Preparation of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan nanofibrous films incorporating graphene oxide and lanthanum chloride by electrospinning method for potential photothermal and chemical synergistic antibacterial applications in wound dressings.

Electrospun fibres have been widely used as skin dressings due to their unique structur. However, due to the lack of intrinsic antimicrobial activity, it is easy for the wound to become infected. Bacterial infection, which leads to chronic inflammation, severely hinders the normal process of skin regeneration. In this study, a polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/CS) composite films with chemical sterilization and near-infrared (NIR) photothermal antibacterial activity was fabricated by electrospinning. Graphene oxide (GO), a photosensitiser, was incorporated into the films, and lanthanum chloride (Lacl3) as a chemical antibacterial agent was also doped in the electrospun films. The structure, morphology, mechanical properties, wettability, and antimicrobial and photothermal antibacterial activity of the PVA/CS-based fibre films were investigated. The results showed that the addition of Lacl3 to the PVA/CS/GO nanofibres (PVA/CS/GO-La) improved the hydrophilicity, tensile strength and resistance to elastic deformation of the nanofibres. The PVA/CS/GO-La12.5 mM sample exhibited the best antibacterial performance, showing high inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (82% antibacterial efficacy) and Escherichia coli (99.7% antibacterial efficacy). Furthermore, the antibacterial efficacy of the films surface was further enhanced after exposure to NIR light (808 nm, 0.01 W) for 20 min. In addition, the nanofibre films showed no cytotoxicity against human skin fibroblasts (HSFs), indicating its potential application in the field of broad-spectrum antibacterial materials.

Furfural Derivatives and Phenolic Constituents in Stemona tuberosa Lour.

Chemical investigation on the water-soluble constituents of Stemona tuberosa Lour. resulted in the isolation of a previously undescribed furfural derivative namely (S)-5-((R)-hydroxy(5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-yl)methyl)-5-methylfuran-2(5H)-one and twenty-five known compounds from the water decoction of the dried root tubers. Their structures were determined by analysis of the extensive spectroscopic data, including 1D/2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and ORD, as well as the ECD simulation and comparison. Most of them were phenolic and among them, four compounds were isolated from Stemona plants for the first time. This study uncovers diverse constituents from water decoction of S. tuberosa dedicated for its quality control and allows for the exploitation of chemical markers with potential significance for discrimination of Stemona plants.

Degradation Profiling of Nardosinone at High Temperature and in Simulated Gastric and Intestinal Fluids.

Nardosinone, a predominant bioactive product from Nardostachys jatamansi DC, is well-known for its promising therapeutic applications, such as being used as a drug on anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, cardioprotective, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-arrhythmic, anti-periodontitis, etc. However, its stability under varying environmental conditions and its degradation products remain unclear. In this study, four main degradation products, including two previously undescribed compounds [2-deoxokanshone M (64.23%) and 2-deoxokanshone L (1.10%)] and two known compounds [desoxo-narchinol A (2.17%) and isonardosinone (3.44%)], were firstly afforded from the refluxed products of nardosinone in boiling water; their structures were identified using an analysis of the extensive NMR and X-ray diffraction data and the simulation and comparison of electronic circular dichroism spectra. Compared with nardosinone, 2-deoxokanshone M exhibited potent vasodilatory activity without any of the significant anti-neuroinflammatory activity that nardosinone contains. Secondly, UPLC-PDA and UHPLC-DAD/Q-TOF MS analyses on the degradation patterns of nardosinone revealed that nardosinone degraded more easily under high temperatures and in simulated gastric fluid compared with the simulated intestinal fluid. A plausible degradation pathway of nardosinone was finally proposed using nardosinonediol as the initial intermediate and involved multiple chemical reactions, including peroxy ring-opening, keto-enol tautomerization, oxidation, isopropyl cleavage, and pinacol rearrangement. Our findings may supply certain guidance and scientific evidence for the quality control and reasonable application of nardosinone-related products.

Sesquiterpenoids and monoterpenoids from the water decoction of Valeriana officinalis L.

Nine previously undescribed compounds including three sesquiterpenoids, three iridoids, two monoterpenoids and a furan fatty acid, along with seventeen known ones, were isolated from the water decoction of roots and rhizomes of Valeriana officinalis L. Structure elucidation of the twenty-six compounds were accomplished by analysis of the extensive spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations of the nine previously undescribed ones were established by NOESY experiment and the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) simulations. Among them, ß-patchoulene-8-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, 11-methoxyl-viburtinal, and protocatechuic acid showed anti-neuroinflammatory potentials by significantly inhibiting the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) on BV-2 cells upon LPS stimulation (p < 0.001) without affecting the cell viability.

Exposing Cu(100) Surface via Ion-Implantation-Induced Oxidization and Etching for Promoting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Metallic materials with unique surface structure have attracted much attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties. However, it is hard to prepare bulk metallic materials with special crystal faces, especially at the nanoscale. Herein, we report an efficient method to adjust the surface structure of a Cu plate which combines ion implantation technology with the oxidation-etching process. The large number of vacancies generated by ion implantation induced the electrochemical oxidation of several atomic layers in depth; after chemical etching, the Cu(100) planes were exposed on the surface of the Cu plate. As a catalyst for acid hydrogen evolution reaction, the Cu plate with (100) planes merely needs 273 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA/cm2 because the high-energy (100) surface has moderate hydrogen adsorption and desorption capability. This work provides an appealing strategy to engineer the surface structure of bulk metallic materials and improve their catalytic properties.

Novel Hybrid Peptide Cathelicidin 2 (1-13)-Thymopentin (TP5) and Its Derived Peptides with Effective Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Anti-Adhesion Activities.

The increasing numbers of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens highlight the urgent need for new alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides have the potential to be promising alternatives to antibiotics because of their effective bactericidal activity and highly selective toxicity. The present study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-adhesion activities of different CTP peptides (CTP: the original hybrid peptide cathelicidin 2 (1-13)-thymopentin (TP5); CTP-NH2: C-terminal amidated derivative of cathelicidin 2 (1-13)-TP5; CTPQ: glutamine added at the C-terminus of cathelicidin 2 (1-13)-TP5) by determining the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), propidium iodide uptake, and analysis by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy). The results showed that CTPs had broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with MICs against the tested strains varying from 2 to 64 µg/mL. CTPs at the MBC (2 × MIC 64 µg/mL) showed strong bactericidal effects on a standard methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC 43300 after co-incubation for 6 h through disruption of the bacterial membrane. In addition, CTPs at 2 × MIC also displayed effective inhibition activity of several S. aureus strains with a 40-90% decrease in biofilm formation by killing the bacteria embedded in the biofilms. CTPs had low cytotoxicity on the intestinal porcine epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) and could significantly decrease the rate of adhesion of S. aureus ATCC 43300 on IPEC-J2 cells. The current study proved that CTPs have effective antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-adhesion activities. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of the possible antibacterial and antibiofilm mechanisms of CTPs, which might be an effective anti-MDR drug candidate.

A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the analytical methods of the genus Nardostachys.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The plants of the genus Nardostachys (Caprifoliaceae) have been used for a long history in different cultural systems of medicine, including Chinese, Ayurvedic, Korean folk medicine and Islamic, for treatments of disorders in nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and integumentary systems. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to provide comprehensive information on Nardostachys plants including botany update, traditional uses, data mining of uses in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and current Chinese medicinal patents, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, toxicity and analytical method studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies of the genus Nardostachys were collected via Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, NLM/NCBI, Web of Science, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, EMBASE, Huabeing database and Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource Network and libraries. Some local books, PhD or MS's dissertations were also included. The literatures cited in this review covered the period from 1962 to March 2021. The Plant List and Kew Herbarium Catalogue databases were used to authenticate the scientific name. RESULTS: Botany description of Nardostachys genus is updated. Analysis of the literatures indicates that Nardostachys species are valuable herbs with therapeutic potentials for various disorders. Data mining on ancient TCM prescriptions and current Chinese medicinal patents containing Nardostachys revealed its common compatibility with other herbs in China. Phytochemical studies identified terpenoids and phenolic compounds as the main constituents in the genus Nardostachys and sesquiterpenoids as the major bioactive components. Experimental studies demonstrated that crude extracts, major fractions and the main constituents from Nardostachys species mainly exhibited pharmacological activities on nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and skin systems. Further, in vivo and in vitro toxicological studies demonstrated that Nardostachys plants showed either no or low toxicities, except at high doses. Finally, methods of qualitative and quantitative analyses on chemical constituents of genus Nardostachys were summarized, including TLC/HPTLC, GC and HPLC/UPLC methods, combined with common detectors including PDA, DAD and MS. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarizes the progress on phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and analytical methods of the genus Nardostachys. Studies demonstrate traditional uses of the genus Nardostachys, and reveal novel bioactive effects for clinical uses. These achievements expand our knowledge on the genus Nardostachys and its clinical value.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Thuja koraiensis from Changbai Mountain in China.

In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Thuja koraiensis was sequenced and analyzed. The complete chloroplast genome of T. koraiensis was 130,027 bp in length, encoding a total of 116 genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 32 tRNAs, and 4 rRNAs, with a CG content of 34.24%. The phylogenetic analysis of T. koraiensis was carried out to determine the position of Thujoideae in the phylogenetic evolution.

Association between apolipoprotein B XbaI polymorphisms and coronary heart disease: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the association between apolipoprotein B gene polymorphism and coronary heart disease in some populations at home and abroad by means of meta-analysis. METHODS: Using the strict exclusion criteria for primary screening of the literature and applying the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to test the genetic balance of the selected literature. The corresponding models were selected according to the results of the heterogeneity test. The Begg's test and Egger's test were used to evaluate publication bias, and meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12.0. RESULTS: The study included twelve articles. In the literature, a total of 1596 patients with coronary heart disease and 1431 controls.Meta-analysis results showed no statistical value in the following three genetic models: allelic comparison (a vs A,P = 0.811,OR = 0.95, 95%CI = 0.62-1.46), recessive genetic models (aa vs Aa/AA, P = 0.86,OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.45-1.96), or dominant genetic models (aa/Aa vs AA, P = 0.73,OR = 0.92, 95%CI = 0.58-1.47). Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity showed allelic comparison (a vs A,P = 0.464,OR = 1.32, 95%CI = 0.63-2.78), recessive genetic models (aa vs Aa/AA, P = 0.422,OR = 1.52, 95%CI = 0.55-4.21), and dominant genetic models (aa/Aa vs AA, P = 0.551,OR = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.58-2.73) in Asians, allelic comparison (a vs A,P = 0.410,OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.45-1.39), recessive genetic models (aa vs Aa/AA, P = 0.041,OR = 0.75,95%CI = 0.57-0.99),dominant genetic models (aa/Aa vs AA, P = 0.385,OR = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.40-1.43) in Caucasian; CONCLUSION: The ApoB(apolipoprotein B) XbaI locus is not a risk factor when it comes to the development of coronary heart disease in the domestic and international populations included in this paper. In Caucasians, people carrying the aa genotype may be less susceptible to CHD (coronary heart disease). The results of recessive genetic models have to take the effect of heterogeneity and sample sizes into account. Further research may require a larger and more rigorous research design.

[Effects of end time of night feeding on the growth and development of infants/toddlers].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of end time of night feeding on body height, body weight, nutritional status, and prevalence rate of dental caries in children at the age of 30 months. METHODS: A total of 416 children who were born from January 2014 to September 2015 and had completed a physical examination as required were enrolled. During the physical examination performed at the age of 30 months, the comprehensive child care record and a self-made questionnaire were used. The children who continued to receive night feeding after the age of 6 months were enrolled as study group (n=269), and those for whom night feeding was ended at the age of 6 months were enrolled as control group (n=147). The two groups were compared in terms of body height, body weight, incidence rate of overweight/obesity, and prevalence rate of dental caries at the age of 30 months. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the study group had a significantly lower body height (92.4±3.0 cm vs 93.3±2.8 cm; P<0.05), a significantly higher incidence rate of overweight/obesity (23.8% vs 12.2%; P<0.05), and a significantly higher prevalence rate of dental caries (14.9% vs 7.5%; P<0.05) at the age of 30 months. CONCLUSIONS: Night feeding continued after the age of 6 months can affect the growth and development of infants/toddlers, cause overnutrition, and increase the prevalence rate of dental caries.

CT-detected solitary thyroid calcification: an important imaging feature for papillary carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate computed tomography (CT) detection of solitary thyroid calcification for identifying thyroid papillary carcinoma and to determine whether the predictive ability changes when the size increases after enhancement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans on all 96 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent both enhanced CT examination of neck and thyroidectomy from 2014 to 2016 in the Shandong Cancer Hospital affiliated to Shandong University were reviewed. The cases without calcification and the cases with peripheral calcification, multiple coarse calcifications, or punctate calcification were excluded. Imaging features, including location and size of the lesions, were reviewed on plain and contrast-enhanced CT. The patients were grouped by histological results. The comparisons were evaluated by using Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 96 patients (74 females, 22 males; mean age 49.8±11.3 years). Papillary thyroid carcinoma was observed in both solitary calcified thyroid nodules (85.4%) and solely coarse calcifications surrounded by low-density focus (58.2%). The difference was significant (P=0.006). Of 64 patients with an amplification of lesions after contrast enhancement, 58 (90.6%) were diagnosed with a malignant lesion. At the same time, of the 32 patients with no increase in size, 10 (31.2%) were diagnosed with carcinoma and 22 (68.8%) with nodular goiter. This difference was significant (P<0.001), and after binary logistic regression, increasing size was an independent risk factor for cancer. CONCLUSION: Solitary calcified thyroid nodules detected on CT represent a high risk for papillary thyroid carcinoma, especially when the size of the lesions increases after contrast- enhanced CT.

[CecropinA-magainin, a new hybrid antibacterial peptide against meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of cecropinA-mangainin treatment on the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus anreus biofilms. METHODS: The activity of the hybrid antibacterial peptide against Staphylococcus anreus was evaluated by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test and its effect on the bacteria membrane changes were observed through transmission electron microscope. The concentration of K+ of the tested bacterial liquid after interact with antibacterial peptide was detected with atomic absorption spectrometer. The changes of the treated bacteria biofilm was also evaluated by using flow cytometry. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the MIC of the peptide against Staphylococcus aureus was 64 microg/mL. The ultrastructure changes of the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus anreus membrane and the rising concentration of intracellular K+ were observed. And increased number of PI positive cells was also observed after hybrid antibacterial peptide treatmennt. CONCLUSION: The hybrid antibacterial peptide could kill the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus anreus by damage the treated bacteria membrane.

Response characteristics of soil fractal features to different land uses in typical purple soil watershed.

As a fundamental characteristic of soil physical properties, the soil Particle Size Distribution (PSD) is important in the research on soil moisture migration, solution transformation, and soil erosion. In this research, the PSD characteristics with distinct methods in different land uses are analyzed. The results show that the upper bound of the volume domain of the clay domain ranges from 5.743 µm to 5.749 µm for all land-use types. For the silt domain of purple soil, the value ranges among 286.852~286.966 µm. For all purple soil land-use types, the order of the volume domain fractal dimensions is D clayD silt(U)>D sand (U)>D sand and D silt>D silt(U)>D sand>D sand(U), respectively. As it is compared with all Dvi, the D silt has the most significant correlativity to the soil texture and organic matter in different land uses of the typical purple soil watersheds. Therefore, Dsilt will be a potential indictor for evaluating the proportion of fine particles in the PSD, as well as a key measurement in soil quality and productivity studies.

[Effects of elevated O3 concentration on nitrogen in greening tree species in southern China].

Numerous studies have indicated that rising ozone (O3) in the troposphere significantly decreased the photosynthesis and the activity of Rubisco enzyme. So it can be inferred that the N uptake and distribution within the plants could be affected by elevated O3. In this study, ten greening woody species, widely distributed in subtropical China, were exposed to charcoal-filtered air (CF, less than 20 nL · L(-1)) and elevated O3 (E-O3, mean concentration of 150 nL · L(-1)) in open top chambers. The results showed that E-O3 significantly reduced the leaves biomass in Liquidamba formosana by 20.9%, the stem biomass in Liriodendron chinense by 21.4%, the root biomass in L. formosana and L. chinense by 24.2% and 32.5%, respectively. E-O3 significantly affected the N concentration in the stem but not those in leaves and root. The N uptakes in the whole tree (Nlu), the leaves and the root were significantly affected by E-O3. Compared to CF, E-O3 significantly reduced the Nlu in L. chinense by 28.4% and Schima superba by 22.7% but significantly increased the Nlu in Neolitsea sericea by 15.5%. Elevated O3 concentration had no significant influence on N distribution within the plants across the selected 10 tree species.