[Panax notoginseng: a review on chemical components, chromatographic analysis, P. notoginseng extracts, and pharmacology in recent five years].

As a famous and precious Chinese medicinal material, Panax notoginseng(PN) has been commonly used for a long history in China. As reported, PN exhibits significant pharmacological actions in protecting cardiocerebral vascular system and nervous system and suppressing tumors. In recent years, with the innovation in ideas, as well as the development of methods and equipment, PN has been extensively investigated, and notable progress has been made. This paper reviewed the advancements of PN in recent five years from chemical components, chromatographic analysis, P. notoginseng extracts, and pharmacology, in which the application of PN extracts in quality control was first summarized. The present study aims to provide a theoretical basis for quality control, product development, and rational medication of PN.

[Study of isobutyrylshikonin inhibiting proliferation of colon carcinoma cells through PI3K/Akt/m-TOR pathway].

To investigate the inhibitory effect of isobutyrylshikonin on the growth of human colon carcinoma cells in vitro and its effect on the PI3K/Akt/m-TOR pathway. MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of different concentrations (0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg·L⁻¹) of isobutyrylshikonin on the proliferation of human colon carcinoma cell HT29 at 24, 48 h. CCK-8 method was used to detect the inhibitory effect of isobutyrylshikonin on HT29, HCT116, DLD-1 and Caco-2 at 48 h. AnnexinV/propidium iodide staining was applied in detecting the apoptoticrate of HT29 cells treated with different concentrations of isobutyrylshikonin at 24 h and 48 h. Cycletest plus DNA was employed to analyze HT29 apoptosis and cell cycle after 48 h treatment with isobutyrylshikonin at different concentrations. Western blot and RT-PCR assay were used to examine the protein and mRNA expressions of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt and m-TOR. The results showed that isobutyrylshikonin inhibited the proliferation of different human colon carcinoma cells, and the inhibition rate was in a dose-dependent manner. Isobutyrylshikonin induced apoptosis mainly in the early stage and blocked cells in the G0/G1 or G2/M phase. Isobutyrylshikonin reduced the protein expressions of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, m-TOR and the mRNA expressions of PI3K, Akt, m-TOR in a dose-dependent manner. Isobutyrylshikonin can significantly inhibit the proliferation, induce the early apoptosis and change the cycle distribution in colon carcinoma cells.This biological effect may be correlated with the inhibition of PI3K/AKT/m-TOR pathway.

Retrospective analysis of population-based causes of death and life expectancy in urban Western China from 2003 to 2012.

BACKGROUND: Hitherto, a population-based analysis of the cause of death in urban areas of Western China has not been undertaken over an extended period. The aims of this study were to calculate the overall and annual cause-specific mortality rates by age and sex in urban areas of Western China from 2003 to 2012 and to evaluate the quality of the data. METHODS: We used Excel software, cause-of-death registrations, and International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, codes to calculate the overall and yearly cause-specific crude mortality rates by age and sex, the Chinese age-standardized mortality rate, and life expectancies. RESULTS: In the Jiulongpo District from 2003 to 2012, there was an increase in the number of death case reports in the census-registered population, a decrease in the number of omitted deaths, and rise in the crude mortality rate. Except for 2003, the Chinese age-standardized mortality rate was the lowest in 2012 (330.83/100,000) and highest in 2005 (390.08/100,000). Life expectancy increased from 78.36 years in 2005 to 81.67 years in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: With the development of its social economy, the Chinese government and public attach greater importance to cause-of-death surveillance. The quality of cause-of-death registrations has gradually increased, crude mortality rates have risen, the Chinese age-standardized mortality rate has fallen, and life expectancies have increased.

[Overexpression of Toxoplasam gondii ROP18 by Tet-on Lentivirus Expression System].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a 293T mutant cell line over-expressing ROP18 of Toxoplasma gondii by Tet-on lentivirus expression system. METHODS: Rop18 gene of T. gondii was amplified by PCR, and inserted into a lentiviral vector pLVCT-tTR-KRAB. The recombinant plasmid pLVCT-tTR-KRAB-ROP18 (6 µg) and 293T human embryonic kidney cells were co-transfected with psPAX2 (4 µg) and pMD2.G (2 µg) for the packaging. The result of co-transfection was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. At 48 h and 72 h after co-transfection, the supernatant of the packaging lentivirus was collected for the 293T cell infection. The doxycycline (DOX) was added into the medium to induce the ROP18 expression in 293T cells. The ROP18 fusion expression was observed under fluorescence microscope and detected by RT-PCR after induction. RESULTS: PCR product of the gene fragment encoding ROP18 was 960 bp. The recombinant plasmid pLVCT-tTR-KRAB-ROP18 was identified by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion. Green fluorescence was observed in 293T cells at 48 h post-transfection. Bright green fluorescence was observed in 293T cells at 24 h after DOX induction. RT-PCR results showed that a 960 bp specific band (ROP18 gene) was detectable in 293T cells. CONCLUSION: 293T cell line stably expressing ROP18 is established with Tet-on lentivirus expression system.

Analysis of the Coupling Effect and Space-Time Difference between China's Digital Economy Development and Carbon Emissions Reduction.

Previously conducted studies have established that the digital economy has a one-way inhibition effect on carbon emissions. Against this background, this paper aims to analyze the coordinated development effect of the interaction between the digital economy and carbon emissions reduction. The entropy weight method, coupling and coordination degree model, Dagum Gini coefficient and Moran's I index have been carried out as research methods in this paper. The results showed that: (1) The coupling and coordination of China's digital economy and carbon emissions reduction shows an overall growth trend, but the coupling and coordination among regions, provinces and cities show a large imbalance. (2) In the sample period, the overall difference in the coupling and coordination between digital economy development and carbon emissions reduction shows an expanding trend, and the overall difference results are attributed to regional differences. (3) There is a significant spatial correlation in the coupling and coordination degree of digital economy development and carbon emissions reduction among cities. The paper systematically grasps the status of coupling and coordination development, the source of difference and spatial correlation between the digital economy and carbon reduction in Chinese cities. A dependence relationship has been established, which is digital economy development and carbon emissions reduction, and an interactive promotion pattern has been revealed between the digital economic system and the carbon emissions reduction system.

CCUS development in China and forecast its contribution to emission reduction.

Nowadays environmental issues have been of great concern to the world, among which the problem of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is particularly prominent. All countries in the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement have committed to control greenhouse gas emissions, and China, as the largest carbon emitter, has assumed a heavier burden. China has been striving to develop low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen, nuclear, wind, and solar energy, but the most attention should be paid to CCUS, which many scholars have high expectations that CCUS can help China reduce emissions to some extent. Therefore, this paper presents a prediction that CCUS can reduce 3.8% of carbon emissions for China in 2040 when CCUS emission reductions increase at a rate of 30%. The power and chemical industries could reduce carbon emissions by 2.3% and 17.3%, respectively.

FeNbO4 nanochains with a five-electron transfer reaction toward high capacity and fast Li storage.

High capacity and outstanding rate performance of the FeNbO4 nanochain anode with both intercalation and conversion reactions for lithium-ion batteries are demonstrated. The unique one-dimensional structure and intercalation pseudocapacitive behavior of FeNbO4 accelerate the reaction kinetics. In situ X-ray diffractometer measurement confirms a five-electron transfer mechanism for Li storage.

Linker Engineering of Sandwich-Structured Metal-Organic Framework Composites for Optimized Photocatalytic H2 Production.

While the microenvironment around catalytic sites is recognized to be crucial in thermocatalysis, its roles in photocatalysis remain subtle. In this work, a series of sandwich-structured metal-organic framework (MOF) composites, UiO-66-NH2 @Pt@UiO-66-X (X means functional groups), is rationally constructed for visible-light photocatalytic H2 production. By varying the ─X groups of the UiO-66-X shell, the microenvironment of the Pt sites and photosensitive UiO-66-NH2 core can be simultaneously modulated. Significantly, the MOF composites with identical light absorption and Pt loading present distinctly different photocatalytic H2 production rates, following the ─X group sequence of ─H > â”€Br > â”€NA (naphthalene) > â”€OCH3  > â”€Cl > â”€NO2 . UiO-66-NH2 @Pt@UiO-66-H demonstrates H2 production rate up to 2708.2 µmol g-1  h-1 , ≈222 times that of UiO-66-NH2 @Pt@UiO-66-NO2 . Mechanism investigations suggest that the variation of the ─X group can balance the charge separation of the UiO-66-NH2 core and the proton reduction ability of Pt, leading to an optimal activity of UiO-66-NH2 @Pt@UiO-66-H at the equilibrium point.

The expression of CD86 in CD3+CD56+ NKT cells is associated with the occurrence and prognosis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy in sepsis patients: a prospective observational cohort study.

The role of CD3+CD56+ natural killer T (NKT) cells and its co-signaling molecules in patients with sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is unknown. In this prospective observational cohort study, we initially recruited 260 septic patients and eventually analyzed 90 patients, of whom 57 were in the SAE group and 37 were in the non-SAE group. Compared to the non-SAE group, 28-day mortality was significantly increased in the SAE group (33.3% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.026), while the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD86 in CD3+CD56+ NKT cells was significantly lower (2065.8 (1625.5 ~ 3198.8) vs. 3117.8 (2278.1 ~ 5349), p = 0.007). Multivariate analysis showed that MFI of CD86 in NKT cells, APACHE II score, and serum albumin were independent risk factors for SAE. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the mortality rate was significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (χ2 = 14.779, p < 0.001). This study showed that the decreased expression of CD86 in CD3+CD56+ NKT cells is an independent risk factor of SAE; thus, a prediction model including MFI of CD86 in NKT cells, APACHE II score, and serum albumin can be constructed for diagnosing SAE and predicting prognosis.

Inhibition of autophagy-potentiated chemosensitivity to cisplatin in laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to determine whether autophagy was involved in cisplatin (CDDP) resistance and to investigate the role of the autophagy in the regulation of chemosensitivity to CDDP in laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells. METHODS: A WST-1 assay was performed to determine cell viability and cell proliferation. Autophagy activation and proapoptotic effects were characterized using monodansylcadaverine labeling and Hoechest staining, respectively. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of apoptotic and autophagy-related genes. Flow cytometry was used to assess cell apoptosis ratio. RESULTS: Exposure to CDDP induced the aggregation of autophagosomes in the cytoplasms of Hep-2 cells and up-regulated the expression of Beclin 1 and LC3II. However, CDDP treatment could not lead to obvious inhibition of cell proliferation, which implies that the autophagy may protect CDDP-treated cells from undergoing cell death. Meanwhile, the WST-1 assay indicated that knockdown of the autophagic gene Beclin 1 sensitized Hep-2 cells to CDDP. Furthermore, CDDP-mediated apoptotic cell death was further potentiated by pretreatment with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or small interfering RNA against Beclin 1. For the definite mechanism of Beclin 1-enhancing chemosensitivity to CDDP, we found that Beclin1 augmented CDDP-induced apoptotic signaling via enhancing caspase-9 and caspase-3 activity but not caspase-8. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that functional autophagy in response to CDDP may lead to cell survival in Hep-2 cells, whereas defective autophagy may contribute to CDDP-induced apoptosis in Hep-2 cells. Thus, modulators of autophagy may be used beneficially as adjunctive therapeutic agents during the treatment of laryngeal cancer with CDDP therapy.

Intelligent Manufacturing and Carbon Emissions Reduction: Evidence from the Use of Industrial Robots in China.

Driven by the information technology revolution, using artificial intelligence to promote intelligent manufacturing while achieving carbon emissions reduction is increasingly the focus of international attention. Given this, based on the fact that China's industrial manufacturing is more intelligent, this paper uses industrial sector data and robot data from 2000 to 2017 to examine the impact of intelligent manufacturing on industrial carbon dioxide emissions and to discuss its internal mechanism. The research found that intelligent manufacturing significantly inhibits carbon dioxide emissions in the industrial sectors. The emission reduction effect is more obvious in industries with higher carbon emissions and intelligence. The mechanism test shows that intelligent manufacturing mainly achieves industrial emission reduction by reducing fossil energy consumption in the production process and improving energy use efficiency. The research findings of this paper provide favorable evidence for using new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to achieve carbon emissions reduction, and validate the importance of intelligent manufacturing in tackling climate change in the future. It provides an essential reference for developing countries to use artificial intelligence for their carbon emissions reduction goals.

Corrigendum: Systematic Characterization and Identification of Saikosaponins in Extracts From Bupleurum marginatum var. stenophyllum Using UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.747987.].

Development and Validation of a Predictive Nomogram for Possible REM Sleep Behavior Disorders.

Objectives: To develop and validate a predictive nomogram for idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in a community population in Beijing, China. Methods: Based on the validated RBD questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK), we identified 78 individuals with possible RBD (pRBD) in 1,030 community residents from two communities in Beijing. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied to identify candidate features and develop the nomogram. Internal validation was performed using bootstrap resampling. The discrimination of the nomogram was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the predictive accuracy was assessed via a calibration curve. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the clinical value of the model. Results: From 31 potential predictors, 7 variables were identified as the independent predictive factors and assembled into the nomogram: family history of Parkinson's disease (PD) or dementia [odds ratio (OR), 4.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.35-14.45; p = 0.011], smoking (OR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.84-5.81; p < 0.001), physical activity (≥4 times/week) (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.12-0.42; p < 0.001), exposure to pesticides (OR, 3.73; 95%CI, 2.08-6.65; p < 0.001), constipation (OR, 6.25; 95% CI, 3.58-11.07; p < 0.001), depression (OR, 3.66; 95% CI, 1.96-6.75; p < 0.001), and daytime somnolence (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.65-6.38; p = 0.001). The nomogram displayed good discrimination, with original AUC of 0.885 (95% CI, 0.845-0.925), while the bias-corrected concordance index (C-index) with 1,000 bootstraps was 0.876. The calibration curve and DCA indicated the high accuracy and clinical usefulness of the nomogram. Conclusions: This study proposed an effective nomogram with potential application in the individualized prediction for pRBD.

Burn-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes is survivin dependent and regulated by PI3K/Akt, p38 MAPK and ERK pathways.

Survivin belongs to the family of genes known as inhibitors of apoptosis, and although it has been implicated in the prevention of cancer, its potential role in burn-induced cardiac injury is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of survivin blockade on burn-induced cardiac apoptosis. Using a standardized Sprague-Dawley rat model of third-degree burn injury over 40% of total body surface area, apoptosis was measured in vivo followed by in vitro assessment of burn serum-stimulated cardiomyocytes. Based on the Western blot analyses, real-time PCR, ELISA, and TUNEL, apoptosis and caspase activation both in vivo and in vitro were significantly increased after severe burn injury, while survivin expression was increased (up to 2.90-fold) during the early stage of burn injury and was almost completely abolished 8 h after the burn. Survivin-deficient cardiomyocytes, as well as hearts from rats treated with the survivin inhibitor YM155, exhibited increased caspase-3 protein and mRNA expression and apoptosis ratio at different times after the burn. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK, phosphoinositol 3-kinase contributed the burn serum-induced increase in apoptosis and caspase-3 protein expression, and decreased survivin expression, whereas burn serum-induced increase in apoptosis was attenuated by P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibition. These data identify survivin as a critical anti-apoptotic regulator of cardiomyocytes after burn injury. ERK, P38 MAPK and PI3K were found to be upstream regulators of survivin.

Systematic Characterization and Identification of Saikosaponins in Extracts From Bupleurum marginatum var. stenophyllum Using UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS.

Saikosaponins comprise a large group of chemical components present in the Bupleurum species that have attracted attention in the field of medicine because of their significant biological activities. Due to the high polarity, structural similarity, and the presence of several isomers of this class of components, their structural identification is extremely challenging. In this study, the mass spectrometric fragmentation pathways, UV spectral features, and chromatographic behavior of different types of saikosaponins were investigated using 24 standard substances. Saikosaponins containing carbonyl groups (C=O) in the aglycone produced fragment ions by loss of 30 Da, and in addition, type IV saikosaponins could produce [aglycone-CH2OH-OH-H]- and [aglycone-H2O-H]- fragment ions through neutral losses at positions C16 and C17. The above characteristic ions can be used to identify saikosaponins. More notably, the identification process of saikosaponins was systematically summarized, and using this method, 109 saikosaponins were identified or tentatively characterized from the saikosaponins extract of Bupleurum marginatum var. stenophyllum (BMS) using UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS with both data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA) modes, of which 25 were new compounds and 60 were first discovered from BMS. Further studies revealed that the saikosaponins profiles of BMS, Bupleurum chinense DC (BC), and Bupleurum marginatum Wall. ex DC (BMW) were very similar. This work is of great significance for the basic research of the Bupleurum species and provides strong technical support to solve the resource problems associated with Radix Bupleuri.

[Effects of soil moisture on microbial processes of soil nitrogen gases production under anaerobic conditions]. / 土壤水分对土壤产生气态氮的厌氧微生物过程的影响.

Gaseous nitrogen (N) emission [nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), and nitrogen (N2)] is an important pathway of soil N loss. Nitrification and denitrification are the main processes of gaseous N production in soil. However, the contribution of heterotrophic nitrification, co-denitrification, and anammox to gaseous N production remains uncertain. In a laboratory soil incubation experiment, we used the 15N labelling and pairing technique, combining the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD), to quantify the contribution of different microbial processes to soil NO, N2O and N2 production under anaerobic conditions. The results showed that after 24 h anaerobic incubation, the highest total 15N recovery of three gases occurred at 65% water filled pore space (WFPS), accounting for 20.0% of total added 15N. Denitrification contributed 49.9%-94.1%, 29.0%-84.7%, and 58.2%-85.8% to the production of NO, N2O and N2 respectively, suggesting that denitrification was the predominant process of those three N gases emission. Heterotrophic nitrification was an important pathway of NO and N2O production, particularly at conditions with low soil water content (10% WFPS), with its contribution to those two N gases production being 50.1% and 42.8%, respectively. Co-denitrification contributed 10.6%-30.7% of N2O production. For N2 production, the total contribution of co-denitrification and anammox was 14.2%-41.8%. The role of co-denitrification can not be ignored for N2O and N2 production. Our results demonstrated that the 15N labelling and pairing technique is a promising tool to quantify the contribution of different microbial processes to gaseous N loss.

Ligustroflavone ameliorates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis through down-regulating the TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway.

Liver fibrosis is a pathological process characterized by excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) that are mainly derived from activated hepatic stellate cells. Previous studies suggested that ligustroflavone (LF) was an ingredient of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. with activities of anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation. In this study, we investigated whether LF had any effect on liver fibrosis. In our study, we established a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis and used TGF-ß1-stimulated human hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2) to explore the effect of LF and associated underlying mechanism. LF was used in vivo with low dose (L-LF, 5 mg·kg-1, i.p., 3 times each week) and high dose (H-LF, 20 mg·kg-1, i.p., 3 times each week) and in vitro (25 µmol·L-1). Histopathological and biochemical assays investigations showed that LF delayed the formation of liver fibrosis; decreased AST, ALT activities and increased Alb activity in serum; decreased MDA level, Hyp content and increased GSH-Px concentration, SOD activity in liver tissues. Moreover, immunohistochemical, immunofluorescent and Western blot results showed that LF reduced the expressions of hepatic stellate cells specific marker proteins, including collagen I and α-SMA in vivo and in vitro. In addition, LF markedly suppressed TGF-ß1-upregulated protein expressions of TßR I, TßR II, P-Smad2, P-Smad3 and Smad4 in LX-2 cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrated LF could decrease histopathological lesions, ameliorate oxidative injury, attenuate CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, which may be associated with down-regulating the TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway.

Oxygen vacancies boosted the electrochemical kinetics of Nb2O5-x for superior lithium storage.

The introduction of oxygen vacancies (OVs) into Nb2O5 can not only provide more active sites for lithium storage but also change the electronic structure of Nb2O5 to boost electron/ion transport kinetics. Consequently, the defective Nb2O5-x exhibits high lithium storage capacity, superior rate capability, and cycling stability.

Determination of urinary adenosine using resonance light scattering of gold nanoparticles modified structure-switching aptamer.

A novel sensitive method has been developed for the detection of adenosine (AD) in human urine by using enhanced resonance light scattering (RLS). This method is based on the specific recognition and signal amplification of adenosine aptamer (Apt) coupled with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) via G-quartet-induced nanoparticle assembly, which was fabricated by triggering a structure switching of the 3' terminus G-rich sequence and aptamer duplex. RLS signal linearly correlated with the concentration of adenosine over the range of 6-115nM. The limit of detection (LOD) for adenosine is 1.8nM with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 2.90-4.80% (n=6). The present method has been successfully applied to determination of adenosine in real human urine, and the obtained results were in good agreement with those obtained by the HPLC method. Our investigation shows that the combination of the excellent selectivity of aptamer with the high sensitivity of the RLS technique could provide a promising potential for aptamer-based small molecule detection, and be beneficial in extending the application of RLS.

[Pathological correlation of dynamic magnetic resonance findings for chromophobe cell renal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of chromophobe cell renal carcinoma and evaluate its pathological correlation. METHODS: Twelve cases with chromophobe cell renal carcinoma confirmed by surgical pathology underwent MR plain scanning and dynamic enhancement scanning before operation. And the MR data were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively in comparison with surgical and pathological results. RESULTS: Twelve lesions were located in right kidney (n = 9) and left kidney (n = 3) with a mean tumor diameter of 7.3 cm (range: 3.2 - 12.6 cm). They were located in renal cortex (n = 1), renal medulla (n = 9) and the middle of cortex and medulla with a relatively normal renal shape. Nine lesions appeared global and 3 elliptic in shape. Well-defined margin was showed in 12 lesions and a thin capsule was observed in all lesions. The tumor presented a low to middle homogeneous signal intensity on T1WI and intermediates homogeneous signal intensity on fat saturated FSE-T2WI with a hypointense thin capsule and a hyperintense central scar. A mild-to-middle degree of tumor enhancement in cortical phase (tumor SI change 120.3% with a standard deviation of 84.3 and a median of 115.2%) was slightly lower, isointense or slightly higher than renal medulla. And obvious enhancement in portal venous phase(tumor SI change 173.7% with a standard deviation of 92.4 and a median of 171.5%) was lower than renal medulla. CONCLUSION: Chromophobe cell renal carcinoma typically forms large and well-circumscribed global solid masses in renal medulla. With a relatively normal renal shape and a thin capsule, it shows intermediate homogeneous signal intensity on T1WI and T2WI. And a middle degree enhancement with central stellate scar is found in some patients.