal malignancy that remains underexplored with respect to its etiology and mutational landscapes. To clarify the association between HAS and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), we used nationwide data of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan, covering ~99% of the population, from 2001 to 2016. To investigate molecular signatures, we performed whole‐exome sequencing (WES) in 27 surgical specimens, including nine ESRD‐associated cases. The NHIRD analysis demonstrated that HAS ranked second among all angiosarcomas in Taiwan, with the incidence rates of HAS being 0.08, 2.49, and 5.71 per 100,000 person‐years in the general population, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and ESRD patients, respectively. The standardized incidence ratios of HAS in CKD and ESRD patients were 29.99 and 68.77, respectively. In comparison with nonhepatic angiosarcoma, the multivariate regression analysis of our institutional cohort confirmed CKD/ESRD as an independent risk factor for HAS (odds ratio: 9.521, 95% confidence interval: 2.995–30.261, p < 0.001). WES identified a high tumor mutation burden (TMB; median: 8.66 variants per megabase) and dominant A:T‐to‐T:A transversion in HAS with frequent TP53 (81%) and ATRX (41%) mutations, KDR amplifications/gains (56%), and CDKN2A/B deletions (48%). Notably, ESRD‐associated HAS had a significantly higher TMB (17.62 variants per megabase, p = 0.01) and enriched mutational signatures of aristolochic acid exposure (COSMIC SBS22, p < 0.001). In summary, a significant proportion of HAS in Taiwan is associated with ESRD and harbors a distinctive mutational signature, which concomitantly links nephrotoxicity and mutagenesis resulting from exposure to aristolochic acid or related compounds. A high TMB may support the eligibility for immunotherapy in treating ESRD‐associated HAS. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic and second‐order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of small Agn clusters (n = 1 to 3) doped graphyne (GY) and pyrazine‐modified graphyne (pyGY) have been investigated employing (time‐dependent) density functional theory calculations. A large triangular hole of GY provides an efficient site to accommodate the Agn cluster, and an Ag atom prefers to be located in the center of the pyGY, interacting with the two pyridine N atoms. The silver clusters have strong interactions with GY/pyGY, and the intramolecular charge transfer is significant for determining NLO properties. The first hyperpolarizability (β0) values can be modulated by the introduction of silver clusters. The results show that the second‐order NLO response of Ag2/Ag3 doped pyGY complex is stronger than that of corresponding Ag2/Ag3 doped GY complex, while the β0 for single Ag doped GY is significantly higher than that of Ag@pyGY. Hence, the NLO responses of these complexes depend on the size of the clusters and the type of nanosheets. All complexes exhibit excellent transparency in the deep ultraviolet region, especially Ag3@GY/pyGY. These results suggest that these Agn clusters doped GY/pyGY are excellent candidates for potential applications in optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate and analyze the etiology and prognosis of patients with new‐onset status epilepticus (NOSE). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all adult patients (≧16 years old) who were admitted to Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2018 and December 2020 with status epilepticus (SE) and no prior epilepsy history. Results: We collected data from 85 patients, aged from 16 to 90 years, of whom 49 were male and 36 were female. Fifty‐five of these cases (64.7%) were younger than 60 years of age. Acute symptomatic SE was mostly seen in the NOSE (53.9%), followed by unknown SE (25.9%), progressive SE (11.8%), and remote SE (9.4%). The differences in the etiology of NOSE between age groups were statistically significant (P <.05). For the young, the main etiology remained unknown (36.3%), followed by autoimmune‐related SE (16.4%); in the elderly, the primary etiology was central nervous system (CNS) infection (23.3%), followed by cerebrovascular disease (20%), and intracranial tumors (20%). Normal imaging was mostly seen in young people with NOSE (P <.001). Regarding outcome parameters and risk factors in patients with NOSE, adverse outcome was associated with age (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 0.108–0.758, P =.012), co‐infection (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 0.083–0.599, P =.003), and tracheal intubation (OR = 6.318, 95% CI = 0.060–0.204, P =.011). Significance: In our cohort, intracranial tumors, CNS infections, and cerebrovascular disease were the predominant causes of NOSE in the elderly, while autoimmune encephalitis was the largest recognized cause of NOSE in young patients. In addition, imaging varies with age. According to the data, preventing infections may enhance patient prognosis because greater infection rates are connected with less favorable results. Meanwhile, age and mechanical ventilation are related to the prognosis of NOSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a phospholipid which has been implicated in pain. Acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs) are important players in pain associated with tissue acidification. However, it is still unclear whether there is a link between LPA signaling and ASICs in pain processes. Herein, we show that a functional interaction between them in rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Pre‐application of LPA enhanced ASIC‐mediated and acid‐evoked inward currents in a concentration‐dependent manner. LPA shifted the concentration–response curve for protons upwards, with an increase of 41.79 ± 4.71% in the maximal current response of ASICs to protons in the presence of LPA. Potentiation of ASIC currents by LPA was blocked by the LPA1 receptor antagonist Ki16198, but not by the LPA2 receptor antagonist H2L5185303. The LPA‐induced potentiation was also prevented by intracellular application of either G protein inhibitor or protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, but not by Rho inhibitor. LPA also enhanced ASIC3 currents in CHO cells co‐expressing ASIC3 and LPA1 receptors, but not in cells expressing ASIC3 alone. Moreover, LPA increased the amplitude of the depolarization and the number of spikes induced by acid stimuli. Finally, LPA exacerbated acid‐induced nociceptive behaviors in rats. These results suggested that LPA enhanced ASIC‐mediated electrophysiological activity and nociception via a LPA1 receptor and its downstream PKC rather than Rho signaling pathway, which provided a novel peripheral mechanism underlying the sensitization of pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The α2‐adrenergic receptor (α2‐AR) agonists have been shown to be effective in the treatment of various pain. For example, dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective α2A‐AR agonist, can be used for peripheral analgesia. However, it is not yet fully elucidated for the precise molecular mechanisms. P2X3 receptor is a major receptor processing nociceptive information in primary sensory neurons. Herein, we show that a functional interaction of α2A‐ARs and P2X3 receptors in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons could contribute to peripheral analgesia of DEX. Methods: Electrophysiological recordings were carried out on rat DRG neurons, and nociceptive behavior was quantified in rats. Results: The activation of α2A‐ARs by DEX suppressed P2X3 receptor‐mediated and α,β‐methylene‐ATP (α,β‐meATP)‐evoked inward currents in a concentration‐dependent and voltage‐independent manner. Pre‐application of DEX shifted the α,β‐meATP concentration‐response curve downwards, with a decrease of 50.43 ± 4.75% in the maximal current response of P2X3 receptors to α,β‐meATP in the presence of DEX. Suppression of α,β‐meATP‐evoked currents by DEX was blocked by the α2A‐AR antagonist BRL44408 and prevented by intracellular application of the Gi/o protein inhibitor pertussis toxin, the adenylate cyclase activator forskolin, and the cAMP analog 8‐Br‐cAMP. DEX also suppressed α,β‐meATP‐evoked action potentials through α2A‐ARs in rat DRG neurons. Finally, the activation of peripheral α2A‐ARs by DEX had an analgesic effect on the α,β‐meATP‐induced nociception. Conclusions: These results suggested that activation of α2A‐ARs by DEX suppressed P2X3 receptor‐mediated electrophysiological and behavioral activity via a Gi/o proteins and cAMP signaling pathway, which was a novel potential mechanism underlying analgesia of peripheral α2A‐AR agonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to assess programmed death‐ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) expression in different histological types and gene mutation status of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 4062 pathology‐confirmed lung cancer patients were retrospectively screened at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from November 2010 to June 2017. There were 699 NSCLC patients with confirmed PD‐L1 expression level retrospectively enrolled for analysis. Results: There was a trend of higher PD‐L1 expression in squamous cell carcinoma and adenosquamous cell carcinoma than in adenocarcinoma (p = 063). Significant higher PD‐L1 expression in EGFR wild‐type was noted (p < 0.001). No significant differences in PD‐L1 expression were found between ALK wild‐ and mutant types, but there seem was a trend of high PD‐L1 level noted in ALK mutation patients (p = 0.069). In EGFR mutation patients, a higher time to treatment failure (TTF) duration was observed in no PD‐L1 expression (p = 0.011). Longer tumor tissue storage time correlated with lower PD‐L1 expression in lung cancer (p < 0.001 for linear trend). Conclusions: There were a trend or significant differences in PD‐L1 expression between different histological types in NSCLC, different EGFR and ALK status, and different tumor tissue storage time. A higher survival benefit was observed in no PD‐L1 expression than with PD‐L1 expression in adenocarcinoma, EGFR and ALK mutation patients. We recommend that PD‐L1 assay should be performed as early as possible if tissue is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two pairs of chiral thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials enabling circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) named R/S‐p‐BAMCN (rod‐shape) and R/S‐o‐BAMCN (helix‐shape) are prepared based on a new pair of chiral donor (D*), R/S‐N2,N2′‐diphenyl‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diamine (R/S‐BAM), and two cyano (CN) acceptors. Due to the rigid molecular structure and special intramolecular arrangement, the chiral TADF materials show high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (up to 0.86) with narrow full‐width at half‐maximum (38 nm in cyclohexane, 51 nm in toluene) and photoluminescence dissymmetry factor (|gPL|) up to 5.3 × 10−3. Particularly, the circularly polarized OLEDs (CP‐OLEDs) with rod‐shaped R/S‐p‐BAMCN as the emitter show high device performances with the maximum external quantum efficiency nearing 28%. Meanwhile, the semi‐transparent CP‐OLEDs based on helix‐shaped R/S‐o‐BAMCN exhibit obvious circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL) properties with the electroluminescence |gEL| factors around 4.6 × 10−3. The strategy of rigid D*‐A‐D* structure with special arrangement of chiral donor provides a direct way to obtain efficient CP‐TADF materials with narrow emission spectra and promising CPL properties for better CPEL performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Additional simethicone (SIM) can improve adequate bowel preparation and adenoma detection rate (ADR). However, there is no consensus on the optimal dose of SIM. In this study, we compared the adequate bowel preparation rate with supplementation of split‐dose 2 L polyethylene glycol (PEG) with low‐dose SIM (200 mg) versus high‐dose SIM (1200 mg). Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, observer‐blinded trial involving consecutive subjects undergoing colonoscopy. The primary outcome was adequate bowel preparation as assessed by Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score. Results: Four hundred subjects were randomly allocated to low‐dose SIM or high‐dose SIM group. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the two groups (P > 0.05). No significant between‐group differences were observed with respect to total bubble scale (BS) (8.49 ± 1.00 vs 8.39 ± 1.10, P = 0.07), total BBPS score (8.70 ± 0.81 vs 8.29 ± 1.18, P = 0.98), ADR (33.68% vs 31.79%, P = 0.69) or withdrawal time (13 [range, 10–16] min vs 13 [10–15] min, P = 0.96). The intubation time in low‐dose SIM group was significantly shorter than that in high‐dose SIM group (8 (4–16) min vs 10 [6–17] min, P = 0.04). In addition, BS scores as well as diminutive ADR in right colon were superior in the low‐dose SIM group (2.68 ± 0.59 vs 2.52 ± 0.73, P = 0.03 and 54.29% vs 30.30%, P = 0.046, respectively). Conclusion: Addition of low‐dose SIM to split‐dose 2 L PEG was as effective as addition of high‐dose SIM with respect to adequate bowel preparation, ADR and patient tolerance. However, low‐dose SIM was superior with respect to intubation time, right colon BS scores, right colon diminutive ADR and cost savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study compared the dose verification results between plans created based on computed tomography (CT) scan and digital virtual phantom. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the treatment plan of 10 patients with head and neck cancer. CT scanned phantom and digital virtual phantom measured using Delta4 3‐D matrix were used to generate verification plans for each patient. The doses based on the effective measurement volume of the two phantoms were compared, and the verification results were analyzed using gamma index analysis. Results: For the body, the minimum dose, the maximum dose, the average dose, and the total dose were 0.72 ± 0.46 cGy, 251.86 ± 49.83 cGy, 58.10 ± 10.93 cGy, and 154.67 ± 20.28 cGy, respectively, in the CT‐scan group, and 0.62 ± 0.36 cGy, 248.34 ± 48.59 cGy, 57.20 ± 10.77 cGy, and 151.57 ± 19.73 cGy, respectively in the Uniform group. The difference between the groups was significant (P < 0.05). In the Delta4 analysis software, the dose deviation, distance to agreement, and gamma passing rates were 73.39 ± 10.75%, 95.25 ± 1.00%, and 96.67 ± 1.415%, respectively in the CT‐scan group, and 83.36 ± 10.15%, 98.61 ± 0.810%, and 99.38 ± 0.452%, respectively, in the Uniform group. The two plans were significantly different (P < 0.05), and there was a 3% difference in the gamma passing rate. Therefore, the conclusions relating to the examined dose applied, the groups were significantly higher than those of CT‐scan groups. (both P‐values were <0.05). As the parameter value increases, the difference decreases. In the 3 mm/3% standard, both groups met the clinical requirement of gamma passing rate of >95%, but the Uniform group had a higher passing rate than the CT‐scan group. Conclusions: Because the passing rate was higher in the Uniform group than in the CT‐scan group, it is recommended to use digital virtual phantom modules to generate verification plans in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic autoimmune disease with an unknown etiology. CD200 is associated with many autoimmune diseases, but little is known about its role in pSS. This study aims to correlate the expression of CD200 with pSS and evaluate its significance. Methods: Plasma CD200, CD200R, and interleukin (IL)‐17 levels were measured and analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Messenger RNA levels of CD200 and CD200R in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were quantified by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Following pretreatment of CD200‐Fc, the protein levels of IL‐17A were measured in PBMCs from patients and healthy controls. Results: Results showed that, compared to CD200 in healthy controls, the relative levels in PBMCs from pSS were greater than 2‐fold. In addition, CD200 levels in plasma positively correlated with IL‐17 levels, as well as between plasma CD200 and pSS activity indexes (including immunoglobulin G and European League Against Rheumatism SS Disease Activity Index). While CD200R levels were significantly decreased in pSS patients, no correlation could be found. Furthermore, the protein level of IL‐17 decreased after pretreatment of CD200‐Fc in PBMCs from pSS patients. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the CD200/CD200R pathway is involved in pSS pathogenesis. It is hypothesized that regulation of IL‐17 expression affects Th17 differentiation. This newly discovered pathway could give rise to a novel targeted therapy for pSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To assess the clinical performance and correlations of automated chemiluminescence assay (CIA) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies in the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Methods: The study recruited 505 subjects, including 192 with APS, 193 with connective tissue diseases other than APS, and 120 healthy donors. We measured anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti‐β2‐glycoprotein I (anti‐β2GPI) antibodies IgG, IgM, and IgA in all the samples using both CIA and ELISA. Results: Total agreement between the two methods ranged from 83.50% for anti‐β2GPI IgG antibodies to 92.76% for anti‐β2GPI IgM antibodies in all the groups. Anti‐β2GPI and aCL IgG assays showed the highest Spearman's rho coefficients (anti‐β2GPI IgG = 0.742, aCL IgG = 0.715). Anti‐β2GPI IgG CIA showed the highest sensitivity for diagnosis of APS at 80.21%, which was significantly higher than the sensitivity of anti‐β2GPI IgG ELISA (52.08%). For diagnosis of APS, anti‐β2GPI IgG CIA had the best discrimination power with the area under the curves (AUC) of 0.922, followed by aCL IgG CIA (AUC of 0.905). While the CIA AUC was slightly higher in all cases, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: CIA measurements had a good agreement and correlation with comparative ELISA assays. The CIA anti‐β2GPI IgG however was significantly more sensitive for APS diagnosis. The two assay methodologies showed comparable predictive powers and support the value of the CIA method for improved diagnosis and management of patients with APS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure organic materials with intrinsic room‐temperature phosphorescence typically rely on heavy atoms or heteroatoms. Two different strategies towards constructing organic room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) species based upon the through‐space charge transfer (TSCT) unit of [2.2]paracyclophane (PCP) were demonstrated. Materials with bromine atoms, PCP‐BrCz and PPCP‐BrCz, exhibit RTP lifetime of around 100 ms. Modulating the PCP core with non‐halogen‐containing electron‐withdrawing units, PCP‐TNTCz and PCP‐PyCNCz, successfully elongate the RTP lifetime to 313.59 and 528.00 ms, respectively, the afterglow of which is visible for several seconds under ambient conditions. The PCP‐TNTCz and PCP‐PyCNCz enantiomers display excellent circular polarized luminescence with dissymmetry factors as high as −1.2×10−2 in toluene solutions, and decent RTP lifetime of around 300 ms for PCP‐TNTCz enantiomers in crystalline state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In glioblastoma (GBM), promoter methylation of the DNA repair gene O-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is associated with beneficial chemotherapy.Purpose/hypothesis: To analyze radiomics features for utilizing the full potential of medical imaging as biomarkers of MGMT promoter methylation.Study Type: Retrospective.Population/subjects: In all, 98 GBM patients with known MGMT (48 methylated and 50 unmethylated tumors).Field Strength/sequence: 3.0T magnetic resonance (MR) images, containing T1 -weighted image (T1 WI), T2 -weighted image (T2 WI), and enhanced T1 WI.Assessment: A region of interest (ROI) of the tumor was delineated. A total of 1665 radiomics features were extracted and quantized, and were reduced using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularization.Statistical Testing: After the support vector machine construction, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were computed for different sequences. An independent validation cohort containing 20 GBM patients was utilized to further evaluate the radiomics model performance.Results: Radiomics features of T1 WI reached an accuracy of 67.54%. Enhanced T1 WI features reached an accuracy of 82.01%, while T2 WI reached an accuracy of 69.25%. The best classification system for predicting MGMT promoter methylation status originated from the combination of 36 T1 WI, T2 WI, and enhanced T1 WI images features, with an accuracy of 86.59%. Further validation on the independent cohort of 20 patients produced similar results, with an accuracy of 80%.Data Conclusion: Our results provide further evidence that radiomics MR features could predict MGMT methylation status in preoperative GBM. Multiple imaging modalities together can yield putative noninvasive biomarkers for the identification of MGMT.Level Of Evidence: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1380-1387. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Recent studies have demonstrated that ubiquitin‐specific protease 10 (USP10) plays a catalytic role in tumour suppression mainly by deubiquitinating its target proteins to enhance their stabilities. However, we found that USP10 could interact with and regulate the expression of oncogenic factor Musashi‐2 (MSI2). We investigated whether USP10 positively regulates the expression of MSI2 by deubiquitination and confirmed the type of polyubiquitin chain that is linked to MSI2. We also explored the role of USP10 in regulating the proliferation of colon cancer through different experiments. This study provides a completely new perspective in understanding the role of USP10 in deubiquitination. In the future, USP10 may serve as a target for colon cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora capsici is an important oomycete pathogen threatening the vegetable production in China, but very little is known about its population structure. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of 49 P. capsici isolates obtained from 2007 to 2014 at nine provincial locations in China. Isolates were assessed for mating type, metalaxyl resistance and simple sequence repeat (SSR) genotype. Mating‐type analyses of the isolates showed that both mating types were present in all of the sampled production regions, and the mating‐type frequency in the total Chinese population did not deviate significantly from a 1:1 ratio. Responses of isolates to the fungicide metalaxyl indicated the presence of intermediate resistance to metalaxyl among the field population. A universal fluorescent labelling method was adapted in this study to improve the efficiency of SSR genotyping. Microsatellite genotyping of the isolates using seven SSR markers revealed 44 unique multilocus genotypes. Genetic analyses indicated the existence of two genetic clusters within Chinese P. capsici collection. Clonal reproduction may play a more prominent role in Yunnan Province, but non‐existence of repeated genotypes and existence of both mating types throughout all regions suggest outcrossing and sexual recombination likely play an important role in the overall epidemiology in China. Future studies would include expanded scale sampling at single regions over multiple years to better define the genetic diversity of P. capsici in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nilaparvata lugens (stal) is a rice pest and contains long‐winged and short‐winged varieties, called the wing differentiation. This study compared the protein profiles of the two wing‐types in females and two wing‐disc types 5th‐instar females by two‐dimensional electrophoresis analysis. We detected 172 and 174 protein spots in adults and 5th‐instar nymphs, respectively. The number of proteins with higher content in the long‐winged (disc) individuals is much more than that in the short‐winged (disc) individuals. A total of 32 differential protein spots were found, of which 20 were successfully identified. Their main function is about catabolic process, fiber and nucleoside binding, and they constitute 52 protein–protein interactions, which is around the glycolysis as the core. These results enrich the research on the protein Level in wing development, and provide more references for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study was to investigate whether cell proliferation and adult neurogenesis are affected at early neurodegenerative stage when neuron loss has not begun to display. Methods and Results Forebrain-specific nicastrin ( NCT) conditional knockout ( cKO) mice were generated by crossing NCT f/f with Ca MKIIα -Cre Tg mice. BrdU was used as a lineage tracer to label proliferating neural progenitor cells ( NPCs). Immunohistochemistry ( IHC) on BrdU indicated that the total number of BrdU positive (+) cells was increased in NCT cKO mice. IHC on doublecortin ( DCX) showed that the total number of DCX+ cells was also increased in NCT cKO mice. NCT cKO mice displayed significant astrogliosis as well. However, NCT cKO mice at 3 months did not show significant neuronal death or synaptic loss. Conclusions NCT-dependent γ-secretase activity plays an important role in cell proliferation and immature neuron generation. Enhanced neurogenesis and astrogliosis may be early cellular events prior to the occurrence of neuronal death in neurodegenerative disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binding interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and enalapril (ENPL) at the imitated physiological conditions (pH = 7.4) was investigated using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), fluorescence emission spectroscopy (FES), synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking methods. It can be deduced from the experimental results from the steady-state fluorescence spectroscopic titration that the intrinsic BSA fluorescence quenching mechanism induced by ENPL is static quenching, based on the decrease in the BSA quenching constants in the presence of ENPL with increase in temperature and BSA quenching rates >1010 L mol−1 sec−1. This result indicates that the ENPL-BSA complex is formed through an intermolecular interaction of ENPL with BSA. The main bonding forces for interaction of BSA and ENPL are van der Waal's forces and hydrogen bonding interaction based on negative values of Gibbs free energy change (Δ G0), enthalpic change (Δ H0) and entropic change (Δ S0). The binding of ENPL with BSA is an enthalpy-driven process due to |Δ H°| > | TΔ S°| in the binding process. The results of competitive binding experiments and molecular docking confirm that ENPL binds in BSA sub-domain IIA (site I) and results in a slight change in BSA conformation, but BSA still retains its α-helical secondary structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxidized methyl acetoricinoleate (EMAR) was generated by epoxidation of methyl acetoricinoleate (MAR) in the presence of formic acid and hydrogen peroxide by using ionic liquids as catalysts, and the product was characterized by means of infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The efficiencies of four different catalysts, 1-methylimidazole hydrogen sulfate salt ([Hmim]HSO4), 1-methylpyrrolidone hydrogen sulfate salt ([Hnmp]HSO4), phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid, were compared. The effects of the formic acid/MAR molar ratio, hydrogen peroxide/MAR molar ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time, and catalyst dosage on the epoxy value of EMAR were investigated by single-factor experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further understand the mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), the binding interaction of MPA with bovine serum albumin (BSA) under simulated physiological conditions (pH 7.4) was studied using fluorescence emission spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and molecular docking methods. The experimental results reveal that the fluorescence of BSA quenches due to the formation of MPA-BSA complex. The number of binding sites ( n) and the binding constant for MPA-BSA complex are ~1 and 4.6 × 103 M−1 at 310 K, respectively. However, it can be concluded that the binding process of MPA with BSA is spontaneous and the main interaction forces between MPA and BSA are van der Waals force and hydrogen bonding interaction due to the negative values of Δ G0, Δ H0 and Δ S0 in the binding process of MPA with BSA. MPA prefers binding on the hydrophobic cavity in subdomain IIIA (site II′′) of BSA resulting in a slight change in the conformation of BSA, but BSA retaining the α-helix structure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacteria ( NTM) infection with concurrent IgG4-related lymphadenopathy has not been reported. We described a patient with neutralizing autoantibodies to interferon-gamma ( IFN-γ) and elevated levels of serum IgG4 presenting with generalized lymphadenopathy and reactive dermatosis. Histologically, lymph nodes ( LNs) showed effaced nodal architecture with polymorphic infiltrates, mimicking angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. Both the absolute number and the ratio of IgG4+ plasma cells to IgG+ plasma cells were increased. Mycobacterium abscessus was isolated from cultures of LNs, and demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The skin biopsy showed neutrophilic dermatosis, consistent with Sweet syndrome. The patient met the criteria of both adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome and IgG4-related lymphadenopathy. This case provides evidence of disseminated NTM infection with concurrent type III IgG4-related lymphadenopathy in the patient with anti- IFN-γ autoantibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Whether rapamycin has neuroprotective effects in spinal cord injury remains controversial. The present study shows that rapamycin protects neurons from death after spinal cord injury by inhibiting the secondary inflammatory response. The effects of rapamycin were tested using a myeloperoxidase assay, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The experimental results showed that after spinal cord injury, rapamycin reduced the numbers of activated microglia and neutrophils in the damage zone, lowered the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, reduced the apoptotic cells, and increased the survival of neurons. The above data proved that rapamycin diminishes inflammatory cell activation and proliferation, downregulates the expression of inflammatory factors, reduces the microenvironmental damage effects on neurons in the acute injury phase, and thus promotes the survival of neurons. Therefore, we believe that rapamycin has neuroprotective effects in spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: A growing number of studies have demonstrated that oxytocin (OT) plays an analgesic role in modulation of nociception and pain. Most work to date has focused on the central mechanisms of OT analgesia, but little is known about whether peripheral mechanisms are also involved. Acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs) are distributed in peripheral sensory neurons and participate in nociception. Here, we investigated the effects of OT on the activity of ASICs in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Experimental Approach: Electrophysiological experiments were performed on neurons from rat DRG. Nociceptive behaviour was induced by acetic acid in rats and mice lacking vasopressin, V1A receptors. Key Results: OT inhibited the functional activity of native ASICs. Firstly, OT dose‐dependently decreased the amplitude of ASIC currents in DRG neurons. Secondly, OT inhibition of ASIC currents was mimicked by arginine vasopressin (AVP) and completely blocked by the V1A receptor antagonist SR49059, but not by the OT receptor antagonist L‐368899. Thirdly, OT altered acidosis‐evoked membrane excitability of DRG neurons and significantly decreased the amplitude of the depolarization and number of action potentials induced by acid stimuli. Finally, peripherally administered OT or AVP inhibited nociceptive responses to intraplantar injection of acetic acid in rats. Both OT and AVP also induced an analgesic effect on acidosis‐evoked pain in wild‐type mice, but not in V1A receptor knockout mice. Conclusions and Implications: These results reveal a novel peripheral mechanism for the analgesic effect of OT involving the modulation of native ASICs in primary sensory neurons mediated by V1A receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: A growing number of studies have demonstrated that oxytocin (OT) plays an analgesic role in modulation of nociception and pain. Most work to date has focused on the central mechanisms of OT analgesia, but little is known about whether peripheral mechanisms are also involved. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are distributed in peripheral sensory neurons and participate in nociception. Here, we investigated the effects of OT on the activity of ASICs in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons.Experimental Approach: Electrophysiological experiments were performed on neurons from rat DRG. Nociceptive behaviour was induced by acetic acid in rats and mice lacking vasopressin, V1A receptors.Key Results: OT inhibited the functional activity of native ASICs. Firstly, OT dose-dependently decreased the amplitude of ASIC currents in DRG neurons. Secondly, OT inhibition of ASIC currents was mimicked by arginine vasopressin (AVP) and completely blocked by the V1A receptor antagonist SR49059, but not by the OT receptor antagonist L-368899. Thirdly, OT altered acidosis-evoked membrane excitability of DRG neurons and significantly decreased the amplitude of the depolarization and number of action potentials induced by acid stimuli. Finally, peripherally administered OT or AVP inhibited nociceptive responses to intraplantar injection of acetic acid in rats. Both OT and AVP also induced an analgesic effect on acidosis-evoked pain in wild-type mice, but not in V1A receptor knockout mice.Conclusions and Implications: These results reveal a novel peripheral mechanism for the analgesic effect of OT involving the modulation of native ASICs in primary sensory neurons mediated by V1A receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new eudesmanolide, 1-oxo-11 αH-eudesma-2,4(14)-dien-12,8 β-olide ( 1), and four new guaianolides, 9 β,10 β-epoxy-4 α-hydroxy-1 βH,11 αH-guaian-12,8 α-olide ( 2), 9 β,10 β-epoxy-4 α-hydroxy-1 βH,11 βH-guaian-12,8 α-olide ( 3), 4 α,9 α-dihydroxy-1 βH,11 αH-guai-10(14)-en-12,8 α-olide ( 4), and 4 α,9 α-dihydroxy-1 βH,11 βH-guai-10(14)-en-12,8 α-olide ( 5), together with one known eudesmanolide and two known germacranolides, were isolated from the whole plants of Carpesium triste. Their structures and relative configurations were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including 2D-NMR techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonisothermal crystallization of low-density polyethylene inside percolating network of ZnO nanoparticles (LDPE/60 vol % ZnO) was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and compared to that of LDPE bulk (pristine LDPE and LDPE/1.15 vol % ZnO). The results revealed that crystallization behavior of LDPE inside ZnO percolating network was quite different from that of LDPE bulk. The former showed ∼ 4°C higher crystallization onset temperatures contrasting to the latter, demonstrating nucleation effect of ZnO on LDPE crystallization. On the other hand, much longer half-crystallization times were observed for the former, illustrating that crystallization of LDPE is retarded by the continuous ZnO network to some extent. Moreover, LDPE embedded inside ZnO network has by far larger crystallization activation energy and smaller specific free energy of the folding surface in contrast to LDPE bulk. Finally, nonisothermal crystallization kinetics study illustrated that both modified Avrami and Liu methods could be used to describe satisfactorily nonisothermal crystallization kinetics for all the samples investigated. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallization behavior of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) embedded inside zinc oxide (ZnO) percolating network (LDPE/60 vol% ZnO) was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and compared with those of LDPE bulks (neat LDPE and LDPE/1.15 vol% ZnO). Results revealed that embedded LDPE possessed by far shorter half-crystallization time at elevated crystallization temperatures than LDPE bulks, whereas at lower crystallization temperatures longer half-crystallization time was observed. Isothermal crystallization kinetics study revealed that the Avrami exponent of embedded LDPE varied in range of 1.8-2.0, indicating quasi-two-dimensional crystallization with heterogeneous nucleation, contrasting with about 3 for LDPE bulks. Moreover, crystallization activation energy of embedded LDPE was much larger than that of neat LDPE due to geometric confinement effect of ZnO network. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first investigated liquid chromatography (LC) fingerprint method using multi-wavelength combination technique, and successfully used this method for the analysis of a fat-soluble extract from Radix isatidis. LC fingerprints of fat-soluble R. isatidis extracts from 11 origins were established using the Origin software and Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprints of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The typical LC fingerprints of fat-soluble extracts from R. isatidis were first established, and the reference chromatogram was also generated with 24 common peaks showing large peak areas and good separation from adjacent peaks. Seven common characteristic peaks were identified for the first time: anthranilic acid, syringic acid, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, tryptanthrin, indigo and indirubin. The total peak areas of 24 common peaks were more than 80% of the total peak areas. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) of 11 R. isatidis samples was performed, and the results show that the differences between 11 origin R. isatidis were large. Principal component analysis (PCA) on 24 common peaks was obtained to find the possible chemical markers for the discrimination of different samples. The loading plot indicated that peaks 8, 11, 13 and 14 may have more influence on the discrimination of the samples. All these were useful for evaluating and controlling the quality of R. isatidis. Our work provides a general model of chromatogram combination at multi-wavelength detection to study the complex or the undeveloped materials, which can be used to scientifically ensure the quality of such samples and deeply do qualitative, quantitative and multicomponent pharmacodynamic research combined with modern advanced chromatographic technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intermediate zone of the spinal grey matter contains premotor interneurons mediating reflex actions of group I and II muscle afferents. However, limited information is available on how activity of inhibitory versus excitatory interneurons in this population are modulated and how they contribute to motor networks. There were three aims of this study: (1) to characterize excitatory axonal contacts on interneurons; (2) to determine if contact patterns on excitatory and inhibitory interneurons are different; (3) to determine if there are differences in presynaptic inhibitory control of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons. We used intracellular labelling of electrophysiologically identified cells along with immunochemistry to characterise contacts formed by axons that contain vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUT1 and VGLUT2) and contacts formed by VGLUT1 terminals which in turn were contacted by GABAergic terminals on cells that were characterised according to their transmitter phenotype. All 17 cells investigated were associated with numerous VGLUT1 contacts originating from primary afferents, and similar contact densities were found on excitatory and inhibitory cells, but VGLUT2-immunoreactive terminals originating from intraspinal neurons were less frequent, or were practically absent, especially on excitatory cells. Similar numbers of VGLUT1 contacts with associated GABAergic terminals were found on excitatory and inhibitory cells indicating a similar extent of presynaptic GABAergic control. However, scarce VGLUT2 terminals on intermediate zone excitatory premotor interneurons with input from muscle afferents suggest that they are not significantly excited by other spinal neurons but are under direct excitatory control of supraspinal neurons and, principally inhibitory, control of spinal neurons. The spinal cord contains networks of neurons that coordinate various types of movement by controlling muscle contraction. We investigated properties of axon terminals that supply input to a particular class of interneuron that directly excites or inhibits motoneurons that supply muscles. Analysis of the types of terminals on excitatory interneurons indicates that they are activated by sensory fibres and supraspinal neurons and that other spinal interneurons have inhibitory but not excitatory actions on them. In contrast, inhibitory interneurons are both excited and inhibited by other spinal interneurons. These findings provide us with new information about the organisation of neurons that coordinate movements and will form a basis to develop new circuit models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The products are prepared in view of new anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]