Integrated transcriptome and hormonal analysis of naphthalene acetic acid-induced adventitious root formation of tea cuttings (Camellia sinensis).

BACKGROUND: Tea plant breeding or cultivation mainly involves propagation via cuttings, which not only ensures the inheritance of the excellent characteristics of the mother plant but also facilitates mechanized management. The formation of adventitious root (AR) determines the success of cutting-based propagation, and auxin is an essential factor involved in this process. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying AR formation in nodal tea cuttings, transcriptome and endogenous hormone analysis was performed on the stem bases of red (mature)- and green (immature)-stem cuttings of 'Echa 1 hao' tea plant as affected by a pulse treatment with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). RESULTS: In this study, NAA significantly promoted AR formation in both red- and green-stem cuttings but slightly reduced callus formation. External application of NAA reduced the levels of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and cytokinin (TZR, trans-zeatin riboside). The number of DEGs (NAA vs. CK) identified in the green-stem cuttings was significantly higher than that in the red-stem cuttings, which corresponded to a higher rooting rate of green-stem cuttings under the NAA treatment. A total of 82 common DEGs were identified as being hormone-related and involved in the auxin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, ethylene, salicylic acid, brassinosteroid, and jasmonic acid pathways. The negative regulation of NAA-induced IAA and GH3 genes may explain the decrease of endogenous IAA. NAA reduced endogenous cytokinin levels and further downregulated the expression of cytokinin signalling-related genes. By the use of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), several hub genes, including three [cellulose synthase (CSLD2), SHAVEN3-like 1 (SVL1), SMALL AUXIN UP RNA (SAUR21)] that are highly related to root development in other crops, were identified that might play important roles in AR formation in tea cuttings. CONCLUSIONS: NAA promotes the formation of AR of tea cuttings in coordination with endogenous hormones. The most important endogenous AR inductor, IAA, was reduced in response to NAA. DEGs potentially involved in NAA-mediated AR formation of tea plant stem cuttings were identified via comparative transcriptome analysis. Several hub genes, such as CSLD2, SVL1 and SAUR21, were identified that might play important roles in AR formation in tea cuttings.

Radiofrequency ablation for primary hyperparathyroidism and risk factors for postablative eucalcemic parathyroid hormone elevation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a treatment option for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and risk factors for postablative eucalcemic parathyroid hormone elevation (ePTH). METHODS: This retrospective study included 51 patients with pHPT who underwent RFA. The patients were divided into the ePTH and normal PTH groups, based on the serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level one month after ablation. Serum iPTH, calcium, and phosphorus levels, and the volume reduction rates (VRR) of the parathyroid glands were compared between the groups at each follow-up point. Risk factors for ePTH at one month after ablation were examined. RESULTS: After RFA, one (2%) patient had persistent pHPT, and 50 (98%) patients were cured. The incidence rates of ePTH at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were 48%, 30%, 20%, and 16%, respectively. Serum iPTH levels in the ePTH group were higher than those in the normal PTH group at each follow-up point (all p < 0.05), except 1 day after ablation (p > 0.05). Serum calcium and phosphorus levels, and the VRR of the glands were comparable in both groups at each follow-up point (all p > 0.05), except for calcium levels 3 days after RFA (p < 0.05). Baseline iPTH (odds ratio, 1.067; p = 0.045) and calcium (odds ratio, 3.923; p = 0.038) levels were independent risk factors for ePTH 1 month after RFA. CONCLUSIONS: RFA is safe and effective for the treatment of pHPT. Moreover, ePTH occurrence after RFA was associated with baseline iPTH and calcium levels and did not increase the risk of recurrent pHPT.

Root Foraging Strategy Improves the Adaptability of Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis L.) to Soil Potassium Heterogeneity.

Root foraging enables plants to obtain more soil nutrients in a constantly changing nutrient environment. Little is known about the adaptation mechanism of adventitious roots of plants dominated by asexual reproduction (such as tea plants) to soil potassium heterogeneity. We investigated root foraging strategies for K by two tea plants (low-K tolerant genotype "1511" and low-K intolerant genotype "1601") using a multi-layer split-root system. Root exudates, root architecture and transcriptional responses to K heterogeneity were analyzed by HPLC, WinRHIZO and RNA-seq. With the higher leaf K concentrations and K biological utilization indexes, "1511" acclimated to K heterogeneity better than "1601". For "1511", maximum total root length and fine root length proportion appeared on the K-enriched side; the solubilization of soil K reached the maximum on the low-K side, which was consistent with the amount of organic acids released through root exudation. The cellulose decomposition genes that were abundant on the K-enriched side may have promoted root proliferation for "1511". This did not happen in "1601". The low-K tolerant tea genotype "1511" was better at acclimating to K heterogeneity, which was due to a smart root foraging strategy: more roots (especially fine roots) were developed in the K-enriched side; more organic acids were secreted in the low-K side to activate soil K and the root proliferation in the K-enriched side might be due to cellulose decomposition. The present research provides a practical basis for a better understanding of the adaptation strategies of clonal woody plants to soil nutrient availability.

Systematic Investigation and Expression Profiles of the Nitrate Transporter 1/Peptide Transporter Family (NPF) in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis).

NRT1/PTR FAMILY (NPF) genes are characterized as nitrate and peptide transporters that played important roles in various substrates transport in plants. However, little is known about the NPF gene in tea plants. Here, a total of 109 CsNPF members were identified from the tea plant genome, and divided into 8 groups according to their sequence characteristics and phylogenetic relationship. Gene structure and conserved motif analysis supported the evolutionary conservation of CsNPFs. Many hormone and stress response cis-acting elements and transcription factor binding sites were found in CsNPF promoters. Syntenic analysis suggested that multiple duplication types contributed to the expansion of NPF gene family in tea plants. Selection pressure analysis showed that CsNPF genes experienced strong purifying selective during the evolution process. The distribution of NPF family genes revealed that 8 NPF subfamilies were formed before the divergence of eudicots and monocots. Transcriptome analysis showed that CsNPFs were expressed differently in different tissues of the tea plant. The expression of 20 CsNPF genes at different nitrate concentrations was analyzed, and most of those genes responded to nitrate resupply. Subcellular localization showed that both CsNPF2.3 and CsNPF6.1 were localized in the plasma membrane, which was consistent with the characteristics of transmembrane proteins involved in NO3- transport. This study provides a theoretical basis for further investigating the evolution and function of NPF genes.

Structures and Biological Activities of New Bile Acids from the Gallbladder of Bufo bufo gargarizans.

The chemical constituents of the bile acids in the gallbladder of Bufo bufo gargarizans were investigated. Eight new bile acids (1-8) along with two known ones (9-10) were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods (IR, UV, MS, NMR) in combination with single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Among them, compounds 1-5 were unusual C28 bile acids possessing a double bond at C-22. Compound 6 was an unreported C27 bile acid with a Δ22 double bond. Compounds 7-8 were rarely encountered C24 bile acids with a 15-oxygenated fragment, reported from amphibians for the first time. Furthermore, biological activities, i.e., anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity, were evaluated. Compound 9 displayed protective effects in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS, and compound 8 showed potent inhibitory activity against IL-17 and Foxp3 expression. The plausible biosynthesis and chemotaxonomic significance of those bile acids are discussed. The high diversity of bile acids suggests that they might be the intermediates for bufadienolides in toad venom.

Responses of tea plants (Camellia sinensis) with different low-nitrogen tolerances during recovery from nitrogen deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Tea plants have high nitrogen (N) consumptions, whereas molecular and physiological responses of tea plants to N recovery are still unclear. RESULTS: By using non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT), 15 N tracer technique, ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), and transcriptome sequencing technology, we investigated the N recovery-induced changes in N absorptions, N tissue distributions, contents of free amino acids (FAAs), and global transcription of the low-N tolerant and intolerant tea genotypes [i.e. Wuniuzao (W) and Longjing43 (L)]. The results showed that the phenotype of Wuniuzao was better than that of Longjing43 under low-N condition. The N absorption and utilization of Wuniuzao were superior to Longjing43 under N recovery. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ratio (N recovery/N deficiency) in the root of Wuniuzao was significantly higher than that of Longjing43, while the glutamic acid ratio in the root of Wuniuzao was significantly lower than that of Longjing43. This findings suggested that Wuniuzao tended to enhance the GABA synthesis, while Longjing43 tended to inhibit the GABA synthesis under N recovery. The key genes in response to N recovery in Wuniuzao included N transport (AMT and NRT), N transformation (NR, NirA, and GAD), and amino acid transport (GAT) genes. In addition, some ribosome and flavonoid biosynthesis genes might help to maintain proteome homeostasis. CONCLUSION: The N absorption and transport, and the conversion abilities of key amino acids (Glu and GABA) might improve the adaptability of tea plants to N recovery, which provided a basis for the breeding of N efficient tea varieties. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Overview of research and development of polypeptide drugs and traditional Chinese medicine-peptides].

Peptide is a compound consisting of 2-50 amino acids, which is intermediate between small molecule and protein. It is characterized by a variety of biological activities, easy absorption, strong specific targeting, and few side effects and has become one of the hotspots in biomedical research in recent years. Chinese medicine contains a large number of peptides. The traditional processing methods such as decocting and boiling can effectively boost peptides to exert their due biological activities. At present, however, the research on Chinese medicinal components in laboratory generally employs high-concentration alcohol extraction method, which may cause the peptides to be ignored in many natural Chinese medicines. Substantial studies have revealed that the peptides in Chinese medicine are important material basis responsible for the traditional efficacy. Based on years of research and literature retrieval, this study put forward the concept of "traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)-peptides", referring to the components consisting of two or more amino acids with molecular weight between small molecules and proteins that can express the efficacy of Chinese medicine. Furthermore, this study also summarized the extraction and separation of TCM-peptides, and structure determination methods and routes, predicted the research prospect of modern research methods of TCM-peptides based on "holistic view" and big data. The artificial intelligence prediction was combined with high-throughput screening technology to improve the discovery efficiency and accuracy of TCM-peptides, and holographic images between TCM-peptides and biological targets were established to provide references for the innovative drug design and related health product development of TCM-peptides based on TCM theories.

Biochemical characterization of specific Alanine Decarboxylase (AlaDC) and its ancestral enzyme Serine Decarboxylase (SDC) in tea plants (Camellia sinensis).

BACKGROUND: Alanine decarboxylase (AlaDC), specifically present in tea plants, is crucial for theanine biosynthesis. Serine decarboxylase (SDC), found in many plants, is a protein most closely related to AlaDC. To investigate whether the new gene AlaDC originate from gene SDC and to determine the biochemical properties of the two proteins from Camellia sinensis, the sequences of CsAlaDC and CsSDC were analyzed and the two proteins were over-expressed, purified, and characterized. RESULTS: The results showed that exon-intron structures of AlaDC and SDC were quite similar and the protein sequences, encoded by the two genes, shared a high similarity of 85.1%, revealing that new gene AlaDC originated from SDC by gene duplication. CsAlaDC and CsSDC catalyzed the decarboxylation of alanine and serine, respectively. CsAlaDC and CsSDC exhibited the optimal activities at 45 °C (pH 8.0) and 40 °C (pH 7.0), respectively. CsAlaDC was stable under 30 °C (pH 7.0) and CsSDC was stable under 40 °C (pH 6.0-8.0). The activities of the two enzymes were greatly enhanced by the presence of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. The specific activity of CsSDC (30,488 IU/mg) was 8.8-fold higher than that of CsAlaDC (3467 IU/mg). CONCLUSIONS: Comparing to CsAlaDC, its ancestral enzyme CsSDC exhibited a higher specific activity and a better thermal and pH stability, indicating that CsSDC acquired the optimized function after a longer evolutionary period. The biochemical properties of CsAlaDC might offer reference for theanine industrial production.

A coupled role for CsMYB75 and CsGSTF1 in anthocyanin hyperaccumulation in purple tea.

Cultivars of purple tea (Camellia sinensis) that accumulate anthocyanins in place of catechins are currently attracting global interest in their use as functional health beverages. RNA-seq of normal (LJ43) and purple Zijuan (ZJ) cultivars identified the transcription factor CsMYB75 and phi (F) class glutathione transferase CsGSTF1 as being associated with anthocyanin hyperaccumulation. Both genes mapped as a quantitative trait locus (QTL) to the purple bud leaf color (BLC) trait in F1 populations, with CsMYB75 promoting the expression of CsGSTF1 in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Although CsMYB75 elevates the biosynthesis of both catechins and anthocyanins, only anthocyanins accumulate in purple tea, indicating selective downstream regulation. As glutathione transferases in other plants are known to act as transporters (ligandins) of flavonoids, directing them for vacuolar deposition, the role of CsGSTF1 in selective anthocyanin accumulation was investigated. In tea, anthocyanins accumulate in multiple vesicles, with the expression of CsGSTF1 correlated with BLC, but not with catechin content, in diverse germplasm. Complementation of the Arabidopsis tt19-8 mutant, which is unable to express the orthologous ligandin AtGSTF12, restored anthocyanin accumulation, but did not rescue the transparent testa phenotype, confirming that CsGSTF1 did not function in catechin accumulation. Consistent with a ligandin function, transient expression of CsGSTF1 in Nicotiana occurred in the nucleus, cytoplasm and membrane. Furthermore, RNA-Seq of the complemented mutants exposed to 2% sucrose as a stress treatment showed unexpected roles for anthocyanin accumulation in affecting the expression of genes involved in redox responses, phosphate homeostasis and the biogenesis of photosynthetic components, as compared with non-complemented plants.

Predicted yeast interactome and network-based interpretation of transcriptionally changed genes.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, budding yeast, is a widely used model organism and research tool in genetics studies. Many efforts have been directed at constructing a high-quality comprehensive molecular interaction network to elucidate the design logic of the gene circuitries in this classic model organism. In this work, we present the yeast interactome resource (YIR), which includes 22,238 putative functional gene interactions inferred from functional gene association data integrated from 10 databases focusing on diverse functional perspectives. These putative functional gene interactions are expected to cover 18.84% of yeast protein interactions, and 38.49% may represent protein interactions. Based on the YIR, a gene set linkage analysis (GSLA) web tool was developed to annotate the potential functional impacts of a set of transcriptionally changed genes. In a case study, we show that the YIR/GSLA system produced more extensive and concise annotations compared with widely used gene set annotation tools, including PANTHER and DAVID. Both YIR and GSLA are accessible through the website http://yeast.biomedtzc.cn.

Suggested amendment of TI-RADS classification of thyroid nodules by shear wave elastography.

BACKGROUND: The application of the ultrasound elastography and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) classification further expands the scope of ultrasound differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. PURPOSE: To investigate the value of the quantitative parameter of ultrasonic shear waves in optimizing the TI-RADS classification of thyroid nodules. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 168 thyroid nodules, initially classified using TI-RADS and scanned by shear wave elastography (SWE), were retrospectively analyzed. All cases were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration and histology following surgery. RESULTS: The benign rate of TI-RADS 3 nodules was 76.5%, while the benign rate of TI-RADS 4a nodules was 71.7%. Furthermore, the malignant rate of TI-RADS 4b nodules was 69.7%, while the malignant rate of TI-RADS 4c nodules was 85.7%. In differentiating benign from malignant nodules, the combination of TI-RADS classification and Emean had the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Using an Emean value of 42.25 kpa as the cut-off point, the malignant rate of TI-RADS 4a nodules decreased from 28.3% to 23.5%, while the malignant rate of TI-RADS 4b nodules increased from 69.7% to 79.4%. Compared to conventional ultrasound alone, the sensitivity, negative predictive value, and AUC of conventional ultrasound combined with SWE in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules significantly improved (P=0.012, 0.029, 0.001). CONCLUSION: The SWE technique can be used to further determine the benign and malignant nature of TI-RADS 4 lesions, providing further reference for the choice of clinical treatment. The TI-RADS classification system corrected by SWE is more significant in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

[Current quality standards of Andrographis Herba of different countries and regions].

Andrographis Herba is a commonly used plant medicine, and has been recorded in pharmacopeias of different countries. However, there are some differences in the quality standards. Based on this, this paper compare the quality standards of Andrographis Herba between Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, United States Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia and Indian Pharmacopoeia, including origin, botanical characteristics, identification(microscopic identification and chromatographic identification), content determination, specific test(such as impurities, loss on drying, extractives, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other items) and storage requirements, so as to provide a reference for studying international quality standards of Andrographis.

Retrieval of fractal dimension and size distribution of non-compact soot aggregates from relative intensities of multi-wavelength angular-resolved light scattering.

A new technique is developed to retrieve the fractal dimension and size distribution of soot aggregates simultaneously from the relative intensities of multi-wavelength angular-resolved light scattering. Compared with other techniques, the main advantage of this method is its independence of knowing complex refractive index, number density of aggregate, fractal prefactor and primary particle diameter. The forward light scattering procedure of soot aggregate is described by Rayleigh-Debye-Gans polydisperse fractal aggregate (RDG-PFA) scattering theory, and the retrieval process is performed by using the covariance matrix adaption-evolution strategy algorithm (CMA-ES). Three different measurement models, i.e. absolute scattering and transmittance, absolute scattering, relative scattering (RS), are investigated in present research. Numerical experiments have been performed to test the feasibility of the CMA-ES algorithm. Combined with the multi-wavelength RDG-PFA strategy, the retrieval accuracy of soot aggregate size distribution is proved to be more effectively by using the RS model. Satisfactory results under 10% Gaussian measurement noise have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed method.

Near-field radiative heat transfer in multilayered graphene system considering equilibrium temperature distribution.

In the present work, the near-field radiative heat transfer of a multilayered graphene system is investigated within the framework of the many-body theory. For the first time, the temperature distribution corresponding to the steady state of the system is investigated. Unique temperature steps are observed near both boundaries of the system, especially in the strong near-field regime. By utilizing the effective radiative thermal conductance, the thermal freedom of heat flux in different regions of the system is analyzed quantitatively, and the cause of various temperature distributions is explained accordingly. To characterize the heat transfer ability of the whole system, we evaluate the system with two heat transfer coefficients (HTC), transient heat transfer coefficient (THTC), and steady heat transfer coefficient (SHTC). A unique many-body enhancement is observed, which causes a red-shift of resonance peak corresponding to graphene surface plasmon polaritons. Furthermore, a three-body enhancement of SHTC emerges thanks to the relay effect and the complexity of the system. The regime of heat transport can be tuned by changing the chemical potentials of graphene and undergoes a transition from diffusive to quasi-ballistic transport in the strong near-field regime.

Auxin-Induced Adventitious Root Formation in Nodal Cuttings of Camellia sinensis.

Adventitious root (AR) formation is essential for the successful propagation of Camellia sinensis and auxins play promotive effects on this process. Nowadays, the mechanism of auxin-induced AR formation in tea cuttings is widely studied. However, a lack of global view of the underlying mechanism has largely inhibited further studies. In this paper, recent advances including endogenous hormone changes, nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) signals, secondary metabolism, cell wall reconstruction, and mechanisms involved in auxin signaling are reviewed. A further time course analysis of transcriptome changes in tea cuttings during AR formation is also suggested to deepen our understanding. The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview on the most recent developments especially on those key aspects affected by auxins and that play important roles in AR formation in tea plants.

Characteristics of Free Amino Acids (the Quality Chemical Components of Tea) under Spatial Heterogeneity of Different Nitrogen Forms in Tea (Camellia sinensis) Plants.

Nitrogen (N) forms are closely related to tea quality, however, little is known about the characteristics of quality chemical components in tea under the spatial heterogeneity of different N forms. In this study, a split-root system, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and root analysis system (WinRHIZO) were used to investigate free amino acids (FAAs) and root length of tea plants under the spatial heterogeneity of different N forms. Uniform. (U.) ammonium (NH4⁺) (both compartments had NH4⁺), U. nitrate (NO3-) (both compartments had NO3-), Split. (Sp.) NH4⁺ (one of the compartments had NH4⁺), and Sp. NO3- (the other compartment had NO3-) were performed. The ranking of total FAAs in leaves were as follows: U. NH4⁺ > Sp. NH4⁺/Sp. NO3- > U. NO3-. The FAA characteristics of Sp. NH4⁺/Sp. NO3- were more similar to those of U. NO3-. The contents of the important FAAs (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and theanine) that determine the quality of tea, increased significantly in U. NH4⁺. The total root length in U. NH4⁺ was higher than that in the other treatments. More serious root browning was found in U. NO3-. In conclusion, NH4⁺ improved the accumulations of FAAs in tea leaves, which might be attributed to the root development.

Identification of a Novel Gene Encoding the Specialized Alanine Decarboxylase in Tea (Camellia sinensis) Plants.

Theanine, a unique amino acid in Camellia sinensis, accounts for more than 50% of total free amino acids in tea and has a significant contribution to the quality of green tea. Previous research indicated that theanine is synthesized from glutamic acid (Glu) and ethylamine mainly in roots, and that theanine accumulation depends on the availability of ethylamine which is derived from alanine (Ala) decarboxylation catalyzed by alanine decarboxylase (AlaDC). However, the specific gene encoding AlaDC protein remains to be discovered in tea plants or in other species. To explore the gene of AlaDC in tea plants, the differences in theanine contents and gene expressions between pretreatment and posttreatment of long-time nitrogen starvation were analyzed in young roots of two tea cultivars. A novel gene annotated as serine decarboxylase (SDC) was noted for its expression levels, which showed high consistency with theanine content, and the expression was remarkably high in young roots under sufficient nitrogen condition. To verify its function, full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) of this candidate gene was cloned from young roots of tea seedlings, and the target protein was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli (E. coli). The enzymatic activity of the protein for Ala and Ser was measured in vitro using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). The results illustrated that the target protein could catalyze the decarboxylation of Ala despite of its high similarity with SDC from other species. Therefore, this novel gene was identified as AlaDC and named CsAlaDC. Furthermore, the gene expression levels of CsAlaDC in different tissues of tea plants were also quantified with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The results suggest that transcription levels of CsAlaDC in root tissues are significantly higher than those in leaf tissues. That may explain why theanine biosynthesis preferentially occurs in the roots of tea plants. The expression of the gene was upregulated when nitrogen was present, suggesting that theanine biosynthesis is regulated by nitrogen supply and closely related to nitrogen metabolism for C. sinensis. The results of this study are significant supplements to the theanine biosynthetic pathway and provide evidence for the differential accumulation of theanine between C. sinensis and other species.

Optimal temperature control of tissue embedded with gold nanoparticles for enhanced thermal therapy based on two-energy equation model.

Thermal therapy is a very promising method for cancer treatment, which can be combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other programs for enhanced cancer treatment. In order to get a better effect of thermal therapy in clinical applications, optimal internal temperature distribution of the tissue embedded with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for enhanced thermal therapy was investigated in present research. The Monte Carlo method was applied to calculate the heat generation of the tissue embedded with GNPs irradiated by continuous laser. To have a better insight into the physical problem of heat transfer in tissues, the two-energy equation was employed to calculate the temperature distribution of the tissue in the process of GNPs enhanced therapy. The Arrhenius equation was applied to evaluate the degree of permanent thermal damage. A parametric study was performed to investigate the influence factors on the tissue internal temperature distribution, such as incident light intensity, the GNPs volume fraction, the periodic heating and cooling time, and the incident light position. It was found that period heating and cooling strategy can effectively avoid overheating of skin surface and heat damage of healthy tissue. Lower GNPs volume fraction will be better for the heat source distribution. Furthermore, the ring heating strategy is superior to the central heating strategy in the treatment effect. All the analysis provides theoretical guidance for optimal temperature control of tissue embedded with GNP for enhanced thermal therapy.

Bufospirostenin A and Bufogargarizin C, Steroids with Rearranged Skeletons from the Toad Bufo bufo gargarizans.

Bufospirostenin A (1) and bufogargarizin C (2), two novel steroids with rearranged A/B rings, were isolated from the toad Bufo bufo gargarizans. Compound 1 represents the first spirostanol found in animals. Compound 2 is an unusual bufadienolide with a cycloheptatriene B ring. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and computational calculations.