Insecticidal Activities and Phenological Variations of Characteristic Component from Michelia yunnanensis.

Volatile secondary metabolites of plants interact with environments heavily. In this work, characteristic components of Michelia yunnanensis essential oils (EOs) were isolated, purified and identified by column chromatography, GC-MS and NMR. Leaves of M. yunnanensis were collected monthly and extracted for EOs to investigate chemical and insecticidal activity variations as well as potential influencing environments. Different organs were employed to reveal distribution strategies of characteristic components. Results of insecticidal activities showed that all EOs samples exerted stronger contact activity to Lasioderma serricorne, but repellent effect was more efficient on Tribolium castaneum. One oxygenated sesquiterpene was isolated from EOs, basically it could be confirmed as (+)-cyclocolorenone (1). It exerted contact toxicity to L. serricorne (LD 50 = 28.8 µg/adult). Chemical analysis showed that M. yunnanensis leaves in reproductive period would produce and accumulate more 1 than in vegetative period. Moreover, reproductive organs (flowers and fruits) contained more 1 than vegetative organs (leaves and twigs). Partial correlation analysis indicated that temperature-related elements positively correlated with the relative content of 1.

Nanoplatform-based strategies for enhancing the lethality of current antitumor PDT.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) exhibits great application prospects in future clinical oncology due to its spatiotemporal controllability and good biosafety. However, the antitumor efficacy of PDT is seriously hindered by many factors, including tumor hypoxia, limited light penetration ability, and strong defense mechanisms of tumors. Considering that it is difficult to completely solve the first two problems, enhancing the lethality of antitumor PDT has become a good idea to extend its clinical application. Herein, we summarize the nanoplatform-involved strategies to effectively amplify the tumoricidal capability of current PDT and then discuss the present bottlenecks and prospects of the nanoplatform-based PDT sensitization strategies in tumor therapy. We hope this review will provide some references for others to design high-performance PDT nanoplatforms for tumor therapy.

Tumor-Targeting Multiple Metabolic Regulations for Bursting Antitumor Efficacy of Chemodynamic Therapy.

Interfering with intratumoral metabolic processes is proven to effectively sensitize different antitumor treatments. Here, a tumor-targeting catalytic nanoplatform (CQ@MIL-GOX@PB) loading with autophagy inhibitor (chloroquine, CQ) and glucose oxidase (GOX) is fabricated to interfere with the metabolisms of tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), then realizing effective antitumor chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Once accumulating in the tumor site with the navigation of external biotin, CQ@MIL-GOX@PB will release Fe ions and CQ in the acid lysosomes of tumor cells, the latter can sensitize Fe ions-involved antitumor CDT by blocking the autophagy-dependent cell repair. Meanwhile, the GOX component will consume glucose, which not only generates many H2 O2 for CDT but also once again decelerates the tumor repair process by reducing energy metabolism. What is more, the release of CQ can also drive the NO anabolism of TAMs to further sensitize CDT. This strategy of multiple metabolic regulations is evidenced to significantly improve the antitumor effect of traditional CDT nanoagents and might provide a new sight to overcome the bottlenecks of different antitumor treatments.

Simulation of double resonant excitation of ions in an asymmetric linear ion trap mass analyzer.

RATIONALE: Improving the analytical performance of linear ion traps (LITs) is crucial for the advancement of high-performance LIT mass spectrometers. In this study, a double resonant excitation method was employed in an asymmetric LIT to achieve high ion unidirectional ejection efficiency and enhanced mass resolution. METHODS: The asymmetric trapping field was generated by stretching one x electrode with a distance α. The double resonant excitation was achieved by applying an alternating voltage out of phase and a supplementary alternating voltage in phase to the x and y electrode pairs of the LIT, respectively. Numerical simulations of ion trajectories were performed to validate the effectiveness of this method. RESULTS: The mass resolution of the asymmetric LIT with double resonant excitation could be improved to ~3800, which was over two times compared to that with only dipolar resonant excitation, while both reached ~90% in ion unidirectional ejection efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: By employing the double resonant excitation method, the mass resolution could be improved significantly in the asymmetric LIT, while maintaining a considerably high ion unidirectional ejection efficiency. This method might provide a general solution for enhancing ion detection efficiency and mass resolution of LIT mass spectrometers.

Composition of pathogenic microorganism in chronic osteomyelitis based on metagenomic sequencing and its application value in etiological diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, conventional microbiological culture methods have been used to detect pathogenic microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis. However, these methods have been found to have a low detection rate, complicating the precise guidance of infection treatment. This study employed metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to detect these microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis with three main objectives: 1). Gain a deeper understanding of the composition of pathogenic microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis. 2). Compare the microbial detection rates between mNGS and the standard culture methods used in laboratories to enhance the effectiveness of the traditional culture methods. 3). Explore the potential of mNGS in etiological diagnosis. METHODS: Fifty clinically confirmed intraoperative bone tissue samples of chronic osteomyelitis from January 2021 to December 2021 were collected and subjected to mNGS and microbiological testing, respectively. The orthopaedic surgeon combined clinical manifestations and related examinations to determine the causative pathogens. RESULTS: The culture method obtained 29 aerobic and parthenogenic anaerobic bacteria, 3 specific anaerobic bacteria, and 1 yeast-like fungus. Thirty-six aerobic and parthenogenic anaerobic bacteria, 11 specific anaerobic bacteria, and 1 yeast-like fungus were obtained by mNGS, and 2 Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) strains were detected. However, there was no significant difference in the overall positive detection rate between mNGS and the culture method (P = 0.07), and the two were not statistically significant in detecting aerobic and partly anaerobic bacteria (P = 0.625). But, mNGS was significantly superior to culture in detecting anaerobic bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The mNGS method has enhanced our understanding of the distribution of pathogenic microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis. Traditional culture methods help isolate and cultivate aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria, and fungi, and are also utilized for antibacterial drug sensitivity tests. However, mNGS has shown superior capabilities in detecting anaerobic bacteria, MTB, and mixed infection bacteria. This finding offers invaluable guidance for improving laboratory microbial culture and detection conditions. Hence, mNGS should be judiciously used for chronic osteomyelitis, and PCR can be implemented for certain difficult-to-culture microorganisms, such as MTB.

Synthesis of primary propargylic alcohols from terminal alkynes using rongalite as the C1 unit.

Here, an efficient leaving group-activated methylene alcohol strategy for the preparation of primary propargyl alcohols from terminal alkynes by employing the bulk industrial product rongalite as the C1 unit has been described. The reaction avoids the low-temperature reaction conditions and inconvenient lithium reagents required for the classical method of preparing primary propargylic alcohols. Preliminary mechanistic studies showed that the reaction may not proceed via formaldehyde intermediates, but through the direct nucleophilic attack of the terminal alkyne on the carbon atom of rongalite by activation through SO2- as a leaving group.

[Characteristics of Benthic Diatom Community Structure and Water Ecological Health Evaluation in the Lalin River Basin].

With the improvement of public requirements for the health status of aquatic ecosystems, there have been innovative assessment methods developed for aquatic ecosystems. In this study, benthic algae assemblages and water quality variables were analyzed to develop a benthic diatom-based index of biotic integrity (D-IBI) for the assessment of the aquatic environment in the Lalin River. In addition, using redundancy analysis (RDA) based on dominant species and physicochemical indexes, the ecological distribution characteristics of the benthic diatom community were revealed, and the key influencing factors were identified. The results showed that the benthic diatom community structure in the Lalin River basin had obvious spatial differences. The application of the index revealed that the water quality could be described as excellent condition in the upper reaches of the Lalin River, good to common condition in the middle of the sites, and moderate to poor condition in the downstream. The assessment further revealed that the main reason for the degradation of the Lalin River ecosystem was nutrient enrichment through agricultural land use.

Enhancing the spatial separation of photogenerated charges on Fe-based MOFs via structural regulation for highly-efficient photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction.

Although iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) have displayed the photocatalytic activity, there is still abundant room for improving their photocatalytic performance through tuning the structures. In this work, four novel iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) were successfully synthesized via ligand modulation for better photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction, in which MTBDC-TPT-Fe had the highest catalytic activity (MTBDC = 2,5-bis(methylthio)terephthalic acid, TPT = 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)- 1,3,5-triazine). The boosted photocatalytic reduction may be mainly ascribed to the enhanced electron push-pull effect between iron-oxygen clusters and organic ligands. The introduction of -SCH3 groups can enhance the light absorption and donate electrons to iron center under visible-light irradiation, meanwhile the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers can be enhanced resulting from the electron-pulling effect when introducing TPT. Moreover, enhanced specific surface areas and positive skeleton charge due to the introduction of TPT may improve active sites exposure and Cr(VI) adsorption, thereby enhancing photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction activity without the presence of any assisted scavengers. In addition, the photocatalytic mechanism (i.e. active species) were also studied and presented. This work confirmed an effective structure-performance regulation strategy on Fe-MOFs for photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction.

[Psittacosis Pneumonia with Pleural Effusion:Report of Three Cases and Literature Review].

It was generally believed that psittacosis pneumonia (pneumonia caused by Chlamydia psittaci) was rarely combined with pleural effusion and the characteristics of pleural effusion were rarely reported in the domestic literature.Herein,we reported three cases of pleural effusion due to psittacosis pneumonia,with elevated level of adenosine deaminase and lymphocyte-predominant exudative pleural effusion.Further,we reviewed the psittacosis pneumonia reports with complete clinical and lung imaging data.The imaging manifestations included pulmonary consolidation and common occurrence of a small amount of pleural effusion.The patients of psittacosis pneumonia combined with pleural effusion had severe symptoms,obvious hypoxia,and increased risk of invasive ventilation.

Chemical Diversity and Anti-Insect Activity Evaluation of Essential Oils Extracted from Five Artemisia Species.

As a source of aromatic plants, the genus Artemisia has long been considered to have the potential to develop plant pesticides. In this study, components of essential oils from A. dalai-lamae, A. tangutica, A. sieversiana, A. tanacetifolia and A. ordosica were identified by GC-MS. A total of 56 constituents were analysed, and each species consisted of 9 to 24 constituents. Principle component analysis (PCA) revealed that A. dalai-lamae, A. tangutica and A. tanacetifolia are characterised by monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed the most remarkable similarity between A. sieversiana and A. ordosica, but the similarity was still lower than 50%. Contact toxicity and repellency of essential oils were evaluated by bioassays; A. ordosica oil exhibited the most substantial contact toxicity (LD50 = 52.11 µg/cm2) against Liposcelis bostrychophila, while A. tangutica oil showed the most potent contact toxicity (LD50 = 17.42 µg/adult) against Tribolium castaneum. Except for A. dalai-lamae, the other four species showed the same level (p > 0.05) of repellent activity as the positive control against both pests at high concentrations. The results indicated that these five Artemisia species had high chemical diversity and great potential to be developed into more effective and environmentally friendly anti-insect agents.

Composition and Insecticidal Activity of Elsholtzia kachinensis Prain, a Traditional Vegetable and Herbal Medicine.

In recent years, secondary metabolites of plants have attracted researchers' interest as a substitute for synthetic insecticides with many advantages. Elsholtzia kachinensis is an annual herb with medicinal and edible value. In this study, the essential oil (EO) of the aerial part of E. kachinensis was extracted by hydrodistillation, and GC-MS analysed essential oil components. The results show that carvone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone are the main components of the essential oil, accounting for 32.298% and 31.540%, respectively. EO, carvone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone are used to determine the effects against stored-product insects Lasioderma serricorne, Tribolium castaneum, Sitophilus oryzae and Liposcelis bostrychophila. The essential oil showed the most vital contact and fumigation toxicity to L. serricorne, of which LD50 and LC50 values were 3.85 µg/adult and 7.74 mg/L air, respectively. S. oryzae did not show repellent activity, but the repellent rate of the other three species reached 90% under EO treatment at a concentration of 78.63 nL/cm2. Therefore, the essential oil of E. kachinensis has an insecticidal effect and has the potential to be developed as a new eco-friendly insecticide.

Risk on assessment of 15 REEs and mixtures by DGT in Songhua River system sediments of China's largest old industrial base.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly used in the high-tech sectors in the world and are therefore called burgeoning contaminants. As diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) can be used to assess the bioavailability of inorganic matters, in this paper, we evaluated, for the first time, the ecotoxicology risks of REEs and their mixtures in river sediments of China's old industrial base by DGT. During our research, taking the Songhua River system (SRS) as an example, we detected its surficial sediments, of which the DGT-labile concentration of REEs (∑REEs) was 2.07-8.76 µg/L. As for the single toxicity, the risk quotient (RQ) values of Y at all sites were significantly greater than 1; while the values of Nd and Pr in some upstream reaches were all significantly greater than the threshold (1), indicating that these adverse effects of single REEs were not neglected. In terms of the combined toxicity of REEs mixtures, we carried out an assessment of the risks of probabilistic ecotoxicology, which showed that the SRS superficial sediments had a low probability of toxicity to aquatic organisms (0.54%).

Sesquiterpenoid-rich Essential Oils from Two Magnolia Plants: Contact and Repellent Activity to Three Stored-product Insects.

Stored products have been damaged by insects. Multiple approaches for pest management are employed. Among these approaches, botanical insecticide is an emerging one. This work investigated the pest management potential of Magnolia coriacea and Magnolia macclurei essential oils (EOs) to three major stored-product insects, namely the red flour beetle, cigarette beetle and booklouse. Magnolia coriacea and M. macclurei EOs showed promising contact toxicity to the cigarette beetle, with LD50 values of 11.7 and 12.3 µg/adult. The contact toxicity of M. coriacea EOs to the booklouse (LC50 = 95.5 µg/cm2) was much stronger than that of M. macclurei EOs (LC50 = 245.4 µg/cm2). To explore the contribution of individual compounds to insecticidal activity of EOs, chemical analysis was performed by GC-MS. Results showed that nerolidol (27.84%), agarospirol (18.34%), elixene (15.84%) and helminthogermacrene (12.69%) were major compounds of M. coriacea EOs, ß-guaiene (60.31%) and elixene (20.42%) dominated in M. macclurei EOs. Nerolidol and ß-guaiene showed contact activity to three insect species. Nerolidol showed stronger contact toxicity to the red flour beetle and cigarette beetle than M. coriacea EOs did, both samples were similar to the booklouse. ß-Guaiene was much stronger to the red flour beetle and booklouse, but weaker to the cigarette beetle than M. macclurei EOs did. The repellent effects of EOs and compounds were at various levels. Generally, results suggested that the contact toxic potential of samples could serve as management for the cigarette beetle and booklouse, while repellent effect would be used to control the red flour beetle.

Chemical Composition and Insecticidal Properties of Essential Oil Obtained from Artemesia songarica Schrenk.

ABSTRACT: Artemisia songarica Schrenk is a dominant sand fixation plant growing in the People's Republic of China. At present, there are rare studies on the chemical composition and biological activity of A. songarica. The chemical composition of the original oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 16 compounds were determined. The main compounds were bisabolol oxide II (28.7%), nerolidol (18.6%), bisabolol (12.9%), bisaboloxide A (10.0%), and spathulenol (6.0%). The contact toxicity and repellent activity of A. songarica essential oil and four selected compounds (bisabolol, geranyl butyrate, nerolidol, and santalol) were assessed against Tribolium castaneum Herbst and Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel. Bioassays showed that the crude essential oil exhibited strong insecticide and repellent activities against both pests. Santalol possessed the strongest contact toxicity (50% lethal dose [LD50] = 1.29 µg per adult) against T. castaneum. Nerolidol, santalol, and geranyl butyrate showed fair contact activity against L. bostrychophila. In particular, geranyl butyrate exhibited outstanding activity (LD50 = 11.53 µg/cm2). In addition, all of the four compounds did not detect a difference between compounds and the positive control (P > 0.05) against two pests at five tested concentrations. These results indicated that A. songarica and its selected compounds could be used as prospective insecticidal and repellent agents for further development and use.

Insecticidal and Repellent Activity of Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. Essential Oil and Major Compositions against Three Stored-Product Insects.

Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. of the Lamiaceae family has a long history of dual use of medicine and food with high economic value, and has been proved to have good antioxidative, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic activities. Essential oil (EO) extracted from the aerial part of T. quinquecostatus was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and GC. Totally 45 compounds were identified accounting for 98.5 % of the EO. The major constituents of the EO were linalool (52.003 %), borneol (10.911 %) and anethole (5.325 %). Fumigant, contact and repellent activity of T. quinquecostatus essential oil (EO) against Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Lasioderma Serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) were evaluated in this work. T. quinquecostatus EO and three major constituents showed varying degrees of insecticidal and repellent activities to three stored-product insects. Anethole stated the best fumigant and contact activity than others did to all three insect species. EO and compounds showed general repellent activity against three target insects. This work suggests that the EO of T. quinquecostatus has promising potential to be developed into botanical pesticides and repellents controlling pest damage in warehouses and grain stores.

[Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Phytoplankton Community in Harbin Urban River Network During Wet Season].

In this study, 23 typical sampling points were selected from the Harbin urban river network during the wet season from June to August in 2019, including the Harbin section of the Songhua, Hejiagou, Majiagou, and Ashi rivers to study the distribution of phytoplankton communities. Characteristics and driving factors influencing the water environment were determined, and a total of 174 taxa of phytoplankton were identified. During the wet period from June to August, the composition of the phytoplankton community in the urban river network of Harbin was dominated by Diatom and Chlorophyta, which gradually shifted toward Diatom and Cyanophyta. The dominant species mainly include:Cyclotella meneghiniana Kützing, Nitzschia palea (Kützing) W.Smith, Synedra ulna (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg, Ankistrodesmus angustus Bernard, Pseudanabaena limnetica (Lemmermann) Komárek, and Cryptomonas ovata Ehrenberg. One-way crossed similarity analysis (One-way crossed ANOSIM) revealed significant differences in phytoplankton composition among different sections of the river during the study period (P<0.05). The Harbin section of the Songhua River was richer in phytoplankton than other sections. Redundancy analysis (RDA) shows that TP and pH are the main environmental factors that cause differences in the structure of the phytoplankton community in each section of the Harbin urban river network. This research aims to enrich the research on the ecological evaluation of urban river network by studying the phytoplankton community and environmental relevance of Harbin urban river network and provide a theoretical basis for future urban river network ecological monitoring, management, and restoration.

Chemical compositions and repellent activity of Clerodendrum bungei Steud. essential oil against three stored product insects.

BACKGROUND: Several species of Verbenaceae have been widely used in medicine, and some species of Verbenaceae have been observed good insecticidal activity, such as Lantana camara and Vitex negundo. There is no report about repellent activity of Clerodendrum bungei Steud. (C. bungei) against stored product insects. The chemical composition of C. bungei essential oil (EO) were identified, repellent activity of methanol extract, EO of C. bungei and two main components of EO against T. castaneum, L. serricorne and L. bostrychophila were evaluated for the first time. RESULTS: EO of C. bungei was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC. A total of 25 components of the C. bungei EO were identified. The principal compounds in the EO were myristicin (75.0%), 2,2,7,7-Tetramethyltricyclo[6.2.1.0(1,6)]undec-4-en-3-one (4.1%) and linalool (3.4%). Results of bioassays indicated that C. bungei EO exerted strong repellent activity against three target insects. As main constituents, myristicin and linalool also had certain repellency. CONCLUSION: This work suggests that the EO of C. bungei has promising potential to develop into botanical repellents for the control of pest damage in warehouses and grain stores.

Intercropping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) with Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annum) Reduces Major Pest Population Densities without Impacting Natural Enemy Populations.

Intercropping of aromatic plants provides an environmentally benign route to reducing pest damage in agroecosystems. However, the effect of intercropping on natural enemies, another element which may be vital to the success of an integrated pest management approach, varies in different intercropping systems. Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), has been reported to be repellent to many insect species. In this study, the impact of sweet pepper/rosemary intercropping on pest population suppression was evaluated under greenhouse conditions and the effect of rosemary intercropping on natural enemy population dynamics was investigated. The results showed that intercropping rosemary with sweet pepper significantly reduced the population densities of three major pest species on sweet pepper, Frankliniella intonsa, Myzus persicae, and Bemisia tabaci, but did not affect the population densities of their natural enemies, the predatory bug, Orius sauteri, or parasitoid, Encarsia formosa. Significant pest population suppression with no adverse effect on released natural enemy populations in the sweet pepper/rosemary intercropping system suggests this could be an approach for integrated pest management of greenhouse-cultivated sweet pepper. Our results highlight the potential of the integration of alternative pest control strategies to optimize sustainable pest control.

Highly sensitive and selective dopamine biosensor using Au nanoparticles-ZnO nanocone arrays/graphene foam electrode.

Based on the Au nanoparticles-ZnO nanocone arrays/graphene foam electrode, a novel dopamine biosensor was successfully developed. Graphene foam was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, ZnO nanocone arrays were grown on its surface by a hydrothermal method and Au nanoparticles with carboxyl groups were self-assembled onto the ZnO nanocone arrays to obtain Au nanoparticles-ZnO nanocone arrays/graphene foam electrode. The result indicates that the prepared electrode has a high sensitivity (4.36 µA µM-1) and low limit of detection (0.04 µM, S/N = 3) for the detection of dopamine. The prepared electrode also exhibits an excellent selectivity under the interference of uric acid, good repeatability and stability. The prepared sensor has been successfully applied in real samples and has a great potential to be used in the field of medical and health.

Impact of calcium peroxide dosage on the control of nutrients release from sediment in the anoxic landscape water.

The anoxic and reductive aquatic environment is formed easily in summer due to the global warming, which may accelerate endogenous release. In this experiment, four different dosages of calcium peroxide (CaO2) were adopted to study the control effects of nutrients release from the sediments in the simulated landscape waters. The results demonstrated that CaO2 addition could effectively improve the physicochemical properties and microbial composition in sediments, and an obvious improvement was achieved with a larger dosage. It was observed that the surface sediments of experiment groups were oxidized to form a capping barrier between the sediment and overlying water, which might cut off the pollutant diffusion in sediment. Meanwhile, CaO2 could decrease the nutrients concentration in water obviously, and the reduced effect was positively correlated with the CaO2 dosage. Compared with the nutrients release fluxes in CK (105.89 mg-TN m-2 day-1, 106.48 mg-NH4+-N m-2 day-1, 4.14 mg-TP m-2 day-1, and 4.30 mg-SRP m-2 day-1), the CaO2 dosages of 0.12 and 0.18 kg m-2 could entirely inhibit the nutrients release from sediment, and partially reduce the original pollutants in the overlying water. However, 0.18 kg m-2 CaO2 would cause a higher increase of pH value and NO2--N concentration, and bring potential risk to the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, 0.12 kg-CaO2 m-2-sediment was selected as the optimal dosage by considering the control effect, economic cost, and potential risk comprehensively. In general, this study provided a quantitative usage method of CaO2, which is convenient and effective to prevent or control the nutrients release from sediment caused by anoxic and reductive condition in summer.