Study on physicochemical characteristics, solidification and utilisation of tannery sludge gasification ash.

Gasification is an attractive method for tannery sludge (TS) disposal because of its advantages: volume reduction, stabilisation, harmlessness, and energy recovery. TS reduction ash (AR) and TS oxidation ash (AO), simulated from a downdraft fixed bed gasifier (DFBG) and an updraft fixed bed gasifier (UFBG), were investigated on their physicochemical characteristics, solidification behaviour, and value-added utilisation. Results showed that the main mineral matters in AR and AO consisted of Fe-oxids and Fe-Cr compounds, and the DFBG was more suitable for TS gasification than the UFBG because of the lower content of Cr(Ⅵ) in AR. With the addition of waste glass bottles (WGB), the ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) and leaching concentrations of heavy metals in AR and AO decreased significantly, and the heavy metals in AR and AO were successfully immobilised by the wrapping effect of the molten WGB. Moreover, gasification ash, as an auxiliary material for rock wool, reduced the AFTs and viscosity coefficient of the main chemical compositions in rock wool. With the addition of AR, the occurrence of Fe-containing compounds and the extremely low risk of leaching toxicity of heavy metals were observed. The maximum addition proportion of gasification ash was dependent on the maximum content of Fe2O3 allowed in the raw materials of rock wool, and its addition ratio must be below 15%.

Characteristics of Online Health Care Services From China's Largest Online Medical Platform: Cross-sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Internet hospitals in China are in great demand due to limited and unevenly distributed health care resources, lack of family doctors, increased burdens of chronic diseases, and rapid growth of the aged population. The COVID-19 epidemic catalyzed the expansion of online health care services. In recent years, internet hospitals have been rapidly developed. Ping An Good Doctor is the largest, national online medical entry point in China and is a widely used platform providing online health care services. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to give a comprehensive description of the characteristics of the online consultations and inquisitions in Ping An Good Doctor. The analyses tried to answer the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the consultations in Ping An Good Doctor in terms of department and disease profiles? (2) Who uses the online health services most frequently? and (3) How is the user experience of the online consultations of Ping An Good Doctor? METHODS: A total of 35.3 million consultations and inquisitions over the course of 1 year were analyzed with respect to the distributions of departments and diseases, user profiles, and consulting behaviors. RESULTS: The geographical distribution of the usage of Ping An Good Doctor showed that Shandong (18.4%), Yunnan (15.6%), Shaanxi (7.2%), and Guangdong (5.5%) were the provinces that used it the most; they accounted for 46.6% of the total consultations and inquisitions. In terms of department distribution, we found that gynecology and obstetrics (19.2%), dermatology (17.0%), and pediatrics (14.4%) were the top three departments in Ping An Good Doctor. The disease distribution analysis showed that, except for nondisease-specific consultations, acute upper respiratory infection (AURI) (4.1%), pregnancy (2.8%), and dermatitis (2.4%) were the most frequently consulted diseases. In terms of user profiles, females (60.4%) from 19 to 35 years of age were most likely to seek consultations online, in general. The user behavior analyses showed that the peak times of day for online consultations occurred at 10 AM, 3 PM, and 9 PM. Regarding user experience, 93.0% of users gave full marks following their consultations. For some disease-related health problems, such as AURI, dermatitis, and eczema, the feedback scores were above average. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of internet hospitals, such as Ping An Good Doctor, illustrated the great demand for online health care services that can go beyond geographical limitations. Our analyses showed that nondisease-specific issues and moderate health problems were much more frequently consulted about than severe clinical conditions. This indicated that internet hospitals played the role of the family doctor, which helped to relieve the stress placed on offline hospitals and facilitated people's lives. In addition, good user experiences, especially regarding disease-related inquisitions, suggested that online health services can help solve health problems. With support from the government and acceptance by the public, online health care services could develop at a fast pace and greatly benefit people's daily lives.

Beta amyloid-induced time-dependent learning and memory impairment: involvement of HPA axis dysfunction.

Aß aggregation is one of the pathological biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the possible mechanism related to Aß-induced pathological signaling pathway is still unknown. In the present study, Aß1-42-induced time-dependent memory impairment and its possible relationship to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity were examined. Aß1-42-treated mice significantly impaired acquisition activity in the learning curve at 10 days, 1 and 4 months in the Morris water-maze (MWM) task. This learning activity was back to normal at 8 months after Aß1-42 treatment. In the probe trial test, Aß1-42-treated mice needed longer latencies to touch the precious platform location and fewer numbers of crossing from 10 days to 4 months after microinjection. This Aß1-42 induced memory loss was consistent with the results of the step-down passive avoidance test. The HPA axis related parameters, such as corticosterone (CORT) level in the serum, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor (CRF-R) expression in the frontal cortex and hippocampus increased in Aß1-42-treated mice from 10 days to 4 months. While the downstream molecules phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding (pCREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression decreased during this time. These effects were back to normal 8 months after treatment with Aß1-42. Altogether, our results suggested that Aß1-42 induced significant learning and memory impairment, which is involved in HPA axis dysfunction.

Emodin ameliorates acute radiation proctitis in mice by regulating AKT/MAPK/NF-κB/VEGF pathways.

BACKGROUND: Emodin, a natural anthraquinone derivative isolated from the roots of Rheum officinale Baill, has many pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-cancer. However, little is known about the effect of emodin on acute radiation proctitis (ARP). The present study was conducted to determine its effects and elucidate its mechanisms involving AKT/MAPK/NF-κB/VEGF pathways in ARP mice. METHODS: Total 60 C57BL/6 mice were divided randomly into control group, ARP group, AKT inhibitor MK-2206 group, and different doses of emodin groups. ARP mice were induced by 27 Gy of 6 MV X-ray pelvic local irradiation. MK-2206 was given orally for 2 weeks on alternate days. Emodin was administered daily by oral gavage for 2 weeks. Subsequently, all mice were sacrificed on day 15. The rectal tissues were obtained for further tests. The general signs score and the pathological grade were used to evaluate the severity of ARP. The expression of NF-κB, VEGF and AQP1 were determined by immunohistochemistry and western blot. The expression of p-AKT, p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p38, Bcl-2 and Bax were assessed using western blot. RESULTS: The worse general signs and damaged tissue structure of ARP mice were profoundly ameliorated by emodin. The expression of p-AKT, p-ERK, NF-κB, VEGF and AQP1 were significantly increased, resulting in the inflammation-induced angiogenesis in ARP mice. However, the expression of p-JNK and p-p38 were decreased, leading to the reduction of apoptosis in ARP mice. Excitedly, emodin reversed these changes, not only inhibited inflammation-induced angiogenesis, but also promoted apoptosis. Notably, the effects of emodin were similar to that of AKT inhibitor MK-2206, suggesting the involvement of AKT signaling in the effect of emodin. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that emodin attenuates ARP in mice, and the underlying mechanism might involve inhibition of the AKT/ERK/NF-κB/VEGF pathways and the induction of apoptosis mediated by JNK and p38.

Applying molecular docking to pesticides.

Pesticide creation is related to the development of sustainable agricultural and ecological safety, and molecular docking technology can effectively help in pesticide innovation. This paper introduces the basic theory behind molecular docking, pesticide databases, and docking software. It also summarizes the application of molecular docking in the pesticide field, including the virtual screening of lead compounds, detection of pesticides and their metabolites in the environment, reverse screening of pesticide targets, and the study of resistance mechanisms. Finally, problems with the use of molecular docking technology in pesticide creation are discussed, and prospects for the future use of molecular docking technology in new pesticide development are discussed. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ginkgolide B inhibits renal cyst development in in vitro and in vivo cyst models.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common inherited disease characterized by massive enlargement of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney. However, there is no effective therapy yet for this disease. To examine whether ginkgolide B, a natural compound, inhibits cyst development, a Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cyst model, an embryonic kidney cyst model, and a PKD mouse model were used. Interestingly, ginkgolide B significantly inhibited MDCK cyst formation dose dependently, with up to 69% reduction by 2 µM ginkgolide B. Ginkgolide B also significantly inhibited cyst enlargement in the MDCK cyst model, embryonic kidney cyst model, and PKD mouse model. To determine the underlying mechanisms, the effect of ginkgolide B on MDCK cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, chloride transporter CFTR activity, and intracellular signaling pathways were also studied. Ginkgolide B did not affect cell viability, proliferation, and expression and activity of the chloride transporter CFTR that mediates cyst fluid secretion. Ginkgolide B induced cyst cell differentiation and altered the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ginkgolide B inhibits renal cyst formation and enlargement, suggesting that ginkgolide B might be developed into a novel candidate drug for ADPKD.

2-Methyl-sulfonyl-4-(trifluoro-meth-yl)benzoic acid.

In the title mol-ecule, C(9)H(7)F(3)O(4)S, the S and the methyl C atoms of the methyl-sulfonyl group deviate from the benzene ring plane by 0.185 (2) and -1.394 (3) Å, respectively. In the crystal, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into chains along [201]. Weak C-H⋯O inter-actions further link these chains into layers parallel to the ac plane.

Piperazine-1,4-diium (R)-2-[4-(1-car-boxy-l-atometh-oxy)phen-oxy]propano-ate.

In the anion of the title mol-ecular salt, C(4)H(12)N(2) (2+)·C(11)H(10)O(6) (2-), the two acetate groups form torsion angles of 74.1 (1) and 7.1 (1)° with the central benzene ring, and the cation exhibits a chair conformation. In the crystal, N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the components into a two-dimensional supra-molecular network lying parallel to the ab plane. A number of C-H⋯O inter-actions consolidate the packing.

2-(4-Isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-5-methyl-nicotinic acid.

In the title herbicideh/phytocide, known as imaza-pic, C(14)H(17)N(3)O(3), the pyridine and imidazole rings are almost coplanar [dihedral angle = 3.08 (5)°]. An intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal, an N-H⋯O hydrogen bond links mol-ecules into a chain parallel to [010].

Bis[1,1'-(1,3-phenyl-enedimethyl-ene)di(1H-imidazol-3-ium)] ß-octa-molybdate.

In the title compound, (C(14)H(16)N(4))(2)[Mo(8)O(26)], the ß-octa-molybdate anion is centrosymmetric. N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the diimidazolium cations and the polyoxidoanions into a chain structure along [100]. π-π inter-actions between the imidazole rings and between the imidazole and benzene rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.611 (2) and 3.689 (3) Å, respectively] connect the chains.

4-(2,2-Difluoro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carbonitrile.

In the title compound, C(12)H(6)F(2)N(2)O(2), the 2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxole ring system is approximately planar [maximum deviation = 0.012 (2) Å] and its mean plane is twisted with respect to the pyrrole ring, making a dihedral angle of 2.51 (9)°. In the crystal, N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into chains running along the a axis. π-π stacking is also observed between parallel benzene rings of adjacent mol-ecules, the centroid-centroid distance being 3.7527 (13) Å.

Ethane-1,2-diaminium (R)-2-[4-(1-carboxyl-atoeth-oxy)phen-oxy]acetate.

In the title compound, C(2)H(10)N(2) (2+)·C(11)H(10)O(6) (2-), the two acetate groups of the cation form dihedral angles of 74.2 (4) and 63.9 (5)° with the central benzene ring. In the crystal, N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the cations and anions into layers parallel to the ab plane.

catena-Poly[(dichloridozinc)-µ-4,4'-bis-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]biphenyl-κ(2)N(3):N(3')].

In the title compound, [ZnCl(2)(C(20)H(18)N(4))](n), the Zn(II) ion lies on a twofold rotation axis and is four-coordinated in a tetra-hedral geometry defined by two Cl anions and two N atoms from two 4,4'-bis-[(imidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]biphenyl ligands. The mid-point of the ligand is located on an inversion center, and shows a trans conformation. The ligands link the Zn(II) ions, forming a chain structure along [10-1].

catena-Poly[(dichloridozinc)-µ-1-{4-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]benz-yl}-1H-imidazole-κ(2)N(3):N(3')].

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [ZnCl(2)(C(14)H(14)N(4))](n), contains a Zn(II) ion situated on a twofold rotation axis and one-half of a 1-{4-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]benz-yl}-1H-imidazole (L) ligand with the benzene ring situated on an inversion center. The Zn(II) ion is coordinated by two chloride anions and two N atoms from two L ligands in a distorted tetra-hedral geometry. The L ligands bridge ZnCl(2) fragments into polymeric chains parallel to [20-1].

4-(2,3-Dimeth-oxy-phen-yl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carbonitrile.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(13)H(12)N(2)O(2), obtained in a search for analogs of the fungicide fludioxonil [systematic name: 4-(2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carbonitrile], contains two independent mol-ecules, A and B. The benzene and pyrrole rings are inclined to each other at 38.5 (1) and 29.3 (1)° in mol-ecules A and B, respectively. In the crystal, bifurcated N-H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds link A mol-ecules into chains along [001], while B mol-ecules are linked into layers parallel to the bc plane via bifurcated N-H⋯(N,N) hydrogen bonds.

[Strategic Exploration of Targeted Therapy for BRAF Non-V600E Mutant Lung Cancer].

BACKGROUND: Dabrafenib+Trametinib/Dabrafenib targeted therapy has been approved for V-RAF murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 with amino acid substitution for valine at position 600 (BRAF V600E) in lung cancer patients, however, the targeted therapy strategy for lung cancer patients with BRAF non-V600E mutations has not been determined yet. This study intends to explore the efficacy of targeted therapy for BRAF non-V600E mutant lung cancer, and provide a reference for clinical treatment. METHODS: Computer search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Clinicaltrials.gov, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang database. Collect the relevant literature relevant on the targeted therapy of BRAF non-V600E mutant lung cancer, and conduct a descriptive analysis of the included literature. RESULTS: There were 10 articles that met the inclusion criteria, including 3 cohort studies and 7 case reports. 18 patients with BRAF non-V600E mutant lung cancer were ineffective to vermurafenib; 1 patient obtained partial response (PR) after applying vermurafenib, 5 patients did not respond to BRAF inhibitors; 9 patients showed a potential clinical benefit rate of 34% after monotherapy with trametinib; 7 patients have different degrees of benefit from dabrafenib and trametinib on progression-free survival (PFS); 1 patient is effective to sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS: At present, there is no standard treatment specification for BRAF non-V600E mutation targeted therapy. The challenge lies in the heterogeneous mutation of BRAF gene. Different mutation types respond differently to targeted therapy. In addtion, real-world research evidence is scarce, so it is necessary to carry out further large-sample high-quality research to provide reference for clinical practice.

Study of modeling and optimization for predicting the acute toxicity of carbamate pesticides using the binding information with carrier protein.

To predict drug acute toxicity using the binding information with human serum albumin, our research group established a new method (Carrier protein binding information-toxicity relationship, CPBITR). Unfortunately, the previous model had too few data sets which may affect the accuracy and credibility of the model. In this paper, therefore, we measured the binding modes of three carbamate pesticides, Bendiocarb, Butocarboxim and Dioxacarb with human serum albumin (HSA) to supplement the previously modeled training set. Multispectral methods and molecular docking were used to study their binding modes. We built and optimized the previous models with the combined information of three different toxicity pesticides and HSA in order to find better prediction method. The results showed that Back-propagation Artificial Neural Network model has the best fitting effect among these models. In conclusion, the proposed model effectively improves the accuracy and credibility of the existing model. It results in significant predict drug acute toxicity using the binding information with carrier protein and contribute to drug development and research.

A new method for predicting the acute toxicity of carbamate pesticides based on the perspective of binding information with carrier protein.

Toxicity is one of the most important factors limiting the success of new drug development. In this paper, we built a fast and convenient new method (Carrier protein binding information-toxicity relationship, CPBITR) for predicting drug acute toxicity based on the perspective of binding information with carrier protein. First, we studied the binding information between carbamate pesticides and human serum albumin (HSA) through various spectroscopic methods and molecular docking. Then a total of 16 models were established to clarify the relationship between binding information with HSA and drug toxicity. The results showed that the binding information was related to toxicity. Finally we obtained the effective toxicity prediction model for carbamate pesticides. And the "Platform for Predicting Drug Toxicity Based on the Information of Binding with Carrier Protein" was established with the Back-propagation neural network model. We proposed and proved that it was feasible to predict drug toxicity from this new perspective: binding with carrier protein. According to this new perspective, toxicity prediction model of other drugs can also be established. This new method has the advantages of convenience and fast, and can be used to screen out low-toxic drugs quickly in the early stage. It is helpful for drug research and development.

Novel mechanisms underlying inhibition of inflammation-induced angiogenesis by dexamethasone and gentamicin via PI3K/AKT/NF-κB/VEGF pathways in acute radiation proctitis.

Acute radiation proctitis (ARP) is one of the most common complications of pelvic radiotherapy attributed to radiation exposure. The mechanisms of ARP are related to inflammation, angiogenesis, and so on. In this study we evaluated the effect of dexamethasone (DXM) combined with gentamicin (GM) enema on ARP mice, and explored its possible mechanisms by transcriptome sequencing, western blot and immunohistochemistry. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: healthy control group, ARP model group, and DXM + GM enema treatment group. ARP mice were established by using a single 6 MV X-ray dose of 27 Gy pelvic local irradiation. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that 979 genes were co-upregulated and 445 genes were co-downregulated in ARP mice compared to healthy mice. According to gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, we firstly found that PI3K/AKT/NF-κB/VEGF pathways were mostly correlated with the inflammation-induced angiogenesis in ARP mice. PI3K/AKT pathway leads to the activation of NF-κB, which promotes the transcription of VEGF and Bcl-2. Interestingly, symptoms and pathological changes of ARP mice were ameliorated by DXM + GM enema treatment. DXM + GM enema inhibited inflammation by downregulating NF-κB and upregulating AQP3, as well as inhibited angiogenesis by downregulating VEGF and AQP1 in ARP mice. Moreover, DXM + GM enema induced apoptosis by increasing Bax and suppressing Bcl-2. The novel mechanisms may be related to the downregulation of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB/VEGF pathways.

(Z)-N-{3-[(6-Chloro-pyridin-3-yl)meth-yl]-1,3-thia-zolidin-2-yl-idene}cyanamide.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(10)H(9)ClN(4)S, common name thia-cloprid, comprises two mol-ecules. In both mol-ecules, the thia-zolidine rings are almost planar (with r.m.s. deviations of 0.016 and 0.065 Å) and form dihedral angles of 73.36 (6) and 70.25 (8)° with the 2-chloro-pyridine rings. In the crystal, inter-molecular C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds links the mol-ecules into chains propagating in [[Formula: see text]01].