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Purpose: The treatment of unstable atlas fractures remains a controversial topic. The study aims at assessing the prognosis and efficacy of osteosynthesis for unstable atlas fractures through a review of the current literature and additionally aims to compare outcomes between the transoral and posterior approaches. Methods: A systematic review of databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang was conducted. Titles and abstracts were screened by two reviewers to identify studies meeting pre-defined inclusion criteria for comprehensive analysis. Results: The systematic review included 28 articles, 19 employing the posterior approach and 9 utilizing the transoral approach. It covered osteosynthesis in 297 patients with unstable atlas fractures, comprising 169 treated via the posterior approach and 128 via the transoral approach. Analysis revealed high healing rates and clinical improvement in both approaches, evidenced by improvements in the visual analog scale, range of motion, atlantodens interval, and lateral displacement distance post-surgery. Conclusion: Osteosynthesis offers effective treatment for unstable atlas fractures. Both transoral and posterior approaches can achieve good clinical outcomes for fracture, and biomechanical studies have confirmed that osteosynthesis can maintain the stability of the occipitocervical region, preserve the motor function of the atlantoaxial and occipito-atlantoaxial joints, and greatly improve the quality of life of patients. However, variations exist in the indications and surgical risks associated with each method, necessitating their selection based on a thorough clinical evaluation of the patient's condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to investigate the effect of adding bile acid to high-lipid diet on growth performance, muscle nutrition and fatty acid composition of gibel carp. A total of 450 healthy and initial body weight (32.37±0.13) g juvenile fish were randomly divided into five groups, with three replicates in each group and 30 fish in each replicate. Five kinds of iso-nitrogen and iso-lipid feed were prepared by adding 0 (BA0), 200 (BA200), 400 (BA400), 600 (BA600) and 800 mg/kg (BA800) bile acids to basic feed containing 12% soybean oil, respectively. The experiment lasted for 8 w. The results showed that compared with BA0, FBW of BA400 and BA600 gibel carp was significantly increased (P<0.05), WGR of BA600 was significantly increased (P<0.05), VSI was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The FCR of gibel carp in BA200, BA400 and BA600 was significantly decreased (P<0.05). HSI of all experimental groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). CF of BA800 was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with BA0, muscle crude fat content of experimental groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and MUFA content was significantly increased (P<0.05). The crude protein content of gibel carp in BA400 and BA600 were significantly increased (P<0.05). The crude ash content of gibel carp in BA600 and BA800 were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The study indicates that adding 400~600 mg/kg bile acid to high-lipid diet can promote growth of gibel carp, increase the utilization rate of feed, promote fat digestion, absorption and decomposition for energy supply, improve muscle fatty acid composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a condition that imposes a significant disease burden, with cognitive impairment being one of its costly symptoms. While cognitive rehabilitation is crucial, it is also challenging. Although some studies have investigated the impact of exergames on cognitive function improvement, these have primarily focused on the elderly population, with limited attention given to individuals with depression. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the effects of exergames on cognitive functions in adolescents with depression and compare the effectiveness of exergames with traditional exercise. Method: The present investigation is a single-center randomized controlled trial that employs the ANOVA method to calculate the sample size using G*Power software, assuming a 25% dropout rate. The study enrolls fifty-four eligible patients with depression who are randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups: the exergames group, which receives standard treatment and exergames intervention; the exercise group, which receives standard treatment and traditional exercise intervention; and the control group, which receives standard treatment exclusively. The study provides a comprehensive regimen of 22 supervised exercise and exergame sessions over an 8-week period, with a frequency of twice per week for the initial two weeks and three times per week for the subsequent six weeks. The researchers gather cognitive, mood, and sleep metrics at the onset of the first week, as well as at the conclusion of the fourth and eighth weeks. The researchers employ a wearable device to track participants' heart rate during each intervention session and evaluate the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale at the conclusion of each session. Discussion: The findings from this study make several contributions to the current literature. First, this study comprehensively reports the efficacy of an exergames intervention for multidimensional symptoms in adolescents with depression. Second, this study also compares the efficacy of exergames with that of traditional exercise. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the use of exergames as an adjunctive intervention for depression and lay the groundwork for future research. Trial registration: This trial is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (Registration number: ChiCTR2100052709; Registration Status: Prospective registration;) 3/11/2021, URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=135663&htm=4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concentrates on the properties of estimators in a semiparametric EV model, particularly considering the effects of missing data and linear process errors according to the actual situation. The missing data are processed by three different methods: the direct deletion method, imputation (interpolation fill) method, and regression surrogate method. Also, the corresponding estimators of the slope parameter β and the nonparameter variable g ⋅ are obtained. All the estimators are asymptotically normal, and the consistency rates for which can achieve o n − 1 / 6 log n . Besides, the performance of the estimators is investigated by one sample experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C1 lateral mass fractures (LMF) cause abnormal alignment of the upper cervical joints. Conservatively treated cases can develop into late cock–robin junction, requiring a reconstructive surgical procedure of the occipitocervical junction. Partial coronal C1 LMF could be effectively fixed with lag screws. Navigation and robot-assisted techniques have made percutaneous fixation possible and are gradually being used in the upper cervical spine. Five consecutive patients with C1 LMF who underwent percutaneous lag screw osteosynthesis under the guidance of a new robotic system were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans were used to specify the fracture types and to assess the efficacy of fracture reduction. The medical records were reviewed. Among the 5 patients, 4 underwent percutaneous lag screw reduction and fixation with the assistance of the robotic system through a posterior approach and 1 patient underwent a transoral approach. No intraoperative complications, such as screw malposition, neurologic deficit, and vertebral artery injury, occurred. Satisfactory fracture reduction and bone healing were achieved at postoperative follow-up. Robot-assisted percutaneous lag screw osteosynthesis is a viable option for C1 LMF. Different approaches can be selected according to the distribution of the fracture lines. With the posterior approach, the guidewire tends to deviate from the entry point because of skiving, and the technical problems need to be further solved. Screw implant by a transoral approach is comparatively easy to achieve, but the possibly of infection exists and should be monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codonopsis Radix, a popular food homology medicine, is widely used in clinical traditional Chinese medicine and food supplement, raw products and three types of processed products are the main forms of decoction pieces in China. However, there is no scientific basis for comprehensive chemical characterization of raw and three types of processed products. Herein, we investigated qualitatively and quantificationally secondary and primary metabolites in raw Codonopsis Radix and three types of processed products by metabolomics and glycomics employing multiple chromatography‐mass spectrometry technology combined with chemometric analysis further to look for differential compounds and propose the processing‐induced chemical mechanisms. The results indicated that Codonopsis Radix became dark‐colored and the smell of burnt incense odor was observed after processing. The principal component analysis demonstrated that secondary metabolome and glycome were significantly altered between raw and processed products, and 36 differential secondary metabolites and 11 differential primary metabolites were finally screened through orthogonal partial least‐squares‐discriminant analysis. The main types of compounds are alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, amino acids, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and furfural derivatives. Meanwhile, Chemical mechanisms could be involved, including oxidation, glycosidic hydrolysis, esterification, dehydration, and Maillard reaction. This work supplies a chemical basis for the application of various types of Codonopsis Radix decoction pieces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Hypoxia plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, but the effect of hypoxia-related genes in pancreatic cancer remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to identify hypoxia-related genes related to pancreatic cancer and construct a prognostic signature. Methods. Pancreatic cancer datasets were retrieved from TCGA database. Cox regression analyses were used to identify hypoxia-related genes and construct a prognostic signature. Datasets from International Cancer Genome Consortium and GEO databases were used as validated cohorts. The CIBERSORT method was applied to estimate the fractions of immune cell types. DNA methylation and protein levels of the genes in pancreatic cancer were examined. Results. Three hypoxia-related genes (TES, LDHA, and ANXA2) were identified as associated with patient survival and selected to construct a prognostic signature. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups based on the signature. Those in the high-risk group showed worse survival than those in the low-risk group. The signature was shown to be involved in the HIF-1 signaling pathway. The time-dependent ROC analyses of three independent validated cohorts further revealed that this signature had a better prognostic value in the prediction of the survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Immune cells analysis for three datasets demonstrated that high-risk signature was significantly associated with macrophages and T cells. DNA methylation and protein levels of the three genes validated their aberrant expression in pancreatic cancer. Conclusions. Our research provided a novel and reliable prognostic signature that composes of three hypoxia-related genes to estimate the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rh(III)-Catalyzed 1 : 2 coupling of 3-aryl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazines with α-diazo-β-ketoesters has been realized for the mild synthesis of spiropyrans. The reaction proceeded via twofold C–H activation followed by unusual [3+3] and [4+2] annulation with decent functional group tolerance. Moreover, a pyranoid-skeleton intermediate was isolated as a key intermediate as a result of monoalkylation and enol oxygen annulation, which offers direct mechanistic insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the semiparametric errors-in-variables (EV) model y i = ξ i β + g t i + ϵ i , x i = ξ i + μ i , where y i are the random missing response variables, ξ i , t i are the design points, ξ i are the potential variables observed with measurement errors μ i , and random errors ϵ i are negatively associated (NA) variables. In addition, we need to estimate the unknown slope parameter β and nonparametric component g · . In order to solve the missing responses, we introduce three different approaches to get the estimators of β and g · . Meanwhile, we study the asymptotic properties for all the estimators. The final results show that the strong consistent rates for all the estimators can achieve o n − 1 / 4 . The asymptotic normality for all the estimators is considered. We compare the finite sample performance of the three estimators by simulation as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nanocarriers specifically developed for clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs in the last five years are comprehensively summarized. • Nanocarries for clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs are systematically classified. • The construction of each kind of nanocarriers for clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs is described in detail. • The accomplishments of each newly developed nanocarriers for clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs are discussed. • Future efforts for more smart delivery of clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs are proposed. Platinum(II) drugs have been one of the most commonly used anticancer drugs in clinic. However, drug resistance and severe toxic effects limit their clinical applications. Developing nanocarriers for platinum(II) anticancer drugs provides promising strategies to overcome these problems, ascribed to their versatile functionalities such as precise delivery of platinum(II) drugs to tumor site, modulation of tumor microenvironment, and integration of other anticancer agents or therapies. In this review, nanocarriers that have been recently developed to deliver platinum(II) anticancer drugs in the last five years are described focusing on their smart constructions and functions. The current situation of clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs is first introduced, followed by the discussion of the irreplaceable role of nanocarriers for platinum(II) anticancer drugs. Afterward, the rules for classifying the nanocarriers in this review and the advantages of each type are explained. Based on the classification, the latest published nanocarriers of each kind for platinum(II) drugs are then described in detail. In the end, conclusions and future directions provide perspectives for future exploration of more smart delivery strategies for platinum(II) drugs. It is expected that this review will promote the development of more efficient and safe nanocarriers for platinum(II) anticancer drugs that are available for the final clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Aromas in walnut oils with 5 ripeness were conducted by HS-GC–MS and HS-GC-IMS. • Ethyl hexanoate was detected firstly in walnut oil. • 24 VOCs were found to be key aroma-active compounds in WO. • Flavor of walnut oil are greatly influenced by walnut ripening stages. • 1,8-Cineole and nonanal show the greatest effect on walnut oil flavor variation. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of walnut oil (WO) samples obtained from 5 ripening stages were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) and HS-solid phase microextraction-GC-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–MS). A total of 75 VOCs were identified in WO, of which 24 VOCs were found to be the key aroma-active compounds for WO by using odor activity values (OAVs) analysis. Based on chemometrics methods, flavor of WO samples can be characterized into three categories, i.e., early, mid-, and late stages. WO from early ripening stage had stronger green and sweet odor due to 1,8-cineole (OAV 280) and ethanol (OAV 134.5). While nonanal (OAV 181.82), (E)-2-octenol (OAV 160), and hexanal (OAV 103.78) were sources of intense fatty and oily odor in mid-ripening stage. For WO of later ripening stage, the flavor was affected by nonanal (OAV 192.28), 1-heptanol (OAV 150), heptanal (OAV 71.11) and some organic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, several different methods for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) calibration with distributed targets have been proposed in the literature. The basic assumptions on the distributed target that are used by these methods are almost identical. Their difference is about the assumptions on noise. In this article, the research shows that the subtle difference between the assumptions on noise leads to two different calibration models (CMs), which is the primary cause of the differences between various methods. According to the used CM, the methods in the literature can be categorized into two groups. Because this article focuses on the CMs, thus the optimal estimator in each group is used for comparison so as to exclude the impacts of different parameter estimation algorithms. The results suggest that neither of the optimal estimators is always superior to the other. In practice, we cannot determine which estimator is better, so we recommend using the mean value of the two optimal estimators (i.e., $ { \widehat {\boldsymbol \varphi }}^{\star } $) for calibration because it was proved to be (at least) better than the worse one. In the research, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was proved to be a proper indicator for assessing whether ${ \widehat {\boldsymbol \varphi }}^{\star } $ is reliable. Hence, an estimator for the mean SNR is proposed. In this article, some simulation experiments are used to verify some critical conclusions that we have drawn. The practical use of ${ \widehat {\boldsymbol \varphi }}^{\star } $ and an assessment of its reliability with the estimated mean SNR are illustrated with DLR E-SAR data from the 2006 AgriSAR campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some studies have demonstrated an association between low and high body mass index (BMI) and an increased risk of dementia. However, only a few of these studies were performed in rural areas.Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between BMI and cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults from rural and urban areas.Methods: 8,221 older persons enrolled in the Hubei Memory & Ageing Cohort Study (HMACS) were recruited. Sociodemographic and lifestyle data, comorbidities, physical measurements, and clinical diagnoses of cognitive impairment were analyzed. Logistic regression was performed to assess the associations of BMI categories with cognitive impairment. A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted to test whether reverse causality could influence our results.Results: Being underweight in the rural-dwelling participants increased the risk of cognitive impairment. Being overweight was a protective factor in rural-dwelling participants aged 65-69 years and 75-79 years, whereas being underweight was significantly associated with cognitive impairment (OR, 1.37; 95% CI: 1.03-1.83; p < 0.05). Sensitivity analyses support that underweight had an additive effect on the odds of cognitive impairment and was related to risk of dementia. Interaction test revealed that the differences between urban/rural in the relationship between BMI and cognitive impairment are statistically significant.Conclusion: Associations between BMI and cognitive impairment differ among urban/rural groups. Older people with low BMI living in rural China are at a higher risk for dementia than those living in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemodialysis patients are vulnerable to infectious diseases and frequent receipt of antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of infections and antimicrobials use among hemodialysis outpatients. We utilized the dialysis event surveillance protocol developed by the National Healthcare Safety Network to conduct a prospective multicenter study in Anhui, China. A total of 41 dialysis centers involving 7393 outpatients were included. Fistula was the most common type of vascular access (85.3%), followed by tunneled central line (12.7%), and non-tunneled central line (1.2%). There were 118 dialysis events with an overall pooled events rate of 1.60 per 100 patient-months. Intravenous antimicrobial start, positive blood culture, and pus, redness, or increased swelling at the vascular access site were detected at rates of 0.91, 0.23, and 0.46 per 100 patient-months, respectively. The prevalence of dialysis events was commonly higher in patients with a central line, and lower in patients with a fistula. Hemodialysis outpatients also had the noteworthy risks of nonaccess infections. Older age, female gender, and having a central line were associated with the increased risk of dialysis events. Findings recommend that regular monitoring and improvement strategies are warranted in management of infections among hemodialysis outpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the experimentally detected forces induced by internal solitary waves (ISWs), an analysis on capability of dynamic positioning (DP) for the semi-submersible platform model under the influence of different ISW-amplitudes with three kinds of ocean stratified conditions is carried out. The environmental forces acting on the semi-submersible platform arise due to the following two main components: the measurements of ISW-forces and calculations of the wind, currents and waves. Combined with quadratic programming (QP) methods, extreme safe amplitudes under different upper layer depths and the DP strategy are proposed. It is obvious from the experimental results that both the maximum and minimum horizontal ISW-forces increase linearly with the wave amplitudes under different layer thickness ratios, and the upper layer depth has a significant effect on the ISW-forces. Reference to the obtained results from the DP capability simulation reveals that the maximum thrust, with overloading, appears at heading angles of 90 ∘ and 270 ∘ under different upper layer depths, whilst the minimum thrust is under angles of 0 ∘ and 180 ∘ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metastasis to the ovary from nongynecologic organs accounts for 9% of all ovarian malignancies. Although the most common nongynecologic primary site of ovarian metastasis is the gastrointestinal tract, metastasis from other sites to the ovary is not uncommon. Differential diagnosis of primary and metastatic ovarian tumors is important; otherwise, appropriate treatment cannot be determined. Furthermore, an optimal treatment strategy for ovarian metastasis from nongynecologic primary sites still needs to be explored. Methods: One hundred seventy-seven patients with ovarian metastasis from nongynecologic primary sites admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 2005 and May 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The mean age was 48 years (range, 18–83). Approximately 60% of patients were premenopausal women. The two most common nongynecologic primary sites of ovarian metastasis were the colorectum (68 cases) and stomach (61 cases). In addition to the most common symptoms of abdominal distension (39.0%), abdominal pain (37.9%), and ascites (27.7%), 18.1% of patients presented with abnormal uterine bleeding. Half of the patients who tested serum CA-125 preoperatively had elevated CA-125 levels within the range of 35 U/ml to 200 U/ml. More than 70% of synchronous ovarian metastases were preoperatively misdiagnosed as primary ovarian cancer. Of all included cases, 56.5% achieved optimal cytoreductive surgery (the diameter of the largest residual lesion < 2 cm). The overall 5-year survival rate and median survival time were 10% and 20 months, respectively. The primary site, optimal cytoreductive surgery, tumor differentiation, and postoperative adjuvant treatment were identified as prognostic indicators. Conclusions: The colorectum and stomach are the most common nongynecologic primary sites of ovarian metastasis. Synchronous ovarian metastasis is easily misdiagnosed as primary ovarian cancer. Optimal cytoreductive surgery and postoperative adjuvant treatment can be performed to confer survival benefit in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel alkynyl phosphane gold(I) complex (trimethylphosphane)(3‐(1,3‐dimethylxanthine‐7‐yl)prop‐1‐yn‐1‐yl)gold(I) 1 displayed mutiple biological activites including selective proliferation inhibitory, anti‐metastatic, and anti‐angiogenic effects. The complex also induced effects related to aneuploidy in HCT‐116 colon carcinoma cells, which might be mainly ascribed to the dysfunction of mitochondrial bioenergetics and downregulation of glycolysis. Induction of aneuploidy beyond a critical level can provide an effective strategy to target cancer, in particular colorectal tumours with a low tolerance of aneuploidy, and could be of relevance for 1 and other metallodrugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ein neuartiger Alkinylphosphan‐Gold(I)‐Komplex – (Trimethylphosphan)(3‐(1,3‐dimethylxanthin‐7‐yl)prop‐1‐in‐1‐yl)gold(I) (1) – zeigte eine Vielzahl biologischer Aktivitäten, darunter selektive proliferationshemmende, antimetastatische und antiangiogene Wirkungen. In HCT‐116‐Kolonkarzinomzellen induzierte der Komplex zudem mit Aneuploidie in Zusammenhang stehende Effekte, die hauptsächlich auf die Dysfunktion der mitochondrialen Bioenergetik und die Herunterregulierung der Glykolyse zurückgeführt werden konnten. Die Induktion von Aneuploidie über ein kritisches Maß hinaus kann eine wirksame Strategie zur Bekämpfung von Krebs darstellen, besonders bei kolorektalen Tumoren mit einer geringen Toleranz für Aneuploidie. Dies könnte für 1 und andere Metallwirkstoffe von Bedeutung sein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method to tune the optical properties of porous anodic alumina (PAA) films embedded with Ni is reported. The films display highly saturated colors after being synthesized by an ac electrodeposition method. The optical properties of the samples can be effectively tuned by varying the oxidation time of aluminum. The ultrashort Ni nanowires (100 nm long and 50 nm in diameter) present only fcc phase and show no apparent averaged effective magnetic anisotropy. The coercivity mechanism of the Ni nanowires in our case is consistent with fanning mechanism based on a chain-of-spheres model. PAA/Ni films with structural color and magnetic properties have friability-resistant feature and can be used in many areas, including decoration, display, and multifunctional anti-counterfeiting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with the semi-parametric error-in-variables (EV) model with missing responses: y i = ξ i β + g (t i) + ϵ i , x i = ξ i + μ i , where ϵ i = σ i e i is heteroscedastic, f (u i) = σ i 2 , y i are the response variables missing at random, the design points (ξ i , t i , u i) are known and non-random, β is an unknown parameter, g (⋅) and f (⋅) are functions defined on closed interval [ 0 , 1 ] , and the ξ i are the potential variables observed with measurement errors μ i , e i are random errors. Under appropriate conditions, we study the strong consistent rates for the estimators of β, g (⋅) and f (⋅) . Finite sample behavior of the estimators is investigated via simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the role of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway in protection by peritoneal resuscitation (PR) using pyruvate-peritoneal dialysis solution (PY-PDS) against intestinal injury from hemorrhagic shock (HS) in rats. Sixty-four rats were assigned to eight groups: group SHAM; group intravenous resuscitation (VR); groups NS, LA, and PY in which the rats were subjected to HS and PR with normal saline (NS), lactate-peritoneal dialysis solution (LA-PDS), and PY-PDS, respectively, combined with VR; and groups DMSO, RPM, and AG490 in which the rats were subjected to HS and VR with pretreatment of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), rapamycin (RPM), and tyrphostin B42 (AG490). At 2 h after HS and resuscitation, the levels of diamine oxidase, 15-F 2t -isoprostane, thromboxane B 2 , and endothelin-1, in the blood and the intestinal mucosal apoptotic index and caspase-3 were lower in groups PY, RPM, and AG490 than in groups VR, NS, LA, and DMSO. Group PY showed lower levels of malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase and a higher level of superoxide dismutase than groups VR, NS, and LA. Phosphorylated JAK2 and phosphorylated STAT3 levels were lower in groups PY, RPM, AG490, and LA than in groups VR, NS, and DMSO. The protection mechanism of PR with PY-PDS combined with VR was related to the inhibition of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway during HS and resuscitation. The process might include suppression of oxidative stress, reduction of neutrophil infiltration, regulation of microcirculation, and inhibition of apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malathion (MAL) is a common organophosphorus pesticide and affects both animal and human reproduction. However, the mechanisms regarding how MAL affects the mammalian oocyte quality and how to prevent it have not been fully investigated. In this study, we used porcine oocyte as a model and proved that MAL impaired porcine oocyte quality in a dose‐dependent manner during maturation. MAL decreased the first polar body extrusion, disrupted spindle assembly and chromosome alignment, impaired cortical granules (CGs) distribution, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in oocytes. RNA‐seq analysis showed that MAL exposure altered the expression of 2,917 genes in the porcine maturated oocytes and most genes were related to ROS, the lipid droplet process, and the energy supplement. Nevertheless, these defects could be remarkably ameliorated by adding melatonin (MLT) into the oocyte maturation medium. MLT increased oocyte maturation rate and decreased the abnormities of spindle assembly, CGs distribution and ROS accumulation in MAL‐exposed porcine oocytes. More important, MLT upregulated the expression of genes related to lipid droplet metabolism (PPARγ and PLIN2), decreased lipid droplet size and lipid peroxidation in MAL‐exposed porcine oocytes. Finally, we found that MLT increased the blastocysts formation and the cell numbers of blastocysts in MAL‐exposed porcine oocytes after parthenogenetic activation, which was mediated by reduction of ROS levels and maintaining lipid droplet metabolism. Taken together, our results revealed that MLT had a protective action against MAL‐induced deterioration of porcine oocyte quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses composed of ternary components (35 – x)Sb2O3–xBi2O3–65P2O5 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 20 mol%) have been prepared and investigated as a potential alternative to lead-free glass for low temperature applications. Their structural properties were studied by Infrared Spectroscopy IR and Differential Thermal Analysis DTA. Results from the IR showed that Sb3+ and Bi3+ were responsible for glass network structure, which was supported by the diversification of density ρ and molar volume Vm with an increasing amount of Bi2O3. Glass transition temperature Tg, thermal stability, and coefficient of thermal expansion increased after substitution of Bi2O3 for Sb2O3 within the range of 0 mol% to 20 mol%. The water durability decreased and then increased; it could be attributed to the corrosion resistant P–O–Sb bonds. A typical sample of 25Sb2O3–10Bi2O3–65P2O5 possesses excellent properties and can be a promising candidate for further applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether Chinese endoscopists without narrow‐band imaging (NBI) experiences could achieve high accuracy in the real‐time diagnosis of colorectal polyps using NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic (NICE) classification after web‐based training. Methods: Altogether 15 endoscopists from five centers with no NBI experiences followed a short, web‐based training program on the NICE classification and took web‐based test. Their performances were compared with 15 matched experienced endoscopists with no NBI experience who received no NBI training. These 15 trained endoscopists then made real‐time diagnoses of colorectal neoplasia. A logistic regression was used to assess potential predictors of diagnostic performance. Results: Compared with those who received no training, trained endoscopists achieved comparable overall accuracy (85.3% vs 83.1%, P = 0.408) and accuracy at a high‐confidence level (87.0% vs 86.0%, P = 0.670), but had a higher confidence rate (86.1% vs 83.7%, P = 0.004) for the diagnosis of neoplasia. Real‐time diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 94.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.5%‐96.2%), 96.2% (95% CI 93.4%‐97.9%) and 85.3% (95% CI 74.8%‐92.1%) at high‐confidence level. The high‐confidence level was the strongest predictor of real‐time diagnostic accuracy (odds ratio 12.66, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Web‐based training can improve the confidence level of endoscopists in accurately diagnosing colorectal polyps using the NICE classification. Chinese endoscopists can achieve high accuracy in diagnosing colorectal neoplasia at a high confidence level (ClinicalTrials ID: NCT02033980). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Although the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still not completely understood, the deregulated microglia polarization and neuroinflammation have been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of this disease. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether hirsutella sinensis (HS) could reduce neuroinflammatory and pathological changes in the spinal cord of SOD1G93A model mice of ALS and consequently ameliorate disease onset and progression. Methods: SOD1G93A mice were chronically treated with HS by gavage. Their lifespan was recorded, and motor behavior was evaluated by rotarod test. The pathological changes in skeletal muscles and motor neurons in spinal cords were assessed by immunofluorescent staining and hematoxylin‐eosin staining. The microglia activation and neuroinflammation were determined by immunofluorescent staining and RT‐PCR. Results: Our data suggested that repeated HS administration prolonged the lifespan and extended disease duration of ALS mice without significant delay on disease onset. HS ameliorated the pathological changes in the motor neurons and gastrocnemius muscles. Moreover, HS promoted the transition of microglia from pro‐inflammatory M1 to anti‐inflammatory M2 phenotype in the spinal cord of ALS mice. Conclusion: All these findings indicate that HS may serve as a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The inflammatory bowel disease disability index (IBD‐DI) has been used to evaluate functional status for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The study aimed to develop a reliable Chinese version of IBD‐DI (C‐IBD‐DI). Methods: Consecutive patients with IBD and healthy controls were recruited from June 2016 to July 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China) to complete an inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire‐32 (IBDQ‐32), Hamilton's anxiety rating scale (HAMA) and Hamilton's depression rating scale‐24 items (HAMD‐24). The validation process included item reduction, reliability and validity tests. Results: Altogether 122 patients with IBD completed the validation process. Factor analysis reduced the C‐IBD‐DI to 13 items. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.90. The C‐IBD‐DI scores were correlated with IBDQ‐32 score (r = −0.79, P < 0.001), HAMA (r = 0.78, P < 0.001) and HAMD‐24 (r = 0.81, P < 0.001). The total score of C‐IBD‐DI was significantly higher in patients with active IBD than in those in remission. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.83 in the stable IBD group, representing a good test–retest reliability. Those with improved disease activity had a significantly lower C‐IBD‐DI score at the follow‐up visit than at baseline. Patients with IBD had worse disability levels and quality of life than the controls, and were more likely to be anxious and depressed, especially those with active IBD. Conclusions: The validated C‐IBD‐DI comprising 13 questions has highly acceptable reliability and validity. Multicenter studies including large sample sizes are needed to further confirm our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To date, the prevalence and prognostic role of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been investigated in several studies, but have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this meta-analysis is to derive a more precise estimation of CAC prevalence in CKD patients and its association with cardiovascular events and mortality. Methods: The relevant literature was identified and evaluated from inception until July 2018 through multiple search strategies on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Cross-sectional or cohort (baseline data) studies reporting CAC prevalence were included. Data extracted from eligible studies were used to calculate effect estimates (ESs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). We searched databases for observational studies that explored baseline CAC and subsequent cardiovascular or all-cause mortality risk in CKD patients. Results: The meta-analysis included 47 studies; 38 of these were included in the final analysis of CAC prevalence. The pooled prevalence of CAC in random effect model was 60% (95%CI 53–68%). CAC was positively associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 3.44; 95%CI 2.40–4.94), cardiovascular mortality (HR 3.87; 95%CI 2.06–7.26), and cardiovascular events (HR 2.09; 95%CI 1.19–3.67), when comparing individuals in the top CAC score group to those in the bottom CAC score group. Conclusions: The pooled prevalence of CAC is highly prevalent. CAC is independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk as well as cardiovascular events among CKD patients. In view of the high heterogeneity, larger clinical trials are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. The transcription factor YY1 acts as an inhibitor of many types of tumors. We found that YY1 knockdown promoted the invasion and migration of PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells; FER knockdown partially restored the promotion of pancreatic cancer caused by YY1 knockdown. In vivo experiments yielded the same results. According to luciferase reporter gene, electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays, YY1 directly binds to the FER promoter region. Moreover, higher level FER expression results in a worse TNM stage and prognosis for patients with PDAC. Furthermore, by downregulating FER, YY1 inhibits the formation of the STAT3-MMP2 complex, thereby suppressing expression of MMP2 and ultimately inhibiting the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer. Our study demonstrates that the YY1/FER/STAT3/MMP2 axis is associated with the progression of pancreatic cancer and may provide a new therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A triacylglycerol (TAGs) pseudotargeted method based on SFC-QTOF-MS was established. • 59 TAGs in high-linoleic acid vegetable oils (HLOs) were determined within 10 min. • Representative and traceable walnut oil samples were used for modeling. • OPLS-DA and OPLS models provide accurate qualitative and quantitative prediction at adulteration levels as low as 5%. • Minor TAGs play a key diagnostic role to detect foreign HLOs in walnut oil. Authentication of walnut oil (WO) is challenging due to the adulteration of high-linoleic acid vegetable oils (HLOs) with similar fatty acid composition. To allow the discrimination of WO adulteration, a rapid, sensitive and stable scanning method based on supercritical fluid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SFC-QTOF-MS) was established to profile 59 potential triacylglycerol (TAGs) in HLOs samples within 10 min. Limit of quantitation of the proposed method is 0.002 µg mL−1 and the relative standard deviations range from 0.7% to 12.0%. TAGs profiles of WO samples from various varieties, geography origins, ripeness, and processing methods were used to construct orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and OPLS models that were highly accurate in both qualitative and quantitative prediction at adulteration levels as low as 5% (w/w). This study advances the TAGs analysis to characterize vegetable oils and holds promise as an efficient method for oil authentication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic illnesses. Interest in the effect of dietary opponents to the IBS pathogenesis has been increased in recent years. This study aims to review previous studies to determine the relationship between IBS prevalence in community and dietary energy and macronutrients intakes according to the national nutrition surveys. Methods. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE to September, 2018, to identify population-based studies that reported the prevalence of IBS. Daily energy intake, daily carbohydrates, and protein and fat percent contribution to energy intake (%) were obtained from study population-based national nutrition survey. The correlations of prevalence of IBS and dietary intakes were obtained by Spearman coefficient or Pearson coefficient. Results. Global prevalence of IBS was 11.7%. There was no correlation between overall prevalence of IBS of individual countries and national energy intake (P = 0.785), protein proportion (P = 0.063), carbohydrates proportion (P = 0.505), or fat proportion (P = 0.384) according to the years when the studies were conducted. No correlations were detected between dietary intake and male or female IBS prevalence. Interestingly, protein proportion was positively correlated with the prevalence of IBS in Rome III criteria (r = 0.569). Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that dietary energy and macronutrients intake do not play a direct role in prevalence of IBS. However, IBS diagnostic criteria seem to have a bias on the correlation between prevalence of IBS and dietary intake. Further studies are needed to confirm the correlation between prevalence of IBS and specific dietary intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Aims: To investigate the effect and mechanisms of carbamazepine (CBZ) on the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in SOD1‐G93A mouse model. Methods: Starting from 64 days of age, SOD1‐G93A mice were orally administered with CBZ at 200 mg/kg once daily until death. The disease onset and life span of SOD1‐G93A mice were recorded. Motor neurons (MNs) in anterior horn of spinal cord were quantified by Nissl staining and SMI‐32 immunostaining. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen (NADH), modified Gomori trichrome (MGT), and α‐bungarotoxin‐ATTO‐488 staining were also performed to evaluate muscle and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) damage. Expressions of aggregated SOD1 protein and autophagy‐related proteins were further detected by Western blot and immunofluorescent staining. Results: Carbamazepine treatment could delay the disease onset and extend life span of SOD1‐G93A mice by about 14.5% and 13.9%, respectively. Furthermore, CBZ treatment reduced MNs loss by about 46.6% and ameliorated the altered muscle morphology and NMJ. Much more interestingly, mechanism study revealed that CBZ treatment activated autophagy via AMPK‐ULK1 pathway and promoted the clearance of mutant SOD1 aggregation. Conclusion: Our findings uncovered the therapeutic effects of CBZ against disease pathogenesis in SOD1‐G93A mice, indicating a promising clinical utilization of CBZ in ALS therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Treatment of Mn(OAc)2·4H2O with 3 equiv. HN(iPr2PO)2 in the presence of nBu4NCl in acetonitrile resulted in isolation of a tetranuclear {Mn3IIIMnIV} complex [Mn4(μ3-O)3(μ3-Cl)(μ-OAc)3{N(iPr2PO)2}3]·0.5C6H14 (1·0.5C6H14), and a dinuclear {MnIIMnIII} complex [Mn2{N(iPr2PO)2}{μ2,η3-(iPrPO2)NH(iPr2PO)}2{η2-(iPrPO2)NH(iPr2PO)}2]·0.25AcOH (2·0.25AcOH) with bis(diisopropylphosphinyl)imide ligands. The solid-state structures of two complexes have been established by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The tetranuclear complex 1 belongs to a family of {Mn3IIIMnIVO3X} single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with effective energy barrier of 14.3 K by some further magnetic characterizations.Graphical Abstract: A [Mn3IIIMnIVO3Cl]-core-based [Mn4(μ3-O)3(μ3-Cl)(OAc)3{N(iPr2PO)2}3] complex with single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour was prepared and structurally characterized, exhibiting slow magnetization relaxation under zero applied dc field with τ0 = 9.0 × 10−7 s and relaxation barrier Ueff = 14.3 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription regulator Yin Yang-1 (YY1) serves as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the function of YY1 in proliferation of PDAC cells remains to be clarified. In this study, we found that overexpression of YY1 suppressed proliferation and decreased the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SOX2OT and its potential target gene SOX2 in PDAC cells. Luciferase reporter, electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed binding of YY1 to the SOX2OT promoter. Moreover, YY1 suppressed PDAC cell proliferation through SOX2OT transcriptional inhibition and subsequent decreased SOX2 expression. In addition, YY1 expression was statistically negatively correlated with SOX2OT and SOX2 expression in PDAC tissues and lower level expression of SOX2OT predicted better outcome in PDAC patients. These results confirmed the anti-proliferation effect of YY1 on PDAC cells, which was associated with SOX2 down-regulation in a SOX2OT-dependent mechanism. Although other undiscovered mechanisms may be involved in the YY1-mediated tumor suppression role, the present study suggests that SOX2OT may act as a tumor promotor in PDAC and may represent a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-order accuracy numerical method is proposed to solve the (1+1)-dimensional nonlinear Dirac equation in this work. We construct the compact finite difference scheme for the spatial discretization and obtain a nonlinear ordinary differential system. For the temporal discretization, the implicit integration factor method is applied to deal with the nonlinear system. We therefore develop two implicit integration factor numerical schemes with full discretization, one of which can achieve fourth-order accuracy in both space and time. Numerical results are given to validate the accuracy of these schemes and to study the interaction dynamics of the nonlinear Dirac solitary waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan dressing might be promising to promote the recovery following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). However, the results remain controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of chitosan dressing on ESS. PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of chitosan dressing on endoscopic sinus surgery were included. Two investigators independently searched articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. The primary outcomes were synechia and hemostasis. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effect model. Four RCTs involving 268 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Overall following ESS, compared with control intervention, chitosan dressing significantly reduced synechia (RR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.13-0.49; P < 0.0001) and promoted hemostasis (RR = 1.70; 95% CI 1.37-2.11; P < 0.00001), but showed no impact on granulations (RR = 1.18; 95% CI 0.72-1.95; P = 0.52), mucosal edema (RR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.60-1.29; P = 0.51), crusting (RR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.48-1.53; P = 0.60), and infection (RR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.51-1.52; P = 0.64). Compared to control intervention, chitosan dressing could significantly decrease edema and improve hemostasis, but had no effect on granulations, mucosal edema, crusting and infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To evaluate the therapeutic effects of n-butylidenephthalide ( BP) in SOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and explore the possible mechanisms. Methods The SOD1G93A mice were treated by oral administration of BP (q.d., 400 mg/kg d) starting from 60 days of age and continuing until death. The rotarod test was performed to assess the disease onset. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, inflammatory molecules, and autophagy-associated proteins were determined. The number of apoptotic motor neurons and the extent of microglial and astroglial activation were also assessed in the lumbar spinal cords of BP-treated mice. Grip strength test, hematoxylin-eosin staining, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen staining, and malondialdehyde assay were conducted to evaluate the muscle function and pathology. Results Although BP treatment did not delay the disease onset, it prolonged the life span and thereafter extended the disease duration in SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. BP treatment also reduced the motor neuron loss through inhibiting apoptosis. We further demonstrated that the neuroprotective effects of BP might be resulted from the inhibition of inflammatory, oxidative stress, and autophagy. Conclusion Our study suggests that BP may be a promising candidate for the treatment of ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the glycan expression status on cell surfaces is of vital importance for insight into the glycan function in biological processes and related diseases. Here we developed a versatile aptasensor for electrochemical quantification of cell surface glycan by taking advantage of the cell-specific aptamer, and the lectin-functionalized gold nanoparticles acting as both a glycan recognition unit and a signal amplification probe. To construct the aptasensor, amine-functionalized mucin 1 protein (MUC1) aptamer was first covalently conjugated to carboxylated-magnetic beads (MBs) using the succinimide coupling (EDC-NHS) method. On the basis of the specific recognition between aptamer and MUC1 protein that overexpressed on the surface of MCF-7 cells, the aptamer conjugated MBs showed a predominant capability for cell capture with high selectivity. Moreover, a lectin-based nanoprobe was designed by noncovalent assembly of concanavalin A (ConA) on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This nanoprobe incorporated the abilities of both the specific carbohydrate recognition and the signal amplification based on the gold-promoted reduction of silver ions. By coupling with electrochemical stripping analysis, the proposed sandwich-type cytosensor showed an excellent analytical performance for the ultrasensitive detection of MCF-7 cells and quantification of cell surface glycan. More importantly, taking advantage of Con A-gold nanoprobe catalyzed silver enhancement, the proposed method was further used for naked-eye tracking glycolytic inhibition in living cells. This aptasensor holds great promise as a new point-of-care diagnostic tool for analyzing glycan expression on living cells and further helps cancer diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate whether dexmedetomidine (DEX) preconditioning could alleviate the inflammation caused by myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by reducing HMGB1-TLR4-MyD88-NF-кB signaling. Methods: Seventy rats were randomly assigned into five groups: sham group, myocardial I/R group (I/R), DEX+I/R group (DEX), DEX+yohimbine+I/R group (DEX/YOH), and yohimbine+I/R group (YOH). Animals were subjected to 30 min of ischemia induced by occluding the left anterior descending artery followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Myocardial infarct size and histological scores were evaluated. The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum and myocardium were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and expression of HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88, IκB and NF-κB in the myocardial I/R area were determined with Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Results: Myocardial infarct sizes, histological scores, levels of circulating and myocardial IL-6 and TNF-α, the expression of HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB, and the degradation of IκB were significantly increased in the I/R group compared with the sham group (P<0.01). DEX preconditioning significantly reduced the myocardial infarct size and histological scores (P<0.01 vs. I/R group). Similarly, the serum and myocardial levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, the expression of HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB, and the degradation of IκB were significantly reduced in the DEX group (P<0.01 vs. I/R group). These effects were partly reversed by yohimbine, a selective α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, while yohimbine alone had no significant effect on any of the above indicators. Conclusion: DEX preconditioning reduces myocardial I/R injury in part by attenuating inflammation, which may be attributed to the downregulation of the HMGB1-TLR4-MyD88-NF-кB signaling pathway mediated by the α2-adrenergic receptor activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective imaging of amyloid β (Aβ) in vivo is important for the diagnosis of Aβ-related diseases such as the Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we report a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) type fluorogenic probe for the rapid imaging of amyloid β (Aβ) senile plaques in a transgenic mouse brain. The probe that features a dicyanomethylene-4 H -pyran (DCM) core shows a concentration-dependent fluorescence enhancement with Aβ42 and Aβ40, which are the main components of Aβ fibrils formed in the brain of AD patients. The D-A-D probe can also be used to rapidly sense Aβ peptide monomer, oligomer and fibril in an aqueous solution and image the morphologically diverse Aβ species by confocal microscopy. In particular, we demonstrate that the probe can be used to rapidly stain Aβ senile plaques in the brain of transgenic mice by intravenous injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-based anticancer agents with non-DNA targets are anticipated for overcoming cisplatin resistance problems. Gold complexes are generally known to undergo ligand exchange or redox reactions with thiols, and hence, are potentially useful agents that could target thiol-containing enzymes, but not DNA. Recent studies have shown that deubiquitinases (DUBs), key enzymes regulating proteasome-related protein homeostasis, are potential anticancer targets of both gold(I) and gold(III) complexes. In this review, the current status of gold complexes as DUB inhibitors is discussed. In particular, auranofin and cyclometalated gold(III) complexes containing dithiocarbamate ligands (e.g., [(AuIII(C N)(DEDT)]+, HC N=2-phenylpyridine, DEDT=diethyldithiocarbamate) are highlighted as examples of DUB inhibitors. The mechanisms of their anticancer action, together with in vitro and/or in vivo antitumor potencies, are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rhodium(i) and a ruthenium(ii) complex with a caffeine derived N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand were biologically investigated as organometallic conjugates consisting of a metal center and a naturally occurring moiety. While the ruthenium(ii) complex was largely inactive, the rhodium(i) NHC complex displayed selective cytotoxicity and significant anti-metastatic and in vivo anti-vascular activities and acted as both a mammalian and an E. coli thioredoxin reductase inhibitor. In HCT-116 cells it increased the reactive oxygen species level, leading to DNA damage, and it induced cell cycle arrest, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and triggered apoptosis. This rhodium(i) NHC derivative thus represents a multi-target compound with promising anti-cancer potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the effect of gaseous ozone with different dose and exposing time (A and B: 1 mg/m3 or 3 mg/m3 for 5 min; C and D: 1 or 3 mg/m3 for 10 min, respectively, corona discharge method) on the quality of salmon, the microbial growth, lipid oxidation, color, odor characteristics, microbiota, and the correlations between them were studied. The results showed that the total viable counts of groups C (6.05 log CFU/g) and D (5.71 log CFU/g) were lower than the control (7.08 log CFU/g) on day 10. The ozone treatment also retarded the increase of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid substances (TBARS), and drip losses as well as the decrease of sensory scores. Though the ozonated treatment led to a slight decrease of a * value, it could deodorize the fishy smell. The results of next-generation sequencing showed that the relative abundance of Photobacterium decreased after treatments, but recovered during storage, and it was the predominant bacteria causing the deterioration of salmon fillets according to the correlation analysis with sensory score, TVB-N, and TBARS values. The results demonstrated that gaseous ozone was a promising method for salmon preservation, and the exposing time had a greater effect on the salmon quality than the ozone concentrations in this study. The ozonation treatment with the dose of 1 or 3 mg/m3 for 10 min was recommended for salmon fillets. • Photobacterium was the main bacteria causing the quality deterioration of salmon. • Gaseous ozone reduced the relative abundance of Photobacterium after treatment. • The exposing time had a greater effect on the salmon quality than the ozone dose. • The optimal ozonation treatment for salmon was 1 or 3 mg/m3 for 10 min. • The deodorizing effect of ozone may relate to the ozonolysis of fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SMO/ERK dual inhibitors were for the first time designed and synthesized. • The SMO inhibitor LY2940680 and the ERK inhibitor SCH772984, which display similar structural properties, were chosen as leading compounds to design novel SMO/ERK dual inhibitors. • Novel 4-aminopiperidine derivatives displayed excellent inhibitory activities against both SMO and ERK. • The novel SMO/ERK dual inhibitors showed significant cytotoxicity against human cholangiocarcinoma RBE cells overexpressing both the Hedgehog and ERK pathways. The hedgehog (Hh) pathway is tightly related with the formation, metastasis and recurrence of various cancers, which makes it a perfect anticancer target. Smoothened (SMO) is one of its key members. Three drugs targeting the Hh pathway have been successfully used in clinic, and they are all known as SMO inhibitors. However, serious drug resistant problem has limited their clinical application. The interaction of oncogenic ERK pathway with the Hh pathway in multiple ways has been proved as one of the main factors that result in drug resistance. Dual inhibition of the Hh and ERK pathways has displayed synergistic suppression to cancer cells overexpressing both pathways. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of novel 4-aminopiperidine derivatives as SMO/ERK dual inhibitors, and evaluated their biological activities. The results showed that compounds I-13 displayed strong inhibitory activities towards both SMO and ERK, and it also exhibited significant cytotoxicity against human cholangiocarcinoma RBE cells which overexpress both the Hh and ERK pathways. All the results indicate that compound I-13 is a promising anticancer candidate as a SMO/ERK dual inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phytochemical investigation to obtain bioactive substances as lead compounds or agents for anti-inflammatory led to the obtainment of eleven previously undescribed clerodane diterpenoids, named caseatardies A-K (1 − 11), and four known clerodane diterpenoids (12 – 15) from the twigs and leaves of Casearia tardieuae. The structural elucidation of these clerodane diterpenoids was based on 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy (COSY, HSQC, HMBC and ROESY) as well as high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). The relative configurations were defined by ROESY correlations. The anti-inflammatory activity of all the isolated compounds was screened and compound 15 decreased LDH level in a dose-dependent manner, showing IC 50 value of 2.89 μM. [Display omitted] • Eleven new clerodane diterpenoids with conjugated diene side chain at C-9 were isolated from Casearia tardieuae. • The compound 15 showed potent inhibitory activity against pyroptosis by blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation. • Their structures were established by elucidated by 1D, 2D-NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider the heteroscedastic partially linear errors-in-variables (EV) modelyi=xiβ +g(ti) + εi, ξi=xi+ μi(1 ⩽i⩽n), where εi= σieiare random errors with mean zero, σ2i=f(ui), (xi,ti,ui) are non random design points,xiare observed with measurement errors μi. Whenf( · ) is known, we derive the Berry–Esseen type bounds for estimators of β andg( · ) under {ei, 1 ⩽i⩽n} is a sequence of stationary α-mixing random variables, whenf( · ) is unknown, the Berry–Esseen type bounds for estimators of β,g( · ), andf( · ) are discussed under independent errors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new copper(II) coordination polymer, [Cu(PIA)·2H2O]n(1) [H2PIA = 5-(pyridin-4-yl)isophthalic acid], has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, TGA, powder, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural analysis shows that each PIA2−in1bridges three Cu(II) ions, and likewise each Cu(II) ion connects to three PIA2−ligands, giving a 3-D framework withutptopology and left-/right-handed helical channels. Interestingly, two such identical frameworks interlock with each other to generate a twofold interpenetrated structure that is stabilized by hydrogen bonding andπ–πinteractions. In addition, the thermal stability and the magnetic properties of1have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel competitive photoelectrochemical aptasensor for thrombin (TB) detection is proposed using TiO 2 electrode coupled with TB-Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)–glucose oxidase (GOx) labels. To construct the aptasensor, chitosan was coated on the TiO 2 surface for the further immobilization of TB aptamer that was bridged by the use of glutaraldehyde. TB detection was then performed based upon the competitive interaction of TB and TB-AuNPs-GOx bioconjugate with TB aptamer on the electrode. GOx could catalyze the glucose to produce H 2 O 2 , which acts as an effective electron donor to deplete the photogenerated holes located at the valence band of excited TiO 2 , resulting in the enhanced photocurrent response. Under the optimal conditions, the as-prepared PEC aptasensor exhibits excellent analytical property for detection of TB in the range from 1.0 × 10 − 12 mol L − 1 to 1.0 × 10 − 8 mol L − 1 with a detection limit of 1.9 × 10 − 13 mol L − 1 . Moreover, the aptasensor was also successfully applied for the determination of TB in human plasma. The present strategy provides a promising method for the future development of PEC aptasensor for advanced biochemical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new dicyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol derivatives, hyperhenones A–F ( 1 – 6 ), together with twelve known analogues, were isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum henryi . Their structures were elucidated based on the comprehensive MS and NMR spectroscopic data. The inhibitory activities of these isolates on four human tumor cell lines were assayed, and compounds 5 , 7 , and 10 showed significant inhibitory effects with the IC 50 1.3–8.8 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title CdII compound, {[Cd2(C13H7NO4)2(H2O)4]·5H2O} n, was synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of Cd(NO3)2·4H2O and 5-(pyridin-4-yl)isophthalic acid (H2 L). The asymmetric unit contains two crystallographically independent CdII cations, two deprotonated L2− ligands, four coordinated water molecules and five isolated water molecules. One of the CdII cations adopts a six-coordinate octahedral coordination geometry involving three O atoms from one bidentate chelating and one monodentate carboxylate group of two different L2− ligands, one N atom of another L2− ligand and two coordinated water molecules. The second CdII cation adopts a seven-coordinate pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination geometry involving four O atoms from two bidentate chelating carboxylate groups of two different L2− ligands, one N atom of another L2− ligand and two coordinated water molecules. Each L2− ligand bridges three CdII cations and, likewise, each CdII cation connects to three L2− ligands, giving rise to a two-dimensional graphite-like 63 layer structure. These two-dimensional layers are further linked by O-H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions to form a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture. The photoluminescence properties of the title compound were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]