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Bone scaffolds require both good bioactivity and mechanical properties to keep shape and promote bone repair. In this work, T-ZnOw enhanced biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffolds with triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS)-based double-layer porous structure were fabricated by digital light processing (DLP) with high precision. Property of suspension was first discussed to obtain better printing quality. After sintering, T-ZnOw reacts with β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) to form Ca19Zn2(PO4)14, and inhibits the phase transition to α-TCP. With the content of T-ZnOw increasing from 0 to 2 wt%, the flexural strength increases from 40.9 to 68.5 MPa because the four-needle whiskers can disperse stress, and have the effect of pulling out as well as fracture toughening. However, excessive whiskers will reduce the cure depth, and cause more printing defects, thus reducing the mechanical strength. Besides, T-ZnOw accelerates the deposition of apatite, and the sample with 2 wt% T-ZnOw shows the fastest mineralization rate. The good biocompatibility has been proved by cell proliferation test. Results confirmed that doping T-ZnOw can improve the mechanical strength of BCP scaffolds, and keep good biological property, which provides a new strategy for better bone repair.

Background: According to recent reports, some cancer subtypes have increased GAPLINC expression. The invasion and dissemination of cancer cells may be facilitated by GAPLINC expression. However, the therapeutic utility of GAPLINC in colon cancer (COAD) has not been studied. Materials/Methods: We evaluated the mRNA expression of GAPLINC in COAD patients using data from the Cancer Genome Map to identify the pathway connected with GAPLINC implicated in the etiology of COAD (TCGA). In this investigation, we used 480 tumor samples and 41 standard samples. Results: The expression of GAPLINC varied between normal and malignant samples, as seen by scatter plots and paired plots (PConclusions: Our findings support severe clinical characteristics associated with greater GAPLINC expression levels in COAD. A useful prognostic tool may be GAPLINC, a molecular biomarker linked to the poor prognosis of COAD patients.

The dried leaves and rhizomes of Alpinia zerumbet have been traditionally used as food and medicine. Anti-inflammatory activity-guided phytochemical investigation into the rhizomes of A. zerumbet led to the isolation of 17 compounds including 10 neolignans (1-10, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 are new compounds) and seven diarylheptanoids (11-17) in which 1-3 were three pairs of enantiomers. 4 was only one enantiomer and 5 was a racemic mixture. Compounds 1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b incorporated an 8',9'-dinorneolignan skeleton, which was rare in the lignan family. The planar structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive analyses of spectroscopic data. The relative and absolute configurations were determined by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT)-based electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation method. The 95% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate extract of A. zerumbet were found to show anti-inflammatory activity against croton oil-induced ear edema in mice with inhibition rates of 20.0 and 47.6% at a dose of 80 mg/kg, respectively. Bioassays showed that compounds 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and 12 moderately inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 3.62, 7.63, 6.51, 5.60, and 8.33 μM, respectively.

Phthalates are extensively used in the production of plastics products and have been verified to induce lung injury. Lycopene (LYC) has proved an effective preventive and can be utilized to prevent phthalates-induced toxicity. However, the role of phthalate in pathogenesis of lung injury remain poorly researched, and little work has been devoted whether LYC could alleviate phthalate-induced lung toxicity via modulating nuclear xenobiotic receptors (NXRs) response. Here, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is used as the representative of phthalates for further studies on toxicity of phthalates and the antagonistic role of LYC in phthalates-induced lung injury. We found that DEHP exposure caused alveoli destruction and alveolar epithelial cells type II damage. Mechanistically, DEHP exposure increased nuclear accumulation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and its downstream genes level, including cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase (CYP) 1A1 and CYP1B1. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and their downstream gene level, including CYP2E1 are also increased after phthalates exposure. Significantly, LYC supplementation relieves lung injury from DEHP exposure by inhibiting the activation of NXRs. We confirm that NXRs plays a key role in phthalates-induced lung injury. Our study showed that LYC may have a positive role in alleviating the toxicity effects of phthalates, which provides an effective strategy for revising phthalates-induced injury.

The dried leaves and rhizomes of

Liver fibrosis is a histological change that often occurs due to hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and excessive formation of an extracellular matrix in the liver. Pelargonidin (PEL) is a natural anthocyanidin existing in blueberries, berries, strawberries, and red radishes and has been demonstrated to possess health beneficial effects. Herein, we investigated the effect of PEL on liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 and hepatic stellate cells induced by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). We found that PEL administration prevented liver injury and liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 in a dose-dependent manner. Further data revealed that PEL increased liver nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and reduced liver oxidative stress and the expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β. In TGF-β-challenged HSCs (LX-2 cells), PEL effectively inhibited the LX-2 cell activation. In addition, the anti-fibrosis effects of PEL in LX-2 cells were abolished by Nrf2 knockdown. In summary, our study demonstrated that PEL ameliorated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and HSC activation induced by TGF-β. The possible molecular mechanisms of PEL in liver fibrosis may be attributed to its suppression of ROS-NLRP3-IL-1β signaling by Nrf2 activation.

Silica ceramic cores have played an important role in the manufacture of hollow blades due to its excellent chemical stability and moderate high-temperature mechanical properties. In this study, silica-based ceramics were prepared by stereolithography and the influence of Al2O3 content on mechanical properties of the silica-based ceramics was investigated. With the increase of Al2O3 content, the linear shrinkage of the silica-based ceramics first decreased and then increased, while the room-temperature flexural strength and the high-temperature flexural strength first increased and then decreased. As the Al2O3 content increased to 1.0 vol.%, the linear shrinkage was reduced to 1.64% because of the blocked viscous flow. Meanwhile, the room-temperature flexural strength and the high-temperature flexural strength were respectively improved to 20.38 MPa and 21.43 MPa with 1.0 vol.% Al2O3 due to the increased α-cristobalite and β-cristobalite content. Therefore, using the optimal content of Al2O3 in silica-based ceramics can provide excellent mechanical properties and ensure the reliability of silica-based ceramic cores for manufacturing hollow blades.

To explore the clinical efficacy of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) combined with vascular resection and reconstruction under robotic surgery system in the treatment of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.The clinical data of 17 patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer who underwent PD combined with vascular resection and reconstruction (see the Video 1 in Supplemental Contents, http://ykxb.scu.edu.cn/article/doi/10.12182/20200760202) under robotic surgery system between August 2011 and September 2018 was analyzed retrospectively.There were 4 cases required conversion because of serious tumor invasion and soft pancreas texture, the other 13 cases were successfully completed. 16 cases (94%) achieved margin-negative resection (R0 resection), 14 cases combined with vein resection, and 3 cases combined with arterial resection. The mean operation time was (401±170) min, the mean blood loss was (647±345) mL, the mean postoperative length of hospital stay was (20±8) d. There was no perioperative death. Postoperative pathology findings and follow-up outcomes were as follows: 1 patient was diagnosed as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) and 1 patient was diagnosed as pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) (Grade 1), 8 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). 1 patient with pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (PNEC) died because of tumor recurrence and metastasis during the follow-up period, the median (Min-Max) survival time was 12 (8-26) months. 5 patients with PDAC and 1 patient with malignant IPMN were currently in the follow-up period.It is safe and feasible to perform RPD with vascular resection and reconstruction. The patient's condition should be fully evaluated before surgery to select the most appropriate treatment.

Liver fibrosis is a histological change that often occurs due to hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and excessive formation of an extracellular matrix in the liver. Pelargonidin (PEL) is a natural anthocyanidin existing in blueberries, berries, strawberries, and red radishes and has been demonstrated to possess health beneficial effects. Herein, we investigated the effect of PEL on liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 and hepatic stellate cells induced by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). We found that PEL administration prevented liver injury and liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 in a dose-dependent manner. Further data revealed that PEL increased liver nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and reduced liver oxidative stress and the expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β. In TGF-β-challenged HSCs (LX-2 cells), PEL effectively inhibited the LX-2 cell activation. In addition, the anti-fibrosis effects of PEL in LX-2 cells were abolished by Nrf2 knockdown. In summary, our study demonstrated that PEL ameliorated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and HSC activation induced by TGF-β. The possible molecular mechanisms of PEL in liver fibrosis may be attributed to its suppression of ROS-NLRP3-IL-1β signaling by Nrf2 activation.

Oxidative stress is considered to play an important role in the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. The nuclear transcription factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 (NQO1) pathway has been considered as a potential target for neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Nomilin (NOM) is a limonoid compound obtained from the extracts of citrus fruits. The purpose of our study was to determine whether NOM could exert beneficial effects in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. Firstly, NOM treatment significantly mitigated cell death and decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and ROS production in SH-SY5Y cells induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), which was almost abolished by Nrf2 knockdown. Secondly, NOM improved infarct area, brain edema and neurological deficits in an experimental stroke rat model via middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Furthermore, NOM attenuated blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in MCAO rats, which might be associated with alleviating the loss of tight junction proteins, including ZO-1 and occludin-5. Further results revealed that NOM treatment effectively mitigated oxidative stress and facilitated the expressions of Nrf2 and NQO1, which might confirm that the loss of tight junction proteins in the microvasculature was likely mediated by oxidative stress. In conclusion, our study provided evidence that the protective effects of NOM in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats were related to the Nrf2/NQO1 pathway.

Al2O3 ceramics with CaO-SiO2-MgO (CMS), Yb2O3 and ZrO2 additives were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction method. The effects of ZrO2 dopant on phase compositions, microwave dielectric properties and dielectric breakdown strength of Al2O3 ceramics were studied. XRD demonstrated that CaAl2Si2O8 and Zr &Y compound phases co-existed with alumina. SEM exhibited that ZrO2 dopant could refine the grain of alumina ceramics and improve its relative density. With ZrO2 content increasing from 1wt% to 5wt% εr increased from 9.8 to 10.25, but Q×f decreased from 52823GHz to 35922GHz. The breakdown strength increased initially and reached the maximum value at ZrO2=3wt%. When ZrO2 content is 3wt%, the comprehensive performances were the best: Eb= 37.37kV/mm for 1mm samples and 17.26kV/mm for 3mm samples, Q×f = 37044 GHz, εr = 10.01, and τf = -52 ppm/°C.

In this work, β-cyclodextrin functionalized with multiple ethylenediamine groups (β-CD-EDA) is synthesized and employed as a novel amine monomer for the preparation of thin film composite (TFC) membrane via the interfacial polymerization (IP) with trimesoyl chloride (TMC), to incorporate uniformly-distributed intrinsic CD cavities into the polymer network of the selective layer. The chemical structure of the synthesized β-CD-EDA is confirmed by HMRS, FTIR, TGA XPS and 1H NMR. The chemical properties, surface morphology and the separation performance of TFC membranes prepared with β-CD (TFC_β-CD) and β-CD-EDA (TFC_β-CD-EDA) as aqueous monomers are investigated and compared. The effects of the IP time and β-CD-EDA concentration on the membrane properties are investigated to optimize the membrane performance. The separation performances of TFC_β-CD-EDA membrane are further evaluated with feed solutions containing different solutes. It is found that TFC_β-CD-EDA membranes demonstrated competitive water permeabilities and high rejections to common divalent anionic salts and small organics, contributed by the CD cavities that enable the fast transport of water molecules but restrict larger ions or molecules. Besides, excellent fouling resistance of TFC_β-CD-EDA membrane is also found, because of the embedded CD rings with plentiful hydroxyls. This work is therefore believed to provide a facile method for the development of high-performance TFC membrane with pore-containing selective layer.

Amentoflavone (AMF), an abundant natural biflavonoid found in many medicinal plants, displays various beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-cancer. Despite the extensive studies on pharmacological activities, the toxicity or undesirable effects of AMF are rarely reported. In this study, the inhibitory effects of AMF on human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) were carefully investigated. AMF displayed strong inhibition towards most of human UGTs including UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A4, 1A6, 1A7, 1A8, 1A9, 1A10, 2B4 and 2B17, with the IC50 values ranging from 0.12 μM to 16.81 μM. Inhibition constants (Ki) of AMF against various human UGTs varied from 0.29 μM to 11.51 μM. Further investigation demonstrated that AMF was a noncompetitive inhibitor of UGT1A1 mediated NCHN-O-glucuronidation but functioned as a competitive inhibitor of UGT1A1 mediated 4-MU-O-glucuronidation. In addition, AMF was a competitive inhibitor of UGT1A4 mediated TFP-N-glucuronidation in both UGT1A4 and human liver microsomes, while functioned as a competitive inhibitor of UGT1A9 mediated propofol or 4-MU-O-glucuronidation. These findings demonstrated that AMF was a strong and broad-spectrum natural inhibitor of most human UGTs, which might bring potential risks of herb-drug interactions (HDIs) via UGT inhibition. Additionally, this study provided novel insights into the underlying mechanism of AMF-associated toxicity from the perspective of UGT inhibition.

In order to improve the antibacterial and antifouling properties of polyimide (PI) membrane, both silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) are grafted onto PI membrane surface via a two–step modification route. The reaction mechanism involved, as well as changes in the membrane morphology and surface properties are investigated via various characterization techniques. The antibacterial performance is assessed by the zones of inhibition and bacterial suspension immersion tests. The antifouling property of the modified membrane is evaluated via the filtration test using the bovine serum albumin (BSA) and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) aqueous feed solutions. The results show that, the modified PI membrane exhibits significantly improved antibacterial and antifouling performances simultaneously.

Phytochemistry investigation on Pteris ensiformis led to the isolation of a new ent-kaurane diterpenoid, ent-kaurane-6β,16α-diol-3-one (1), along with five known diterpenoids (2–6) and three known sesquiterpenes (7–9). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic methods. The ethanol extract and the isolated compounds (1–9) were evaluated for their antitumor activity against three cancer cell lines.

Citrus limonoids are tetranortriterpenoids compounds mainly found in oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and other fruits of Citrus. They are proved to be the leading cause of bitterness in Citrus fruits and are mainly consumed for therapeutic purposes and as food. Numerous studies have focused on Citrus limonoids and intend to develop new chemotherapeutic or complementary medicine in recent years. Citrus limonoids showed various bioactivities such as anti-tumor, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-neurological diseases, immunomodulatory, anti -insect, anti-bacteria, antiviral activities, etc. This review summarized limonoids from Citrus to date, along with their chemical structures and biological activities with a particular focus on their anti-tumor potential.