Search

Summary: Fermented vegetables are nutritionally beneficial and promote good health. China possesses abundant raw vegetable materials and has a longstanding history of fermented vegetable production. However, the traditional process of vegetable fermentation heavily relies on individual producers' experience and knowledge, resulting in inconsistent flavours, variable quality, and the potential generation of harmful substances. The utilisation of lactic acid fermentation starters can effectively inhibit pathogenic bacteria during the fermentation process, enhance product flavour, reduce nitrite production, improve functional and nutritional value, as well as extend shelf‐life. This article comprehensively reviews factors influencing vegetable fermentation; diverse functions performed by lactic acid bacteria throughout the fermentation process and assesses the current industrialisation status of vegetable fermentation in China. It serves as a valuable reference for promoting high‐quality development within the fermented vegetable industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delirium is the most common neurological complication after cardiac surgery with adverse impacts on surgical outcomes. Advanced age is an independent risk factor for delirium occurrence but its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Although increased A1 astrocytes and abnormal hippocampal networks are involved in neurodegenerative diseases, whether A1 astrocytes and hippocampal network changes are involved in the delirium‐like behavior of aged mice remains unknown. In the present study, a mice model of myocardial ischemia–reperfusion mimicking cardiac surgery and various assessments were used to investigate the different susceptibility of the occurrence of delirium‐like behavior between young and aged mice and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that surgery significantly increased hippocampal A1 astrocyte activation in aged compared to young mice. The high neuroinflammatory state induced by surgery resulted in glutamate accumulation in the extrasynaptic space, which subsequently decreased the excitability of pyramidal neurons and increased the PV interneurons inhibition through enhancing N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors' tonic currents in the hippocampus. These further induced the abnormal activities of the hippocampal neural networks and consequently contributed to delirium‐like behavior in aged mice. Notably, the intraperitoneal administration of exendin‐4, a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist, downregulated A1 astrocyte activation and alleviated delirium‐like behavior in aged mice, while IL‐1α, TNF‐α, and C1q in combination administered intracerebroventricularly upregulated A1 astrocyte activation and induced delirium‐like behavior in young mice. Therefore, our study suggested that cardiac surgery increased A1 astrocyte activation which subsequently impaired the hippocampal neural networks and triggered delirium development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years anatomical pathology has been revolutionised by the incorporation of molecular findings into routine diagnostic practice, and in some diseases the presence of specific molecular alterations are now essential for diagnosis. Spatial transcriptomics describes a group of technologies that provide up to transcriptome‐wide expression profiling while preserving the spatial origin of the data, with many of these technologies able to provide these data using a single tissue section. Spatial transcriptomics allows expression profiling of highly specific areas within a tissue section potentially to subcellular resolution, and allows correlation of expression data with morphology, tissue type and location relative to other structures. While largely still research laboratory‐based, several spatial transcriptomics methods have now achieved compatibility with formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue (FFPE), allowing their use in diagnostic tissue samples, and with further development potentially leading to their incorporation in routine anatomical pathology practice. This mini review provides an overview of spatial transcriptomics methods, with an emphasis on platforms compatible with FFPE tissue, approaches to assess the data and potential applications in anatomical pathology practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Non‐utilization of dental care during adolescence can result in poorer oral health and subsequently higher expenditures on dental services. This study examined the geospatial and epidemiological factors associated with utilization of the publicly funded Adolescent Oral Health Services (AOHS) in Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Methods: A secondary analysis of prospectively collected routine data from AOHS visits of adolescents in school Year 9 (13–14 years) for the financial year 2019–2020. Geographic information systems examined distance from home to dental practices. Multilevel mixed‐effects Poisson regression models investigated associations between geospatial, demographic and clinical factors and non‐utilization of dental services. Models were adjusted for sex, ethnicity, area‐level deprivation, rural/urban classification, previous caries experience and the distance from home address to dental practice referred. Results: Dental practices were concentrated in large urban areas and in the least deprived neighbourhoods, with several service area gaps identified. Rural areas and the most deprived areas of Christchurch City had the highest non‐utilization rates. After adjustment, adolescents residing in the most deprived areas had a higher risk of non‐utilization (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.38; 95% CI 1.26–1.51) compared to adolescents in the least deprived areas. Adolescents in remote areas also had an increased risk of non‐utilization (aRR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.20–1.54) compared to adolescents in urban core areas. Finally, Māori (aRR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.29–1.46) and Pasifika (aRR = 1.46; 95% CI 1.35–1.59) adolescents had significantly higher risks of non‐utilization compared to their NZ European counterparts. Conclusion: Inequitable utilization of dental services exists among adolescents in Canterbury, NZ, and is associated with Māori, Pasifika and those living in rural and most deprived areas. Adolescents at the greatest oral health risk are geographically underserved by current oral health services. The current health system should also explore the possibility of partnering with Māori and Pasifika communities to provide services within culturally appropriate settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring high‐safety but convenient encryption and decryption technologies to combat threats of information leakage is urgently needed but remains a great challenge. Here, a synergistically time‐ and temperature‐resolved information coding/decoding solution based on functional photonic inks is demonstrated. Encrypted messages can be stored into multiple channels with dynamic‐color patterns, and information decryption is only enabled at appointed temperature and time points. Notably, the ink can be easily processed into quick‐response codes and multipixel plates. With high transparency and responsive color variations controlled by ink compositions and ambient temperatures, advanced 3D stacking multichannel coding and Morse coding techniques can be applied for multi‐information storage, complex anticounterfeiting, and information interference. This study paves an avenue for the design and development of dynamic photonic inks and complex encryption technologies for high‐end anticounterfeiting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral amino acids are extensively applied in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and agricultural industries. As a representative example, l‐phosphinothricin (l‐PPT, a chiral non‐natural amino acid) is a broad‐spectrum herbicide. An NAD(H)‐driven biocatalytic system for the asymmetric synthesis of chiral amino acids (focused on l‐PPT) with high efficiency and low cost is highly desired. The key for the development of such biocatalytic system is to obtain an NADH‐dependent biocatalyst with high catalytic performance toward l‐PPT pro‐ketone PPO. Herein, an engineered glutamate dehydrogenase from Lysinibacillus composti (LcGluDH) with desired activity was obtained by gene mining and protein engineering. In silico analyses suggested that the volume of substrate‐binding pocket was substantially enlarged from 330.5 Å3 to 409.6 Å3. The stability of LcGluDH was increased (Tm value increased from 47.3 °C to 65.3 °C) by introducing positively charged amino acids or aromatic amino acids at position 375. The desired biocatalytic system was constructed by coupling the engineered LcGluDH and an NAD+‐dependent FDH. Through this biocatalytic system, the batch production of l‐PPT exhibited high space‐time yield (207.3 g ⋅ L−1 ⋅ day−1) with strict stereoselectivity (ee of l‐PPT>99%). Furthermore, eight other chiral amino acids were synthesised by the developed NAD(H)‐driven biocatalytic system with high ee values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and rapid fabrication method for Al2O3 ceramics by the DCC‐HVCI method via microwave heating was proposed. Effects of microwave heating temperature on coagulation time, micromorphology, as well as performance of the green body and ceramic sample were studied. As the microwave heating temperature rises, the coagulation time gradually reduced and compressive strength of green sample decreased while relative density and flexural strength of ceramics rose at the beginning and then dropped. The 50 vol.% Al2O3 suspension was coagulated and demolded after treating at 60°C for 800 s by microwave heating. The compressive strength of green samples reached 1.12 ± 0.13 MPa. The relative density of Al2O3 ceramic samples reached 99.39%. And the flexural strength of Al2O3 ceramics reached 334.55 ± 26.41 MPa. The Weibull modulus of Al2O3 ceramics reached 19. In contrast with the ceramic samples heated through water bath, the ceramic samples treated through microwave possessed uniform microstructures. Microwave heating could reduce the coagulation time by 77%. Meanwhile, it could significantly raise the compressive strength of green bodies by 65%. Additionally, it could increase the flexural strength of ceramics by 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble Klotho (sKL) is closely related to insulin resistance, which is a major factor in the progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of sKL in the regulation of DCM and the mechanism involved. A mouse model of type 2 diabetes was induced by high‐fat diet and streptozotocin injection. An insulin‐resistant cardiac fibroblast model was established by high glucose and high insulin. KL gene overexpression was achieved in vivo and vitro through transfection with an adenovirus‐harboring KL‐cDNA. Gene overexpression was used to evaluate the role of sKL in the pathophysiologic characteristics of DCM. Insulin‐resistant cardiac fibroblasts reduced sKL expression and collagen deposition. Diabetic mice constructed by streptozotocin exhibited severe insulin resistance, inflammation, fibrosis, left ventricular dysfunction, and sKL downregulation. The overexpression of sKL mitigated insulin resistance and metabolic disturbance; inflammation, fibrosis, and upregulated collagen I/III content ratio in diabetic state were significantly reduced. Our findings were accompanied by notable moderation of cardiac function. Further, blunted phosphorylation of Akt was restored with sKL gene overexpression, and activated phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 in DCM was reduced. Our results suggest that sKL protein overexpression exerts a defensive measure by ameliorating selective insulin resistance in mouse DCM, thus revealing its underlying mechanism for potential human DCM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid supported or ligand capped gold nanomaterials (AuNMs) emerged as versatile and recyclable heterogeneous catalysts for a broad variety of conversions in the ongoing catalytic ′gold rush′. Existing at the border of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, AuNMs offer the potential to merge high catalytic activity with significant substrate selectivity. Owing to their strong binding towards the surface atoms of AuMNs, NHCs offer tunable activation of surface atoms while maintaining selectivity and stability of the NM even under challenging conditions. This work summarizes well‐defined catalytically active NHC capped AuNMs including spherical nanoparticles and atom‐precise nanoclusters as well as the important NHC design choices towards activity and (stereo‐)selectivity enhancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relay selection problem and proposes a three‐stage relay selection strategy with power allocation (TRSPA) for a spectrum‐sensing‐based full‐duplex (FD) user relaying cooperative non‐orthogonal multiple access (CNOMA) scheme. Uniformly‐distributed strong user relays in the investigated scheme help a weak user communicates with the base station in an efficient and reliable way. The proposed TRSPA strategy maximizes the transmission data rate of the selected relay while ensuring successful transmissions for the weak user by precisely narrowing down relay candidates step‐by‐step and dynamically allocating optimal power coefficients. Exact and asymptotic outage probabilities and ergodic rates are worked out. Accordingly, diversity orders and spatial multiplexing gains are derived. We further exploit the impact of self‐interference (SI) on TRSPA for FD‐CNOMA and then compare its performance with TRSPA applied in other relaying modes, that is half‐duplex and orthogonal multiple access. Finally, simulation results reveal that: (i) theoretical derivation results are correct; (ii) TRSPA always outperforms other relay selection strategies in terms of outage probability and ergodic rate; and (iii) TRSPA for FD‐CNOMA in a real‐world scenario achieves better performance than other relaying modes in spite of the adverse effect of SI in FD mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By doping two potassium atoms among three C20F20 cages, peanut‐shaped single molecular solvated dielectron (C20F20)3&K2 was presented theoretically. The triplet structure with two separated excess electrons respectively inside left and middle cages (isomers I or II) are thermodynamically more stable than both open‐shell (OS) and close‐shell (CS) singlet ones with lone pair of excess electrons inside middle cage. Applying an oriented external electric field (×10−4 au) of −20 or a larger one and then releasing it, left‐to‐right transfer occurs for both triplet excess electrons and a new kind of inter‐cage electron‐transfer isomers (III or IV) forms. Triplet structures (I–IV) with three redox sites may be new members of mixed‐valent compounds, namely, Robin‐Day Class II. For electrified I of (C20F20)3&K2, the OS singlet state in small‐ranges of field strengths (−30 to −5 and 5–30), triplet one in mid‐ranges of field strengths (−120 to −30 and 30–111), and CS singlet one in large‐ranges of field strengths (≥111 and ≤−120) are, respectively, ground states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corynespora leaf spot (CLS) is one of the most important diseases in sesame and is caused by a fungal pathogen, Corynespora cassiicola. In this study, we investigated the role of cell‐wall‐degrading enzymes (CWDEs) in the process of pathogen infection and aimed to identify the enzyme that exerts positive effect. Corynespora cassiicola was inoculated in liquid culture and in sesame leaf. At 7 days postinoculation, CWDEs including polygalacturonase (PG), cellulase (CL), neutral xylanase (NEX) and laccase (LC) were detected in the supernatant and leaf extracts inoculated with Corynespora cassiicola. The result showed that the activities of LC and NEX were higher in liquid culture, while the activities of CL and PG were lower. In the sesame leaf infected by Corynespora cassiicola, the activity of NEX was the highest, those of CL and LC were the second highest and that of PG was the weakest, which indicated that NEX was the key enzyme in the process of sesame infection by Corynespora cassiicola. Secondly, the activities of the CWDEs secreted by Corynespora cassiicola were disparate in different sesame varieties. CWDEs activities of cultivar Jz were generally higher than cultivar Hn, and the activity change curve of Jz was also steeper than that of Hn. This indicates that the resistance mechanism of Hn may inhibit the activities of CWDEs and that the appearance and expansion of leaf necrosis spot is related to the comprehensive accumulation and action of various CWDEs. This is the first report investigating the association between CWDEs and pathogenesis of Corynespora cassiicola, causing Corynespora leaf spot in sesame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing the absolute configuration of flexible molecules is difficult, and specific optical rotation (SOR) might be an optional strategy. However, complex conformation distributions inevitably generate ambiguous results. Herein, the relationship between SORs and the absolute configuration of flexible molecules containing a 2‐methylbutyl residue was studied using quantum chemical calculations. The existence of a nitrogen atom might increase the uncertainty of the predicted SOR. Compared with the optical rotation calculation step, the geometry optimization step is more influential. Computational parameters including hybrid functionals, basis sets, and solvation models could exert a great effect on the Boltzmann distribution, leading to substantial variation in the SORs. To achieve unambiguous SOR prediction results for flexible molecules, the calculation needs to be performed using at least two combinations of different levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Dehydropeptidase‐1 (DPEP1) is a zinc‐dependent metalloproteinase abnormally expressed in many cancers. However, its potential role in adults with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is unknown. We found that in adults with common B cell ALL high DPEP1, transcript levels at diagnosis were independently associated with an increased cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and worse relapse‐free survival (RFS) compared with subjects with low transcript levels. We show an increased proliferation and prosurvival role of DPEP1 in B cell ALL cells via regulation of phosphCREB and p53, which may be the biological basis of the clinical correlation we report. Our data implicate DPEP1 expression in the biology of common B cell ALL in adults. We report clinical correlates and provide a potential biological basis for these correlations. If confirmed, analysing DPEP1 transcript levels at diagnosis could help predict therapy outcomes. Moreover, regulation of DPEP1 expression could be a therapy target in B cell ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel pH‐sensitive fluorescent probe T2(OH)B was selected to theoretically investigate its excited state hydrogen bonding effects and excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. First, it was verified that one intramolecular hydrogen bond is formed spontaneously in T2(OH)B itself. Given the geometrical changes, we further confirm that the hydrogen bond should be strengthened in the first excited state. When it comes to the photoexcitation process, we present the charge redistribution around hydrogen bonding moieties facilitate the ESIPT tendency. The increased electronic densities around acceptor promote the attraction of hydrogen protons. The potential energy barrier in the constructed potential energy curves reveals that the ESIPT process of the T2(OH)B system should be ultrafast. And comparing several nonpolar solvents, we deem solvent polarity plays little role in the ESIPT reaction. Furthermore, we also search the S1‐state transition state structure along with the ESIPT path, based on which we simulate the intrinsic reaction coordinate path. We not only confirm the ESIPT mechanism presented in this work but also clarify the ultrafast excited state process and explain previous experiment. We sincerely hope that our theoretical work could guide novel applications based on the T2(OH)B system in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral oedema is a major pathological change of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, the pathogenesis of which is still unclear. In the aquaporin (AQP) water channel family, AQP1 and AQP4 play critical roles in the progress of cerebral oedema of various neuropathological events. However, their functions in CO poisoning have not been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the expressions of AQPs and associated mechanisms of brain injury in an acute CO poisoning rat model. Compared with the control injected intraperitoneally with equal volume of air, the dry weight/wet weight (DW/WW) ratio of brain water content, levels of AQP1, AQP4, phosph‐p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p‐p38 MAPK) and astrocyte marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the frontal cortex and hippocampal CA1 of acute CO poisoning group significantly increased at 6, 12, 24 hours after CO injection. Intracerebroventricular injection with a p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580 (200 µmol/L/kg/d), before CO injection reduced water content in the brain tissues and significantly decreased levels of AQP1, AQP4, p‐p38 MAPK and GFAP. Therefore, our study showed that the overexpressions of AQP1 and AQP4 were involved in the development of CO poisoning‐induced cerebral oedema, which could be attenuated by inhibition of p‐p38 MAPK signalling. Manipulation of AQPs and p38 MAPK may be a new therapeutic strategy for acute CO poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanorods have been synthesized by a membrane-solvothermal method and a series of CoFe2O4/rGO nanocomposites with different reduced graphene oxide (rGO) weight ratios of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% have been synthesized via ultrasonic treatment, named as CoFe2O4/rGO-1, CoFe2O4/rGO-2, CoFe2O4/rGO-3, CoFe2O4/rGO-4, CoFe2O4/rGO-5 and CoFe2O4/rGO-6, respectively. The photocatalytic activity was studied by photodegradation of malachite green (MG), and the wave absorbing performance was studied by network vector analyzer. CoFe2O4 had the function of magnetic separation, which had largely reduced the separation difficulty of photocatalyst and dye wastewater. Among all the graphenebased composites, CoFe2O4/rGO-5 has the most excellent photocatalytic performance which could eliminate about 93.48% of MG in 90 min. Even after five cycles, the photocatalytic degradation rate of MG was still above 88%, suggesting that CoFe2O4/rGO-5 is a promising photocatalyst for recyclable utilization. The wave absorption test results showed that the electromagnetic wave reflection loss of CoFe2O4/rGO nanocomposites was lower than that of pure CoFe2O4, which showed that the addition of graphene could effectively enhance the absorbing properties of materials. When the thickness of the absorbing layer was 2.5 mm, the reflection loss of the CoFe2O4/rGO-4 nanocomposite reached the maximum value of 17 GHz at -11.1 dB and the bandwidth of less than -10 dB was 2.3 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to discuss the relationship between interferon regulatory factor (IRF)5 gene rs2004640 T/G polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility. Methods: A meta‐analysis was calculated on the association between rs2004640 polymorphism and SLE by allelic contrast (T vs G), additive model (TT vs GG), recessive model (TT vs TG + GG) and dominant model (TT + TG vs GG). Results: A total of 28 comparisons were identified, including 11 228 SLE cases and 14 374 controls. Meta‐analysis revealed a significant association between allele T and SLE in overall populations (odds ratio [OR] = 1.393, 95% CI: 1.276‐1.522, P < 0.001). Stratification by ethnicity indicated strong associations between T allele and SLE in Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans (OR = 1.256, 95% CI: 1.073‐1.469, P = 0.004; OR = 1.338, 95% CI: 1.080‐1.659, P = 0.008; OR = 1.853, 95% CI: 1.488‐2.308, P < 0.001). Results also showed significant associations between the additive model and SLE in all subjects and Asians (OR = 1.999, 95% CI: 1.442‐2.771, P < 0.001; OR = 1.544, 95% CI: 1.009‐2.362, P < 0.045). In addition, we found significant associations between the dominant model and SLE in all populations and Asians (OR = 1.521, 95% CI: 1.257‐1.841, P < 0.001; OR = 1.270, 95% CI: 1.136‐1.421, P < 0.001). A marginal association was detected between the recessive mode and SLE in overall subjects (OR = 1.480, 95% CI: 1.022‐2.144, P = 0.038). Conclusion: The current study suggested that individuals carrying rs2004640 T allele correlated with a high risk of SLE, and the IRF5 rs2004640 polymorphism was associated with SLE susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a study that discussed the diabetes medication therapy management. It mentions about Diabetes mellitus as an important public health problem, and one of four priority non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and also focuses on cost-effective interventions such as blood glucose control through a combination of diet, physical activity, weight management and medicines.

Gut microbiome is integral to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. A novel probiotic Lactobacillus intestinalis (L. intestinalis) exerts a protective effect against dextran sodium sulfate‐induced colitis in mice. Based on flow cytometry, colitis‐associated Th17 cells are the target of L. intestinalis, which is supported by the lack of protective effects of L. intestinalis in T cell‐null Rag1−/− mice or upon anti‐IL‐17‐A antibody‐treated mice. Although L. intestinalis exerts no direct effect on T cell differentiation, it decreases C/EBPA‐driven gut epithelial SAA1 and SAA2 production, which in turn impairs Th17 cell differentiation. Cometabolism of L. intestinalis ALDH and host ALDH1A2 contributed to elevated biosynthesis of retinoic acid (RA), which accounts for the anti‐colitis effect in RAR‐α ‐mediated way. In a cohort of ulcerative colitis patients, it is observed that fecal abundance of L. intestinalis is negatively associated with the C/EBPA‐SAA1/2‐Th17 axis. Finally, L. intestinalis has a synergistic effect with mesalazine in alleviating murine colitis. In conclusion, L. intestinalis and associated metabolites, RA, have potential therapeutic effects for suppressing colonic inflammation by modulating the crosstalk between intestinal epithelia and immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent findings showed elevated expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐like ligand 1A (TL1A) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and arthritis mice. However, whether TL1A gene polymorphisms may correlate with RA susceptibility needs to be discussed. This case‐control study was performed on 350 RA patients and 556 healthy subjects to identify TL1A genetic variants (rs3810936, rs6478109, and rs7848647) and their possible association with TL1A levels, susceptibility to and severity of RA. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated to represent the correlation between TL1A polymorphisms and RA. The TL1A serum levels were evaluated. Results showed that frequencies of TC, TT + TC genotypes of rs3810936, rs7848647 in RA patients were significantly lower in RA patients compared with controls. Patients with C allele showed more severe disease course (disease activity index: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor) than in carriers of T allele. However, the allele or genotype frequencies of rs6478109 were not associated with RA. In addition, TL1A genetic variants conferred higher TL1A levels in RA patients compared with controls. In conclusion, these findings indicated an association between TL1A rs3810936, rs7848647 variation and the susceptibility of RA in a sample of Chinese individuals, and TL1A may correlate with severity of RA. 1.TNF‐like ligand 1A (TL1A) gene polymorphisms correlated with RA.2.TL1A protein concentrations were elevated in RA patients.3.TL1A may play important roles in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to discuss plasma and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interleukin (IL)‐37 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and evaluate the potential of plasma IL‐37 as a biomarker for RA. Method: Plasma IL‐37 levels and IL‐37 mRNA relative concentrations were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). We discussed the association of IL‐37 levels and clinical, laboratory parameters in RA patients in a training cohort. Plasma IL‐37 levels were tested for discriminatory capacity by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We then validated plasma IL‐37 expression in a cohort of 598 patients (230 RA, 107 systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], 100 osteoarthritis [OA], 62 gout, 51 primary Sjögren's syndrome [pSS], 48 ankylosing spondylitis [AS]). Results: Both plasma levels of IL‐37 and mRNA levels of IL‐37 were elevated in RA patients compared to those in healthy controls in the training cohort, and there was a good diagnostic ability to predict RA (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.97). Plasma IL‐37 levels were significantly related to Disease Activity Score of 28 joints ‐ erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28‐ESR) (rs = 0.459, P < 0.001). The levels of IL‐37 mRNA were related to plasma IL‐37 levels (rs = 0.642, P < 0.001), DAS28‐ESR (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) and C‐reactive protein (rs = 0.603, P < 0.001). In the validation cohort, when plasma IL‐37 in RA patients compared with that in SLE, OA, gout, pSS and AS patients, the AUC was 0.86, 0.87, 0.91, 0.87, 0.92, respectively. Conclusion: IL‐37 expression was increased in RA patients, and correlated with disease activity. IL‐37 may be a biomarker for the diagnosis of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) preserve charge by reversible physisorption of electrolyte ions on the surface of porous active materials. Therefore, engineering a reasonable pore structure and reducing oxygen‐containing groups of carbon materials are efficient approaches to enable rapid ion diffusion pathways and long life span, respectively. Here, humic acid (HA)‐derived hierarchical porous carbon was fabricated by vacuum freeze‐drying, KOH activation, and subsequent annealing. The macropores were generated from the vacancies where the ice crystals in the HA–KOH gels initially occupied during vacuum‐freeze drying, while abundant micropores were created from homogeneous KOH activation. In addition, subsequent annealing further reduced the oxygen‐containing groups. When used as EDLC electrodes in 1 mol/L TEABF4/PC organic electrolyte, they could give a high capacitance of 150 F/g at 0.05 A/g and excellent rate performance of 81% (with capacitance of 121.46 F/g at 10 A/g). More importantly, the hierarchical porous carbon displays superior capacity retention of 85.6% after 10,000 cycles at 1 A/g at 2.7 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a theoretical investigation about the excited state dynamical mechanism of 2‐(4′‐N,N‐dimethylaminophenyl)‐imidazo[4,5‐c]pyridine (DMAPIP‐c). Within the framework of density functional theory and time‐dependent density functional theory methods, we reasonably repeat the experimental electronic spectra, which further confirm the theoretical level used in this work is feasible. Given the best complex model, 3 methanol (MeOH) solvent molecules should be connected with DMAPIP‐c forming DMAPIP‐c‐MeOH complex in both ground state and excited state. Exploring the changes about bond lengths and bond angles involved in hydrogen bond wires, we find the O7‐H8···N9 one should be largely strengthened in the S1 state, which plays an important role in facilitating the excited state intermolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. In addition, the analyses about infrared vibrational spectra also confirm this conclusion. The redistribution about charges distinguished via frontier molecular orbitals based on the photoexcitation, we do find tendency of ESIPT reaction due to the most charges located around N9 atom in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. Based on constructing the potential energy curves of both S0 and S1 states, we not only confirm that the ESIPT process should firstly occur along with hydrogen bond wire O7‐H8···N9, but also find a low potential energy barrier 8.898 kcal/mol supports the ESIPT reaction in the S1 state forming DMAPIP‐c‐MeOH‐PT configuration. Subsequently, DMAPIP‐c‐MeOH‐PT could twist its dimethylamino moiety with a lower barrier 3.475 kcal/mol forming DMAPIP‐c‐MeOH‐PT‐TICT structure. Our work not only successfully explains previous experimental work but also paves the way for the further applications about DMAPIP‐c sensor in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To retrospectively identify characteristics and risk factors of viral encephalitis ( VE) in patients who underwent a haplo-identical hematopoietic stem cell transplant ( HSCT). Methods A nested case-control study was designed. Cases with VE and controls were identified from a cohort composed of 1274 patients who underwent a haplo-identical HSCT from 2012 to 2015. Results VE was identified in 30 patients (2.4%). The median time from HSCT to diagnosis was 144.5 days. The viruses detected included RSV-B (43.3%), BKV (23.3%), more than one virus (10%), cytomegalovirus ( CMV) (6.7%), RSV-A (6.7%), HSV (3.3%), HHV-6 (3.3%), and CVB3 (3.3%). Alterations of consciousness and seizures were the most frequently presented symptoms. Neuroimaging detected abnormalities in 19 (76%) patients. The cerebral spinal fluid cell count, protein, and glucose concentration were elevated in eight (26.7%), 18(60%), and nine (30%) patients, respectively. The treatment efficacy and prognoses varied considerably based on the different causative viruses. Multivariate analyses revealed that acute graft-versus-host disease (grade III- IV), CMV viremia, and engraftment syndrome were significantly and independently associated with VE. The cumulative mortality rate was significantly higher in patients suffering from VE than in the controls. Conclusion Characteristics, such as onset time, response to treatment, and outcome, varied based on the different causative viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider an energy-efficiency multichannel cognitive radio (CR) where the secondary user (SU) can harvest the signal energy from the primary user (PU) to supply the power transmission. The goal of this paper is to determine an optimal joint spectrum sensing and transmission power allocation that maximizes the average throughput of the multichannel SU over all the subchannels subject to the constraints of subchannel sensing probabilities, interference power, and total transmission power. The SU harvests the PU energy, which is then converted into electrical energy and stored in the battery if the presence of the PU is detected, while consuming the stored energy to transmit data if the absence of the PU is detected. The allocation scheme is formulated as a joint optimization problem of spectrum sensing time and subchannel transmission power vector, whose optimal solution is obtained through the joint optimization algorithm based on alternating direction optimization. Analytical and numerical results show that the proposed energy-efficiency CR outperforms the traditional CR without energy harvesting, and the transmission power of the energy-efficiency CR improves both with the increasing of the spectrum sensing time and the presence probability of the PU. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new gallium corrole complexes, 10-(4-Methoxycarbonylphenyl) -5, 15-bis(pentafluorophenyl)corrolatogallium(III)( 1-Ga) and 5,15-bis(4-Methoxycarbonylphenyl)-10-(pentafluorophenyl)corrolatogallium(III)( 2-Ga), were synthesized and characterized. The interaction of these gallium corrole complexes with CT-DNA was studied by fluorescence methods, UV-visible, viscosity measurements, molecular docking as well as agarose gel electrophoresis. The results revealed that both 1-Ga and 2-Ga interact with DNA via major groove binding and could cleavage the supercoiled plasmid DNA efficiently under irradiation. The inhibitor and singlet oxygen test indicated that singlet oxygen was the reactive oxygen species involved in the photocleavage DNA initiated by 1-Ga or 2-Ga. Cell viability experiments indicated that 1-Ga and 2-Ga show high photocytotoxicity and low dark toxicity towards tested QGY-7701 and MHCC-H/L tumor cell lines. Fluorescence probe tests showed the absorbed 1-Ga and 2-Ga in tumor cells are mainly localized in mitochondria, and the mitochondria membrane potential disruption was observed after irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for ~20-25% of breast cancers. While DCIS is not lifethreatening, it may progress to invasive carcinoma over time, and treatment intended to prevent invasive progression may itself cause significant morbidity. Accurate risk assessment is therefore necessary to avoid over- or undertreatment of an individual patient. In this review we will outline the evidence for current management of DCIS, discuss approaches to DCIS risk assessment and challenges facing identification of novel DCIS biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of dendritic spine morphology is a critical aspect of neuronal network refinement during development and modulation of neurotransmission. Previous studies revealed that glutamatergic transmission plays a central role in synapse development. AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors regulate spine morphology in an activity dependent manner. However, whether and how Kainate receptors (KARs) regulate synapse development remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that GluK1 and GluK2 may play distinct roles in synapse development. In primary cultured hippocampal neurons, we found overexpression of the calcium‐permeable GluK2(Q) receptor variant increased spine length and spine head area compared to overexpression of the calcium‐impermeable GluK2(R) variant or EGFP transfected, control neurons, indicating that Q/R editing may play a role in GluK2 regulation of synapse development. Intriguingly, neurons transfected with GluK1(Q) showed decreased spine length and spine head area, while the density of dendritic spines was increased, suggesting that GluK1(Q) and GluK2(Q) have different effects on synaptic development. Swapping the critical domains between GluK2 and GluK1 demonstrated the N‐terminal domain (NTD) is responsible for the different effects of GluK1 and GluK2. In conclusion, Kainate receptors GluK1 and GluK2 have distinct roles in regulating spine morphology and development, a process likely relying on the NTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HNO has broad chemical and biomedical properties. Metal complexes and derivatives are widely used to make excellent HNO sensors. However, their favorable mechanistic origins are largely unknown. Cu cyclam is a useful platform to make excellent HNO sensors including imaging agents. A quantum chemical study of Cu cyclams with various substitutions was performed, which reproduced diverse experimental reactivities. Structural, electronic, and energetic profiles along reaction pathways show the importance of HNO binding and a proton‐coupled electron transfer mechanism for HNO reaction. Results reveal that steric effect is primary and electronic factor is secondary (if the redox potential is sufficient), but their interwoven effects can lead to unexpected reactivity, which looks mysterious experimentally but can be explained computationally. This work suggests rational substituent design ideas and recommends a theoretical study of a new design to save time and cost due to its subtle effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HNO has broad chemical and biomedical properties. Metal complexes and derivatives are widely used to make excellent HNO sensors. However, their favorable mechanistic origins are largely unknown. Cu cyclam is a useful platform to make excellent HNO sensors including imaging agents. A quantum chemical study of Cu cyclams with various substitutions was performed, which reproduced diverse experimental reactivities. Structural, electronic, and energetic profiles along reaction pathways show the importance of HNO binding and a proton‐coupled electron transfer mechanism for HNO reaction. Results reveal that steric effect is primary and electronic factor is secondary (if the redox potential is sufficient), but their interwoven effects can lead to unexpected reactivity, which looks mysterious experimentally but can be explained computationally. This work suggests rational substituent design ideas and recommends a theoretical study of a new design to save time and cost due to its subtle effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of animal and clinical experiments show that 1,3‐diglyceride (1,3‐DAG) can significantly ameliorate obesity by improving blood lipid and glucose metabolism. After microencapsulation, it cannot only be used to prepare full‐nutrient food that meets the nutritional requirements of specific patients, but also improve the storage stability of oils. In this study, 1,3‐DAG microcapsules are prepared by using high‐amylose corn starch, resistant dextrin, and sodium caseinate as composite wall materials, and 1,3‐DAG with a purity of 80% as core material. Firstly, the water phase and oil phase are mixed evenly, and then the uniform emulsion is prepared by two steps of high‐speed shearing and high‐pressure homogenization. The prepared emulsion is desiccated by a spray dryer to prepare microcapsules. Taking the encapsulation rate as the judging criteria, five gradients of core and wall material are designed to obtain the optimal formula. The results show that when the amount of core material is 28% and the wall material is 70%, the encapsulation rate of 99.51% is the highest. The prepared 1,3‐DAG microcapsules have water content of 1.9% and solubility of 98.05%, the average particle size is 2.921 µm. The particles are uniform and stable, with fine color and texture, and a high oil content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel forming method-aqueous gelcasting was used to assist conventional solid-state method to prepare 45 wt% Ba0.6 Sr0.4 TiO3-55 wt% MgO ( BSTM) ceramic powders. For comparison purpose, conventional solid-state method was also used to synthesize the same powders. It is found that the BSTM ceramic powders prepared by our method are more uniform with smaller and more sphere-like particles than those prepared by the conventional method, whereas the phase compositions are completely the same no matter what powder preparation method is adopted. In addition, the BSTM green samples and ceramics from powders prepared by our method are more uniform than those from powders prepared by the conventional method. Moreover, it is found that using this novel method to prepare BSTM ceramic powders could not only improve the dielectric properties of the BSTM ceramics, but also decrease their sintering temperature. Aqueous gelcasting-assisted solid-state method could be a novel promising method to prepare high performance ceramic powders in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: PIWI protein family was found to play an important role in stem cell self-renewal. Overexpression of HIWI, the human homolog of PIWI family proteins, was found in several solid tumors, although the role of HIWI in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its prognostic value remain unclear. METHODS: HIWI expression was measured in stepwise metastatic HCC cell lines (HCCLM3, MHCC97H, MHCC97L, SMMC7721, and HepG2), the normal liver cell line (L02), and HCC tissue samples (n = 20). Proliferation and invasion were investigated in HCC cell lines undergoing HIWI target small interfering RNA transfection. Also explored was HIWI expression in HCC tissue microarrays (n = 168) for survival analysis. RESULTS: Levels of HIWI protein and mRNA were up-regulated in highly metastatic HCC cell lines (HCCLM3, MHCC97H, and MHCC97L), whereas their proliferation and invasion significantly decreased after depletion of HIWI. Intratumoral HIWI expression was higher than that of peritumoral tissue ( P < .001) and positively associated with proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression ( P < .001). Positive expression of intratumoral HIWI was associated with larger tumor size ( P = .047) and intrahepatic metastasis ( P = .027) and was an independent risk factor for overall survival ( P = .007) and recurrence-free survival ( P = .036), particularly in patients with low serum α-fetoprotein and low Edmondson-Steiner grade. CONCLUSIONS: HIWI may play a key role in HCC proliferation and metastasis and can be a potential prognostic factor for HCC after curative resection, particularly with well-differentiated HCC. Cancer 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: 12/15-Lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) is an enzyme widely distributed in the central nervous system, and it has been involved in the neurobiology of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, the mechanism involved remains elusive. Methods: We investigated the molecular mechanism by which 12/15-LO regulates amyloid β (Aβ)/Aβ precursor protein (APP) metabolism in vivo and in vitro by genetic and pharmacologic approaches. Results: Here we show that overexpression of 12/15-LO leads to increased levels of β-secretase-1 (BACE1) mRNA and protein, a significant elevation in Aβ levels and deposition, and a worsening of memory deficits in AD transgenic mice. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that 12/15-LO regulates BACE1 mRNA expression levels via the activation of the transcription factor Sp1. Thus, 12/15-LO-overexpressing mice had elevated levels of Sp1 and BACE1, whereas 12/15-LO-deficient mice had reduced levels of both. Preventing Sp1 activation by pharmacologic inhibition or dominant-negative mutant blocks the 12/15-LO-dependent elevation of Aβ and BACE1 levels. Interpretation: Our findings demonstrate a novel pathway by which 12/15-LO increases the amyloidogenic processing of APP through a Sp1-mediated transcriptional control of BACE1 levels that could have implications for AD pathogenesis and therapy. ANN NEUROL 2012;71:57-67 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperhomocysteine (HHcy) is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, we showed that diet-induced HHcy accelerated the AD-like phenotype of a transgenic mouse model, i.e., Tg2576. In the present work, we tested whether an HHcy-lowering strategy in this model would be beneficial. Tg2576 mice received methionine-rich or regular chow diet for 5 mo. Next, while the chow control group was kept on the same regimen, the other mice were randomized into two groups: one was kept on the methionine-rich diet (Met On), the other switched to chow (Met Off). Compared with controls, 5 mo on the methionine-rich diet resulted in HHcy (plasma Hcy level, treated: 12.7±1.2±M vs. control: 3.1±0.4 ±M) and significant behavioral impairments (% freezing, treated: 2.4±1.4% vs. control: 19.9±6.9%). At the end of the study, while the Met On group kept Hcy level elevated, the Met Off group had these values indistinguishable from the controls. The reduction in Hcy levels resulted in a significant improvement of the fear-conditioning performance, and an amelioration of the brain amyloidosis. Our results demonstrate that lowering HHcy in a transgenic AD-mouse model is beneficial since it significantly improves behavior deficits and brain amyloidosis. Our findings provide new biological insights for future clinical trials aimed at lowering this modifiable risk factor in human AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding shows enormous promise for the rapid identification of organisms at the species level. There has been much recent debate, however, about the need for longer barcode sequences, especially when these sequences are used to construct molecular phylogenies. Here, we have analysed a set of fungal mitochondrial sequences — of various lengths — and we have monitored the effect of reducing sequence length on the utility of the data for both species identification and phylogenetic reconstruction. Our results demonstrate that reducing sequence length has a profound effect on the accuracy of resulting phylogenetic trees, but surprisingly short sequences still yield accurate species identifications. We conclude that the standard short barcode sequences (∼600 bp) are not suitable for inferring accurate phylogenetic relationships, but they are sufficient for species identification among the fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZTM ceramics comprising of 0.75ZnAl2O4–0.25TiO2 and MgTiO3 at a ratio of 90:10 wt.% are widely used in the field of communication as filters and resonators owing to their excellent microwave dielectric properties. However, the development of such dielectrics with complex structures, as required by microwave devices, is difficult using traditional fabrication methods. In this study, ZTM microwave dielectric ceramics were prepared using the digital light processing (DLP) technology. The influence of the sintering temperature on the phase composition, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of ZTM ceramics was investigated. Results showed that with an increase in the sintering temperature, the dielectric constant (εr) and quality factor (Q × f) of ZTM ceramics initially increased owing to the increase in the density and diffusion of ions. However, when the sintering temperature was excessively high, the abnormal growth of crystal grains and micropores led to a decrease in εr and Q × f. The ZTM ceramics sintered at 1450°C exhibited the optimum microwave dielectric properties (εr = 12.99, Q × f = 69 245 GHz, τf = −9.50 ppm/°C) owing to the uniform microstructure and a high relative density of 95.02%. These results indicate that DLP is a promising method for preparing high‐performance microwave dielectric ceramics with complex structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anionic redox chemistry is now viewed as the effective paradigm of improving the capacity of layered oxide materials in Sodium‐ion battery. In this study, O3‐type layered oxide NaLi0.18Co0.23Ru0.59O2 (NLCR) with O redox ability is successfully synthesized via a facile solid‐state synthesis method. By manipulating the calcinate atmosphere with air and argon (sort by NLCR‐Air NLCR‐Ar respectively), a large amount of O vacancy is introduced in the NLCR‐Air cathode. NLCR‐Air with sufficient O vacancy exhibited superior rate performance which showed 87.7% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 20 C. Both NLCR‐Air and NLCR‐Ar showed activation of O redox properties which is supported by the soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS). Nevertheless, the in‐situ X‐ray diffraction and sXAS studies disclosed the O vacancy can promote the reversible phase transition and effectively suppress the irreversible O redox upon cycling. These are further supported by theoretical study which suggested a fast kinetic of Na diffusion and less electron agglomeration around the O atom for NLCR‐Air with O vacancy.The research proposed a modification strategy with extraordinary reversible O redox property within O3‐type layered cathode and offered a novel insight into understanding the anionic redox mechanism thus provide guidance of material design advanced energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li‐rich and Li‐excess oxides have been regarded as a promising category of cathode materials for next‐generation Li‐ion batteries due to their high energy density on basis of anionic/cationic redox chemistry. However, the application of Li‐excess oxides suffers from significant problems, such as irreversible lattice oxygen loss and structural distortion. A Li/Na‐ion exchange strategy can be regarded as an effective way to address these obstacles by tuning oxygen stacking arrangements and the coordination environment of alkali metal within emerging structures. Herein, the state‐of‐the‐art progress made within conventional and Li‐excess layered cathodes generated by ion exchange strategy at first is reviewed. Moreover, the mechanisms of oxygen redox, the migrations of Li/transition metals, and structural evolutions within Li‐excess oxides have been further clarified by advanced characterizations, which play an important role in understanding lattice oxygen release, irreversible transition metal migration, phase transition, and the root of capacity/voltage decay. In addition, the theory calculations based on density of states, oxygen release energy, and migration energy barriers of Li/transition metals are systematically summarized, providing an essential guidance to harvest stable oxygen‐related redox reactions within Li‐excess materials. Altogether, this review offers fundamental understanding and future perspectives toward the rational design of high‐energy‐density Li‐excess oxides with reversible anionic/cationic redox chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* Premise of the study: We developed microsatellite makers for Parakmeria nitida to investigate its population structure and conservation genetics. * Methods and Results: A total of 25 microsatellite primer pairs were developed using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining repeats (FIASCO) protocol, and polymorphism was assessed in three natural populations of P. nitida. Among these markers, 11 were monomorphic and 14 showed polymorphism. * Conclusions: These markers are potentially useful for future population genetic analyses of P. nitida and will serve as an important tool for conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with individuals with hearing loss, tinnitus patients without hearing loss have more psychological or emotional problems. Tinnitus is closely associated to abnormal metabolism and function of the limbic system, a key brain region for emotion experience, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Using whole‐brain microvasculature dynamics imaging, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is identified as a key brain region of limbic system involve in the onset of salicylate‐induced tinnitus in mice. In the tinnitus group, there is enhanced purine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and a distinct pattern of phosphorylation in glutamatergic synaptic pathway according to the metabolome profiles, quantitative proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data of mice ACC tissue. Electroencephalogram in tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds show that the functional connectivity between pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and the primary auditory cortex is significantly increased for high‐gamma frequency band, which is positively correlated with the serum glutamate level. These findings indicate that ACC plays an important role in the pathophysiology of tinnitus by interacting with the primary auditory cortex and provide potential molecular targets in the ACC for tinnitus treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon‐centered radicals stabilized by adjacent boron atoms are underexplored reaction intermediates in organic synthesis. This study reports the development of vinyl cyclopropyl diborons (VCPDBs) as a versatile source of previously unknown homoallylic α,α‐diboryl radicals via thiyl radical catalyzed diboron‐directed ring opening. These diboryl stabilized radicals underwent smooth [3+2] cycloaddition with a variety of olefins to provide diboryl cyclopentanes in good to excellent diastereoselectivity. In contrast to the trans‐diastereoselectivity observed with most of the dicarbonyl activated VCPs, the cycloaddition of VCPDBs showed a remarkable preference for formation of cis‐cyclopentane diastereomer which was confirmed by quantitative NOE and 2D NOESY studies. The cis‐stereochemistry of cyclopentane products enabled a concise intramolecular Heck reaction approach to rare tricyclic cyclopentanoid framework containing the diboron group. The mild reaction conditions also allowed a one‐pot VCP ring‐opening, cycloaddition‐oxidation sequence to afford disubstituted cyclopentanones. Control experiments and DFT analysis of reaction mechanism support a radical mediated pathway and provide a rationale for the observed diastereoselectivity. To the authors' knowledge, these are the first examples of the use of geminal diboryl group as an activator of VCP ring opening and cycloaddition reaction of α‐boryl radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Sevoflurane is widely used for general anesthesia in children. Previous studies reported that multiple neonatal exposures to sevoflurane can induce long‐term cognitive impairment in adolescent rats, but the underlying mechanisms were not defined. Methods: Postnatal day 6 (P6) to P8 rat pups were exposed to 30% oxygen with or without 3% sevoflurane balanced with air. The Y maze test (YMT) and Morris water maze (MWM) tests were performed in some cohorts from age P35 to assess cognitive functions, and their brain samples were harvested at age P14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 for measurements of various molecular entities and in vivo electrophysiology experiments at age P35. Results: Sevoflurane exposure resulted in cognitive impairment that was associated with decreased synCAM1 expression in parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, a reduction of PV phenotype, disturbed gamma oscillations, and dendritic spine loss in the hippocampal CA3 region. Enriched environment (EE) increased synCAM1 expression in the PV interneurons and attenuated sevoflurane‐induced cognitive impairment. The synCAM1 overexpression by the adeno‐associated virus vector in the hippocampal CA3 region restored sevoflurane‐induced cognitive impairment, PV phenotype loss, gamma oscillations decrease, and dendritic spine loss. Conclusion: Our data suggested that neonatal sevoflurane exposure results in cognitive impairment through decreased synCAM1 expression in PV interneurons in the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response from the authors of the article "Ductal carcinoma in situ—update on risk assessment and management" in the 2016 issue is presented.

In this work, based on density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods, we theoretically explore the excited state behavior for a novel dye molecule 3,3′‐(5,5′‐((1E,1E′)‐hydrazine‐1,2‐diylidenebis (methanylylidene))bis(2‐morpholinothiazole‐5,4‐diyl))bis(4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one) (CS‐Azine). Coupling with atoms in molecules, we investigate the intramolecular dual hydrogen bonds of CS‐Azine system and verify the formation of them. Via study the primary bond distances, bond angle, and infrared vibrational spectra involved in hydrogen bonding moieties, we find O1‐H2···N3 and O4‐H5···N6 of CS‐Azine should be strengthened in the S1 state. When exploring the photo‐excitation process, we confirm that the charge redistribution around hydrogen bonding moieties reveals the tendency of ESIPT reaction. To further investigate whether single or double proton transfer occurs in the S1 state, we consider two kinds of reaction paths (ie, the stepwise and synergetic ESIPT reactions). And the constructed potential energy curves demonstrate that only the single proton transfer reaction should be the most supported in the S1 state from CS‐Azine to CS‐Azine‐SPT form due to the low potential energy barrier. This work not only clarifies the excited state behavior and mechanism about CS‐Azine system but also paves the way for further applying CS‐Azine dye in future. Highlights: Although two hydrogen bonds exist for CS‐Azine system, only the single proton transfer reaction should be the most supported one in the S1 state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have received significant attention as gold nanoparticle stabilizers due to their strong binding affinity towards gold. However, their tunability is limited by the difficulty in obtaining nonsymmetric NHCs. In this regard, N‐acyclic carbenes (NACs) are attractive alternatives due to their high synthetic versatility, allowing easy tuning of their steric and electronic properties towards specific applications. This work reports the first series of stable and monodisperse NAC‐functionalized gold nanoparticles. These particles with sizes ranging 3.8 to 11.6 nm were characterized using NMR, UV/Vis and TEM. The nanoparticles display good stability at elevated temperatures and for extended periods both dried or dispersed in a medium, as well as in the presence of exogenous thiols. Importantly, these NAC‐stabilized gold nanoparticles offer a promising and versatile alternative to NHC‐stabilized gold nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to optimize the microencapsulation method for a functional oil using high amylose corn starch (HACS) and assessed its structure and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the optimal microencapsulation condition is achieved by using 28.5% of functional oil, 15.75% of HACS, and 57.86% of proportion of monoglyceride in emulsifier with 94.86% microencapsulation efficiency. Scanning electron microscopy and particle size measurement showed that the functional oil microcapsules were uniform size, smooth surface, spherical shape, and without cracks in the wall of the capsules. In vitro oil release of microencapsulates results showed that microencapsulated functional oil containing HACS has a better sustained release effect. The microcapsules containing HACS exhibited a lower lipid oxidation rate during storage. In conclusion, microencapsulation of HACS as wall material improved the stability of functional oil and this formulation of microcapsules was satisfactorily applied in powdered food for diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary selection in nature has led to hierarchical structuring as a fundamental optimization strategy for biological structures, maximizing functional performance while minimizing resource usage. Precise hierarchical organization of natural materials over a wide range of length scales gives rise to unique synergistic properties that could not be achieved by single components. Despite the clear advantages offered by hierarchically structuring matter, mastering hierarchical control based on the current synthetic toolbox is still a challenge. In this review, some recent advancements in the fabrication of hierarchical metal organic framework (MOF) materials are highlighted and the advantages that arise due to different kinds of MOF hierarchy are critically analyzed. The special focus of the review lies in highlighting the applications where MOF hierarchical materials can be most impactful and describing characterization techniques currently at the disposal of scientists for the precise characterization of MOF hierarchical structures across all length scales. Finally, the intent is to inspire reticular chemists to master hierarchical control of MOF materials so as to fully utilize the advantages MOFs offer for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, layered oxides have been extensively studied as promising cathode materials for sodium ion batteries. However, layered oxides undergo complex phase transitions during charge‐discharge process, which adversely affects the electrochemical performance. High‐entropy layered oxides as a unique design concept can effectively improve the cycling performance of cathode materials by virtue of the 2D ion migration channels between the layers. Based on the concepts of high‐entropy and layered oxides, this paper reviews the research status of high‐entropy layered oxides in the field of sodium‐ion batteries, focusing on the connection between high‐entropy and layered oxide phase transitions during electrochemical charging and discharging. Finally, the advantages of layered cathode materials based high‐entropy are summarized, and the opportunities and challenges of future high‐entropy layered materials are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]