Oxygen Vacancy-Enhanced Centrosymmetric Breaking of SrFeO3- x for Piezoelectric-Catalyzed Synthesis of H2O2.

Normally, only noncentrosymmetric structure of the materials can potentially be piezoelectric. Thus, it is limited in the field of piezoelectricity for the centrosymmetric structure of the material. In this work, the performance of piezoelectricity is successfully achieved from centrosymmetric SrFeO3- x by modulating oxygen vacancies, which have a surface piezoelectric potential up to 93 mV by using Kelvin-probe force microscopy (KPFM). Moreover, the piezoelectric effects of SrFeO3- x are also evaluated by piezoelectric catalytic effect and density functional theory calculations (DFT). The results show that the piezo-catalytic degradation of tetracycline reaches 96% after 75 min by ultrasonic mechanical vibration and the production of H2O2 by SrFeO3- x piezoelectric synthesis could reach 1821 µmol L-1. In addition, the DFT results indicate that the intrinsic effect of oxygen vacancies effectively promotes the adsorption and activation of O2 and H2O as well as intermediates and improves the piezoelectric catalytic activity. This work provides an effective basis for realizing the piezoelectricity of centrosymmetric materials and regulating the development of piezoelectric catalytic properties.

Sensorineural hearing loss induced by gefitinib: A CARE-compliant case report and literature reviews.

RATIONALE: Gefitinib is a potent and selective orally active growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is commonly used to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with activating EGFR mutations. Hearing impairment with gefitinib was sparsely reported. In this report, we describe a case of sensorineural deafness associated with the administration of gefitinib, with a Naranjo score of 7. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 81-year-old female was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma with bone metastasis and an EGFR-activating mutation. The patient was prescribed gefitinib tablets at a daily dose of 250 mg for lung adenocarcinoma treatment. However, the patient experienced moderate to severe bilateral sensorineural deafness, primarily in her right ear, after taking gefitinib. Following the cessation of gefitinib administration, the patient exhibited partial restoration of auditory function. Upon resuming the medication, she experienced a worsening of deafness. DIAGNOSES: The otoscopic audiogram and hearing test indicated moderate to severe bilateral sensorineural deafness. INTERVENTIONS: The otolaryngologist recommended bilateral hearing aids to enhance hearing function. OUTCOMES: Throughout our follow-up period, the patient did not receive a hearing aid implant. LESSONS: This article first reported the ototoxicity caused by gefitinib. While rare, our report highlights that gefitinib-induced sensorineural deafness is possible and its mechanisms are still unclear. This adverse reaction should be monitored closely during clinical application of gefitinib to improve patient outcomes.

Pressure-induced superconductivity of Ac-B-H hydrides.

The search for room-temperature superconductors among high-pressure hydrides is a hot research topic. In this study, the structures, stabilities and superconducting properties of ternary Ac-B-H hydrides were studied using a genetic algorithm (GA) combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was shown that the R3̄m-AcBH8 and I4/mmm-AcB2H8 structures were thermodynamically and dynamically stable above 70 and 125 GPa, respectively. In the R3̄m-AcBH8 structure, the BH6 unit and the dispersed H atoms were bonded to form a corrugated structure. The I4/mmm-AcB2H8 structure contained a cage and the Ac atom located at the cage center. The calculations of the electron-phonon coupling showed that the R3̄m-AcBH8 and I4/mmm-AcB2H8 structures had Tc values of 140 K (70 GPa) and 99 K (125 GPa), respectively. The analyses of the phonon dispersion curves revealed that electron-phonon coupling was closely related to the vibrations of the B-H bonds.

Co-60 gamma irradiation induced ovalbumin-glucose glycation and allergenicity reduction revealed by high-resolution mass spectrometry and ELISA assay.

Ovalbumin (OVA)-glucose mixture was treated with Co-60 irradiation at 0-25 kGy, and effects of irradiation on the glycation and allergenicity of OVA were investigated. Irradiation induced glycation between OVA and glucose, reflected in the significant increase of glycation sites from 3 to 14. Interestingly, OVA irradiated at 25 kGy had three new glycated peptides (568.782+, 739.382+ and 509.752+). The degree of substitution per peptide molecule (DSP) of glycated peptides exhibited different trends with increasing irradiation dose. Particularly, glycated peptides 17-26, 55-60, 263-267 and 368-375 showed markedly decreased DSP values after irradiation at 20 and 25 kGy, which could be caused by the generation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs). MS/MS spectra suggested that neutral loss occurred in glycated arginine, whose structure was similar to MRPs. The IgG- and IgE-binding abilities of OVA significantly decreased with increasing irradiation dose, indicating that the protein allergenicity was reduced.

Detection of wavelength in the range from ultraviolet to near infrared light using two parallel PtSe2/thin Si Schottky junctions.

A wavelength sensor as a representative optoelectronic device plays an important role in many fields including visible light communication, medical diagnosis, and image recognition. In this study, a wavelength-sensitive detector with a new operation mechanism was reported. The as-proposed wavelength sensor which is composed of two parallel PtSe2/thin Si Schottky junction photodetectors is capable of distinguishing wavelength in the range from ultraviolet to near infrared (UV-NIR) light (265 to 1050 nm), in that the relationship between the photocurrent ratio of both photodetectors and incident wavelength can be numerically described by a monotonic function. The unique operation mechanism of the thin Si based wavelength sensor was unveiled by theoretical simulation based on Synopsys Sentaurus Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD). Remarkably, the wavelength sensor has an average absolute error of ±4.05 nm and an average relative error less than ±0.56%, which are much better than previously reported devices. What is more, extensive analysis was performed to reveal how and to what extent the working temperature and incident light intensity, and the thickness of the PtSe2 layer will influence the performance of the wavelength sensor.

Combination of Xuesaitong and Aspirin Based on the Antiplatelet Effect and Gastrointestinal Injury: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin is the first-line medication for prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, long-term use of aspirin resulting in gastrointestinal mucosal injury and bleeding limits the regularity of medication. Xuesaitong is a marketed Chinese medicine contained main active component in Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), which can significantly inhibit platelet aggregation in patients with CHD. Our previous studies have already showed that PNS could reduce the gastrointestinal mucosal injury caused by aspirin in preclinical study. However, there is a need for further clinical studies to evaluate synergy and attenuation effect of the combination. METHODS: This trial is a prospectively planned, open-labeled, parallel-grouped, single-centered clinical trial. A total of eligible 480 participants will be randomly allocated into three groups: aspirin group, Xuesaitong group, and drug combination group at a ratio of 1 : 1 : 1. The primary outcome is the change of platelet aggregation rate and calprotectin activity. Secondary outcomes include PAC-1, P-selectin, P2Y12, I-FABP activity, and fecal occult blood. Discussion. The results of the study are expected to provide evidence of high methodological and reporting quality on the synergy function of Xuesaitong and aspirin upon the antiplatelet and anti-gastrointestinal injury effect for CHD. It also provides an experimental basis for clinical rational drug combination therapy. Trial Registration. This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, ChiCTR2000036311, on 22 August 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=58798&htm=4.

Novel superconducting structures of BH2 under high pressure.

The crystal structures of boron hydrides in a pressure range of 50-400 GPa were studied using the genetic algorithm (GA) method combined with first-principles density functional theory calculations. BH4 and BH5 are predicted to be thermodynamically unstable. Two new BH2 structures with Cmcm and C2/c space group symmetries, respectively, were predicted, in which the B atoms tend to form two-dimensional sheets. The calculated band structures showed that in the pressure range of 50-150 GPa, the Cmcm-BH2 phase has very small gaps, while the C2/c-BH2 phase at 200-400 GPa is metallic. The superconductivity of the C2/c-BH2 structure was also investigated, and electron-phonon coupling calculations revealed that the estimated Tc values of C2/c-BH2 are about 28.18-37.31 K at 250 GPa.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M promotes the progression of breast cancer by regulating the axin/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Despite significant progress in the treatment of breast cancer due to advances in surgery, cytotoxic agents, and endocrine therapy, the prognosis for patients has not improved much. Accumulated evidence indicates that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M (hnRNPM) and Wnt/ß-catenin function as tumor oncogenes in the progression of many cancers. The present study aimed to explore whether HnRNPM/ß-catenin signaling molecules might serve as a genetic target for breast cancer treatment. To shed light on this issue, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) detection, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining were performed. The hnRNPM is expressed at a much higher level in breast cancer tissues and cell lines than in noncancerous tissues and cell lines. In vitro studies revealed that overexpressed hnRNPM promoted cell proliferation and colony formation but inhibited cell apoptosis. In vivo results demonstrated that upregulation of hnRNPM dramatically increased breast cancer xenograft tumor growth. Western blotting and immunofluorescence studies revealed that hnRNPM markedly activated the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and catalyzed its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus by targeting axin, a negative regulator of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in MCF-7 and KPL-4 cells. Elevated levels of c-Myc and cyclin D1 were observed when MCF-7 and KPL-4 cells were transfected with a hnRNPM vector. These findings indicate that the hnRNPM/axin/ß-catenin signaling pathway acts as an oncogenic promoter in the progression of breast cancer, suggesting that hnRNPM may be a potential target for the treatment of this disease.

Yi-qi-yang-yin-tang increases the sensitivity of KG1a leukemia stem cells to daunorubicin by promoting cell cycle progression and regulating the expression of PTEN, TOPOII and mTOR.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of serum containing a combination of yi-qi-yang-yin-tang (YQYYT) and daunorubicin (DNR) on multidrug resistance in KG1a leukemia stem cells (LSCs). The effects of YQYYT and DNR on proliferation, cell cycle progression and the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), topoisomerase II (Topo II) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) in KG1a cells were investigated in vitro using cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. It was revealed that YQYYT-containing serum did not affect proliferation of KG1a cells compared with the blank group. Furthermore, there were no significant differences on the inhibition of proliferation among different groups at various concentrations of YQYYT. Treatment with YQYYT-containing serum (volume, 20 and 40 µl) and DNR was able to significantly inhibit the proliferation of KG1a cells compared with the blank group. The inhibition rate in the treatment group with YQYYT-containing serum (40 µl) and DNR for 48 h (72.5%) was higher compared with treatment for 24 h (60.4%, P<0.01). Treatment with YQYYT-containing serum was able to promote G0 phase of KG1a cells into cell cycle in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of PTEN and Topo II, but did not affect mTOR expression compared with the blank group. Treatment with serum containing YQYYT alone did not directly affect the proliferation of KG1a cells, but when the cells were treated with a combination of YQYYT-containing serum and DNR, the proliferation of KG1a cells was significantly inhibited in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, treatment with YQYYT-containing serum was able to promote cell cycle progression of KG1a cells in the G0 phase and upregulate the expression of the negative regulatory genes PTEN and Topo II. These results indicated the potential of YQYYT to reverse multidrug resistance in LSCs.

[Standardization of names in prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicines].

Chinese medicine prescriptions are a type of medical documents written by doctors after they understand the patients' conditions for syndrome differentiation. Chinese medicine prescriptions are also the basis for pharmacy personnel to dispense medicines and guide patients to use drugs. It has the legal, technical and economic significances. Chinese medicine prescriptions contain such information of names, quantity and usage. Whether the names of drugs in Chinese medicine prescriptions are standardized or not is directly related to the safety and efficacy of the drugs. At present, nonstandard clinical prescriptions are frequently seen. With "Chinese medicine prescription", "names of drug in Chinese medicine prescription" and "standards of Chinese medicine prescription" as key words, the author searched CNKI, Wanfang and other databases, and consulted nearly 100 literatures, so as to summarize current names of drugs in traditional Chinese medicine prescription, analyze the reasons, and give suggestions, in the expectation of standardizing the names of drugs used in traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions.

High-intensity ultrasound enhances the immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgE binding of ovalbumin.

BACKGROUND: Hen eggs are widely used in food industry as a result of their excellent nutritional and processing properties and ovalbumin (OVA) is the major allergen of hen egg whites. Ultrasound has been widely used in the food processing industry, although the effect of high-intensity ultrasound on the immunoglobulin (Ig)G binding, IgE binding and conformational structure of OVA remains unclear. RESULTS: Ultrasound treatment at 600-800 W dramatically increased the IgG and IgE binding of OVA, with the highest values observed at 600 W. The free sulfhydryl content, surface hydrophobicity and ultraviolet absorption were gradually increased when the power was increased from 200 to 600 W, implying the occurrence of molecule unfolding. When the power was 800 W, the binding ability was slightly decreased and was associated with the aggregation of OVA molecules. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis implied that ultrasound treatment at 800 W could induce the aggregation of OVA molecules via disulfide bonds and/or hydrophobic interactions. CONCLUSION: High-intensity ultrasound can increase the potential allergenicity of OVA. Therefore, high-intensity ultrasound processing of some egg products alone may improve the risk of an allergenic reaction in egg allergy patients to some extent. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Association between transforming growth factor-ß1 expression and the clinical features of triple negative breast cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the expression levels of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and the clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) through study of TNBC patient tissue samples. The biological effects of TGF-ß1 on TNBC cells and the potential signal transduction pathway are additoinally investigated. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to investigate expression changes of the positive rate of TGF-ß1 in the TNBC, compared with the non-TNBC group, to explain the association between TGF-ß1 and clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with TGF-ß1 and subsequently the invasion and migration abilities, and the expression of proteins in certain signaling pathways were assessed before and after the treatment. Positive expression of TGF-ß1 was observed in 52.5% of TNBC tissue samples, which was higher than that observed in non-TNBC group (27.5%). High levels of TGF-ß1 expression were not significantly associated age, menopausal status, family history of cancer or tumor size; however, tumor histological grade and axillary lymph node metastasis were significantly associated (P<0.05). In addition, when the TGF-ß1 expression levels are higher, the 5-year disease-free survival rate is lower. TGF-ß1 expression promoted the invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, and the expression of Smad2 protein and P38 protein was increased, indicating that Smad2 protein and the P38 signaling pathway may serve an important role in TNBC.

Qualitative analysis on a proposal for key specific medical treatment for aplastic anemia.

OBJECTIVE: By reviewing the medical treatments for aplastic anemia (AA, Suilao Disease), which is the important research interest of Collaborative Group, Key Department of Blood Disease, State Administration of Chinese medicine, the consensus on the diseases have been reached among the different units of the collaborative group. METHODS: Using qualitative analysis, we determined the characteristics, location and pathogenesis of Suilao disease. We discovered the ways of traditional Chinese medical treatment in curing Suilao disease. RESULTS: Acute AA (acute suilao) and chronic AA (chronic suilao) diseases require different treatment. Acute AA requires 3 phrases of treatments, which are "cold", "warm" and "hot". However, chronic AA requires a dialectic treatment, which involves reinforcement of the Shen (Kidney). Suitable Chinese medical treatments for curing Suilao disease were discussed and reached a consensus. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that a summarized therapy approved by many experts could be widely used.

[Research of reversal effect of PESV to multi-drug resistance of leukemia stem cell].

Using the BALB/c mouse multidrug resistance model of leukemia, the effect of peptide extract from scorpion venom (PESV) to the upstream signal factors of P-gp of MDR leukemia stem cells on the mouse tumor block was observed, and the mechanism of PESV to reverse the MDR of LSC was studied. At the same time, the expression of P-gp, MDR1 mRNA and PI3-K, NF-κB were respectively detected through flow cytometry, RT-PCR, Western blot and Elisa, and the mouse liver, spleen were examined via histopathological methods. The results of the experiment were as follows: mice of the control group didn't show any obvious changes, while mice of the other six groups all showed arched back, emaciation, liver swell, and inflammation was found in all liver tissue. The expression level of P-gp and PI3K on the LSC membrane of mouse tumor block was down-regulated; the expression of MDR1 mRNA in the cytoplasm was obviously down in the PESV low dose group, and which was inordinately up in the middle dose group and the high dose group. The expression level of NF-κB in the leukemia stem cell nucleus remarkably decreased. PESV had a outstanding role of down-regulating PI3K, NF-κb, MDR1 which were all upstream factors of P-gp, and to a certain degree enhanced the sensitivity of LSC to ADM. Therefore, this experiment explained one of the mighty mechanism of PESV to reverse MDR of LSC, and provided a foundation to further study of combinational anti-cancer effects of PESV.

[Brief introduction of research methods of commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials].

The commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials is a measure of the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which directly impacts on the safety and effectiveness of clinical medicines. It is an urgent problem to establish a set of standards which can both interpret the scientific connotation of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials and play a significant role on clinical medicines as well as markets. This paper reviews the research methods of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials such as sensory evaluation, chemical assessment, biological evaluation, and cited the applications of various methods for the classification of TCMs. It provides technical support for establishing standards of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials, and also constructs scientific basis for clinical rational drug use.

cDNA cloning, genomic organization and expression analysis during somatic embryogenesis of the translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) gene from Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis).

A full-length cDNA and genomic sequences of a translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) gene were isolated from Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) and designated LaTCTP. The length of the cDNA was 1, 043 bp and contained a 504 bp open reading frame that encodes a predicted protein of 167 amino acids, characterized by two signature sequences of the TCTP protein family. Analysis of the LaTCTP gene structure indicated four introns and five exons, and it is the largest of all currently known TCTP genes in plants. The 5'-flanking promoter region of LaTCTP was cloned using an improved TAIL-PCR technique. In this region we identified many important potential cis-acting elements, such as a Box-W1 (fungal elicitor responsive element), a CAT-box (cis-acting regulatory element related to meristem expression), a CGTCA-motif (cis-acting regulatory element involved in MeJA-responsiveness), a GT1-motif (light responsive element), a Skn-1-motif (cis-acting regulatory element required for endosperm expression) and a TGA-element (auxin-responsive element), suggesting that expression of LaTCTP is highly regulated. Expression analysis demonstrated ubiquitous localization of LaTCTP mRNA in the roots, stems and needles, high mRNA levels in the embryonal-suspensor mass (ESM), browning embryogenic cultures and mature somatic embryos, and low levels of mRNA at day five during somatic embryogenesis. We suggest that LaTCTP might participate in the regulation of somatic embryo development. These results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of LaTCTP and lay the foundation for artificial regulation of somatic embryogenesis.

Glaucocalyxin A and B-induced cell death is related to GSH perturbation in human leukemia HL-60 cells.

Glaucocalyxin (Gla) A-C are major ent-kauranoid diterpenoids isolated from Rabdosia japonica var. glaucocalyx, a plant used in Chinese traditional medicine as an antitumor and anti-inflammatory agent. The present investigation was carried out to observe whether cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) plays important roles in Gla -induced cytotoxicity. Among major ent-kauranoid diterpenoids isolated, Gla A and B dose-dependently decreased the growth of HL-60 cells with an IC50 of approximately 6.15 and 5.86 µM at 24 h, respectively. Both Gla A and B could induce apoptosis, G2/M-phase cycle arrest, DNA damage and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HL-60 cells. Moreover, Gla A, B caused rapid decrease of the intracellular GSH content, while inhibition of cellular GSH synthesis by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) augmented the induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in HL-60 cells. On the other hand, the administration of GSH or GSH precursor N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) could rescue Gla A, B-depleted cellular GSH, and abrogate the induced cytotoxicity, G2/M-phase cycle arrest, DNA damage and ROS accumulation in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, Gla A, B decreased the activity of the GSH-related enzymes including glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). These data suggest that the intracellular GSH redox system plays important roles in regulating the Gla A, B-induced cytotoxicity on HL-60 cells.

Stage-specific regulation of four HD-ZIP III transcription factors during polar pattern formation in Larix leptolepis somatic embryos.

Polar auxin transport provides a developmental signal for cell fate specification during somatic embryogenesis. Some members of the HD-ZIP III transcription factors participate in regulation of auxin transport, but little is known about this regulation in somatic embryogenesis. Here, four HD-ZIP III homologues from Larix leptolepis were identified and designated LaHDZ31, 32, 33 and 34. The occurrence of a miR165/166 target sequence in all four cDNA sequences indicated that they might be targets of miR165/166. Identification of the cleavage products of LaHDZ31 and LaHDZ32 in vivo confirmed that they were regulated by miRNA. Their mRNA accumulation patterns during somatic embryogenesis and the effects of 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) on their transcript levels and somatic embryo maturation were investigated. The results showed that the four genes had higher transcript levels at mature stages than at the proliferation stage, and that NPA treatment down-regulated the mRNA abundance of LaHDZ31, 32 and 33 at cotyledonary embryo stages, but had no effect on the mRNA abundance of LaHDZ34. We concluded that these four members of Larix HD-ZIP III family might participate in polar auxin transport and the development of somatic embryos, providing new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of somatic embryogenesis.

Structures and electronic properties of the SiAu(n) (n = 17-20) clusters.

The structures and electronic properties of the SiAu(n) (n = 17-20) clusters are systematically investigated using DFT calculations. The result shows that doping with silicon would significantly change the structures of the gold clusters. For the SiAu(n) (n = 17-20) clusters, the lowest-energy structures exhibit shell-like cage configuration in which the dopant Si atom binds to the cage surface and one Au atom skips to the top of the Si atom forming a SiAu5 or SiAu6 subunit except SiAu19, which is a tetrahedron-like structure with a protruding Au atom. The Au atoms of the SiAu(n) (n = 17-20) clusters carry different partial charges due to their different locations.

[Influence of polypeptide extract from scorpion venom on PI3K and p-Akt signaling protein expression and cell proliferation of K562 cells].

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of polypeptide extract from scorpion venom (PESV) on PI3K, p-Akt signal protein regulating K562 cell apoptosis and its mechanism. The K562 cells were cultured with PESV for different time, the cell growth curve was determined by MTT method, the levels of PI3K and p-Akt proteins were detected by Western blot. The results showed that as compared with control group, the apoptosis rate of K562 cells treated with PESV increased, the levels of PI3K and p-Akt expression decreased. It is concluded that the PESV inhibits the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of K562 cells probably through suppressing the expression of PI3K and p-Akt signal proteins.