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Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with an ultra-small size, as new inorganic photosensitizers, have been shown to be promising in photodynamic therapy (PDT), but their application has been restricted due to short blood circulation. It is therefore important to develop stimuli-responsive AuNC-based nanoprobes to achieve highly efficient PDT. Here, metal-organic framework (MOF, ZIF-8) encapsulated AuNCs (AuNCs@MOF) were synthesized, and then they were loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) to obtain pH-responsive nanoprobes (AuNCs@MOF-DOX) with modulated release for enhanced PDT/chemotherapy. In an acidic tumor microenvironment, the structure of ZIF-8 collapsed, accelerating the release of the AuNCs and DOX in the tumor cells, and enhancing the performance of PDT/chemotherapy. Under irradiation with a 670 nm laser, a large amount of singlet oxygen was generated, and the release rate of DOX increased to 77.1% at a pH value of 5.5. By single PDT and single chemotherapy, the tumors were only partially inhibited, but they completely disappeared using the combination of PDT and chemotherapy. The prepared pH-responsive AuNCs@MOF-DOX nanoprobes with modulated release showed excellent PDT/chemotherapy performance, and will be important bi-functional nanoprobes for synergistic therapy.

An ethanolic extract of the stem of Abies spectabilis exhibited strong cytotoxicity against MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic cancer cells preferentially under nutrient-deprived conditions. Therefore, phytochemical investigation of this bioactive extract was carried out, and that led the isolation of ten compounds (1-10) including a new abietane-type diterpene (1). The structure of the new compound (1) was elucidated by combined spectroscopic techniques, including HRFABMS, NMR and quantum ECD calculation. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their efficacy against MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic cancer cell line by employing an anti-austerity strategy. Among the tested compounds, dehydroabietinol (5) displayed the most potent activity with a PC

The V(IV)-organic complexes are difficult to be removed from water by the traditional water treatment processes due to their strong mobility, high stability, and possible formation of V(V) with stronger toxicity during oxidation. In this study, we applied a natural iron-based ore, pyrite, to catalyze peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation assisted with alkali precipitation to remove V(IV) containing complexes. The effects of initial V(IV)-citrate concentration, PMS concentration, ore dosage and natural anions were comprehensively investigated using citric acid as a model ligand. Results showed that pyrite can effectively purify V(IV)-citrate. Specifically, 99.4 ± 0.4% of total vanadium and 73.6 ± 0.9% of total organic carbon are removed, and the pyrite maintained high catalytic activity after multiple uses. Characterization analyses revealed that free metal ions including Fe and V(IV) ions in the solution were removed by subsequent alkali precipitation. Radical quenching experiments indicated that sulfate radical (SO

Yao Wang,1,2 Kaiyu Huang,1,2 Sijia Sun,1,2 Yahong Deng,1,3 Xuefeng Xie1,2 1School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, People’s Republic of China; 2Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xuefeng Xie, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613721098599, Fax +86551-65161040, Email xuefengxie@ahmu.edu.cnBackground: The rational choice of drugs for treating patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is significantly impacted by changes in modern drug policy, health insurance negotiation, and budget impact analyses. Here, we provide a basis for rational drug use decisions in clinical practice and promote the widespread use of pharmacoeconomic methods in clinical decision-making based on current drug policies in China and real-world data.Methods: A Markov model was developed to evaluate the health and economic outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line chemotherapy with gefitinib and gefitinib plus chemotherapy. Clinical data, cost, and utility data were extracted from published literature or real-world data; sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the uncertainty in the results. The results were summarized as QALYs and the ICER.Results: The average cost and QALYs associated with gefitinib and gefitinib plus chemotherapy strategies were $62,882.83 and 1.70 and $84,509.30 and 1.93, respectively. The ICER for gefitinib plus chemotherapy versus gefitinib alone was $95,135.50. The one-way sensitivity analysis showed that the utility value of progressive disease (PD) had the greatest impact on the treatment outcome. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that if China’s willingness to pay threshold was $33,300/QALY, the probability of superiority of the gefitinib plus chemotherapy regimen was 0.Conclusion: The study suggests that, from the perspective of the Chinese health system, gefitinib plus chemotherapy is not a cost-effective option for NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations. These findings may help clinicians make the best treatment decisions for patients with NSCLC.Keywords: gefitinib, Markov model, cost effectiveness, NSCLC

Photothermal therapy (PTT), as a promising antineoplastic therapeutic strategy, has been harnessed to restrain tumor growth through near-infrared (NIR) irradiation mediated thermal ablation. Nevertheless, its biological applications are hampered by thermal diffusion and up-regulated heat shock proteins (HSPs). Herein, a versatile nanotheranostic agent is developed

Pancreatic tumors are hypovascular, which leads to a poor nutrient supply to support the aggressively proliferating tumor cells. However, human pancreatic cancer cells have extreme resistance to nutrition starvation, which enables them to survive under severe metabolic stress conditions within the tumor microenvironment, a phenomenon known as "austerity" in cancer biology. Discovering agents which can preferentially inhibit the cancer cells' ability to tolerate starvation conditions represents a new generation of anticancer agents. In this study, geranyl 2,4-dihydroxy-6-phenethylbenzoate (GDP), isolated from Boesenbergia pandurata rhizomes, exhibited potent preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells under nutrition starvation conditions. GDP also possessed PANC-1 cell migration and colony formation inhibitory activities under normal nutrient-rich conditions. Mechanistically, GDP inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR/autophagy survival signaling pathway, leading to selective PANC-1 cancer cell death under the nutrition starvation condition. Therefore, GDP is a promising anti-austerity agent for drug development against pancreatic cancer.

The natural product (+)‐grandifloracin is a potent “anti‐austerity” agent, able to suppress the ability of various pancreatic cancer cell lines to tolerate conditions of nutrient deprivation. Such anti‐austerity agents represent a promising approach to cancer chemotherapy. Here we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of racemic analogues of grandifloracin bearing diverse sidechains, of which two show enhanced potency in comparison with the natural product. Additionally, several unexpected by‐products containing modifications of the grandifloracin core were isolated, identified and similarly evaluated for biological activity., Austerity measures: Grandifloracin is a natural product that is known to exhibit anti‐austerity activity, i. e. it is able to abolish the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to survive under “austere” conditions of nutrient deprivation. Herein we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of analogues of grandifloracin, as well as our findings on rearrangement and fragmentation reactions of the dimeric grandifloracin core. Live imaging, fluorescence microscopy and colony formation experiments with the most active analogue are described.

An ethanolic extract of Anneslea fragrans leaves showed potent preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells under a nutrient-deprived condition, with a PC50 value of 9.6 μg/mL. Phytochemical investigation of this active extract led to the isolation of two new secondary metabolites, fragranones A (1) and B (2), along with 15 previously reported compounds. The structure elucidation of the new compounds was achieved by HRFABMS, acid hydrolysis, NMR, and ECD spectroscopic analysis. Fragranone A (1) is the first example of a rare natural product bearing an acetonide glucose moiety. Fragranone B (2) is representative of a rare class of natural products with a threonolactone unit linked to a chalcone through an ether linkage. The isolated compounds exhibited antiausterity activity against PANC-1 cells under nutrient-deprived conditions, and betulin (14) was found to be the most potent compound tested, with a PC50 value of 8.4 μM. In addition, fragranone A (1) was found to suppress PANC-1 cancer cell migration in real time.

In order to improve the photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO2 and achieve its recovery, TiO2/MS-SiO2 photocatalyst is prepared when TiO2 nanoparticles are distributed on the surface of amorphous SiO2 microspheres (MS-SiO2) through sol-gel method, and its composition and morphology structure are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Besides, the photocatalytic properties are tested and evaluated by degradation efficiency of methyl orange under ultraviolet light. The results show that TiO2 nanoparticles uniformly dispersed on the surface of MS-SiO2 and combined with MS-SiO2 strongly by Ti-O-Si bond, whereas TiO2 is anatase crystal and grain size is about 5 nm. Under ultraviolet light for 90 min, the degradation rate of TiO2/MS-SiO2 for methyl orange reached 100%, which is better than pure TiO2 and P25. In addition, photocatalytic performance remains unchanged in a cyclic experiment. Transmission and separation efficiency of nano-TiO2 photo-generated charge carriers is improved by loading on the surface of MS-SiO2 so that MS-SiO2 can enhance the photocatalytic performance of pure TiO2. Moreover, this fact is illustrated by electron paramagnetic resonance intuitively.

A lamellar electrode structure is proposed to achieve the generation of a large-area plasma and the effective processing of the wool fabric with the electrode on only one side of the treated material. The lamellar electrode can form the curved electric field lines passing through the discharge air gap and the wool fabric, creating the condition for the action of plasma. Meanwhile, the micron-scale discharge air gap is constructed through the direct contact between the electrode and the treated material. Specifically, it can effectively inhibit the development of the electron avalanche, thereby achieving a through-type glow discharge in air between the electrode and the wool fabric under the strong electric field. Through the scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy tests, it can be observed that the scales on the surface of wool fiber are effectively destroyed and the polar groups are introduced to the surface of wool fiber after the plasma treatment. Obviously, the wettability of wool fiber is greatly improved, and the wetting time is reduced from more than 1800 s to less than 0.5 s.

Superhydrophobic coatings with intelligent properties have attracted much attention because of their wide application in many fields. However, there is a limited amount of literature on superhydrophobic coatings whose wettability and adhesion can be adjusted by UV irradiation and calcination at the same time. In this study, amorphous SiO2 microspheres (A-SiO2) and nano-TiO2 particles (N-TiO2) were used to fabricate A-SiO2/N-TiO2 composites by wet grinding, and then, they were modified with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and sprayed onto substrate surfaces to obtain a tunable adhesive superhydrophobic A-SiO2/N-TiO2@PDMS coating. It is worth noting that the wettability and adhesion of the coating to water droplets could be adjusted by UV irradiation and calcination. The mechanisms of the aforementioned phenomena were studied. Moreover, methyl orange solution could be degraded by the coating due to its photocatalysis. The as-prepared coating had good adaptation to different substrates and outdoor environments. Moreover, the surfaces of these coatings exhibited the same liquid repellency towards different droplets. This research provides an environmental strategy to prepare advanced self-cleaning coatings.

In this paper, a plasma surface treatment method is proposed to avoid the influence of the properties and thickness of the treated material on the discharge. Under the condition of low voltage of 1.1kV, the ultrathin wire double helix electrode structure can generate high active air diffuse plasma on the surface of aramid fabric, and effectively modify the surface of aramid fabric. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and contact angle measuring instrument were used to measure the surface of aramid fiber. The results show that polymers and grooves appear on the surface of the treated aramid fiber, and the contact angle of the aramid fiber decreased from 89.5 ° to 49.3 °. The chemical composition changes of aramid fiber surface were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that after plasma modification, functional groups containing nitrogen and oxygen were introduced into the surface of the aramid fiber. The plasma generated by this method has good uniformity, high density and highly active particles, which provides a technical basis for the application of atmospheric pressure air plasma to large-area industrialized material modification.

The antiausterity strategy is a promising approach for the discovery of lead compounds with unprecedented anticancer activities by targeting the tolerance of cancer cells to nutrition starvation. These agents are selectively cytotoxic under the tumor microenvironment-mimicking condition of nutrition starvation, without apparent toxicity in the normal nutrient-rich condition. In this study, an ethanol extract of

An ethanolic extract of Derris scandens flowers showed potent preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells under nutrient-deprived condition, with a PC50 value of 0.7 μg/mL. Phytochemical investigation of this active extract led to the isolation of four prenylated isoflavones (1–4) including a new compound named 4′-O-methylgrynullarin (1). The structure elucidation of the new compound was achieved by HRFABMS and NMR spectroscopic analysis. The isolated compounds exhibited potent anti-austerity activity against four different human pancreatic cancer cell lines under nutrient-deprived conditions. The new compound 4′-O-methylgrynullarin (1) was also found to inhibit PANC-1 cell migration and colony formation under nutrient-rich condition. Mechanistically, compound 1 inhibited key survival proteins in the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, 4′-O-methylgrynullarin (1) can be considered as a potential lead compound for the anticancer drug development based on the anti-austerity strategy.

Human pancreatic tumor cells have an intrinsic ability to tolerate nutrition starvation and survive in the hypovascular tumor microenvironment, the phenomenon termed as &ldquo, austerity&rdquo, Searching for an agent that inhibits such tolerance to nutrient starvation and kills the pancreatic cancer cells preferentially in nutrient-starvation is a unique anti-austerity strategy in anti-cancer drug discovery. In this strategy, plant extracts and compounds are tested against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line under the conditions of nutrient-deprived medium (NDM) and nutrient-rich medium (DMEM), to discover the compounds that show selective cytotoxicity in NDM. Screening of twenty-five Thai indigenous medicinal plant extracts for their anti-austerity activity against the PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line in nutrient deprived medium (NDM) resulted in the identification of four active plants, Derris scandens, Boesenbergia pandurata, Citrus hystrix, and Kaempferia parviflora, with PC50 values 0.5&ndash, 8.9 &micro, g/mL. K. parviflora extract also inhibited PANC-1 cancer cell colony formation. Phytochemical investigation of K. parviflora extract led to the isolation of fourteen compounds, including two polyoxygenated cyclohexanes (1 and 2), eleven flavonoids (3&ndash, 13), and &beta, sitosterol (14). Stereochemical assignment of compound 1 was confirmed through X-ray analysis. All isolated compounds were tested for their preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cells. Among them, 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (3) displayed the most potent activity with a PC50&thinsp, value of&thinsp, 0.8 &micro, M. Mechanistically, it was found to induce apoptosis in PANC-1 cell death in NDM as evident by caspase cleavage. It was also found to inhibit PANC-1 cancer cell colony formation in DMEM. Therefore, compound 3 can be considered as a potential lead compound for the anticancer drug development based on the anti-austerity strategy.

Flame instability is an interesting topic in combustion science, and it is also of great practical significance for designing high-performance burners. In recent years, the synchronization phenomenon caused by a pair of coupled candles has aroused widespread attention, among which in-phase and anti-phase are two notable examples. In order to understand the flow structure of the flashing flame and the reasons for the synchronization of the flame oscillator, COMSOL flow field analysis technology and MATLAB grey analysis technology were used to analyze the flow field of candles in three combustion states and the change of candle combustion state respectively. By analyzing the flow structure of flashing flame, the reasons of different burning states of candles are explained. Moreover, the experimental and numerical simulation results show that the in-phase mode is characterized by the symmetrical formation of vortex concerning the centerline of two groups of flames, and the flames are vertically stretched under the vortex action. The characteristic of the anti-phase mode is that the vortex alternately forms asymmetrically concerning the centerline of two groups of flames, and the non-uniformity and asymmetry of the vortex lead to the instability of the flame surface. The characteristic of the incoherent mode is that the vortices generated by the two candle groups no longer act on each other, and the airflow field between the two candle groups remains approximately unchanged.

ObjectivesTo describe the incidence and types of medication errors occurring during the transfer of patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the non-ICU setting and explore the key factors affecting medication safety in transfer care.DesignMulticentre, retrospective, epidemiological study.ParticipantsPatients transferred from the ICU to a non-ICU setting between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020.Main outcome measuresIncidence and types of medication errors.ResultsOf the 1546 patients transferred during the study period, 899 (58.15%) had at least one medication error. Most errors (83.00%) were National Coordinating Council (NCC) for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (MERP) category C. A small number of errors (17.00%) were category D. Among patients with medication errors, there was an average of 1.68 (SD, 0.90; range, 1–5) errors per patient. The most common types of errors were route of administration 570 (37.85%), dosage 271 (17.99%) and frequency 139 (9.23%). Eighty-three per cent of medication errors reached patients but did not cause harm. Daytime ICU transfer (07:00–14:59) and an admission diagnosis of severe kidney disease were found to be factors associated with the occurrence of medication errors as compared with the reference category (OR, 1.40; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.95; OR, 6.78; 95% CI 1.46 to 31.60, respectively).Orders for bronchorespiratory (OR, 5.92; 95% CI 4.2 to 8.32), cardiovascular (OR, 1.91; 95% CI 1.34 to 2.73), hepatic (OR, 1.95; 95% CI 1.30 to 2.91), endocrine (OR, 1.99; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.91), haematologic (OR, 2.58; 95% CI 1.84 to 3.64), anti-inflammatory/pain (OR, 2.80; 95% CI 1.90 to 4.12) and vitamin (OR, 1.73; 95% CI 1.26 to 2.37) medications at transition of care were associated with an increased odds of medication error.ConclusionsMore than half of ICU patients experienced medication errors during the transition of care. The vast majority of medication errors reached the patient but did not cause harm.

Ethanolic extract of

Human pancreatic tumor cells have an intrinsic ability to tolerate nutrition starvation and survive in the hypovascular tumor microenvironment, the phenomenon termed as “austerity”. Searching for an agent that inhibits such tolerance to nutrient starvation and kills the pancreatic cancer cells preferentially in nutrient-starvation is a unique anti-austerity strategy in anti-cancer drug discovery. In this strategy, plant extracts and compounds are tested against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line under the conditions of nutrient-deprived medium (NDM) and nutrient-rich medium (DMEM), to discover the compounds that show selective cytotoxicity in NDM. Screening of twenty-five Thai indigenous medicinal plant extracts for their anti-austerity activity against the PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line in nutrient deprived medium (NDM) resulted in the identification of four active plants, Derris scandens, Boesenbergia pandurata, Citrus hystrix, and Kaempferia parviflora, with PC50 values 0.5–8.9 µg/mL. K. parviflora extract also inhibited PANC-1 cancer cell colony formation. Phytochemical investigation of K. parviflora extract led to the isolation of fourteen compounds, including two polyoxygenated cyclohexanes (1 and 2), eleven flavonoids (3–13), and β-sitosterol (14). Stereochemical assignment of compound 1 was confirmed through X-ray analysis. All isolated compounds were tested for their preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cells. Among them, 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (3) displayed the most potent activity with a PC50 value of 0.8 µM. Mechanistically, it was found to induce apoptosis in PANC-1 cell death in NDM as evident by caspase cleavage. It was also found to inhibit PANC-1 cancer cell colony formation in DMEM. Therefore, compound 3 can be considered as a potential lead compound for the anticancer drug development based on the anti-austerity strategy.

Multifunctional nanoprobes with tumor microenvironment response are playing important roles in highly efficient theranostics of cancers. Herein, a kind of theranostic nanoprobe was synthesized by coating manganese dioxide (MnO2) on the surface of black commercial P25 titanium dioxide (b-P25). The resultant nanoprobe (b-P25@MnO2) possessed glutathione (GSH)-responsive magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and enhanced photothermal therapy (PTT). In tumor microenvironments, the excessive GSH was consumed by reacting with MnO2 to generate Mn2+ for GSH-responsive MR imaging, in which the longitudinal relaxation rate of b-P25@MnO2 was up to 30.44 mM-1 s-1, showing excellent cellular and intratumoral MR imaging. Moreover, the prepared b-P25@MnO2 exhibited stable and strong photothermal conversion capability with a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 30.67%, by which the 4T1 tumors disappeared completely, indicating safe and highly efficient PTT performance. The current work developed GSH-responsive b-P25@MnO2 nanoprobes, demonstrated for MR imaging and enhanced PTT in cancers.

From the methanolic extract of the rhizomes of

Phytochemical investigation of a methanolic extract of

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. In this study, a microsphere SiO2/TiO2 composite pigment (M-SiO2/TiO2) was prepared through a facile grinding and calcination process. The structure and properties of M-SiO2/TiO2 were characterized in detail, and the mechanism governing the improvement of pigment properties by M-SiO2 was proposed. The results of this study show that M-SiO2 and TiO2 are successfully compounded, and their combination is inferred to be achieved by the formation of Si-O-Ti bonds through the hydroxyl groups on their surface. The M-SiO2/TiO2 has almost the same pigment properties as pure titanium dioxide, while the weight fraction of TiO2 in M-SiO2/TiO2 is 70%, which can significantly reduce the consumption of TiO2. In M-SiO2/TiO2, the introduction of M-SiO2 leads to the improvement of the rutile-phase conversion of TiO2, as well as reducing TiO2 particle size; thus, this step can further improve the pigment properties. When the calcination temperature is 900 °C, the TiO2 in M-SiO2/TiO2 is primarily rutile (rutile conversion rate is 88.57%) with a particle size of 0.1-0.3 μm, exhibiting good dispersion. In contrast, pure TiO2 is primarily composed of anatase (rutile conversion rate is 11.39%) with a particle size of 0.2-0.6 μm, exhibiting serious agglomeration. The M-SiO2/TiO2 composite is expected to be applied in the fields of paint, plastic, and papermaking in an effort to significantly reduce the cost and consumption of TiO2 pigment.

Halomonas alkalicola CICC 11012s can grow at pH 12.5, the highest pH at which the organisms in the genus Halomonas can grow. Genomic analysis reveals that H. alkalicola adapts to alkaline stress using a variety of adaptive strategies; however, the detailed mechanism for its growth at high-alkaline conditions has not been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, the adaptations of H. alkalicola in response to extreme alkaline stress were investigated. A sharp decrease of alkaliphilic tolerance was observed in mutants E. coli ΔEctonB and H. alkalicola ΔHatonB. Expressions of the gene clusters encoding TonB-dependent transport system and iron complex transport system in H. alkalicola grown under extreme alkaline conditions were markedly up-regulated. We then compared the intracellular ionic iron content and iron-chelating ability of mutant strain with those of wild-type strain to understand the influence of TonB-dependent transport system on the alkaline responses. The results indicated that the presence of TonB-dependent transport system increased the alkaline tolerance of H. alkalicola grown at high-alkaline conditions, but had no effects when the strain was grown at neutral pH and low-alkaline conditions. Meanwhile, the presence of this system increased the transport and accumulation of ionic irons to maintain intracellular metabolic homeostasis, which in turn could increase the tolerance of the strain to extreme alkaline conditions. Based on the results, we established a model representing the interactions between TonB-dependent transport system, alkaline tolerance, and intracellular ionic iron that could help deepen the understanding of the alkaline response mechanism of alkaliphilic bacteria.

The reactions of CuCl2·2H2O with chromone thiosemicarbazone ligands containing a -H or -CH3 substituent on terminal N yielded monometallic Cu(ii) complexes [Cu(HL1)Cl2] (1) and [Cu(HL2)Cl2] (2), whereas bimetallic Cu(ii) complexes [Cu(μ-Cl)(HL3)]2Cl2 (3), [Cu(μ-Cl)(HL4)]2Cl2 (4) and [Cu(μ-Cl)(L5)]2 (5) were obtained when a -C2H5, -C6H11 or -C6H5 substituent was present, respectively, in the ligands. The complexes were characterized using elemental analyses, UV-Vis, FT-IR, EPR, mass and TGA studies. The structures of neutral monometallic and dicationic bimetallic complexes were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and they exhibited a distorted square pyramidal geometry around Cu(ii) ions. The catecholase-mimicking activity of complexes 1-5 was examined spectrophotometrically, and the results revealed that all the complexes except 5 had the ability to oxidize 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) to 3,5-di-tert-butylquinone (3,5-DTBQ) under aerobic conditions with moderate turnover numbers. In order to find the possible complex-substrate intermediates, a mass spectrometry study was carried out for complexes 1-4 in the presence of 3,5-DTBC. The phosphatase-like activity of 1-5 was also investigated using 4-nitrophenylphosphate (4-NPP) as a model substrate. All the complexes exhibited excellent phosphatase activity in DMF-H2O medium. The complexes displayed significant biomolecular interactions and antioxidant potential. Complex 3 showed good interaction with apoptotic CASP3 protein, VEGFR2 and PIM-1 kinase receptors as revealed by a molecular docking study. Complexes (3-5) exhibited promising cytotoxicity against HeLa-cervical cancer cells with IC50 values of 2.24 (3), 2.25 (4) and 3.77 (5) μM, respectively, and showed a two-fold higher activity than cisplatin. The active complex 3 showed complete inhibition of colony formation at 10 μM concentration. In addition, the acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) staining and real-time live cell imaging results confirmed that complex 3 induced cell death in HeLa cells.

Human pancreatic tumor cells such as PANC-1 are known for their ability to tolerate nutrient starvation and thrive under the hypovascular tumor microenvironment, a phenomenon termed as 'austerity'. A search of agents that preferentially inhibit the cancer cell viability under the starvation condition without toxicity in the nutrient-rich condition is a promising approach in anticancer drug discovery. In this study, a triterpene lactone, 3β-hydroxy-13,28-epoxyurs-11-en-28-one (ursenolide), isolated from a Callistemon citrinus extract has shown strong preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cells under nutrient starvation with PC50 value of 0.4 μm. Ursenolide-induced rounding of PANC-1 cell morphology followed by rupture of the cell membrane leading to cell death. In a real-time cell migration study, ursenolide was found to inhibit PANC-1 cell migration significantly. Mechanistically, it inhibited GRP78 and GRP94 under the starvation condition suggesting inhibition of unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive process of cell survival during starvation. It also inhibited the phosphorylation of the key survival protein Akt and mTOR. Overall results suggested that ursenolide is a potential anticancer agent against pancreatic cancer.

Human pancreatic cancer is resistant to almost all conventional chemotherapeutic agents. It is known to proliferate aggressively within hypovascular tumor microenvironment by exhibiting remarkable tolerance to nutrition starvation, a phenomenon termed as “austerity”. Search for the new agents that eliminate the tolerance of cancer cells to nutrition starvation is a promising strategy in anticancer drug discovery. In this study, two new meroterpenoids named callistrilones O and P (1 and 2) together with eight known triterpenes (3–10) were isolated from the active dichloromethane extract of Callistemon citrinus leaves. The structure elucidation of the new compounds was achieved by HRFABMS, 1D, 2D NMR, and ECD quantum calculations. All isolated compounds were tested for their preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells. Among these, callistrilone O (1) exhibited the most potent preferential cytotoxicity with a PC50 value of 0.3 nM, the strongest activity with over 2000 times potent than the positive control arctigenin. Callistrilone O (1) induced dramatic alterations in PANC-1 cell morphology leading to cell death under nutrient-deprived conditions. Compound 1 also inhibited PANC-1 cell migration and -PANC-1 colony formation under the nutrient-rich condition.

Background/aim This study aimed to investigate the effect of a new 7-(4-(N-substituted carbamoylmethyl) piperazin-1-yl) ciprofloxacin-derivative on the proliferation and migration abilities of HeLa cells. Materials and methods Cell viability and morphological alterations were examined. Changes in migration were detected using wound healing and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry and western blotting were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying this ciprofloxacin-derivative's action in HeLa cells. Results The examined ciprofloxacin-derivative reduced viability of HeLa cells in a concentration-dependent manner and altered cellular morphology, indicating cell death. Furthermore, it significantly inhibited wound closure, even in a non-cytotoxic concentration, and reduced HeLa cell colony formation. In addition, apoptosis was increased probably through significant up-regulation of Bax protein expression and the generation of active cleaved caspase-3 protein. Conclusion Our new derivative inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of HeLa cells. Furthermore, it suppressed the migration and colony formation abilities of HeLa cells. Therefore, it represents an attractive agent for drug development against cervical cancer based on its anti-metastatic effect.

Synthetic perovskite powder (SPP) was synthesized by the solid-phase method using metatitanic acid (TiO2nH2O) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as raw materials, and its structure, morphology, pigment properties and application in architectural coatings were studied. When TiO2nH2O and CaCO3 were mixed and ground at a molar ratio of TiO2: CaO = 1:1, and then calcined at 900–1100 °C, SPP with a single perovskite phase was obtained. The characterization results displayed that the unit particle size of SPP was 50–150 nm, the aggregate size was 1–2 μm, and its particles were well dispersed. The SPP also had a whiteness of 90.5%, and an oil absorption of 35.03 g/100g. The hiding power of SPP was 24.02 g/m2, which was 81.6% of pure TiO2 hiding power (19.60 g/m2). When adding SPP to prepare a building exterior wall coating, the contrast ratio of the coating film was 0.92, which met the requirements of the Chinese national standard GB/T 9755-2014 and was equivalent to adding rutile titanium dioxide. Thus, perovskite synthesized from TiO2nH2O and CaCO3 by the solid-phase method significantly improved the pigment properties of TiO2 in the same proportion.

Phytochemical investigation of a methanolic extract of Sedum sarmentosum collected from Vietnam resulted in the isolation of a new megastigmane glucoside, named sedumoside K (1), together with 17 previously reported compounds (2–18). Structural elucidation of the new compound was achieved by HRFABMS, NMR spectroscopic analysis, acid hydrolysis and quantum ECD calculations. The absolute configuration of compounds 2–6 has been revised. The major isolates were tested for cytotoxic activity against HeLa human cervical cancer cells, and all showed moderate activities.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of malignancies. A new intervention aiming to combat pancreatic cancer is targeting its extra-ordinary ability to tolerate nutrition starvation, a phenomenon known as "Austerity". As a part of a research program aiming to develop a new-generation of anticancer agents, known as "anti-austerity agents", guggulsterone derivatives (GSDs) were identified as unique anti-austerity agents in terms of potency and selectivity. These agents are able to exert preferential cytotoxic activity only under nutrient-deprived conditions with little or no toxicity under normal conditions. In the present study, a library of 14 GSDs was synthesized and screened against PANC-1 human pancreatic cells. Among tested compounds, GSD-11 showed the most potent activity with PC

In this study, TiO2-coated CaCO3 composite pigments were prepared by coating the modified CaCO3 particles with modified TiO2 in aqueous media according to the hydrophobic aggregation method. The experimental results revealed that the organic carbon chains of the modifiers adsorbed on the surfaces of the particles largely determined the formation of composite particles and the maintenance of the coating structure and pigment properties. The TiO2-coated CaCO3 composite pigments could not be obtained until both the CaCO3 and TiO2 particles were modified with organic modifiers and exhibited hydrophobicity. The prepared TiO2-coated CaCO3 composite pigments exhibited pigment properties equivalent to those of pure TiO2. The hiding power of the composite pigments with the mass ratio of TiO2 of 60% prepared using sodium stearate and sodium oleate as the modifiers respectively reached 90.18% and 93.50% of that of pure TiO2, and the water contact angles of the prepared composite pigments were larger than 100°. Additionally, the binding mechanism analysis indicated that CaCO3 and TiO2 particles were combined together by the association among organic carbon chains on their surfaces. The results of ultrasonic experiments and binding force calculation showed that the binding force among particles was much stronger than Van der Waals force.

Human pancreatic cancer cells have an extreme tolerance to nutrition starvation, enabling them to survive in a hypovascular tumor microenvironment. Searching for agents that preferentially inhibit cancer cell viability under nutrition starvation conditions is a novel antiausterity strategy in anticancer drug discovery. In the present study, a hexane extract of the peels of Citrus hystrix fruits showed preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells using a nutrient-deprived medium. Phytochemical investigation of this bioactive extract led to the isolation of 10 coumarins (1-10) including a new furanocoumarin (1). The isolated compounds were tested for their preferential cytotoxic activity against three different human pancreatic cancer cell lines [PANC-1, MIA PaCa-2, and PSN-1]. Among these, bergamottin (7) was identified as the most active constituent. In real-time live imaging, 7 was found to induce cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and disintegration of organelles in PANC-1 cells. Bergamottin (7) was also found to inhibit PANC-1 cell migration and colony formation. Mechanistically, 7 inhibited key survival proteins in the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Bergamottin (7) and related compounds are potential antiausterity candidates for drug development against pancreatic cancer.

A novel approach to convert aldehydes into nitriles using NH3·H2O/FeCl2/NaI/Na2S2O8 has been developed. Both alkyl and aryl nitriles were obtained in good to excellent yields. Electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, nitro, ester, cyano, trifluoromethyl and alkoxy were tolerated. Notably, febuxostat and its intermediate, ethyl 2-[3-cyano-4-(2-methylpropoxy)phenyl]-4-methyl-5-thiazolecarboxylate, were obtained in excellent yields.

The epidemic of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to the generation of a large number of waste surgical masks. In recent years, pyrolysis is considered to be an environmental-friendly and efficient method to dispose such solid waste. In this work, the thermal degradation behaviors, kinetic parameters, thermodynamic parameters, pyrolytic products and chemical reactions of typical surgical face mask waste were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)-mass spectrometry (MS) analysis in inert atmosphere. It is concluded that the surgical face mask waste pyrolysis in nitrogen can be considered to be a one-step reaction. In addition, the mean E (activation energy) value and the mean A (pre-exponential factor) value are 237.19 kJ/mol and 1.36 × 1014 min−1, respectively. g(α) = (−ln(1-α))2/3 (reaction model) may be utilized to characterize the surgical face mask waste pyrolysis in nitrogen. The above kinetic parameters are capable to estimate the surgical face mask waste pyrolysis behaviors in nitrogen. Thermodynamic parameters suggest that the surgical face mask waste pyrolysis can be considered to be an endothermic and non-spontaneous reaction. Inorganic substances, alkanes, alkenes, naphthenic hydrocarbons, aldehydes and ketones are the major volatile products. The amount of the aliphatic compounds is the highest. Specific chemical reactions generating these volatile products are proposed.

Background Human pancreatic cancer cells have an extreme tolerance to nutrition starvation, enabling them to survive in the hypovascular tumor microenvironment, a phenomenon also known as “austerity”. Discovery of agents that preferentially inhibit cancer cells’ tolerance to nutrition starvation is a unique anti-austerity strategy for the discovery of a new generation of anticancer agents. Purpose To discover potential anti-austerity agents from Boesenbergia pandurata against the PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line exhibiting cytotoxic effects only under the nutrient-deprived conditions with little or no toxicity under normal conditions. Methods Phytochemical investigation of B. pandurata was carried out, and preferential cytotoxicity activity of all isolated compounds against PANC-1 cells under nutrient-deprived and nutrient-rich conditions was evaluated. The most active compound, (+)-panduratin A (1), was further investigated for its effect on PANC-1 cell morphology, including live imaging, cell migration, and colony formation inhibitory activities. Finally, a mechanistic investigation was carried out to investigate the active compound's cellular targets. Results Phytochemical investigation led to the isolation of four compounds (1−4). Among these, (+)-panduratin A (1) was identified as the most active constituent, displaying selective cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line under the nutrient-deprived conditions, with a PC50 value of 1.6 μM. (+)-Panduratin A (1) was also found to inhibit PANC-1 cell migration and colony formation. Mechanistically, (+)-panduratin A (1) inhibited the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/autophagy signaling pathway. Conclusion (+)-panduratin A (1) is a promising lead compound for the anticancer drug development based on the anti-austerity strategy.

The ordered alignment of liquid crystal molecules plays a critical role in the applications of their optical properties. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer films of chiral nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl(5CB), doped with a proprietary left-handed chiral additive were prepared using stearic acid (SA) as template. The Langmuir isotherms of the chiral nematic liquid crystal at the CdCl 2 interface with SA were studied. In the surface pressure curves, there was one sharp peak at the transition from gas phase to liquid phase. The phenomenon is considered to be the phase-separation of liquid crystals from SA. The chiral nematic liquid crystal multilayers LB films were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The results show that the chiral nematic liquid crystals were homogeneously and regularly dispersed in the SA template.

From the chloroform extract of the leaves of Uvaria dac, four new highly-oxygenated cyclohexene derivatives named uvaridacols I-L (1-4) were isolated together with nine previously reported compounds (5-13). Their structures were determined based on the extensive NMR spectroscopic data and circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis. Among the new compounds, uvaridacol L (4) displayed strong preferential cytotoxicity in the nutrient deprived medium against five different tested pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 (PC50, 20.1μM), PSN-1 (PC50, 9.7μM), MIA PaCa-2 (PC50, 29.1μM), Capan-1 (73.0μM) and KLM-1 (25.9μM).

The 70% ethanolic extract of

An ethanolic extract of

In order to improve the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of nano-TiO2, reduce its usage and realize recycling and reuse, CaCO3&ndash, TiO2 composite photocatalyst was prepared with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and TiO2 in a grinding machine through the integration of grinding depolymerization, dispersion and particle composition. The photocatalytic degradation performance, recycling performance, structure and morphology of CaCO3&ndash, TiO2 were studied. The interaction mechanism between CaCO3 and TiO2 and the improvement mechanism for the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 were also discussed. The results show that under the UV light irradiation for 20 and 40 min, the degradation efficiency of methyl orange by the composite photocatalyst with 40% TiO2 (mass fraction) was 90% and 100%, respectively. This was similar to that of pure TiO2, and the performance of the composite photocatalyst was almost unchanged after five cycles. CaCO3&ndash, TiO2 is formed by the uniform loading of nano-TiO2 particles on the CaCO3 surface, and the nano-TiO2 particles are well dispersed. Due to the facts that the dispersion of nano-TiO2 is improved in the presence of CaCO3 and the charge transport capability is improved through the interfacial chemical bonds between CaCO3 and TiO2, the formation of this complex is an intrinsic mechanism to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of nano-TiO2 and reduce its usage in application processes.

Driven by the development of nanophotonics and integrated optics, manipulating polarization of light with metastructures has been extensively studied in recent decades. So far there is still a high demand for more efficient ways to control the polarization state of light with extraordinary performance. In this Letter, we report on constructing multifunctional wave plates with stereo-metastructure arrays (SMAs) by two-photon absorption polymerization. In one frequency range, the SMA can turn the polarization direction of incident linearly polarized (LP) light to its orthogonal direction, acting as a half-wave plate (HWP). In the other frequency range, it converts the LP incident light to circularly polarized (CP) light, acting as a quarter-wave plate (QWP). Such a multifunctional element is expected to possess an energy efficiency as high as 75%. By encoding SMAs with different rotation angles at different spatial areas, we show that SMAs can be applied in imaging and sensing, where the focal-plane-array (FPA) imaging demonstrates patterned contrast following different structural distribution.

To improve the properties and dispersibility of CaCO3-TiO2 composite pigments (CaCO3-TiO2) in organic matrices, the surface modification of CaCO3-TiO2 was performed with sodium stearate (SS) as an organic modifier by wet ultra-fine grinding in a stirred mill. The pigment properties of modified CaCO3-TiO2 and its dispersibility in organic media were tested and characterized. The binding mechanism between CaCO3-TiO2 and SS was explored by infrared spectrometry (IR) and X-ray photoelectron energy spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the mechanical grinding strength and SS dosage had a significant effect on the activation index and sedimentation rate of CaCO3-TiO2. After surface modification, the surface of CaCO3-TiO2 turned from a hydrophilic surface to a hydrophobic surface and the surface free energy was reduced. In addition, the hiding property and dispersibility of CaCO3-TiO2 in the organic medium were significantly improved. IR and XPS results indicated that the modifier SS was adsorbed on the surface of CaCO3-TiO2 by chemical combination.

Supplementary Materials and Methods. (DOCX 2775 kb)

The 70% ethanolic extract of Artemisia vulgaris showed preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells under a nutrient-deprived condition with PC50 12.5 μg/mL. A phytochemical investigation of this extract yielded a new bicyclic [4:3:0] sesquiterpene named (+)-vulgaric acid (1), together with eight previously reported compounds. The structural elucidation of 1 was achieved by HRFABMS and NMR analysis. The absolute configuration of 1 was deduced by computational calculations of ECD data. All isolated compounds were tested for preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cells, and apigenin (3) showed the strongest activity with PC50 30.7 μM.