Secure Multigroup Multicast Communication Systems via Intelligent Reflecting Surface

This paper considers a secure multigroup multicast multiple-input single-output(MISO)communication system aided by an intelligent reflecting surface(IRS).Specifically,we aim to minimize the transmit power at Alice via jointly optimizing the transmit beamformer,artificial noise(AN)vector and phase shifts at the IRS subject to the secrecy rate constraints as well as the unit modulus constraints of IRS phase shifts.To tackle the optimization problem,we first transform it into a semidefinite relaxation(SDR)problem,and then alternately update the transmit beamformer and AN matrix as well as the phase shifts at the IRS.In order to reduce the high computational complexity,we further propose a low-complexity algorithm based on second-order cone programming(SOCP).We decouple the optimization problem into two sub-problems and optimize the transmit beamformer,AN vector and the phase shifts alternately by solving two corresponding SOCP subproblem.Simulation results show that the proposed SDR and SOCP schemes require half or less transmit power than the scheme without IRS,which demonstrates the advantages of introducing IRS and the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Isolation and identification of chemical constituents from the vinegar-prepared Corydalis yanhusuo

Phytochemical investigation of the vinegar-prepared Corydalis yanhusuo led to the isolation of one aristolactam derivative,1,2,8,9-tetramethoxy-5-methyldibenzo[cd,f]indol-4-(5H)-one(1),and seven aporphine alkaloids,including 2,9,10-trimethoxydibenz[de,g]quinolin-7-one(2),1-hydroxy-2,9,10-trimethoxy-7H-dibenzo(de,g)quinoline-7-one(3),oxoglaucine(4),N-methyloxoglaucine trifluoroacetate trifluoroacetate(5),corunine acetate(6),pontevedrine(7),and oxoglaucidaline trifluoroacetate(8).The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with the previous reports.Among them,compounds 1 and 2 were obtained as natural products for the first time,and their NMR data were unambiguously assigned.In addition,compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 16.0±6.4μM.

Colletodiphenol A,a new phenol derivative isolated from the endophytic fungus Colletotrichum capsici

A new C_(6)-C_(2)dimer phenol derivative,colletodiphenol A(1),along with two known C_(6)-C_(2)phenol derivatives(2,3)were isolated from the endophytic fungus Colletotrichum capsici related to the traditional Chinese medicine Paeonia lactiflora.Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic data analysis,including HRESIMS,UV,IR,1D and 2D NMR.The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated,but none of them displayed significant activity.

Progress of ubiquitin-proteasome system in the pathophysiology of heart failure and the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine

Heart failure(HF)represents one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the modern world,which threatened approximately 1%~2%of adults’lives.HF is the end stage of multiple cardiovascular diseases characterized by cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial remodeling,and the pathophysiological processes of which include oxidative stress,endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis,apoptosis,autophagy,energy metabolism disorder,etc.The regulation of protein homeostasis intrinsically interrelates the above pathophysiological processes.Therefore,it is imperative to elucidate the molecular mechanism from the perspective of protein homeostasis to find new therapeutic targets for HF treatment.The dynamic regulation and post-translational modification of protein synthesis and degradation play a vital role in response of living organisms to physiological changes.The ubiquitin-proteasome system(UPS),which degrades 70-90%of endogenous proteins,plays an integral part in the pathophysiological processes of HF.The UPS can regulate oxidative stress,endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis,apoptosis and autophagy of cardiomyocytes(CMs),energy metabolism,targeting degradation signals and structural proteins,thus modulating cardiac hypertrophy,fibrosis and remodeling,finally contributing to the occurrence and progression of HF.Thus,regulating UPS is a promising effective strategy to treat HF.Increasing evidence indicates that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)targeting the UPS is potential to ameliorate HF.This review will summarize the current knowledge focusing on the underlying mechanism and the important research advances related to UPS in treating HF,and the traditional Chinese medicine targeting UPS.

A new sesquiterpenoidal glucoside from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora

Objective:To study the chemical constituents of the roots of Paeonia lactiflora.Materials and methods:The isolation and purification were carried out by column chromatography on macroporous adsorbent resin,MCI gel,silica gel,and Sephadex LH-20,as well as semi-preparative RP-HPLC.The structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis,as well as the ECD quantum chemical computation methods.Results:A sesquiterpenoidal glucoside(1)along with two sesquiterpenoids(2-3)were isolated from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora,and their structures were identified as(+)-(1R,2R,4S,5S,10R)-2-α-D-glucopyranosyloxy-2-hydroxy-cadin-6,12-dien-15-oic acid(1),drim-7-en-3β,11,12-triol(2),and 3β-hydroxy-11,12-O-isopropylidenedrimene(3),respectively.Conclusion:Compound 1 was identified as a new sesquiterpenoidal glucoside.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality,any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this.CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling,which might be related to oxidative stress,inflammation,endoplasmic reticulum stress,apoptosis,autophagy,mitochondrial function,and angiogenesis.These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk.Historically,Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF,and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets.This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials.Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms.This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM,herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF,providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Purpurolide C-based microneedle promotes macrophage-mediated diabetic wound healing via inhibiting TLR4-MD2 dimerization and MYD88 phosphorylation

Delayed wound healing in diabetes is a global challenge,and the development of related drugs is a clinical problem to be solved.In this study,purpurolide C(PC),a small-molecule secondary metabolite of the endophytic fungus Penicillium purpurogenum,was found to promote diabetic wound healing.To investigate the key regulation targets of PC,in vitro RNA-seq,molecular docking calcula-tions,TLR4-MD2 dimerization SDS-PAGE detection,and surface plasmon resonance(SPR)were per-formed,indicating that PC inhibited inflammatory macrophage activation by inhibiting both TLR4-MD2 dimerization and MYD88 phosphorylation.Tlr4 knockout in vivo attenuated the promotion effect of PC on wound healing.Furthermore,a delivery system consisting of macrophage liposome and GelMA-based microneedle patches combined with PC(PC@MLIP MN)was developed,which overcame the poor water solubility and weak skin permeability of PC,so that successfully punctured the skin and delivered PC to local tissues,and accurately regulated macrophage polarization in diabetic wound management.Overall,PC is an anti-inflammatory small molecule compound with a well-defined structure and dualtarget regulation,and the PC@MLIP MN is a promising novel biomaterial for the management of diabetic wound.

(+)/(-)-Yanhusuosines A and B, two dimeric benzylisoquinoline-protoberberine alkaloid atropo-enantiomers featuring polycyclic skeletons from Corydalis yanhusuo

(+)/(-)-Yanhusuosines A(1) and B(2), two pairs of trace benzylisoquinoline-protoberberine atropoenantiomeric homodimers featuring an unprecedented 6/7/6/6/6/6 hexacyclic skeleton, were isolated from the tubers of Corydalis yanhusuo. The structures of(+)/(-)-1 and(+)/(-)-2 were elucidated using spectroscopic and quantum-chemical calculation approaches.(+)/(-)-Yanhusuosines A(1) and B(2)represent a new class of alkaloid dimers biogenetically constructed by a molecule of benzylisoquinoline with a unit of protoberberine via an intermolecular [4 + 3] cycloaddition. Their plausible biosynthetic pathways are discussed, and compound 2 exerted moderate inhibitory activity of NO formation in LPS induced RAW264.7 macrophages.

(+)/(-)-Yanhusamides A-C,three pairs of unprecedented benzylisoquinoline-pyrrole hetero-dimeric alkaloid enantiomers from Corydalis yanhusuo

A chemical investigation on the aqueous extract of Corydalis yanhusuo tubers led to the isolation and structural elucidation of three pairs of trace enantiomeric hetero-dimeric alkaloids,(+)/(-)-yanhusamides A-C(1-3),featuring an unprecedented 3,8-diazatricylco[5.2.2.0^(2,6)]undecane-8,10-diene bridged system.Their structures were exhaustively characterized by X-ray diffraction,comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis,and computational methods.Guided by the hypothetical biosynthetic pathway for 1-3,a gram-scale biomimetic synthesis of(±)-1 was achieved in 3 steps using photoenolization/Diels-Alder(PEDA)[4+2]cycloaddition.Compounds 1-3 exhibited potent inhibition of NO production induced by LPS in RAW264.7 macrophages.The in vivo assay showed that oral administration of 30 mg/kg of(±)-1 attenuated the severity of rat adjuvant-induced arthritis(AIA).Additionally,(±)-1 induced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in the acetic acid-induced mice writhing assay.

SESQUITERPENES FROM CURCUMA PHAEOCAULIS AND THEIR INHIBITORY ACTIVITIES ON NITRIC OXIDE PRODUCTION IN RAW 264.7 CELLS

Curcumfa phaeocaulis Valeton is used in traditional Chinese medicines for the treatment of blood-related disorders such as blood stasis and inflammation.Our previous studies have found that sesquiterpenes were mainly isolated from C.wenyujin and C.phaeocaulis,while diarylheptanoids were the major compounds from C.kwangsiensis.And most of the isolated compounds exhibited remarkable

Beamforming design for RIS-aided amplify-and-forward relay networks

The use of a reconfigurable intelligent surface(RIS)in the enhancement of the rate performance is considered to involve the limitation of the RIS being a passive reflector.To address this issue,we propose a RIS-aided amplify-and-forward(AF)relay network in this paper.By jointly optimizing the beamforming matrix at AF relay and the phase-shift matrices at RIS,two schemes are put forward to address a maximizing signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)problem.First,aiming at achieving a high rate,a high-performance alternating optimization(AO)method based on Charnes–Cooper transformation and semidefinite programming(CCT-SDP)is proposed,where the optimization problem is decomposed into three subproblems solved using CCT-SDP,and rank-one solutions can be recovered using Gaussian randomization.However,the optimization variables in the CCT-SDP method are matrices,leading to extremely high complexity.To reduce the complexity,a low-complexity AO scheme based on Dinkelbachs transformation and successive convex approximation(DT-SCA)is proposed,where the variables are represented in vector form,and the three decoupling subproblems are solved using DT-SCA.Simulation results verify that compared to three benchmarks(i.e.,a RIS-assisted AF relay network with random phase,an AF relay network without RIS,and a RIS-aided network without AF relay),the proposed CCT-SDP and DT-SCA schemes can harvest better rate performance.Furthermore,it is revealed that the rate of the low-complexity DT-SCA method is close to that of the CCT-SDP method.

Circularly polarized luminescence of talarolactones(+)/(-)-A and(+)/(-)-C:The application of CPL-calculation in stereochemical assignment

Two pairs of fluorescent natural products,talarolactones(+)/(−)-A and(+)/(−)-C[(+)/(−)-1 and(+)/(−)-2],were discovered and characterized as a new family of circularly polarized luminescence-active small organic molecules(CPL-SOMs)with high fluorescence efficiency and fascinating CPL properties.The CPL(|glum|)levels of enantiomerically pure(+)/(−)-1 and(+)/(−)-2 in solution falls into the usual range(10−5−10−3)considering their pure organic nature,but the sign of CPL were found to be closely related to the absolute configuration of C-8.The high agreement of the measured CPL spectra of(+)/(−)-1 and(+)/(−)-2 with the time-dependent density functional theory(TDDFT)calculated ones demonstrated the usefulness of CPL-calculation as a unique method for stereochemical assignment.This study may open up a new perspective for the stereochemical studies and the future development of CPL materials.

Three new decarbonyl prenylphloroglucinols bearing unusual spirost subunits from Hypericum scabrum and their neuronal activities

Three novel polycyclic polyprenyled acylphloroglucinols,Hyperscabins A-C,were obtained from the aerial parts of Hypericum scabrum.They featured an unprecedented 5,5-spiro ketal subunit with the loss of C-2’carbonyl in the phloroglucinol ring.Their structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic analyses,NMR calculations with DP4+analysis,calculated electronic circular dichroism(ECD)spectra and the application of modified Mosher’s methods.In the assay of[^(3)H]-5-HT and[^(3)H]-NE reuptake inhibition,compounds 1 and 2 showed good inhibito ry activity(81.8%and 83.2%)in 10μmol/L.In addition,compound 1 significantly increased cell viability in the experiment of oxygen and glucose deprivation/deoxygenation.

SESQUITERPENES FROM THE RHIZOMES OF CURCUMA WENYUJIN

The rhizomes of Curcuma wenyujin Y.H.Chen et C.Ling are used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of Oketsu syndromes.Recently,our research group has been examining the constituents of C.kwangsiensis,C.phaeocaulis and C.wenyujin.As part of our ongoing research for biologically active sesquiterpenoids from the genus Curcuma and to provide a potential explanation for