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The environmental behavior of nanoparticles in aquatic environments is highly dependent on the state of aggregation. Understanding the nanoparticle aggregation process is important for being able t...

Au nanoparticles (NPs) has been widely used for the detection of intracellular H2O2 to enhance the electron transfer process. But AuNPs are easy to aggregate in the live cells environment. Herein we report a rapid, reliable and low-cost electrochemiluminescent (ECL) biochip integrated by AuNPs-loaded mesoporous silica film (MSF) to detect H2O2 released by macrophage cells. The MSF was employed as a template to load AuNPs within the nanochannels to avoid aggregation. H2O2 could be catalyzed by AuNPs to promote the ECL reaction of luminol molecules in solution. The ECL intensity was significantly enhanced, and the peak potential was negatively shifted by 400 mV due to the excellent electrocatalytic ability of AuNPs. The integrated biochip demonstrated good reproducibility, with a wide linear range of 0.1–200 μM and an LOD of 25.3 nM. The reliability was evaluated by applying for the assessment of antioxidant activity of resveratrol using RAW 264.7 macrophage model. The AuNPs-loaded MSF integrated biochip can be easily adapted to the development of improved devices in biosensing, lab-on-a-chip, and nanofluidic systems.

Background: The incidence and mortality of hyperlipidemia are increasing year by year, showing a younger trend. At present, the treatment of hyperlipidemia is mainly dependent on western medicine, but its side effects on liver and kidney function are common in clinics. Therefore, it is necessary to study the treatment of hyperlipidemia by augmenting effective dietary nutrition supplements. Vitamin B6 (VitB6), as an essential cofactor for enzymes, participates in lipid metabolism. The effects of VitB6 on hyperlipidemia, however, have not been reported until now. Aim: The present study was to investigate the influence of VitB6 on hepatic lipid metabolism in hyperlipidaemia rats induced by a High-Fat Diet (HFD). Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were kept on HFD for two weeks to establish the hyperlipidemia model. The rats in low-dosage and high-dosage groups were received 2.00 and 3.00 mg/kg/- day of VitB6 for eight weeks, respectively. Results: The results showed that both doses of VitB6 reduced HFD-induced hepatic Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C); decreased blood cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, LDL-C, atherogenic index (AI), Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and ApoB/apolipoprotein A-1(ApoA1) ratio; increased liver High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum ApoA1; reduced hepatic steatosis and triglyceride accumulation, lowered fat storage, and recovered heart/body and brain/body ratio to a normal level. In addition, VitB6 supplementation markedly decreased HMGR level, increased the mRNA abundance of LDLR and CYP7A1, and protein expression of SIRT1, following the downregulation of SREBP-1 and PPARγ protein expression in the liver of hyperlipidemia rats. Conclusion: In summary, oral VitB6 supplementation can ameliorate HFD-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and dyslipidemia in SD rats by inhibiting fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis, promoting fatty acid decomposition and cholesterol transport.

The ability to track interfacial dynamics of a single nanoparticle at the solution-solid interface is crucial for understanding physical, chemical, and biological processes, but it remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrated a plasmonic imaging technique that can track unlabeled nanoparticles at the solution-solid interface with high spatial and temporal resolutions. This technique is based on particle-induced interferometric scattering of a surface plasmonic wave, which results in a high vertical sensitivity. Using this ability, we tracked the trajectories of a single nanoparticle interacting with a surface, measured the hydrodynamically hindered diffusion of nanoparticles, and revealed the surface chemistry-dependent behavior of nanoparticles at the interface. The application for tracking formation of membranes from a lipid vesicle was demonstrated, indicating the potential for investigating a broad range of nano-objects at interfaces in a complex environment.

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy and a major public health concern worldwide. Considering the public health risk posed by HCC, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms underlying liver cancer progression in order to identify more therapeutic targets. In this study, we will elucidate the role of LncRNA HULC in regulating HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the miR-372/CXCR4 axis. Material and MethodsTarget genes were predicted using the online TargetScan database. Cell models of gene over-expression and silencing were established by transfection, and the mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis were measured by the CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, respectively. In situ protein expression in tissues was examined by immunohistochemical staining. Results HULC and CXCR4 were upregulated and miR-372 was downregulated in HCC tissue and cells. TargetScan prediction and dual luciferase assay revealed that miR-372 can target HULC or CXCR4. Furthermore, HULC and CXCR4 enhanced the viability of HCC cells, whereas miR-372 had the opposite effect. Consistent with this, HULC and CXCR4 increased the proliferation of these cells and miR-372 showed an inhibitory effect. Furthermore, HULC and CXCR4 blocked apoptosis in liver cancer cells and miR-372 facilitated the same. Finally, HULC and CXCR4 promoted EMT, as indicated by E-cadherin downregulation and Vimentin upregulation, whereas miR-372 had the opposite effects. Conclusion HULC upregulates CXCR4 in HCC cells by inhibiting miR-372, which in turn promotes the proliferation, inhibits the apoptosis and accelerates the EMT of HCC cells.

Three new Cd(II) complexes, [Cd2(2-aptt)2(L1)(H2O)]n (1), {[Cd3(2-aptt)2(L2)2]·4H2O}n (2) and {[Cd3(2-aptt)2(L3)]·2H2O}n (3) [2-apttH = 4-amino-3-(2-pyridyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazoleq-5-thione, H2L1 = terephthalic acid, H2L2 = isophthalic acid, H4L3 = pyromellitic acid], have been synthesized under the same reaction condition but tuned by different aromatic multi-carboxylates. The X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis reveals that complexes 1–3 all display 2D architectures with different features depending on the spatial arrangements of coordinated ligands as well as their unlike coordination modes. The 2D architecture of 1 constructs from Cd(II)–aptt– layer structure and "wave-like" Cd(II)–L12– chains. Cd(II)–aptt– chains and Cd(II)–L22– chains connect each other to generate the 2D grid structure of 2. “Butterfly-like” Cd(II)–2-aptt– chains are distributed under or on the surface formed by Cd(II) and L34− anions, giving rise to the 2D framework of 3. Moreover, the thermal stabilities of complexes 1–3 were investigated. The luminescent properties of complexes 1–3 and the free ligand were also studied.

Background Supplementation with Selenium (Se) has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and increase tissue concentrations of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH); however, the effects of Se supplementation, in combination with supplemental magnesium, on high fat-induced hyperlipidemia have not been studied. This study was designed to elucidate the effects of oral selenium and magnesium co-supplementation on antihyperlipidemic and hepatoprotective, antioxidative activities, and related gene expression in a hyperlipidemic rat model. Methods Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: one group served as control group (CT), provided control diet; The other groups were made hyperlipidemic with high-fat diet; specifically, a high-fat diet group (HF); low-dose selenium (0.05 mg/kg·bw) + low-dose magnesium (5.83 mg/kg·bw) supplement high-fat diet group (HF + LSe + LMg) and high-dose selenium (0.10 mg/kg·bw) + high-dose magnesium (58.33 mg/kg·bw) supplement high-fat diet group (HF + HSe + HMg). The first 4 weeks of the experiment was a hyperlipidemia inducing period using high-fat diet and the following 8 weeks involved in selenium and magnesium co-supplementation. On day 0, 20, 40 and 60 of the intervention, lipid profile was measured. At the end of the 12-week experiments, final blood and liver samples were collected for the measurements of lipid profile, antioxidative indexes, pathological examination, and liver lipid metabolism related gene expression. Results The elevated levels of serum and liver total cholesterol (TC) and serum LDL-C induced by feeding high-fat diets were significantly reduced by low-dose Se and Mg co-supplementation. Both doses of selenium and magnesium co-supplementation notably decreased the blood and liver TG levels, liver function indexes ALT and AST and the ratio of TC/HDL-C and TG/HDL-C. In contrast, Se and Mg supplementation showed a substantial increase in Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and SOD activities and an significant reduce of level of MDA of hyperlipidemic rats. Oil Red O staining showed that selenium and magnesium co-supplementation significantly reduced hepatic intracellular triacylglycerol accumulation. H&E staining also showed that selenium and magnesium co-supplementation can attenuate liver steatosis. Selenium and magnesium co-supplementation remarkably inhibited the mRNA expression level of hepatic lipogenesis genes liver X receptor alpha (LXRα),SREBP-1c and FASN (fatty acid synthase), regulated the mRNA expression levels of liver enzymes related to cholesterol metabolism, including the down regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) and the upregulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in the liver of hyperlipidemia rats. Conclusions Oral selenium and magnesium co-supplementation inhibited an increase of lipid and liver profile and liver function index induced by a high-fat diet, and enhanced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes. Selenium combined with magnesium is a promising therapeutic strategy with lipid-lowering and antioxidative effects that protects the liver against hyperlipidemia.

The composition and morphology of the Fe-bearing phase play a significant role in the mechanical properties of aluminum (Al) alloy sheets. In this work, we have studied the formation of Fe-bearing phases in an Al-0.53Mg-0.69Si-0.14Fe (wt%) alloy under the twin-roll casting (TRC) and the direct chill casting (DC) processes, respectively. We found that the π-AlFeMgSi phase was formed in the as-cast TRC sample, while the β-AlFeSi phase was formed in the as-cast DC sample. The differences in the formation of Fe-bearing phases are attributed to the promotion of the peritectic reaction to form the π-AlFeMgSi phase via the TRC process. Furthermore, after homogenization treatment at 550 °C and 2 h, the π-AlFeMgSi phase in the as-cast TRC sample completely decomposed into the fine β-AlFeSi phase, while it was insufficient to dissolve the β-AlFeSi phase in the as-cast DC sample. This is owing to the lower dissolution temperature of the π-AlFeMgSi phase compared to the β-AlFeSi phase. The decomposition of the π-AlFeMgSi phase expands the solid solubility and promotes the aging precipitation, resulting in higher yield strength of the TRC sample than that of the DC sample during the peak-aging treatment. Our work provides new insight into the development of high-performance AA6xxx series alloys based on the TRC process.

Two novel trinuclear Hg(II) complexes, namely, [Hg3Cl6(L1)2] (1) and [Hg3Cl6(L2)2] (2), (L1 = trans-4-[(p-N,N-dimethylamino)styryl]-N-acetic-acidpyridinium, L2 = trans-4-[(p-N-2-hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)styryl]-N-acetic-acid pyridinium) have been synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. In both 1 and 2, the tri- and tetra-coordinated Hg(II) atoms are linked by the carboxyl groups, resulting in the formation of trinuclear structures. Their linear absorption, one-photon fluorescence, two-photon fluorescence, and two-photon pumped up-conversion lasing are investigated. Upon pumped by 1064 nm laser beam, complexes 1 and 2 exhibit excellent two-photon lasing at ∼627 nm.

Metal-organic framework material [Cd(tib)(dnbpdc) (H2O)]·2DMF·2H2O (1) [tib = 1, 3, 5-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene, H2dnbpdc = 2, 2′-dinitro-4, 4′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid] was synthesized and characterized by Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses and Bruker D8 Advance X-ray diffractometer. The results showed that 1 was a 1D chain structure to be joined together by hydrogen bonds to generate a 3D supramolecular structure. CO2 and N2 adsorption behavior of the material was studied. It is significative that 1 can selective sorption of CO2.

One new Zn(Ⅱ) metal–organic framework, [Zn3(tib)2(BPT)2]·7H2O (ZZIT-1) [ZZIT-1 = Zhengzhou Institute of technology, tib = 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene, H3BPT = biphenyl-3,4′,5-tricarboxylic acid], has been synthesized and characterized. ZZIT-1 is a two-fold interpenetrating 3D framework structure. The gas/vapor adsorption behavior and luminescence of the complex have been studied. Notably, ZZIT-1 can selectively adsorb CO2 over N2, and MeOH over EtOH, and these adsorption results have been corroborated by theoretical calculations. Most interestingly, ZZIT-1 shows unique selectivity for the detection of acetone through a fluorescence quenching mechanism in the solid state at room temperature.

Rhodiola rosea L. (R. rosea L.) is widely used to stimulate the nervous system, extenuate anxiety, enhance work performance, relieve fatigue, and prevent high altitude sickness. Previous studies reported that R. rosea L. improves learning and memory function in animal models. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis for preclinical studies to assess the current evidence for R. rosea L. effect on learning and memory function. Ultimately, 36 studies involving 836 animals were identified by searching 6 databases from inception to May 2018. The primary outcome measures included the escape latency in Morris water maze (MWM) test on behalf of learning ability, the frequency and the length of time spent on the target quadrant in MWM test representing memory function, and the number of errors in step down test, dark avoidance test and Y maze test on behalf of memory function. The secondary outcome measures were mechanisms of R. rosea L. for learning and/or memory function. Compared with control, the pooled results of 28 studies showed significant effects of R. rosea L. for reducing the escape latency (P < 0.05); 23 studies for increasing the frequency and the length of time spent on the target quadrant (P < 0.05); and 6 studies for decreasing the number of errors (P < 0.01). The possible mechanisms of R. rosea L. are largely through antioxidant, cholinergic regulation, anti-apoptosis activities, anti-inflammatory, improving coronary blood flow, and cerebral metabolism. In conclusion, the findings suggested that R. rosea L. can improve learning and memory function.

To achieve sufficient blood–brain barrier (BBB), penetration is one of the biggest challenges in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the preclinical evidence and possible mechanisms of borneol for improving co-administration of CNS drug delivery in animal models. The electronic literature search was conducted in six databases. Fifty-eight studies with 63 comparisons involved 1137 animals were included. Among 47 studies reporting the assessments of CNS drug concentration, 45 studies showed the significant effects of borneol for improving CNS drug delivery (p.05). Nineteen comparisons showed borneol up-regulated BBB permeability (p .05). Effects of borneol are closely associated with inhibition of efflux protein function, releasement of tight junction protein, increasement of vasodilatory neurotransmitters, and inhibition of active transport by ion channels. In conclusion, borneol is a promising candidate for CNS drug delivery, mainly through mediating a multi-targeted BBB permeability.

This study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of samples extracted from Jinhua ham. The activities of SOD and contents of MDA and NO were measured after mice were kept on feeding the four peaks separated by using chromatographic column. Peak-3 obviously enhanced the activity of SOD and MDA. Peak-1 and peak-2 had little influence on the activity of SOD and MDA. Peak-4 decreased their activities. All peaks obviously decreased content of NO. Results showed that these four peaks had excellent antioxidant activity. Finally, influences of sample extracted from ham on SOD activity, MDA content and GSH-PX activity in vitro of mouse liver and heart were also studied. Certain dose of samples would lead the decrease of SOD activity, MDA content and GSH-PX activity. This results showed that the sample have certain oxidant capacity.

This study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of samples extracted from Jinhua ham by using such chemical assays as DPPH, scavenging hydroxyl free radical and ABTS. The results demonstrate that antioxidant capacity of the extracted sample is lower than oxidation capacity of Vc. The IC50 spot of samples ranges between 0.6 % and 2.5 % (mass fraction of solute).

The beef flavor was selected to carry out toxicological analysis regarding food intake, body weight, organs weight and blood biochemical indexes in mice. The results show that beef flavor could suppress food intake but promote mice weight compared with the control group. Flavor intake has significant effect on the ratio of liver and lung weight to the whole body weight, but it has no difference in the ratio of heart, spleen and kidney weight. Some biochemical indexes about fat metabolism in blood such as the total protein, total bile acid and alkaline phosphatase are respectively 4 g/L, 0.7μmol/L and 23 IU/L more than the control group. These factors and cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the mice blood all have extremely significant differences (P

In China, many kinds of natural products extracted from plant and animal were used to treat cancer. Flavonoids extracted from tartary buckwheat and skin peptide purified from rufous-spotted torrent frog had respectively been proved to have anti-tumor activity. In present study, both tartary buckwheat flavonoids and amphibian frog peptides were applied for cell proliferation inhibitory activity against human gastric cancer MGC 80-3 cells using MTT assay. According to the data, the buckwheat flavonoids exhibited much stronger anti-tumor activity than amphibian peptides, and the complex mixture of this two kinds of bioactive compounds still possess anti-tumor activity.

Better understanding of the relationship between the substrate preference and structural module of esterases is helpful to novel enzyme development. For this purpose, two chimeric esterases AAM7 and PAR, constructed via domain swapping between two ancient thermophilic esterases, were investigated on their molecular simulation(including homology modeling, substrates docking and substrate binding affinity validation) and enzymatic assay(specific activities and activation energies calculating). Our results indicate that the factors contributing to the substrate preference of many enzymes especially the broad-specificity enzymes like esterases are multiple and complicated, the substrate binding domains or binding pockets are important but not the only factor for substrate preference.

Astragaloside IV (AST-IV) is a principal component of Radix Astragali seu Hedysari (Huangqi) and exerts potential neuroprotection in experimental ischemic stroke. Here, we systematically assessed the effectiveness and possible mechanisms of AST-IV for experimental acute ischemic stroke. An electronic search in eight databases was conducted from inception to March 2016. The study quality score was evaluated using the CAMARADES. Rev Man 5.0 software was used for data analyses. Thirteen studies with 244 animals were identified. The study quality score of included studies ranged from 3/10 to 8/10. Eleven studies showed significant effects of AST-IV for ameliorating the neurological function score (P<0.05); seven studies for reducing the infarct volume (P<0.05); and three or two studies for reducing the brain water content and Evans blue leakage (P<0.05), respectively, compared with the control. The mechanisms of AST-IV for ischemic stroke are multiple such as antioxidative/nitration stress reaction, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptosis. In conclusion, the findings of present study indicated that AST-IV could improve neurological deficits and infarct volume and reduce the blood-brain barrier permeability in experimental cerebral ischemia despite some methodological flaws. Thus, AST-IV exerted a possible neuroprotective effect during the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury largely through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptosis properties.

Background: In settings where new drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are not possible due to lack of availability and cost; PDE-5 inhibitors such as sildenafil is the drug of choice in the management of PAH. In this study we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of oral sildenafil in PAH, pointing on peak VO2 improvement. Methods: We retrieved randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the effects of PDE-5 inhibitors, sildenafil in patients with PAH using PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google scholar and manual search from 2011 to 2016. Random controlled trials that compared oral sildenafil with placebo were selected. Data for populations, interventions, and outcomes were extracted independently by 2 investigators, and disagreements were resolved by consensus. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Results: Four randomized controlled clinical trials including a total of three hundred thirty six patients were identified in the primary analysis, with 51.5% patients in the PDE-5 inhibitors treatment group and 48.5% patients in the placebo group. Two studies show reduction in statistical significance of mPAP (MD -4.15, 95% CI -17.28 to 8.98; P

Lithium zinc silicate (LZS) glasses containing Li2O–ZnO–SiO2–Na2O–B2O3–BaO–P2O5 with different BaO/(BaO+ZnO) ratios were prepared by conventional melt and quench technique and subsequently converted into glass-ceramics. The effect of BaO/(BaO+ZnO) ratio on various thermo-physical properties was investigated by changing the ratio from 0 to 0.226. The crystalline phases were characterized by X-ray diffraction technique on the composite glass-ceramics, including Li3Zn0.5SiO4, Li2OZnSiO4 and cristobalite phase. The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) in the temperature range 70–400 oC increased from 107 × 10-7 to 141 ×10-7 / oC. The increase in expansion coefficient was associated with the formation of different phases which in turn influenced the rigidity/bonding in the glass-ceramics. The microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the grain size became bigger after the addition of BaO.

To monitor the quality of raspberries, a simple, practicable, and feasible method, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode-array detection, has been developed both for fingerprinting analysis and for quantitative analysis of hyperoside and tiliroside. Compounds were separated on a 4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5-μm particle, C18 column with a mobile phase gradient prepared from acetonitrile and 0.5% (v/v) aqueous glacial acetic acid. The mobile phase flow rate was 1.0 mL min−1, the temperature 30 °C, the injection volume 10 μL, and the detection wavelength 340 nm. Under the optimum conditions the two compounds could be well separated with good linear relationships between response and amount in the range 0.024–2.380 μg for hyperoside and 0.026–2.570 μg for tiliroside. Recovery of hyperoside and tiliroside was 99.3 and 106.0%, respectively. The standardized chromatographic fingerprint and the similarity of samples were calculated by use of software. Principal-components analysis was used to differentiate and classify 14 samples on the basis of the area of seven common peaks. Combination of chemical fingerprinting and the quantitative method with principal-component analysis may provide a firm basis for further research on quality control of raspberries.

A reverse phase liquid chromatography method with diode array detection was developed to evaluate the quality of Cirsium setosum through establishing chromatographic fingerprint and simultaneous determination of six phenolic compounds, namely chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, linarin, luteolin and apigenin. The chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent SB-C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5.0 μm) with a gradient elution program using a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.5% aqueous acetic acid (v/v) as mobile phase within 25 min at 326 nm wavelength. The correlation coefficients of similarity were determined from the LC fingerprints, and they shared a close similarity. The LC with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry experiment was performed to further confirm the identity of phenolic compounds. The six phenolic compounds showed good regression (R 2 > 0.9995) within test ranges and the recovery of the method was in the range of 95.8–102.8%. In addition, the content of those six phenolic compounds in C. setosum growing in different locations of China was determined to establish the effectiveness of the method. The results indicated that the developed method by having a combination of chromatographic fingerprint and quantification analysis could be readily utilized as a quality control method for C. setosum and its related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations.

A series of fluorescein esters of straight chain fatty acid were synthesized and applied to the fluorometric assay of lipase. The rate of change in the fluorescence of the solution, due to the production of fluorescein, was measured and correlated with enzyme activity. The hydrolytic properties of fluorescein esters were investigated. In addition, the relationship between their hydrolytic properties and the chain length of fluorescein esters was discussed in this paper. In contrast to fluorescein dibutyrate, fluorescein dilaurate was found to be a better substrate for the assay of lipase with the higher rate of hydrolysis and better K m value. As little as 0.0001 mg/ml of lipase can be detected with a relative accuracy of about 1.5%.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of long non-coding RNA ROR (regulator of reprogramming) on cisplatin (DDP) resistance in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer by regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Human cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP cell lines were selected and divided into control group, negative control group, si-ROR group, ROR over-expression group, Wortmannin group, and ROR over-expression + Wortmannin group. MTT assay was used to determine the optimum inhibitory concentration of DDP. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were applied to detect expressions of long non-coding RNA ROR, PI3K, Akt, and mTOR. Colony-forming assay, scratch test, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry were conducted to detect cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, respectively. Tumor-formation assay was performed to detect the growth of transplanted tumors. Long non-coding RNA ROR expression was high in human A549/DDP cell lines. Compared with the control and negative control groups, the mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, and bcl-2 decreased, whereas the mRNA and protein expression of bax and the sensitivity of cells to DDP significantly increased. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities decreased in the si-ROR and Wortmannin groups. In comparison with control and negative control groups, the mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, and bcl-2 increased, whereas the mRNA and protein expressions of bax decreased, the sensitivity of cells to DDP significantly increased, and cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities decreased in the ROR over-expression group. For nude mice in tumor-formation assay, compared with control and negative control groups, the tumor weight was found to be lighter (1.03 ± 0.15) g, the protein expressions of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, and bcl-2 decreased, and the protein expression of bax increased in the si-ROR group. Long non-coding RNA ROR may affect the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to DDP by targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Four new norditerpenoid alkaloids, leueantines A (1), B (2), C (3), and D (4), were isolated from the roots of Aconitum hemsleyanum var. leueanthus. The structures of 1-4 were established by spectroscopic evidence.

In the title compound, C18H22N6O42+·2Br2−·4H2O, the centrosymmetric organic cation inter­acts with the bromide ions and water mol­ecules by way of an extensive hydrogen-bonding network.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C16H20FN3O2S, the dihedral angle between the pyrimidine and benzene rings is 47.91 (12)°. Weak π–π stacking interactions help to determine the crystal packing.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C19H17N3O4S, C—H...O interactions result in zigzag molecular chains, packed via π–π interactions.

In the title complex, [FeMn(C(8)H(8)N(3))(2)Cl(2)(H(2)O)(2)](n), the Mn(II) atom, located on an inversion center, is octa-hedrally coordinated by two N atoms from two adjacent 1,1'-bis-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmeth-yl)ferrocene (btmf) ligands and two Cl atoms forming the equatorial plane, with the axial positions occupied by two O atoms of coordinated water mol-ecules. The btmf ligands link adjoining Mn(II) atoms into a zigzag chain along the a axis. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, which link the chains, forming a two-dimensional layer parallel to (10); O-H⋯Cl inter-actions link the layers, forming a three-dimensional network.

Cupric chloride undergoes reduction in its reaction with 2,2′-(propane-1,3-di­yl)bis­(2H-benzotriazole) to form the centrosymmetic title compound, [Cu2Cl2(C15H14N6)2]. The organic ligand chelates the CuI atom and two adducts are linked through two chloride bridges into a dinuclear mol­ecule. The metal atom shows tetra­hedral coordination.

In the title polymer, poly[[aquabis{μ2-1,1′-bis­[(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl]ferrocene-κ2N4:N4′}ethanolcobalt(II)] bis(perchlorate) ethanol tri­solvate], {[CoFe2(C8H8N3)4(C2H6O)(H2O)](ClO4)2·3C6H6O}n or {[Co(btmf)2(EtOH)(H2O)](ClO4)2·3EtOH}n, where btmf is the ferrocene-containing ligand, the CoII ion is six-coordinated by four N atoms from btmf ligands, one O atom from a water mol­ecule and one O atom from an ethanol mol­ecule. The btmf ligands connect the CoII ions to form layers and these layers are organized by hydrogen bonds, expanding the crystal structure to a three-dimensional supra­molecular network.

We have developed an intermediate‐level laboratory experiment to determine the temperature‐ dependent characteristic temperature of beryllium. The apparatus used to measure the resistance of a beryllium wire sample between liquid nitrogen and room temperatures was simple. The characteristic temperatures obtained from these data using the Block–Gruneisen model are in reasonable agreement with literature values obtained from resistivity and heat capacity experiments. The experiment introduced students to cryogenic and computer data analysis techniques and forced them to extend their knowledge of the theory of electrical resistance and of characteristic temperatures.