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Afterglow brightness represents one of the most important characteristics in the application of afterglow materials. High molar absorption coefficient, high afterglow efficiency, and long afterglow lifetimes are required to achieve intense afterglow. However, current strategies cannot simultaneously fulfill these requirements due to specific intrinsic problems. Here, based on the understanding of difluoroboron β‐diketonate systems, the manipulation of higher triplet excited states is conceived to selectively enhance intersystem crossing with phosphorescence lifetimes remaining long. Aromatic substrates, which possess specific HOMO levels and T1 levels, are selected for relay synthesis to form difluoroboron β‐diketonate compounds with very close‐lying S1 and T2 levels; according to the energy gap law, such systems exhibit strong intersystem crossing. Upon doping into rigid matrices, the resultant difluoroboron β‐diketonate systems display the brightest ambient afterglow that has ever been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Blueberries and apples exhibit favorable bioactivity and health benefits as a result of their rich phytochemicals. Natural phytochemicals exist in complex forms, but there are few reports on whether have additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects between different phytochemicals. The present study aimed to elucidate the synergistic effects of blueberry extract (BE) and apple peel extract (APE) together with respect to inhibiting the proliferation of HepG2 liver cancer cells. Meanwhile, phytochemical characterization of BE and APE was conducted by HPLC, and total antioxidant activity was determined via a cellular antioxidant activity assay, oxygen radical absorption capacity assay and peroxy radical scavenging capacity assay. RESULTS: The results showed that BE and APE were rich in phytochemicals and had potent antioxidant activities, which synergistically inhibited cell proliferation. In the bilateral combination, the dose reduction index value increased by two‐fold, and the combination index value at 95% inhibition was less than 1. Additionally, BE + APE supplementation could promote the expression levels of p53 and c‐myc genes. In conclusion, the BE and APE had strong antioxidant activity and exhibited synergistic inhibition against proliferation of HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: The present study can provide a theoretical basis for the synergistic effect of different phytochemicals in health care. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a better understanding of the resource recycling of ladle furnace slag (LFS) in steel enterprises, electric field strengthening by direct current (DC) is tested as an effective method for sulfur removal from slag. Herein, sulfur removal from CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO–CaF2–S (CSMAFS) slag with 4–12 wt% MgO under 0–6 V is observed at 1773 K, and the mechanism resulting from the electric field on sulfur migration is analyzed. It was concluded that with voltage increases in the range of 0–4 V, the slag network structure depolymerizes, and the melting temperature decreases, which are beneficial to sulfur migration. Mg2+, Ca2+, and other cations in the slag (cathode) are reduced, and S2− migrates to the molten steel (anode) to maintain electrochemical balance. However, sulfur migration reveals an opposite trend when the voltage is 6 V because the electric field force generated at 6 V is not sufficient to resist the combined forces of charge resistance and slag diffusion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The selection of adaptive strategies in MR‐guided adaptive radiotherapy (MRgART) usually relies on subjective review of anatomical changes. However, this kind of review may lead to improper selection of adaptive strategy for some fractions. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop prediction models based on deformation vector field (DVF) features for automatic and accurate strategy selection, using prostate cancer as an example. Methods: 100 fractions of 20 prostate cancer patients were retrospectively selected in this study. Treatment plans using both adapt to position (ATP) strategy and adapt to shape (ATS) strategy were generated. Optimal adaptive strategy was determined according to dosimetric evaluation. DVFs of the deformable image registration (DIR) of daily MRI and CT simulation scans were extracted. The shape, first order statistics, and spatial features were extracted from the DVFs, subjected to further selection using the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method. The number of features (Fn) was hyper‐tuned using bootstrapping method, and then Fn indicating a peak area under the curve (AUC) value was used to construct three prediction models. Results: According to subjective review, the ATS strategy was adopted for all 100 fractions. However, the evaluation results showed that the ATP strategy could have met the clinical requirements for 23 (23%) fractions. The three prediction models showed high prediction performance, with the best performing model achieving an AUC value of 0.896, corresponding accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPC) of 0.9, 0.958, and 0.667, respectively. The features used to construct prediction models included four features extracted from y direction of DVF (DVFy) and mask, one feature from z direction of DVF (DVFz). It indicated that the deformation along the anterior‐posterior direction had a greater impact on determining the adaptive strategy than other directions. Conclusions: DVF‐feature‐based models could accurately predict the adaptive strategy and avoid unnecessary selection of time‐consuming ATS strategy, which consequently improves the efficiency of the MRgART process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and efficient acid‐promoted strategy to access allylic thiocyanates using allylic alcohols as substrates and easily‐available NH4SCN as the thiocyanate source is presented under metal‐ and oxidant‐free conditions. Through screening of various kinds of acids, organic and strong trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was found most effective. Testing of substrates showed that the strategy has remarkable functional group tolerance. A possible mechanism is provided, and the gram‐scale experiment demonstrate that this novel protocol has potential industrial application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Ferulic acid (FA) is a dietary polyphenol widely found in plant tissues. It has long been considered to have health‐promoting qualities. However, the biological properties of dietary polyphenols depend largely on their absorption during digestion, and the effects of their intestinal metabolites on human health have attracted the interest of researchers. This study evaluated the effects of three main colonic metabolites of FA – 3‐(3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (3,4diOHPPA), 3‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (3OHPPA) and 3‐phenylpropionic acid (3PPA) – on longevity and stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. RESULTS: Our results showed that 3,4diOHPPA, 3OHPPA and 3PPA extended the lifespan under normal conditions in C. elegans whereas FA did not. High doses of 3,4diOHPPA (0.5 mmol L−1), 3OHPPA (2.5 mmol L−1) and 3PPA (2.5 mmol L−1) prolonged the mean lifespan by 11.2%, 13.0% and 10.6%, respectively. Moreover, 3,4diOHPPA, 3OHPPA and 3PPA treatments promoted stress tolerance against heat, UV irradiation and paraquat. Furthermore, three metabolites ameliorated physical functions, including reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels, motility and pharyngeal pumping rate. The anti‐aging activities mediated by 3,4diOHPPA, 3OHPPA and 3PPA depend on the HSF‐1 and JNK‐1 linked insulin/IGF‐1 signaling pathway, which converge onto DAF‐16. CONCLUSION: The current findings suggest that colonic metabolites of FA have the potential for use as anti‐aging bioactivate compounds. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sarcopenia is one of the early pathological manifestations of cancer cachexia. This change in quality and function has a general and special impact on the prognosis of many types of tumors. However, there are few studies to evaluate the overall impact of sarcopenia on the prognosis of gynecological tumors in sufficient follow‐up period. Methods: This study systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, web of science, and MEDLINE databases for related studies and related references since April 15, 2021. The 1‐year, 5‐year overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS), hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were analyzed by Stata 14.0.(CRD 42021236036). Results: A total of 23 observational studies involving 3495 female patients were included in the analysis, with an average prevalence of 46.9% (38.5%–55.3%). Meta‐analysis showed that the 1‐year OS (RR: 1.60, 95% CI = [1.04, 2.46]) of patients with sarcopenia was significantly lower than that of patients without sarcopenia, and then this effect gradually decreased. The results showed that sarcopenia was an independent predictor of OS (HR: 1.78, 95% CI = [1.38, 2.30]) and PFS (HR: 1.32, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.70]) in gynecological cancer patients. Subgroup analysis showed that sarcopenia was significant in Asian population (HR: 1.93, 95% CI = [1.18, 3.17]) and cervical cancer patients (HR: 5.07, 95% CI = [2.82, 9.56]). Conclusion: The survival and recurrence outcome of patients with sarcopenia independently related to surgery, and its impact is very obvious in the short term. In addition, Asian participants with sarcopenia face a greater risk of death than Western participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Article 2300182 by Ting Wu, Hai‐chuan Wang, and co‐workers describes the sulfur removal from ladle furnace slag with 4–12 wt% MgO under 0–6 V electric field conditions, and the slag structure, properties and electrochemical mechanism are analyzed. By this method the slag is no longer subjected to the traditional process of melting→cooling→crushing→reheating, which greatly reduces environmental and resource pressures..By Wen-zhi Xia; Ting Wu; Jie Lei; Chen Zhang; Guang-da Bao and Hai-chuan WangReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a key enzyme involved in energy metabolism. Recently, GAPDH has been suggested to have extraglycolytic functions in DNA repair, but the underlying mechanism for the GAPDH response to DNA damage remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the tyrosine kinase Src is activated under DNA damage stress and phosphorylates GAPDH at Tyr41. This phosphorylation of GAPDH is essential for its nuclear translocation and DNA repair function. Blocking the nuclear import of GAPDH by suppressing Src signaling or through a GAPDH Tyr41 mutation impairs its response to DNA damage. Nuclear GAPDH is recruited to DNA lesions and associates with DNA polymerase β (Pol β) to function in DNA repair. Nuclear GAPDH promotes Pol β polymerase activity and increases base excision repair (BER) efficiency. Furthermore, GAPDH knockdown dramatically decreases BER efficiency and sensitizes cells to DNA damaging agents. Importantly, the knockdown of GAPDH in colon cancer SW480 cells and xenograft models effectively enhances their sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic drug 5‐FU. In summary, our findings provide mechanistic insight into the new function of GAPDH in DNA repair and suggest a potential therapeutic target in chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A radical cascade methylation/cyclization of ortho‐cyanoarylacrylamides was developed by utilizing dicumyl peroxide as a methylation reagent. This transformation provides a simple and straightforward approach to methylated quinoline‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones, and exhibits a wide substrate scope. Furthermore, this reaction could be readily scaled up. A possible mechanism is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, harbors the primary symbiont ' Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum' and a variety of secondary symbionts. Among these secondary symbionts, Rickettsia is the only one that can be detected both inside and outside the bacteriomes. Infection with Rickettsia has been reported to influence several aspects of the whitefly biology, such as fitness, sex ratio, virus transmission and resistance to pesticides. However, mechanisms underlying these differences remain unclear, largely due to the lack of genomic information of Rickettsia. In this study, we sequenced the genome of two Rickettsia strains isolated from the Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) species of the B. tabaci complex in China and Israel. Both Rickettsia genomes were of high coding density and AT-rich, containing more than 1000 coding sequences, much larger than that of the coexisted primary symbiont, Portiera. Moreover, the two Rickettsia strains isolated from China and Israel shared most of the genes with 100% identity and only nine genes showed sequence differences. The phylogenetic analysis using orthologs shared in the genus, inferred the proximity of Rickettsia in MEAM1 and Rickettsia bellii. Functional analysis revealed that Rickettsia was unable to synthesize amino acids required for complementing the whitefly nutrition. Besides, a type IV secretion system and a number of virulence-related genes were detected in the Rickettsia genome. The presence of virulence-related genes might benefit the symbiotic life of the bacteria, and hint on potential effects of Rickettsia on whiteflies. The genome sequences of Rickettsia provided a basis for further understanding the function of Rickettsia in whiteflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retrogradation properties of rice gels with different milling degrees (0, 3, 6, and 9%) stored at 4°C and −20°C were investigated. Results showed that rice gels with the same degrees of milling (DOM) stored at 4°C retrograde faster than those stored at −20°C. Moreover, higher milling degree leads to a faster retrogradation in the same temperature. Texture profile analysis demonstrated that samples showed a lower hardness but higher adhesiveness during storage at −20°C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the higher the milling degree, the higher retrogradation index (ΔHr/ΔHg) obtained at 4°C or −20°C. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that samples stored at −20°C had a lower degree of crystallinity compared with those stored at 4°C, which was also confirmed by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that samples stored at −20°C presented a more shrinkable appearance with more pores. The results are expected to provide some theoretical guidance for retarding the retrogradation of rice in processing and preservation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wolbachia is the most prevalent symbiont described in arthropods to date. Wolbachia can manipulate host reproduction, provide nutrition to insect hosts and protect insect hosts from pathogenic viruses. So far, 13 supergroups of Wolbachia have been identified. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a complex containing more than 28 morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species. Some cryptic species of this complex are invasive. In this study, we report a comprehensive survey of Wolbachia in B. tabaci and its relative B. afer from 1658 insects representing 54 populations across 13 provinces of China and one state of Australia. Based on the results of PCR or sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, the overall rates of Wolbachia infection were 79.6% and 0.96% in the indigenous and invasive Bemisia whiteflies, respectively. We detected a new Wolbachia supergroup by sequencing five molecular marker genes including 16S rRNA, groEL, gltA, hcpA, and fbpA genes. Data showed that many protein-coding genes have limitations in detecting and classifying newly identified Wolbachia supergroups and thus raise a challenge to the known Wolbachia MLST standard analysis system. Besides, the other Wolbachia strains detected from whiteflies were clustered into supergroup B. Phylogenetic trees of whitefly mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and Wolbachia multiple sequencing typing genes were not congruent. In addition, Wolbachia was also detected outside the special bacteriocytes in two cryptic species by fluorescence in situ hybridization, indicating the horizontal transmission of Wolbachia. Our results indicate that members of Wolbachia are far from well explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish are vital in river ecosystems; however, traditional investigations of fish usually cause ecological damage. Extracting DNA from aquatic environments and identifying DNA sequences offer an alternative, noninvasive approach for detecting fish species. In this study, the effects of environmental DNA (eDNA), coupled with PCR and next‐generation sequencing, and electrofishing for identifying fish community composition and diversity were compared. In three subtropical rivers of southern China, fish specimens and eDNA in water were collected along the longitudinal (upstream–downstream) gradient of the rivers. Both fish population parameters, including species abundance and biomass, and eDNA OTU richness grouped 38 sampling sites into eight spatial zones with significant differences in local fish community composition. Compared with order‐/family‐level grouping, genus‐/species‐level grouping could more accurately reveal the differences between upstream zones I−III, midstream zones IV−V, and downstream zones VI–VIII. From the headwaters to the estuary, two environmental gradients significantly influenced the longitudinal distribution of the fish species, including the first gradient composed of habitat and physical water parameters and the second gradient composed of chemical water parameters. The high regression coefficient of alpha diversity between eDNA and electrofishing methods as well as the accurate identification of dominant, alien, and biomarker species in each spatial zone indicated that eDNA could characterize fish community attributes at a level similar to that of traditional approaches. Overall, our results demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding can be used as an effective tool for revealing fish composition and diversity, which is important for using the eDNA technique in aquatic field monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the potency and specificity of valproic acids as an inhibitor of the activity of different human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms in liver microsomes. Effects of valporic acid on the pharmacokinetics of other drugs; Inhibition of the activity of tolbutamide hydroxylase (CYP2CP); Co-administration of high doses of valporic acid with drugs metabolized by CYP2CP.

Kesuting Syrup, a Chinese herbal formula, has been registered in China since 2002 and has been used to treat upper respiratory symptoms such as sore throat and cough. A study conducted in China found that Kesuting Syrup may be effective in treating COVID-19, including the Omicron variant. The study used multidimensional computations and network pharmacology to explore the potential therapeutic mechanism of Kesuting Syrup. While Kesuting Syrup did not significantly impact viral replication, it improved recovery time and rate in patients with mild Omicron variant infection and reduced the expression of viral nucleic acid. Rutin, a compound in Kesuting Syrup, may be responsible for its anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect by targeting IFN-γ and enhancing the body's immune response. The study suggests that Kesuting Syrup could be used as an adjunct to standard care in managing COVID-19 symptoms and improving patient comfort. The authors declare no conflict of interest, and the data supporting the findings are available upon request. [Extracted from the article]

The utilization of food resources by aquatic consumers reflects the structure and functioning of river food webs. In lotic water systems, where food availability and predator–prey relationships vary with gradient changes in physical conditions, understanding diet assimilation by local communities is important for ecosystem conservation. In the subtropical Liuxi River, southern China, the relative contribution of basal resources to the diet assimilation of functional feeding groups (FFGs) was determined by stable carbon (13C) and nitrogen (15N) isotope analyses. The output of Bayesian mixing models showed that diatom‐dominated periphyton (epilithic biofilm), aquatic C3 plants (submerged hydrophytes), and suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) associated with terrestrial C3 plants contributed the most to the diet assimilation of FFGs in the upper, middle, and lower reaches, respectively. The relative contribution of consumer diet assimilation was weighted by the biomass (wet weight, g/m2) of each FFG to reflect resource utilization at the assemblage level. From the upper to the lower reaches, the spatial variation in the diet assimilation of fish and invertebrate assemblages could be summarized as a longitudinal decrease in periphyton (from 57%–76% to <3%) and an increase in SPOM (from <7% to 51%–68%) with a notable midstream increase in aquatic C3 plants (23%–48%). These results indicate that instream consumers in the Liuxi River rely more on autochthonous production (e.g., periphyton and submerged hydrophytes) than on terrestrially derived allochthonous matter (e.g., terrestrial plants). The pattern of resource utilization by consumers in the mid‐upper Liuxi River is consistent with findings from other open subtropical and neotropical rivers and provides evidence for the riverine productivity model. Our study indicates that protecting inherent producers in rivers (e.g., periphyton and submerged hydrophytes) and restoring their associated habitats (e.g., riffles with cobble substrate) are conducive to aquatic ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genetic testing plays an important role in guiding screening, diagnosis, and precision treatment of breast cancer (BC). However, the appropriate genetic testing criteria remain controversial. The current study aims to facilitate the development of suitable strategies by analyzing the germline mutational profiles and clinicopathological features of large‐scale Chinese BC patients. Methods: BC patients who had undergone genetic testing at the Sun Yat‐sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) from September 2014 to March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Different screening criteria were applied and compared in the population cohort. Results: A total of 1035 BC patients were enrolled, 237 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (P/LPV) were identified in 235 patients, including 41 out of 203 (19.6%) patients tested only for BRCA1/2 genes, and 194 out of 832 (23.3%) received 21 genes panel testing. Among the 235 P/LPV carriers, 222 (94.5%) met the NCCN high‐risk criteria, and 13 (5.5%) did not. While using Desai's criteria of testing, all females diagnosed with BC by 60 years and NCCN criteria for older patients, 234 (99.6%) met the high‐risk standard, and only one did not. The 21 genes panel testing identified 4.9% of non‐BRCA P/LPVs and a significantly high rate of variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) (33.9%). The most common non‐BRCA P/LPVs were PALB2 (11, 1.3%), TP53 (10, 1.2%), PTEN (3, 0.4%), CHEK2 (3, 0.4%), ATM (3, 0.4%), BARD1 (3, 0.4%), and RAD51C (2, 0.2%). Compared with BRCA1/2 P/LPVs, non‐BRCA P/LPVs showed a significantly low incidence of NCCN criteria listed family history, second primary cancer, and different molecular subtypes. Conclusions: Desai's criteria might be a more appropriate genetic testing strategy for Chinese BC patients. Panel testing could identify more non‐BRCA P/LPVs than BRCA1/2 testing alone. Compared with BRCA1/2 P/LPVs, non‐BRCA P/LPVs exhibited different personal and family histories of cancer and molecular subtype distributions. The optimal genetic testing strategy for BC still needs to be investigated with larger continuous population studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in repairing endothelial injury. Aging is associated with EPC dysfunction. Physical exercise has a beneficial impact on EPC activity. However, whether physical exercise can enhance the endothelial repair capacity of EPCs in healthy men with aging is not clear. Here, we investigated the effects of physical exercise on reendothelialization capacity and CXC chemokine receptor four (CXCR4) signaling in human EPCs. Before and after 12-week exercise, EPCs were isolated from elderly and young men. In vitro function and in vivo reendothelialization capacity of EPCs in a mouse model of carotid artery injury were measured. The expression of CXCR4 and its downstream signaling target Janus kinase-2 (JAK-2) were determined. Before exercise, in vitro function and in vivo reendothelialization capacity of EPCs were significantly reduced in elderly men compared with young men. After exercise intervention, in vitro function and in vivo reendothelialization capacity of EPCs from elderly men were markedly enhanced. Physical exercise increased a higher CXCR4 protein expression and higher JAK-2 phosphorylation levels of EPCs. The augmentation in reendothelialization capacity of EPCs was closely correlated with the upregulation of CXCR4/JAK-2 signaling and improvement of endothelial function. This study demonstrates for the first time that physical exercise attenuates age-associated reduction in endothelium-reparative capacity of EPCs by increasing CXCR4/JAK-2 signaling. Our findings provide insight into the novel mechanisms of physical exercise as a lifestyle intervention strategy to promote vascular health in aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study in human hepatic preparations demonstrated that a methylated flavone, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone (DMF), abundant in certain plants, such as the leaves of Piper caninum, has high metabolic stability compared to unmethylated flavones (Xenobiotica 36:387, 2006). This was tested further in human intestinal Caco-2 cells and in vivo in rats. In Caco-2 cells the apical to basolateral transport of DMF was dramatically greater than of its unmethylated analog chrysin (Papp 23.3 versus 2.2 cm/s x 10-6). There were no DMF metabolites, whereas chrysin showed extensive sulfation and glucuronidation. In the rat DMF and chrysin were given simultaneously by gavage (5 mg/kg of each). Plasma and tissue levels were measured by HPLC. Only DMF could be detected in plasma with a Cmax of 2.5 µM at 1 h after the dose. Also, only DMF could be reliably detected in liver, kidney and lung tissue. The liver showed the highest DMF accumulation, 16.5 µM at 1 h after the dose. The colon tissue had small amounts of DMF, whereas the fecal material within the colon contained high concentrations of chrysin, but only at 2-3 h after the dose. This study in Caco-2 cells and in the rat demonstrates high intestinal transport and oral bioavailability for DMF. Such flavonoids may have great utility as cancer chemopreventive agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A copper‐catalyzed four‐component cascade reaction for the preparation of triazoles bearing β‐hydroxy chalcogenides from terminal alkynes, azides, epoxides, and Se/K2S is reported. The present reaction proceeds under mild conditions, and exhibits a good functional group compatibility. A possible mechanism is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Nanoscale tapioca starch (NTS) was successfully developed by high‐speed jet in our previous study. In this study, the adsorption capacity of Cu2+ onto NTS was further discussed. The optimal adsorption conditions (pH, contact time, contact temperature, initial Cu2+ concentration, and adsorbent concentration), adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamic were also evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that NTS exhibited excellent performance in adsorption of Cu2+, with adsorption capacities of 122.31 mg g−1 for Cu2+ (pH 7, 0.04 g L−1, 0.2 g L−1, 313.15 K and 10 min). The pseudo‐second‐order and Langmuir isotherms models could be used to explain the adsorption kinetics and adsorption equilibrium, respectively. The thermodynamic results showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic with an increase in entropy. Cu2+ was adsorbed onto NTS, which was confirmed by energy dispersive spectrometry analysis. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that NTS might be an effective, environment‐friendly and renewable bio‐resource adsorbent for removing heavy metals in industrial effluent. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 8.3–15.9% of patients with clinical stage I non‐small cell lung cancer are subsequently shown to have lymph node metastasis. However, the clinical characteristics of patients with lymph node metastasis in China are not fully understood. Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective analysis of pathological T1 non‐small cell lung cancer patients who underwent surgical resection from 2 January 2014 to 27 December 2017. Clinical and pathological information was collected with the assistance of the Large‐scale Data Analysis Center of Cancer Precision Medicine‐LinkDoc database. The clinical and pathological factors associated with lymph node metastasis were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 10 885 participants (51.6% women; 15.3% squamous cell carcinoma) were included in the analysis. The median age was 60.0 years (range 12.9–86.6 years). A total of 1159 patients (10.6%) had metastases in mediastinal nodes (N2), and 640 patients (5.9%) had metastasis in pulmonary lymph nodes (N1). Most patients had T1b lung cancer (4766, 43.8%). Of the patients, 3260 (29.9%) were current or former smokers. The univariate and multivariate analyses showed that younger age, squamous cell carcinoma, poor differentiation, larger tumor size, carcinoembryonic antigen level ≥5 ng/mL, and vascular invasion (+) were significantly associated with higher percentages of lymph node metastases (P < 0.001 for all). Conclusion: This real‐world study showed the significant association of lymph node metastasis with age, tumor size, histology and differentiation, carcinoembryonic antigen levels, and status of vascular invasion. Female patients with T1a adenocarcinoma in the right upper lobe barely had lymph node metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mycoplasmal pneumonia is a common type of adult community‐acquired pneumonia in China, but round/spherical pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae has rarely been reported. Here, we report an outbreak of mycoplasmal round pneumonia in a military dormitory in China. Methods: We analysed epidemiological, clinical, imaging and laboratory data from a series of adults affected by an outbreak of mycoplasmal round pneumonia in the dormitory of a military hospital (Fuzhou General Hospital) in Fuzhou, China. The dormitory included 2 separate buildings. Mycoplasma antibody was detected using a passive agglutination assay. Results: The first case in our series, a 23‐year‐old male intern, presented on July 16, 2015 with a 3‐day history of low‐grade fever, dizziness, fatigue and chest tightness. Chest computed tomography revealed spherical masses. Over the following 4 days, 11 individuals who had been in close contact with the first patient were found to have similar masses. All 12 cases were mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic, and fever was the only sign visible upon physical examination. Chest radiology revealed single, round consolidations in 3 cases and multiple round consolidations in 9 cases; consolidations ranged in size from 0.2 to 2.9 cm. Most cases had normal blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein level. Nasopharyngeal swabs from all cases tested negative for 25 pathogens, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, in a PCR‐based assay performed on August 1, 2015. All 12 patients showed a 4‐fold increase in the titre of anti‐mycoplasmal pneumonia antibody in paired sera on August 13, 2015. Patients were given the antibiotic moxifloxacin or symptomatic treatment, and 11 of the 12 cases showed complete resolution of round pneumonia lesions within 4 weeks. Conclusion: This case series illustrates the diversity of clinical manifestations as well as imaging findings for mycoplasmal pneumonia, to which clinicians should pay more attention. Mycoplasmal round pneumonia should be included in differential diagnosis of multiple pulmonary nodules in adults in order to enable accurate clinical identification of disease and successful treatment and resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct transformation of methane, such as oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), is a long-standing challenge in methane utilization. Keeping this objective in mind, we explored the dispersion and acid-base effects of the catalysts on OCM. Herein, we prepared a series of La2O3/MgO catalysts by using a modified impregnation method with polyvinylpyrrolidone added to impregnated solutions. The BET, XRD, SEM, and TEM characterizations of the samples confirm that La2O3 dispersion on MgO increases with the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone and the particles become smaller in size and more uniform in distribution. High catalytic performances (e.g., the C2 yield ≈16 %) of the well-dispersed La2O3/MgO catalysts for OCM are demonstrated at a lower temperature (e.g., 550 °C) and a lower loading (e.g., 1.9 wt %). In addition, with the modification of acid-base properties of the supports, we find that base properties of the supports are responsible for C2 formation and acidic properties of the supports are responsible for CO x formation. These properties establish a good correlation of the dispersion and basicity of the catalysts with the catalytic performances of the catalysts for OCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor oral bioavailability is a major limitation for the successful use of flavonoids as cancer chemopreventive agents. Recently we demonstrated that fully methylated flavones have greatly increased metabolic stability and intestinal transport. However, their effects on cancer cell proliferation are not well understood. In the present study we compared the effects of fully methylated versus unmethylated flavones on oral cancer cell proliferation, using BrdU incorporation into newly synthesized DNA as the assay. In the human oral SCC-9 cancer cells, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone and 5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone were ten times more potent inhibitors of cell proliferation (IC50 5-8 µM) than the corresponding unmethylated analogs chrysin and apigenin. Several other methylated flavones also inhibited cell proliferation but were less potent. Cell cycle analysis showed that both 5,7-dimethoxyflavone and 5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone arrested the SCC-9 cells in G1 phase with a concomitant decrease in S phase, dramatically different from the unmethylated analogs which promoted G2/M arrest. Both methylated compounds inhibited the proliferation of two other cancer cell lines but had very poor effectiveness in two immortalized normal cell lines. Thus, some bioavailable, fully methylated flavones appear to have great potential as cancer chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]