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Background: As the HIV epidemic continues to grow, transmitted drug resistance(TDR) and determining relationship of HIV transmission are major barriers to reduce the risk of HIV transmissions.This study aimed to examine the molecular epidemiology and TDR and evaluated the transmission pattern among newly diagnosed people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA) in Ningbo city, which could contribute to the development of targeted precision interventions. Methods: Consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Ningbo City between January 2018 and December 2021. The HIV-1 pol gene region was amplified and sequenced for drug resistance and genetic transmission network analysis. TDR was determined using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database. Genetic transmission network was visualized using Cytoscape with the genetic distance threshold of 0.013. Results: A total of 1006 sequences were sequenced successfully, of which 61 (6.1%) showed evidence of TDR. The most common mutations were K103N (2.3%), E138A/G/Q (1.7%) and V179D/E (1.2%). 12 HIV-1 genotypes were identified, with CRF07_BC being the major genotype (43.3%, 332/767), followed by CRF01_AE (33.7%, 339/1006). 444 (44.1%) pol sequences formed 856 links within 120 transmission clusters in the network. An increasing trend in clustering rate between 2018 and 2021(χ2 = 9.546, P = 0.023) was observed. The odds of older age (≥ 60 years:OR = 2.038, 95%CI = 1.072 ~ 3.872, compared to < 25 years), HIV-1 genotypes (CRF07_BC: OR = 2.147, 95%CI = 1.582 ~ 2.914; CRF55_01B:OR = 2.217, 95%CI = 1.201 ~ 4.091, compared to CRF01_AE) were significantly related to clustering. Compared with CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC were prone to form larger clusters. The largest cluster with CRF07_BC was increased from 15 cases in 2018 to 83 cases in 2021. Conclusions: This study revealed distribution of HIV-1 genotypes, and genetic transmission network were diverse and complex in Ningbo city. The prevalence of TDR was moderate, and NVP and EFV were high-level NNRTI resistance. Individuals aged ≥ 60 years old were more easily detected in the networks and CRF07_BC were prone to form rapid growth and larger clusters. These date suggested that surveillance and comprehensive intervention should be designed for key rapid growth clusters to reduce the potential risk factors of HIV-1 transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic metal chalcohalides, as significant semiconductor materials, have emerged as promising candidates for photoelectric applications. Herein, a new type of quaternary chalcohalide, [Ba4X][In19S32] (X = Cl, Br), has been discovered using the high-temperature halide salt flux method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that they are isostructural and crystallize in the tetragonal space group I41/amd (no. 141) featuring the octahedral hole formed by six [InS4]5− tetrahedra filled with a [ClBa4]7+ polycation, surrounded by a three-dimensional covalent framework formed by interconnecting [InS6]9− octahedra through corner-sharing and edge-sharing. Moreover, [Ba4Cl][In19S32] and [Ba4Br][In19S32] exhibit wide optical bandgaps of 2.70 eV and 2.46 eV, respectively, and moderate birefringences (0.044 @ 2100 nm and 0.042 @ 2100 nm, respectively). Specifically, [Ba4X][In19S32] (X = Cl, Br) display remarkable photocurrent responses under simulated solar-light illumination, implying their potential for photocatalytic applications. Theoretical calculations were employed to understand the interrelationship between the optical properties and electronic structure. The study on the synthesis and structure–property relationship analysis of inorganic metal chalcohalides provides new insight into the exploration of promising photoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the HIV epidemic continues to grow, transmitted drug resistance(TDR) and determining relationship of HIV transmission are major barriers to reduce the risk of HIV transmissions.This study aimed to examine the molecular epidemiology and TDR and evaluated the transmission pattern among newly diagnosed people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA) in Ningbo city, which could contribute to the development of targeted precision interventions. Methods: Consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Ningbo City between January 2018 and December 2021. The HIV-1 pol gene region was amplified and sequenced for drug resistance and genetic transmission network analysis. TDR was determined using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database. Genetic transmission network was visualized using Cytoscape with the genetic distance threshold of 0.013. Results: A total of 1006 sequences were sequenced successfully, of which 61 (6.1%) showed evidence of TDR. The most common mutations were K103N (2.3%), E138A/G/Q (1.7%) and V179D/E (1.2%). 12 HIV-1 genotypes were identified, with CRF07_BC being the major genotype (43.3%, 332/767), followed by CRF01_AE (33.7%, 339/1006). 444 (44.1%) pol sequences formed 856 links within 120 transmission clusters in the network. An increasing trend in clustering rate between 2018 and 2021(χ2 = 9.546, P = 0.023) was observed. The odds of older age (≥ 60 years:OR = 2.038, 95%CI = 1.072 ~ 3.872, compared to < 25 years), HIV-1 genotypes (CRF07_BC: OR = 2.147, 95%CI = 1.582 ~ 2.914; CRF55_01B:OR = 2.217, 95%CI = 1.201 ~ 4.091, compared to CRF01_AE) were significantly related to clustering. Compared with CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC were prone to form larger clusters. The largest cluster with CRF07_BC was increased from 15 cases in 2018 to 83 cases in 2021. Conclusions: This study revealed distribution of HIV-1 genotypes, and genetic transmission network were diverse and complex in Ningbo city. The prevalence of TDR was moderate, and NVP and EFV were high-level NNRTI resistance. Individuals aged ≥ 60 years old were more easily detected in the networks and CRF07_BC were prone to form rapid growth and larger clusters. These date suggested that surveillance and comprehensive intervention should be designed for key rapid growth clusters to reduce the potential risk factors of HIV-1 transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic metal chalcohalides are significant semiconductive materials for photovoltaics, photodetetion and infrared optics. Thus it is considerably rewarding to develop a new synthetic strategy to provide more degrees of freedom for atomic coordination to tune the optical and electronic properties of metal chalcohalides. In this work, the mixed-anion strategy is performed to synthesize two new metal chalcohalides Cs2InPS4X2 (X = Cl, Br) with mixed-anion structure by the reaction of InPS4 and CsX. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows that they are isostructural and crystallize in the centrosymmetric space group P21/n, consisting of zero-dimensional structure [In2P2S8X4]4− (X = Cl, Br) built from tetrahedral [PS4]3− and octahedral [InS4X2]7− (X = Cl, Br) through edge-sharing, with Cs cations filling in intervening voids. The UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurement reveals that Cs2InPS4Cl2 and Cs2InPS4Br2 exhibit large optical bandgaps of 3.21 eV and 3.12 eV, respectively. The electronic structure calculations show that the bandgap mainly originates from the [InS4X2]7− (X = Cl, Br) mixed-anion groups. First-principles calculations indicate that the birefringence of Cs2InPS4Cl2 and Cs2InPS4Br2 is ∼0.08 and ∼0.05 at 2090 nm, respectively. Furthermore, thermal analysis reveals that the Cs2InPS4X2 (X = Cl, Br) are thermostable up to 400 °C. This discovery enriches the structural diversity of inorganic chalcohalides and provides an insight for the exploration of new semiconductive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of nonlinear optical (NLO) chalcohalides AXHg3P2S8 (A = Rb, Cs; X = Cl, Br), which contain various Hg‐based building units including mixed‐anion trigonal planar [HgS2X]3− and tetrahedral [HgS3X]5−, are successfully synthesized. These compounds display good water resistance, wide infrared transparent region (0.42–17 µm), high laser‐induced damage thresholds (4.5–6 × AgGaS2), and strong phase‐matchable second harmonic generation (SHG) response close to AgGaS2. The mixed‐anion chalcohalide groups serving as functional building units in NLO materials are studied for the first time and proven to be very effective. This work opens a new avenue for new NLO material design to achieve the balance between strong SHG efficiency and large bandgap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatiality in literature has been explored in depth in recent years, but there are still few applications in literary translation studies. With space cognitively defined and the trichotomy of iconic signs adopted, we argue that the written text of a poem has its visual poetic spaces – the scene properties of linguistic signs (letters, character parts, words, lineation etc.) and relational reference of linguistic signs (distance, sequence etc.) – and that these poetic spaces are imagically and diagrammatically iconic. Our analysis of the English-Chinese and Chinese-English translation of poems' iconic letters, lineation, distance, and sequence reveals that some translators have successfully reproduced the source text's visual spatiality in the target text, but some have simply ignored or neglected the rendering; visual poetic spaces are semantically important and translatable, and the translation techniques involve direct reproduction and complementary renderings. We argue that, in addition to portraying the linguistic and cultural information found in poems, translators should pay more attention to visual poetic spatiality in their work in order to ensure an accurate portrayal of the original author's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N,N-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-dicarboximidoyl dichloride was synthesized from benzene-1,3-dicarboxaldehyde and characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR). The elastomer was prepared through the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of reaction between liquid polybutadiene (LPB) and isophthalonitrile oxide in this work. The tensile strength of different elastomer was enhanced from 0.14 MPa to 0.33 MPa as the elongation at break decreased from 145% to 73%, and the modulus increased from 0.09 kPa to 0.47 kPa. The parameters of kinetic indicated that the curing reaction was fi rst order reaction and the apparent activation energy of each curing system was less than 10.10 kJ/mol when the content of N,N-dihydroxybenzene-1,3- dicarboximidoyl dichloride was increased from 7% to 12%. These results suggested that nitrile oxides achieved curing of polymer binders at room temperature and this work had defi nite guiding signifi cance for the application of nitrile oxides in polymer binders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used for treatment of various neuro dysfunctions. However, its quality control is still limited to the determination of gastrodin. In the present study, two novel strategies based on quantitative evaluation of total gastrodin and gastrodigenin with base hydrolysis and total gastrodigenin with base-enzymatic hydrolysis followed by HPLC-FLD were put forward and successfully applied to evaluate the quality of 47 batches of G. elata from eight localities. Meanwhile, a systematic comparison of the novel strategy with the multiple markers and the Pharmacopeia method was performed. The results showed that the parishins category could be completely hydrolyzed to gastrodin by sodium hydroxide solution, and gastrodin could further utterly hydrolyze to gastrodigenin with -D-glucosidase buffer solution. The contents of total gastrodin and gastrodigenin ranged from 1.311% to 2.034%, and total gastrodigenin from 0.748% to 1.120% at the eight localities. From the comparison, we can conclude that the two novel strategies can comprehensively reveal the characteristics of overall active ingredients in G. elata for quality control. The present study provides a feasible and credible strategy for the quality control of G. elata, suggesting a revision of the latest Chinese Pharmacopoeia or European Pharmacopoeia methods for the modernization of G. elata use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical fingerprint and metabolic profile of traditional Chinese medicine is very complicated and has been a great challenge. In the present study, chemical fingerprint of ethyl acetate fraction of Gastrodia elata (EtAcGE) and metabolic profile of rat plasma sample after intragastric administration of EtAcGE (2.5 g/kg) were investigated using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS). A total of 38 chemical constituents of EtAcGE were identified by comparing their retention time, accurate molecular mass and characteristic fragment ions with those of references, or tentatively characterized by comparing molecular formula, fragment ions with that of known compound or information available in literature. And 40 compounds were detected in dosed rat plasma sample, including 16 prototypes and 24 metabolites underwent metabolic process of glucuronidation, glucosylation, sulfation, methylation, hydroxylation, dehydrogenation or mixed modes. The metabolic “soft spots” was hydroxyl or carboxy group. This is the first research for chemical fingerprint and metabolic profile of EtAcGE, which lay a foundation for the further investigation of EtAcGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Gastrodia elata Blume, a traditional Chinese herb, was widely used against convulsant, vertigo, paralysis, epilepsy, tetanus, asthma and immune dysfunctions. Gastrodin is one of the major bioactive components of G. elata and it is known for its anticonvulsive, anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects. Materials and methods An ultra high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (UHPLC-FLD) method was developed to determine gastrodin in rat plasma. Gastrodin and Thiamphenicol (internal standard, IS) were extracted from rat plasma by immediately protein precipitation. The pharmacokinetics of gastrodin in rats by following differently administered types was studies: intragastric administration of gastrodin (100 mg/kg), parishin (116 mg/kg, with the same mole of gastrodin moiety) and G. elata extract (2.3 g/kg, with the same mole of gastrodin moiety). Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic profiles were constructed using the software of WinNonlin (Phoenix, version 6.3), and the pharmacokinetic parameters were compared using unpaired Student’s t -test. Results The results showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters, including C max , T max , AUC 0–∞ , t 1/2 , MRT, V d , CL, were quite different among the three types of gastrodin administration. The administration of parishin and G. elata extract, which either could convert to gastrodin in vivo or contained free gastrodin and abundant gastrodin conjugates, gave rise to higher elimination half-life ( t 1/2 ) and mean residence time (MRT) values for gastrodin compared to free gastrodin administered. Conclusion The comparison of the pharmacokinetics of gastrodin among three different administered types of gastrodin in rats suggested that administration of parishin or G. elata extract in clinic may result in a longer duration time of action than that of the administration of free gastrodin. The results may provide some guidance for the clinical applications of parishin and G. elata . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetics of parishin, gastrodin, Gastrodia elata extract and Rhizoma Gastrodiae capsule was investigated by intragastric and/or intravenous administration to rats. Parishin was metabolized into nine metabolites after intravenous administration, and the area under the curve (AUC) of parishin and its metabolites (except parishin G and parishin E) increased nonlinearly from 72.5 to 220 mg/kg. When combining regression equation with the AUC and dose of gastrodin injection, the percent conversion of parishin to gastrodin was obtained as 50 %. Based on multi-active metabolites of parishin in vivo, integrated pharmacokinetic mode was established. It is notable that each metabolite from parishin shares the similar metabolic process at three dosages of parishin and the bioavailability of parishin was approximately 14 %. The integrated pharmacokinetic mode was successfully applied to evaluate the holistic pharmacokinetics of gastrodin injection, G. elata extract and Rhizoma Gastrodiae capsule. The results showed that the holistic pharmacokinetics of gastrodin injection and G. elata extract was closed to that of gastrodin, but for parishin and Rhizoma Gastrodiae capsule, integrated pharmacokinetic parameters were more suitable to evaluate its holistic pharmacokinetics. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, rapid and sensitive ultra high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (UHPLC-FLD) method was developed and validated for quantification of parishin and its metabolites in rats. Plasma samples were prepared by protein precipitation and then analyzed using UHPLC-FLD system. Repeated optimization showed that parishin and its metabolites, including gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin B and parishin C, could be sensitively detected based on the autofluorescence when excitation and emission wavelengths were set at 225 nm and 295 nm, respectively. The limit of detections (LODs) of GAS, HBA, PB, PC and PA reached 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1 and 1 ng/mL, respectively. The linearity for all targets was within the range 2.5–5000 ng/mL and the correlation coefficient ( r 2 ) was larger than 0.999. Importantly, our method was almost free from matrix effects and the recoveries were higher than 80%. Additionally, our method also had high precision and accuracy for all analytes, presenting RSDs and REs within ±6% and ±14%, respectively. Finally, the validated UHPLC-FLD method was successfully applied for studying the pharmacokinetics of parishin following intragastrically administration in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Seven strategies were reviewed to improve identification accuracy. [•] Construction of special database of MS and RI might be advisable. [•] Feature mining of MS and RI data in database benefits structure elucidation. [•] Mass spectral transfer improves the accuracy of identifying stereoisomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial infrared (IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are mainly from chalcopyrite‐type AMQ2 (A = Ag, Zn, M = Ga, Ge, Q = S, Se, P) crystals such as AgGaS2 (AGS), AgGaSe2 (AGSe), and ZnGeP2 (ZGP), in which the basic NLO‐active groups are MQ4 tetrahedral units. However, the small anisotropic character of them critical for small birefringence hinders the practical applications in the available IR wavelength range. In this study, a novel strategy for modulating birefringence is proposed using a cation regulation‐driven compressed hypertetrahedral layer approach and a family of AAg2MS4 (A = Na, K, Rb; M = P, As) IR NLO crystals are successfully obtained. Remarkably, the title compounds increase the birefringence to 0.12–0.15, about three times larger than that of AGS (0.04), while they can maintain large bandgaps and strong NLO effects. In addition, they exhibit congruent‐melting properties, beneficial for bulk single crystal growth. The work offers a firsthand access for designing and fabricating high‐performance IR NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second‐harmonic nonlinear‐optical (NLO) crystals with intrinsically noncentrosymmetric (NCS) structures are the core crystalline materials in the modern optics and laser technology. Here, taking as‐grown centrosymmetric NaY(CO3)2 and NCS YOHCO3 crystals as an example, a partial anion substitution strategy in the carbonate system is provided to develop NLO materials with remarkable NLO property for the first time, while the outstanding linear optical properties such as wide bandgap and large birefringence are maintained. Notably, benefiting from the planar π‐conjugated (CO3)2− anions and closed shell electronic structure of Y3+ cations, the YOHCO3 crystal simultaneously manifests a deep UV cutoff (<200 nm), sturdy second‐harmonic‐generation signal (2 × KH2PO4), and gigantic birefringence (0.07 at 1064 nm), enabling phase‐matching in short‐wavelength UV region. In addition, first‐principles calculations are conducted for the in‐depth analysis on the structure–optical property connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second‐harmonic nonlinear‐optical (NLO) crystals with intrinsically noncentrosymmetric (NCS) structures are the core crystalline materials in the modern optics and laser technology. Here, taking as‐grown centrosymmetric NaY(CO3)2 and NCS YOHCO3 crystals as an example, a partial anion substitution strategy in the carbonate system is provided to develop NLO materials with remarkable NLO property for the first time, while the outstanding linear optical properties such as wide bandgap and large birefringence are maintained. Notably, benefiting from the planar π‐conjugated (CO3)2− anions and closed shell electronic structure of Y3+ cations, the YOHCO3 crystal simultaneously manifests a deep UV cutoff (<200 nm), sturdy second‐harmonic‐generation signal (2 × KH2PO4), and gigantic birefringence (0.07 at 1064 nm), enabling phase‐matching in short‐wavelength UV region. In addition, first‐principles calculations are conducted for the in‐depth analysis on the structure–optical property connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial pneumonia is a common lung disorder, and the pathogenesis remain elusive. Parasitic infections of the lung are able to affect the respiratory system, and the clinical features could mimic tuberculosis and malignancy. Therefore, it is essential to identify parasitic pneumonia at early stage, and most cases are curable with medical intervention. In this study, one case of parasitic pneumonia was misdiagnosed as bacterial infection, revealing the importance of pathological biopsy and MDT, especially when clinical features are not typical and routine tests are not specific. Therefore, more paragonimiasis cases can be diagnosed more effectively by the clinicians and misdiagnose should be avoided in future clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two alkaline earth metal-containing thiophosphate compounds, BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 , were synthesized via the homovalent substitution of Pb2+ in PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3 by Ba2+ and Sr2+, respectively. The space group of BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (P 2 1 / c) and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (P 6 3 / m) is the same as the low- and high-temperature phases of PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3 , respectively. The two compounds exhibit structural similarity and possess three-dimensional honeycomb-shaped architectures. These honeycomb structures are arranged in a layered fashion via hexagonal rings, which arise from the sharing of edges or vertices between [AgS 4 ] and [PS 4 ] tetrahedral, accommodating discrete entities of Ba2+ and Sr2+ cations. BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 melts congruently with a melting point of 760 °C and a solidification point of 675 °C, while the melting behaviour of SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 was incongruently and thermally stable up to 689 °C under vacuum of 1 × 10−3 Pa. Moreover, the band gaps of BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (2.69 eV) and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (2.85 eV) have a significant enlargement compared to PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (2.09 eV). The combination of d10 cation Ag+ with second-order Jahn-Teller distortion and alkaline earth metals cation enriches the system of new metal thiophosphates and provides ideas for exploring other functional materials. Two new phosphorothioates, BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 , were prepared by the homovalent substitution of PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3 , and their space groups corresponded to the low-temperature and high-temperature phases of PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3 , respectively. [Display omitted] • Two new thiophosphates BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 were prepared by the homovalent substitution of PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3. • The space group of BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 corresponds to the low- and high-temperature phases of PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3. • The band gaps of BaAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (2.69 eV) and SrAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (2.85 eV) are compared with PbAg 7 (PS 4) 3 (2.09 eV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability is a key factor that restricts the practical applications of metal–organic framework (MOF) materials. In this work, we report an ultrastable three-dimensional cage-like MOF, SrCu(HC3N3O3)2, constructed by a polydentate cyanurate ligand and two kinds of different metal nodes. A high ratio of coordination sites in organic ligands, specific coordination of strong acid with a strong base and weak acid with a weak base and double independent completed coordination networks endow SrCu(HC3N3O3)2 with outstanding thermal stability (up to 300 °C) and acid/alkali resistance (pH = 2–14). Moreover, SrCu(HC3N3O3)2 possesses the highest porosity up to 36.7% among cyanuric acid-based MOF materials and exhibits differentiated adsorption of C3H4 (63 cm3 g−1) and C3H6 (51 cm3 g−1). The breakthrough experiment further verified that efficient C3H4/C3H6 separation can be achieved under dynamic conditions by SrCu(HC3N3O3)2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal thiophosphates have outstanding properties for the generation of mid-infrared coherent light and are an emerging nonlinear optical material system. In this study, a new non-centrosymmetric (NCS) quaternary alkaline-earth metal thiophosphate, SrAgPS4, was obtained via a high-temperature solid-state method. The new compound crystallizes in the NCS Ama2 (No. 40) space group and features two-dimensional [AgPS4]2− layers consisting of alternately connected [PS4] and [AgS4] tetrahedra. SrAgPS4 exhibits a strong phase-matched second harmonic generation response (1.10 × AgGaS2 at 2100 nm) and a large band gap (2.97 eV). In addition, theoretical calculations reveal the intrinsic relationship between the electronic structure and optical properties. This work enriches and greatly promotes the research on infrared nonlinear optical materials based on thiophosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recruited into the tumour microenvironment and promote tumour growth and metastasis. Tumour microenvironment‐induced autophagy is considered to suppress primary tumour formation by impairing migration and invasion. Whether these recruited MSCs regulate tumour autophagy and whether autophagy affects tumour growth are controversial. Our data showed that MSCs promote autophagy activation, reactive oxygen species production, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as increased migration and invasion in A549 cells. Decreased expression of E‐cadherin and increased expression of vimentin and Snail were observed in A549 cells cocultured with MSCs. Conversely, MSC coculture‐mediated autophagy positively promoted tumour EMT. Autophagy inhibition suppressed MSC coculture‐mediated EMT and reduced A549 cell migration and invasion slightly. Furthermore, the migratory and invasive abilities of A549 cells were additional increased when autophagy was further enhanced by rapamycin treatment. Taken together, this work suggests that microenvironments containing MSCs can promote autophagy activation for enhancing EMT; MSCs also increase the migratory and invasive abilities of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Mesenchymal stem cell‐containing microenvironments and MSC‐induced autophagy signalling may be potential targets for blocking lung cancer cell migration and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common diseases in elderly people with a high incidence of dementia at approximately 60–80%. The pathogenesis of AD was quite complicated and currently there is no unified conclusion in the academic community, so no efficiently clinical treatment is available. In recent years, with the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), researchers have proposed the idea of relying on TCM to prevent and treat AD based on the characteristic of multiple targets of TCM. This study reviewed the pathological hypothesis of AD and the potential biomarkers found in the current researches. And the potential targets of berberine and evodiamine from Evodia rutaecarpa in AD were summarized and further analyzed. A compound-targets-pathway network was carried out to clarify the mechanism of action of berberine and evodiamine for AD. Furthermore, the limitations of current researches on the TCM and AD were discussed. It is hoped that this review will provide some references for development of TCM in the prevention and treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC–FLD) and principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were developed for the quality control of Gastrodia elata. The developed protocols were successfully applied to the analysis and evaluation of 47 batches of this material from eight regions. A standard fluorescence fingerprint for G. elata was established based on 12 common peaks measured in all samples and the similarities between sample fingerprints and standard fingerprint were almost greater than 0.85. The results of PCA and HCA analysis showed that the samples from the eight regions could be classified into three groups. The correlation between the fingerprints and antioxidant activities was investigated by a stepwise regression model and Pearson correlation analysis. Gastrodigenin and parishin E were screened and validated as potential antioxidant markers of G. elata. This study provides a valuable reference for the evaluation of G. elata and other herbal medicines or their related foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Due to the limitations of current diagnostic techniques and methods, most lung cancers are diagnosed at the advanced stage, which is not conducive to early treatment. The rise of metabolomics has provided new ideas for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. As a method for the comprehensive analysis of endogenous metabolites of the biological system, metabolomics has shown significant application potential for the early diagnosis and individualized treatment of various cancers including lung cancers. Via advanced analytical techniques and bioinformatics tools, the metabolome was excavated to find biomarkers related to cancer and its prognosis. In this review, the research methods and workflow of metabolomics are summarized, with an emphasis on the recent discovery of biomarkers and major metabolic pathways for lung cancers. • Metabolomics workflow for lung cancer biomarker discovery was reviewed, and the workflow was summarized. • A total of 213 biomarkers were identified in the previous studies of lung cancer. • Three highly credible metabolic pathway diagrams were selected for the analysis in lung cancer metabolomics study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB) and leaf area index (LAI) is critical to characterize crop growth status and predict grain yield. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) -based remote sensing has attracted significant interest due to its high flexibility and easiness of operation. The mixed effect model introduced in this study can capture secondary factors that cannot be captured by standard empirical relationships. The objective of this study was to explore the potential benefit of using a linear mixed-effect (LME) model and multispectral images from a fixed-wing UAV to estimate both AGB and LAI of rice. Field experiments were conducted over two consecutive years (2017–2018), that involved different N rates, planting patterns and rice cultivars. Images were collected by a compact multispectral camera mounted on a fixed-wing UAV during key rice growth stages. LME, simple regression (SR), artificial neural networks (ANN) and random forests (RF) models were developed relating growth parameters (AGB and LAI) to spectral information. Cultivar (C), growth stage (S) and planting pattern (P) were selected as candidates of random effects for the LME models due to their significant effects on rice growth. Compared to other regression models (SR, ANN and RF), the LME model improved the AGB estimation accuracy for all stage groups to varying degrees: the R2 increased by 0.14–0.35 and the RMSE decreased by 0.88–1.80 t ha−1 for the whole season, the R2 increased by 0.07–0.15 and the RMSE decreased by 0.31–0.61 t ha−1 for pre-heading stages and the R2 increased by 0.21–0.53 and the RMSE decreased by 0.72–1.52 t ha−1 for post-heading stages. Further analysis suggested that the LME model also successfully predicted within the groups when the number of groups was suitable. More importantly, depending on the availability of C, S, P or combinations thereof, mixed effects could lead to an outperformance of baseline retrieval methods (SR, ANN or RF) due to the inclusion of secondary effects. Satisfactory results were also obtained for the LAI estimation while the superiority of the LME model was not as significant as that for AGB estimation. This study demonstrates that the LME model could accurately estimate rice AGB and LAI and fixed-wing UAVs are promising for the monitoring of the crop growth status over large-scale farmland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Preparation and evaluation of DMIP for imidazole fungicides using DCE as the fragment dummy template. • High selective solid phase extraction of CBZ, CMZ and MNZ from river water. • Good recovery and reproducibility of the developed DMISPE-HPLC method. • Superiority selectivity compared to commercial MCX sorbent. Abstract Dummy molecularly imprinted polymer (DMIP) for imidazole fungicides was prepared for the first time using alpha-(2,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1H-imidazole-1-ethanol (DCE) as the fragment template. The imprinting selectivity of DCE-DMIP was evaluated for climbazole (CBZ), clotrimazole (CMZ) and miconazole (MNZ) by liquid chromatography, imprinting factors of 10.9, 10.8 and >10.7 were achieved, respectively. Heterogeneous binding sites were found in the DCE-DMIP, the corresponding saturation capacity and dissociation constant for the high affinity binding sites were 13.05 μmol g–1 and 0.4701 mmol L–1. High efficient method based on dummy molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (DMISPE) coupled with HPLC was established for the selective enrichment of CBZ, CMZ and MNZ in river water using DCE-DMIP as sorbent. DMISPE conditions including sample loading pH/volume, selective washing and elution solvents were carefully optimized. The developed method showed good recoveries (84.2–95.0%) and precision (RSDs 1.7–5.0%, n = 5) for samples spiked at two different concentration levels (0.5 and 2.5 μg L–1). The detection limits were ranged from 0.023 to 0.031 μg L–1. The results demonstrated good potential of this method for sample pretreatment of azole fungicides in environmental water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylic functionalized β‐carbolines were successfully synthesized in good to excellent yields and high selectivity under mild conditions by aerobic oxidation in the presence of NHPI and transition metal salt using molecular oxygen as an oxidizing agent. A variety of derivatives of fascaplysin thus are available for structure‐bioactivity investigations. Carboxylic functionalized β‐carbolines have been synthesized in good to excellent yields and high selectivity by oxygen in the presence of NHPI and transition metal salt under mild conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the determination of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol E (BPE), bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol AF (BPAF), bisphenol AP (BPAP), bisphenol Z (BPZ) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in sewage and sludge samples. A highly class-selective dummy molecularly imprinted polymer was used for solid phase extraction (SPE) and clean-up of the samples. Bisphenols was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). The developed method had acceptable recoveries (43.6–101%), precision (RSDs: 1.5–15%) and matrix effects (−6.7 to 28%). The method limits of quantitation (MLOQs) for nine bisphenols in sewage and sludge samples were 0.0007–16.3 ng L −1 and 0.0004–8.28 ng g −1 dry weight (dw), respectively. The method was applied to a survey of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Dalian. All of the tested bisphenols, except BPB and BPZ, were presented in the analyzed samples. BPA, BPS, and BPF with the concentrations 412, 109 and 66.4 ng L −1 in the WWTP influent, respectively, were the predominant bisphenols. The results demonstrated that BPS and BPF have become the most frequently used substitutes of BPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Few clinical studies have confirmed the role of cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) in the maintenance therapy of advanced lung cancer patients. We investigate effectiveness and tolerability of CIKs as a maintenance therapy in the treatment of advanced lung cancer patients. Methods 70 patients with advanced lung cancer (stage IIIB to IV) admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing from Nov. 2011 to Jan. 2015 and treated with CIKs were enrolled as a CIKs group (T group), and another 70 advanced lung cancer patients treated with optimal supportive care during the same period were enrolled as a control group(C group). The changes of immune system, response rate, disease control rate, overall survival, and side effects were compared between the two groups. Furthermore, the factors that might influence the efficacy of CIKs therapy were evaluated. Results Compared with the healthy people, the ratios of CD3 + , CD4 + and CD8 + T cells significantly decreased ( P < 0.05) in lung cancer patients. After CIKs treatment, the ratios of CD3 + and CD4 + T cells and CD4 + /CD8 + significantly increased ( P < 0.05). The response rate (RR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 34.3% and 80.0% in the CIKs group, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (11.4% and 54.3%, both P < 0.05). Besides, the median PFS was significantly improved in the CIKs group than that in control group (6 months vs. 4 months, P < 0.05). Although median OS was 28 months in CIKs group while 22 months in control group, no significant difference was observed ( P > 0.05). However, The 2-year, 3-year survival rates were 56.8% and 21.6% in the CIK group, respectively, which were significantly improved compared to that in the control group (both P < 0.05). KPS score significantly increased in the CIKs group ( P = 0.001). 6 patients suffered from transient fever or chills in the process of CIKs transfusion, and no other side effect was observed. Furthermore, we also found that TNM stage, tumor size, metastasis in vital organs and KPS score were all factors associated with efficacy of CIKs treatment. Conclusion CIKs treatment, as a maintenance therapy, is safe and effective for advanced lung cancer patients, and can also improve the immune imbalance, RR, DCR, PFS, OS and quality of life of the lung cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel nanoparticles are widely used in the industry and may affect the reproductive system. The potential molecular mechanism of exposing the first-trimester trophoblast cell line (HTR-8/SVneo) to nickel nanoparticles remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity of Ni NPs on HTR-8/SVneo cells. HTR-8/SVneo cells were subjected to various concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 μg/cm2) of Ni NPs. The toxicity of the Ni NPs was evaluated in HTR-8/SVneo cells by measuring cell viability. The underlying mechanism of nickel nanoparticles toxicity to HTR-8/SVneo cells was determined by measuring the content of intracellular reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the rate of cell apoptosis and cell cycle, by measuring adenosine triphosphate levels, intracellular lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde, total superoxide dismutase, and CuZn/Mn-SOD activities, and by determining proteins related to Nrf2, MAPK, and Cytochrome c. Our results showed that the nickel nanoparticles treatment reduced the viability of HTR-8/SVneo cells, while it increased their oxidative stress and lowered their mitochondrial respiratory capacity. Additionally, the nickel nanoparticles treatment induced cell S-phase arrest and apoptosis. These molecular events may be linked to the oxidative stress-Nrf2 pathway/MAPK/Caspase 3 cascade. Thus, nickel nanoparticles exert cytotoxic effects on HTR-8/SVneo cells, which could affect the function of the placenta in human. • Nickel nanoparticles could exert toxic effects on HTR-8/SVneo cells. • Nickel nanoparticles can significantly reduce the relative copy number of mtDNA. • Nickel nanoparticles may affect placental function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of novel hetero-aromatic moieties substituted α-amino pyrrole-2-carbonitrile derivatives was designed and synthesized based on structure–activity relationships (SARs) of pyrrole-2-carbonitrile inhibitors. All compounds demonstrated good dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) inhibitory activities (IC50 = 0.004–113.6 μM). Moreover, compounds 6h (IC50 = 0.004 μM) and 6n (IC50 = 0.01 μM) showed excellent inhibitory activities against DPP4, good selectivity (compound 6h, selective ratio: DPP8/DPP4 = 450.0; DPP9/DPP4 = 375.0; compound 6n, selective ratio: DPP8/DPP4 = 470.0; DPP9/DPP4 = 750.0) and good efficacy in an oral glucose tolerance test in ICR mice. Furthermore, compounds 6h and 6n demonstrated moderate PK properties (compound 6h, F% = 37.8%, t 1/2 = 1.45 h; compound 6n, F% = 16.8%, t 1/2 = 3.64 h). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Jinkui Shenqi pill (JKSQ) and Liuwei Dihuang (LWDH) pills are ancient traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which are usually used for the treatment of kidney deficiency for thousands of years in China. Time-selected combination of LWDH and JKSQ pills in treating kidney deficiency and aging is one of the features of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). However, the molecular mechanisms of time-selected combination remain unclear. In this work, UHPLC–QTOF/MS based metabolomics research was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of LWDH, JKSQ pills and their combinations on kidney deficiency in Sprague–Dawley rats induced by d-galactose and Dexamethasone. Based on peak areas of serum extracts, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and graphical index of separation (GIOS) were employed to select the significant variables for kidney deficiency and aging and principal component projection (PCP) was subsequently applied to evaluate the influence of drugs on endogenous metabolites. 10 endogenous metabolites from 22 important ions were identified via database search. The score plot of PCA shows that nourishing Yang–nourishing Yin group shows the strongest rehabilitation for metabolic disorder induced by kidney deficiency and aging, which is consistent with the classic theories of traditional Chinese medicine. Moreover, metabolic pathway function analysis indicates that kidney deficiency and aging might possess closed relationships with lipid metabolism and energy metabolism. In this work, the change trends of potential biomarkers after administration provide molecular evidence for combined administration of Jinkui Shenqi pill in the morning and Liuwei Dihuang pill at night for the patients with kidney deficiency. The method proposed in this study may provide inspiration for evaluation of the therapeutic effect of Chinese medicines by comparing the rehabilitation of potential biomarkers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]