Bi-specific T1 positive-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging molecular probe for hepatocellular carcinoma in an orthotopic mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. HCC-targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an effective noninvasive diagnostic method that involves targeting clinically-related HCC biomarkers, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) or glypican-3 (GPC3), with iron oxide nanoparticles. However, in vivo studies of HCC-targeted MRI utilize single-target iron oxide nanoprobes as negative (T2) contrast agents, which might weaken their future clinical applications due to tumor heterogeneity and negative MRI contrast. Ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles (approximately 5 nm) are potential optimal positive (T1) contrast agents. We previously verified the efficiency of AFP/GPC3-double-antibody-labeled iron oxide MR molecular probe in vitro. AIM: To validate the effectiveness of a bi-specific probe in vivo for enhancing T1-weighted positive contrast to diagnose the early-stage HCC. METHODS: The single- and double-antibody-conjugated 5-nm USPIO probes, including anti-AFP-USPIO (UA), anti-GPC3-USPIO (UG), and anti-AFP-USPIO-anti-GPC3 (UAG), were synthesized. T1- and T2-weighted MRI were performed on day 10 after establishment of the orthotopic HCC mouse model. Following intravenous injection of U, UA, UG, and UAG probes, T1- and T2-weighted images were obtained at 12, 12, and 32 h post-injection. At the end of scanning, mice were euthanized, and a histologic analysis was performed on tumor samples. RESULTS: T1- and T2-weighted MRI showed that absolute tumor-to-background ratios in UAG-treated HCC mice peaked at 24 h post-injection, with the T1- and T2-weighted signals increasing by 46.7% and decreasing by 11.1%, respectively, relative to pre-injection levels. Additionally, T1-weighted contrast in the UAG-treated group at 24 h post-injection was enhanced 1.52-, 2.64-, and 4.38-fold compared to those observed for single-targeted anti-GPC3-USPIO, anti-AFP-USPIO, and non-targeted USPIO probes, respectively. Comparison of U-, UA-, UG-, and UAG-treated tumor sections revealed that UAG-treated mice exhibited increased stained regions compared to those observed in UG- or UA-treated mice. CONCLUSION: The bi-specific T1-positive contrast-enhanced MRI probe (UAG) for HCC demonstrated increased specificity and sensitivity to diagnose early-stage HCC irrespective of tumor size and/or heterogeneity.

Can Gastric Cancer Patients with High Mandard Score Benefit from Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy?

A high Mandard score may indicate the tumor is insensitive to chemotherapy. We analyzed tumor regression and lymph node response under different Mandard scores to assess the impact of Mandard score on prognosis. Methods. Mandard scores and ypN stage of postoperative pathological reports were recorded. The results were reviewed by a professional pathologist. The radiologist compared the tumor regression before and after chemotherapy by computed tomography (CT). The survival of all patients was obtained by telephone follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression was used to assess the relationship between overall risk of death and Mandard score, imaging evaluation, and ypN stage. Results. In the Mandard score (4-5) group, the median survival time for PR and ypN0 patients was 68.5 and 76.7 months. While in the Mandard score (1-2) group, the median survival time for PD and ypN3a patients was 15.6 and 14.5 months. Imaging evaluation of tumor regression (PR 68.5 months, SD 27.8 months, and PD 10.2 months) and lymph node remission (ypN0 76.7 months, ypN1 61.6 months, ypN2 18.0 months, ypN3a 18.7 months, and ypN3b 18.3 months) showed improved survival. Mandard score, imaging evaluation, and ypN stage are important prognostic factors affecting prognosis. Conclusion. A high Mandard score does not mean neoadjuvant chemotherapy is ineffective in gastric cancer. Patients with imaging evaluation of tumor regression and ypN stage reduction may benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Low power charge state depletion nanoscopy of the defect in diamonds with a pulsed laser excitation.

Two-photon charge state conversion has been utilized to improve the spatial resolution of the sensing and imaging with the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamonds. Here, we studied the charge state conversion of the NV center under picosecond pulsed laser excitation. With the same average power, the charge state conversion rate can be improved approximately 24 times by reducing the repetition rate of the laser pulse from 80 to 1 MHz. Subsequently, a pulsed laser with a low repetition rate was applied for the super-resolution charge state depletion microscopy of the NV center. The average power of the depletion laser was reduced approximately 5 times. It can decrease the optical heating, which affects the accuracy and sensitivity of sensing. With the assistance of an additional near-infrared laser, a resolution of 12 nm was obtained with 1 mW depletion laser power. Combined with spin manipulation, we expect our results can be used for the development of a diffraction-unlimited NV center sensing.

Development and in vitro study of a bi-specific magnetic resonance imaging molecular probe for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks second in terms of cancer mortality worldwide. Molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) targeting HCC biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) or glypican-3 (GPC3) offers new strategies to enhance specificity and help early diagnosis of HCC. However, the existing iron oxide nanoparticle-based MR molecular probes singly target AFP or GPC3, which may hinder their efficiency to detect heterogeneous micro malignant HCC tumors < 1 cm (MHCC). We hypothesized that the strategy of double antibody-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles which simultaneously target AFP and GPC3 antigens may potentially be used to overcome the tumor heterogeneity and enhance the detection rate for MRI-based MHCC diagnosis. AIM: To synthesize an AFP/GPC3 double antibody-labeled iron oxide MRI molecular probe and to assess its impact on MRI specificity and sensitivity at the cellular level. METHODS: A double antigen-targeted MRI probe for MHCC anti-AFP-USPIO-anti-GPC3 (UAG) was developed by simultaneously conjugating AFP andGPC3 antibodies to a 5 nm ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (USPIO). At the same time, the singly labeled probes of anti-AFP-USPIO (UA) and anti-GPC3-USPIO (UG) and non-targeted USPIO (U) were also prepared for comparison. The physical characterization including morphology (transmission electron microscopy), hydrodynamic size, and zeta potential (dynamic light scattering) was conducted for each of the probes. The antigen targeting and MRI ability for these four kinds of USPIO probes were studied in the GPC3-expressing murine hepatoma cell line Hepa1-6/GPC3. First, AFP and GPC3 antigen expression in Hepa1-6/GPC3 cells was confirmed by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Then, the cellular uptake of USPIO probes was investigated by Prussian blue staining assay and in vitro MRI (T2-weighted and T2-map) with a 3.0 Tesla clinical MR scanner. RESULTS: Our data showed that the double antibody-conjugated probe UAG had the best specificity in targeting Hepa1-6/GPC3 cells expressing AFP and GPC3 antigens compared with single antibody-conjugated and unconjugated USPIO probes. The iron Prussian blue staining and quantitative T2-map MRI analysis showed that, compared with UA, UG, and U, the uptake of double antigen-targeted UAG probe demonstrated a 23.3% (vs UA), 15.4% (vs UG), and 57.3% (vs U) increased Prussian stained cell percentage and a 14.93% (vs UA), 9.38% (vs UG), and 15.3% (vs U) reduction of T2 relaxation time, respectively. Such bi-specific probe might have the potential to overcome tumor heterogeneity. Meanwhile, the coupling of two antibodies did not influence the magnetic performance of USPIO, and the relatively small hydrodynamic size (59.60 ± 1.87 nm) of double antibody-conjugated USPIO probe makes it a viable candidate for use in MHCC MRI in vivo, as they are slowly phagocytosed by macrophages. CONCLUSION: The bi-specific probe presents enhanced targeting efficiency and MRI sensitivity to HCC cells than singly- or non-targeted USPIO, paving the way for in vivo translation to further evaluate its clinical potential.

[Study on active components of Fufang Huangbai Ye for diabetic foot treatment by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS and network pharmacology].

Chemical constituents of the Fufang Huangbai Ye( FFHB) were analyzed and identified by UPLC-ESI-LTQ-OrbitrapMS. The analysis was performed on an Waters HSS T3 reverse phase column( 2. 1 mm×100 mm,1. 8 µm). The mobile phase consisting of 0. 1% aqueous formic acid( A) and acetonitrile( B) was used with gradient elution,and the flow rate was 0. 3 mL·min~(-1).Based on the information of the accurate mass,the multistage fragment ions,the mass spectrometric data of the standard substance and the relative reference literature,the structure of the chemical constituents in FFHB were identified. Based on the identified compounds,network pharmacology study,including target prediction,functional enrichment,and molecular docking was applied to screen out the main active substances for treatment of diabetes foot and explore the potential mechanism. The results showed that a total of 138 compounds were identified,including 28 alkaloids,16 flavonoids,11 phenylethanoid glycosides,9 cycloolefins,11 cyclohexylethanol derivatives,28 phenolic acids and derivatives,3 lignans,4 terpenes,28 volatile oils and the others. Further,36 active substances for diabetes foot were screened out,and the functional enrichment showed the potential mechanism of FFHB were mainly seven functional items including inflammatory response,growth factor activity. This study combining the UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS technology and the network pharmacology provide a useful reference and basis for active compounds,quality control markers and the pharmacological mechanism of FFHB for diabetic foot treatment.

Detecting Axial Ratio of Microwave Field with High Resolution Using NV Centers in Diamond.

Polarization property characterization of the microwave (MW) field with high speed and resolution is vitally beneficial as the circularly-polarized MW field plays an important role in the development of quantum technologies and satellite communication technologies. In this work, we propose a scheme to detect the axial ratio of the MW field with optical diffraction limit resolution with a nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond. Firstly, the idea of polarization selective detection of the MW magnetic field is carried out using a single NV center implanted in a type-IIa CVD diamond with a confocal microscope system achieving a sensitivity of 1.7 µ T/ Hz . Then, high speed wide-field characterization of the MW magnetic field at the submillimeter scale is realized by combining wide-field microscopy and ensemble NV centers inherent in a general CVD diamond. The precision axial ratio can be detected by measuring the magnitudes of two counter-rotating circularly-polarized MW magnetic fields. The wide-field detection of the axial ratio and strength parameters of microwave fields enables high speed testing of small-scale microwave devices.

Thickness dependent surface plasmon of silver film detected by nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond.

Precise detection of surface plasmons is crucial for the research of nanophotonics and quantum optics. In this Letter, we used a single nitrogen vacancy center in diamond as a probe to detect the surface plasmon that was tuned by the thickness of a metallic film. The fluorescence intensity and lifetime of the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center were measured to obtain the information of local light-matter interaction. A nonlinear thickness dependent change of the surface plasmon was observed, with the maximum at the thickness of approximately 30 nm. With optimized thickness of silver film, the fluorescence intensity of a single NV center was enhanced 2.6 times, and the lifetime was reduced by a factor of 3, without affecting the coherence time of the NV spin state. The results proved that this system can quantitatively detect the light-matter interaction at nanoscale, and it provides an approach to enhance the fluorescence intensity of a quantum emitter.

[Infantile hypophosphatasia caused by a novel compound heterozygous mutation: a case report and pedigree analysis].

This article reported the clinical features of one child with infantile hypophosphatasia (HPP) and his pedigree information. The proband was a 5-month-old boy with multiple skeletal dysplasia (koilosternia, bending deformity of both radii, and knock-knee deformity of both knees), feeding difficulty, reduction in body weight, developmental delay, recurrent pneumonia and respiratory failure, and a significant reduction in blood alkaline phosphatase. Among his parents, sister, uncle, and aunt (other family members did not cooperate with us in the examination), his parents and aunt had a slight reduction in alkaline phosphatase and his aunt had scoliosis; there were no other clinical phenotypes or abnormal laboratory testing results. His ALPL gene mutation came from c.228delG mutation in his mother and c.407G>A compound heterozygous mutation in his father. His aunt carried c.228delG mutation. The c.407G>A mutation had been reported as the pathogenic mutation of HPP, and c.228delG mutation was a novel pathogenic mutation. Hypophosphatasia is caused by ALPL gene mutation, and ALPL gene detection is an effective diagnostic method. This study expands the mutation spectrum of ALPL gene and provides a theoretical basis for genetic diagnosis of this disease.

Inhibition of FOXO1 by small interfering RNA enhances proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells via Akt/FOXO1/Bim pathway.

Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) is a multifunctional transcription factor of the forkhead family. It may function as a tumor suppressor through its ability to regulate cellular events, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle control. As reported, FOXO1 is downregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the function of FOXO1 in human PTC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the function and underlying regulatory mechanisms of FOXO1 in PTC cells. PTC cell lines K1 and TPC1 were transiently transfected with FOXO1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and negative control RNA. Successful transfection was confirmed by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assays, colony formation assays, apoptosis, and cell cycle assays were used to explore the potential function of FOXO1 in the PTC cell lines. We found that downregulation of FOXO1 promoted cellular proliferation, enhanced clonogenesis, and inhibited cellular apoptosis. However, the cell cycle was not markedly affected by FOXO1 siRNA. Furthermore, Bim, a downstream target of the Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway, was downregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in cells transfected with FOXO1 siRNA. Collectively, these results indicate that FOXO1 may play an important role in inhibiting PTC development by regulating cellular proliferation, growth, and apoptosis. FOXO1 expression is a potentially useful biomarker for human PTC. Moreover, tumorigenesis of PTC may be associated with repression of the Akt/FOXO1/Bim signaling pathway.

MicroRNA-96 plays an oncogenic role by targeting FOXO1 and regulating AKT/FOXO1/Bim pathway in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are kind of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at post-transcription level, and those non-coding RNAs appear to play a key role in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological role of miR-96 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cell lines. We identified miR-96 to be up-regulated in PTC specimens in comparison to matched normal tissues by microRNA microarray and RT-qPCR analysis (P < 0.05). Next, to explore the potential function of miR-96, PTC cell lines K1 and TPC1 were transiently transfected with miR-96 mimics and inhibitor. Successful transfection being confirmed by RT-qPCR. Ectopic expression of miR-96 promoted proliferation and colony formation ability, and inhibited apoptosis of K1 and TPC1 cells, whereas down-regulated expression of miR-96 suppressed those functions when compared with the control cells. According to a computational prediction, FOXO1 maybe a potential target of miR-96. Luciferase assays revealed that miR-96 is directly targeted to both binding sites of FOXO1 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) and suppressed the FOXO1 expression, and subsequently inhibited the expression of Bim protein in PTC cells. Moreover, the expression of FOXO1 had an inverse correlation with expression of miR-96 in PTC specimens by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. The data from the present study demonstrated that miR-96 can promote proliferation, and inhibit apoptosis in PTC cell lines K1 and TPC1, thus miR-96 may play an oncogenic role in PTC by inhibiting the FOXO1 and regulating AKT/FOXO1/Bim pathway, and it may serve as a novel therapeutic target for miRNA-based PTC therapy.

A value and ambiguity-based ranking method of trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers and application to decision making.

The aim of this paper is to develop a method for ranking trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (TrIFNs) in the process of decision making in the intuitionistic fuzzy environment. Firstly, the concept of TrIFNs is introduced. Arithmetic operations and cut sets over TrIFNs are investigated. Then, the values and ambiguities of the membership degree and the nonmembership degree for TrIFNs are defined as well as the value-index and ambiguity-index. Finally, a value and ambiguity-based ranking method is developed and applied to solve multiattribute decision making problems in which the ratings of alternatives on attributes are expressed using TrIFNs. A numerical example is examined to demonstrate the implementation process and applicability of the method proposed in this paper. Furthermore, comparison analysis of the proposed method is conducted to show its advantages over other similar methods.

MiRNA-107 inhibits proliferation and migration by targeting CDK8 in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs (18-25 nucleotides) that post-transcriptionally modulate gene expression by negatively regulating the stability or translational efficiency of their target mRNAs. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern of microRNA-107 (miR-107) in human breast cancer, and its potential role in disease pathogenesis. METHODS: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine the expression level of miR-107 in 30 breast cancer specimens and adjacent normal breast tissues. MTT and colony formation assays, transwell and wound healing test, cell cycle assays were conducted to explore the potential function of miR-107 in human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Luciferase reporter assays were employed to validate regulation of a putative target of miR-107. The effect of modulating miR-107 on endogenous levels of this target were subsequently confirmed via Western blotting. RESULTS: miR-107 expression was relatively decreased in breast cancer specimens compared with adjacent normal tissues (P<0.01). Overexpression of miR-107 suppressed MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation and migration, meanwhile the cells were arrested at G0/G1 phase. Luciferase assays using a reporter carrying a putative miR-107 target site in the 3', untranslated region (3'-UTR) of CDK8 revealed that miR-107 directly targets CDK8. Overexpression of miR-107 led to downregulation of CDK8 at the mRNA and protein level, as assessed by Western blotting. CONCLUSIONS: miR-107 may play an important role in breast cancer progression, which might negatively regulate the expression of CDK8 and inhibit the proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-231 cell line.

Passive protective effect of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins against experimental Vibrio anguillarum infection in ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis).

Oral administration of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) has attracted much attention as a means for controlling infectious diseases caused by microorganisms. This study evaluated the protective effect of IgY against Vibrio anguillarum infection in ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis. IgY was isolated from egg yolks laid by hens initially immunized with formalin-inactivated V. anguillarum. Lower mortality of ayu was observed in groups treated with anti-V. anguillarum IgY (aVIgY), compared with those treated with saline or with nonspecific IgY (nspIgY). All fish in saline-treated groups died within seven days after bacterial inoculation. The bacterial load in blood, liver, and spleen was significantly lower in fish treated with aVIgY than in fish treated with nspIgY. aVIgY treatment significantly reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (PaTNF-α), interleukin-1ß (PaIL-1ß), transforming growth factor-ß (PaTGF-ß), and leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin-2 (PaLECT2) transcript levels in the head kidney, spleen, and liver of ayu challenged by V. anguillarum, compared with nspIgY treatment. The phagocytic activity of macrophages for V. anguillarum in the presence of specific IgY was significantly higher than that seen for nonspecific IgY. These results suggest that passive immunization by oral intubation with pathogen-specific IgY may provide a valuable treatment for V. anguillarum infection in ayu.

siRNA-mediated silencing of CDK8 inhibits proliferation and growth in breast cancer cells.

UNLABELLED: CDK8 is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) member of the mediator complex that couples transcriptional regulators to the basal transcriptional machinery, and it has been investigated for possible tumor promoting functions. However, it is unclear whether CDK8 is involved in breast tumor cells growth. The aim of this study was to determine whether the suppression of CDK8 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibits the growth of human breast cancer cell. METHODS: CDK8-siRNA transfection was used to silencing the CDK8 gene in established breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, successful transfection being confirmed by Real-time PCR and could be shown by Western Blotting. CDK8 deletion caused significant decline in cell proliferation was observed in breast cancer cell lines as investigated by MTS assay, the number and size of the colonies formed were also significantly reduced in the absence of CDK8. Furthermore, transwell test were conducted to explore the migration of breast cancer cells. Moreover CDK8 gene knockdown arrested cell cycle. RESULTS: CDK8 mRNA expression was reduced after transfection with CDK8-siRNA, and protein expression had a similar trend. Transfection of CDK8-siRNA suppressed breast cancer cells proliferation and migration; meanwhile the cells were arrested at G0/G1 phase. CONCLUSIONS: CDK8 plays an essential role in breast cancer progression, which might inhibit the proliferation and migration in breast cancer cells.

An Effective Methodology for Solving Matrix Games With Fuzzy Payoffs.

Of the different types of games, the matrix games with fuzzy payoffs have been extensively discussed. Two major kinds of solution methods have been devised. One is the defuzzification approach based on ranking functions. Another is the two-level linear programming method which can obtain membership functions of players' fuzzy values (or gain floor and loss ceiling). These methods cannot always ensure that players' fuzzy/defuzzified values have a common value. The aim of this paper is to develop an effective methodology for solving matrix games with payoffs expressed by trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TrFNs). In this methodology, we introduce the concept of Alpha-matrix games and prove that players' fuzzy values are always identical, and hereby, any matrix game with payoffs expressed by TrFNs has a fuzzy value, which is also a TrFN. The upper and lower bounds of any Alpha-cut of the fuzzy value and the players' optimal strategies are easily obtained through solving the derived four linear programming problems with the upper and lower bounds of Alpha-cuts of the fuzzy payoffs. In particular, the fuzzy value can be explicitly estimated through solving the auxiliary linear programming with data taken from the 1-cut and 0-cut of the fuzzy payoffs. The proposed method in this paper is illustrated with a real example and compared with other methods to show validity and applicability.

Benzyl (E)-3-(2-methyl-benzyl-idene)dithio-carbazate.

The title compound, C(16)H(16)N(2)S(2), was obtained from the condensation reaction of benzyl dithio-carbazate and 2-methyl-benzaldehyde. The asymmetric unit contains two independent mol-ecules. In both mol-ecules, the methyl-phenyl ring and the dithio-carbazate fragment are located on opposite sides of the C=N bond, showing an E conformation. In each mol-ecule, the dithio-carbazate fragment is approximately planar, the r.m.s deviations being 0.018 and 0.025 Å. The mean plane of dithio-carbazate group is oriented at dihedral angles of 7.9 (3) and 68.24 (12)°, respectively, to the methyl-phenyl and phenyl rings in one mol-ecule, while the corresponding angles in the other mol-ecule are 10.9 (3) and 69.76 (16)°. Inter-molecular N-H⋯S hydrogen bonding occurs in the crystal structure to generate inversion dimers for both molecules.

(E)-N'-[1-(Thio-phen-2-yl)ethyl-idene]benzohydrazide.

The title compound, C(13)H(12)N(2)OS, was obtained from the condensation reaction of 2-acetyl-thio-phene and benzohydrazide. In the mol-ecule, the formohydrazide fragment is approximately planar (r.m.s deviation = 0.0146 Å) and the mean plane is oriented at dihedral angles of 24.47 (11) and 28.86 (13)°, respectively, to the phenyl and thio-phene rings. The thio-phene and phenyl rings make a dihedral angle of 53.21 (8)°. The benzamide fragment and thio-phene ring are located on the opposite sides of the C=N bond, showing an E conformation. Classical inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and weak C-H⋯O inter-actions are present in the crystal structure: three such bonds occur to the same O-atom acceptor.

Benzyl 3-[(E)-1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethyl-idene]dithio-carbazate.

The title compound, C(14)H(14)N(4)S(2), was obtained from a condensation reaction of benzyl dithio-carbazate and acetyl-pyrazine. The asymmetric unit contains two independent mol-ecules, in each of which the pyrazine ring and dithio-carbazate unit are approximately co-planar, the r.m.s. deviations being 0.0304 and 0.0418 Å. The mean plane is oriented with respect to the benzene ring at 49.22 (4)° in one mol-ecule and at 69.76 (7)° in the other. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked to each other via inter-molecular N-H⋯S hydrogen bonds, forming centrosymmetric supra-molecular dimers.

Benzyl 3-[(E)-2-nitro-benzyl-idene]dithio-carbazate.

The title compound, C(15)H(13)N(3)O(2)S(2), was obtained from a condensation reaction of benzyl dithio-carbazate and 2-nitro-benzaldehyde. In the mol-ecule, the nearly planar dithio-carbazate fragment [r.m.s deviation = 0.0264 Å] is oriented at dihedral angles of 7.25 (17) and 74.09 (9)°with respect to the two benzene rings. The nitro group is twisted by a dihedral angle of 22.4 (7)° to the attached benzene ring. The nitro-benzene ring and dithio-carbazate fragment are located on the opposite sides of the C=N bond, showing an E configuration. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via inter-molecular N-H⋯S hydrogen bonds, forming centrosymmetric supra-molecular dimers. Weak C-H⋯π inter-action is also observed in the crystal structure.

(E)-Benzaldehyde (2,4,6-trichloro-phen-yl)hydrazone.

The title compound, C(13)H(9)Cl(3)N(2), was obtained from a condensation reaction of benzaldehyde and 2,4,6-trichloro-phenyl-hydrazine. The mol-ecule assumes an E configuration with the phenyl ring and trichloro-phenyl ring located on opposite sides of the C=N bond. The phenyl ring is oriented at a dihedral angle of 42.58 (12)° with respect to the tricholorophenyl ring. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked via N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming supra-molecular chains running along the c axis. π-π stacking is present between parallel trichloro-phenyl rings of adjacent mol-ecules, the face-to-face and centroid-centroid distances being 3.369 (14) and 3.724 (2) Å, respectively.