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Objective: This study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of combining mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) with exercise intervention in improving anxiety, depression, sleep quality and mood regulation in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 60 patients with NSCLC who had not received surgical treatment were selected using convenience sampling and divided into an intervention group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. The control group received conventional psychological nursing care, whereas the intervention group received a combination of MBwSR and exercise therapy. Before the intervention, a questionnaire was completed to collect the basic data of the two groups. Further questionnaires were administered at 6 and 8 weeks after treatment to assess anxiety, depression, sleep quality and other items included in the five‐item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS‐5). Results: No significant differences between the intervention and control groups were identified in terms of personal and clinical characteristics (p > 0.05). No significant differences were determined in the BSRS‐5, Self‐Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self‐Rating Depression Scale (SDS) or Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores between the intervention and control groups before the intervention. However, 6 and 8 weeks after the intervention, scores were significantly lower in both groups (p < 0.001). Significant differences in the BSRS‐5, SAS, SDS and PSQI scores were identified between the two groups at different time points (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The combination of MBSR and exercise intervention demonstrated improvements in anxiety, depression, sleep quality and BSRS‐5 scores in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early‐stage rape seedling density is closely related to yield estimation, growth diagnosis, cultivated area statistics, and field management. Currently, manual sampling and counting, which are inefficient and inaccurate, are heavily relied upon to estimate rape seedling density. Computer vision techniques have emerged as a promising solution to the automation of this task, as digital images have become more commonplace. Farmland field environments, however, face many challenges, including scale variation, denseness, and background occlusion. An improved multi‐column convolutional neural network, called seedling rape density prediction network (SRDPNet), has been proposed in this study to resolve the issues related to accurate density estimation and counting of rape seedlings in complex farmland scenarios. Based on the multi‐column convolutional attention encoder, filters of different sizes are used to capture the basic feature of rape seedlings at various scales. The channel attention and position attention modules are introduced into branches to alleviate the impact of low counting accuracy caused by background error and growth state differences. The SRDPNet was validated using the seedling rapeseed plant counting (SRPC) dataset created in this study. The experimental results showed that the SRDPNet demonstrated high accurate counting performance for the SRPC dataset with a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.97396) and mean absolute error (MAE = 3.26, mean square error = 4.56), which are superior to that of the comparison method. SRDPNet can effectively solve the visual challenges of rape seedlings in complex farmland scenes and improve the robustness for complex visual variations. Core Ideas: Multicolumn CNN with attention module can effectively solve the problems of the rape seedling images.Position attention module can significantly improve the counting accuracy for the rape seedling with scale changes.Channel attention module can significantly improve the counting accuracy of rape seedling with complex backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of deuterated compounds is increasingly expanding across various fields, making the development of novel deuterium labeling techniques for obtaining deuterated compounds a burgeoning research focus. Carboxylic acids and their derivatives are widely utilized as cost‐effective and readily available materials for obtaining deuterated compounds due to their stable properties. This article presents a comprehensive and concise summary of the research progress in decarboxylative deuteration reactions over the past 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is a Traditional Chinese Medicine used for the treatment of diseases related to the heart and liver. Owing to the abundance of salvianolic acids and tanshinones, S. miltiorrhiza exhibits various pharmacological activities, such as stimulating blood circulation, eliminating blood stasis, relieving menorrhea and pain, and improving polydipsia. Neocryptotanshinone (NCTS) is one of the tanshinones isolated from S. miltiorrhiza and exhibits anti‐inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and preventive effects against cardiovascular diseases; however, its pharmacokinetic properties have not been reported to date. Therefore, a simple and reliable LC–MS/MS method was developed to determine absorption, distribution, and excretion of NCTS in rat physiological samples. We demonstrated that NCTS had high oral absolute bioavailability of 85.96% ± 25.32%, and it was rapidly distributed in both the heart and brain, and the fecal excretion of NCTS was the highest. This study provides a theoretical basis for further development of NCTS as a potential clinical candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is well known that metabolic control plays a crucial role in regulating the health span and life span of various organisms, little is known for the systems metabolic profile of centenarians, the paradigm of human healthy aging and longevity. Meanwhile, how to well characterize the system‐level metabolic states in an organism of interest remains to be a major challenge in systems metabolism research. To address this challenge and better understand the metabolic mechanisms of healthy aging, we developed a method of genome‐wide precision metabolic modeling (GPMM) which is able to quantitatively integrate transcriptome, proteome and kinetome data in predictive modeling of metabolic networks. Benchmarking analysis showed that GPMM successfully characterized metabolic reprogramming in the NCI‐60 cancer cell lines; it dramatically improved the performance of the modeling with an R2 of 0.86 between the predicted and experimental measurements over the performance of existing methods. Using this approach, we examined the metabolic networks of a Chinese centenarian cohort and identified the elevated fatty acid oxidation (FAO) as the most significant metabolic feature in these long‐lived individuals. Evidence from serum metabolomics supports this observation. Given that FAO declines with normal aging and is impaired in many age‐related diseases, our study suggests that the elevated FAO has potential to be a novel signature of healthy aging of humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rab proteins constitute the largest family of small GTPases, which play pivotal roles in intracellular membrane trafficking in all eukaryotes. A number of Rab genes have been identified in eukaryotes; however, very little information about these genes has been reported in insects. In the current study, for the first time we identified and characterized 27 Rab family genes from Locusta migratoria. Phylogenetic analysis and comparison of domain architecture indicated that Rab family genes are highly conserved among insect species. Tissue‐dependent expression profiles indicated that expression of Rab genes was highest in the ovary, except for LmRab3, which was most highly expressed in hemolymph. The biological function of each Rab gene was investigated using RNA interference (RNAi). Double‐stranded RNA targeting each Rab gene was injected into the hemocoel of nymphs and revealed that suppression of two Rab genes (LmRab5 and LmRab11A) caused 100% mortality. In addition, nymphs injected with dsLmRab5 exhibited severe phenotypic defects in the gastric caeca and midgut, while dsLmRab11A arrested the molting process. We then applied the RNAi of RNAi technique to test if silencing either of these two genes would affect the suppression of the lethal giant larvae (LmLgl) reporter gene and found that suppression of LmRab5 diminished the RNAi efficiency of LmLgl, whereas suppression of LmRab11A enhanced RNAi efficiency of LmLgl. These results indicate that Rab genes contribute differently to RNAi efficiency in different tissues. Our study provides a foundation for further functional investigations of Rab genes and their contributions to RNAi efficiency in L. migratoria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of RNA interference (RNAi) varies substantially among different insect species. Rapid degradation of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) by dsRNA‐degrading nucleases (dsRNases) has been implicated to cause low RNAi efficiency in several insect species. In this study, we identified four dsRNase genes (OfdsRNase1, OfdsRNase2, OfdsRNase3 and OfdsRNase4) from the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis) transcriptome database. Bioinformatic analyses showed that each deduced protein sequence contained endonuclease NS domains and signal peptides. Gene expression analysis revealed that OfdsRNase2 was exclusively expressed in the midgut of larvae. RNAi efficiency was investigated in 2‐d‐old fifth‐instar larvae (high expression of dsRNase2) and 2‐d‐old pupae (low expression of dsRNase2) by feeding or injecting dsRNA targeting a marker gene that encodes the lethal giant larvae protein (OfLgl). Our results showed that OfLgl only partially silenced the expression of OfLgl in pupae, but not in larvae, suggesting that OfdsRNase2 could contribute to lower RNAi efficiency in larval stages. This hypothesis was supported by our RNAi‐of‐RNAi experiment using a tissue culture technique where the silencing efficiency against the reporter gene, OfHex1, was significantly improved after knockdown of OfdsRNase2. When double luciferase assays were performed to evaluate the role of the four dsRNases in vitro, only OfdsRNase2 expressed in S2 cells significantly affected RNAi efficiency by degrading dsRNA. Taken together, our results suggested that the degradation of dsRNA by OfdsRNase2 in the midgut contributed to low RNAi efficiency in O. furnacalis larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) play essential physiological functions in insects. CYP303A1 is highly conserved in insect species studied to date, and shows an indispensable role for adult eclosion in both Locusta migratoria and Drosophila melanogaster. However, how CYP303A1 is regulated to control insect developmental processes remains uninvestigated. In this study, we discovered functional binding sites for miR‐184 in the coding sequence of LmCYP303A1. The luciferase reporter assay showed that miR‐184 could target LmCYP303A1 and regulate its expression in vitro. Furthermore, overexpression of miR‐184 through microinjection of agomir to locusts reduced the transcripts of LmCYP303A1 and led to abnormal molting, which is similar to the phenotype of silencing LmCYP303A1 by direct injection of dsLmCYP303A1 to locusts. Meanwhile, down‐regulation of miR‐184 by injection of antagomir increased the LmCYP303A1 transcript and caused molting defects. These findings suggested that miR‐184 could target LmCYP303A1 to regulate the molting process in L. migratoria, which might be considered as a novel target for pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs), mainly caused by cerebrovascular injury, may lead to cognitive impairment. In order to identify whether the volume of WMHs is associated with cognitive decline over years, this longitudinal study involved 818 individuals from the ADNI‐2 dataset from August 2010 to May 2017. Method: Cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations of WMHs with 8 cognitive domains were explored, using Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDRSB), Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale‐Cognitive (ADAS‐Cog13), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ), executive function (ADNI‐EF), and memory function (ADNI‐Mem). The association analyses were performed using multiple linear regression models, linear mixed models, Spearman rank correlation and Kaplan‐Meier survival curves. Result: The volumes of WMHs were greater in patients with AD dementia compared with controls (p<0.001) and MCI (p=0.006) patients at baseline. The bigger volumes of WMHs correlated with worse performances on ADAS‐Cog13 and ADNI‐EF (p=0.029; p=0.0032) at baseline and MMSE, MoCA, CDRSB, ADAS‐Cog13, FAQ and ADNI‐Mem (overall p<0.05) longitudinally, after adjusting for age, sex, educational level, apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, infarction and diagnosis. And the correlations between the change rate of WMHs and change rates of MMSE, MoCA, CDRSB, FAQ, ADNI‐EF and ADNI‐Mem were statistically significant. Furthermore, patients with high WMH volumes showed an increased likelihood of dementia. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that WMH volume is associated with cognitive decline, and it contributes to the conversion to AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: H7N9 avian influenza is an infection of public health concern, in part because of its high mortality rate and pandemic potential. Aims: To describe the clinical features of H7N9 avian influenza and the response to treatment. Methods: Clinical, radiological and histopathological data, and treatment‐related of H7N9‐infected patients hospitalised during 2014–2017 were extracted and analysed. Results: A total of 17 H7N9 patients (three females; mean age, 58.4 ± 13.7 years) was identified; of these six died. All patients presented with fever and productive cough; four patients had haemoptysis and 13 had chest distress and/or shortness of breath. Early subnormal white blood cell count and elevation of serum liver enzymes were common. Multilobar patchy shadows, rapid progression to ground‐glass opacities, air bronchograms and consolidation were the most common imaging findings. Histopathological examination of lung tissue of three patients who died showed severe alveolar epithelial cell damage, with inflammatory exudation into the alveolar space and hyaline membrane formation; widened alveolar septae, prominent inflammatory cell infiltration; and hyperplasia of pneumocytes. Viral inclusions were found in the lung tissue of two patients. All patients received antiviral drugs (oseltamivir ± peramivir). Four patients carried the rs12252‐C/C interferon‐induced transmembrane protein‐3 (IFITM3) genotype, while the others had the C/T genotype. Conclusions: H7N9 virus infection causes human influenza‐like symptoms, but may rapidly progress to severe pneumonia and even death. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of H7N9 infection in high‐risk patients. The presence of the IFITM3 rs12252‐C genotype may predict severe illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium chelatase (MgCh) is a heterotrimeric enzyme complex, composed of two AAA+ family subunits that can assembly into a double ring structure and a large catalytic subunit. The small AAA+ subunit has ATPase activity and can self‐oligomerize into a ring structure, while the other AAA+ subunit lacks independent ATPase activity. Previous structural studies of the ATPase motor subunit of MgCh from a bacteriochlorophyll‐synthesizing bacterium have identified a unique ATPase clade, but the model of oligomeric assembly is unclear. Here we present the hexameric structure of the MgCh ATPase motor subunit from the chlorophyll‐synthesizing cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. This structure reveals details of how the hexameric ring is assembled, and thus provides a basis for further studying the heterotrimeric complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) score, a validated tool estimating dementia risk, has been suggested to be associated with accelerated brain atrophy but the imaging biomarkers and AD pathologies remains to be elucidated. We aimed to explore the relationships of CAIDE score with cognition and AD‐related brain changes, including beta‐amyloid (Aβ) deposition and glucose metabolism and the mediation effect of the WMH on these associations. Method: A sample of 1,285 participants underwent CAIDE dementia risk assessment, of these, 958 individuals had a CAIDE score of less than or equal to 8. Memory and executive function were used to measure cognitive performance. We analyzed data using linear mixed‐effects and mediation. Result: CAIDE score was significantly associated with WMH volume, and also had significant association with Aβ deposition, AD‐metabolism, and memory and executive function. WMH volume mediated 6.04%, 12.87%, 6.93% and 7.92% of the total association of CAIDE score with memory, executive function, FDG‐PET and AV45‐PET, respectively. Conclusion: Memory, executive function, AD‐metabolism and Aβ deposition are strongly associated with dementia risk. Besides, the associations could be mediated by WMH volume and whether this represents a causal relationship remains to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate (NO3−), which is mainly oxidized from NO2 by the OH radical (OH·) and O3 in the atmosphere, is a major component of inorganic aerosols. However, the contributions of the OH· and O3 pathways to NO3− in urban aerosols and the influence of air pollution to both pathways remain unclear. Oxygen isotopes of NO3− were measured for PM2.5 in Beijing in 2014. The Δ17O‐NO3− values (17.0–32.8‰) were significantly higher in winter (27.2 ± 3.6‰) than in summer (24.2 ± 1.3‰). By estimating contributions of O3 to the NOx cycle, the Δ17O values of NO3− endmembers produced via the NO2 + OH· (P1), NO3· + DMS/HC (P2), and N2O5 hydrolysis (P3) pathways were calculated for each observation. The contributions of the three pathways (P1: 32 ± 10%, P2: 34 ± 10%, and P3: 34 ± 20% annually) were calculated using the Stable Isotope Analysis in R model. We found that NO3− formation was dominated by the O3 oxidation pathways (P2 + P3; 68 ± 23% annually, 73 ± 21% in spring, 59 ± 23% in summer, 75 ± 20% in autumn, and 69 ± 22% in winter). Moreover, PM2.5, NO2, and NO3− pollution decreased the importance of the OH· pathway relative to the O3 pathways for NO3− production. However, O3 pollution increased the importance of the OH· pathway relative to the O3 pathways for NO3− production. These results provided a comprehensive analysis on the oxygen isotope records in particulate NO3− for understanding the relative importance of major oxidation pathways of NO2. Atmospheric pollution substantially influenced the pathways of NO2 oxidation to NO3− in city environments. Plain Language Summary: Air pollution is a major environmental and public health issue; to strengthen studies on haze formation mechanisms is a national environment demand. Although monitoring works have been widely conducted on atmospheric particulates, it has long been difficult to quantify production mechanisms of key chemical components. Combined oxygen isotopes (18O, 17O) of nitrate with the Stable Isotope Analysis in R model, we evaluated the fractional contributions of three major oxidation pathways (NO2 + OH· [P1], NO3· + DMS/HC [P2], and N2O5 hydrolysis [P3]) to the NO3− of PM2.5. We found that annually 68 ± 23% of NO3− in PM2.5 at Beijing was produced by the O3 oxidation pathways (P2 + P3). Moreover, PM2.5, NO2, and NO3− pollution decreased the importance of the OH· pathway relative to the O3 pathways for NO3− production. Our results provided a comprehensive analysis on the oxygen isotope records in particulate NO3− for understanding the relative importance of major oxidation pathways of NO2. Atmospheric pollution substantially influenced the pathways of NO2 oxidation to NO3− in city environments. Key Points: Δ17O signatures of NO3− in PM2.5 at Beijing were reportedContributions of major oxidation pathways to NO3− of PM2.5 were evaluatedAir pollution changed the importance of OH· pathway relative to O3 pathways for NO3− production [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cuticle, an essential structure for insects, is produced from cuticular proteins and chitin via a series of biochemical reactions. Tweedle genes are important members of the cuticular protein family and have four conserved motifs binding to chitin. Tweedle family genes have been found to play a profound effect on cuticle development. Here, we report that the cuticular protein gene LmTwdl1 of Locusta migratoria belongs to the Tweedle family. In situ hybridization showed that LmTwdl1 is localized to epidermal cells of the cuticle. The expression patterns of LmTwdl1 showed low expression in the cuticle during the early and middle stages of the fifth-instar nymphs; in contrast, its expression rapidly increased in the late stages of fifth-instar nymphs. We performed RNA interference to examine the function of LmTwdl1 in locusts. Silencing of LmTwdl1 resulted in high mortality during the molting process before the next stage. Also, the epicuticle of nymphs failed to molt, tended to be thinner and the arrangement of chitin in the procuticle appeared to be disordered compare to the control group. These results demonstrate that LmTwdl1 plays a critical role in molting, which contributes to a better understanding of the distinct functions of the Tweedle family in locusts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is discovered to participate in the regulation of gene expression in both bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Members of ribonuclease III (RNase III) family recognize RNA motifs and cleave substrates at specific sites in a divalent-metal-ion-dependent manner. In this study, we find the RNase III from Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG-RNase III) cleaves small hairpin RNA based on the conserved stem structure associated with Mycobacterium 16S ribosomal RNA precursor at specific sites which are not determined. To evaluate the influence of remnant endogenous ribonucleases from expression host on RNA cleavage assays for RNase III, we use E44A and D48A mutant of the enzyme to perform RNA cleavage assays and find that remnant ribonucleases have no effect on cleavage assays. The RNA cleavage activity of the enzyme can be supported by Mg2+, Mn2+, and Co2+ and enhanced with the increasing salt concentration. The catalytic activity of the enzyme is exhibited when the temperature of the reaction buffer ranges from 30 to 55 °C and the pH of the buffer from 7.0 to 10.0. Two major cleavage sites in RNA substrate are identified using RNA Ligase Mediated Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RLM-RACE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] miR-181b promotes cell proliferation and suppresses apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines. [•] Adenylyl cyclase 9 (AC9) transcript is a direct target of miR-181b. [•] Knockdown of AC9 increases cell proliferation and decreases apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines. [•] miR-181b is upregulated in cervical cancer tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, which participate in many biological processes. The small RNA transcriptome in the migratory locust has been characterized and 50 conserved miRNA families and 185 potential locust-specific miRNA family candidates have been identified using high-throughput sequencing. However, it is unclear whether miRNAs influence a wide variety of locusts' biological processes, such as growth or development. In insects, Dicer1 ribonuclease transforms miRNA precursors into mature miRNAs. Thus, using systemic RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the expression of Dicer1 in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, we reduced miRNA contents in the locust and disrupted two types of molt (nymph-nymph, and nymph-adult). The RNAi of LmDicer1 also resulted in a high mortality in L. migratora. Our study revealed that LmDicer1 was essential for miRNA regulation and development of L. migratoria. These results further support our notion that LmDicer1 could serve as an excellent target for developing novel strategies for controlling this important insect pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Cytoprotection by H2O2 preconditioning against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells has been demonstrated previously. In the present study, we investigated the effects of H2O2 preconditioning on nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and the role of NF-κB in the adaptive cytoprotection of H2O2 preconditioning in PC12 cells. 2. The PC12 cells were preconditioned with 100 µmol/L H2O2 for 90 min, followed by 24 h recovery and subsequent exposure to 300 µmol/L H2O2 for a further 12 h. 3. The results showed that preconditioning with 100 µmol/L H2O2 upregulated NF-κB expression and enhanced its nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity. In addition to its own effects on NF-κB expression, H2O2 preconditioning also promoted the overexpression of NF-κB induced by a lethal concentration of H2O2 (300 µmol/L). 4. N-Tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK; 20 µmol/L), an inhibitor of NF-κB, was administered 20 min before preconditioning with 100 µmol/L H2O2. At this concenteration, TPCK blocked the overexpression of NF-κB induced by H2O2 preconditioning, accompanied by attenuation of H2O2 preconditioning-induced cytoprotection. The inhibition of NF-κB by TPCK enhanced caspase 3 activity induced by 300 µmol/L H2O2. 5. The findings of the present study provide novel evidence for the effects of preconditioning with H2O2 on constitutive activation of NF-κB, which contributes to the adaptive cytoprotection of H2O2 preconditioning against PC12 cells apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcineurin (CaN) is a Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-stimulated protein phosphatase. It is a heterodimeric enzyme consisting of a catalytic A subunit (CnA) and a Ca2+-binding regulatory B subunit (CnB). CaN's key role in vivo is well known, while the function of CnB keeps unclear except that it acts as a regulator of CaN. The present paper shows that CnB overexpression promotes proliferation of human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells by comparing with vector control cells in the complete or serum reduced medium. Furthermore, stable CnB transfectants showed dramatically improved growth in soft agar. And the migration ability of CnB overexpressors also was enhanced remarkably. But in the progress of transformation, the activity of CaN remained unchanged between CnB overexpressors and controls. Therefore, CnB, rather than CaN, is involved in the proliferation promotion of HEK293 cells. Subsequently, 11 proteins with different expression levels between CnB transfectants and controls were identified using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and electrospray ionization time-of-fight mass spectrometry. Therein, the expression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and protein DJ-1 increased along with CnB overexpression. The important role of CnB in cell neoplastic transformation was found and the possible mechanism was analyzed. ( Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1100–1108) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examined the effect of post-treatments on the properties of porous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)membranes. It investigated the effect of chemical crosslinking and heat treatments on the swelling degree and morphology of porous PVA membranes. It also measured the mechanical properties of the porous membranes in dry and wet states.

The title compound, [Zn(C(7)H(3)NO(4))(C(6)H(6)N(4)S(2))(H(2)O)]·4H(2)O, assumes a distorted octa-hedral coordination geometry around the Zn(2+) cation, formed by a diamino-bithia-zole (DABT) mol-ecule, a pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl-ate anion and a water mol-ecule. The pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl-ate anion chelates to the Zn(II) atom with a facial configuration. Within the chelating DABT ligand, the two thia-zole rings are twisted by a dihedral angle of 14.52 (8)° with respect to each other. O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds occur in the crystal structure.

In the title compound, [Cu(C(4)H(4)O(5))(C(5)H(8)N(2))(2)(H(2)O)]·2H(2)O, the Cu(II) cation assumes a distorted octa-hedral coordination geometry formed by two 3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole ligands, one oxydiacetate (ODA) dianion and one coordinated water mol-ecule. The tridentate ODA ligand chelates to the Cu cation in a facial configuration with a longer Cu-O bond [2.597 (3) Å], and both chelating rings display envelope conformations. In the mol-ecule, the two pyrazole rings are twisted with respect to each other at a dihedral angle of 57.5 (3)°. Extensive inter-molecular O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal structure.

In the title compound, [Ni(C(4)H(4)O(4)S)(C(6)H(6)N(4)S(2))(H(2)O)]·H(2)O, the Ni(II) cation assumes a distorted octa-hedral coordination geometry formed by a diamino-bithia-zole (DABT) ligand, a thio-diacetate (TDA) dianion and a coordinated water mol-ecule. The tridentate TDA chelates to the Ni cation in a facial configuration, and both chelating rings display the envelope conformations. The two thia-zole rings of the DABT ligand are twisted with respect to each other, making a dihedral angle of 9.96 (9)°. Extensive O-H⋯O, N-H⋯O and weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal structure.

In the title compound, [Zn(C(4)H(5)O(2))Cl(C(6)H(6)N(4)S(2))]·H(2)O, the Zn(II) cation is coordinated by a bidentate diamino-bithia-zole (DABT) ligand, a but-2-enoate anion and a Cl(-) anion in a distorted tetra-hedral geometry. Within the DABT ligand, the two thia-zole rings are twisted to each other at a dihedral angle of 4.38 (10)°. An intra-molecular N-H⋯O inter-action occurs. The centroid-centroid distance of 3.6650 (17) Å and partially overlapped arrangement between nearly parallel thia-zole rings of adjacent complexes indicate the existence of π-π stacking in the crystal structure. Extensive O-H⋯Cl, O-H⋯O, N-H⋯Cl and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding helps to stabilize the crystal structure.

1. Cytoprotection by H(2)O(2) preconditioning against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells has been demonstrated previously. In the present study, we investigated the effects of H(2)O(2) preconditioning on nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation and the role of NF-kappaB in the adaptive cytoprotection of H(2)O(2) preconditioning in PC12 cells. 2. The PC12 cells were preconditioned with 100 micromol/L H(2)O(2) for 90 min, followed by 24 h recovery and subsequent exposure to 300 micromol/L H(2)O(2) for a further 12 h. 3. The results showed that preconditioning with 100 micromol/L H(2)O(2) upregulated NF-kappaB expression and enhanced its nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity. In addition to its own effects on NF-kappaB expression, H(2)O(2) preconditioning also promoted the overexpression of NF-kappaB induced by a lethal concentration of H(2)O(2) (300 micromol/L). 4. N-Tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK; 20 micromol/L), an inhibitor of NF-kappaB, was administered 20 min before preconditioning with 100 micromol/L H(2)O(2). At this concenteration, TPCK blocked the overexpression of NF-kappaB induced by H(2)O(2) preconditioning, accompanied by attenuation of H(2)O(2) preconditioning-induced cytoprotection. The inhibition of NF-kappaB by TPCK enhanced caspase 3 activity induced by 300 micromol/L H(2)O(2). 5. The findings of the present study provide novel evidence for the effects of preconditioning with H(2)O(2) on constitutive activation of NF-kappaB, which contributes to the adaptive cytoprotection of H(2)O(2) preconditioning against PC12 cells apoptosis.