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Many microorganisms have mechanisms that protect cells against attack from viruses. The fermentation components of Streptomyces sp. 1647 exhibit potent anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activity. This strain was isolated from soil in southern China in the 1970s, but the chemical nature of its antiviral substance(s) has remained unknown until now. We used an integrated multi-omics strategy to identify the antiviral agents from this streptomycete. The antibiotics and Secondary Metabolite Analysis Shell (antiSMASH) analysis of its genome sequence revealed 38 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for secondary metabolites, and the target BGCs possibly responsible for the production of antiviral components were narrowed down to three BGCs by bioactivity-guided comparative transcriptomics analysis. Through bioinformatics analysis and genetic manipulation of the regulators and a biosynthetic gene, cluster 36 was identified as the BGC responsible for the biosynthesis of the antiviral compounds. Bioactivity-based molecular networking analysis of mass spectrometric data from different recombinant strains illustrated that the antiviral compounds were a class of structural analogues. Finally, 18 pseudo-tetrapeptides with an internal ureido linkage, omicsynins A1–A6, B1–B6, and C1–C6, were identified and/or isolated from fermentation broth. Among them, 11 compounds (omicsynins A1, A2, A6, B1–B3, B5, B6, C1, C2, and C6) are new compounds. Omicsynins B1–B4 exhibited potent antiviral activity against IAV with the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of approximately 1 µmol∙L–1 and a selectivity index (SI) ranging from 100 to 300. Omicsynins B1–B4 also showed significant antiviral activity against human coronavirus HCoV-229E. By integrating multi-omics data, we discovered a number of novel antiviral pseudo-tetrapeptides produced by Streptomyces sp. 1647, indicating that the secondary metabolites of microorganisms are a valuable source of novel antivirals.

Iron chalcogenides have attracted great interest as potential substitutes of nature enzymes in the colorimetric biological sensing due to their unique chemodynamic characteristics. Herein, we reported the preparation of ultrathin FeS nanosheets (NSs) by a simple one-pot hydrothermal method and the prepared FeS NSs exhibit strong Fenton-reaction activity to catalyze hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for generation of hydroxyl radical (•OH). Based on the chromogenic reaction of resultant •OH with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), we develop colorimetric biosensors for highly sensitive detection of H2O2 and glutathione (GSH). The fabricated biosensors show wide linear ranges for the detection of H2O2 (5-150 μmol/L) and GSH (5-50 μmol/L). Their detection limits for H2O2 and GSH reach as low as 0.19 μmol/L and 0.14 μmol/L, respectively. The experimental results of sensing intracellular H2O2 and GSH demonstrate that this colorimetric method can realize the accurate detection of H2O2 and GSH in normal cells (LO2 and 3T3) and cancer cells (MCF-7 and HeLa). Our results have demonstrated that the synthesized FeS NSs is a promising material to construct colorimetric biosensors for the sensitive detection of H2O2 and GSH, holding great promising for medical diagnosis in cancer therapy.

Arsenic (As) contamination poses an urgent environmental risk, and its removal from groundwater remains a challenge due to the lack of efficient adsorbents. Herein, a novel granular chitosan-titanium (CS-Ti) adsorbent was fabricated by the sol-gel method. Batch experiments show that As(V) adsorption on CS-Ti followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption isotherm conformed to the Freundlich model with the correlation coefficient of 0.99. In situ FTIR spectra revealed that the CS-Ti adsorbent was composed of amorphous TiOx and chitosan by forming C-O-Ti and N-Ti bonds, and the amorphous TiOx was responsible for As(V) adsorption. Rapid small-scale column tests show that 165.6 μg/L of As in groundwater were effectively removed in approximately 126-bed volumes, and the spent adsorbents were regenerated with 0.01 mol/L NaOH and maintained the adsorption efficiency after four cycles. This study provides a simple and practical route to fabricate adsorbents for water treatment.

OBJECTIVES Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes high mortality in pregnant women of developing regions during large outbreaks. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of HEV-infected pregnant women in Shanghai, China where the epidemiology of HEV has shifted from large outbreaks to the sporadic form. METHODS Clinical data of 516 pregnant and nonpregnant child-bearing age women diagnosed with HEV infection during 2009-2020 was collected at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical center. Patients' data were analysed for clinical features and laboratory parameters accordingly. RESULTS Most of the hospitalized HEV-infected pregnant women (85.23%, 127/149) showed no obvious clinical symptoms and the disease outcome was generally benign with no liver failure or maternal mortality observed in the patients. By comparison, fewer (37.21%, 32/86) of the HEV-infected nonpregnant women were asymptomatic, and five cases (5.81%, 5/86) of liver failure were observed among them. The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin (TBiL), direct bilirubin (DBiL) and total bile acids (TBA) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in nonpregnant women than those of the pregnant women. We found 42.99% (46/107) births had adverse foetal/neonatal outcome. Mothers who presented with adverse foetal/neonatal outcome showed higher (P < 0.05) serum TBiL, DBiL and TBA levels than those without. CONCLUSION We found that the clinical features of sporadic HEV infection in pregnant women in Shanghai, China are generally mild and no maternal mortality occurred. However foetal/neonatal adverse outcomes including preterm births and stillbirths were observed in HEV-infected pregnant women.

Rhynchines A-E (1-5), five new indole alkaloids with an unprecedented skeleton, were isolated from Uncaria rhynchophylla. The new skeleton was characterized by an indole moiety and a 2-oxa-8-azatricyclo[6,5,01,5,01,8]tridecane core, forming a unique 6/5/7/5/5 ring system. Their structures were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, 1 and 2 showed strong inhibitory activities against the Cav3.1 calcium channel with IC50 values of 6.86 and 10.41 μM.

INTRODUCTION In three phase III randomized controlled trials, ceftaroline fosamil was shown to be non-inferior to vancomycin plus aztreonam for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs). This exploratory analysis evaluated the impact of underlying comorbidities on clinical outcomes in patients with cSSTI pooled from these three studies. METHODS CANVAS 1 and 2 and COVERS evaluated ceftaroline fosamil (600 mg every 12 h [q12h]; 600 mg every 8 h [q8h; COVERS]) versus vancomycin plus aztreonam (1 g q12h each [CANVAS 1 and 2]; vancomycin 15 mg/kg q12h and aztreonam 1 g q8h [COVERS]) in hospitalized adults with cSSTI. The primary efficacy variable in each trial was clinical response at the test-of-cure (TOC) visit. Subgroup analyses were performed on the pooled clinically evaluable (CE) population, exploring the impact of age and various baseline comorbidities. RESULTS Overall, 1808 patients were included in the CE population (1005 ceftaroline fosamil; 803 vancomycin plus aztreonam). Clinical cure rates at TOC were 89.7% (ceftaroline fosamil) and 90.8% (vancomycin plus aztreonam) (difference [95% confidence interval] - 1.13 [- 3.87, 1.67]). Clinical response rates were similar between treatment groups, regardless of age (≤ 65 years or > 65 years), and in subgroups of patients with and without diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, cancer/malignancy, renal impairment, and obesity; within these subgroups, efficacy and safety results were generally consistent with those of the overall cSSTI population. CONCLUSIONS This analysis provides supportive evidence of the efficacy of ceftaroline fosamil in patients with cSSTI and underlying comorbidities. TRIAL REGISTRATION CANVAS 1, NCT00424190 and CANVAS 2, NCT00423657 (both trials first posted on ClinicalTrials.gov 18/01/2007); COVERS, NCT01499277 (first posted on ClinicalTrials.gov 26/12/2011).

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has inherent advantages in the treatment of hypoxic tumors due to its optically controlled selectivity on tumor ablation and oxygen-independent nature. The subcellular organelle-targeting capability and photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) at near-infrared (NIR) wavelength are the key parameters in the assessment of the photothermal agent (PTA). Here, we report that carbon dots (CDs) prepared by the hydrothermal treatment of coronene derivatives show a high PCE of 54.7% at 808 nm, which can be attributed to the narrow band gap and the presence of amounts of continuous energy bands on CDs. Moreover, the vibrations in the layered graphite structures of the CDs also increase the rate of nonradiative transition and thus enhance the PCE. Furthermore, the CDs also possess excellent photostability, biocompatibility, and cell penetration capability and could mainly accumulate in the lysosomes. These experiment results have proved that the CDs are suitable as an efficient NIR light-triggered PTA for efficient PTT against cancer.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that gut microbial-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of many diseases and can be served as a prognostic biomarker for several cardiovascular disorders, including arrhythmia. Recently, some studies have documented that TMAO was associated with the occurrence, progression, recurrence, and embolism risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The activation of related inflammatory signal pathways and the cardiac sympathetic nervous system (CSNS) caused by elevated TAMO may be the underlying mechanism. It is worth noting that intervention in the metabolic pathway of TMAO may be an underlying therapeutic target of AF. In addition, standardized and individualized treatment strategies in clinical practice may be of great significance for AF patients, particularly those with high serum TMAO concentrations. However, there are also contradictions in the current research on TMAO and AF. Moreover, notwithstanding the positive preclinical and clinical findings, data supporting a direct association between TMAO and AF is a paucity. Thus, conclusive evidence from preclinical studies and multi-center randomized controlled trials to reveal the essential relationship between TMAO and AF is needy. In this review, we have attempted to summarize recent studies on TMAO and AF, highlighted the potential therapeutic strategies for AF patients, followed by a discussion on directions for future research in this field.

Dysregulation of macroautophagy/autophagy contributes to the delay of wound healing in diabetic skin. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is known to play a critical role in regulating autophagy. In this study, it was found that SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1), an autophagy receptor, was significantly downregulated in two human keratinocyte cells lines with short-term high-glucose treatment, as well as in the epidermis of diabetic patients and a db/db mouse model with long-term hyperglycemia. Knockdown of SQSTM1 led to the impairment of autophagic flux, which was consistent with the results of high-glucose treatment in keratinocytes. Moreover, the m6A reader protein YTHDC1 (YTH domain containing 1), which interacted with SQSTM1 mRNA, was downregulated in keratinocytes under both the acute and chronic effects of hyperglycemia. Knockdown of YTHDC1 affected biological functions of keratinocytes, which included increased apoptosis rates and impaired wound-healing capacity. In addition, knockdown of endogenous YTHDC1 resulted in a blockade of autophagic flux in keratinocytes, while overexpression of YTHDC1 rescued the blockade of autophagic flux induced by high glucose. In vivo, knockdown of endogenous Ythdc1 or Sqstm1 inhibited autophagy in the epidermis and delayed wound healing. Interestingly, we found that a decrease of YTHDC1 drove SQSTM1 mRNA degradation in the nucleus. Furthermore, the results revealed that YTHDC1 interacted and cooperated with ELAVL1/HuR (ELAV like RNA binding protein 1) in modulating the expression of SQSTM1. Collectively, this study uncovered a previously unrecognized function for YTHDC1 in modulating autophagy via regulating the stability of SQSTM1 nuclear mRNA in diabetic keratinocytes.Abbreviations: ACTB: actin beta; AGEs: glycation end products; AL: autolysosome; AP: autophagosome; ATG: autophagy related; AKT: AKT serine/threonine kinase; ANOVA: analysis of variance; BECN1: beclin 1; Co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; DEGs: differentially expressed genes; DM: diabetes mellitus; ELAVL1: ELAV like RNA binding protein 1; FTO: FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase; G: glucose; HaCaT: human keratinocyte; GO: Gene Ontology; GSEA: Gene Set Enrichment Analysis; HE: hematoxylin-eosin; IHC: immunohistochemical; IRS: immunoreactive score; KEAP1: kelch like ECH associated protein 1; KEGG: Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes; m6A: N6-methyladenosine; M: mannitol; MANOVA: multivariate analysis of variance; MAP1LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAP1LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MeRIP: methylated RNA immunoprecipitation; METTL3: methyltransferase 3, N6-adenosine-methytransferase complex catalytic subunit; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1; NBR1: NBR1 autophagy cargo receptor; NFE2L2: nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 2; NG: normal glucose; NHEK: normal human epithelial keratinocyte; OE: overexpressing; p-: phospho-; PI: propidium iodide; PPIN: Protein-Protein Interaction Network; RBPs: RNA binding proteins; RIP: RNA immunoprecipitation; RNA-seq: RNA-sequence; RNU6-1: RNA, U6 small nuclear 1; ROS: reactive oxygen species; siRNAs: small interfering RNAs; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; SRSF: serine and arginine rich splicing factor; T2DM: type 2 diabetes mellitus; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; TUBB: tubulin beta class I; WT: wild-type; YTHDC1: YTH domain containing 1.

Using a simple dipping method, a novel the magnetically driven hydrophobic polyurethane sponge (MHPS) was synthesized in this work. The isodecyl alcohol with longer carbon chain is grafted onto the sponge surface through substitution reaction and condensation reaction, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles are adhered to the sponge to give it magnetism and make it easy to collect. MHPS were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometers. The maximum adsorption capacity for various oils/organic solvents was 24–50 times its own weight. MHPS shows excellent reusability after ten absorption–extrusion-heating cycles. Moreover, it can selectively absorb and continuously remove oil in a wide range of water due to the combination of its high porosity, hydrophobicity and lipophilicity. The magnetism of MHPS makes it easy to collect with magnets. It is believed that MHPS has potential application prospects in oil purification and oil spill removal industry wastewater.

Aim The incidence rate of diabetes is increasing year by year, seriously threatening human health. As a predictor of glycemic control, glycated hemoglobin is reported to be related to various complications and prognoses of diabetes. Besides, HDL-C dyslipidemia is a component of metabolic syndrome and may be related to various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The principal objective of this project was to investigate the relationship between HDL-C and glycosylated hemoglobin in adult diabetic patients. Methods A total of 3171 adult diabetic patients aged 20 years and above were included in the present study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). HDL-C and glycosylated hemoglobin were regarded as independent and dependent variables, respectively. EmpowerStats software and R (version 3.4.3) were used to examine the association between HDL-C and glycosylated hemoglobin. Results HDL-C was inversely associated with glycohemoglobin after adjusting for other covariates (β = − 0.004, 95% CI:− 0.008 to − 0.000, p = 0.044). Race/ethnicity and age were considered the most prominent interactive factors that affect the relationship between HDL and glycosylated hemoglobin by the interaction analysis. A U-shaped association was detected between HDL-C and glycosylated hemoglobin for people of other race/ethnicity or aged 60 and above, which had an inflection point of HDL-C at 60 mg/dL. In contrast, we observed an inverted U-shaped distribution between HDL-C and glycosylated hemoglobin in people under 40 with point of inflection located at 60 mg/dL as well. Conclusions HDL-C in diabetic patients is inversely associated with glycosylated hemoglobin and may be relevant to glycemic control. However, a U-shaped relationship was also observed in a certain kind of people, which implied that, though HDL-C is considered as metabolism and anti-atherogenic property, for diabetics, it is not the higher, the better.

One novel Inorganic–Organic Hybrid compound [Pb(mip)(bidc)]n (1) [mip = 2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, bidc = 2,2′bipyridinyl-3,3′-dicarboxylic acid] has been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions and characterized by thermogravimetrianalysis, elemental analysis, infrared spectrum and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction results suggest that compound 1 exhibits 1D chain structure, which is constructed from N–H···O hydrogen bonds. TG analysis results suggest that compound 1 has excellent thermal stability, the reason of that may be the existence of hydrogen bonds reinforces the structural stability. It is noteworthy that the metal ions Pb (II) are located in [:PbN2O4] pentagonal bipyramidal geometry in the title compound. The theoretical calculation analysis of 1 was performed by the PBE0/LANL2DZ method in Gaussian 03 Program to elucidate the essential electronic characters. The luminescent properties for the ligand mip and compound 1 are also discussed in detail.

The BuShen JiangZhi (BSJZ) recipe is a Chinese medicine compound with the effect of tonifying the kidney, replenishing essence, and lowering blood fat to unblock vessels. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the mechanism of BSJZ for effective intervention in the treatment of AS is related to mmu_circRNA_22187 and aminopeptidase N (Anpep). ApoE-/- mice were induced by a high-fat diet to replicate the AS model. 24 ApoE-/- mice were randomly divided into model group (group M), BSJZ group (group BS), and 12 C57BL/6 mice of the same genetic background and same weeks of age as the normal control group (group C). Mice in the BS group were given an aqueous solution of BSJZ by gavage, while mice in groups C and M were given the same volume of distilled water. HE and Oil Red O staining were used to detect the pathomorphology and lipid accumulation of mouse aortic sinus. Arraystar version 2.0 mouse circRNA chip was used to scan with Agilent Scanner G2505C, and the differential circRNAs expression profile of mice aorta was obtained. Scatter plot, volcano plot, and cluster map, respectively, visualized the differentially expressed circRNAs, as well as the types of circRNAs and the chromosomes’ distribution, screened and compared the differentially expressed circRNAs intersection between groups by Venny software, and then combined ceRNA bioinformatics analysis to construct a ceRNA network. The results showed that BSJZ could significantly reduce the area of AS plaque and lipid accumulation in the aortic sinus of ApoE-/- mice induced by a high-fat diet. The bioinformatics analysis showed that mmu_circRNA_22187 may be a key circRNA of BSJZ intervention in the treatment of AS. Compared with group C, the expressions of Anpep mRNA and protein were upregulated in group M. After the intervention of BSJZ, the expressions of Anpep mRNA and protein were downregulated. Therefore, BSJZ could effectively treat AS which might be related to the regulation of mmu_circRNA_22187 and Anpep.

Aim: This research was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of HSYA in vascular endothelial injury by vitro study. Methods: Dividing HUVECs as Normal Control (NC), Model (LPS treated) group, HSYA-L, HSYA-M and HSYA-H groups. Cells in the HSYA treatment groups were treated with LPS, followed by 40 mg/ml, 80 mg/ml, and 120 mg/ml HSYA intervention (HSYA-L, HSYA-M, and HSYA -H groups), respectively. Measuring the cell proliferation, apoptosis, relative proteins and mRNA (TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB(p65)) expressions by MTT, Flow cytometry, WB and RT-qPCR assay. Using cellular immunofluorescence to evaluate NF-κB(p65) nuclear volume of difference groups. Results: With HSYA supplement, the cell proliferation rates were significantly up-regulation with cell apoptosis significantly down-regulation with TLR4 relatived mRNA and proteins and NF-κB(p65) nuclear significantly depressed with dose-dependent (P Conclusion: HSYA improved vascular endothelial injury induced by LPS via TLR4 pathway In Vitro.

Two isostructural tetranuclear lanthanide clusters named [Ln4(L)4(CH3O)4]·CH3OH (Ln = Gd(III) for 1, Dy(III) for 2, H2L = N′-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-6-(hydroxymethyl) picolinohydrazide) were successfully isolated by using a polydentate Schiff based ligand and Ln(III) nitrate salts. The structures of 1 and 2 were characterized by X-ray structural analyses, they are held by four double deprotonated ligands L2−. In them all the lanthanide ions are eight-coordinated and distributed over four vertices of a parallelogram, presenting a Ln4 cluster with a strict [2 × 2] square grid pattern. The details of magnetic analysis show that 1 displays weak anti-ferromagnetic exchange between neighboring Gd(III) ions through carboxylate oxygen and methanol oxygen ligand atoms. Furthermore, 1 exhibits significant magnetocaloric effect with the maximum entropy change –ΔSm value of 28.5 J/(kg·K) for ΔH = 7.0 T at 2.0 K. For compound 2, remarkable slow magnetic relaxation behaviors are observed in the presence of zero magnetic field with τ0 = 1.02 × 10−6 s and energy barrier ΔE/kB = 43.24 K.

Diosgenin has been widely used as a precursor in the pharmaceutical industry. The conventional diosgenin production method, direct acid hydrolysis, can cause severe environmental pollution and has low production efficiency. In this study, the β-glucosidase FBG1 was successfully over-expressed in Pichia pastoris. The engineered yeast was grown in 5- and 50-L bioreactors to a high-cell-density, and the resulting recombinant FBG1 without purification was directly used for trillin biocatalysis. A novel enzymatic biocatalysis method was established through efficient biocatalysis of trillin by recombinant FBG1 and a practical diosgenin purification process. Diosgenin production reached ∼1.7 mg/mL under optimized biocatalysis conditions with a corresponding ∼94 % trillin conversion. The production process was further scaled up from 2 mL to 20, 200, and 2000 mL working volumes, producing equivalent efficiency. This recombinant enzyme biocatalysis process resulted in ∼680 mg diosgenin when 1 g trillin was processed, together with ∼90 % environmental impact elimination and ∼36 % cost reduction. Enzymatic biocatalysis can convert trillin into a high-value-added pharmaceutical precursor of diosgenin with high eco-efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability is presented here for the first time and is a promising method for future applications in industrial processes.

Waterlogging is a common problem compromising plant growth. The endophytic microbiota can improve the rice response to waterlogging stress. However, the mechanism by endophytic microbiota enhances the rice adaption to waterlogging stress is unknown. In this study, the root system architecture, especially well-developed root aerenchyma, was improved in Phomopsis liquidambaris B3 inoculation treatment under waterlogging stress. It was also found the improvement of chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents, ATP, and activities of critical aerobic and anaerobic respiration enzymes in rice. Compared to non-inoculated treatment, ATP was improved by respiration in rice roots under anoxic conditions in the Phomopsis liquidambaris B3 inoculation treatment, contributing to the synergy absorption of multiple mineral elements. Therefore, our results suggest that Phomopsis liquidambaris B3 promotes rice waterlogging tolerance through increasing root aerenchyma development and thereby improving energy metabolism and the accumulation of mineral elements.

Thermal modification can improve the dimensional stability of wood without the use of biocides, but the process also changes the colour. Changes in relative amounts of chromophores and auxochromes of poplar extracts during thermal modification were investigated by pre-extraction of ground wood in increasingly polar solvents followed by thermal modification. Changes in wood colour and FTIR spectra were used to assess the effects of extraction/thermal modification, while selected extracts were analysed by GC–MS. Colour of non-modified poplar was mainly affected by ethanol extraction, while thermally modified poplar was most affected by 1,4-dioxane and acetone extraction. GC–MS analysis to characterize the main chromophores and auxochromes in the 1,4-dioxane and acetone extracts from non-modified or thermally modified poplar suggested that chromophores and/or auxochromes in extracts including carbonyl, vinyl, benzene ring and hydroxyl groups tended to be much more abundant in thermally modified poplar which accounts for the darkening of the wood.

Yang Liu,1,2,* Yun Wang,1,2,* Jie Wang,2 Kang Chen,2 Lingzi Jin,3 Weiqing Wang,4 Zhengnan Gao,5 Xulei Tang,6 Li Yan,7 Qin Wan,8 Zuojie Luo,9 Guijun Qin,10 Lulu Chen,11 Yiming Mu2 1Graduate School, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Endocrinology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Xidan Campus), Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Shanghai National Research Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Institute for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Endocrinology, Dalian Central Hospital, Dalian, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Endocrinology, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Endocrinology, Zhongshan University Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 8Department of Endocrinology, Southwest Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Luzhou, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 9Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China; 10Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhenzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China; 11Department of Endocrinology, Wuhan Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yiming MuDepartment of Endocrinology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-10-5549 9001Email muyiming@301hospital.com.cnBackground: Lipid accumulation product (LAP) as a powerful marker of visceral obesity is an independent risk factor of chronic kidney disease. The present study attempted to explore the association between LAP and albuminuria in prediabetic individuals.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and enrolled 26,529 participants with prediabetes over 40 years old with prediabetes from seven provinces in China. LAP was calculated from waist circumference and fasting triglycerides. Elevated albuminuria was defined by urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) ≥ 30 mg/g. Propensity score matching was applied to reduce bias, comparison between LAP and other traditional visceral obesity indices was performed and multiple logistic regression models were conducted to assess the association between LAP and albuminuria in the prediabetic population.Results: Individuals with uACR ≥ 30 mg/g were older and had higher BP, BMI, WC, TG, fasting insulin, glycohemoglobin and LAP, as well as lower eGFR and HDL level. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed elevated LAP was associated with increased odds of albuminuria (OR [95%CI]Q2 vs Q1 1.09 [0.94, 1.27], OR [95%CI]Q3 vs Q1 1.13 [0.97, 1.31], OR [95%CI]Q4 vs Q1 1.42 [1.21, 1.67], P for trend=0.018), and superior over waist-to-hip ratio or waist-to-height ratio. Stratification indicated that the prediabetic population with higher LAP level and characterized by female gender, middle age, being overweight, and rise in blood pressure were more likely to have increased uACR.Conclusion: Elevated level of LAP was associated with increased albuminuria in the prediabetic population in China.Keywords: albuminuria, lipid accumulation product, prediabetes, visceral obesity

A new alkaloid 14-hydroxygelseziridine (1), along with four known oxindoles (2-5), was isolated and characterized from the well-known toxic medicine Gelsemium elegans. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemistry calculations. Structurally, new compound 1 has a three membered oxygen ring at N-4/C-20. All compounds were tested for osteoclast (MOC-1) inhibitory activity in vitro. Compound 2 exhibited the selective osteoclast inhibitory activity. Flow cytometry revealed that the apoptosis of osteoclasts induced by 2. Furthermore, the PCR bioassay suggested that compound 2 may activate the apoptotic pathway of osteoclasts by reducing the expression of IL-6 and c-Jun, and increasing caspase 9. This work provided the evidence for the rationality as the traditional treatment for bone related diseases of G. elegans, and shed a new light on its further research.

The solubility of quizalofop-p-ethyl (QPE) in seven pure solvents and three binary solvents (n-heptane + ethanol/ethyl acetate/acetone) in the temperature range from 278.15 to 318.15 K was determin...

BACKGROUND N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) plays critical roles in regulating sympathetic outflow. Studies showed that acute application of the antagonists of NMDAR or its subunits would reduce sympathetic nerve discharges. However, little is known about the effect of long-term management of NMDAR in hypertensive animals. METHODS PEAQX, the specific antagonist of NMDAR subunit 2A (GluN2A) was injected into both sides of the PVN of two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) renal hypertensive rats and control (normotensive rats) for 3 weeks. RESULTS Three weeks of PEAQX infusion significantly reduced the blood pressure of the 2K1C rats. It managed to resume the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural transmitters, reduce the level of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species in the PVN, and reduce the level of norepinephrine in plasma of the 2K1C rats. PEAQX administration also largely reduced the transcription and translation levels of GluN2A and changed the expression levels of NMDAR subunits 1 and 2B (GluN1 and GluN2B). In addition, NMDAR was known to function through activating the extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathways. In our study, we found that in the PVN of 2K1C rats treated with PEAQX, the phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), ERK1/2, and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) significantly reduced, while the phosphorylation level of PI3K did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS Chronic blockade of GluN2A alleviates hypertension through suppression of MEK/ERK/CREB pathway.

A novel route for ortho-selective C-H borylation of 2-phenylthiopyridines using BBr3 as the boron source under metal-free conditions has been reported. The reaction exhibited site exclusivity, and the synthesized aryl boronates were freely converted to various useful intermediates. Thus, this facile method would be beneficial to synthesize structurally diversified phenylthioethers derivatives and other materials containing boron-nitrogen coordination.

A bifunctional Ni3P/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was prepared by an electroless plating method and characterized by XRD, XPS, N2 adsorption–desorption, ICP, TEM, CO chemisorption, NH3 TPD, and Py-FTIR. To improve the dispersion of Ni3P on γ-Al2O3, highly dispersed nickel aluminum oxide hydrate was deposited on γ-Al2O3 by a deposition–precipitation procedure. The resulting Ni3P nanoparticles (~3.8 nm) were homogeneously dispersed on γ-Al2O3. The Ni3P/γ-Al2O3 catalyst exhibited high performance in the hydrodeoxygenation of phenol, in which both hydrogenation and dehydration were involved. The Ni3P/γ-Al2O3 was remarkably stable both in catalytic performance and in structure during a 100-h run.

This article reports a study of the degradation of roasted sesame hulls cellulosic polysaccharides contribution to the Maillard and caramelization reaction. In the present study, cellulosic polysaccharides were extracted from sesame hulls before and after roasting at various temperatures (160, 180, 200, and 220 °C). The structural vari-ations of the cellulosic polysaccharides were elucidated by using the techniques: scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, Fourier transform (FT-IR) spectrometer, carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS 13C-NMR), and thermal gravimetric analysis. The pyrolysisgas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) characterized and verified the chemical composition obtained from the polysaccharide degradation during roasting. The sugar analysis results showed that galacturonic acid, xylose, and rhamnose were more easily degraded than arabinose, galactose, glucose, and mannose. The morphology of the cellulosic polysaccharides shows irregular dispersed globular fragments after roasting by SEM observation. FT-IR and CP/MAS 13C-NMR spectra indicated the crystalline structure and linkages of the cellulose did not break down in comparison to amorphous cellulose that partly degraded. Abundant acetic acid and 3-furaldehyde were among the polysaccharide degradation products identified by Py-GC/MS. These chemical compounds were likely the significant contributors to caramelization and the Maillard reaction in sesame seed roasting.

Thermal modification reduces the hygroscopicity of timber potentially reducing susceptibility to biological degradation, but it is also energetically intensive. Identifying methods for accelerating the process could reduce these inputs. The potential effects of glycerol pretreatment on thermal modification was investigated by pre-treating poplar wood (Populus tomentosa Carr.) with 60% glycerol followed by thermal modification at temperatures between 120 and 200 °C for 4 h. Potential changes in the wood were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy to detect the changes in cell wall components, crystallinity, the average size of the crystalline region and cell wall thickness. Glycerol accelerated lignin decomposition over the entire temperature range. Thermal modification altered the degree of cellulose crystallinity as well as the average size of the crystalline region and the effects were more noticeable with the glycerol pre-treatment. The cell wall thickness of thermally treated wood decreased with increasing temperature and glycerol accelerated this process. Glycerol appears to enhance the modification process with increasing treatment temperature.

High Fischer ratio peptides have been used in many kinds of foods due to their special amino acid composition and health-promotion functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal enzymes for hydrolysis and activated carbon for adsorption during the preparation of high Fischer ratio peptides from soybean protein. Three and two enzymes were tried with different combinations for the first and second hydrolysis steps respectively. Eight types of activated carbon were tested for their adsorption capacity. Our results show that, after evaluating the branched-chain amino acids retention and Fischer ratio computation, double enzyme hydrolysis steps with alcalase and flavorzyme followed with powdered activated carbon adsorption could raise Fischer ratio from 2.96 to 18.9 though branched-chain amino acids dropped around 80%. By further comparing six different candidate carbons, AK-220 activated carbon was comparatively premium in terms of branched-chain amino acids retention, aromatic amino acids removal and total protein loss rate and its adsorption conditions were optimized as pH 5.5, carbon-hydrolysate ratio 0.1 and adsorption time of 3 h. Overall, our findings demonstrate that, after the sequential treatments of two enzymatic hydrolysis (alcalase and flavorzyme) and activated carbon (AK220) adsorption respectively, branched-chain amino acids could be maintained at around 60% while Fischer ratio was elevated about 4 times comparing with the untreated soybean protein. This study could pave the way for widening the value and application of soybean peptides with high Fischer ratio which would very likely be further used as food or medicine supplement.

In this study, we report three electroactive carbazolyl polyimides (PIs) containing spiropyran, pyrene, and fluorescein fluorescent groups. The PIs exhibit red, blue, and green fluorescence emissio...

A series of dialdehyde microcrystalline cellulose (DAMC) particles crosslinked with EPL (EPL-DAMCs) was successfully prepared by reacting DAMC with varying amounts of e-Poly-L-lysine (EPL). Based on the excellent antibacterial property of e-poly-L-lysine (EPL), the obtained EPL-DAMCs have a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, and their physicochemical and antibacterial activities were also investigated. Fourier -transform infrared spectroscopy results demonstrated the formation of Schiff base between the aldehyde groups in DAMC and amino groups of EPL. The DAMC particles showed an aggregated structure of fibres. Among all DAMC crosslinked with EPL (EPL-DAMCs), the EPL-DAMC-4, with a lysine content of 0.46 ± 0.08 mg/g, showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.75, 15.0, 7.5 and 3.75 mg/mL, respectively. Compared with DAMC, the EPL-DAMC-4 exhibited the better inhibition effect and antimicrobial stability on the tested strains. These findings suggested that EPL-DAMCs might be used as antimicrobial biomaterial and have great potential in food packaging field.

Oxidative stress, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), and inflammation are some of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of this study is to examine the protective effect of the chronic administration of astaxanthin, which is extracted from the shell of crabs and shrimps, into hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Animals were randomly assigned to 2 groups and treated with bilateral PVN infusion of astaxanthin or vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid) through osmotic minipumps (Alzet Osmotic Pumps, Model 2004, 0.25 μL/h) for 4 weeks. Spontaneously hypertensive rats had higher mean arterial pressure and plasma level of norepinephrine and proinflammatory cytokine; higher PVN levels of reactive oxygen species, NOX2, NOX4, IL-1β, IL-6, ACE, and AT1-R; and lower PVN levels of IL-10 and Cu/Zn SOD, Mn SOD, ACE2, and Mas receptors than Wistar-Kyoto rats. Our data showed that chronic administration of astaxanthin into PVN attenuated the overexpression of reactive oxygen species, NOX2, NOX4, inflammatory cytokines, and components of RAS within the PVN and suppressed hypertension. The present results revealed that astaxanthin played a role in the brain. Our findings demonstrated that astaxanthin had protective effect on hypertension by improving the balance between inflammatory cytokines and components of RAS.

The developed peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation for removing pollutants is a significant technology. Here, a Co(OH)2/Cu2O composite was synthesized and used to activate PDS for tetracycline (TC) degradation. Covering the surface of Cu2O with Co(OH)2 could improve the stability of the material, reactive active sites, and electron transfer efficiency of the catalyst. Thus, Co(OH)2/Cu2O composite exhibited excellent performance in terms of degrading the TC pollutant, and in the Co(OH)2/Cu2O/PDS system, the removal rate of TC could reach 98% within 30 min. Moreover, the effect of pH value, PDS dosage, and TC concentration on the degradation efficiency of TC was systematically studied. According to free radical quenching experiments, the possible mechanism of TC degradation over the Co(OH)2/Cu2O/PDS system was proposed. This work provided a research basis for the use of metal oxides for PDS activation in environmental treatment.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CH4 is a promising strategy to solve the greenhouse effect and energy shortage problems. However, its application has been restricted by its low efficiency and poor selectivity. Herein, atomically thin defective TiO2 is modified with iron tetraphenylporphyrin (FeTPP) to reinforce the selectivity of CO2 reduction. The synthesized Fe-TiO2-x photocatalyst exhibits a CH4 production rate of 20.48 μmol g−1 h−1 and a CH4 selectivity of 56.1% under visible light irradiation. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) of defective TiO2 contributed to visible light absorption and FeTPP dispersion. The presence of FeTPP enhances the adsorption of CO intermediates, promoting the CH4 selectivity. The conduction band of Fe-TiO2-x lowers, inhibiting the CO generation. During the photoconversion process, CO2˙− and COOH− intermediate products were detected by in situ DRIFTS. The synergistic effect of OVs and FeTPP improves the efficiency and selectivity of CO2 photoreduction to CH4. This work offers a new insight towards designing a photocatalyst for photoreduction of CO2 to CH4.

Cunlanceloic acid A (1), a symmetric terpenoid peroxide bearing an unprecedented dimeric labdane backbone linked through C-16/C-16′ bonds, and cunlanceloic acids B–D (2–4), three asymmetric diterpenoid dimers with a new carbon skeleton linked through C12/C-13′ and C-15/C-16′ bonds between two labdane units, were isolated from the cones of Cunninghamia lanceolata. Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and chemical transformations. Compound 1 exhibited potent AChE inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 6.14 ± 0.66 μM and compounds 2 and 3 showed remarkable cytotoxic activities against A-549 and SMMC-7721 cell lines with IC50 values of 5.90–9.21 μM.

Three new phenolic metabolites, daldispols A–C (1–3), two new chromone derivatives, (5R,7R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromen-4-one (9) and (5R,7R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2-propyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromen-4-one (10), together with five known phenolic compounds (4–8) and two known chromone compounds (11 and 12) were isolated from the endolichenic fungus Daldinia sp. CPCC 400770. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and comparison with reported data. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 9, and 11 exhibited significant anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activities with IC50 values of 12.7, 6.4, 12.5, 16.1, and 9.0 μM, respectively, and compound 8 displayed significant anti-ZIKV activity with inhibitory ratio of 42.7% at 10 μM. The results demonstrated that the fungus Daldinia sp. CPCC 400770 might be a rich source for discovering anti-IAV secondary metabolites as potential novel leading compounds.

The aim of this study was to study the regulation of abdominal fat deposition by DL-α-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) in broilers. Diets supplemented with 50 IU vitamin E significantly diminished abdominal fat deposition in broilers at day 35. Transcriptome sequencing results for abdominal fat tissues of the control (FC) and 50 IU vitamin E-supplemented (FT) groups identified 602 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were enriched in cellular process, cell and cell part, and binding Gene Ontology terms. Pathway functional analysis revealed that the DEGs were enriched in 42 metabolic pathways. Notably, the most enriched pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, was found to play a key role in lipid metabolism. Further, the key regulators of lipid metabolism, including fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha, and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1, demonstrated decreased expression following vitamin E supplementation. Herein, we have identified pathways and genes regulated by vitamin E, thereby providing novel insights into the nutrients regulating abdominal fat deposition in broilers.

The effect of pretreatment with either boron or glycerol followed by thermal modification on the durability of Douglas-fir heartwood was evaluated in an American Wood Protection Association ground proximity test in Hilo, Hawaii. Non–thermally modified samples were generally more heavily decayed than any of the modified woods, but there was no consistent effect of different thermal modification conditions on decay resistance. Thermally modified woods tended to perform better than untreated timbers but not as well as copper azole–treated Douglas-fir heartwood lumber in test at the same site. The results are discussed in relation to how the extreme site conditions might have made it difficult for thermally modified materials to perform.

As the environmental residues of formaldehyde and hypochlorites are very harmful to human health, a new simple and efficient aggregation-induced emission probe based on diaminomaleonitrile was designed and applied in the independent detection of hypochlorites and formaldehyde. The probe shows high selectivity and anti-interference ability against other potential competitive substances. ClO− promotes the oxidized splitting of CN in the probe, and induces evident color changes visible to the naked eye together with quenched fluorescence. The detection of ClO− by this probe was fast, sensitive, and visible to the naked eye. The detection limit of the probe to ClO− in the range of 0.70–20 μM is 18 nM. Through the condensation mechanism and with amine as the binding site of formaldehyde, the exposed amino group in the probe structure responds sensitively and efficiently to formaldehyde. The probe can effectively monitor 0.50–25 μM formaldehyde in aqueous solutions, with a detection limit as low as 42 nM. A portable solid sensor – a formaldehyde detection plate was built by directly covering the probe on a thin-layer chromatography plate. Thereby, formaldehyde gas can be effectively and sensitively detected, which offers a clue for developing solid-state formaldehyde-detection plates. The high experimental recovery rates prove that this new probe is highly promising in hypochlorite detection in the real water environment.

In this study, three high-efficient green light iridium(III) complexes were designed and synthesized, wherein 2-methyl-8-(2-pyridine) benzofuran [2,3-B] pyridine (MPBFP) is the main ligand and three β-diketone derivatives, namely 3,7-diethyl-4,6-nondiazone (detd), 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptyldione (tmd) and acetylacetone (acac), are ancillary ligands. The thermal stabilities, electrochemical properties, and electroluminescence (EL) performance of these three complexes, namely (MPBFP)2 Ir(detd), (MPBFP)2Ir(tmd) and (MPBFP)2Ir(acac), were investigated. The results show that the absorption peaks of the three complexes range from 260 to 340 nm, and the maximum emission wavelengths are 537 nm, 544 nm and 540 nm, respectively. The LUMO level is −2.18 eV, −2.20 eV, −2.21 eV, and the HOMO level is −5.30 eV, −5.25 eV, and −5.25 eV, respectively. The thermal decomposition temperatures of each of the three compounds are 359 °C, 389 °C and 410 °C respectively, with a weight loss of 5%. Green phosphorescent electroluminescent devices were prepared with the structure of ITO/HAT-CN/TAPC/TCTA/TCTA:X/Bepp2/LiF/Al, and the three complexes were dispersed in the organic light-emitting layer as the guest material X. The maximum external quantum efficiency of the devices is 17.2%, 16.7%, and 16.5%, respectively. The maximum brightness is 57 328 cd m−2, 69 267 cd m−2 and 69 267 cd m−2, respectively. With respect to the EL properties, (MPBFP)2Ir(detd) is the best performer among the three complexes. The different performances exhibited by these complexes were discussed from the view point of substituent effect on the β-diketone ligands.

Effects of a large-sized cage with a low metabolizable energy and low crude protein (LME-LCP) diet on growth performance, feed cost, blood biochemistry, and antibody response of growing layers were evaluated. A total of 668 one-day-old female Gushi chicks were randomly allocated into three different cages, namely, large, medium, and small cages, referred to as Group A, Group B, and Group C, respectively, and fed LME-LCP diets. A fourth group of birds raised in small cages and fed a standard diet (STD) was designated Group D i.e. the control. Equal stocking densities were maintained among the four groups throughout the experiment, from 50–20 birds/m2. Large cages with LME-LCP diet (Group A) increased the shank length and girth as chicks grew, improved the activities of serum creatine kinase, and reduced serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations. The total feed intake in birds from Group A was higher than those from the other groups at every stage. The total cost (rmb/bird) of feed was 6.70% lower in Group A than that in Group D, which indicated the cost-effectiveness of large cages. In conclusion, large cages with LME-LCP diets have positive effects on body weight, shank growth, and serum biochemical indices of growing Gushi chicks, and can reduce feed costs.

Three trivinyl functionalization triphenylphosphine (3vPPh3)-based porous organic ligands (3vPPh3-POLs) with cross-linkers in different positions were obtained through solvothermal polymerization. By simply changing the position of the cross-linkers (vinyl groups) attached to the PPh3 monomer, the resulting porous organic polymer (POP) materials acquired diverse hierarchical porous structures, and the microenvironment of POPs was sequently regulated. Among the three 3vPPh3-POLs, the BET surface areas ranged from 168 to 1583 m2 g−1, while the proportion of micropores changed from 0.0% to 52.0%. Benefiting from the unique structure, Rh ions could be coordinated and dispersed as a single site in m-3vPPh3-POL to form HRh(CO)2(PPh3-POL)2 species, which endowed the Rh/m-3vPPh3-POL catalyst with an activity similar to that in the homogeneous system, an l/b ratio (the ratio of the linear aldehyde to the branched aldehyde) approximately as high as 10, and stability for a duration of more than 500 h in the hydroformylation of 1-octene.

In this work, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are utilized as effective ECL coreactant accelerator to enhance the ECL responses of N-(aminobutyl)-N-(ethylisoluminol) (ABEI). Zn-based MOFs (MOF-Zn-1) were prepared by chelating Zn ions with melamine and thiophenedicarboxylic acid (TPDA), which observably accelerated the electrocatalytic oxidation of tripropylamine (TPA). Then, ABEI-MOF-Zn-1 as a high-performance ECL emitter was synthesized via an amide reaction between ABEI and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) modified MOF-Zn-1. Strikingly, the ABEI-MOF-Zn-1 showed the 18-fold increase in the ECL signals relative to pure ABEI by using TPA as a coreactant. Moreover, ferrocene (Fc) as a quencher was first linked with capture DNA (cDNA), and then used to modify the ABEI-MOF-Zn-1, thereby constructing a label-free ECL biosensor. After the linkage between chloramphenicol (CAP) and aptamer DNA (aptDNA), the ECL response was definitely recovered by releasing L-DNA from double-stranded DNA (dsDNA, hybridization of aptDNA and L-DNA). The resultant sensor showed a wide linear range of 1.00 nM–0.10 mM (R2 = 0.99) and a low limit of detection (LOD) down to 0.11 nM for detecting CAP. This work developed a novel pattern to design an efficient ECL enhanced emitter, coupled by expanding its potential applications in clinical diagnosis.

Nuoshanyao (NSY), Tiegunshanyao (TSY) and Huaishanyao (HSY) are the main cultivars of Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) widely grown in China. The composition, physicochemical properties, morphology, and thermal properties of the starches from these cultivars were investigated in this study. NSY starch (17.0%) was much lower in amylose content than other cultivars (33.4–34.5%). The average particle diameter of the starches ranged from 25.83 to 28.93 μm. Weight-average molecular weights (Mw) and number-average molecular weights (Mn) ranged from 1.29 to 1.84 × 105 g/mol and 5.93 to 8.36 × 104 g/mol, respectively. NSY starch had higher gelatinization temperature (71.5 °C), enthalpy (14.14 J/g), peak viscosity (8590 cP) and swelling power (12.0%) than TSY and HSY. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) tests indicated that Chinese yam starches had CB-type crystalline structure with crystallinity ranging from 21.91% to 27.08% and a short-range ordered structure. To, Tp, ΔH, peak viscosity and swelling power at 95 °C were significantly correlated to amylose content. The low-amylose NSY starch was found to have high gelatinization temperature, enthalpy, peak viscosity and swelling power. These specific physicochemical and structural properties indicated the industrial potential of low-amylose yam starch.

Bio-renewable lignin has been used as a precursor for the preparation of various carbon materials, such as carbon fibers, ordered mesoporous carbon and graphite carbon cages. Nevertheless, up to now, there are few studies about prepare graphene-like carbon nanosheets derived from lignin. In this study, we synthesized graphene-like carbon nanosheets, using lignin as the precursor, via one-step pyrolysis route. Fortunately, physical and chemical characterization results indicate that it has high pore volume and hierarchical pore with wrinkled sheet graphene structure. Furthermore, the capability of graphene-like carbon nanosheets was investigated as a catalyst support in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The results of catalytic evaluation show that Fe2O3/GCNs has excellent catalytic activity and the selectivity of lower olefins, compared with Fe2O3/AC.

Summary Single-atom-site (SAS) catalyst, as a highly reactive heterogeneous catalytic system, is one of the effective tools for complex organic synthesis. However, excessive attention on the catalysis and regulation of metal atoms has led to the neglect of the role of supports and ligands. Here, we employed a P-doped porous organic polymer as a support, as well as a ligand in the developed Pd SAS catalysts. The enrichment of the substrates by the pores, ligand action of the support, and high chemoselectivity and anti-agglomeration of SAS catalysts were the most striking features of this SAS catalyst. A highly selective distannylation of terminal alkynes with a new mechanism was achieved by using the multiple properties of SAS catalyst. This catalytic system offers an effective strategy to utilize the enrichment of the substrate by the pores to regulate the reaction mechanism, which opens a new frontier to use pores, ligands, and SASs for synergistic controlling reaction paths.

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), often diagnosed at advanced stages without curative therapies, is the fifth most common malignant cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is activated in the late G2 phase of the cell cycle and is required for entry to mitosis. Interestingly, PLK1 is overexpressed in many HCC patients and is highly associated with poor clinical outcome. Baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5) is also highly overexpressed in HCC and plays key roles in this malignancy. Aim To determine the expression patterns of PLK1 and BIRC5, as well as their correlation with p53 mutation status and patient clinical outcome. Methods The expression patterns of PLK1 and BIRC5, and their correlation with p53 mutation status or patient clinical outcome were analyzed using a TCGA HCC dataset. Cell viability, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest assays were conducted to investigate the efficacy of the PLK1 inhibitors volasertib and GSK461364 and the BIRC5 inhibitor YM155, alone or in combination. The in vivo efficacy of volasertib and YM155, alone or in combination, was assessed in p53-mutated Huh7-derived xenograft models in immune-deficient NSIG mice. Results Our bioinformatics analysis using a TCGA HCC dataset revealed that PLK1 and BIRC5 were overexpressed in the same patient subset and their expression was highly correlated. The overexpression of both PLK1 and BIRC5 was more frequently detected in HCC with p53 mutations. High PLK1 or BIRC5 expression significantly correlated with poor clinical outcome. PLK1 inhibitors (volasertib and GSK461364) or a BIRC5 inhibitor (YM155) selectively targeted Huh7 cells with mutated p53, but not HepG2 cells with wild-type p53. The combination treatment of volasertib and YM155 synergistically inhibited the viability of Huh7 cells via apoptotic pathway. The efficacy of volasertib and YM155, alone or in combination, was validated in vivo in a Huh7-derived xenograft model. Conclusion PLK1 and BIRC5 are highly co-expressed in p53-mutated HCC and inhibition of both PLK1 and BIRC5 synergistically compromises the viability of p53-mutated HCC cells in vitro and in vivo.

The morphology of a polymer brush is of great importance in determining surface properties, such as lubrication. In light of this, we systematically study the morphologies of ring polyelectrolyte b...

The correlation between remnant cholesterol (RC) and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) has not been illustrated. The present study aims to explore the correlation between RC levels and UACR in Chinese community adults.This study included 35 848 participants from a cohort study (REACTION). The UACR data were divided into three groups: UACR10 mg/g, 10 ≤UACR30 mg/g, and UACR ≥30 mg/g groups. RC was divided into two groups, according to the 75th percentile:75% group and ≥75% group. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between RC and UACR.The RC exhibited an adjusted odds ratio that was significant in models 1-5. Although all confounders were corrected in model 5, RC and UACR were still significantly correlated， and the correlation was more significant in females，when compared to males (odds ratio [OR]: 1.117, 95% CI: 1.063-1.176, P 0.001 for all subjects; OR: 1.092, 95% CI: 1.128-1.161, P = 0.004 for females; and OR: 1.085, 95% CI: 0.998-1.194, P = 0.088 for males). The RC was significantly correlated with UACR for subjects with 5.6 ≤ fasting blood glucose 7.0 or 7.8 ≤ post-load blood glucose 11.1 mmol/L, 24 ≤ body mass index (BMI) 28 kg/mIn the Chinese community, RC is highly correlated with UACR, and the correlation is more significant in females compared with males. At higher RC levels, patients with critical values of blood pressure, BMI and blood glucose have a more significant correlation between RC and UACR.背景: 残余胆固醇(RC)和尿白蛋白肌酐比值(UACR)之间的相关性尚未被阐明。本研究旨在探讨中国社区成年人群中RC水平与UACR的相关性。 方法: 本研究纳入来自一个队列研究(REACTION研究)的35848名参与者。UACR分为三组: UACR 10 mg/g、 10≤UACR30 mg/g和UACR≥30 mg/g组。根据第75百分位，RC被分为两组:75%组和≥75%组。采用多元逻辑回归分析评估RC与UACR的相关性。 结果: 在模型1-5中，RC显示出显著的校正后优势比(OR)。尽管模型5中校正了所有混杂因素，RC和UACR仍然显著相关，并且与男性相比，这种相关性在女性中更为显著(对于所有受试者:OR: 1.117, 95% CI: 1.063-1.176, P 0.001；对于女性受试者:OR: 1.092, 95% CI: 1.128-1.161, P = 0.004；对于男性受试者:OR: 1.085, 95% CI: 0.998-1.194, P = 0.088)。对于5.6≤空腹血糖 7.0 mmol/L或7.8≤餐后血糖 11.1 mmol/L，24≤体重指数(BMI) 28 kg/m

In this work, we isolated and characterized fusapyrone A (1), a new γ-pyrone derivative, along with six previously described compounds from the rice fermentation of Fusarium sp. CPCC 401218, a fung...

Dental caries is a chronic disease with multiple bacterial infections, Streptococcus mutans is the main cariogenic bacteria. Trollius chinensis Bunge is a common folk medicine in the Xinjiang area of China. In this study, we investigated the total flavonoid content and total phenol content in four types of T. chinensis Bunge extracts and the inhibitory effects of these extracts on S. mutans. Agar diffusion method was used to measure the inhibition zone diameters, and the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by the twofold dilution method. Water extracts from T. chinensis Bunge and ethanol (30, 60, and 90%) extracts at different concentrations could significantly inhibit the growth of S. mutans. Among them, 30% ethanol extract exhibited the best antibacterial and antibiofilms effect. Biofilm research (crystal violet staining and CLSM) showed that 30% ethanol extract of T. chinensis Bunge plays an important role in inhibiting S. mutans growth and the number of biofilms. The results indicate that T. chinensis Bunge extract has good antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity on S. mutans. It has the potential to be developed for the treatment of caries in clinical application.