Chirality Supramolecular Systems: Helical Assemblies, Structure Designs, and Functions.

Chirality, as one of the most striking characteristics, exists at various scales in nature. Originating from the interactions of host and guest molecules, supramolecular chirality possesses huge potential in the design of functional materials. Here, an overview of the recent progress in structure designs and functions of chiral supramolecular materials is present. First, three design routes of the chiral supramolecular structure are summarized. Compared with the template-induced and chemical synthesis strategies that depend on accurate molecular identification, the twisted-assembly technique creates chiral materials through the ordered stacking of the nanowire or films. Next, chirality inversion and amplification are reviewed to explain the chirality transfer from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale, where the available external stimuli on the chirality inversion are also given. Lastly, owing to the optical activity and the characteristics of the layer-by-layer stacking structure, the supramolecular chirality materials display various excellent performances, including smart response, shape-memorization, superior mechanical performance, and applications in biomedical fields. To sum up, this work provides a systematic review of the helical assemblies, structure design, and applications of supramolecular chirality systems.

Uncovering the Recent Progress of CNC-Derived Chirality Nanomaterials: Structure and Functions.

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), as a renewable resource, with excellent mechanical performance, low thermal expansion coefficient, and unique optical performance, is becoming a novel candidate for the development of smart material. Herein, the recent progress of CNC-based chirality nanomaterials is uncovered, mainly covering structure regulations and function design. Undergoing a simple evaporation process, the cellulose nanorods can spontaneously assemble into chiral nematic films, accompanied by a vivid structural color. Various film structure-controlling strategies, including assembly means, physical modulation, additive engineering, surface modification, geometric structure regulation, and external field optimization, are summarized in this work. The intrinsic correlation between structure and performance is emphasized. Next, the applications of CNC-based nanomaterials is systematically reviewed. Layer-by-layer stacking structure and unique optical activity endow the nanomaterials with wide applications in the mineralization, bone regeneration, and synthesis of mesoporous materials. Besides, the vivid structural color broadens the functions in anti-counterfeiting engineering, synthesis of the shape-memory and self-healing materials. Finally, the challenges for the CNC-based nanomaterials are proposed.

Prevalence of nurses' smoking habits in psychiatric and general hospitals in China.

This study determined the prevalence of lifetime and current smoking and the correlates of current smoking in nurses working in psychiatric and general hospitals in China. Of 807 distributed questionnaires, 799 nurses who were working in two psychiatric hospitals (n=387, 48.4%), and one general hospital (n=412, 51.6%) had analyzable data. Socio-demographic, alcohol use and smoking data were collected with a self-reported questionnaire. Work-related stress was evaluated with the Nurse Stress Inventory. In the whole sample, the lifetime smoking prevalence was 7.6% (females=2.1% vs. males=48.9%, p<0.0001; psychiatric nurses=14.5% vs. non-psychiatric nurses=1.2%, p<0.0001). The prevalence of current smoking was 7.1% (females=2.1% vs. males=44.7%, p<0.0001; psychiatric nurses=13.4% vs. non-psychiatric nurses=1.2%, p<0.0001). In a multiple logistic regression analysis, age 30 years or older, male gender, having children, being a psychiatric nurse and alcohol consumption were positively associated with smoking, while being a nursing officer was negatively associated with smoking (r(2) = 0.513, p<0.0001). Considering the harmful effects of smoking as well as second-hand smoking in the presence of children, effective measures to promote smoking cessation for male, older and psychiatric nurses and those with children are warranted.

[Characteristics of extreme temperature variation in the Loess Plateau and its correlation with average temperature]. / é»„åœŸé«˜åŽŸæžç«¯æ°”æ¸©å˜åŒ–ç‰¹å¾åŠå ¶ä¸Žå¹³å‡æ°”æ¸©çš„ç›¸å ³æ€§.

In recent decades, extreme climate occurred frequently on the Loess Plateau. It is thus particularly important to study and predict the occurrence of extreme climate. Available researches on extreme climate mainly focus on the changing characteristics of the event itself, but ignore the correlation between average temperature and its changing trend. We used linear trend estimation, Mann-Kendall test, sliding t test and Pearson correlation analy-sis to study the variation trend of extreme temperature and its correlation with average temperature on the Loess Plateau based on the daily maximum temperature, minimum temperature and average temperature data of 79 meteo-rological stations from 1986 to 2019. The results showed that the extreme warmth index in the Loess Plateau region showed a significant upward trend, the extreme cold index showed a significant downward trend, and the frequency of extreme high temperature events increased. Most of the extreme temperature indices had abrupt changes in the middle and late 1990s and in 2012, and the extreme temperature showed a downward trend from 1998 to 2012, which better responded to the phenomenon of global warming hiatus. The increasing trend of mean temperature in the gully region, the rocky mountain region and the valley plain region was more obvious than that in other regions. The stations with large trend of extreme temperature index almost all occurred in the region with large increases of mean temperature. The increases of average temperature in small increments increased the frequency of extreme high temperature event, with the change range of extreme low temperature and its rate being greater than the extreme high temperature. Climate warming on extreme temperature index had a different effect, small changes in the average temperature in the Loess Plateau made the climate transfer towards the direction of more frequent heat.

Matrine Regulates Proliferation, Apoptosis, Cell Cycle, Migration, and Invasion of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Through the circFUT8/miR-944/YES1 Axis.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the major histological subtype of cancer cases. In the present study, we investigated the association between Matrine, an active component of Chinese medicine, and circFUT8 in NSCLC cells. METHODS: The proliferation ability of NSCLC cells was assessed by MTT and colony-forming assays. Flow cytometry assay was performed to show the apoptosis and cell cycle distribution in NSCLC cells. The protein expression levels of Bcl-2, Cleaved Caspase-3 (C-Caspase3), and YES proto-oncogene 1 (YES1) were measured by Western blot assay. Migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were determined by transwell assay. The expression levels of circFUT8, miR-944 and YES1 were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. The interaction relationship between miR-944 and circFUT8 or YES1 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The anti-tumor role of Matrine in vivo was explored by a xenograft experiment. RESULTS: Matrine functioned as a carcinoma inhibitor by repressing proliferation, cell cycle process, migration, and invasion while inducing apoptosis in NSCLC cells. Importantly, overexpression of circFUT8 counteracted Matrine-induced effects on NSCLC cells. MiR-944, interacted with YES1, was a target of circFUT8. Under Matrine condition, overexpression of circFUT8 increased proliferation, migration, and invasion while inhibited apoptosis, which was abolished by the upregulation of miR-944. Whereas the silencing of YES1 counteracted miR-944 inhibitor-induced effects on NSCLC cells. Eventually, we also confirmed that Matrine impeded NSCLC tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Matrine regulated proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells through the circFUT8/miR-944/YES1 axis, which provided novel information for Matrine in NSCLC.

CircASXL1 Knockdown Restrains Hypoxia-Induced DDP Resistance and NSCLC Progression by Sponging miR-206.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is a primary prevalent type of cancer in people worldwide. Cisplatin (DDP) has been widely used to treat NSCLC; however, its curative effect was restrained under hypoxia. In this study, the effects of hypoxia treatment on DDP resistance and NSCLC progression and underneath mechanism were revealed. METHODS: The expression of circular RNA ASXL1 (circASXL1) and microRNA-206 (miR-206) in NSCLC tissues, cells and hypoxia-mediated NSCLC cells was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression of proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis-related proteins, drug resistance-related protein and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) protein was detected by Western blot. The effects of circASXL1 knockdown on hypoxia-induced DDP resistance and NSCLC progression were revealed by cell counting kit-8 proliferation (CCK-8), cell colony formation, transwell and flow apoptosis assays. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay was performed to determine whether circASXL1 could form silence-inducing complexes with miRNA. The associated relationship between circASXL1 and miR-206 was predicted by circBank online database, and identified by RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The effects between circASXL1 knockdown and miR-206 downregulation on tumor growth in vivo were investigated by in vivo tumor formation assay. RESULTS: CircASXL1 expression was dramatically upregulated, whereas miR-206 was significantly down-regulated in NSCLC tissues, cells and hypoxia-mediated NSCLC cells as compared to control groups. CircASXL1 knockdown reversed hypoxia-mediated promotion effects on DDP resistance, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and inhibition impact on cell apoptosis, whereas these effects were restored by miR-206 inhibitor. Additionally, circASXL1 was found to form silence-inducing complexes with miRNA and act as a sponge of miR-206. CircASXL1 silencing downregulated HIF-1α expression by controlling miR-206 expression. Furthermore, circASXL1 silencing repressed tumor growth in vivo by sponging miR-206. CONCLUSION: CircASXL1 knockdown inhibited DDP resistance, cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas induced cell apoptosis under hypoxia by associating with miR-206 in NSCLC. This study provides a new sight in treating NSCLC with DDP under hypoxia.

[Simulation on soil moisture and water productivity of apple orchard on the Loess Plateau, Northwest China]. / 黄土高原苹果园土壤水分及水分生产力模拟.

The WinEPIC model was used to simulate the dynamics of soil moisture and water productivity in the deep layer of the dry farm apple orchard of Changwu in the Loess Plateau from 1980 to 2018, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of apple production in the area. The results showed that the average annual yield of apple orchards in Changwu area was 27.37 t·hm-2, the average annual evapotranspiration was 673.66 mm, and the average annual water productivity was 4.07 kg·m-3. The number of water stress days in adult apple trees was mainly affected by rainfall. The average number of stress days in the late stage of apple tree growth was 46.46 d. The soil water content in deep layer began to approach withering humidity as early as 9-year-old apple trees. Water supply in the whole growing season of Changwu area was the dominant factor impacting the yield of orchards. The reduction of effective soil water content in deep soil was the main factor restricting yield enhancement in the middle and late growth stages of apple trees. When there was no sufficient precipitation, apple trees would use soil water from deeper soil layer. Excessive precipitation could not be used by apple trees but could be converted into shallow soil moisture and evaporation if the deep layer had less available water. For the mature apple trees, less than 500 mm or higher than 700 mm of annual water supply would cause a decline in production. For apple orchard at different growth periods, water management strategy should be adjusted according to rainfall conditions in different years. Supplementary irrigation, rainwater retention, covering, and pruning of branches could be used to reduce the unproductive and luxury water consumption of apple trees, delay the appearance of deep dry layer of soil, and avoid the waste of water resources while ensuring the growth of apple trees.

MicroRNA-107 may regulate lung cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting TP53 regulated inhibitor of apoptosis 1.

Lung cancer causes over 1.6 million mortalities worldwide annually. MicroRNAs (miRs) are involved in various types of cancer-associated processes. The present study investigated the possible mechanism of miR-107 in the development of lung cancer in order to identify novel targets for clinical treatment. The expression levels of miR-107 and its putative target gene TP53 regulated inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (TRIAP1) were measured in lung cancer tumor tissues and non-tumor adjacent tissues. Subsequently, the association between TRIAP1 and miR-107 was investigated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Following transfection, the effects of miR-107 and TRIAP1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of lung cancer cell lines in vitro were investigated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Furthermore, the regulatory effect of miR-107 on the expression levels of TRIAP1 and associated proteins was analyzed using a western blot assay. The results revealed lower expression levels of miR-107 and higher expression levels of TRIAP1 in lung cancer tumor tissues compared with non-tumor adjacent tissues. The dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that TRIAP1 is a target gene of miR-107. Additionally, the results revealed that overexpression of miR-107 resulted in a lower proliferation rate and higher apoptosis rate of A549 cells, compared with the negative control (NC) and control groups (P<0.01). The variation of cell proliferation and apoptosis induced by miR-107 mimics was reversed by co-transfection with pcDNA3.1-TRIAP1. Furthermore, the expression levels of cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were markedly decreased in the miR-107 mimics group compared with the NC group (P<0.01). The expression levels of BCL2 associated X apoptosis regulator, tumor protein p53 and caspase 3 were upregulated and the expression levels of TRIAP1 and BCL2 apoptosis regulator were significantly reduced in the miR-107 mimics group compared with the NC group (P<0.01). The results of the present study suggested that miR-107 regulates lung cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting TRIAP1.

Knockdown of miR­935 increases paclitaxel sensitivity via regulation of SOX7 in non­small­cell lung cancer.

Sex determining region Y­box (SOX)7 is a member of the SOX family and is responsible for various developmental processes. As a tumor suppressor, decreased expression of SOX7 has been observed in several cancer types, including non­small­cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the mechanism underlying SOX7 downregulation and its role in chemoresistance in NSCLC remains poorly understood. In the present study, the inhibition of microRNA (miR)­935 increased the expression of SOX7 at the mRNA and protein levels in A549 cells. The luciferase reporter assay verified that miR­935 could directly bind to the 3'untranslated region of SOX7 mRNA to suppress its expression in A549 cells. In addition, the inhibition of miR­935 enhanced the anticancer effect of paclitaxel, i.e., induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells. It was further observed that the inhibition of miR­935 decreased the B cell lymphoma (Bcl)­2 and phosphorylated­RAC­α serine/threonine­protein kinase (AKT) protein levels and increased the Bcl­2 associated X, apoptosis regulator protein levels, without affecting the AKT levels in the presence of paclitaxel within A549 cells. The findings of the present study validate miR­935 as a predictor of paclitaxel sensitivity in NSCLC.

Ruthenium-catalyzed meta/ortho-selective C-H alkylation of azoarenes using alkyl bromides.

meta/ortho-Selective CAr-H (di)alkylation reactions of azoarenes have been achieved via [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2 catalyzed ortho-metalation using various types of alkyl bromides. Particularly, dual meta-alkylation of azoarene and reduction offer an attractive strategy for the synthesis of meta-alkylanilines, which are difficult to access via traditional aniline functionalization methods.

Nurses' work-related stress in China: a comparison between psychiatric and general hospitals.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the level of work-related stress in nurses in China.This study compared the level of work-related stress between female nurses working in psychiatric and general hospitals in China. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive comparative cross-sectional design was used.A consecutive sample of nurses from two psychiatric hospitals (N = 297) and a medical unit (N = 408) of a general hospital completed a written survey including socio-demographic data and a measure of work-related stress (Nurse Stress Inventory). FINDINGS: Compared to the nurses working in the general hospital, those working in the psychiatric setting had a higher level of stress in the domains of working environment and resources (p < .001) and patient care (p < .001), but lower workload and time (p < .001).Multivariate analyses revealed that college or higher level of education(b = .1, p < .001), exposure to violence in the past 6 months (b = .2, p < .001),longer working experience, and working in psychiatric hospitals were associated with high work-related stress (b = .2, p < .001). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Considering the harmful effects of work-related stress, specific stress management workshops and effective staff supportive initiatives for Chinese nurses are warranted.

Frequency and risk factors of workplace violence on psychiatric nurses and its impact on their quality of life in China.

This study examined the frequency of violence on nurses in Chinese psychiatric hospitals and explored its risk factors and impact on nurses' quality of life (QOL). A survey was conducted with 387 frontline psychiatric nurses in China. Information about experience of workplace violence in the past 6 months, type of workplace violence, and demographic characteristics was collected by a questionnaire. Altogether 319 (82.4%) of 387 nurses reported having experienced at least one type of violent event in the past 6 months. The prevalence of sexual assault, physical and verbal harassment was 18.6%, 61.5% and 78.6%, respectively. Compared to those with no exposure to violence, nurses who were exposed to violence had lower QOL in both the physical and mental domains. Significant predictors of violence against nurses are male sex, receiving college level or higher education and working on rotating duty were independently associated with high risk of violence. Workplace violence against psychiatric nurses commonly occurs in China. Considering the deleterious effects of violence, comprehensive strategies from the perspective of nursing education and training, organizational policy, patient care and staff support are recommended to promote occupational safety in psychiatric settings in China.