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Vitrimers are reprocessing and recycling thermosetting plastics. They possess reconfigurable polymer networks that allow for unlimited transformation in shape in principle. However, current strategies to reshape the vitrimers typically involve heat or light, which often induces undesirable oxidation and decomposition. To address this issue, here a water‐assisted approach is proposed for programming epoxy vitrimers' shapes. In this design, water molecules are utilized to reversibly dissociate the hydrogen bonds in epoxy vitrimers to enable the polymer segments to move flexibly. The hydrated epoxy vitrimers can then be reprogrammed and retained into different temporary shapes by removing the water. Such samples would be recovered to their original shapes by rehydration, exhibiting water‐induced shape memory property. More than temporary deformation, the permanent figures of the hydrated vitrimers can also be permanently changed at room temperature (rt) or elevated temperatures in the presence of transesterification catalysts. Combing the shape memory and high temperature plasticity or utilizing rt plasticity, sophisticated shapes such as spiral shapes are demonstrated. It is envisioned that this water‐assisted methodology can be useful in programming cross‐linked polymers into diverse 3D structures, which has wide practical applications in soft robots, deployable devices, aerospace materials, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is pivotal in the field of major depressive disorder treatment. Due to its unsatisfied response rate, an increasing number of researchers have turned their attention towards optimizing TMS site localization. Since the influence of TMS in reducing heart rate (HR) offers insights into its regulatory impact on the autonomic nervous system, a novel approach, called neurocardiac‐guided TMS (NCG–TMS), has been proposed to pinpoint the brain region eliciting the maximal individual reduction in HR as a personalized optimal stimulation target. The present study intends to systematically explore the effects of stimulation frequency, left and right hemispheres, stimulation positions, and individual differences on HR modulation using the NCG–TMS method. In experiment 1, low‐frequency TMS was administered to 30 subjects, and it was found that low‐frequency NCG–TMS significantly downregulated HR, with more significant effects in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere and the prefrontal cortex than in other brain areas. In experiment 2, high‐frequency NCG–TMS stimulation was administered to 30 subjects, showing that high‐frequency NCG–TMS also downregulated HR and had the greatest modulatory effect in the right prefrontal region. Simultaneously, both experiments revealed sizeable individual variability in the optimal stimulation site, which in turn validated the feasibility of the NCG–TMS method. In conclusion, the present experiments independently replicated the effect of NCG–TMS, provided an effect of high‐/low‐frequency TMS stimulation to downregulate HR, and identified a right lateralization of the HR modulation effect. This study independently validated the neuro‐cardiac‐guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technique through high‐frequency and low‐frequency TMS. The findings not only unveiled the group‐level heart rate regulatory effects of the right prefrontal cortex but also uncovered individual differences in regulatory responses. These results offer novel theoretical support for the personalized clinical application of TMS in modulating the autonomic nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are considered as potential choice for future energy storage systems due to their adjustable chemistry, environment friendliness, and cost‐effectiveness. In this study, structurally stabilized and aldehyde‐tuned hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs‐8) are designed and prepared to contain arrayed electronegative sites for sodium‐ion storage. Benefitting from the flexible hydrogen bond and unique structural symmetry, HOFs‐8 can achieve efficient utilization of the active sites and fast transport of sodium ions and electrons. The HOFs‐8 electrode exhibits an impressive lifespan of 5000 cycles at 3.66 A g−1 (20 C). In situ Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (in situ FT‐IR) and ex situ X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ex situ XPS) analyses are performed to illustrate the mechanism of sodium‐ion storage involving aldehyde‐tuned C═O. Additionally, flexible hydrogen bonds in HOFs materials with unique structural symmetries are investigated to elucidate the mechanism of hydrogen bonding for improving their electrochemical properties. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations verified that HOFs‐8 has excellent Na+ diffusion kinetics, enabling it to demonstrate outstanding rate capability. This work offers insight into the design of new electrodes and improved HOFs, which are expected to have tremendous potential in energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a hydrogen‐bonded cobalt porphyrin framework is presented that can efficiently host iodine and serve as an electrocatalyst for aqueous zinc‐iodine (Zn‐I2) organic batteries. The Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrate that hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) possess excellent adsorption properties for iodine species. In situ Raman spectroscopy illustrates that the redox mechanism of Zn‐I2 battery depends on the redox reaction of I/I−, with I3−/I5− serving as intermediary products. The in situ Ultraviolet‐visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy further reveals that HOFs restrict polyiodide solubilization. The aqueous Zn‐I2 organic batteries with I2@PFC‐72‐Co cathodes exhibit excellent rate capability, achieving 134.9 mAh g−1 at 20 C. Additionally, these batteries demonstrate long‐term cycle stability, enduring > 5000 cycles at 20 C. The impressive electrochemical performance of I2@PFC‐72‐Co can be attributed to the cooperative Co single‐atom (CoSA) electrocatalyst in the HOF‐Co structure. Moreover, the benzene ring structure and the carboxyl functional group of HOFs possess a strong ability to adsorb iodine and iodide. Owing to these synergistic effects, the aqueous Zn‐I2 batteries with the I2@PFC‐72‐Co cathode exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hematological parameters have been associated with prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The present meta‐analysis investigated the utility of neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the prognosis of patients with NPC. Methods: Multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science, were systematically searched for studies assessing the association between NLR and NPC from 2011 to 2021. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to estimate effect size. Use of a fixed effect or random effect model was based on heterogeneity stability was tested by sensitivity analysis, and the risk of bias was assessed by funnel plots. Random effects models were used based on the actual results. Because the NLR grouping criteria for the included studies differed, subgroup analyses were performed. Results: A search of the electronic databases identified 14 studies, encompassing 6693 patients, that met the selection criteria. NLR higher than the cutoff value was significantly associated with poorer OS [HR 1.760, 95% CI 1.470–2.120, p <0.00001] and PFS [HR 1.850, 95% CI 1.430–2.390, p =.006]. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results of the meta‐analysis were relatively stable, and funnel plots were used to exclude the risk of bias. Conclusions: Elevated pretreatment NLR in peripheral blood is predictive of poorer OS and PFS in patients with NPC. NLR is an easily measured and important prognostic factor in patients with NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid pathogens in elderly patients with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: This was a retrospective observational epidemiological study using that elderly cases diagnosed with community‐acquired pneumonia receiving treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Technology, Tangshan Hongci Hospital and Tangshan Fengnan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A total of 92 cases were divided into two groups according to age. There were 44 patients over 75‐year‐old and 48 patients between 65 and 74‐year‐old. Results: Compared with the elderly 65 to 74‐year‐old, the elderly over 75‐year‐old with diabetes are more likely to suffer from CAP (35.42% vs. 63.64%, p = 0.007) and are more likely to have mixed infections (6.25% vs. 22.73%, p = 0.023) or larger lesions (45.83% vs. 68.18%, p = 0.031). Their hospital stays will also be extended (39.58% vs. 63.64%, p = 0.020), and the albumin level (37.51 ± 8.92 vs. 30.93 ± 6.58, p = 0.000), the neutrophils level (9.09(6.26–10.63) vs. 7.18(5.35–9.17),p = 0.026) is significantly lower and the d‐dimer (505.42 ± 197.12 vs. 611.82 ± 195.85, p = 0.011), PCT (0.08 ± 0.04 vs. 0.12 ± 0.07, p = 0.001) levels are significantly higher. Conclusion: The clinical symptoms and signs of elderly CAP patients are not so typical, and the infection is more serious. Attention should therefore be paid to elderly patients. Hypoalbuminemia and high d‐dimer can predict the prognosis of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing polymer materials emerge as a class of new intelligent systems, but they are all covalently cross‐linked. Herein, an alternating growth strategy for enabling tough supramolecular hydrogels is described to integrate externally provided compounds to change their sizes, geometric shapes, mechanical properties, etc. The hydrogels have dynamic acid–base complex (ABC) structures made from acidic and basic monomers, in which the acid–base pairs equilibrate between ionic and nonionic states to show either strong electrostatic or weak acid–base interactions. The growth process includes swelling of acidic/basic monomers, polymerization of the absorbed monomers, and homogenization of the original and newborn polymers, in which the balance between electrostatic and acid–base interactions is reversibly shifted to enable the process. As a result of such repeatable growth cycles, the hydrogels can continuously expand without compromising material mechanical properties. The growing sub‐processes and the monomer compositions can be used to post‐modulate the structure and properties of the grown products. It is demonstrated that the hydrogels may be designed as artificial tissues capable of growth under force‐bearing states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent malignant tumor of the lung cancer, for which the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we identified novel biomarkers associated with the pathogenesis of NSCLC aiming to provide new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for NSCLC by bioinformatics analysis. Methods. From the Gene Expression Omnibus database, GSE118370 and GSE10072 microarray datasets were obtained. Identifying the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lung adenocarcinoma and normal samples was done. By using bioinformatics tools, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, modules were analyzed, and enrichment analyses were performed. The expression and prognostic values of 14 hub genes were validated by the GEPIA database, and the correlation between hub genes and survival in lung adenocarcinoma was assessed by UALCAN, cBioPortal , String and Cytoscape, and Timer tools. Results. We found three genes (PIK3R1, SPP1, and PECAM1) that have a clear correlation with OS in the lung adenocarcinoma patient. It has been found that lung adenocarcinoma exhibits high expression of SPP1 and that this has been associated with poor prognosis, while low expression of PECAM1 and PIK3R1 is associated with poor prognosis P < 0.05 . We also found that the expression of SPP1 was associated with miR-146a-5p, while the high expression of miR-146a-5p was related to good prognosis P < 0.05 . On the contrary, the lower miR-21-5p on upstream of PIK3R1 is associated with a higher surviving rate in cancer patients P < 0.05 . Finally, we found that the immune checkpoint genes CD274(PD-L1) and PDCD1LG2(PD-1) were also related to SPP1 in lung adenocarcinoma. Conclusions. The results indicated that SPP1 is a cancer promoter (oncogene), while PECAM1 and PIK3R1 are cancer suppressor genes. These genes take part in the regulation of biological activities in lung adenocarcinoma, which provides a basis for improving detection and immunotherapeutic targets for lung adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study is to investigate the clinical value and characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) using flow cytometry. Methods: The absolute counts of T, CD4+T, CD8+T, natural killer (NK), NKT and B lymphocytes in 217 cases of PTB were detected, and the variations in lymphocyte subset counts between different ages and genders and between aetiological detection results and chest radiography results were analysed. Results: In 75.3% of the patients with PTB, six subset counts were lower than the normal reference range, and 44% showed lower‐than‐normal CD4+T lymphocyte levels. The counts of T, CD4+T, CD8+T and B lymphocytes were significantly lower in patients aged >60 years, and the NKT cell counts were significantly lower in female patients than in male patients. Among the patients with positive aetiological results, 40.8% had reduced CD8+T counts; these were significantly lower than those in patients with negative aetiological results (P = 0.0295). The cell counts of T, CD4+T, CD8+T and B lymphocytes reduced as lesion lobe numbers increased. The counts of T, CD4+T and CD8+T lymphocytes were significantly higher in the group with lesions affecting one lobe than in the groups with two to three lobes or four to five lobes, and the counts of B lymphocytes were significantly higher in the group with one lobe and the group with two to three lobes than in the group with four to five lobes. The counts of CD4+T and CD8+T lymphocytes were highest in the no cavity group and showed a downward trend with the increase in cavities; the T lymphocyte count was significantly higher in the no cavity group than in the group with five or more cavities (P = 0.014), and the CD8+T lymphocyte count was significantly higher in the no cavity group than in the group with one to two cavities and the group with five or more cavities (P = 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: In most patients with tuberculosis, immune function is impaired. The absolute counts of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets are closely related to the aetiological results and lesion severity in patients with PTB; this could be used as evidence for immune intervention and monitoring curative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attempts to determine why some patients respond to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are valuable in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is associated with aberrant dynamic functional architecture, which might impact the efficacy of ECT. We aimed to explore the relationship between pre‐treatment temporal variability and ECT acute efficacy. Forty‐eight patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether patterns of temporary variability of functional architecture differ between high responders (HR) and low responders (LR) at baseline. Compared with LR, HR exhibited significantly abnormal temporal variability in right inferior front gyrus (IFGtriang.R), left temporal pole (TPOsup.L) and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG.R). In the pooled patient group, ∆PANSS was correlated with the temporal variability of these regions. Patients with schizophrenia with a distinct dynamic functional architecture appear to reveal differential response to ECT. Our findings provide not only an understanding of the neural functional architecture patterns that are found in schizophrenia but also the possibility of using these measures as moderators for ECT selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Although the association between tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) G‐308A (rs1800629) polymorphism and chronic periodontitis (CP), chronic periodontitis with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DP) is assumed, results of this association have been contradictory. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between rs1800629 polymorphism and CP/DP susceptibility. Methods: We searched for studies on PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Chinese National Infrastructure, and WanFang databases. Study selection was performed using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria and fulfilled the PECO (participant, exposure, comparison, and outcome) format. The relationship between rs1800629 polymorphism and CP/DP susceptibility was evaluated by the effect summary odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Allele, dominant, and recessive genetic models were computed to assess the strength of the association. Results: A total of 25 case‐control studies were included in the analysis. In the Asian population, TNF‐α rs1800629 polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with CP in the overall analyses and for all genetic contrasts, while no significant risks were found among Caucasian populations for all genetic contrasts. The TNF‐α rs1800629 polymorphism was also associated with increased DP risk in Asians under the fixed‐effects model, but not in the recessive comparison. Conclusion: The meta‐analysis suggested that TNF‐α rs1800629 polymorphism might affect the risk of CP and DP, particularly in individuals of Asian descent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies. The unfavourable prognosis is mainly due to the lack of early‐stage diagnosis, drug resistance and recurrence. Therefore, it needs to investigate the mechanism of OC tumorigenesis and identify effective biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis. It is reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles during the tumorigenesis of OC. Therefore, the present study aimed to study the role and clinical significance of LncRNAs ATB (lnc‐ATB) in the development and progression of OC. In our research, lnc‐ATB expression in OC tissues was elevated compared with adjacent normal tissues and high expression of lnc‐ATB was associated with poor outcomes of OC patients. The silencing of lnc‐ATB blocked cell proliferation, invasion and migration in SKOV3 and A2780 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull‐down results showed that lnc‐ATB positively regulated the expression of EZH2 via directly interacting with EZH2. Besides, the overexpression of EZH2 partly rescued lnc‐ATB silencing‐inducing inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay results demonstrated that the silencing of lnc‐ATB reduced the occupancy of caudal‐related homeobox protein 1, Forkhead box C1, Large tumour suppressor kinase 2, cadherin‐1 and disabled homolog 2 interacting protein promoters on EZH2 and H3K27me3. These data revealed the oncogenic of lnc‐ATB and provided a novel biomarker for OC diagnosis. Furthermore, these findings indicated the mechanism of lnc‐ATB functioning in the progression of OC, which provided a new target for OC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lonicera plants (family Caprifoliaceae) with strong antioxidant activity are used as potential health-supporting phytochemicals. Studying the detailed relationships between bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activity is important for further comprehensive development and application of them. In this paper, the antioxidant capacities and compositions of five species of Lonicera flowers were investigated by using the online HPLC-DAD/MS-DPPH method. Results indicated that the samples contained higher amounts of phenols had better antioxidant activity. Furthermore, principal component analysis and linear regression were further used to analyze the correlations between antioxidant capacity and compounds and find the compounds having higher contribution to antioxidant activity. 5-O-Caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, methyl-5-O-caffeoylquinate, 1,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid were screened as stronger antioxidant candidates. In this study, HPLC-DAD/MS and antioxidant activity methods were combined together to analyze the compounds' information and activity assays of Lonicera, which might provide more evidence for its quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of choosing the optimal parameters of service by carriers in public transport passenger flows is considered. This problem is modeled as a two-stage game. At the first stage, the players (carriers) select the parameters of their service (the number and schedule of vehicles, etc.). At the second stage, the players announce the prices of service and the consumers choose an appropriate service. The Wardrop equilibrium is applied to the competition model with rational consumers preferring the carriers with minimum cost, where the cost of service includes the price and also the expected trip time. The equilibrium in the pricing game is found and the optimal parameters of service as a solution to a noncooperative game are determined. Some results of computer simulations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of strategic stability of cooperative solutions for multistage games is studied. The sufficient conditions related to discount factors are presented, which guarantee the existence of Nash or strong Nash equilibria in such games and therefore guarantee the strategic stability of cooperative solutions. The deviating payoffs of players are given directly, which are related closely to these conditions and avoid the loss of super-additivity of a class of general characteristic functions. As an illustration, Nash and strong Nash equilibria are found for the repeated infinite stage Prisoner’s dilemma game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of sacrificial anode electrochemical properties interfered by direct stray current (DC) of 0 V, 1 V, 3 V, and 5 V, with different chloride ion concentration and temperature, was studied by open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and polarization curves. The specific performance was as follows: as the DC interference voltage increased from 0 V to 5 V, the degree of positive migration of the sacrificial anode open circuit potential increased. The effect of temperature in DC interference voltage environment on sacrificial anode corrosion was not great, but the low temperature of 10°C could slow down the sacrificial anode corrosion and maintain good work efficiency. With the increase of the ambient temperature, the degree of corrosion of the sacrificial anode was deepened. As the chloride ion concentration in DC interference voltage environment increased from 0% to 0.3%, the degree of positive migration of the sacrificial anode open circuit potential increased. The higher the chloride ion concentration was, the greater the impact on the performance of the sacrificial anode was. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum Mac‐2‐binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) level was found to be a useful prognostic marker for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NUCs) therapy, and the aim of our study is to evaluate the clinical implementation of M2BPGi level in the prediction of antiviral responses to pegylated‐interferon‐α (PEG‐IFN‐α) treatment in HBeAg‐positive CHB patients. Ninety‐six CHB patients who received PEG‐IFN‐α treatment for at least 48 weeks were recruited. The serum M2BPGi, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBeAg, and HBV DNA levels at baseline, weeks 4, 12, and 24 after PEG‐IFN‐α treatment were determined and their associations with antiviral responses were evaluated and the virological response (VR) rate and serological response (SR) rate after 48 weeks of treatment were 65.6% and 35.4%, respectively. Baseline serum M2BPGi level was significantly different between VR and non‐VR (P = 0.002) or SR and non‐SR groups (P = 0.012). Multivariate analyses suggested that baseline serum M2BPGi level was independently associated with VR and SR of PEG‐IFN‐α treatment at week 48. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of baseline M2BPGi was 0.682 in predicting VR, which was superior to HBsAg (AUC = 0.566) or HBV DNA (AUC = 0.567). The AUC of baseline M2BPGi in predicting SR was 0.655, which was also higher than that of HBsAg (AUC = 0.548) or HBV DNA (AUC = 0.583). These results suggested that baseline serum M2BPGi level was a novel predictor of VR and SR for PEG‐IFN‐α treatment in HBeAg‐positive CHB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effects of corilagin on intrahepatic cholestasis induced by regulating liver farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-associated pathways in vitro and in vivo.Experimental Approach: Cellular and animal models were treated with different concentrations of corilagin. In the cellular experiments, FXR expression was up-regulated by either lentiviral transduction or GW4064 treatment and down-regulated by either siRNA technology or treatment with guggulsterones. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the mRNA and protein levels of FXR, SHP1, SHP2, UGT2B4, BSEP, CYP7A1, CYP7B1, NTCP, MRP2 and SULT2A1. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of BSEP in liver tissues. Rat liver function and pathological changes in hepatic tissue were assessed using biochemical tests and haematoxylin and eosin staining.Results: Corilagin increased the mRNA and protein levels of FXR, SHP1, SHP2, UGT2B4, BSEP, MRP2 and SULT2A1, and decreased those of CYP7A1, CYP7B1 and NTCP. After either up- or down-regulating FXR using different methods, corilagin could still increase the mRNA and protein levels of FXR, SHP1, SHP2, UGT2B4, BSEP, MRP2 and SULT2A1 and decrease the protein levels of CYP7A1, CYP7B1 and NTCP, especially when administered at a high concentration. Corilagin also exerted a notable effect on the pathological manifestations of intrahepatic cholestasis, BSEP staining in liver tissues and liver function.Conclusions and Implications: Corilagin exerts a protective effect in hepatocytes and can prevent the deleterious activities of intrahepatic cholestasis by stimulating FXR-associated pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Aralia elata leaves are known to have several biological activities, including anti-arrythmia, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antimicrobial and antiviral effects. Our previous study found that triterpenoid saponins from the leaves of A. elata had antitumor effects. Quantification of the triterpenoids is important for the quality control of A. elata leaves. Objective To establish high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) for the simultaneous determination of four major triterpenoid saponins, including Aralia-saponin IV, Aralia-saponin VI, 3- O- β- d- glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)- β- d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)- β- d-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28- O- β- d-glucopyranoside (Aralia-saponin TTP)and Aralia-saponin V. Methodology The separation was carried out on a Dikma Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) efficiently with gradient elution consisting of acetonitrile and water. Results All calibration curves showed good linear regression ( R2 > 0.9996) within the ranges of tested concentrations. This validated method was applied to determine the contents of the four major triterpenoid saponins in 53 samples from different regions of northeast China. Hierarchical clustering analysis was first used to classify and differentiate Aralia elata leaves. Conclusion The method developed was successfully applied to analyse four major triterpenoid saponins in Aralia elata leaves which is helpful for quality control of the herb. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid, sensitive, and reliable analytical ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the simultaneous determination of Aralia-saponin IV, 3- O-β- d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β- d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β- d-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28- O-β- d-glucopyranoside, Aralia-saponin A and Aralia-saponin B after the oral administration of total saponin of Aralia elata leaves in rat plasma. Plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with methanol. The analysis was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode using an electrospray ionization source with negative ionization mode. Under the experimental conditions, the calibration curves of four analytes had good linearity values ( r > 0.991). The intra- and inter-day precision values of the four analytes were ≤ 11.6%, and the accuracy was between -6.2 and 4.2%.The extraction recoveries of four triterpenoid saponins were in the range of 84.06-91.66% (RSD < 10.5%), and all values of the matrix effect were more than 90.30%. The developed analytical method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study on simultaneous determination of the four triterpenoid saponins in rat plasma after oral administration of total saponin of Aralia elata leaves, which helps guiding clinical usage of Aralia elata leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The material consisting of alternating layers of a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE)/polystyrene (PS) blend (90/10 wt/wt) and pure poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) was prepared through layer-multiplying extrusion. The LLDPE/PS light-scattering films were obtained by peeling off the PMMA layers. Morphological examination demonstrated that the PS particles were dispersed as spherical domains in all the LLDPE/PS layers and the average diameter increased from skin to core layers. When a laser beam was vertically incident on the individual layers, the one located in the skin layer had a stronger light-scattering pattern than that located in the core layer. All the LLDPE/PS films had a similar transmittance close to 90%, while the haze tended to decrease from the skin layer toward the core layer. The Mie's scattering theory was applied to analyze the influence of morphological evolution on the light scattering behaviors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43826. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination and pharmacokinetic study of (+)-8-hydroxypinoresinol-4'-O-β -D-glucopyranoside, prinsepiol-4- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, (+)-pinoresinol-4,4'-di- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and (−)-massoniresinol 3α- O-β-D-glucopyranoside in rat plasma after the oral administration of a Valeriana amurensis extract. The analytes and ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (internal standard) were separated on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 chromatographic column. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode using an electrospray ionization source operating in negative ionization mode. The linear ranges (ng/mL) of the standard curves were 0.39-154.00, 0.62-244.70, 0.50-198.60, and 0.34-134.50 for (+)-8-hydroxypinoresinol-4'- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, prinsepiol-4- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, (+)-pinoresinol-4,4'-di- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and (−)-massoniresinol 3α- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. The inter- and intra-day precisions were less than 11.0%, the accuracies were between −5.9 and 7.7%, and the extraction recoveries of the four analytes were > 81.2% from rat plasma. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of the four analytes after oral administration of a Valeriana amurensis extract to rats. The developed method has the potential for pharmacokinetic analysis and to provide additional information in the clinical application of Valeriana amurensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) blends with 5% LLDPE grafted with 1% maleic anhydride (MAH; EVOH/LLDPE/LLDPE- g-MAH), created to increase the interfacial compatibility, were coextruded with pure LLDPE through the microlayer coextrusion technology. The phase morphology and gas-barrier properties of the alternating-layered (EVOH/LLDPE/LLDPE- g-MAH)/LLDPE composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy observation and oxygen permeation coefficient measurement. The experimental results show that the EVOH/LLDPE/LLDPE- g-MAH and LLDPE layers were parallel to each other, and the continuity of each layer was clearly evident. This structure greatly decreased the oxygen permeability coefficient compared to the pure LLDPE and the barrier percolation threshold because of the existence of the LLDPE/EVOH/LLDPE- g-MAH blend layers, and the LLDPE layers diluted the concentration of EVOH in the whole composites. In addition, the effects of the layer thickness ratio of the EVOH/LLDPE/LLDPE- g-MAH and LLDPE layers and the layer number on the barrier properties of the layered composites were investigated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42211. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyse the molecular mechanisms of phytoplasma pathogenicity, the comprehensive metabolomic changes of mulberry leaf and phloem sap in response to phytoplasma infection were examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The metabolic profiles obtained revealed that the metabolite compositions of leaf and phloem sap were different, and phytoplasma infection has a greater impact on the metabolome of phloem sap than of leaf. Phytoplasma infection brought about the content changes in various metabolites, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, etc. Meanwhile, the results of biochemical analysis showed that the degradation of starch was repressed, and the starch content was increased in the infected leaves. In addition, we found that phytoplasma infection changed the levels of abscisic acid and cytokinin and break phytohormone balance. Interestingly, our data showed that the contents of H2O2 and superoxide were increased in the infected leaves, but not in the phloem saps. Based on the results, the expression levels of the genes involved in the metabolism of some changed metabolites were examined, and the potential molecular mechanisms of these changes were discussed. It can be concluded that both the leaf and phloem saps have a complicated metabolic response to phytoplasma infection, but their response mechanisms were different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We cloned and sequenced IDH2 from two cetacean and 19 bat species. [•] We found signals of parallel evolution in IDH2 in cetaceans, bats and primates. [•] This parallel evolution may reflect the higher energy demand they have in common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic lethality (SL) is a novel strategy for anticancer therapies, whereby mutations of two genes will kill a cell but mutation of a single gene will not. Therefore, a cancer-specific mutation combined with a drug-induced mutation, if they have SL interactions, will selectively kill cancer cells. While numerous SL interactions have been identified in yeast, only a few have been known in human. There is a pressing need to systematically discover and understand SL interactions specific to human cancer. In this paper, we present Syn-Lethality, the first integrative knowledge base of SL that is dedicated to human cancer. It integrates experimentally discovered and verified human SL gene pairs into a network, associated with annotations of gene function, pathway, andmolecular mechanisms. It also includes yeast SL genes from high-throughput screenings which are mapped to orthologous human genes. Such an integrative knowledge base, organized as a relational database with user interface for searching and network visualization, will greatly expedite the discovery of novel anticancer drug targets based on synthetic lethality interactions. The database can be downloaded as a stand-alone Java application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are conducted to investigate the effect of graphene coating on nanofilm boiling on an atomically smooth surface. Transition of boiling modes from normal evaporation to explosive boiling is observed on both bare and graphene‐coated surfaces. The onset temperature of explosive boiling on the graphene‐coated surface is approximately 170 K, which is extremely close to the value of approximately 160 K on the bare surface. A hydrophobic surface is also artificially fabricated to verify the effect of surface wettability on nanofilm boiling and the significance of graphene coating. The onset temperature of explosive boiling on the hydrophobic surface is much higher than that on the hydrophilic and graphene‐coated surfaces. Additionally, the critical heat flux of the nanofilm boiling on the graphene‐coated surface is slightly lower than that on the bare hydrophilic surface. Results confirm that graphene coating is almost useless, and even harmful to the heat transfer enhancement of the nanofilm boiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]