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Angiogenesis inhibitors targeting the VEGF signaling pathway are developed into drugs for the treatment of vaious diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and age-related macular degeneration. Recent studies have revealed that oleanolic acid (OA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, inhibited the VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling pathway and angiogenesis in HUVECs, which may represent an attractive VEGF inhibitor. In this paper, rational structural modification towards OA was performed in order to improve its inhibitory effects aganist VEGF and anti-angiogenesis potential. As a result, a series of novel OA derivatives, possessing α,β-unsaturated ketone system in ring A and amide functional group at C-28, were prepared and evaluated for cytotoxicity and their ability to inhibit VEGF-induced abnormal proliferation of HUVECs. The results showed that two promising derivatives, OA-1 and OA-16, exhibited no in vitro cytotoxicity against HUVECs but showed more potent inhibitory activity against VEGF-induced proliferation and angiogenesis in HUVECs, compared with OA. The results of Western blot indicated that OA-1 and OA-16 inhibited VEGF-induced VEGFR2 activation. Furthermore, small interfering RNA experiments were performed to confirm that both compounds inhibited VEGF-induced angiogenesis via VEGFR2. Thus, the present study resulted in the discovery of new promising OA-inspired VEGF inhibitors, which can serve as potential lead compounds for the treatment of angiogenesis-related diseases.

Atherosclerotic plaque instability contributes to ischaemic stroke and myocardial infarction. This study is to compare the abundance and difference of immune cell subtypes within unstable atherosclerotic tissues. CIBERSORT was used to speculate the proportions of 22 immune cell types based on a microarray of atherosclerotic carotid artery samples. R software was utilized to illustrate the bar plot, heat map and vioplot. The immune cell landscape in atherosclerosis was diverse, dominated by M2 macrophages, M0 macrophages, resting CD4 memory T cells and CD8 T cells. There was a significant difference in resting CD4 memory T cells (p = 0.032), T cells follicular helper (p = 0.033), M0 (p = 0.047) and M2 macrophages (p = 0.012) between stable and unstable atherosclerotic plaques. Compared with stable atherosclerotic plaques, unstable atherosclerotic plaques had a higher percentage of M2 macrophages. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated that the percentage of naïve CD4 T cells was strongly correlated with that of gamma delta T cells (r = 0.93, p

Two new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, taberibogines A and B (1 and 2), together with four known ones (3–6), were isolated from the stems of Tabernaemontana bovina. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and quantum chemistry computational methods. Compounds 1–2 were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Monovalent metal ions play an essential role in some enzyme reactions. Due to the loose interactions, identifying the critical residues interacting with monovalent metal ions based on a molecular dynamic (MD) analysis is still a challenge. In this study, we first defined the enrichment factor (Eaa) and the dwell time (td) to describe the interactions with metal ions in each enzyme residue during MD analysis. A "sandwich-like" solvent box for MD analysis was then constructed to avoid the interference of the initial position of metal ions. Finally, a bioinformatics tool, CityApps, was developed to facilitate the automatization of MD analysis and the calculation of the interaction parameter. Using the tool, the key residues (D191, Q272, and N329) responsible for K+-mediated activation of a methyl parathion hydrolase (MPH) from Pseudomonas sp. WBC-3 were identified based on Eaa, td, and RMSF differences. Ala mutation showed that the mutant D191A/Q272A/N329A was difficult to be activated by 1 M K+. In addition, Q272A showed a 176.19 % increase in specific activity compared to the wild MPH type. Our results indicate that CityApps developed here could be an effective tool for identifying enzyme residues interacting with monovalent metal ions and those residues that are critical for catalytic reaction.

The application of hydrogen direct-injection enrichment improves the performance of gasoline Wankel rotary engine, and the hydrogen injection strategy has a significant impact on combustion, knock, and emissions. The Z160F Wankel rotary engine was used as the investigated compact engine, and the simulation model was developed using CONVERGE software. The combustion, knock and emissions characteristics of the engine were studied with the different mass flow of hydrogen injection, i.e., the trapezoid, wedge, slope, triangle and rectangle type of gas injection rate shape. In the numerical simulations, the in-cylinder pressure oscillations were monitored using monitoring points, and the knock index (KI) was used as an evaluation indicator. The study revealed that the gas injection rate shape significantly affected the mixture of hydrogen and air, thus impacting combustion, knock and emissions. When the injection rate shape was rectangle, the flame speed was faster, the peak pressure in the cylinder was higher, and the corresponding crank angle was earlier, which led to higher pressure oscillations in the cylinder and larger KI. Based on the rectangle injection rate shape, the KI decreased by 75.81%, 33.47%, 26.46% and 76.58% for trapezoid, wedge, slope, and triangle, respectively, and the indicated mean effective pressure increased by 15.68%, 5.07%, 0.56% and 14.98%, respectively. Due to the small difference in maximum temperature, which resulted in very little variation in nitrogen oxides for each injection rate shape, the total hydrocarbon emissions of the trapezoid and triangle injection rate shape was high due to the delayed combustion phase. This paper provides a solution for direct hydrogen injection to improve the combustion, knock and emissions behavior of the rotary engine.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can compete with endogenous RNAs to modulate the gene expression and contribute to oncogenesis and tumor metastasis. lncRNA NKX2‐1‐AS1 (NKX2‐1 antisense RNA 1) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and metastasis; however, the contribution of aberrant expression of NKX2‐1‐AS1 and the mechanism by which it functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in gastric cancer (GC) remains elusive. NKX2‐1‐AS1 expression was detected in paired tumor and nontumor tissues of 178 GC patients by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT‐PCR). Using loss‐of‐function and gain‐of‐function experiments, the biological functions of NKX2‐1‐AS1 were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Further, to assess that NKX2‐1‐AS1 regulates angiogenic processes, tube formation and co‐culture assays were performed. RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, a dual‐luciferase reporter assay, quantitative PCR, Western blot, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays were performed to determine the potential molecular mechanism underlying this ceRNA. The results indicated that NKX2‐1‐AS1 expression was upregulated in GC cell lines and tumor tissues. Overexpression of NKX2‐1‐AS1 was significantly associated with tumor progression and enhanced angiogenesis. Functionally, NKX2‐1‐AS1 overexpression promoted GC cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and angiogenesis, while NKX2‐1‐AS1 knockdown restored these effects, both in vitro and in vivo. RIP and dual‐luciferase assays revealed that the microRNA miR‐145‐5p is a direct target of NKX2‐1‐AS1 and that NKX2‐1‐AS1 serves as a ceRNA to sponge miRNA and regulate angiogenesis in GC. Moreover, serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1) is an explicit target for miR‐145‐5p; besides, the NKX2‐1‐AS1/miR‐145‐5p axis induces the translation of SERPINE1, thus activating the VEGFR‐2 signaling pathway to promote tumor progression and angiogenesis. NKX2‐1‐AS1 overexpression is associated with enhanced tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and poor prognosis in GC. Collectively, NKX2‐1‐AS1 functions as a ceRNA to miR‐145‐5p and promotes tumor progression and angiogenesis by activating the VEGFR‐2 signaling pathway via SERPINE1., This study revealed that NKX2‐1‐AS1 might serve as an independent prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer (GC). NKX2‐1‐AS1 promotes cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis in GC. Moreover, NKX2‐1‐AS1 directly targets miR‐145‐5p to upregulate SERPINE1 and promote tumor progression and angiogenesis in a VEGFR‐2‐dependent manner.

The 12 mm-thick Ti–6Al–4V (TC4) titanium alloy plates were welded using keyhole tungsten inert gas (K-TIG) welding at various heat inputs. The microstructure, grain boundary (GB) characteristics and mechanical properties of the weld metal zone (WMZ) were analyzed. The test results show that the K-TIG welds are well formed, and no obvious defects are observed when the heat input is 2.30–2.62 kJ/mm. When the heat input gradually increases, α laths increase in length, and α′ phase and residual β phase are reduced. The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) test results indicate that the high-angle GB proportion in the WMZ increases with the increase of heat input. The tensile strength of the WMZ gradually decreases and the elongation of the WMZ increases when the heat input increases from 2.30 to 2.62 kJ/mm. The impact toughness of the WMZ increases as the heat input increases.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a highly conserved multifunctional serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinase widely expressed in many tissues. GSK-3β inhibitors could be used in the treatment of human key diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, inflammation, type-II diabetes, and so on, due to the multi-role of GSK-3β in the hepatic glycolysis regulation, cell signaling pathways, and phosphorylation of various proteins. Recently, sets of diverse GSK-3β inhibitors have been prepared, and biologically evaluated in vitro and in vivo in different screening models. This review summarizes the latest developments in GSK-3β inhibitors unclosed from 2015 to 2019, including their structure–activity relationship and bioactivity studies.

Acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) is one of the most successfully commercialized plant activators of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR). However, its activation (hydrolysis) mechanism catalyzed by the salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) remains elusive. The fundamental catalytic mechanism of the SABP2-catalyzed hydrolysis of the ASM had been investigated by extensive computational and experimental studies, including QM/MM simulations, charge transfer analysis, small-molecule synthesis, and biochemical assays. Here we report that the promiscuous SABP2 shows different catalytic mechanisms toward different substrates. To catalyze the ASM hydrolysis, the SABP2 uses a two-proton transfer mechanism, and the key intermediate is stabilized by the charge transfer effect; to catalyze the ethyl 1,2,3-benzothiadiazole-7-carboxylate (BTM, an ASM analogue) hydrolysis, the SABP2 applies the one-proton transfer mechanism, and the classic tetrahedral intermediate is stabilized by the electrostatic effect. The HPLC analyses of the SABP2 esterase activities toward the ASM and the BTM show comparable results with our computaional results, suggesting that the obtained computational mechanism insights are reasonable. The obtained mechanism is not only an important supplement to the theory of enzymes' catalytic promiscuity, but it also contributes a possible strategy for the design of next generation plant SAR activators.

The objective of the current study is to evaluate the potency of quinoline/cinnamic acid hybrids against amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation. In total, six new target quinoline/cinnamic acid hybrids were synthesized and screened for their in vitro anti-Aβ42 aggregation activity. Some hybrids, including (E)-N-(2-cinnamamidoethyl)-6,7-dimethoxyquinoline-2-carboxamide, (E)-6,7-dimethoxy-N-[2-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)acrylamido]ethyl]quinoline-2-carboxamide, and (E)-6,7-dimethoxy-N-[2-[3-(2-methoxyphenyl)acrylamido]ethyl]quinoline-2-carboxamide, showed significant anti-Aβ42 aggregation activity. Molecular docking method was used to predict the binding modes of these compounds with Aβ42. In addition, their cytotoxicity towards neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and human normal hepatocyte LO2 cells were tested. Neuroprotective evaluation demonstrated that these compounds could attenuate Aβ42-induced neurotoxicity towards SH-SY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, the present study provides quinoline/cinnamic acid hybrids as a new template for developing Aβ aggregation inhibitors against Alzheimer’s disease.

In this paper, the effects of direct water injection (WI) on characteristics of combustion and emission for a hydrogen (H2)-fueled spark ignition (SI) engine were experimentally investigated. The experiments conducted under different amounts of water injection (AWI) and varied water injection timing (WIT). The experimental results showed that in-cylinder pressure decreased, indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) increased, and the flame development (CA0-10) and propagation (CA10-90) periods prolonged when AWI raised. When AIW grew to 4.5 mg/cycle, Nitrogen oxides (NOx) expelled from the original engine decreased by 53.7% when excess air ratio (λ) was 1.15. Early WIT had positive effects on the reduction of NOx emissions. When WIT retarded, in-cylinder pressure increased, ITE decreased and CA0-10 and CA10-90 shortened, NOx emissions rapidly increased.

Discovery of novel multifunctional inhibitors targeting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has becoming a hot spot in anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug development. In the present study, four potent small molecule inhibitors (A01, A02, A03 and A04) of AChE with new chemical scaffold were identified. Inhibitor A03 displayed the most potent inhibition activity on AChE at enzymatic level with IC50 value of 180 nM, and high selectivity towards AChE over butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) by more than 100-fold. The binding modes of compounds A01-A04 were carefully analyzed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to provide informative clues for further structure modification. Finally, the anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation and neuroprotective activity were also well investigated. Our findings highlighted the therapeutic promise of AChE inhibitors A01-A04 for AD treatment.

Three coordination polymers (CPs) incorporating both 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-tetrakiscarboxyphenylsilane (H4tcps) and 3,5-bis(1′,2′,4′-triazol-1′-yl)pyridine (btap), namely [Co2(tcps)(btap)(H2O)3] (1), [Co3(Htcps)2(btap)(H2O)6] (2) and [Cd3(Htcps)2(btap)(H2O)6] (3), were synthesized by a solvothermal method. Compound 1 features a 3D (3,4,5)-connected framework with the (6·75·84)(64·82)(72·9) topology. Compounds 2 and 3 are isostructural, which display an unusual 1D + 3D → 3D polythreaded supramolecular architecture with the 1D chain inserted into the channels of the two-fold interpenetrating 3D motif. Hydrogen bonds among the 3D anionic motif and the 1D cationic motif further stabilize the compounds. The structure of compounds 2 and 3 is a 3D 3-connected framework with the point symbol (103)4. The luminescence properties of compound 3 in their solid state and as dispersed in various solvents were investigated. Luminescence studies have revealed that compound 3 exhibits high sensitivity and stable anti-interference towards Fe3+ and Cu2+ cations in aqueous solution.

Thrombin inhibition therapy is a practical strategy to reduce thrombotic and cardiovascular risks via blocking the formation of blood clots. This study aimed to identify naturally occurring thrombin inhibitors from licorice (one of the most popular edible herbs), as well as to investigate their inhibitory mechanisms. Among all tested licorice constituents, licochalcone A was found as the most efficacious agent against human thrombin (IC50 = 7.96 μM). Inhibition kinetic analyses demonstrated that licochalcone A was a mixed inhibitor against thrombin-mediated Z-Gly-Gly-Arg-AMC acetate hydrolysis, with a Ki value of 12.23 μM. Furthermore, mass spectrometry-based chemoproteomic assays and molecular docking simulations revealed that licochalcone A could bind to human thrombin at both exosite I and the catalytic site. In summary, our findings demonstrated that the chalcones isolated from licorice were a new class of direct thrombin inhibitors, also suggesting that licochalcone A was a promising lead compound for developing novel anti-thrombotic agents.

Nucleic acid diagnosis is a method that diagnoses human conditions and diseases by directly exploring the existing states or defects of nucleic acids using theoretical and technical approaches from molecular biology. The detected genes are either endogenous (the body's own genes) or exogenous (such as viruses and bacteria). The former is used to diagnose genetic lesions and the latter is used to diagnose pathogenic infections. Fluorescent hybridization probes based on the principles of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and the complementary pairing of nucleic acids have been widely used in nucleic acid detection due to their high sensitivity and selectivity, ease of design and synthesis. These probes have been extensively studied and modified for different applications. Traditional fluorescent hybridization probes include molecular beacons (MBs) and binary probes (BPs). Many new fluorescent hybridization probes have been derived to improve the sensitivity of the traditional probes by adjusting their structure, combined with amplification techniques and novel nanomaterials. This review describes the applicability and advantages of various hybridization probes that utilize novel and inventive designs.

A rapid and sensitive method is described for measuring perchlorate (ClO4−), chlorate (ClO3−), chlorite (ClO2−), bromate (BrO3−), and iodate (IO3−) ions in natural and treated waters using non-suppressed ion chromatography with electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry (NS-IC-MS/MS). Major benefits of the NS-IC-MS/MS method include a short analysis time (12 minutes), low limits of quantification for BrO3− (0.10 μg L−1), ClO4− (0.06 μg L−1), ClO3− (0.80 μg L−1), and ClO2− (0.40 μg L−1), and compatibility with conventional LC-MS/MS instrumentation. Chromatographic separations were generally performed under isocratic conditions with a Thermo Scientific Dionex AS16 column, using a mobile phase of 20% 1 M aqueous methylamine and 80% acetonitrile. The isocratic method can also be optimized for IO3− analysis by including a gradient from the isocratic mobile phase to 100% 1 M aqueous methylamine. Four common anions (Cl−, Br−, SO42−, and HCO3−/CO32−), a natural organic matter isolate (Suwannee River NOM), and several real water samples were tested to examine influences of natural water constituents on oxyhalide detection. Only ClO2− quantification was significantly affected – by elevated chloride concentrations (>2 mM) and NOM. The method was successfully applied to quantify oxyhalides in natural waters, chlorinated tap water, and waters subjected to advanced oxidation by sunlight-driven photolysis of free available chlorine (sunlight/FAC). Sunlight/FAC treatment of NOM-free waters containing 200 μg L−1 Br− resulted in formation of up to 263 ± 35 μg L−1 and 764 ± 54 μg L−1 ClO3−, and up to 20.1 ± 1.0 μg L−1 and 33.8 ± 1.0 μg L−1 BrO3− (at pH 6 and 8, respectively). NOM strongly inhibited ClO3− and BrO3− formation, likely by scavenging reactive oxygen or halogen species. As prior work shows that the greatest benefits in applying the sunlight/FAC process for purposes of improving disinfection of chlorine-resistant microorganisms are realized in waters with lower DOC levels and higher pH, it may therefore be desirable to limit potential applications to waters containing moderate DOC concentrations (e.g., ∼1–2 mgC L−1), low Br− concentrations (e.g.

A triazole (1-(p-tolylthio)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylic acid, TTC) film was prepared via an in-situ click-assembling reaction between tosyl azide (TA) and propiolic acid (PA) on Cu, Cu2O and CuO substrates. Its surface wettability, antibacterial activity and anticorrosion ability were evaluated by surface characterizations, antibacterial testing and electrochemical measurements. The modified-Cu2O film exhibits the best overall performance. The anticorrosion protection efficiency of the modified-Cu2O film for copper is 91.1%. The modified-Cu2O film shows a superior hydrophobicity with a contact angle of 137° and it also has the best antibacterial activity. The FT-IR and surface analysis (SEM and XPS) reveal that the excellent anticorrosion ability of the modified-Cu2O film is mainly due to the massive TTC film assembled on its surface. The large amount of TTC also contributes to the best hydrophobicity and antibacterial activity. The theoretical calculations show that the TTC film is formed via the horizontal adsorption of a triazole ring and O atoms in the TTC molecule.

Japonisine A, a novel fawcettimine-type Lycopodium alkaloid with an unusual skeleton and two new fawcettimine-type ones, along with 20 known Lycopodium alkaloids, were isolated from the whole plants of Lycopodium japonicum Thunb. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-ESIMS, as well as by comparison with the literature data. Notably, japonisine A (1) was the first example of fawcettimine-related Lycopodium alkaloid with a 2-oxopropyl attached at C-6. All the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase. Unfortunately, the results indicated that all the compounds were inactive against the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase.

Enhancing neuronal α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) function can alleviate cognitive deficits. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of N-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine derivatives 8-10 as a series of novel α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). The representative compound 10e functions as a type I PAM with an EC50 of 3.0 μM and approximately 38-fold enhancement of α7 current in the presence of agonist acetylcholine (100 μM). It specifically enhances α7 current with high selectivity. Compound 10e shows good pharmacokinetic property in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of 10e (3 mg/kg) exhibits sufficient blood-brain barrier penetration in mice. Furthermore, 10e can also rescue the auditory gating deficit in mice with schizophrenia-like behavior. Molecular docking of 10e with homopentameric α7 nAChR reveals a new mode of action. These results support the potential of 10e for treatment for schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

Two novel kojic acid derivatives, kojicones A and B (1 and 2), along with the precursors kojic acid (3) and (2R,4R)-4-hydroxy-5-methoxy-2,4-dimethyl-2- [(2R)-2-methylbutyryloxy]-5-cyclohexen-1,3-dione (4), were isolated from a fungal strain Aspergillus versicolor. Their structures and absolute configurations were accurately confirmed by HRESIMS data, NMR analysis, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Kojicones A and B were the first examples of kojic acid adducts with cyclohexen-1,3-dione possessing unprecedented tricycle skeletons. Compounds 1–3 were found to have inhibition on the NO production of murine RAW 264.7 cells. They can also reduce the mRNA expression of four cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS) and promote the expression of IL-4 at 20 μM. Moreover, kojic acid (3) could treat the DSS (dextran sulfate sodium)-induced colitis on mice with the effectiveness similar to that of the positive control. The results suggested that kojic acid and its derivatives could be a promising anti-inflammatory source for the medicinal and cosmetic industry.

BACKGROUND Lipids account for 2.0-2.5% of wheat flour by dry weight and affect properties and quality of cereal foods. A new method was developed to extract non-starch lipids from wheat flour. Wheat flour was first hydrolyzed with a protease and followed by extraction of non-starch lipids by water-saturated butanol (WSB). RESULT Protein hydrolysis by protease followed by extraction of non-starch lipids with WSB increased yield to 1.9 ± 0.3% from 1.0 ± 0.1% with no protease treatment. The lipid profile showed a significant increase in phospholipid compounds extracted with protease hydrolysis (5.9 ± 0.8 nmol·g-1 ) versus without enzymatic treatment (2.4 ± 1.3 nmol g-1 ). CONCLUSION Improved lipid extraction yield and phospholipid compounds following protease-assisted extraction method provided additional insight towards the understanding of protein-lipid interaction in wheat flour. The new protease-assisted extraction method may be applied to analyzing non-starch lipids in other types of wheat flours and other cereal flours. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Reproduction comes at a cost, including accelerated death. Previous studies of the interconnections between reproduction, lifespan, and fat metabolism in C. elegans were predominantly performed in low-reproduction conditions. To understand how increased reproduction affects lifespan and fat metabolism, we examined mated worms; we find that a Δ9 desaturase, FAT-7, is significantly up-regulated. Dietary supplementation of oleic acid (OA), the immediate downstream product of FAT-7 activity, restores fat storage and completely rescues mating-induced death, while other fatty acids cannot. OA-mediated lifespan restoration is also observed in C. elegans mutants suffering increased death from short-term mating, and in mated C. remanei females, indicating a conserved role of oleic acid in post-mating lifespan regulation. Our results suggest that increased reproduction can be uncoupled from the costs of reproduction from somatic longevity regulation if provided with the limiting lipid, oleic acid.

A three-component, metal-free radical cascade iodonitrosylative cyclization reaction was described. The nitroso radical was generated from tert-butyl nitrite and triggered the radical addition/cyclization/iodination/oxidation sequences. A variety of 1,6-enynes were tested and proved to be compatible, delivering various highly functionalized hetero- and all-carbon cycles and nitro and vinyl C-I bonds containing pyrrolidines, tetrahydrofuran, and cyclopentane in moderate to excellent isolated yields.

Background Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are an effective new strategy for the treatment of kidney diseases. At present, noninvasive and efficient transplantation approaches to homing BMSCs to the renal parenchyma is still a serious challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and potential mechanism of ultrasound-guided intraparenchymal transplantation of BMSCs for the treatment of adriamycin nephropathy (AN) in rats. Materials and methods A rat AN model was induced by 2 injections of doxorubicin. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 10 animals in each group) : normal group (N group, no treatment), control medium group (CM group, transplant medium 1.0 mL), adriamycin nephropathy group (ADR group, phosphate buffered saline 1.0 mL), or BMSCs group (BMSCs fluid 1.0 mL). Intraparenchymal injection was completed under ultrasound guidance. After 4 weeks of treatment, blood samples were collected for serum biochemical measurements and ELISAs. The kidneys were removed for histopathological examination, electron microscopy, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL), and western blot analysis. Results No deaths occurred in any group after BMSCs transplantation through the renal parenchyma under ultrasound guidance. Compared with the N and CM groups, in the ADR group, blood serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urine albumin (ALb) were higher, glomerular and tubular dilatation was observed, the number of apoptotic cells was higher, and the protein levels of receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)/mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) and nucleotide leukin-rich polypeptide 3 (NLRP3), key components of pathways in rat kidney, were significantly higher. Compared with those in the ADR group, the levels of SCr, BUN, ALb and serum proinflammatory cytokines in the BMSCs group were lower, the pathological structure of the kidney was improved, the number of apoptotic cells was lower, and the levels of RIPK3/MLKL and NLRP3 were significantly lower. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided intraparenchymal transplantation of BMSCs regulated the RIPK3/MLKL and NLRP3 pathways in a minimally invasive and safe manner, thereby inhibiting renal necrosis and inflammation and playing a protective role in rat AN.

In this study, indolyl-1,2,4-oxidizable derivatives were synthesized and in vitro evaluated as new class of non-competitive α-glucosidase inhibitors. Most of the compounds showed better inhibitory activity than reference drug (acarbose), with compound 35 being the most potent inhibitor. Kinetic analysis indicated that compound 35 had non-competitive inhibition on α-glucosidase, and fluorescence quenching experiment confirmed the direct binding of 35 to α-glucosidase. Besides, some selected compounds had no effect on cell viability of human normal hepatocyte (LO2) and human liver cancer (HepG2) cells. Thus, this work provides a new chemotype for developing novel drugs against type 2 diabetes.

Hydroxypropyl (HP) starches are used as thickeners and stabilizers in foods. The properties of the etherified starches are dependent on the degree of hydroxypropylation. The objective of this study was to develop an improved acid hydrolysis method to degrade and solubilize HP starches for determining HP content in modified starches by 1H NMR. The effects of acid (DCl) concentration and temperature on hydrolysis and solubilization of hydroxypropylated starches were examined. The optimal conditions proposed to hydrolyze HP starches were 10% starch solid content, 3.5% (wt%) DCl in D2O as the solvent, sodium acetate as an internal standard, and heating at 90 °C for 1 h. Optionally, 6% (v/v) TFA-d may be added as the water-peak shifting reagent. Six hydroxypropylated starches and two cross-linked and hydroxypropylated starches were hydrolyzed with this improved acid method, and the results of the HP content were in agreement with those from an enzyme-catalyzed method.

Corn bran hemicellulose was extracted from de-oiled and de-starched corn bran using 0.3 M alkali at 120 °C. Following neutralization, ethanol (75%) precipitation, dialysis, protein digestion, re-precipitation in ethanol, and freeze-drying, purified corn fiber gum (PCFG) was obtained in overall yield of 45.96%. PCFG gave a single peak by high performance size exclusion chromatograph, and had average molecular weight of 296 kDa. Monosaccharide composition, methylation, and GC–MS analysis indicated that PCFG was comprised of three monosaccharides, arabinose (araf), xylose (xylp) and galactose (galp) with the following linkage: t-araf, 17.09%; 1,3-araf, 12.43%; t-xylp, 16.13%; 1,4-xylp, 11.57%; 1,3,4-xylp, 26.02%; 1,2,3,4-xylp, 10.46%; t-galp, 6.37%. Partial acid hydrolysis suggested that arabinofuranose sugar residues were substituted onto a 1,4-linked xylan backbone. Extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy was used to identify and confirm the following linkages: t-xylp, 1,2,3,4-β-D-xylp, t-α-L-araf, 1,2-α-L-araf and 1,4-β-D-xylp. Several other linkage fragments were also deduced: t-araf→2-araf→2-O-(1,3,4-xyl), t-araf→2-araf→3-O-(1,2,4-xyl), t-araf→2-araf→3-araf, and t-gal→2-ara.

A three-dimensional simulation on flow behavior and lean combustion in a hydrogen direct-injection gasoline rotary engine was implemented. The combined influence of hydrogen injection pressure (HIP) and nozzle diameter (HND) was numerically analyzed in the critical injection state. Results showed that with the increments of HIP and HND, further penetration and larger dispersion angle of jet-flow were presented. Increasing HIP led to larger jet-flow area and more jet-wall interaction, as well as greater deflection degree of hydrogen-flow after crashing upon the rotor surface. High-speed region expanded, while more jet-wall impingement occurred with the increment of HND. The spark ignited earlier and flame propagated faster as the HND modified smaller. As the HIP increased, the flame speed decreased slightly. The difference in the local Φ distribution and in-cylinder velocity field were the intrinsic mechanism of the HND impact, and the variation in the mixture concentration and TKE magnitude were the root causes of the HIP effect. The pressure and HRR traces were shifted to the downward clearly, while the peak positions were forming later as the HND extended larger. No perceptible difference in the peak positions of pressure and HRR were obtained with the HIP decrease, although pressure tended to increase along with heat release retard to be shortened. The combustion rate decreased with increments of HND and HIP, the timings of the initial consumption were delayed, and a proportional correspondence of reactants and intermediates was witnessed. The reduced NOx formation was obtained by increments of HND and HIP, and an inverse correlation can be seen between soot, CO, HC generations and NOx concentration. The scheme of 0.4 MPa HIP and 1 mm HND was the optimum configuration. Compared with a larger HND and higher HIP configuration, the peak pressure and maximum HRR were increased by 24.1% and 40.5%, and the productions of soot, CO, and HC were reduced by 55.7%, 61.5%, and 54.7%, respectively, though the NOx generation was increased to some extent. It was recommended in practice operations that the combination of lower HIP and smaller HND left a positive influence on improving the combustion characteristics of Wankel engines.

Waxy, normal, and high-amylose maize starches were acetylated to various degrees of substitution (DS) in aqueous medium. A stepwise addition of acetic anhydride enhanced reaction efficiency and DS was in the order of high-amylose maize starch (DS 1.72) > waxy maize starch (DS 1.60) > normal maize starch (DS 1.03) when 240% (w/w) acetic anhydride was added. Starch acetates were further fully esterified to DS 3.0 using acetic anhydride-d6 or propionic anhydride to analyze position of acetyl groups on anhydroglucose unit (AGU) by 1H NMR. Regioselective 2-O-acetyl starches were produced when the DS was lower than 0.14. At DS 1, the distribution of acetyl groups was ca. 44%, 32%, and 24% at C-2, C-3, and C-6 positions, respectively, regardless of amylose content. Deuterated acetyl group was a preferred secondary substituent over propionyl group in subsequent 1H NMR analysis because it resulted a clean spectrum without interference from propionyl methyl protons.

There are well-known traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). Among them, smoking is one of the most prominent and modifiable risk factors. This study aims to determine the magnitude of smoking as a risk factor for CAD in the Nepalese population. A hospital-based age- and sex-matched case–control study was carried out with a total of 612 respondents. Bivariate analysis showed that the risk of developing CAD in ex-smokers and current smokers was higher (odds ratio (OR): 1.81 (confidence interval (CI): 1.21–2.7) and OR: 5.2 (CI: 3.4–7.97)), with p-values less than 0.004 and

Octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA)-modified starches were prepared in granular form from waxy maize starch at two levels (3% and 9%, based on the weight of starch) of OSA reagent. The distribution of OS groups at five positions within a single starch granule was determined by Raman microspectroscopy. OSA-modified starch had one additional peak at 1670 cm−1, indicative of the carbonyl group in OS group bound to starch molecules. For each Raman spectrum obtained at a given position on a starch granule, the ratio of the band areas of carbonyl (1679 cm−1) to starch (2910 cm−1) was calculated. The highest level of OS groups was found on the granular surface. However, the level of OS groups in the center of granules also was high and nearly equal to that on the surface. The regions between the surface and the hilum of the waxy maize starch granules had reduced OS substitution.

To analyze the effects of hydrogen charge concentration (HCC) and injection angle (IA) on the lean combustion in a gasoline Wankel engine, the present work implemented a numerical simulation model coupling with the kinetic mechanisms and validated with the experimental data. Results found that with the increase in HCC, the penetration of hydrogen injection is enlarged and the area of the high-speed jet flow is expanded. The jet-flow area for IAs of 45° or 135° is larger than that of 90°. Changing IA could obtain the hydrogen distribution at different regions of the rotor chamber and IA of 90° acquires the smallest hydrogen-rich region. Increasing IA brings about the reduced flame speed substantially; the flame area for IAs of 45° and 90° expands with the increment of HCC whereas the contrary pattern is witnessed at the IA of 135°. Smaller IA leads to the major burning occurring untimely, which resulting in less work delivery of the engine. The hydrogen consumption for IAs of 45° and 90° increases as HCC is ascendant while that for IA of 135° is just the reverse. Variations in the mixture distribution and turbulence are the intrinsic mechanism of how the HCC and IA reflects the combustion progress. As hydrogen is injected with larger HCC and smaller IA, a relatively richer mixture and higher turbulent kinetic energy are distributed close in the spark ignition region. The peak combustion pressure reduces and its corresponding crank position delays with the widened IA at any HCC. Considering the fuel combustion and nitric oxide formation, as hydrogen volume fraction is 3% and IA is 45°, the engine could realize the optimized performance under the computational condition. An efficient combustion performance may be performed in engineering application if the hydrogen IA is in accordance with the rotor rotating direction at lower HCC.

Four new compounds, including two butenolides (1 and 2), an arborinane-type triterpenoid (3) and a phenylethanoid glycoside (4), along with the known triterpenoids (5–17) and phenylethanoid glycosides (18–29), were isolated from whole plants of Plantago depressa. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory or antiradical activities. Our results underlined that, among compounds 1–17, only compound 16 inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production with an IC50 equal to 5.33 ± 0.51 μM. All phenylethanoid glycosides (4, 18–29) were evaluated for their antiradical activity with a DPPH radical scavenging bioassay and showed high to moderate effect (IC50 from 2.70 to 51.51 μM).

The compound intake possesses large port area. Applying it in Wankel rotary engine (WRE) could increase volumetric efficiency and reduce pumping loss. To investigate the effect of the compound intake on the mixture formation and combustion process in gasoline WREs with hydrogen port and direct injected (HPI and HDI) enrichment, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was established and validated. Investigation results showed that the peripheral-ported intake flow plays a leading role in the compound-ported WRE. Because the peripheral-ported intake flow has the same direction with the rotor movement, the formation time of mainstream flow field is shortened and the mean flow speed is increased, the flame propagation in the same direction with mainstream flow field is accelerated. Meanwhile, the improvements in volumetric efficiency and quality of in-charged mixtures result in the rise of temperature and pressure at spark timing, which could also improve the initial thermal conditions. Therefore, the compound intake effectively accelerates the combustion process in WRE. In HPI conditions, compared with the side-ported WRE, the peak in-cylinder pressure and indicated thermal efficiency in compound-ported WRE are respectively increased by 4.5% and 3.9%. In HDI conditions, the flame could propagate to the rear combustion chamber and eliminate the unburned zone, the maximum in-cylinder pressure and indicated thermal efficiency in side-ported WRE with HDI are 84.7% and 6.6% higher than those of in side-ported WRE with HPI. At the same time, the compound intake could further increase the in-cylinder pressure and indicated thermal efficiency by 6.8% and 2.5%, respectively. However, the improved combustion performance increases the in-cylinder temperature, which provides a suitable thermal-atmosphere for nitrogen oxide (NO x ) formation. The compound intake increases mass fractions of NO x emissions from 0.111% to 0.141% in HPI conditions and those from 0.268% to 0.284% in HDI conditions. Considering the compound intake promotes the combustion characteristics and effectively decreases carbon monoxide (CO) emission from 0.043% to 0.033% in HPI conditions, and from 0.008% to 0.003% in HDI conditions, it is a feasible way to improve the performance of WREs. Especially, combining it with HDI could obtain a better engine performance under low engine speed and part load conditions.

Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) materials are considered as a promising high capacity anode for next-generation Li-ion batteries. However, the rapid capacity fading and poor cycling stability often occur in the SiOC materials with high Si content. In this work, an effective and facile strategy is reported to construct nanocomposites of MnO/SiOC, in which SiOC acts as buffer agent and conductive matrix, while MnO contributes to the major reversible capability. Microalgae (Chlorella) serves as both biological template and carbon source to synthesize SiOC microspheres with the assistance of supercritical CO2 fluid, then rice-like MnO nanoparticles are tightly embedded in the SiOC matrix through the heavy metal ion bio-sorption behavior of Chlorella. As anode materials for Li-ion batteries, the C/MnO/SiOC composites exhibit high reversible capacity of 770 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1 with excellent cycling stability and great rate capability. This work provides a novel strategy to fabricate SiOC-based high capacity anode materials for advanced Li-ion batteries.

A series of new indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-tacrine hybrids as dual acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors were designed and prepared based on the molecular docking mode of AChE with an IAA derivative (1a), a moderate AChE inhibitor identified by screening our compound library for anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug leads. The enzyme assay results revealed that some hybrids, e.g. 5d and 5e, displayed potent dual in vitro inhibitory activities against AChE/BChE with IC50 values in low nanomolar range. Molecular modeling studies in tandem with kinetic analysis suggest that these hybrids target both catalytic active site and peripheral anionic site of cholinesterase (ChE). Molecular dynamic simulations and Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations indicate that 5e has more potent binding affinity than hit 1a, which may explain the stronger inhibitory effect of 5e on AChE. Furthermore, their predicted pharmacokinetic properties and in vitro influences on mouse brain neural network electrical activity were discussed. Taken together, compound 5e can be highlighted as a lead compound worthy of further optimization for designing new anti-AD drugs.