Physical-Entanglements-Supported Polymeric Form Stable Phase Change Materials with Ultrahigh Melting Enthalpy.

With the rapid development of new energy and the upgrading of electronic devices, structurally stable phase change materials (PCMs) have attracted widespread attentions from both academia and industries. Traditional cross-linking, composites, or microencapsulation methods for preparation of form stable PCMs usually sacrifice part of the phase change enthalpy and recyclability. Based on the basic polymer viscoelasticity and crystallization theories, here, a kind of novel recyclable polymeric PCM is developed by simple solution mixing ultrahigh molecular weight of polyethylene oxide (UHMWPEO) with its chemical identical oligomer polyethylene glycol (PEG). Rheological and leakage-proof experiments confirm that, even containing 90% of phase change fraction PEG oligomers, long-term of structure stability of PCMs can be achieved when the molecular weight of UHMWPEO is higher than 7000 kg mol-1 due to their ultralong terminal relaxation time and large number of entanglements per chain. Furthermore, because of the reduced overall entanglement concentration, phase change enthalpy of PCMs can be greatly promoted, even reaching to ≈185 J g-1, which is larger than any PEG-based form stable PCMs in literatures. This work provides a new strategy and mechanism for designing physical-entanglements-supported form stable PCMs with ultrahigh phase change enthalpies.

Polymer Physics behind the Gel-Spinning of UHMWPE Fibers.

Gel-spinning of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers has attracted great interest in academia and industry since its birth and commercialization in the 1980s, due to unique properties such as high modulus, low density, and excellent chemical resistance. However, the high viscosity and long relaxation time greatly complicate processing. In industry, solvents, like decalin and paraffin oil, usually disentangle the physical networks and promote final drawability. From extruding the polymer solution to post-solid-stretching, many polymer physics problems that accompany high-modulus fiber gel-spinning should be understood and addressed. In this review, by detailed discussions about the effect of entanglements and intracrystalline chain dynamics on the mechanical properties of UHMWPE, theoretical descriptions of the structure formation of disentangled UHMWPE crystals, and the origin of high modulus and strength of final fibers are provided. Several physical intrinsic key factors are also discussed, revealing why UHMWPE is an ideal material for producing high-performance fibers.

Temporal change of serum xanthine oxidase levels and its relation to clinical outcome of severe traumatic brain injury: a prospective cohort study.

Xanthine oxidase (XO) may be involved in the induction of oxidative stress and inflammation. We measured serum XO levels at multiple days to determine whether it is associated with the severity and prognosis of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). In this prospective cohort study, we quantified serum XO levels in 112 sTBI patients and 112 controls. Serum XO levels of patients were measured at admission and at days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 after sTBI. Extended Glasgow outcome scale scores of 1-4 at post-trauma 180 days were defined as a poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis was employed to determine the relationship between poor prognosis and serum XO levels at multiple days. Serum XO levels were significantly increased at admission among patients, afterwards elevated gradually, peaked at day 3, and then diminished gradually until day 10, and were substantially higher during 10 days in patients than in controls. Serum XO levels at 6 different days were all correlated with admission Rotterdam computed tomography (CT) scores and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores. Serum XO levels at 6 different days were all substantially higher in patients with poor prognosis than in those with good prognosis. Serum XO levels at days 7 and 10, but not at days 1, 3, and 5, had significantly lower area under receiver operating characteristic (AUC) than those at admission. Serum XO levels at admission and at days 1 and 3, but not at day 5, were independently associated with 180-day poor prognosis. Prognostic prediction model containing GCS scores, Rotterdam CT scores, and serum XO levels at admission (or at days 1 and 3) showed substantially higher AUC than GCS scores and Rotterdam CT scores alone. The models were visually described using nomograms, which were comparatively stable under calibration curve and were relatively of clinical benefit under decision curve. Elevated serum XO levels during early period of sTBI are more closely associated with trauma severity and clinical adverse outcomes, assuming that serum XO may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in sTBI.

A prospective cohort study on serum A20 as a prognostic biomarker of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: A20 may be a neuroprotective factor. Herein, we aimed to investigate whether serum A20 levels were associated with disease severity, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), and outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). METHODS: In this prospective cohort study containing 112 aSAH patients and 112 controls, serum A20 levels were quantified. At 90 d poststroke, Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) scores ≥3 were defined as a poor outcome. All correlations and associations were assessed using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Compared with controls, there was a significant elevation of serum A20 levels in patients (median 123.7 pg/mL vs. 25.8 pg/mL; P<0.001). Serum A20 levels were independently correlated with Hunt-Hess scores (ß 9.854; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.481-17.227, P=0.009) and modified Fisher scores (ß 10.349, 95% CI 1.273-19.424, P=0.026). Independent associations were found between serum A20 levels and poor outcome (odds ratio [OR] 1.015, 95% CI 1.000-1.031, P=0.047) and DCI (OR 1.018, 95% CI 1.001-1.035, P=0.042). Areas under the curve for predicting poor outcome and DCI were 0.771 (95% CI 0.682-0.845) and 0.777 (95% CI 0.688-0.850), respectively. Serum A20 levels ≥128.15 pg/mL predicted poor outcome, with a sensitivity of 73.9% and specificity of 74.2%, and A20 levels ≥160.55 pg/mL distinguished the risk of DCI with 65.5% sensitivity and 89.2% specificity. Its ability to predict poor outcome and DCI was similar to those of Hunt-Hess scores and modified Fisher scores (both P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Enhanced serum A20 levels are significantly associated with stroke severity and poor clinical outcome after aSAH, implying that serum A20 may be a potential prognostic biomarker for aSAH.

Prognostic significance of plasma S1P in acute intracerebral hemorrhage: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) may regulate neuroinflammatory immunity and blood-brain barrier integrity. This study was designed to assess the prognostic role of plasma S1P in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, plasma S1P levels were measured in 51 controls, at admission in 114 ICH patients and at days 1, 3, 5 and 7 in 51 of all patients. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were sequentially used to investigate severity correlation and prognosis association. RESULTS: Plasma S1P levels were significantly elevated at admission, peaked at day 5, and declined at day 7, which were significantly higher during 7 days than those of controls (all P < 0.001). Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of plasma S1P levels insignificant differed among all time points (all P > 0.05). Admission plasma S1P levels, in close correlation with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores [ß, 7.661; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 4.893-10.399; P < 0.001] and hematoma volume (ß, 1.285; 95 % CI, 0.348-2.230; P < 0.001), independently predicted 3-month poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale scores of 3-6) (odds ratio, 3.184; 95 % CI, 1.057-9.597; P = 0.040). Admission plasma S1P levels had AUC of 0.799 (95 % CI, 0.713-0.868) for prognosis prediction. The levels > 240.4 ng/ml distinguished risk of poor prognosis with the maximum Youden index of 0.518. Prediction model integrating NIHSS scores, hematoma volume and admission plasma S1P levels had substantially higher prognostic predictive ability than NIHSS scores (P = 0.023), but not than hematoma volume (P = 0.061). CONCLUSION: There is a significant elevation of plasma S1P levels during early period after ICH, which were independently related to severity and poor prognosis. Thus, plasma S1P may be a potential prognostic biomarker of ICH.

How entanglements determine the morphology of semicrystalline polymers.

Crystallization of polymers from entangled melts generally leads to the formation of semicrystalline materials with a nanoscopic morphology consisting of stacks of alternating crystalline and amorphous layers. The factors controlling the thickness of the crystalline layers are well studied; however, there is no quantitative understanding of the thickness of the amorphous layers. We elucidate the effect of entanglements on the semicrystalline morphology by the use of a series of model blends of high-molecular-weight polymers with unentangled oligomers leading to a reduced entanglement density in the melt as characterized by rheological measurements. Small-angle X-ray scattering experiments after isothermal crystallization reveal a reduced thickness of the amorphous layers, while the crystal thickness remains largely unaffected. We introduce a simple, yet quantitative model without adjustable parameters, according to which the measured thickness of the amorphous layers adjusts itself in such a way that the entanglement concentration reaches a specific maximum value. Furthermore, our model suggests an explanation for the large supercooling that is typically required for crystallization of polymers if entanglements cannot be dissolved during crystallization.

Elevated Serum NOX2 Levels Contribute to Delayed Cerebral Ischemia and a Poor Prognosis After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) is highly expressed in injured brain tissues. We determined serum NOX2 levels of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients and further investigated correlation of serum NOX2 levels with disease severity, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) plus prognosis after aSAH. Methods: Serum NOX2 levels were measured in 123 aSAH patients and 123 healthy controls. World Federation of Neurological Surgeons scale (WFNS) score and modified Fisher (mFisher) score were utilized to assess disease severity. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) score was used to evaluate the clinical prognosis at 90 days after aSAH. Relations of serum NOX2 levels to DCI and 90-day poor prognosis (mRS score of 3-6) were analyzed using multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was built to evaluate the prognostic predictive capability. Results: Serum NOX2 levels in aSAH patients, compared with healthy controls, were significantly increased, and were independently correlated with WFNS score, mFisher score and post-stroke 90-day mRS score. Patients with poor prognosis or DCI had significantly higher serum NOX2 levels than other remainders, and serum NOX2 levels independently predicted 90-day poor prognosis and DCI. Serum NOX2 had high prognosis and DCI predictive abilities, and their areas under ROC curve were similar to those of WFNS score and mFisher score. Conclusion: Serum NOX2 levels are significantly associated with hemorrhage severity, poor 90-day prognosis and DCI in aSAH patients. Hence, complement NOX2 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker after aSAH.

d-chiro-Inositol Derivatives with Multidrug Resistance Reversal Activities from the Fruits of Chisocheton siamensis.

Chisosiamols A-K (1-11), 11 new d-chiro-inositol derivatives, along with a known analogue (12) were isolated from the fruits of Chisocheton siamensis. Their planar structures and relative configurations were elucidated by the comprehensive application of spectroscopic methods, especially from the characteristic coupling constants, and 1H-1H COSY spectra. The absolute configurations of the d-chiro-inositol core were determined using the ECD exciton chirality and X-ray diffraction crystallographic analytical methods. This is the first crystallographic data reported for the d-chiro-inositol derivatives. A structural elucidation strategy mainly combining 1H-1H COSY correlations and ECD exciton chirality for determining the structure of d-chiro-inositol derivatives was developed, which also led to the revisions of previously reported structures. Bioactivity evaluation indicated that chisosiamols A, B, and J can reverse multidrug resistance in MCF-7/DOX cells in the IC50 range of 3.4-6.5 µM (RF: 3.6-7.0).

α-MSH as a potential biomarker of severity and prognosis after intracerebral hemorrhage: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) exerts anti-inflammatory and brain protective effects. We determined plasma α-MSH concentrations and discovered the relationship between plasma α-MSH concentrations and severity plus clinical outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: A total of 117 ICH patients and 117 healthy controls were included in this study. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score and hematoma volume were recorded to assess disease severity. We used Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) score to evaluate the 3-month clinical prognosis. And multivariate analysis was done to discern the relation of plasma α-MSH concentrations to disease severity plus poor prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was built to evaluate the prognostic predictive capability. RESULTS: Plasma α-MSH concentrations in ICH patients, compared with healthy controls, were significantly decreased (median, 25.37 vs 46.80 pg/ml; P < 0.001), and were independently correlated with GCS score (t = 4.091, P < 0.001). Plasma α-MSH concentrations were highly correlated with GOS scores (ρ = 0.548, P < 0.001), were substantially lower with poor prognosis (GOS scores 1-3) than good prognosis, and efficiently discriminated patients at risk of poor prognosis (AUC ROC, 0.793; 95 % CI: 0.709-0.863). Using Youden method, plasma α-MSH concentrations < 23.63 pg/ml predicted poor prognosis with sensitivity of 72.7 % and specificity of 82.2 %. Alternatively, plasma α-MSH concentrations emerged as an independent predictor of poor prognosis with odds ratio of 0.888 (95 % CI: 0.793-0.995; P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Plasma α-MSH concentrations are significantly associated with disease severity and poor 3-month prognosis in patients with ICH, indicating that plasma α-MSH may serve as a useful potential prognostic biomarker for ICH.

Constructing model-averaging species sensitivity distributions of Phenanthrene based on reproductive fitness: Implications for assessing ecological risk in urban watershed.

The challenge in optimizing the method of constructing species sensitivity distribution (SSD) remains. In this study, a model-averaging SSD was created to evaluate the ecological risk of Phenanthrene (PHE) in urban watershed based on reproductive fitness. Specifically, concentrations of PHE were measured in surface water samples collected from various watersheds of Wuhan, including five lake watersheds and the Wuhan reach of the Yangtze River and Han River. The reproductive endpoint of aquatic species was calculated to be most sensitive to PHE exposure, with the value of predict no-effect concentration (PNEC) at 0.19 µg/L. The results of probabilistic assessment methods, including joint probability curve (JPC), overall risk probability (ORP), and distribution-based quotient (DBQ), indicated that the ecological risks of PHE in large lakes have dropped significantly with distance from the downtown area of Wuhan, and the long-term effects of industrial activities may increase the risks in the lake watersheds. Basically, the ecological risks in Yangtze River are negligible; however, there is a relatively high risk of PHE in the Han River and some lake watersheds. The cos Î¸ similarity analysis indicated the Yangtze River is strongly connected to the low-risk lake watersheds, and that in part reflects the risk in the Yangtze River being controlled by its surrounding these lake watersheds.

Plasma SIRT3 as a Biomarker of Severity and Prognosis After Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: SIRT3 may act as a brain-protective factor. We measured the plasma SIRT3 levels of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and further determined the relationship between plasma SIRT3 and clinical outcome plus severity of ICH. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we quantified plasma SIRT3 levels in 105 ICH patients and 72 healthy controls. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and hematoma volume were used to assess severity. Poor prognosis was defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score of 1-3 at 90 days after ICH. Results: Plasma SIRT3 levels were markedly lower in patients than in controls (median, 10.19 versus 13.17 ng/mL; P<0.001). Among all patients, plasma SIRT3 levels were independently correlated with hematoma volume (beta, -0.098; 95% confidence interval, -0.158--0.039; t, -3.282; P=0.001) and GCS score (beta, 0.465; 95% confidence interval, 0.107-0.823; t, 2.576; P=0.011). A total of 46 cases had a poor prognosis at post-stroke 90 days. The plasma levels of SIRT3 significantly decreased in patients with a poor prognosis, compared with those with a good prognosis (median, 6.1 versus 11.2 ng/mL; P<0.001). Plasma SIRT3 was an independent predictor for 90-day poor prognosis of patients (odds ratio, 0.837; 95% confidence interval, 0.708-0.990; P=0.038). Plasma SIRT3 levels distinguished the development of poor prognosis with area under receiver operating characteristic curve at 0.801 (95% confidence interval, 0.711-0.872) and plasma SIRT3 levels ≤7.38 ng/mL predicted poor prognosis with 63.04% sensitivity and 93.22% specificity. Conclusion: Declined plasma SIRT3 levels are highly associated with hemorrhagic severity and poor 90-day outcome, thus suggesting that plasma SIRT3 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for ICH.

Role of plasma Apo-J as a biomarker of severity and outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage: A prospective and cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein J (Apo-J) may act as a neuroprotective factor after acute brain injury. We gauged plasma Apo-J concentrations in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and investigated its predictive value for 90-day outcome and disease severity. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 123 ICH patients and 123 healthy controls. The severity of ICH was assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and hematoma volume. Poor outcome was referred to as a Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score of 1-3 at 90 days after stroke. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify associations of plasma Apo-J concentrations with disease severity and poor outcome. RESULTS: The plasma Apo-J concentrations of patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (median, 95.50 mg/l versus 55.71 mg/l; P < 0.001), and were independently correlated with hematoma volume (t = 2.716; P = 0.008) and GCS score (t = -5.978; P < 0.001). Plasma Apo-J significantly differentiated patients at risk of poor outcome (area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), 0.772; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.688-0.843; P < 0.001), and its predictive ability was similar to those of GCS score (AUC, 0.851; 95% CI, 0.776-0.909; P = 0.056) and hematoma volume (AUC, 0.849; 95% CI, 0.774-0.907, P = 0.089). Using maximum Youden index, plasma Apo-J concentrations >113.21 mg/l distinguished the development of poor outcome, with a sensitivity of 67.3% and a specificity of 87.3%. Plasma Apo-J concentrations >113.21 mg/l (odds ratio, 4.042; 95% CI, 1.093-14.951; P = 0.036) and hematoma volume (odds ratio, 1.124; 95% CI, 1.014-1.247; P = 0.027) were independently associated with poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma Apo-J concentrations are markedly associated with disease severity and 90-day poor outcome in ICH patients. Hence, plasma Apo-J is presumed to be used as a potential prognostic biomarker of ICH.

Elevated Plasma Complement C1q Levels Contribute to a Poor Prognosis After Acute Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: The complement cascade is activated early following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and causes acute brain injury. We intended to explore the effects of plasma complement component 1q (C1q) levels on hemorrhagic severity and functional outcome in ICH patients. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we measured the plasma C1q levels of 101 ICH patients and 101 healthy controls. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and hematoma volume were used to assess the ICH severity. Poor prognosis was referred to as a Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score of 1-3 at three months following a stroke. A multivariate logistic regression model was configured to determine the independent relation of plasma C1q levels to severity and poor prognosis. Under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, prognostic capability of plasma C1q levels was evaluated. Results: There was a significant elevation of plasma C1q levels in patients, as compared to controls [median (percentiles 25th-75th), 225.04 mg/l (156.10-280.15 mg/l) versus 88.18 mg/l (70.12-117.69 mg/l); P<0.001]. Plasma C1q levels of patients were independently related to GCS score (t =-3.281, P=0.001) and hematoma volume (t = 2.401, P=0.018), and were highly correlated with the GOS score at 3 months post-stroke (r=-0.658, P<0.001). Plasma C1q levels were obviously higher in poor prognosis patients than in other remainders (median percentiles 25th-75th), 278.40 mg/l (213.81-340.05 mg/l) versus 174.69 mg/l (141.21-239.93 mg/l); P<0.001). Under the ROC curve, plasma C1q levels significantly discriminated the development of poor prognosis (area under ROC curve 0.795; 95% confidence interval, 0.703-0.869; P<0.001). Using maximum Youden method, plasma C1q levels > 270.11 mg/l distinguished patients at risk of poor prognosis at 3 months with 56.52% sensitivity and 94.55% specificity. Meanwhile, the prognostic predictive ability of plasma C1q levels was equivalent to those of GCS score and hematoma volume (both P>0.05). Moreover, plasma C1q levels > 270.11 mg/l independently predicted a poor prognosis at 3 months (odds ratio, 4.821; 95% confidence interval, 1.211-19.200; P=0.026). Conclusion: Plasma C1q levels are closely related to the illness severity and poor prognosis of ICH at 3 months. Hence, complement C1q may play an important role in acute brain injury after ICH and plasma C1q may represent a promising prognostic predictor of ICH.

Plasma PRPC Levels Correlate With Severity and Prognosis of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background: Cellular prion protein (PRPC) exerts brain-protective effects. We determined the relationship between plasma PRPC levels and disease severity plus clinical outcome after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: A total of 138 ICH patients and 138 healthy controls were included in this prospective, observational study. Hematoma volume and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score were used to assess disease severity. Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) scores of 1-3 and 4-5 at 90 days after stroke were defined as a poor outcome and good outcome, respectively. Using multivariate analysis, we discerned the relation of plasma PRPC levels to disease severity and poor outcome. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was built to evaluate the prognostic predictive capability. Results: Plasma PRPC levels in ICH patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (median, 4.20 vs. 2.02 ng/ml; P < 0.001), and were independently correlated with GCS score (r = -0.645, P < 0.001) and hematoma volume (r = 0.627, P < 0.001). Plasma PRPC levels were highly correlated with GOS score (r = -0.762, P < 0.001), and were substantially higher in patients with poor outcomes than in those with the good outcomes. Using maximum Youden index, plasma PRPC levels >3.893 ng/ml distinguished the risk of poor outcome at 90 days, with a sensitivity of 86.4% and a specificity of 65.8% (area under the curve, 0.809; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.737-0.881, P < 0.001). Plasma PRPC levels >3.893 ng/ml were independently associated with a poor 90-day outcome with an odds ratio of 12.278 (95% CI, 5.101-29.554). Conclusion: Elevated plasma PRPC levels are significantly associated with disease severity and poor 90-day outcome in ICH patients, indicating that plasma PRPC may be used as a potential prognostic biomarker after ICH.

Multifunctional hydrogels for wound dressings using xanthan gum and polyacrylamide.

Developing advanced dressings that integrate multiple functions is one of the major challenges in current clinical wound treatment. In this study, Xanthan gum (XG) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) materials were used to prepare hydrogel dressings by one-pot method. With the combination of the PAAm network and the XG network, the PAAm-XG hydrogels showed the tensile strength of 0.36 MPa and the stretchability as large as 2078 %. The prepared PAAm-XG hydrogels had excellent water uptake efficiency with the swelling ratio of 1200 %. Besides, the developed dressings possessed outstanding biocompatibility, universal adhesion and self-healing ability. More importantly, the PAAm-XG hydrogels can be successfully loaded with Cefixime and human recombinant epidermal growth factor, and these loaded hydrogels released these bioactive molecules in sustained ways. As a result, both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria were inactivated after contacting with the Cefixime-loaded hydrogels for 24 h. Furthermore, in vivo data demonstrated that the PAAm-XG hydrogel dressings significantly accelerated the wound healing in a mouse model. All of these indicate that the multifunctional PAAm-XG hydrogels are promising candidates for wound treatment.

Diverse acyclic diterpene derivatives from Aphanamixis sinensis.

Fifteen diterpene derivatives including seven new ones, sinensisins A-G (1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 15), were obtained from the leaves and twigs of Aphanamixis sinensis. Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopic and ECD data analyses. These diverse carbon skeletons containing meroditerpenoids, acyclic diterpenes, and norditerpenoids biogenetically were derived from chain-like diterpenes. Compounds 3, 5, and 6 showed inhibitory effects of nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells.

A/D-rings-seco limonoids from the fruits of Aglaia edulis and their bioactivities.

Agledulines A-K, eleven previously undescribed limonoids, including eight biogenic A/D-rings-seco limonoid analogs (agledulines A-H), one D-ring-seco limonoid (agleduline I) and two A-ring-seco limonoids with a rare Δ4,28 moiety (agledulines J-K), together with twelve reported limonoids, were isolated from the fruits of Aglaia edulis. Their structures were determined by NMR data, HRESIMS, X-ray diffraction, ECD spectra and the CD exciton chirality method. Observably, the absolute configurations of agleduline A, agleduline C and nymania 2 were unambiguously elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The biological evaluation showed that agleduline C exhibited significant cytotoxic activities with IC50 values of 10.05 µM, and 11α-acetoxygedunin showed notable anti-inflammatory activity (IC50: 4.70 µM). In addition, agleduline I and 11α-acetoxygedunin reversed the multidrug resistance with IC50 values of 5.05 and 1.49 µM (RI: 4.64 and 15.77) in the MCF-7/Dox cells.

Predictive Model for Overall Survival and Cancer-Specific Survival in Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), while the prognosis for patients diagnosed remains poor and has slightly improved. METHODS: We extracted 6,466 cases with detailed demographical characteristics including age at diagnosis, sex, ethnicity, marital status, and clinical features, involving tumor grade and stage at diagnosis and treatment modalities (radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) (1975-2017) dataset. They were further randomly divided into the training and validating cohorts. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were conducted to determine significant variables for construction of nomogram. The predictive power of the model was then assessed by Harrell concordance index (C-index) and the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis revealed that age, marital status, insurance, tumor grade, TNM stage, surgery, and chemotherapy all showed a significant association with overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). These characteristics were employed to build a nomogram. Particularly, the discrimination of nomogram for OS and CSS prediction in the training set were excellent (C-index = 0.762, 95% CI: 0.754-0.770 and C-index = 0.774, 95% CI: 0.766-0.782). The AUC of the nomogram for predicting 2- and 5-year OS was 0.834 and 0.853 and CSS was 0.844 and 0.866. Similar results were observed in the internal validation set. CONCLUSION: We have successfully established a novel nomogram for predicting OS and CSS in EAC patients with good accuracy, which can help clinicians predict the survival of individual patient survival and provide optimal treatment strategies.

Clinical and perinatal outcomes of fresh single-blastocyst-transfer cycles under an early follicular phase prolonged protocol according to day of trigger estradiol levels.

BACKGROUD: This study's objectives were to compare the clinical, perinatal, and obstetrical outcomes of patients with different estradiol (E2) levels in fresh single-blastocyst-transfer (SBT) cycles under an early follicular phase prolonged regimen on the day of trigger. METHODS: We recruited patients in fresh SBT cycles (n = 771) undergoing early follicular phase prolonged protocols with ß-hCG values above 10 IU/L between June 2016 and December 2018. Patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were divided into four groups according to their serum E2 level percentages on the day of trigger: <25th, 25th-50th, 51st-75th, and >75th percentile groups. RESULTS: Although the rates of clinical pregnancy (85.57% (166/194)), embryo implantation 86.60% (168/194), ongoing pregnancy (71.13% (138/194)), and live birth (71.13% (138/194)) were lowest in the >75th percentile group, we did not observe any significant differences (all P > 0.05). We used this information to predict the rate of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) area under the curve (AUC) = 72.39%, P = 0.029, cut off value of E2 = 2,893 pg/ml with the 75% sensitivity and 70% specificity. The 51st-75th percentile group had the highest rates of low birth weight infants (11.73% (19/162), P = 0.0408), premature delivery (11.43% (20/175), P = 0.0269), admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (10.49% (17/162), P = 0.0029), twin pregnancies (8.57% (15/175), P = 0.0047), and monochorionic diamniotic pregnancies (8.57% (15/175); P = 0.001). We did not observe statistical differences in obstetrics complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational hypertension, placenta previa, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). CONCLUSION: We concluded that serum E2 levels on the day of trigger were not good predictors of live birth rate or perinatal and obstetrical outcomes. However, we found that high E2 levels may not be conducive to persistent pregnancies. The E2 level on the day of trigger can still be used to predict the incidence of early onset severe OHSS in the fresh SBT cycle.

Chisosiamens A-E, five new ring-intact limonoids with isomerized furan ring from the fruit of Chisocheton siamensis.

Five new ring-intact limonoids with isomerized furan ring, chisosiamens A-E (1-5), along with four known compounds (6-9) were isolated from the fruit of Chisocheton siamensis Craib. Their structures were elucidated based on 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, HRESIMS, circular dichroism, and exciton chirality method. The biological activities screening showed that new limonoid 5 exhibited significant NO inhibitory activity in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages (IC50: 10.13 ± 1.40 µM) and 1, 2, 5, and 9 effectively reversed the resistance in MCF-7/DOX cells with the range IC50 values of 10.20-15.06 µM (RI: 4.05-5.98).