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Non-structural protein 2 (nsp2) exists in all coronaviruses (CoVs), while its primary function in viral pathogenicity, is largely unclear. One such enteric CoV, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), causes high mortality in neonatal piglets worldwide. To determine the biological role of nsp2, we generated a PEDV mutant containing a complete nsp2 deletion (rPEDV-Δnsp2) from a highly pathogenic strain by reverse genetics, showing that nsp2 was dispensable for PEDV infection, while its deficiency reduced viral replication in vitro. Intriguingly, rPEDV-Δnsp2 was entirely avirulent in vivo, with significantly increased productions of IFNB (interferon beta) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) in various intestinal tissues of challenged newborn piglets. Notably, nsp2 targets and degrades TBK1 (TANK binding kinase 1), the critical kinase in the innate immune response. Mechanistically, nsp2 induced the macroautophagy/autophagy process and recruited a selective autophagic receptor, NBR1 (NBR1 autophagy cargo receptor). NBR1 subsequently facilitated the K48-linked ubiquitination of TBK1 and delivered it for autophagosome-mediated degradation. Accordingly, the replication of rPEDV-Δnsp2 CoV was restrained by reduced autophagy and excess productions of type I IFNs and ISGs. Our data collectively define enteric CoV nsp2 as a novel virulence determinant, propose a crucial role of nsp2 in diminishing innate antiviral immunity by targeting TBK1 for NBR1-mediated selective autophagy, and pave the way to develop a new type of nsp2-based attenuated PEDV vaccine. The study also provides new insights into the prevention and treatment of other pathogenic CoVs. Abbreviations: 3-MA: 3-methyladenine; Baf A1: bafilomycin A1; CoV: coronavirus; CQ: chloroquine; dpi: days post-inoculation; DMVs: double-membrane vesicles; GABARAP: GABA type A receptor-associated protein; GFP: green fluorescent protein; GIGYF2: GRB10 interacting GYF protein 2; hpi: hours post-infection; IFA: immunofluorescence assay; IFIH1: interferon induced with helicase C domain 1; IFIT2: interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 2; IFITM1: interferon induced transmembrane protein 1; IFNB: interferon beta; IRF3: interferon regulatory factor 3; ISGs: interferon-stimulated genes; mAb: monoclonal antibody; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAVS: mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein; NBR1: NBR1 autophagy cargo receptor; nsp2: non-structural protein 2; OAS1: 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1; PEDV: porcine epidemic diarrhea virus; PRRs: pattern recognition receptors; RIGI: RNA sensor RIG-I; RT-qPCR: reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TBK1: TANK binding kinase 1; TCID50: 50% tissue culture infectious doses; VSV: vesicular stomatitis virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several international large-scale assessments were conducted at the turn of the new century, and during the past two decades the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) completed seven cycles of assessment to facilitate practitioners' policy debates and governance. This study reviews PISA-related articles published in English and Chinese. Three literature databases were searched, with a focus on SSCI, CSSCI, and TSSCI journal publications. The frequency of publication was analyzed according to the author's country affiliation, type of journal, and research categories/themes. Findings indicate that research on student-, school- and system-level indicators with a focus on students' learning processes and outcomes as well as critiques of technical matters on PISA were frequent topics in the literature during the past two decades. Issues of equality and equity examined in the publications have implications for enhancing practitioners' capabilities in terms of policy making and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of identifying the geographical origin of peanuts by combining Raman spectroscopy with chemometrics. A total of 161 peanut samples were collected from Jilin, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces in China, and their Raman spectra were collected. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the difference in characteristic Raman spectra of peanuts from these locations. Raman spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis (PCA), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA), and support vector machines (SVM) were used to classify the peanuts by province and Jilin Province city. One-way ANOVA indicated that the peak intensities at 2900, 1660, 1440, 1077, and 848 cm−1 had significant differences. The peaks at 2900, 1660, 1440, 1300, and 1077 cm−1 had significant differences in the Jilin Province city. The correct identification rates were highest for k-NN. This study demonstrates the identification of the origin of peanuts by Raman spectroscopy with chemometrics and may provide technical support for the traceability of other agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mohangic acids are a class of p-aminoacetophenonic acids that contain a conjugated triene or diene moiety. Herein, this paper reports two new mohangic acids E and F (1-2) together with a known compound mohangic acid A (3), which were isolated from the deep-sea sediment-derived bacteria Alcanivorax dieselolei BC-5. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by HRESIMS, 1 D and 2 D NMR, and IR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The curing rate over one kind of MnO2 was relative slow for traditional polysulfide sealing, and it was difficult to flexibly adjust induction time and curing rate with low cost. The physical mixture of two kinds of MnO2 showed much rapid curing rate than that of corresponding single MnO2 alone, particularly, the physical mixture of δ-MnO2 and α-MnO2 showed superior curing performance to δ-MnO2 and α-MnO2 and lower curing rate than that of δ-MnO2 by photo assistance. The efficient and controllable polysulfide sealing can be achieved by facile physical mixture of different crystalline forms of MnO2 and/or turning on/off light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new depside derivatives 1 and 2 as well as a new pair of rosmarinic acid enantiomers 3a/b were isolated from the leaves of Perilla frutescens (L.) britt. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified based on detailed spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses (HR-ESI-MS, NMR) and comparison of literature data. Compounds 3a/b were obtained by chiral separation, and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 3a/b exhibited potential inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 15.92 ± 3.32 μM and 48.72 ± 4.12 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The curing rate over one kind of MnO2 was relative slow for traditional polysulfide sealing, and it was difficult to flexibly adjust induction time and curing rate with low cost. The physical mixture of two kinds of MnO2 showed much rapid curing rate than that of corresponding single MnO2 alone, particularly, the physical mixture of δ-MnO2 and α-MnO2 showed superior curing performance to δ-MnO2 and α-MnO2 and lower curing rate than that of δ-MnO2 by photo assistance. The efficient and controllable polysulfide sealing can be achieved by facile physical mixture of different crystalline forms of MnO2 and/or turning on/off light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are the key dermal component of the hair follicle that directly regulates hair follicle development, growth and regeneration. Successfully isolated and cultured DPCs from Small-tail Han sheep could provide a good model for the study of hair follicle development mechanism in vitro. DPCs were isolated using enzyme digestion and dissecting microscope from Small-tail Han sheep. Adherent cells were identified by cell characteristics, particular gene expression, differentiation capability to adipocyte and osteoblast using specific differentiation mediums. Additionally, flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle of DPCs. Cells originating from the dermal papilla showed the morphological appearance of mesenchymal cells (fibroblast-like cells). Purified DPCs were positive for α-SMA (α smooth muscle actin) and vimentin; in addition to their strong proliferation abilities in vitro, these DPCs can be differentiated into adipocyte and osteoblasts lineage under appropriate culture condition. DPCs were successfully isolated and subcultured from Small-tail Han sheep, which exhibited progenitor cell features and multiple differentiation potency. It provides a material for studying the molecular mechanism of hair follicle development and hair cycle, which will promote wool production in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interventional approaches based on Bandura's cognition theory are effective in improving self-efficacy poststroke. However, a systematical investigation for identifying effectives therapeutic components of the intervention has not yet been conducted. This meta-analysis was conducted to systematically investigated the effects of interventions with different principles on improving self-efficacy after stroke. Searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and two randomized controlled trials registration websites for randomized controlled trials from inception to 18th January 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager and Stata software. In total, 36 RCTs were included. Interventions using any one of the self-efficacy principles – principle 1 (Mastery), principle 2 (Modeling), principle 3 (Social persuasion), and principle 4 (Understanding), were more effective in improving self-efficacy in patients with stroke at post-training and follow-up, compared with the control group. Psycho-educational interventions might significantly improve self-efficacy in both post-intervention and follow-up stages, compared with control group. Meta-regression revealed time since stroke onset was significantly associated with effect sizes. Interventions developed based on Bandura's cognition theory are beneficial to the improvement of self-efficacy. This review highlights principles of Bandura's cognition theory are worth considering to be integrated to interventions targeted at improving self-efficacy. The application of self-efficacy principles with Bandura's cognitive theory could be encouraged in clinical practice in the future. PROSPERO CRD42020154984. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was a retrospective study that evaluated a total of 280 patients who underwent surgery for complete removal of endometriosis to develop and validate the predictive model for stage IV endometriosis. The differences between stage I-III and stage IV endometriosis were performed by logistic regression. A model for the prediction of stage IV endometriosis was constructed, which was subsequently validated. The independent variables were visual analogue scale (VAS)≥4 [3.855, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.675–8.871, p = 0.002], painful nodularity on uterosacral ligaments (13.954, 95% CI: 1.658–117.423, p = 0.015), and bilateral endometriosis (5.933, 95% CI: 1.931–18.225, p = 0.002). The AUC of the model was 0.777, with a sensitivity of 71.9% and specificity of 76.3% for stage IV endometriosis. Therefore, a complete collection of patient information prior to surgery, asking about pain and VAS scores, careful completion of pelvic examinations, and application of imaging techniques are conducive to better diagnosis and prediction of advanced endometriosis. What is already known on this subject? Endometriosis, a chronic disease causing pain and infertility, is characterised by endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity, which is often treated via surgery at present. Considering the risks of surgery, it is necessary to identify patients with stage IV endometriosis through non-invasive predictive models for adequate preparation for surgery. However, there is no reliable non-invasive predictive model now, despite utilisation of patient medical history, symptoms especially pain-related ones, pelvic examinations, laboratory examinations, and images in the preoperative diagnosis of endometriosis in the clinic. What do the results of this study add? A model developed based on three simple, accessible and non-invasive indicators displays good performance in predicting stage IV endometriosis. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? It is conducive to diagnosing and predicting advanced endometriosis before surgery, so as to reduce the difficulty and improve the safety of surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venetoclax monotherapy is an effective option for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Venetoclax has also been used in non-myeloablative conditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for high-risk AML with a tolerable toxicity profile. However, the efficacy and safety of a venetoclax-containing myeloablative conditioning (MAC) allo-HSCT regimen for high-risk AML have not been evaluated. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a MAC regimen containing venetoclax for high-risk AML. From 25 February 2021 to 4 September 2022, a total of 31 patients with high-risk AML who underwent allo-HSCT and a MAC regimen with venetoclax were analyzed. At the time of transplantation, 21 patients were in first complete remission (CR1), 4 were in a second complete remission (CR2), and 6 in non-remission (NR). Twenty-four patients (77.4%) were minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive before transplant. The FLT3-ITD gene mutation was present in 51.6% of patients. NUP98 rearrangement, MLL rearrangement or MLL-PTD and DEK::CAN fusion genes were found in 5 (16.1%), 7(22.6%) and 2 (6.5%) patients, respectively. Twenty-nine (93.6%) patients underwent haploidentical allo-HSCT. The median follow-up time was 278 days (range: 52–632 days). The 100-day cumulative incidence of grade 3 to 4 acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was 16.1% (95%CI, 7.2–36.0%). The 180-day cumulative incidence of moderate to severe chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was 7.1% (95%CI, 1.9–26.9%). Cumulative incidence of 100-day cytomegalovirus (CMV) viraemia and 100-day Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viraemia was 61.6% (95%CI, 46.5–81.4%) and 3.2% (95%CI, 0.4–22.2%), respectively. The 600-day overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were 80.9% (95%CI, 63.5–93.6%) and 81.3% (95%CI, 64.2–93.7%), respectively. The 600-day relapse incidence (RI) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 6.9% (95%CI, 1.8–26.3%) and 11.7% (95%CI, 3.9–35.0%). Our study shows that the addition of venetoclax to a MAC allo-HSCT was feasible, safe and effective for high-risk AML patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-fat diet (HFD) can cause obesity, inducing dysregulation of the visceral adipose tissue (VAT). This study aimed to explore potential biological pathways and hub genes involved in obese VAT, and for that, bioinformatic analysis of multiple datasets was performed. The expression profiles (GSE30247, GSE167311 and GSE79434) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Overlapping differentially expressed genes (ODEGs) between normal diet and HFD groups in GSE30247 and GSE167311 were selected to run protein–protein interaction network, GO and KEGG analysis. The hub genes in ODEGs were screened by Cytoscape software and further verified in GSE79434 and obese mouse model. A total of 747 ODEGs (599 up-regulated and 148 down-regulated) were screened, and the GO and KEGG analysis showed that the up-regulated ODEGs were significantly enriched in inflammatory response and extracellular matrix receptor interaction pathways. On the other hand, the down-regulated ODEGs were involved in metabolic pathways; however, there were no significant KEGG pathways. Furthermore, six hub genes, Mki67, Rac2, Itgb2, Emr1, Tyrobp and Csf1r were acquired. These pathways and genes were verified in GSE79434 and VAT of obese mice. This study revealed that HFD induced VAT expansion, inflammation and fibrosis, and the hub genes could be used as therapeutic biomarkers in obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental setup was built in this study to measure the pressure drop for the horizontal mini-scale elbows under the isothermal boundary condition. Six stainless steel mini-elbows with various bending angles (45° and 90°) and inner diameters (0.6 mm to 4.5 mm) were used as the test section. The experimental setup was verified by comparing the current horizontal straight tube data with the well-known correlations. The Reynolds number range for this study was around 800 to 10,000. The experimental results clearly showed the effect of diameter and angle on the loss coefficient for the 45° and 90° elbows in the entire Reynolds number range. A critical region was shown to be obvious in the 45° elbows than that in the 90° elbows. Basically, the traditional fixed loss coefficient and the 2-K and 3-K methods did not predict the loss coefficients of the 45° and 90° mini-elbows with good accuracy. Therefore, an accurate correlation was developed for different diameters and angles of mini-elbows and the majority of loss coefficients data was predicted within an accuracy of ±20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of effective early diagnostic markers is an obstacle in clinical diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is an increasing popular approach for identification of clinically relevant parameters including biomarkers. 540 subjects, including 274 HCC, 119 liver cirrhosis, 89 hepatitis, and 58 healthy volunteers were enrolled. MALDI-TOF MS was used to select potential novel biomarkers from serum of HCC patients. Its clinical application was evaluated by experiments and clinical data analysis. We identified Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) in serum by MALDI-TOF MS. The expression of Tβ4 was detected up-regulating in HCC cells and tissues which enhanced motility of HCC cells. More important, the level of serum Tβ4 was significantly elevated in HCC patients. The AUROC showed the optimum diagnostic cut-off was 1063.6 ng/mL, ROC and 95% CI of Tβ4 (0.908; 0.880–0.935) were larger than that of serum AFP (0.712; 0.662–0.762; p < 0.001). The sensitivity (91.3% vs 83.1%) and specificity (81.2% vs 20.3%) of serum Tβ4 were higher than alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). In AFP-negative HCC, the sensitivity could reach to 80.5%. ROC analysis showed serum Tβ4 had a better performance compared with AFP in distinguishing early-stage and small HCC. Tβ4 is correlated with TNM stage (p = 0.016) and vascular invasion (p = 0.005). Survival analysis indicated the survival time of Tβ4 positive patients was shorter (p < 0.001). Cox analysis suggested Tβ4 could be an independent factor for HCC prognosis. Tβ4 may serve as a novel biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Prunus phaeosticta (Hance) Maxim. has been characterized by reference-based assembly using Illumina paired-end data. The circular complete cp genome is 158,752 bp in length, comprising a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,085 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,923 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,372 bp.A total of 129 functional genes were identified, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that P. phaeosticta displayed a kinship to Prunus zippeliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Red ginseng polysaccharide (RGP) is an active component of the widely used medicinal plant Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Araliaceae), which has displayed promising activities against cancer cells. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of RGP in ferroptosis is still unknown. Objective: This study evaluates the effects of RGP in cancer cells. Materials and methods: A549 and MDA-MB-231 cells were used. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay after being treated with RGP at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 lg/mL at 0, 12, 24 and 48 h. Lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed by C11-BODIPY assay. The control group was treated with PBS. Results: RGP inhibited human A549 (IC50: 376.2 lg/mL) or MDA-MB-231(IC50: 311.3 lg/mL) proliferation and induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, promoted ferroptosis and suppressed the expression of GPX4. Moreover, the effects of RGP were enhanced by the ferroptosis inducer erastin, while abolished by ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. Discussion and conclusions: Our study is the first to demonstrate (1) the anticancer activity of RGP in human lung cancer and breast cancer. (2) RGP presented the anti-ferroptosis effects in lung and breast cancer cells via targeting GPX4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Monte Carlo method, the ferrimagnetic mixed-spin (3/2, 5/2) Ising model is proposed to research the physical properties of graphene cluster monolayer, such as magnetization, susceptibility, internal energy, specific heat and hysteresis loops. The phase diagrams are also gained to investigate the blocking temperature TB and the discontinuous point TK under the different parameters. The abundant multi-loop hysteresis characteristics are observed, such as quintuple-loop, triple-loop and double-loop, owing to the competition among various parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores an extremely rare disease, thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, for its characteristics and prognostic factors by analyzing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. From 2000 to 2018, cases with a diagnosed thymic MALT lymphoma were extracted. Clinical characteristics, treatments, and survival patterns of these cases were analyzed. Thymic MALT lymphoma (n = 26) accounted for 0.09% of all MALT lymphomas. With a sex ratio of 0.53 (male/female), 68% white population was affected. Most cases were diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage I (50%), yet advanced-stage did not show worse prognosis (p = 0.236). Different treatment protocols did not influence the overall prognosis (p > 0.99). The 5- and 10- year overall survival rates were 83.1% and 78.2%, respectively. Older than 70 years may be an independent risk factor for overall survival (HR = 7.166 [95% CI 1.173–43.756], p = 0.033). Thymic MALT lymphoma is a highly rare disease with a favorable prognosis. Ann Arbor staging might not be appropriate to classify severity of this disease or its treatment. Older people may have worse survival. A standardized treatment mode needs to be established, and surgery could remain as the mainstay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first to assess the safety and therapeutic efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as an adjunctive treatment for Chinese patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). A total of seven patients with TRD underwent surgical implantation of a VNS device were followed over a 9-month period. The 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-24) and the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Neurocognitive function was measured with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). After 3 months of treatment with VNS, the antidepressant response and remission rates were 42.9% and 28.6%, respectively. After 9 months of treatment with VNS, the response and remission rates increased to 85.7% and 57.1%, respectively. Significant time main effects were identified for HAMD-24 scores, HAMA scores, the WMS memory quotient, and the full intelligence quotients measured with the WAIS (all ps < 0.05). The most frequent adverse effects of VNS treatment were voice alteration (100%) and cough frequency increase (71.4%). This preliminary study indicated that adjunctive VNS was effective and safe in treating Chinese patients who were suffering from TRD, and its efficacy increased with time. There is positive evidence to support the role of VNS as an adjunctive treatment in Chinese patients with TRD. The antidepressant efficacy of adjunctive VNS for Chinese patients with TRD increased with time. The most frequent adverse effects of VNS treatment were voice alteration and cough frequency increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid glands are parathyroid glands located completely below the clavicle. At present, most literature reports on ectopic mediastinal parathyroid tumors (EMPT) are case reports or small case sequences. Methods. This study conducted a retrospective analysis of ectopic mediastinal parathyroid tumors cases treated over the past 23 years, summarizing and analyzing general conditions, preoperative positioning, postoperative pathology, intraoperative conditions, and long-term follow-up results. Results. This study enrolled 28 patients. Among them, 27 patients underwent preoperative localization diagnosis using 99mTc-sestamibi scan (MIBI) in conjunction with chest computed tomography (CT), including 26 cases of the anterior superior mediastinum and 2 cases of middle mediastinum. Postoperative pathology revealed 23 cases of parathyroid adenoma, 4 cases of parathyroid hyperplasia, and 1 case of parathyroid cyst. In this study, 12 patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and thoracotomy approaches. Using Mann-Whitney U test, we discovered that VATS approach group is significantly superior in surgical time (P = 0.039) and intraoperative bleeding (P < 0.001). Within one week of surgery, 26 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) experienced a significant decrease in blood parathyroid hormone (PTH) (P < 0.001) and blood calcium (P < 0.001), and all achieved long-term remission. Conclusions. EMPT is most frequently performed in the anterior superior mediastinum. EMPT is predominantly parathyroid tumors, and most of them are associated with PHPT. MIBI and chest CT combination can be used for preoperative lesion localization (positive rate 96.15%). VATS can be used as a better surgical approach. PHPT patients before surgery can achieve long-term symptom relief with surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin (1) was converted into quercetin 7-O-succinyl glucoside (2) by used Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FJ18 as a solvent-resistant whole-cell biocatalyst. The structure of the new compound was confirmed by LC-MS analysis and NMR spectroscopy. The water-solubility of this novel quercetin 7-O-succinyl glucoside (2) was approximately 1000 times higher than that of native quercetin (2). Quercetin (1) and quercetin 7-O-succinyl glucoside (2) exhibited significant DPPH scavenging capacity with IC50 values of 23.55 and 36.05 µM, respectively. Both compounds showed moderate cytotoxic effects against the two human cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and HepG2) with IC50 values ranging from 39.45-63.38 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to systematically identify the critical genes involved in the response to low inorganic phosphorus (Pi) in cotton, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses of root, stem, and leaf from Gossypium hirsutum seedlings grown under both Pi replete and Pi deplete conditions. In total, 1679, 1611, and 841 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in the roots, stems, and leaves, respectively. Several Pi-starvation-induced genes homologous to Arabidopsis were identified, such as SPX, PHO1/2, and PHF1, as well as several members of the PHT1 family, which showed different expression levels in specific organs. Subsequently, 25 randomly selected DEGs were validated by quantitative real-time PCR, the result of which was consistent with the RNA sequencing data, indicating the reliability of RNA-seq data. By analyzing the differentially expressed transcription factors, we found that the MYB family was one of the three most abundant transcription factor families in all three tissues. Moreover, some phytohormone-related DEGs were also found in G. hirsutum seedlings in this study. In particular, some auxin-responsive genes, such as IAA24, IAA11/14/16, and IAA4/14/16/29 were differentially expressed in the roots, stems and leaves of G. hirsutum seedlings respectively. Finally, homologous genes for some important phosphatases such as PPCK1 and VTC4 were also found to be differentially expressed. On analyzing the protein interaction network of 121 shared DEGs, five interaction networks – two of which contained 10 and 6 DEGs, respectively – were identified. These findings provided a theoretical basis for studying the gene function of different cotton tissues in response to low Pi stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of two dosages of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) combined with HBV vaccine (HBVac) to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B in HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive mother. We enrolled 331 mother-infant pairs with HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive maternal state from the Women's Hospital School of Medicine of Zhejiang University. Newborns were randomly distributed into two groups according to the dosages of HBIG injection: 100 IU and 200 IU. Newborns from both groups were injected with HBVac in the same doses. We compared the immune outcomes between the two groups and explore the influencing factors of immune outcomes through regression analysis. There was no statistically significant relationship between HBsAg serological transmission of newborns and dosages of HBIG in HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive mother (p >.05). The Logistic regression showed that high DNA load is a risk factor for passive-active immunoprophylaxis failure for both 100 IU and 200 IU group, but higher-dosage HBIG is not necessary for higher-viral-load pregnant women with HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive. In conclusion, combined application of HBVac and a single dose of 100 IU HBIG can achieve the ideal MTCT interruption results for HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive pregnant women. What is already known on this subject? Passive-active immunoprophylaxis is proved to be effective in preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. Hepatitis B vaccine combined with 100 IU or 200 IU immunoglobulin is mostly recommended in China. What do the results of this study add? At present, there is still a lack scientific basis for improving existing strategies and measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B in China. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? 100 IU and 200 IU immunoglobulin show equivalent blocking effect, and combined use of hepatitis B vaccine and 100 IU immunoglobulin is more cost-effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the event of radiological accidents and cancer radiotherapies in the clinic, the gastrointestinal (GI) system is vulnerable to ionizing radiation and shows GI injury. Accessible biomarkers may provide means to predict, evaluate, and treat GI tissue damage. The current study investigated radiation GI injury biomarkers in rat plasma. High-coverage targeted lipidomics was employed to profile lipidome perturbations at 72 h after 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 Gy (60Co γ-rays at 1 Gy/min) total-body irradiation in male rat jejunum. The results were correlated with previous plasma screening outcomes. In total, 93 differential metabolites and 28 linear dose-responsive metabolites were screened in the jejunum. Moreover, 52 lipid species with significant differences both in jejunum and plasma were obtained. Three lipid species with linear dose-response relationship both in jejunum and plasma were put forth, which exhibited good to excellent sensitivity and specificity in triaging different exposure levels. The linear dose-effect relationship of lipid metabolites in the jejunum and the triage performance of radiation GI injury biomarkers in plasma were studied for the first time. The present study can provide insights into expanded biomarkers of IR-mediated GI injury and minimally invasive assays for evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new phenylethanoid, hebitol IV (1), along with fifteen known glycosides (2-16), were isolated from water extract of the flower buds of Buddleja officinalis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1 D-NMR, 2 D-NMR and MS data. Molecular docking showed the potential activities of the natural products against VEGFR-2. Bioassay results revealed that the compounds 10 and 14 exhibited strong inhibitory activity against VEGFR-2 with IC50 values of 0.51 and 0.32 μM, respectively. Moreover, the potential retinal protective effects of 10 and 14 were then investigated in the mouse model featuring bright light-induced retinal degeneration. The results demonstrated remarkable photoreceptor protective activities of 10 and 14in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss (P. villosa), a perennial herb, is widely used as a medicinal plant in Chinese folk. This study aims to isolate and identify the chemical constituents from P. villosa and evaluate their antioxidant activity. Normal silica column chromatography, ODS silica column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC methods were used to obtain a new compound named 3-n-pentadecyl-4'-methoxyluteolin (1) and two known compounds including luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide methyl ester (2) and apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide methyl ester (3). The antioxidant activity of these compounds was determined by DPPH and ABTS methods and the IC50 values were calculated. The IC50 values of ABTS scavenging activity of 1, 2 and 3 were 12.99 ± 0.09 μM, 7.13 ± 0.07 μM and 5.15 ± 0.08 μM, respectively, and the IC50 values of DPPH scavenging activity of 1, 2 and 3 were 51.86 ± 0.41 μM, 23.95 ± 0.71 μM and 25.06 ± 0.65 μM, respectively. All the compounds exhibited good antioxidant activities in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimethyl itaconate (DMI) is an analog of dimethyl fumarate (DMF), an approved NF-E2-related Factor 2 (Nrf2) activator for multiple sclerosis. This study evaluated the potential of DMI as an anti-inflammatory agent by comparing DMI with DMF in electrophilicity, Nrf2 activation, and anti-inflammation in vitro. The results showed that DMI was less electrophilic but better at inducing a durable activation of Nrf2 when compared with DMF. However, DMI demonstrated poor anti-inflammatory effects in Jurkat cells, bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, and RAW264.7 cells. Our study suggested that DMI was a potent electrophilic Nrf2 activator but was probably not a promising anti-inflammatory agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iterative multireference configuration interaction (IMRCI) has been exploited to calculate the properties of small molecules. Atomisation energies of CH2(1A1), H2O, HF, CH(X2Π), OH(X2Π) and CH2(3B1), and singlet–triplet separations of CH2, NH2+, SiH2, and PH2+ are computed with MRCI and IMRCI. The accuracy of IMRCI is comparable to that of coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples (CCSD(T)), and better than that of MRCI. Singlet–triplet separations calculated with IMRCI are compared with the results of the second and third order Møller-Plesset perturbation theories, CCSD, CCSD(T), MRCI and FCI as well as experimental results. It is shown that the IMRCI method is both accurate and reliable. Moreover, the effect of the frozenness of the highest unoccupied molecular orbital (HUMO) on the IMRCI results is also investigated. It is demonstrated that the frozen HUMO approximation significantly lowers the computational cost of IMRCI with almost the same computational accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the sleep quality and mental health status of healthcare professionals during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in order to promote timely intervention and treatment. An Questionnaire Star of WeChat online survey was conducted at Hwamei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NingBo, China. The questionnaire consisted of two parts including sociodemographic characteristics, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, a depression screening scale (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) so as to investigate the sleep quality and mental health status of healthcare professionals during the outbreak of COVID-19.The data were analyzed with the t-test, χ2 test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean score of PSQI is 5.8 ± 3.7 and the incidence of sleep disorders was 28.8% among the healthcare professionals and was related to occupation, title, education level, role and some underlying diseases. The positive rates for anxiety and depression among the healthcare professionals were 33.2% and 39.4% according to the GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Mental health status was related to occupation, education level, role and some underlying diseases. During the COVID-19 outbreak, sleep quality was significantly correlated with anxiety and depression among the healthcare professionals. The incidences of sleep disorder, anxiety and depression among healthcare professionals have been high. Furthermore, these disorders are interrelated and require timely intervention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease of arteries, which constitutes the pathological basis of a series of cardiovascular diseases. The inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells mediated by oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is the early behavior and main signal of atherosclerosis. In this study, the damage model of vascular endothelial cells treated with ox-LDL was used to reproduce the damage process of vascular endothelial cells in the process of atherosclerosis. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8. The release levels of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected by commercial kits. EdU cell proliferation assay was used to detect cell proliferation, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression level of related genes. The results showed we successfully constructed a vascular endothelial injury model by incubating vascular endothelial cells with gradient concentrations of ox-LDL. The incubation of safflor yellow A (SYA) partially restored the loss of viability of vascular endothelial cells mediated by ox-LDL, and SYA could promote the proliferation of injured vascular endothelial cells. In addition, SYA may transmit related signals through the AMPK pathway to protect vascular endothelial cells from ox-LDL-mediated damage. All these results provide a further understanding of the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis, provide a theoretical basis for the use of SYA-related drugs in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and provide a reference paradigm for studying the pharmacology, toxicology, and mechanism of action of key active substances in TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring medical students are equipped with essential knowledge and portable skills to face complex ethical issues underlines the need for ethics education in medical school. Yet such training remains variable amidst evolving contextual, sociocultural, legal and financial considerations that inform training across different healthcare systems. This review aims to map how undergraduate medical schools teach and assess ethics. Guided by the Systematic Evidence-Based Approach (SEBA), two concurrent systematic scoping reviews were carried out, one on ethics teaching and another on their assessment. Searches were conducted on PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and ERIC between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2020. Data was independently analysed using thematic and content analysis. Upon scrutinising the two sets of full-text articles, we identified 141 articles on ethics teaching and 102 articles on their assessments. 83 overlapped resulting in 160 distinct articles. Similar themes and categories were identified, these include teaching modalities, curriculum content, enablers and barriers to teaching, assessment methods, and their pros and cons. This review reveals the importance of adopting an interactive, multimodal and interdisciplinary team-teaching approach to ethics education, involving community resource partners and faculty trained in ethics, law, communication, professionalism, and other intertwining healthcare professions. Conscientious effort should also be put into vertically and horizontally integrating ethics into formal medical curricula to ensure contextualisation and application of ethics knowledge, skills and attitudes, as well as protected time and adequate resources. A stage-based multimodal assessment approach should be used to appropriately evaluate knowledge acquisition, application and reflection across various practice settings. To scaffold personalised development plans and remediation efforts, multisource evaluations may be stored in a centralised portfolio. Whilst standardisation of curricula content ensures cross-speciality ethical proficiency, deliberative curriculum inquiry performed by faculty members using a Delphi approach may help to facilitate the narrowing of relevant topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fractionation of the ethanolic extract of the roots of Isatis tinctoria L. (I. tinctoria) yielded fourteen indole alkaloids including four new ones, isatisindigoticanine L–N and isatindigoside M. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic techniques including NMR, HRESIMS and IR as well as chemical methods. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by ECD experiments. All the compounds were tested for their inhibitory effects on NO production in mouse mononuclear macrophages (RAW264.7) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results showed that only compound 5 exhibited inhibitory effects with IC50 value of 18.5 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new indolizinium alkaloid, named as cyclizidine J (1), was identified from Gause's liquid fermentation of marine-derived Streptomyces sp. HNA39. Its structure was elucidated by extensive NMR spectroscopic methods, HRESIMS data, and ECD calculations. To our best knowledge, compound 1 was a unique cyclizidine-type alkaloid that contain a chlorine atom substituted at position C-8. Unfortunately, biological evaluation of 1 exhibited no active against PC-3 cancer cell line, BRD4, and ROCK2 protein kinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse SiO2 nanorods with hollow structure were prepared using FeOOH as a template. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms were utilized to characterize the products. With a FeCl3 concentration of 0.1 M, the average length and width of the prepared hollow SiO2 nanorods were 397 nm and 116 nm, respectively, and the average length-diameter ratio was calculated as 3.4. The average size of the nanopores of the amorphous SiO2 shell were measured as 2.5 nm. Furthermore, increasing the concentration of Cl− ions improved length-diameter ratios of the FeOOH nanorod template and hollow SiO2 nanorods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Sm(III) coordination complex, [Sm(DHTA)4(H2O)3]n, was synthesized with 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H2DHTA) as ligand. The crystal structure and properties were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, elemental analysis and TGA analysis. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis showed that Sm(III) ion is nine-coordinate with six oxygen atoms of four DHTA ligands and three oxygen atoms of three H2O molecules, forming a tri-capped trigonal-prism configuration. The adjacent units of the complex are extended into a 3 D supramolecular network. In the IR spectrum of the complex, there are asymmetric and symmetric stretching vibrations of C = O of the carboxyl group. The complex has two weight loss steps in the TG plot. The complex's UV-Vis absorptions at 400 and 261 nm are attributed to the DHTA. Furthermore, there is a fluorescent maximum emission at 476 nm, which is derived from the ligand. The fluorescence is attributed to the ligand-ligand charge transfer of the complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive investments in higher education have witnessed a proliferation of public and private universities in Malaysia. A parallel development of concern is the view that public university graduates are finding it more difficult than their private university counterparts in transiting from university to work. To test the empirical veracity of this widely expressed belief, data from 441 currently employed graduates from three major urban centres were analysed to determine factors that increased the probability of securing permanent employment within six months of graduation, the officially used cut-off period. While the findings indicated that the transition is eased largely by personal endeavours (other than being Chinese) such as mastering English, attaining a high GPA, and participating in extracurricular activities, we also found a negative association between having a public university qualification and the length taken to secure the first permanent job. We discuss the implications of these findings for Malaysian education policy. If a public university degree indeed disadvantages a graduate in transiting to work, it would undermine the role of public universities as avenues for the upward social mobility of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, the large expenditures on public universities would appear to be misallocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven coordination polymers having the general formula {[Ln2(2,6-pydc)(ox)2⋅(H2O)4]⋅3H2O}n (Ln = Sm 1, Eu 2, Gd 3, Tb 4, Dy 5, Ho 6, Er 7; 2,6-pydc2− = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate, ox2− = oxalate) were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Their IR, UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra, and Vis-NIR emission spectra were investigated, and the luminescent properties of the polymers were studied in detail. Crystal structures were determined by means of a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer, and all of them proved to have three-dimensional frameworks. Except for polymers 3 and 7, the polymers displayed the characteristic emissions of Ln(III) ions due to the effective sensitization of ligands. At the same time, the 4f orbitals of Ln(III) ions were shifted by the effects of ligand field, which influenced emission spectra and absorption spectra of some of the polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isatindigoside A and B (1 − 2), two new indole alkaloid glycosides along with five known ones (3 − 7) were obtained from the roots of I. tinctoria. Their structures were determined as isatindigoside A (1), isatindigoside B (2), isatindosulfonicacid A 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), indole-3-acetonitrile 6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), isatindigobisindoloside A (5), isatindigobisindoloside B (6) isatindigobisindoloside F (7), by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods including 1 D, 2 D NMR, IR, HR-ESI-MS data. Nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activities of all of the isolated compounds (1 − 7) were also evaluated. Compounds 2 and 7 showed inhibitory effects against LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 27.6 μM and 18.8 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new alkaloids (1,2) and one new enoic acid (3), together with three known piericidins (4-6), were isolated from the liquid fermentation of the salt lake derived Streptomyces sp. QHA10. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic data (NMR, HRESIMS) as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 3 showed potential anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages with the IC50 value of 24.5 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano (H2dabco)[K(ClO4)3 (DAP-2) were successfully prepared via the milling method. The morphology and structure of the as-obtained sample were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed the nano DAP-2 with nearly spherical morphologies have a narrow particle size distribution ranged from 1μm to 2μm. The thermal decomposition properties were investigated by thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC). The exothermal peak of nano DAP-2 thermal decomposition is 384.5°C decreased by 6.7°C compared with raw DAP-2 (391.2°C). And the apparent activation energy (Ea) of nano DAP-2 was calculated as 173.346 kJ mol−1 by Kissinger equation, which is lower than raw DAP-2 (177.699 kJ·mol−1). Sensitivity study showed that the nano DAP-2 (H50: 60.63 cm) exhibited lower impact sensitivity than raw DAP-2 (H50: 36.79 cm). Therefore, this work provides a simple and effective way to improve the thermal decomposition properties and safety performance of molecular perovskite energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new Krebs-type polyoxometalate-based crystalline materials (H2en)4{[M(Hen)(H2O)]2(WO2)2(B-β-SbW9O33)2}·12H2O (M = Ni2+ in 1, M = Co2+ in 2, M = Mn2+ in 3) (en = ethylenediamine) have been synthesized via hydrothermal method and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Compounds 1-3 display isomorphic structures and contain similar disubstituted Krebs-type {[M(Hen)(H2O)]2(WO2)2(B-β-SbW9O33)2}8- polyoxoanions, in which sandwich-type {(WO2)2(B-β-SbW9O33)2} subunits are linked by [M(Hen)(H2O)]3+ fragments to form two-dimensional layer structures. By employing K3[Fe(CN)6]-Na2S2O3 reaction as the redox model, the influence of metal linkers on the catalytic electron transfer properties of POMs have also been investigated. A series of control experiments demonstrated that the Co-disubstituted compound 2 had better catalytic performance for reducing K3[Fe(CN)6] into K4[Fe(CN)6] among 1-3. While Ni- or Mn-disubstituted compounds 1 and 3 only presented weak effect. Such differences in catalytic properties may arise from their different φѳ of linked heterometal atoms. The current work may provide guidance for the design of Krebs-type polyoxometalate-based heterogeneous catalysts and the exploration of catalytic redox reaction mechanism at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of our efforts toward search for structurally new and bioactive natural products from marine-derived microorganisms, one new compound (1) was characterized from a marine-derived actinomycete Streptomyces sp. SS13M. The structure of new compound was elucidated by the analysis of HRESIMS, 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, and the absolute configuration was determined by ECD calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South China presents an excellent opportunity to build a phylogeographic paradigm for complex geological history, including mountain lifting, climate change, and river capture/reversal events. The phylogeography of cyprinids, particularly Opsariichthys hainanensis, an endemic species restricted to South China, was examined to explore the relationship between the populations in Red River, Hainan Island and its adjacent mainland China. A total of 37 haplotypes were genotyped for the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene in 115 specimens from 11 river systems. Relatively high levels of haplotype diversity (h = 0.946) and low levels of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.014) were detected in O. hainanensis. Four major phylogenetic haplotype groups revealed a relationship between phylogeny and geography. Our results found that (i) the ancestral populations of O. hainanensis were distributed south of the Wuzhishan and Yinggeling mountains, including the Changhua River on Hainan Island, and then spread to the surrounding areas, (ii) the admixtures within lineages occurred between the Red River in North Vietnam and the Changhua River in western Hainan Island and (iii) indicated that the exposure of straits and shelves under water retreat, provides opportunities for population dispersion during glaciations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two supramolecular systems were constructed based on fluorene-based π-conjugated monomers with or without spiro structures, respectively, and their self-assemble behaviour and optical properties were investigated. Concentration-dependent 1H NMR and viscosity measurements indicated a transition from cyclic or oligomeric species at low concentrations to linear supramolecular polymers at high concentrations in the system without spiro structures. In contrast, the formation of cyclic species is minimised and not observed in the system with spiro structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]