Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes promote tumor characterization and immunosuppressive microenvironment in breast cancer.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) or autologous fat transplantation could be used to ameliorate breast cancer postoperative deformities. This study aims to explore the action of ASC and ASC-exosomes (ASC-exos) in breast cancer characterization and tumor microenvironment immunity, which provided a new method into the application of ASC-exos. ASC were extracted from human adipose tissue for the isolation and verification of ASC-exos. ASC-exos were co-cultured with CD4+T cells, CD14+ monocytes and MCF-7 cells, respectively. The tumor formation of nude mice was also constructed. Cell characterization was determined by CCK8, scratch assay, and Transwell. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining were used to observe the histopathology and protein expression. CD4+T cell and CD14+ monocytes differentiation was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot, qRT-PCR and RNAseq were used to detect the action of ASC-exos on gene and protein expression. CD4+T cells could take up ASC-exos. ASC-exos inhibited Th1 and Th17 differentiation and promoted Treg differentiation of CD4+T cells. ASC-exos inhibited M1 differentiation and promoted M2 differentiation of CD14+ monocytes. ASC-exos promoted the migration, proliferation, and invasion, while inhibited apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. ASC-exos promoted the tumor formation of breast cancer. The effect of ASC-exos on tumor microenvironment immunity was in accordance with the above in vitro results. TOX, CD4 and LYZ1 genes were upregulated, while Mettl7b and Serpinb2 genes were downregulated in ASC-exos group. Human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection pathway was significantly enriched in ASC-exos. Thus, ASC-exos promoted breast cancer characterization and tumor microenvironment immunosuppression by regulating macrophage and T cell differentiation.

Identification and Fungicide Sensitivity of Fusarium spp. Associated with Root Rot of Scutellaria baicalensis in Shanxi Province, China.

Fusarium root rot is usually classified as an extremely destructive soilborne disease. From 2020 to 2021, Fusarium root rot was observed in production areas and seriously affected the yield and quality of Scutellaria baicalensis in Shanxi Province, China. Based on morphological characteristics and combined analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha sequences, 68 Fusarium isolates obtained in this work were identified as F. oxysporum (52.94%), F. acuminatum (20.59%), F. solani (16.17%), F. proliferatum (5.88%), F. incarnatum (2.94%), and F. brachygibbosum (1.47%). In the pathogenicity tests, all Fusarium isolates could infect S. baicalensis roots, presenting different pathogenic ability. Among these isolates, F. oxysporum was found to have the highest virulence on S. baicalensis roots, followed by F. acuminatum, F. solani, F. proliferatum, F. brachygibbosum, and F. incarnatum. According to fungicide sensitivity tests, Fusarium isolates were more sensitive to fludioxonil and difenoconazole, followed by carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, and hymexazol. In brief, this is the first report of Fusarium species (F. oxysporum, F. acuminatum, F. solani, F. proliferatum, F. incarnatum, and F. brachygibbosum) as causal agents of root rot of S. baicalensis in Shanxi Province, China. The fungicide sensitivity results will be helpful for formulating management strategies of S. baicalensis root rot.

3,6'-Disinapoyl sucrose alleviates cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with insidious onset and progressive development. There is an urgent need to find drugs that prevent and slow AD progression. We focus our attention on 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS), an oligosaccharide with antidepressant and antioxidant activities. In this work, APP/PS1 transgenic mice were used to explore the neuroprotective impact of DISS to provide new applications for prevention and therapy of AD. This study aims to assess DISS's neuroprotective impact on learning and memory deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice using behavioral tests (Morris water maze, novel object recognition test, and passive avoidance test). Morphological alterations of hippocampus neurons were observed by Nissl staining and neuronal apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay. By using ELISA, the expressions of inflammatory factors were evaluated, and Western blotting was used to measure the protein expressions of neuron-related regulators in the hippocampus. DISS significantly ameliorated the cognitive disorder in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, reduced apoptosis by decreasing the ratio of Bax/B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) in hippocampal neurons, and restored the abnormal secretion of inflammatory factors (IL-2, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6). Moreover, the gavage of high-dose DISS can boost the expressions of CREB/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Overall, our results indicate that DISS improves cognitive function in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by inhibiting neural apoptosis and activating the CREB/BDNF signal pathway.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, for the first time, DISS was used in APP/PS1 transgenic mice to explore its neuroprotective effect. After gavage DISS for 1 mo, the impairment of learning and spatial memory ability and the loss of neurons in APP/PS1 mice were alleviated. DISS reduced a neuroprotective effect in AD mice via decreasing neuronal apoptosis, enhancing the expressions of CREB phosphorylation and BDNF, pointing to DISS as a new therapeutic target for AD.

LILRB2-containing small extracellular vesicles from glioblastoma promote tumor progression by promoting the formation and expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

BACKGROUND: Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B2 (LILRB2) was reported to be an inhibitory molecule with suppressive functions. sEVs mediate communication between cancer cells and other cells. However, the existence of LILRB2 on sEVs in circulation and the function of sEVs-LILRB2 are still unknown. This study aims to investigate the role of LILRB2 in GBM and determine how LILRB2 in sEVs regulates tumor immunity. METHODS: LILRB2 expression in normal brain and GBM tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the effect of LILRB2 on prognosis was evaluated in an orthotopic brain tumor model. Next, a subcutaneous tumor model was constructed to evaluate the function of pirb in vivo. The immune cells in the tumor sites and spleen were detected by immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry. Then, the presence of pirb in sEVs was confirmed by WB. The percentage of immune cells after incubation with sEVs from GL261 (GL261-sEVs) or sEVs from GL261-pirb+ (GL261-sEVs-pirb) was detected by flow cytometry. Then, the effect of pirb on sEVs was evaluated by a tumor-killing assay and proliferation assay. Finally, subcutaneous tumor models were constructed to evaluate the function of pirb on sEVs. RESULTS: LILRB2 was overexpressed in human GBM tissue and was closely related to an immunosuppressive TME in GBM. Then, a protumor ability of LILRB2 was observed in subcutaneous tumor models, which was related to lower CD8 + T cells and higher MDSCs (myeloid-derived suppressor cells) in the tumor and spleen compared to those of the control group. Next, we found that pirb on sEVs (sEVs-pirb) inhibits the function of CD8 + T cells by promoting the formation and expansion of MDSCs. Furthermore, the protumor function of sEVs-pirb was demonstrated in subcutaneous tumor models. CONCLUSION: We discovered that LILRB2/pirb can be transmitted between GBM cells via sEVs and that pirb on sEVs induces the formation and expansion of MDSCs. The induced MDSCs facilitate the formation of an immunosuppressive TME.

Dielectric optical waveguide fabricated on a transparent substrate.

Transparent glass substrates are routinely used in the fabrication of metasurfaces, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and holographic devices. While readily compatible with photolithographic patterning methods, when electron beam (E-Beam) techniques are used, field distortion and stitching errors can result due to the buildup of charge. A common approach to overcome this issue is to deposit a thin conductive polymer layer (E-Spacer). However, if high-voltage E-Beam is used to achieve nano-features, the polymer conductivity is not sufficient. We have shown that by using chromium (Cr) as an overcoating conductive layer on the resist, we can achieve accurate and seamless patterning in multiple writing fields and used the method to fabricate on-chip Si3N4 waveguides on SiO2. This technique has the potential to enable the fabrication of large-scale integrated photonic systems on transparent or dielectric substrates.

Discrete dynamics of light in an anti-parity-time symmetric photonic lattice in atomic vapors.

We demonstrate the realization of an anti-parity-time (PT)-symmetric photonic lattice in a coherent three-level Λ-type 85Rb atomic system both experimentally and theoretically. Such an instantaneously reconfigurable anti-PT-symmetric photonic lattice is "written" by two one-dimensional coupling fields, which are arranged alternately along the x direction and can modulate the refractive index of the atomic vapor in a spatially periodical manner via controllable atomic coherence. By properly adjusting the relevant atomic parameters, the phase shift between two adjacent lattice channels occurs in the constructed non-Hermitian photonic system. Such a readily reconfigurable anti-PT-symmetric photonic lattice may open the door for demonstrating the discrete characteristics of the optical waves in periodic anti-PT-symmetric photonic systems.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrazole-fused oleanolic acid derivatives as novel inhibitors of inflammatory and osteoclast differentiation.

A series of pyrazole-fused oleanolic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized. The modification of these analogues focused on the substituents screening on the pyrazole ring. The cytotoxicity of these compounds and their anti-inflammatory activities via inhibiting interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) production were evaluated in RAW264.7 cells. Most of the derivatives showed significantly improved potency compared with oleanolic acid. Among them, compound 7n exhibited the most potent anti-inflammatory activity on decreasing IL-1ß production with low cytotoxicity. Moreover, the further study found 7n could inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation on bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). These findings may provide a potential direction for the drug development of osteoarthritis.

A Novel Laser Angle Selection System for Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Transthoracic Needle Biopsies.

Purpose: To evaluate a novel laser angle selection system (LASS) for improving the efficiency of a computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB). Methods: Thirty-eight patients referred for CT-guided PTNB were randomly separated into a LASS-assisted puncture group (18 patients) or conventional freehand control group (20 patients). The puncture time, number of control CT scans, and patients' radiation dose were compared for each group. Results: The lesion size, target-to-pleural distance, planned puncture depth, and angle of the two groups were not significantly different. LASS-assisted PTNB significantly reduced the number of control scans (1.7 ± 0.8 vs 3.5 ± 1.5, P < .001) and the mean operation time (12.0 ± 4.3 min vs 28.8 ± 13.3 min, P < .001) compared with the conventional method. The corresponding room time (27.1 ± 6.6 min vs 44.1 ± 14.4 min, P < .001) and total radiation dose (7.9 ± 1.0 mSv vs 10.1 ± 1.7 mSv, P < .001) of each procedure also decreased significantly. Fifty-six percent (10/18) of the operations hit the target on the first needle pass when using LASS compared with 10% (2/20) using the conventional method. Conclusions: Compared with a conventional method, this novel laser angle simulator improves puncture efficiency with fewer needle readjustments and reduces patient radiation dose.

Multiplex Hybrid Antigen-Capture LC-MRM Quantification in Sera and Nasal Lining Fluid of AZD7442, a SARS-CoV-2-Targeting Antibody Combination.

AZD7442 (tixagevimab [AZD8895]/cilgavimab [AZD1061]) is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) combination in development for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019. Traditionally, bioanalysis of mAbs is performed using ligand binding assays (LBAs), which offer sensitivity, robustness, and ease of implementation. However, LBAs frequently require generation of critical reagents that typically take several months. Instead, we developed a highly sensitive (5 ng/mL limit of quantification) method using a hybrid LBA-liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach for quantification of the two codosed antibodies in serum and nasal lining fluid (NLF), a rare matrix. The method was optimized by careful selection of multiple reaction monitoring, capture reagents, magnetic beads, chromatographic conditions, evaluations of selectivity, and matrix effect. The final assay used viral spike protein receptor-binding domain as capture reagent and signature proteotypic peptides from the complementarity-determining region of each mAb for detection. In contrast to other methods of similar/superior sensitivity, our approach did not require multidimensional separations and can be operated in an analytical flow regime, ensuring high throughput and robustness required for clinical analysis at scale. The sensitivity of this method significantly exceeds typical sensitivity of ∼100 ng/mL for analytical flow 1D LBA-LC-MS/MS methods for large macromolecules, such as antibodies. Furthermore, infection and vaccination status did not impact method performance, ensuring method robustness and applicability to a broad patient population. This report demonstrated the general applicability of the hybrid LBA-LC-MS/MS approach to platform quantification of antibodies with high sensitivity and reproducibility, with specialized extension to matrices of increasing interest, such as NLF.

Molecular characteristics of single patient-derived glioma stem-like cells from primary and recurrent glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma has high recurrence, while the sensitivity of recurrent glioblastoma to chemotherapy is lower than that of primary glioblastoma. Moreover, there is no standardized treatment for recurrent glioblastoma. Unfortunately, the biological mechanism of recurrent glioblastoma is still unclear, and there are few related studies. We compared the phenotypes of clinical glioblastoma specimens, in-vitro cultured glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) and patient-derived xenograft tumor (PDX) models to explore the molecular genetic characteristics of primary and recurrent glioblastoma from the same patient. In vitro, SU5-2, GSCs derived from recurrent glioblastoma specimens, had stronger proliferative activity and self-renewal ability. Meanwhile, SU5-2 was more resistant to temozolomide and invasive than SU5-1, which derived from primary glioblastoma specimens. Further analysis of the expression of costimulatory molecules showed that the expression of B7-H1, B7-H2 and B7-H3 of SU5-2 were upregulated. In vivo, Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that the median survival of the recurrent PDX group was worse. The results of gene detection in vitro, PDX model and clinical samples were consistent. Our results showed that the GSCs based on glioblastoma specimens and the PDX models could replicate the main molecular genetic characteristics of original tumors, which provided a reliable experimental platform for both tumor translation kinds of research and screening of molecular therapeutic targets.

Prevalence and risk factors of overt postpartum urinary retention among primiparous women after vaginal delivery: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum urinary retention (PUR) may lead to bladder neuromuscular damage and subsequently voiding dysfunction. However, the literature regarding the incidence of and risk factors for PUR remains unclear. Moreover, previously reported studies are limited to small sample sizes. Thus, this study aimed to assess the incidence of and risk factors for overt PUR after vaginal delivery. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included all primiparas who delivered vaginally between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2019, at our institution. The case group comprised 677 women diagnosed with overt PUR who required catheterisation after delivery. The control group comprised 677 women without overt PUR randomly selected in a 1:1 ratio matched for date of delivery and who delivered immediately after each woman with overt PUR to minimise the impact of variations over time in obstetric practice. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the factors associated with overt PUR. RESULTS: Of the 12,609 women included in our study, 677 were diagnosed with overt PUR (incidence 5.37%). Univariate analysis identified epidural analgesia, episiotomy, perineal tears, instrument-assisted delivery, duration of labour stage, intrauterine operation, and vulvar oedema as risk factors for PUR. Multivariate logistic regression identified epidural analgesia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-1.79, P = 0.005), vulvar oedema (OR = 6.92, 95% CI: 4.65-10.31, P < 0.001), forceps delivery (OR = 8.42, 95% CI: 2.22-31.91, P = 0.002), episiotomy (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.02-1.84, P = 0.035), and second-degree perineal tear (OR = 3.42, 95% CI: 2.37-4.94, P < 0.001) as significant independent risk factors for PUR. CONCLUSIONS: PUR was highly associated with epidural analgesia, forceps delivery, vulvar oedema, episiotomy, and second-degree perineal tears. More attention should be paid to women at high risk to reduce the incidence of PUR.

Kerr-nonlinearity induced bistable-like parity-time phase transition in coupled waveguides.

We analyze the parity-time (PT) symmetric phase in coupled two waveguides with a Kerr-type medium in between. Paying attention to the emitted field from a dipole source inside, we show that when the strength of the dipole increases, the optical Kerr effect can render a phase transition from the exact PT phase to the broken PT phase. Furthermore, a salient phenomenon of bistable-like PT phase is observed, in which the emitted field possesses a paradox between the two kinds of PT phases. We show that the physical mechanism of this bistable-like phenomenon is a globally inhomogeneous PT phase, in which different spatial regions of the whole structure can possess different PT phases (broken or exact). This study highlights the potential to manipulate the PT phase transition by using optical nonlinearity for many interesting applications.

Optical super-resonance in a customized P T-symmetric system of hybrid interaction.

We investigate the optical resonances in coupled meta-atoms with hybrid interaction pathways. One interaction pathway is the directly near-field coupling between the two meta-atoms. The other interaction pathway is via the continuum in a waveguide functioned as a common bus connecting them. We show that by properly introducing gain or loss into the meta-atoms, the hybrid optical system becomes parity-time (P T) symmetric, in which the effective coupling rate can be customized by manipulating the length of the waveguide. At the exact phase of the customized P T symmetry, the coupled meta-atoms support discrete super-resonant modes that can be observed from the transmission spectra as extremely sharp peaks. At an exception point where the eigenmodes coalesce, albeit the transmission curve is flat, a high-Q factor of the localized field in the meta-atoms can be obtained. Similarities of the super-resonance with the bound states in the continuum (BICs) are discussed. This investigation promotes our understanding about the ways in realizing high-Q optical resonance especially by manipulating the distributions of loss and gain via the concepts of P T and BICs. Many attractive applications are expected.

Rapid Identification of 3,6'-Disinapoyl Sucrose Metabolites in Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice Using UHPLC-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by the progressive impairment of neural activity. Studies have shown that 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS) can alleviate the pathological symptoms of AD through the activation of the cAMP/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway. However, the exact biochemical mechanisms of action of DISS are not clear. This study explores metabolism of DISS in an AD mouse model, induced by the microinjection of a lentiviral expression plasmid of the APPswe695 gene into CA1 of the hippocampus. After gavage administration of DISS (200 mg/kg), the kidneys, livers, brains, plasma, urine, and feces were collected for UHPLC-Orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis. Twenty metabolites, including the prototype drug of DISS, were positively or tentatively identified based on accurate mass measurements, characteristic fragmentation behaviors, and retention times. Thus, the metabolic pathways of DISS in AD mice were preliminarily elucidated through the identification of metabolites, such as ester bond cleavage, demethoxylation, demethylation, and sinapic acid-related products. Furthermore, differences in the in vivo distribution of several metabolites were observed between the model and sham control groups. These findings can provide a valuable reference for the pharmacological mechanisms and biosafety of DISS.

Roles of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in prognosis and in differentiation of potential beneficiaries in HER2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab therapy.

BACKGROUND: The relationship of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to prognosis of HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) is not well studied. We aimed to assess the prognostic role of NLR in HER2-positive BC patients treated with or without trastuzumab. METHODS: The clinical data of 843 HER2-positive BC patients from July 2013 to July 2018 were collected. The difference among variables was calculated by chi-square test. The associations between clinicopathological factors, NLR and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Patients were divided into three groups. In group 1 containing 255 patients without trastuzumab treatment, pretreatment NLR showed no predictive value. Patients with trastuzumab treatment were divided into two groups on equal, according to pretreatment NLR values, low NLR (group 2) and high NLR (group 3). Patients in group 2 showed significantly higher 3-year DFS rate than patients in group 1 and group 3 (95.3% vs. 91.6% vs. 90.5%, respectively, P = 0.011); patients in the group 1 and group 3 had a similar 3-year DFS outcome. Multivariate analysis showed high pretreatment NLR was significantly associated with shorter DFS (HR = 2.917, 95% CI = 1.055-8.062, P = 0.039) in HER2-positive BC patients treated with trastuzumab. CONCLUSIONS: Among HER2-positive trastuzumab-treated BC patients, low pretreatment NLR value was associated with better DFS, and it might help to differentiate potential beneficiaries of trastuzumab treatment.

Total Saponins from Paris forrestii Reverse Multidrug Resistance of MCF-7/ADM Cells by Suppression of P-gp via ERK Signaling Pathway.

Our previous study demonstrated that the total saponins from Paris forristii (PCT3) had obvious inhibitory effect on the proliferation of adriamycin-resistant human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7/ADM), and this effect was significantly stronger than that in parental cells (MCF-7). This study was designed to test the reversal effect of PCT3 on MCF-7/ADM cells and to understand its mechanism of action. Results demonstrated that low cytotoxic concentrations of PCT3 (0.3, 1 and 3 µg/mL) reversed resistance of MCF-7/ADM cells to ADM, cisplatin (DDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), with reversal fold of 16.4, 19.5 and 31.7 for ADM, 1.6, 1.4 and 1.4 for DDP, 1.7, 1.8 and 5.6 for 5-FU, respectively. Moreover, PCT3 significantly increased the accumulation of ADM and Rhodamine 123 (Rh123) in MCF-7/ADM cells, suggesting that PCT3 may act by affecting the function of drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which is encoded by MDR1 gene. Both MDR1 gene and P-gp protein expression was downregulated by PCT3 treatment. Further results demonstrated that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway was remarkably activated in MCF-7/ADM cells, inhibition of p38 or ERK attenuated P-gp expression. While, only the phosphorylation level of ERK was downregulated by PCT3, indicating that PCT3 sensitized P-gp overexpressed MCF-7/ADM cells to ADM via inhibition of ERK signaling pathway.

Culturally adapted and lay-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for older adults with depressive symptoms in rural China: a pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Late-life depression issues in developing countries are challenging because of understaffing in mental health. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective for treating depression. AIM: This pilot trial examined the adherence and effectiveness of an eight-session adapted CBT delivered by trained lay health workers for older adults with depressive symptoms living in rural areas of China, compared with the usual care. METHOD: Fifty with screen-positive depression were randomly assigned to the CBT arm or the care as usual (CAU) arm. The primary outcomes were the session completion of older adults and changes in depressive symptoms, assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). RESULTS: The majority (19/24) of participants in the CBT arm completed all sessions. Mixed-effect linear regression showed that the CBT reduced more GDS scores over time compared with CAU. CONCLUSION: Lay-delivered culturally adapted CBT is potentially effective for screen-positive late-life depression.

Exceptional singular resonance in gain mediated metamaterials.

We study the scattering of optical field by a hybridized metamaterial with properly imprinted gain. We predict that an occasionally real-eigen valued singularity in the interaction matrix of the coupled dark-bright meta-molecule would produce a high-Q resonance. This effect is demonstrated in full-wave three-dimensional finite element optical simulation. Field is efficiently amplified at this resonance. Further investigation shows that the resonance is associated with an exceptional point. The difference of this exceptional singularity from other high-Q resonances such as the spectral singularities in the scattering or transfer matrixes of parity-time symmetric systems and the bound states in the continuum is discussed. The non-Hermitian nature of the exceptional singularity promises some nonlinear applications.

Nonreciprocal parity-time phase in magnetized waveguides.

In a single magneto-optical (MO) waveguide, the dispersion of guided bulk wave is reciprocal in the Voigt configuration. Here we show that the parity-time (P T) phase in two coupled MO waveguides can be nonreciprocal if the waveguides are properly biased. The nonreciprocal P T phase is closely related to the asymmetric field profile induced by the MO effect that modifies the coupling strength between adjacent waveguides. We show that it is feasible to switch between broken and conserved P T phases by simply reversing the magnetic bias or the propagating direction of wave. Theoretical analysis and numerical calculation prove our theory. This investigation highlights a flexible method in manipulating the field dynamics of waveguide arrays by using the novel properties of P T phase especially the exceptional points.

One Pot and Metal-Free Approach to 3-(2-Hydroxybenzoyl)-1-aza-anthraquinones.

Herein, a direct strategy to synthesize 3-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)-1-aza-anthraquinones with excellent efficiency, mild conditions, and benign functional group compatibility was reported. A variety of 3-formylchromone compounds were employed as compatible substrates and this protocol gave the 3-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)-1-aza-anthraquinone derivatives in good to excellent yields without inert gas and expensive transition metal catalysts. Some compounds displayed good anti-proliferative activities.