Locality Preservation for Unsupervised Multimodal Change Detection in Remote Sensing Imagery.

Multimodal change detection (MCD) is a topic of increasing interest in remote sensing. Due to different imaging mechanisms, the multimodal images cannot be directly compared to detect the changes. In this article, we explore the topological structure of multimodal images and construct the links between class relationships (same/different) and change labels (changed/unchanged) of pairwise superpixels, which are imaging modality-invariant. With these links, we formulate the MCD problem within a mathematical framework termed the locality-preserving energy model (LPEM), which is used to maintain the local consistency constraints embedded in the links: the structure consistency based on feature similarity and the label consistency based on spatial continuity. Because the foundation of LPEM, i.e., the links, is intuitively explainable and universal, the proposed method is very robust across different MCD situations. Noteworthy, LPEM is built directly on the label of each superpixel, so it is a paradigm that outputs the change map (CM) directly without the need to generate intermediate difference image (DI) as most previous algorithms have done. Experiments on different real datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Source code of the proposed method is made available at https://github.com/yulisun/LPEM.

Experimental Investigation on Magnetic Abrasive Finishing for Internal Surfaces of Waveguides Produced by Selective Laser Melting.

To enhance the surface quality of metal 3D-printed components, magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) technology was employed for post-processing polishing. Experimental investigation employing response surface methodology was conducted to explore the impact of processing gap, rotational speed of the magnetic field, auxiliary vibration, and magnetic abrasive particle (MAP) size on the quality enhancement of internal surfaces. A regression model correlating roughness with crucial process parameters was established, followed by parameter optimization. Ultimately, the internal surface finishing of waveguides with blind cavities was achieved, and the finishing quality was comprehensively evaluated. Results indicate that under optimal process conditions, the roughness of the specimens decreased from Ra 2.5 µm to Ra 0.65 µm, reflecting a reduction rate of 74%. Following sequential rough and fine processing, the roughnesses of the cavity bottom, side wall, and convex surface inside the waveguide reduced to 0.59 µm, 0.61 µm, and 1.9 µm, respectively, from the original Ra above 12 µm. The findings of this study provide valuable technical insights into the surface finishing of metal 3D-printed components.

Serotonin transporter imaging agent as a probe for ß-cells of pancreas.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the major diseases in the world. Nuclear medicine imaging may be able to detect functional status of pancreatic ß cells in vivo, which might elucidate the pathological mechanisms of diabetes and develop individualized treatment plans. In this study, we evaluated the ability of [125I]ADAM, a serotonin transporter (SERT) imaging agent, as a probe for detecting pancreatic ß-cell mass (BCM). METHODS: In vitro cell studies were evaluated in INS-1 cells (rat islet ß cell line). Biodistribution studies were performed in male normal Sprague-Dawley rats and alloxan-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) rats. Distribution and expression of SERT protein in pancreas of rats were also measured by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. RESULTS: In vitro cell studies showed that the concentration of [125I]ADAM associated with the INS-1 cells was increased gradually with incubation time, and the SERT specific inhibitor, escitalopram, exhibited the inhibitory effect on this interaction. Biodistribution studies also showed that the uptake of [125I]ADAM in the pancreas of normal rats was decreased in the presence of escitalopram. However, in the T1DM rat model with a significant ß cells reduction, the uptake of pancreas was increased when compared with the control. Through immunofluorescence staining and Western blot, it was found that both the endocrine and exocrine cells of the normal pancreas expressed SERT protein, and the level of SERT protein in the exocrine cells was higher than islets. In the diabetic state, the expression of SERT in the exocrine cells was further increased. CONCLUSIONS: The SERT imaging agent, [125I]ADAM, at the present form will not be suitable for imaging ß cells, specifically because there were extraordinarily high non-specific signals contributing from the exocrine cells of pancreas. In addition, we noticed that the level of SERT expression was abnormally elevated in the diabetic state, which might provide an unexpected target for studying the pathological mechanisms of diabetes.

Synthesis of Fluoromethylated Chromones and Their Heteroatom Analogues via Sodium Fluoromethanesulfinate-Enabled Direct Fluoromethylation.

An array of biologically interesting tri/difluoromethylated chromones and their heteroatom analogues were conveniently synthesized from the reaction of chromones and their heteroatom analogues with CF3SO2Na or HCF2SO2Na in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide under mild conditions. A mechanistic pathway involving the generation of the electrophilic tri/difluoromethyl radical, followed with the radical substitution of chromones and their heteroatom analogues, was postulated.

Betulinic acid in the treatment of breast cancer: Application and mechanism progress.

Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpene compound, which can be obtained by separation, chemical synthesis and biotransformation. BA has excellent biological activities, especially its role in the treatment of breast cancer deserves attention. Its mechanisms mainly include inducing mitochondrial oxidative stress, regulating specific protein (Sp) transcription factors, inhibiting breast cancer metastasis, inhibiting glucose metabolism and NF-κB pathway. In addition, BA can also increase the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to other chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel and reduce its toxic side effects. This article reviews the application and possible mechanism of BA in the treatment of breast cancer.

Use of honokiol in lung cancer therapy: a mini review of its pharmacological mechanism.

Honokiol (3',5-di-(2-propenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diol) is a biologically active natural product derived from Magnolia and has been shown to have excellent biological activities. This paper discusses research progress on the use of honokiol in the treatment of lung cancer, as studies have confirmed that honokiol can exert anti-lung-cancer effects through multiple pathways and multiple signaling pathways, such as inhibiting angiogenesis, affecting mitochondrial function and apoptosis, regulating of autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, honokiol combined with other chemotherapy drugs is also a way in which it can be applied.

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: a prospective, observational study to evaluate diagnostic performance of the Tina-quant D-Dimer Gen.2 assay.

Background: D-Dimer testing is a diagnostic tool for exclusion of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of the Tina-quant® D-Dimer Gen.2 assay (Roche Diagnostics International Ltd, Rotkreuz, Switzerland) in patients with low/intermediate pre-test probability of DVT/PE using standard, age-, and clinical probability-adjusted cut-offs. Methods: In this prospective, observational, multicenter study (July 2017-August 2019), plasma samples were collected from hospital emergency departments and specialist referral centers. DVT/PE was diagnosed under hospital standard procedures and imaging protocols. A standard D-dimer cut-off of 0.5 µg fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU)/ml was combined with the three-level Wells score; cut-offs adjusted for age (age × 0.01 µg FEU/ml for patients >50 years) and clinical probability (1 µg FEU/ml for low probability) were also evaluated. An assay comparison was conducted in a subset of samples using the Tina-quant D-Dimer Gen.2 assay and the previously established routine laboratory assay, STA-Liatest D-Di Plus assay (Stago Deutschland GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany). Results: 2,897 patients were enrolled; 2,516 completed the study (DVT cohort: 1,741 PE cohort: 775). Clinical assessment plus D-dimer testing using the standard cut-off resulted in 317 (DVT) and 230 (PE) false positives, and zero (DVT) and one (PE) false negatives. Negative predictive value (NPV) was 100.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 99.7%-100.0%) and 99.8% (95% CI: 98.8%-100.0%) for DVT and PE, respectively. After age-adjustment, NPV was 99.9% (95% CI: 99.6%-100.0%) and 99.1% (95% CI: 97.8-99.7) for DVT and PE, respectively. False positive rates decreased (>50%) in clinical probability-adjusted analyses vs. primary analysis. In the assay comparison, the performances of the two assays were comparable. Conclusion: The Tina-quant D-Dimer Gen.2 assay and standard D-dimer cut-off level combined with the three-level Wells score accurately identified patients with a very low probability of DVT/PE.

In vivo and in vitro binding of [125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH: A dopamine D1 receptor ligand for studying pancreatic ß-cell mass.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and insulinoma are mainly affected by the status of pancreatic ß-cell mass (BCM). Development of imaging agents for BCM allows to study pancreatic ß cells and the relationship between ß cells and DM or insulinoma. In this study, we investigated the density of dopamine D1 receptor on the ß cells and measured BCM by statistical image processing. The pancreatic uptakes of [125 I]I-R-(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-1-(3'-iodopheny1)-3-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine ([125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH), dopamine D1 receptor tracer, in normal and diabetic rats displayed significant differences at 30 min (1.11 ± 0.08% ID/g vs. 0.63 ± 0.09% ID/g, p < 0.0001). In the presence of SCH23390, the pancreatic uptake of [125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH at 30 min in normal rats was lower (1.01 ± 0.04% ID/g, p < 0.05). Although the blocking was not complete, [125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH showed specific binding signals to the pancreas. Furthermore, the uptakes of [125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH in INS-1 cells were reduced in the presence of SCH23390 at different concentrations. [125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH displayed a respectable uptake in insulinoma. Overall, [125 I]I-R-(+)-TISCH provided specific binding signals to pancreatic ß cells. Although the specific signal may not be sufficient for imaging in vivo, the dopamine D1 receptor can still be considered as a potential target for studying BCM. Further investigation will be required to optimize the ligand.

L-leucine supplementation reduces growth performance accompanied by changed profiles of plasma amino acids and expression of jejunal amino acid transporters in breast-fed intra-uterine growth-retarded piglets.

Previously, we provided an evidence that L-leucine supplementation facilitates growth performance in suckling piglets with normal birth weight. However, it remains hitherto obscure weather breast-fed piglets displaying intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) show a similar effect in response to L-leucine provision. In this study, seven-day-old sow-reared IUGR piglets were orally administrated with L-leucine (0, 0.7 1.4, 2.1 g/kg BW) twice daily for two weeks. Increasing leucine levels hampered the growth performance of suckling IUGR piglets. The average daily gain of IUGR piglets was significantly reduced in 1.4 g/kg BW and 2.1 g/kg BW L-leucine supplementation groups (P < 0.05). Except for ornithine and glutamine, the plasma concentrations of other amino acids were abated as L-leucine levels increased (P < 0.05). Leucine supplementation led to reduction in the levels of urea, blood ammonia, blood glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol, as well as an elevation in the level of low density lipoprotein cholesterol in suckling IUGR piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, 1.4g/kg BW of L-leucine enhanced the mRNA expression of ATB 0,+ , whereas decreased the mRNA abundances of CAT1, y+LAT1, ASCT2 and b 0,+ AT in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Concomitantly, the jejunum of IUGR piglets in L-leucine group contains more ATB0,+ and less SNAT2 protein than in the control (P < 0.05). Collectively, L-leucine supplementation impairs growth performance in breast-fed IUGR piglets, which may be associated with depressed nutritional conditions and alterations in the uptake of amino acids and the expression of amino acid transporters in the small intestine.

Exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles affects testicular structure, reproductive development and spermatogenesis in parental and offspring male rats.

Background: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the toxicity exerted by zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on rat testis and its effects on fertility and progeny development. Methods: Different concentrations of ZnO NPs were administered by gavage to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to examine the adverse effects resulting from pre- and post-natal exposure. Systemic distribution of ZnO NPs, developmental performance, sperm parameters, reproductive performance, histopathological examination, and sex hormone levels were determined scheduled in the experimental rats and their male offspring. The comparative in vitro cytotoxicity of the ZnO NPs was determined among C18-4, TM3, and TM4 cells. The toxicity exerted by ZnO NPs on germ cells in vitro and the effects on the expression of cytoskeleton and blood-testis barrier (BTB)-related proteins were also determined. Results: After oral gavage, ZnO NPs mainly accumulated in the liver and testes of rats; 350 mg/kg ZnO NPs adversely affected the epididymal weight, sperm motility, and hormone levels but did not affect the fertility of rats. In addition, 350 mg/kg ZnO NPs significantly reduced the reproductive and developmental performance of offspring male rats. Testicular histopathological and electron microscopic ultrastructure examinations showed more significant abnormal structural changes than those observed in parental rats. The results of in vitro cell experiments further showed that ZnO NPs exerted cytotoxic effects on germ cells, and led to DNA damage, nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton alterations, and could regulate actin changes through changes in LC3B. Conclusions: It is possible that ZnO NPs act directly on TM4 cells by penetrating the BTB, causing damage to the cytoskeleton and disrupting the dynamic balance of the BTB, thereby destroying the microenvironment necessary for spermatogenesis, which may lead to poor reproduction in rats.

Asymmetric Hydrophosphonylation of α,ß-Unsaturated Ketones Catalyzed by Rare-Earth Metal Complexes Bearing Trost Ligands.

Chiral dinuclear rare-earth metal complexes RE2Ln2 (n = 1, RE = Y(1), Eu(2), Nd(3), La(4), Gd(5); n = 2, RE = Eu(6), Gd(7)) stabilized by the corresponding Trost ligands H3L1 or H3L2 (H3L1 = (S,S)-2,6-bis[2-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-4-methylphenol, H3L2 = (S,S)-2,6-bis[2-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-4-chlorophenol) were prepared and three unknown complexes 5-7 were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The chiral rare-earth metal complexes 1-7 displayed high reactivity in the asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of α,ß-unsaturated ketones, and 5 mol % of complex 7 together with 10 mol % of chiral diamine (1S,2S)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine were proved to be the optimal catalyst combination. Various hydrophosphonylation products with excellent yields and high to excellent enantiomeric excess (ee) values were obtained in toluene (up to 99% yield, >99% ee).

[18F]BIBD-239: 18F-Labeled ER176, a Positron Emission Tomography Tracer Specific for the Translocator Protein.

[11C]ER176 has adequate sensitivity to image the human brain translocator protein (TSPO) in all three genotypes by positron emission tomography (PET). However, its clinical application is limited by the short half-life of 11C (20.38 min). To overcome the deficiency of [11C]ER176 and keep the pharmacophore features of ER176 to the maximum extent, we designed four fluorine-labeled ER176 derivatives using the deuterium method. In vitro competition binding confirmed that the designed compounds had high affinity for TSPO. Biodistribution experiments showed that tissues with high expression of TSPO had high uptake of these compounds, as well as that the compound showed high brain penetration and mild defluorination in vivo. Therefore, [18F]BIBD-239 with simple synthesis conditions was selected for further biological evaluation. Theoretical simulations showed that BIBD-239 and ER176 have similar binding modes and sites to Ala147-TSPO and Thr147-TSPO, which indicated that the tracers may have consistent sensitivity to the three affinity genotypes. In vitro autoradiography and in vivo PET studies of the ischemic rat brain showed dramatically higher uptake of [18F]BIBD-239 on the lesion site compared to the contralateral side with good brain kinetics. Additionally, [18F]BIBD-239 provided clear tumor PET images in a GL261 glioma model. Importantly, PET imaging and liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) results showed that in vivo defluorination and other metabolites of [18F]BIBD-239 did not interfere with brain imaging. Conclusively, [18F]BIBD-239, similar to ER176 with low polymorphism sensitivity, has simple labeling conditions, high labeling yield, high affinity, and high specificity for TSPO, and it is planned for further evaluation in higher species.

Image Regression With Structure Cycle Consistency for Heterogeneous Change Detection.

Change detection (CD) between heterogeneous images is an increasingly interesting topic in remote sensing. The different imaging mechanisms lead to the failure of homogeneous CD methods on heterogeneous images. To address this challenge, we propose a structure cycle consistency-based image regression method, which consists of two components: the exploration of structure representation and the structure-based regression. We first construct a similarity relationship-based graph to capture the structure information of image; here, a k -selection strategy and an adaptive-weighted distance metric are employed to connect each node with its truly similar neighbors. Then, we conduct the structure-based regression with this adaptively learned graph. More specifically, we transform one image to the domain of the other image via the structure cycle consistency, which yields three types of constraints: forward transformation term, cycle transformation term, and sparse regularization term. Noteworthy, it is not a traditional pixel value-based image regression, but an image structure regression, i.e., it requires the transformed image to have the same structure as the original image. Finally, change extraction can be achieved accurately by directly comparing the transformed and original images. Experiments conducted on different real datasets show the excellent performance of the proposed method. The source code of the proposed method will be made available at https://github.com/yulisun/AGSCC.

Novel 18F-Labeled PET Tracers Specific to Aromatase: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation.

The abnormal expression of aromatase is associated with the occurrence and development of a variety of neurological diseases and tumors. A series of 18F-labeled and 68Ga-labeled potential aromatase-binding candidate compounds were designed and synthesized based on the structures of aromatase inhibitors. Competitive inhibition experiments in vitro and molecular docking showed that BIBD-069 and BIBD-071 have high affinity for aromatase. The radiolabeling conditions of [18F]BIBD-069 and [18F]BIBD-071 were simple, and the yields were high. Biodistribution and in vivo inhibition experiments confirmed that [18F]BIBD-069 and [18F]BIBD-071 specifically bind to aromatase. [18F]BIBD-069 and [18F]BIBD-071 selectively imaged the amygdala and nucleus of the stria terminalis, which is similar to the imaging result of [11C]vorozole. Radiometabolites of [18F]BIBD-069 and [18F]BIBD-071 did not bind to aromatase and interfered with brain imaging. MicroPET-CT imaging further confirmed that [18F]BIBD-069 and [18F]BIBD-071 can specifically bind to aromatase and were not defluorinated in vivo. Given that [18F]BIBD-069 and [18F]BIBD-071 exhibit excellent aromatase binding affinities, mild radiolabeling conditions, and good pharmacokinetics, they can be important tools for the diagnosis and treatment of aromatase-related diseases.

[18F]BIBD-181: A Novel Positron Emission Tomography Tracer Specific for Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A.

Dysfunction or decreased expression of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) is closely related to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. The development of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting SV2A can provide a strong imaging basis for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Herein we report the synthesis of the novel radiotracer [18F]BIBD-181 and its preclinical evaluation. The absolute configuration of BIBD-181 was confirmed by the single-crystal structure of its precursor. The in vitro binding assay of BIBD-181 showed high SV2A binding affinity. Compared with previously reported tracers, [18F]BIBD-181 has mild labeling conditions, simple operation, and high yield. The in vivo metabolism of [18F]BIBD-181 is similar to that of UCB derivatives, and the metabolites do not interfere with brain PET imaging. Biodistribution and PET studies showed that [18F]BIBD-181 has high brain uptake and good pharmacokinetics. Autoradiography and PET inhibition studies indicated that [18F]BIBD-181 specifically binds SV2A. Because [18F]BIBD-181 exhibits excellent properties, it may be a reliable probe of quantities for SV2A-related disease diagnosis.

Omarigliptin ameliorated high glucose-induced nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation through activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) in renal glomerular endothelial cells.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a complication of diabetes that induces the development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The pathogenesis of DN is reported to be closely related to the activation of the NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in renal glomerular endothelial cells. Omarigliptin is a novel dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor developed for the management of type II diabetes, it has been recently reported to possess a significant anti-inflammatory property. This study aims to explore the potential therapeutic effects of Omarigliptin on DN. We established an in vitro injury model in human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HrGECs) using high glucose (HG). The severe cytotoxicity and increased oxidative stress in HrGECs induced by HG were pronouncedly reversed by the introduction of Omarigliptin. Furthermore, the activated NLRP3 inflammasome and the excessive production of interleukin 18 (IL-18) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) in HrGECs induced by incubation with HG were pronouncedly reversed by the introduction of Omarigliptin, accompanied by the activation of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. After the co-administration of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) inhibitor, compound C, the protective effects of Omarigliptin against HG-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and production of pro-inflammatory factors were dramatically abolished. Taken together, our data revealed that Omarigliptin ameliorated HG-induced inflammation in renal glomerular endothelial cells through suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation mediated by AMPKα.

Iterative Robust Graph for Unsupervised Change Detection of Heterogeneous Remote Sensing Images.

This work presents a robust graph mapping approach for the unsupervised heterogeneous change detection problem in remote sensing imagery. To address the challenge that heterogeneous images cannot be directly compared due to different imaging mechanisms, we take advantage of the fact that the heterogeneous images share the same structure information for the same ground object, which is imaging modality-invariant. The proposed method first constructs a robust K -nearest neighbor graph to represent the structure of each image, and then compares the graphs within the same image domain by means of graph mapping to calculate the forward and backward difference images, which can avoid the confusion of heterogeneous data. Finally, it detects the changes through a Markovian co-segmentation model that can fuse the forward and backward difference images in the segmentation process, which can be solved by the co-graph cut. Once the changed areas are detected by the Markovian co-segmentation, they will be propagated back into the graph construction process to reduce the influence of changed neighbors. This iterative framework makes the graph more robust and thus improves the final detection performance. Experimental results on different data sets confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method. Source code of the proposed method is made available at https://github.com/yulisun/IRG-McS.

The Role of Tumor Inflammatory Microenvironment in Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common and fatal malignant tumor in the world. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is closely related to the occurrence and development of lung cancer, in which the inflammatory microenvironment plays an important role. Inflammatory cells and inflammatory factors in the tumor inflammatory microenvironment promote the activation of the NF-κB and STAT3 inflammatory pathways and the occurrence, development, and metastasis of lung cancer by promoting immune escape, tumor angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, and other mechanisms. Clinical and epidemiological studies have also shown a strong relationship among chronic infection, inflammation, inflammatory microenvironment, and lung cancer. The relationship between inflammation and lung cancer can be better understood through the gradual understanding of the tumor inflammatory microenvironment, which is advantageous to find more therapeutic targets for lung cancer.

Comparative efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese patent medicine for NAFLD in childhood or adolescence: A protocol for a Bayesian network meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a common reason for chronic liver disease in children and adults. The increasing incidence of the disease has become one of the most critical public health problems in the 21st century, closely related to genetic and environmental factors. So far, apart from changing lifestyle and diet, modern medicine still lacks effective treatment measures. Chinese patent medicine has the advantages of apparent curative effect, overall regulation and fewer side effects. However, there is a lack of research on the simultaneous comparison of various Chinese patent medicines. Therefore, we used a reticular meta-analysis to indirectly compare the efficacy and safety of different oral Chinese patent medicines through standard reference. METHOD: We will conduct a comprehensive and systematic search of Chinese and English databases from the beginning to December 2020. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oral Chinese patent medicine for NAFLD in children will be searched. The 2 researchers then independently filter the retrieved literature, extract the data according to the data extraction table and assess the risk of bias. We will perform a pair of meta-analyses and a Bayesian network meta-analysis. STATA and Win BUGS software will be used for data analysis. RESULTS: This study will thoroughly compare and analyze the differences in the efficacy of all kinds of TCPM in NAFLD treatment in childhood or adolescence. CONCLUSION: This study will provide reference and evidence support for clinical drug selection optimization. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study does not require ethical approval. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 2020120068.

Self-Assembly of Size-Controlled m-Pyridine-Urea Oligomers and Their Biomimetic Chloride Ion Channels.

The m-pyridine urea (mPU) oligomer was constructed by using the intramolecular hydrogen bond formed by the pyridine nitrogen atom and the NH of urea and the intermolecular hydrogen bond of the terminal carbonyl group and the NH of urea. Due to the synergistic effect of hydrogen bonds, mPU oligomer folds and exhibits strong self-assembly behaviour. Affected by folding, mPU oligomer generates a twisted plane, and one of its important features is that the carbonyl group of the urea group orientates outwards from the twisted plane, while the NHs tend to direct inward. This feature is beneficial to NH attraction for electron-rich species. Among them, the trimer self-assembles into helical nanotubes, and can efficiently transport chloride ions. This study provides a novel and efficient strategy for constructing self-assembled biomimetic materials for electron-rich species transmission.