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The chiral binaphthol-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of alkenylboronic acids and heteroarylboronic acids to cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines is reported, providing the 1,4-addition products in high yields and moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). This mild, scalable catalytic system exhibits high efficiency and broad substrate scopes. Additionally, arylboronic acids were viable nucleophiles under more forcing conditions.

Over past two years, a total of 39,918 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) cases were reported, with 18,194 and 21,714 transplants performed in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Autologous HSCT accounted for 6562 cases (31%) in 2022, while allogeneic HSCT comprised 12,632 cases (69%). In 2023, the number of allogeneic HSCTs exceeded 15,000, maintaining a 69% share. Participation in the 2022 and 2023 surveys included 193 and 212 transplantation teams, respectively, from 27 provinces, municipalities, or autonomous regions. The leading indication of HSCT was acute leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and mixed phenotype acute leukemia, with a total of 17,421 cases. AML was the most common disease (10,339, 38%) for allogeneic HSCT, which was followed by ALL (5925 cases, 21%). Peripheral blood emerged as the primary source of stem cell grafts, utilized in 54% of matched sibling donor transplants and 77% of haploidentical donor transplants. The BuCy-based conditioning regimen was the most prevalent, used in 53% of allogeneic HSCT cases in the past two years. This survey offers a comprehensive overview of the current HSCT landscape and serves as a valuable resource for clinical practice.

In this study, high-crystallinity and small-particle-size Li2TiO3nanocrystals were prepared through the reaction between anatase TiO2and Li2CO3in a LiCl molten salt and ethanol medium. The Cl–ions reacted with TiO2to increase the solubility of TiO2and strengthen the dissolution–precipitation mechanism for Li2TiO3preparation. The particle diffusion process was found to be the rate control process for the adsorption of Li+ions. A porous spherical lithium ion adsorbent named HTO–PVC-PANn was prepared using a phase transformation approach. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC was modified with carboxyl groups as a binder, and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) was used as a pore former. The interaction between PVC and HTO and PAN was thus strengthened to improve the adsorbent stability. The developed HTO–PVC-PANn adsorbent shows excellent absorption capabilities, stability, and reduced dissolution loss.

The (R)-3,3′-(3,5-(CF3)2-C6H3)2-BINOL-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of organic boronic acids to α,β-unsaturated 1,1,1-trifluoromethyl ketones affords corresponding addition products bearing a stereogenic center at the β-position in moderate to high yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee), without any 1,2-addition product formation. Moreover, this catalytic protocol features mild reaction conditions, a broad substrate scope, suitability for alkenylboronic acids and (hetero)arylboronic acids, and easy scale-up.

The first synthesis of ustusal A as well as expeditious access to (−)-albrassitriol is described as featuring a singlet oxygen [4 + 2] cycloaddition, achieving the desired stereoselectivity for the 1,4-cis-hydroxyl groups. Transformation of (+)-sclareolide to IIIfollowed by a key Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons (HWE) reaction and stereospecific allylic oxidation facilitated the first synthesis of elegansin D. The biological evaluation of these natural products together with seven elegansin D analogues was performed, among which several elegansin D analogues exhibited potential anticancer activity against liver cancer HepG2 cells (IC50= 11.99–25.58 μM) with low cytotoxicity on normal liver HL7702 cells (IC50> 100 μM).

The Cu/SiO2catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation and tested for hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol in a fixed bed reactor. The deactivation mechanism of the catalysts was investigated by characterization of H2-TPR, ICP-OES, XPS, TG, Raman and TEM. Under the conditions of atmospheric pressure, reaction temperature of 140 °C, mass space velocity of 2.4 h–1and the molar ratio of hydrogen to furfural of 9.7, the furfural conversion was higher than 97% in the first 5 h. However, the conversion of furfural decreased rapidly from 96% to 32% after 21 h of reaction, indicating that Cu/SiO2catalyst was rapidly deactivated. The factors for the deactivation of Cu/SiO2catalyst were the agglomeration and sintering of the active component copper. Moreover, the carbon deposition on the catalyst surface resulted in the covered active site Cu0.

Liver fibrosis is a wound-healing process characterized by excess formation of extracellular matrix (ECM) from activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Previous studies show that both EZH2, an epigenetic regulator that catalyzes lysine 27 trimethylation on histone 3 (H3K27me3), and long non-coding RNA H19 are highly correlated with fibrogenesis. In the current study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms. Various models of liver fibrosis including Mdr2−/−, bile duct ligation (BDL) and CCl4mice were adapted. We found that EZH2 was markedly upregulated and correlated with H19 and fibrotic markers expression in these models. Administration of EZH2 inhibitor 3-DZNeP caused significant protective effects in these models. Furthermore, treatment with 3-DZNeP or GSK126 significantly inhibited primary HSC activation and proliferation in TGF-β-treated HSCs and H19-overexpreesing LX2 cells in vivo. Using RNA-pull down assay combined with RNA immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that H19 could directly bind to EZH2. Integrated analysis of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) further revealed that H19 regulated the reprogramming of EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 profiles, which epigenetically promoted several pathways favoring HSCs activation and proliferation, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In conclusion, highly expressed H19 in chronic liver diseases promotes fibrogenesis by reprogramming EZH2-mediated epigenetic regulation of HSCs activation. Targeting the H19-EZH2 interaction may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for liver fibrosis.

The formation of Cr(III) chemical conversion coating (TCC) on Zn−Al hot-dip coating was unraveled and cathode or anode square wave potential (φp) was applied during the TCC construction progress in terms of comparatively investigating the effectiveness of φp. Corrosion resistance of TCC in chloride-containing solution was obtained by EIS and polarization curve measurements, combined with the discussion of macro/micro-morphology using 3D microscope and chemical composition distribution analysis using XPS, AES, FTIR and Raman spectra. The results showed that the cathode φpenhanced the corrosion resistance and reduced the content of Cr(VI) on the surface of freshly-prepared TCC better than anode φp. Besides, the hydrophobicity of TCC and adhesion to epoxy primer were also improved due to the reconstruction of the micro−nano structure.

A highly efficient asymmetric inverse-electron-demand aza-Diels–Alder reaction of β-trifluoromethyl α,β-unsaturated ketone with cyclic N-sulfonyl ketimines catalyzed by (R)-3,3′-I2-BINOL-boron-complex was developed. A broad range of fused piperidine derivatives bearing stereogenic carbon containing CF3motifs were prepared in high yields with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >20:1 dr, and >99% ee). This protocol had the characteristics of mild reaction conditions, high efficiency, and high stereoselectivity.

PurposeWarm acupuncture (WA) therapy has been applied to treat spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The current study attempted to explore the WA therapy on neuronal apoptosis of SCI and the relationship with the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway.MethodsThe rat SCI models were established by the impact method. SCI rat models were subjected to WA treatment at Dazhui(GV14) and Jiajipoints (T10), Yaoyangguan(GV3), Zusanli(ST36), and Ciliao(BL32). The rat SCI models were established by the impact method. WA and U0126 treatments were performed on the SCI rats. Motor function and neuronal apoptosis were detected. The relative mRNA of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), the phosphorylation level of ERK 1/2 and levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), BCL2-Associated X (Bax), and caspase-3 in spinal cord tissue were tested.ResultsAfter WA treatment, the Basso, Beattie & Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB scale) of SCI rats in the WA treatment was significantly raised from 7 to 14 days after SCI. WA and U0126 treatment significantly diminished apoptotic cells and preserved the neurons in the injured spinal cord. WA and U0126 treatment alleviated the production of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. The distinct increase of p-ERK 1/2 induced by SCI was reversed in WA and U0126 treatment groups. WA and U0126 treatment augmented the level of Bcl-2 and reversed the elevated cleaved caspase-3 protein level after SCI.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that WA might be associated with the downregulation of the ERK signaling pathway. In summary, our findings indicated that WA promotes the recovery of SCI via the protection of nerve cells and the prevention of apoptosis. Meanwhile, the anti-apoptotic effect of WA might be associated with the downregulation of the ERK signaling pathway, which could be one of the mechanisms of WA in the treatment of SCI.

Spinel minerals occur as inclusions in both silicates and sulfides in the Kalatongke magmatic Ni-Cu deposit in NW. China, showing textural and compositional variations. The spinel enclosed in olivine and other silicates (orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and hornblende) is predominantly Cr-magnetite with minor Cr-spinel, having wide variations in MgO (0.1–8.0 wt%), Al2O3(1–25 wt%), Cr2O3(3–20 wt%), and TiO2(0.5–6.2 wt%) contents. Such continuous variations suggest that Cr-magnetite in silicates was crystallized from residual melts and experienced extensive reaction with trapped liquid undergoing a typical tholeiitic trend of increasing Fe and Ti concentrations. Crystals of Cr-magnetite enclosed in disseminated sulfides have similar Mg, Al, Cr, Ti, V, Sc, Ga, Mo, Zr, and Nb concentrations to the Cr-magnetite in silicates. Such compositional similarity, which is explained by the simultaneous equilibrium crystallization of Cr-magnetite from the silicate and sulfide melts, shows that the Kalatongke deposit is a typical example of where the same mineral phase is formed from two coexisting immiscible liquids. However, the Cr-magnetite in disseminated sulfide and that in silicates show distinctly different crystal size distribution patterns, illustrating that the chemical equilibrium was attained despite contrasting growth rates. Nevertheless, the Cr-magnetite in disseminated sulfides shows significantly lower Ni, Co, and Zn contents (median value of 845, 22, and 319 ppm) than that in silicates (median value of 1428, 160, and 1039 ppm). This cannot be the result of sulfide fractionation because there is little compositional variation between Cr-magnetite included in pyrrhotite (early crystallized phase) and that immersed in chalcopyrite (late crystallized phase). Such Ni, Co, and Zn depletions, combined with the relatively constrained Fe/Ni, Fe/Co, and Fe/Zn ratios in those Cr-magnetite, are attributed to postcumulus reactions between Cr-magnetite and sulfide melts. The spinel hosted by massive sulfides is magnetite, which has distinctly different compositional variations and crystal size distribution patterns compared with those of the silicate-hosted Cr-magnetite, although the magnetite in massive ore generally has similar contents in some lithophile elements (Zr, Ta, Mo, Sn, Mn) to the silicate-hosted Cr-magnetite. This could be taken as evidence for a mixture of early accumulated sulfide pools with a component of drained sulfide from the cumulates above. This study shows a detailed textural and compositional investigation of spinel is useful to decode the sulfide evolution processes during the formation of magmatic Ni-Cu deposits and highlights that equilibrium crystallization and postcumulus reactions play critical roles in controlling the spinel/magnetite composition.

The excited‐state dynamics of the excited‐state proton transfer and intramolecular twisted charge transfer (TICT) reactions of a molecular photoswitch 2‐(4′‐diethylamino‐2′‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1H‐imidazo‐[4,5‐b]pyridine (DHP) in aprotic and alcoholic solvents have been theoretically investigated by using time‐dependent density functional theory. The excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction of DHP proceeding upon excitation in all the solvents has been confirmed, and the dual emission has been assigned to the enol and keto forms of DHP. However, for methanol and ethanol solvents within strong hydrogen‐bonded capacity, the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between DHP and methanol/ethanol would promote an excited‐state double proton transfer (ESDPT) along the hydrogen‐bonded bridge. Importantly, the previous proposed ESDPT‐triggered TICT mechanism of DHP in methanol and ethanol was not supported by our calculations. The twist motion would increase the total energy of the system for both the products of ESIPT and ESDPT. According to the calculations of the transition states, the ESDPT reaction occurs much easier in keto form generated by ESIPT. Therefore, a sequential ESIPT and ESDPT mechanism of DHP in methanol and ethanol has been reasonably proposed. The excited‐state dynamics of the excited‐state proton transfer (ESPT) and intramolecular twisted charge transfer (TICT) reactions of a molecular photoswitch 2‐(4′‐diethylamino‐2′‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1H‐imidazo‐[4,5‐b]pyridine (DHP) in aprotic and alcoholic solvents have been theoretically investigated. The previous proposed ESDPT‐triggered TICT mechanism of DHP in methanol and ethanol was not supported. Therefore, a sequential excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer and excited‐state double proton transfer mechanism of DHP in methanol and ethanol has been proposed.

Nickel contents of olivine have been widely used as petrogenetic indicators and as fertility indicators for magmatic sulfide potential of mafic-ultramafic intrusions, on the assumption that olivines crystallized from magmas that had equilibrated with sulfide liquid should be relatively depleted in Ni compared with a sulfide-free baseline. This has given rise to a large accumulation of data that is brought together here, along with data on volcanic olivines, to critically evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. We identify multiple sources of variance in Ni content of olivine at a given Fo content, including variability in mantle melt composition due to depth, water content (and possibly source), subsequent fractional crystallization with and without sulfide, recharge and magma mixing, batch equilibration between olivine and sulfide at variable silicate-sulfide ratio (R), and olivine/liquid ratio; and subsequent equilibration during trapped liquid crystallization in orthocumulates. Baselines for Ni in olivine in relation to Fo content are somewhat lower in orogenic belt settings relative to intrusions in continental large igneous provinces (LIPs). This is probably related to differences in initial parent magma compositions, with plume magmas generally forming deeper and at higher temperatures. No clear, universal discrimination is evident in Ni in olivine between ore-bearing, weakly mineralized, and barren intrusions, even when tectonic setting is taken into account. However, sulfide-related signals can be identified at the intrusion scale in many cases. Low-R factor and low-tenor sulfides are associated with low-Ni olivines in several examples, and these cases stand out clearly. Anomalously high-Ni olivines are a feature of some mineralized intrusions, in part due to trapped liquid reaction effects. However, in some cases, this mechanism cannot account for the magnitude of enrichment. In these cases, enrichment may be due to re-entrainment of “primitive” Ni-rich sulfide by a more evolved Fe-rich magma, driving the olivine to become Ni-enriched due to Fe-Ni exchange reaction between sulfide and olivine during transport. An extreme case of this process may account for ultra-Ni enriched olivine at Kevitsa (Finland), but more subtle signals elsewhere could be positive indicators. A lack of clear mineralized/barren distinction in specific groups of related intrusions, e.g., the deposits of NW China or the Kotalahti Belt in Finland, may well be due to “false negatives” where undiscovered mineralization exists in specific intrusions or in their feeder systems, or may also be due to a multiplicity of confounding factors. Wide variability of both Fo and Ni between related intrusions at regional scale may be a useful regional prospectivity indicator, more than an intrusion-scale discriminant, and is certainly informative as a petrogenetic indicator. In general, the use of Ni-olivine as a fertility tool is more likely to generate false negatives than false positives, but both are possible, and the technique should be used as part of a broader weight-of-evidence approach.

The rumen undergoes developmental changes during maturation. To characterize this understudied dynamic process, we profiled single-cell transcriptomes of about 308,000 cells from the rumen tissues of sheep and goats at 17 time points. We built comprehensive transcriptome and metagenome atlases from early embryonic to rumination stages, and recapitulated histomorphometric and transcriptional features of the rumen, revealing key transitional signatures associated with the development of ruminal cells, microbiota, and core transcriptional regulatory networks. In addition, we identified and validated potential cross-talk between host cells and microbiomes and revealed their roles in modulating the spatiotemporal expression of key genes in ruminal cells. Cross-species analyses revealed convergent developmental patterns of cellular heterogeneity, gene expression, and cell–cell and microbiome–cell interactions. Finally, we uncovered how the interactions can act upon the symbiotic rumen system to modify the processes of fermentation, fiber digestion, and immune defense. These results significantly enhance understanding of the genetic basis of the unique roles of rumen.

Chimera state is a special spatiotemporal patterns where coherent and incoherent states coexist, not only related to neuronal evolution but also to diseases such as parkinson, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. In many studies of biological networks, the interaction patterns between individuals often exhibit a scale-free heavy-tailed distribution. Hence, researches into chimera state within scale-free structures may help to understand the close relationship between function and structure in biological systems. Especially in neural systems, interactions between neurons depend on both electrical and chemical signals, naturally involving heterogeneous delay effects. In this study, we introduce power-law coupling, nonidentical natural frequency, and heterogeneous phase delay into the phase oscillator model, exploring the relationship between oscillator coupled strength, power-law exponent, and the emergence of chimera state. Other important thing is that we extend the Eigen Microstate (EM) method to investigate the criticality, attempting to reveal the mechanism of chimera state emergence through the mesoscopic structure of eigen microstate. We find that the critical analysis results of the EM method, relying solely on phase data, are entirely consistent with those obtained by the mean-field method, revealing the inevitable relationship between the emergence of chimera state and the structure–power law coupling. In addition, the spatiotemporal patterns of eigen microstate provide insights into the mesoscopic structure, can be used to distinguish spatial distribution of synchronization, chimera state, and disorder state, as well as their characteristic dynamics of oscillators. This expansion research of the EM method will advance the exploration of criticality in real oscillatory systems. • Chimera state phenomena can emerge from heterogeneous phase lag in nonidentical coupled oscillator system. • In power-law oscillator system, structure becomes an important condition for the chimera emergence, reflected in the power law exponent. • Without the structure information and interaction mode, the EM method can obtain the same critical properties with the mean-field method. • Some dynamic differences of typical states, unobserved in phase space, can be distinguished by eigen microstate and dynamic eigen microstate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, four new cyclodepsipeptides, fusarihexins C–E (1–3) and enniatin Q (4), four new cyclopentane derivatives, fusarilins A–D (5–8), together with eight known compounds (9–16), were isolated from cultures of the endophytic fungus Fusariumsp. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analysis of HRMS and NMR spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations were determined using Marfey’s method, a modified Mosher’s method, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and ECD analysis. The antitumor activities of the isolated compounds in vitro were evaluated. Cyclodepsipeptides displayed cytotoxicities against the Huh-7, MRMT-1, and HepG-2 cell lines. Compounds 4, 9, 10, and 12with IC50values of 1.0–9.1 μM exhibited the most potent cytotoxicities against the three cell lines as compared to the positive control-5-fluorouracil. Compounds 1–3and 11exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities (IC50values of 10.7–20.1 μM).

Liver fibrosis is the common consequence of almost all liver diseases and has become an urgent clinical problem without efficient therapies. Recent evidence has shown that hepatocytes-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in liver pathophysiology, but little is known about the role of damaged hepatocytes-derived EVs in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and following fibrosis. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) from Ligusticum wallichii Franchatexhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities including liver protection. In this study, we investigated whether TMP exerted liver-protective action through regulating EV-dependent intercellular communication between hepatocytes and HSCs. Chronic liver injury was induced in mice by CCl4(1.6 mg/kg, i.g.) twice a week for 8 weeks. In the last 4 weeks of CCl4administration, mice were given TMP (40, 80, 160 mg·kg−1·d−1, i.g.). Acute liver injury was induced in mice by injection of a single dose of CCl4(0.8 mg/kg, i.p.). After injection, mice were treated with TMP (80 mg/kg) every 24 h. We showed that TMP treatment dramatically ameliorated CCl4-induced oxidative stress and hepatic inflammation as well as acute or chronic liver fibrosis. In cultured mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs), treatment with CCl4or acetaminophen resulted in mitochondrial dysfunction, release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from injured hepatocytes to adjacent hepatocytes and HSCs through EVs, mediating hepatocyte damage and fibrogenic responses in activated HSCs; pretreatment of MPHs with TMP (25 μM) prevented all these pathological effects. Transplanted serum EVs from TMP-treated mice prevented both initiation and progression of liver fibrosis caused by CCl4. Taken together, this study unravels the complex mechanisms underlying the protective effects of TMP against mtDNA-containing EV-mediated hepatocyte injury and HSC activation during liver injury, and provides critical evidence inspiring the development of TMP-based innovative therapeutic agents for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

The therapeutic effect of antidepressants has been demonstrated for anhedonia in patients with depression. However, antidepressants may cause side‐effects, such as cardiovascular dysfunction. Although physical activity has minor side‐effects, it may serve as an alternative for improving anhedonia and depression. We sought to investigate whether physical activity reduces the level of anhedonia in individuals with depression. Fifty‐six university students with moderate depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory total score > 16) were divided into three training groups: the Running Group (RG, n= 19), the Stretching Group (SG, n= 19), and the Control Group (n= 18). We employed the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) to evaluate hedonic capacity. All participants in the RG and SG received 8 weeks of jogging and stretching training, respectively. The RG experienced an increase in the level of arousal during anticipation of a future reward and recalled less negativity towards the loss condition. The SG exhibited enhanced scores on the Anticipatory and Consummatory Pleasure subscales of the TEPS after training. Moreover, in the RG, greater improvements in anticipatory arousal ratings for pleasure and remembered valence ratings for negative affect were associated with longer training duration, lower maximum heart rate, and higher consumed calories during training. To conclude, physical activity is effective in improving anticipatory anhedonia in individuals with depressive symptoms.

The discovery of reversible modifications in messenger RNA (mRNA) opens new research directions in RNA modification-mediated epigenetic regulation. Yeast is an extensively used model organism in molecular biology. Systematic investigation and profiling of modifications in yeast mRNA would promote our understanding of the physiological regulation mechanisms in yeast. However, due to the high abundance of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) in total RNA, isolation of low abundance of mRNA frequently suffers from the contamination of rRNA and tRNA, which will lead to the false-positive determination and inaccurate quantification of modifications in mRNA. Therefore, obtaining high-purity mRNA is critical for precise determination and accurate quantification of modifications in mRNA, especially for studies that focus on discovering new ones. Herein, we proposed a successive orthogonal isolation method by combining polyT-based purification and agarose gel electrophoresis purification for extracting high-purity mRNA. With the extracted high-purity yeast mRNA, we systemically explored the modifications in yeast mRNA by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) analysis. The results showed that in addition to the previously reported eight kinds of modifications, two novel modifications of inosine (Ino) and 2′-O-methylinosine (Im) were identified to be prevalent in yeast mRNA. It is worth noting that Im was reported for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, to exist in living organisms in the three domains of life. Moreover, we observed that the levels of 10 kinds of modifications including Ino and Im in yeast mRNA exhibited dynamic change at different growth stages of yeast cells. Furthermore, Im in mRNA showed a significant decrease while in response to H2O2treatment. These results indicated that the two newly identified modifications in yeast mRNA were involved in yeast cell growth and response to environmental stress. Taken together, we reported two new modifications of Ino and Im in yeast mRNA, which expends the diversity of RNA modifications in yeast and also suggests new regulators for modulating yeast physiological functions.

MicroRNAs play significant roles in various malignancies, with breast cancer (BC) being no exception. Consequently, we explored the functional mechanism of miR-135 in the progression of BC. In total, 55 pairs of BC and matched adjacent normal tissues were clinically collected from patients, followed by quantification of miR-135 and zinc finger protein 217 (ZNF217) expression patterns in BC tissues and cells. Accordingly, high ZNF217 expression and low miR-135 expression levels were identified in BC tissues and cells. Subsequently, the expressions of miR-135 and ZNF217 were altered to evaluate their effects on BC cell migration, invasion and EMT initiation. It was found that when ZNF217 was silenced or miR-135 was elevated, BC cell malignant behaviors were significantly inhibited, which was reproduced in nude mice for in vivo evidence. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay revealed the presence of direct binding between miR-135 and ZNF217. Subsequent co-immunoprecipitation, methylated-RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation and photoactivatable ribonucleoside enhanced-crosslinking and immunoprecipitation assays further revealed that ZNF217 could upregulate NANOG by reducing N6-methyladenosine levels via methyltransferase-like 13 (METTL3). Collectively, our findings highlighted the role of the miR-135/ZNF217/METTL3/NANOG axis in the progression of BC, emphasizing potential therapeutic targets ZNF217 silencing and miR-135 upregulation in preventing or treating BC.

Dental biofilm is the initiating factor of oral diseases, such as periodontitis and caries. Orthodontic treatment could alter the microbiome structure balance, and increase the risk of such diseases. Furthermore, fixed appliances can induce temporary changes in the microbiome community, and the changes that clear aligners bring are smaller by comparison. Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are skeletal anchorages that are widely used in orthodontic treatment. Microorganisms affect the occurrence and development of inflammation surrounding TADs. At present, existing researches have verified the existence of plaque biofilm on the surface of TADs, but the formation of plaque biofilm and plaque composition under different stable conditions have not been fully understood. The development of high-throughput sequencing, molecular biology experiments, and metabonomics have provided new research ideas to solve this problem. They can become an effective means to explore the microbiome surrounding TADs.

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Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoantibody-mediated hemorrhagic disorder in which B cells play an essential role. Previous studies have focused on peripheral blood (PB), but B cells in bone marrow (BM) have not been well characterized. We aimed to explore the profile of B-cell subsets and their cytokine environments in the BM of patients with ITP to further clarify the pathogenesis of the disease. B-cell subpopulations and their cytokine/chemokine receptors were detected by using flow cytometry. Plasma concentrations of cytokines/chemokines were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Messenger RNA levels of B cell–related transcription factors were determined by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Regulatory B cell (Breg) function was assessed by quantifying their inhibitory effects on monocytes and T cells in vitro. Decreased proportions of total B cells, naive B cells, and defective Bregs were observed in patients with ITP compared with healthy controls (HCs), whereas an elevated frequency of long-lived plasma cells was found in BM of autoantibody-positive patients. No statistical difference was observed in plasmablasts or in short-lived plasma cells between patients with ITP and HCs. The immunosuppressive capacity of BM Bregs from patients with ITP was considerably weaker than HCs. An in vivo study using an active ITP murine model revealed that Breg transfusion could significantly alleviate thrombocytopenia. Moreover, overactivation of CXCL13-CXCR5 and BAFF/APRIL systems were found in ITP patient BM. Taken together, B-cell subsets in BM were skewed toward a proinflammatory profile in patients with ITP, suggesting the involvement of dysregulated BM B cells in the development of the disease.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. It is very important to find drugs with high efficiency, low toxicity, and low side effects for the treatment of cancer. Flavonoids and their derivatives with broad biological functions have been recognized as anti-tumor chemicals. 8-Formylophiopogonanone B(8-FOB), a naturally existed homoisoflavonoids with rarely known biological functions, needs pharmacological evaluation. In order to explore the possible anti-tumor action of 8-FOB, we used six types of tumor cells to evaluate in vitroeffects of this agent on cell viability and tested the effects on clone formation ability, scratching wound-healing, and apoptosis. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of pharmacological action, we examined 8-FOB-induced intracellular oxidative stress and -disrupted mitochondrial function. Results suggested that 8-FOB could suppress tumor cell viability, inhibit cell migration and invasion, induce apoptosis, and elicit intracellular ROS production. Among these six types of tumor cells, the nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-1 cells were the most sensitive cancer cells to 8-FOB treatment. Intracellular ROS production played a pivotal role in the anti-tumor action of 8-FOB. Our present study is the first to document that 8-FOB has anti-tumor activity in vitroand increases intracellular ROS production, which might be responsible for its anti-tumor action. The anti-tumor pharmacological effect of 8-FOB is worthy of further investigation.

C30H25N11O8Cd, orthorhombic, Pnma(no. 62), a= 17.9344(3) Å, b= 18.2722(3) Å, c= 9.5619(2) Å, V= 3133.44(10) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0345, wRref(F2) = 0.0707, T = 293.28(10) K.

A herbal prescription in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has great complexity, with multiple components and multiple targets, making it extremely challenging to determine its bioactive compounds. Yinchenhao Tang (YCHT) has been extensively used for the treatment of jaundice disease. Although many studies have examined the efficacy and active ingredients of YCHT, there is still a lack of an in-depth systematic analysis of its effective components, mechanisms, and potential targets—especially one based on clinical patients. This study established an innovative strategy for discovering the potential targets and active compounds of YCHT based on an integrated clinical and animal experiment platform. The serum metabolic profiles and constituents of YCHT in vivowere determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-ToF-MS)-based metabolomics combined with a serum pharmacochemistry method. Moreover, a compound–target–pathway network was constructed and analyzed by network pharmacology and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). We found that eight active components could modulate five key targets. These key targets were further verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which indicated that YCHT exerts therapeutic effects by targeting cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), multidrug-resistance-associated protein 2 (ABCC2), multidrug-resistance-associated protein 3 (ABCC3), uridine diphosphate glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1), and farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and by regulating metabolic pathways including primary bile acid biosynthesis, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and biliary secretion. Eight main effective compounds were discovered and correlated with the key targets and pathways. In this way, we demonstrate that this integrated strategy can be successfully applied for the effective discovery of the active compounds and therapeutic targets of an herbal prescription.

Solar energy conversion is the most important chemical transformation for green and sustainable society. Represented herein is a coupled catalytic strategy for efficient, selective, and energy-saving organic transformations, i.e., a coupled photoelectrochemical/photoredox setting with Sb2(S,Se)3as a photocathode and N,N-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) as a photocatalyst shows full-solar-spectrum response extending visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) light to 1,060 nm. At −0.84 V versus SCE, the Vis-NIR photoexcited electron from Sb2(S,Se)3reduces PDI to PDI⋅−. Then, the second photoexcitation by Vis light creates higher reducing PDI⋅−∗(−1.86 V versus SCE) for reduction of unactivated aryl halides. The resultant aryl radicals are applied for C-C, C-P, and C-B bond-forming reactions with excellent chemoselectivity and efficacy under external sacrificial agent-free conditions. This strategy not only utilizes full solar spectrum and surmounts the limited light absorption of photocatalysis, but also overcomes the high biased potential issue in electrocatalysis.

This paper reports an alternative approach to the evaluation of infrared camouflage effectiveness via a multi-fractal method. By calculating multi-fractal spectra of the target region and the background regions in an infrared image, the spectrum shape features and the discrete Fréchet distances among these spectra were used to analyze the camouflage effectiveness of the target qualitatively and quantitatively, and the correlation coefficients of the spectra were further used as the index of camouflage effectiveness. It was found that the camouflaged target had better camouflage effectiveness than the target without camouflage in the same one background, and the same one camouflaged target had different camouflage effectiveness in different backgrounds. On the whole, the target matching well with its background had high camouflage effectiveness value. This approach can expand the application of multi-fractal theory in infrared camouflage technology, which should be useful for the research of infrared camouflage materials, the design of camouflage patterns as well as the deployment of military equipment in battlefield.

Oral administration of curcumin has been shown to inhibit pulmonary fibrosis (PF) despite its extremely low bioavailability. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-PF effect of curcumin in focus on intestinal endocrine. In bleomycin- and SiO2-treated mice, curcumin (75, 150 mg· kg−1per day) exerted dose-dependent anti-PF effect when administered orally or rectally but not intravenously, implying an intestinal route was involved in the action of curcumin. We speculated that curcumin might promote the generation of gut-derived factors and the latter acted as a mediator subsequently entering the lungs to ameliorate fibrosis. We showed that oral administration of curcumin indeed significantly increased the expression of gut-derived hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in colon tissues. Furthermore, in bleomycin-treated mice, the upregulated protein level of HGF in lungs by oral curcumin was highly correlated with its anti-PF effect, which was further confirmed by coadministration of c-Met inhibitor SU11274. Curcumin (5−40 μM) dose-dependently increased HGF expression in primary mouse fibroblasts, macrophages, CCD-18Co cells (fibroblast cell line), and RAW264.7 cells (monocyte–macrophage cell line), but not in primary colonic epithelial cells. In CCD-18Co cells and RAW264.7 cells, curcumin dose-dependently activated PPARγ and CREB, whereas PPARγ antagonist GW9662 (1 μM) or cAMP response element (CREB) inhibitor KG-501 (10 μM) significantly decreased the boosting effect of curcumin on HGF expression. Finally, we revealed that curcumin dose-dependently increased the production of 15-deoxy-Δ12, 14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) in CCD-18Co cells and RAW264.7 cells, which was a common upstream of the two transcription factors. Moreover, both the in vitro and in vivo effects of curcumin were diminished by coadministration of HPGDS-inhibitor-1, an inhibitor of 15d-PGJ2 generation. Together, curcumin promotes the expression of HGF in colonic fibroblasts and macrophages by activating PPARγ and CREB via an induction of 15d-PGJ2, and the HGF enters the lungs giving rise to an anti-PF effect.

Cancer-related bone erosion occurs frequently in bone metastasis and is associated with severe complications such as chronic bone pain, fractures, and lower survival rates. In recognition of the fact that the darkness hormone melatonin is capable of regulating bone homeostasis, we explored its therapeutic potential in bone metastasis. We found that melatonin directly reduces osteoclast differentiation, bone resorption activity and promotes apoptosis of mature osteoclasts. We also observed that melatonin inhibits RANKL production in lung and prostate cancer cells by downregulating the p38 MAPK pathway, which in turn prevents cancer-associated osteoclast differentiation. In lung and prostate bone metastasis models, twice-weekly melatonin treatment markedly reduced tumor volumes and numbers of osteolytic lesions. Melatonin also substantially lowered the numbers of TRAP-positive osteoclasts in tibia bone marrow and RANKL expression in tumor tissue. These findings show promise for melatonin in the treatment of bone metastases.

The convenient preparation of N2-unprotected five-membered cyclic guanidines was achieved through a cascade [3 + 2] cycloaddition between organo-cyanamides and α-haloamides under mild conditions in good to excellent yields (up to 99%). The corresponding cyclic guanidines could be easily transformed into hydantoins via hydrolysis.

The Ni/SiO2catalysts were prepared by ammonia evaporation method, with nickel nitrate as Ni source and silica sol as the SiO2source, for synthesis of 2-MTHF from 2-MF hydrogenation. The catalytic performance of catalysts prepared at different calcination temperatures were tested on a fixed-bed reactor. XRD, N2adsorption-desorption isothermal, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD, XPS and TG were employed to characterize the structure and surface properties of these catalysts. The effect of calcination temperature on the structure, surface property and catalytic performance of catalysts were investigated. The result indicated that all the catalysts had a phyllosilicate structure after calcination, and maintained the structure after reduction. Ni particles dispersed well with smaller size and strong metal support interaction showed high activity. The surface acidity of catalysts was influenced by the calcination temperature. The maximum catalytic activity and selectivity were obtained on the catalyst calcined by at 500°C, which exhibited a 2-MF conversion of 100% and the 2-MTHF selectivity of 93.5% at the optimized condition, due to smaller particle size and suitable surface acidity.

AbstractMaternal supraphysiological estradiol (E2) environment during pregnancy leads to adverse perinatal outcomes. However, the influence of oocyte exposure to high E2 levels on perinatal outcomes remains unknown. Thus, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to explore the effect of high E2 level induced by controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) on further outcomes after frozen embryo transfer (FET). The study included all FET cycles (n= 10,581) between 2014 and 2017. All cycles were categorized into three groups according to the E2 level on the day of the human Chorionic Gonadotropin trigger. Odds ratios (ORs) and their confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the association between E2 level during COH and pregnancy outcomes and subsequent neonatal outcomes. From our findings, higher E2 level was associated with lower percentage of chemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth as well as increased frequency of early miscarriage. Preterm births were more common among singletons in women with higher E2 level during COH (aOR1= 1.93, 95% CI: 1.22–3.06; aOR2= 2.05, 95% CI: 1.33–3.06). Incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) was more common in both singletons (aOR1= 2.01, 95% CI: 1.30–3.11; aOR2= 2.51, 95% CI: 1.69–3.74) and multiples (aOR1= 1.58, 95% CI: 1.03–2.45; aOR2= 1.99, 95% CI: 1.05–3.84) among women with relatively higher E2 level. No association was found between high E2 level during COH and the percentage of macrosomia or large for gestational age. In summary, oocyte exposure to high E2 level during COH should be brought to our attention, since the pregnancy rate decreasing and the risk of preterm birth and SGA increasing following FET.

V-containing catalysts exhibit good catalytic performance toward the selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF). Here, we report our study on the catalytic mechanism of –(SiO)3V(O) ([V-0]) and –(SiO)2V(O)(OH) ([V-1]) on a V-doped Al-MCM-41 pore model (V/Al-MCM-41) for the aerobic oxidation of HMF to DFF. For the two active sites, there are three types of oxygen-containing functional groups, which are hydroxyl-oxygen ([V–OH]), lattice-oxygen ([V–O–Si]), and terminal-oxygen ([VO]). We show that the catalytic cycle involves two HMF molecules, and there are mainly two activation steps, i.e., both O–H and C–H bond cleavages of HMF, and the rate-determining step is associated with the C–H bond cleavage of the first HMF molecule. We illustrate the efficiency of the catalytic contribution as [V–OH] > [V–O–Si] > [VO], and the [V-1]active site with a hydroxyl group displays higher catalytic activity than the [V-0]active site without a hydroxyl group. The present study not only brings an in-depth understanding of the activation of both O–H and C–H bonds which has been proposed based on experimental results for biomass molecules, but also makes one step forward toward the mechanism-guided design and synthesis of efficient, environmentally-friendly, and low temperature recyclable heterogeneous catalysts.

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the associated factors of depression in primiparas with hypothyroidism during pregnancy. The research subjects were 200 primiparas with hypothyroidism during pregnancy who were admitted to our hospital between December 2016 and December 2019. Self-rating depression scale scores were used to evaluate the depression, and the incidence of depression were examined. The data from all the subjects were collected to compare the differences between primiparas with hypothyroidism during pregnancy with and without depression. A logistic regression equation was used to analyze the influencing factors of depression in these patients. Of the 200 primiparas who took part in this study, 27 suffered from depression, accounting for 13.50%. There were differences in age, education level, economic income, sleep quality, and conjugal relations between the depressed and the nondepressed participants. When the above factors were included in the logistic regression equation, it was found that the odds ratio values for these factors were all >1, which indicated that they had an influence on maternal depression in primiparas with hypothyroidism during pregnancy. This study demonstrated that pregnancy-associated hypothyroidism in primiparas is affected by age, education level, economic income, sleep quality, and conjugal relations, all of which increase the incidence of depression. Relevant preventive measures should be provided in clinical practice to avoid the occurrence of depression.

•The chocolate using Lycium barbarumseed oil-based oleogels were prepared•Oleogels significantly reduced the whiteness index of the chocolate during storage.•Cyclic temperature storage had a greater effect on the chocolate properties.•Rheological data showed that oleogel chocolate had better stability against temperature changes.

Pyridine-bridged bis-benzimidazolylidene nickel complex exhibited very high catalytic activity at low catalyst loading toward cross coupling of inactive (hetero)aryl benzylic ammonium salts with (hetero)aryl boronic acids under mild reaction conditions viaCN activation, and produced a broad number of diarylmethanes up to quantitative yields.

A highly efficient asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 2′-hydroxychalcones with N-2,2,2-trifluoroethylisatin ketimines catalyzed by a (R)-3,3′-I2-BINOL-boron complex was developed. A broad range of 3,2′-pyrrolidinyl spirooxindole derivatives bearing a CF3-substituted pyrrolidine moiety with four contiguous stereocenters was prepared in high yields with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >20:1 dr and >99% ee). This protocol had the characteristics of mild reaction conditions, high efficiency, and excellent stereocontrol.

Semi-artificial photoelectrochemistry that combines light-absorbing materials with biocatalysts for sunlight-driven CO2conversion is an attractive yet challenging topic to pursue. In a recent Angewandte Chemie International Editionarticle, Reisner and coworkers finely adjusted the electrolyte solution to facilitate biocatalysis, considering the vital role of chemical environment on enzyme electroactivity. In the optimum electrolyte solution, an unbiased biophotoelectrochemical CO2-to-formate conversion is realized with a solar-to-formate efficiency approaching 1%, representing a benchmark semi-artificial CO2-to-formate conversion.

ABSTRACTDysfunctions of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-regulated cell migration and invasion have been involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia (PE). However, the role of circRNAs in EMT of PE has not been widely investigated. In this study, we identified that circTNRC18 was upregulated in PE placentas compared with normal pregnancy placentas. Moreover, circTNRC18 negatively regulated trophoblast cell migration and EMT. Overexpression of circTNRC18 reduced while depletion of circTNRC18 enhanced trophoblast cell migration and EMT. Mechanistically, circTNRC18 sponged miR-762 contributed to inhibit miR-762 activity and elevated EMT-related transcriptional factor Grhl2 protein level. miR-762 expression was lower in PE placentas and played a promoting role in trophoblast cell migration and EMT. In contrast, Grhl2 was highly expressed in PE placentas. Furthermore, we confirmed that upregulation of Grhl2 by circ-TNRC18-induced inhibition of miR-762 led to trophoblast cell migration and EMT. In conclusions, circTNRC18/miR-762/Grhl2 axis plays a key role in trophoblast cell migration and EMT. circTNRC18/miR-762/Grhl2 axis may be a potential therapeutic target in PE.

A dual-shell Si/TiO2/CFs composite was synthesized through a simple method to deal with the intrinsic drawbacks of silicon-based anode, in terms of huge volume change, unstable SEI films, and low electronic and ionic conductivity. The inner rigid TiO2shell alleviates the huge volume expansion of the nano silicon, and the outer resilient carbon fiber, which is porous and staggered, is beneficial to the rapid transport of electrons and ions. The as-prepared Si/TiO2/CFs composite displays a superior reversible specific capacity of 583.4 mA·h/g, high rate capability and decent cycling performance. The dual-shell encapsulation method provides a guideline for other anode materials with huge volume expansion during the cycling process.

Sugars are important energy source and signaling molecule in plant, and sugar transporters such as SWEET (sugars will eventually be exported transporters) play important roles in plant growth and development as well as biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a gene named MdSWEET17was isolated from apple (Malus×domestic). Expression analysis suggested that MdSWEET17expressed in all tested tissues (root, stem, leaf, flower and fruit) and the transcript levels were different. Furthermore, MdSWEET17transgenic tomatoes and wild type were treated with drought. The results showed transgenic lines had higher drought tolerance and accumulated more fructose. Taken together, these findings indicated that MdSWEET17take part in drought stress response and the regulation of fructose.

An efficient regio- and diastereoselective cyclization of sulfamate-derived cyclic imines with unsubstituted or monosubstituted α-halo hydroxamates is developed under mild conditions. This reaction proceeds smoothly under transition-metal-free conditions via a domino aza-Mannich addition/intramolecular nucleophilic substitution sequence, providing a convenient route to access 2-monosubstituted and 2,5-disubstituted 4-imidazolidinones. Notably, the products were obtained with single trans-isomers in moderate to excellent yields.

To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking therapy for acne vulgaris. A total of 66 patients with acne vulgaris were randomized into an observation group and a control group by the random number table, with 33 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking therapy, and the control group was treated only with auricular point sticking therapy. The treatments of both groups were performed twice a week, 4 weeks as a course of treatment, for 3 courses in total. The scores of skin lesions and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores were recorded before and after treatment to assess the clinical efficacy. During the trial, there were 3 cases of drop-out both in the observation group and the control group. After 3 courses of treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 96.7%, while that of the control group was 76.7%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The intra-group comparison showed that the scores of skin lesion and DLQI were both decreased with the increase of treatment times, that was, the scores were lower than those at the previous time point (all P<0.05). After 1, 2, and 3 courses of treatment, the scores of skin lesion and DLQI of both groups were statistically different from those of the same group before treatment (all P<0.05). At every time point during the treatment, the scores of skin lesion and DLQI of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Auricular point pricking-bloodletting plus auricular point sticking has a better curative effect than auricular point sticking therapy alone in the treatment of acne vulgaris, and has a time-effect correlation. 观察耳穴刺络放血加耳穴贴压治疗寻常性痤疮的临床疗效. 将66例寻常性痤疮患者根据随机数字表分为观察组和对照组, 每组33例. 观察组采用耳穴刺络放血加耳穴贴压治疗, 对照组仅采用耳穴贴压治疗. 两组均每周治疗2次, 4周为1个疗程, 共治疗3个疗程. 分别于治疗前和治疗后记录患者皮损积分和皮肤病生活质量指数(DLQI)积分, 并据此进行疗效评定. 试验过程中观察组和对照组均脱落3例. 3个疗程结束后, 观察组总有效率为96.7%; 对照组总有效率为76.7%, 差异有统计学意义(P<0.05). 组内比较显示, 两组患者皮损积分和DLQI积分均随治疗次数的增加而降低, 后一时间点积分均低于前一时间点(均P<0.05). 两组患者治疗1、2、3个疗程后的皮损积分和DLQI积分均与本组治疗前比较有统计学差异(均P<0.05). 组间比较显示, 治疗后每个时间点, 观察组皮损积分与DLQI积分均低于对照组, 组间差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05). 耳穴刺络放血加耳穴贴压治疗寻常性痤疮的临床疗效优于单独耳穴贴压治疗, 且存在时间-效应关系.

The potential use of air-gap membrane distillation (AGMD) process for the removal of copper sulfate (CuSO4) from aqueous solution was examined. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of both operation parameters and module parameters, including hot feed temperature(T3), coolant temperature (T1), feed flow rate (F), feed salt concentration (cf), vacuum pressure (P), the rate of hollow fiber membranes and heat-exchange hollow fibers (Nm/Nd) and the length of the modules (L) on permeate water flux (J), gained output ratio (GOR), water productivity (PV), and salt rejection rate (R) in AGMD process. It was found that the performance of AGMD process could be enhanced, but permeate water quality was deteriorated by adding vacuum pressure. Moreover, Jdeclined, but PVand GOR increased as Lincreased. With the increment of Nm/Nd, Jdecreased when operation parameters keep constant, PVand GOR showed different variation trends with different T1values due to the insufficient cold energy. The highest CuSO4rejection rate exceeded 99.95%, so AGMD process has potential for CuSO4separation from aqueous solution.

Increased macrophage phagocytosis of antibody-coated platelets, as well as decreased numbers and/or impaired function of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory T (Treg) cells, has been shown to participate in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Low-dose histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi's) are anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents that can enhance immunosuppression in graft-versus-host disease by increasing the number and function of Foxp3+Treg cells, but it is unclear whether they have the potential to promote immune tolerance and platelet release in ITP. In this study, we performed in vitro and in vivo experiments and found that a low-dose HDACi (chidamide) alleviated thrombocytopenia in passive and active murine models of ITP. Further, low-dose HDACi's attenuated macrophage phagocytosis of antibody-coated platelets, stimulated the production of natural Foxp3+Treg cells, promoted the peripheral conversion of T cells into Treg cells, and restored Treg cell suppression in vivo and in vitro. Finally, we confirmed that low-dose HDACi's could regulate CTLA4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells through modulation of histone H3K27 acetylation. Low-dose HDACi treatment in ITP could be offset by blocking the effect of CTLA4. Therefore, we propose that low-dose chidamide administration has potential as a novel treatment for ITP in the clinic.

It is still not clear at the molecular level how the acidic silanol and basic alkylamine bifunctional groups over SBA-15 zeolite exert catalytic functions in aldol condensation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with acetone, which plays pivotal roles in the synthesis of renewable fuels from biomass. Here, the catalytic mechanisms of the aldol condensation (1) of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with acetone to produce 4-[5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furanyl]-3-buten-2-one (C9H10O3) over acidic [−SiOH], basic [−RNH2], and cooperative acidic–basic [−SiOH/–RNH2] active sites on the alkylamine-grafted SBA-15 zeolite (SBA-15–RNH2) have been theoretically investigated, combining quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical calculations, which involves aldol condensation (2) and dehydration (3). Based on the plausible reaction pathways, the revised mechanism is proposed. Toward the aldol condensation (2), the cooperative [−SiOH/–RNH2] displays better catalytic activity than the single [−RNH2] or [−SiOH], in which the rate-determining step is associated with the formation of alkylenamine from the alkylamine with enol–acetone. Toward the dehydration (3), [−RNH2] shows better catalytic activity than [−SiOH], in which the rate-determining step is concerned with the [1,3]-H shift for yielding the product C9H10O3. Toward the gross reaction (1), over [−SiOH/–RNH2], the optimal reaction pathway includes the enolization of acetone, aldol condensation of HMF with enol–acetone, and dehydration. Herein, [−SiOH] is answerable for the activation of acetone to enol–acetone, where it serves as a bridge of H shift. Additionally, [−RNH2] is responsible for the aldol condensation of HMF with enol–acetone and the subsequent dehydration. These findings may advance the rational design of cooperative acidic–basic catalyst toward the aldol condensation reaction at low temperature.

The mechanism of glucose-to-fructose isomerization, as one of the key intermediate steps in biomass valorization, remains an intriguing topic in potential chemo-catalysis. In the present work, the catalytic mechanism of glucose-to-fructose isomerization in AlCl3aqueous solution has been theoretically investigated at the PBE0/6-311++G(d,p), aug-cc-pvtz level. The catalytic activities of possible active species from the hydrolysis of AlCl3in aqueous solution, that is, Lewis acids ([Al(OH)(H2O)4]2+and/or [Al(OH)2(H2O)2]+) and Brønsted acid (H3O+) together with the counterpart anion Cl–, have been evaluated. The glucose-to-fructose isomerization includes aldose ring-opening, aldose-to-ketose tautomerization, and ketose ring-closure. Toward the global glucose-to-fructose isomerization, the Lewis acid behaves dominantly in the aldose–ketose tautomerization and the Brønsted acid acts predominantly toward both aldose ring-opening and ketose ring-closure. Furthermore, [Al(OH)2(H2O)2]+···Cl–ion pair displays better catalytic activity than [Al(OH)(H2O)4]2+···2Cl–ion pair. Alternatively, the individual [Al(OH)(H2O)4]2+shows better catalytic activity than [Al(OH)2(H2O)2]+. The counterpart cation Cl–has a more stable effect on the corresponding intermediates than transition states, which indirectly affects the catalytic activity of Lewis acid. For the individual Lewis acids ([Al(OH)(H2O)4]2+and [Al(OH)2(H2O)2]+), the basic −OH ligand facilitates the cleavage of the O–H bond and the acid −H2O ligand boosts the formation of the O–H bond, both of which cooperatively play a catalytic role. The individual [Al(OH)(H2O)4]2+displays better catalytic performance than [Al(OH)2(H2O)2]+, which stems from its higher Brønsted basicity of the −OH ligand, higher Brønsted acidity of the −H2O ligand, and the lower highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap. These findings provide a deep insight into the catalytically active species from Lewis acid metal salt in aqueous solution toward glucose chemistry.

Mo-Containing catalysts exhibit good catalytic performance toward the selective oxidation of platform chemicals from biomass. However, for the aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), the development of an environmentally-friendly and promising catalytic system remains a significant challenge to date. In the present study, on the pore surface of MCM-41, two kinds of active sites, which are, –(SiO)2Mo(O)2([Mo-4]) and –(SiO)3Mo(OH)(O) ([Mo-5]), have been theoretically designed, over which the catalytic mechanisms for the aerobic oxidation of HMF to DFF have been theoretically examined, combining the hybrid quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics calculations. Over both [Mo-4] and [Mo-5] active sites, the oxidative reaction includes two main reaction steps, the O–H and C–H bond cleavages of HMF, in which the crucial reaction step is associated with the C–H bond cleavage of the CH2group of the first HMF. Over the –(O)4–MoO active site on the Keggin heteropolyacid ([Mo-HPA]), [Mo-4] and [Mo-5] active sites, the MoO group is responsible for the O–H bond activation in the HMF moiety, and the Mo–OH group is in charge of the C–H bond activation in the HMF moiety, both of which take a synergic catalytic effect. The catalytic activity decreases as [Mo-5] > [Mo-4] > [Mo-HPA]. Based on the activation strain analysis, the lowering activation energy stems mainly from the lowering activation strain of the active site, which correlates positively with the corresponding HOMO–LUMO gap. These findings provide deep insight for the rational design of a recyclable catalyst to activate both C–H and O–H bonds at low temperatures, especially for some typical platform molecules from biomass.

To analyze the meridian and acupoint-selection patterns in acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) by data mining technique, for exploring acupoints that could be effective for PCOS and providing suggestion and reference in selecting acupoints for the acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS. Literatures related to the acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS published before April 2018 were collected. By a self-made data mining program developed using Microsoft Excel 2007, a database of acupuncturemoxibustion treatment of PCOS was then established. The correlation analysis was performed for the frequency of use of acupoints and acupoint groups. Cluster analysis was also conducted. A total of 92 articles were recruited finally. Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Conception Vessel and chest-abdomen region ranked the top on the list of the most frequently used acupoints, meridians and regions, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the acupoint group with the highest confidence was Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36), and the group with the highest support was Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4). Cluster analysis revealed five effective clusters: Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6); Zhongwan (CV 12) and Tianshu (ST 25); Zhongji (CV 3), Zusanli (ST 36) and Qihai (CV 6); Xuehai (SP 10), Shenshu (BL 23), Taichong (LR 3) and Guilai (ST 29); Ganshu (BL 18), Taixi (KI 3), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Pishu (BL 20). According to the confidence and support report, Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) or Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4) are recommended in acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of PCOS, with adjunct points selected for different patterns, e.g. Zhongwan (CV 12) and Tianshu (ST 25) for tonifying spleen and expelling dampness; Zhongji (CV 3) and Qihai (CV 6) for supplementing qi and cultivating blood; Xuehai (SP 10), Shenshu (BL 23), Taichong (LR 3) and Guilai (ST 29) for tonifying kidney and dissolving stasis; Ganshu (BL 18), Taixi (KI 3), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Pishu (BL 20) for tonifying kidney and spleen and regulating liver. 运用数据挖掘技术分析现代针灸治疗多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)的经穴规律, 挖掘治疗PCOS的潜力穴位, 为针灸治疗PCOS提供选穴思路和参考。 收集截至2018年4月针灸治疗PCOS的相关文献, 利用Microsoft Excel 2007软件自编数据挖掘程序, 建立针灸治疗PCOS的数据库, 进行穴位的使用频次及穴位组合的关联分析, 并进行聚类分析。 最终纳入92篇文献, 使用频次最高的穴位、经络和部位分别为三阴交、任脉和胸腹部,关联规则结果显示: 置信度最高的穴位组合为三阴交和足三里, 支持度最高的穴位组合是三阴交和关元。聚类分 析结果显示: 存在5个有效聚类群, 即关元、三阴交; 中脘、天枢; 中极、足三里、气海; 血海、肾俞、太冲和归 来; 以及肝俞、太溪、阴陵泉和脾俞。 根据置信度和支持度结果, 推荐针灸治疗PCOS时选用三阴交加足三里, 或三阴交加关元, 并依据不同证型加用配穴, 如加用中脘、天枢以健脾除湿; 加用中极、气海以益气养血; 加 用血海、肾俞、太冲和归来以补肾化瘀; 加用肝俞、太溪、阴陵泉、脾俞以益肾补脾调肝。