Plant-based meat analogues aggravated lipid accumulation by regulating lipid metabolism homeostasis in mice

To determine the effects of plant-based meat analogues on the metabolic health and the possible mechanisms,mice were fed with a real pork diet(AP),a real beef diet(AB),a plant-based pork analogue diet(PP)and plant-based beef analogue diet(PB)for 68 days.Compared with real meat,the plant-based meat analogues increased food and energy intake,body weight,white fat and liver weight and caused adipocyte hypertrophy,hepatic lipid droplet accumulation,and inflammatory responses in mice.Metabolomics revealed that plantbased meat analogues altered the composition of serum metabolites,which regulated lipid metabolism homeostasis.The PB diet upregulated gene expression related to lipid synthesis,lipolysis and adipocyte differentiation while the PP diet upregulated expression of lipolysis-related genes but downregulated expression of adipocyte differentiation-related genes in white adipose tissue.Meanwhile,both PP and PB diets upregulated lipid influx-and synthesis-related genes but downregulated lipid oxidation-related genes in liver.The specific metabolite biomarkers may affect fat accumulation mainly by direct lipid metabolism pathways or indirect amino acid metabolism,protein digestion and absorption,bile secretion,aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and ABC transporters pathways.These findings provide a new insight into understanding the differences in nutritional functions of meat and plant-based meat analogues.

An Approach to New Water-soluble Oligo(ethylene glycol) Camptothecin Analogues by 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition

Combined with an effective copper-catalyzed triazole-forming reaction, a series of novel camptothecin derivatives were synthesized. Incorporating oligo（ethylene glycol） chains into the derivatives enhanced their water-solubility when compared to the parent compound （up to 55-fold）.

Synthesis of novel biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol) analogue:Water-soluble aliphatic polyester with pendant oligo(ethylene glycol) chains

A novel poly（ethylene glycol） （PEG） analogue composed of aliphatic polyester backbone and pendant oligo（ethylene glycol） short chains is reported. The PEG analogue is a copolymer synthesized by ring-opening alternating copolymerization of succinic anhydride with 2-（（2-（2-metho xyethoxy）ethoxy）methyl）oxirane. The structure of the copolymer was confirmed by ^1H NMR spectrum. The effects of the monomer feed ratio on the copolymerization were studied and the polymerization mechanism was given. The PEG analogue disclosed is water-soluble and expected to have promising applications in biomedical fields as a substitute of PEG due to the existence of degradable ester bond in the backbone.

Moderate heat treatment of CoFe Prussian blue analogues for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction performance

Prussian blue analogues(PBAs) with inherent ordered structures and abundant metal ion sites are widely explored as precursors for various electrochemical applications,including oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Using a range of characterization techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),X-ray diffraction(XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),this work discloses the process of replacement of K^(+)by NH4^(+)in the interstitial spaces of the CoFe PBA by a hot aqueous urea solution,which influences the transformation of PBAs under further heat treatment and the OER performance of the deriva tives.After heat treatment at 400℃ under Ar flow,high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) images reveal that CoFe alloy nanoparticles grew on the crystalline cubes of CoFe PBA with K^(+),while CoFe PBA cubes with NH4^(+)become amorphous.Besides,the derivative of CoFe PBA with NH4^(+)(Ar-U-CoFe PBA) performs better than the derivative of CoFe PBA with K^(+)(Ar-CoFe PBA) in OER,registering a lower overpotential of 305 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2),a smaller Tafel slope of 36.1 mV dec^(-1),and better stability over a testing course of 20 h in 1.0 M KOH.A single-cell alkaline electrolyzer,using Ar-U-CoFe PBA and Pt/C for the anodic and cathodic catalyst,respectively,requires an initial cell voltage of 1.66 V to achieve 100 mA cm^(-2)at 80℃,with negligible degradation after100 h.

Recharge processes limit the resource elements of Qarhan Salt Lake in western China and analogues in the evaporite basins

The Qarhan Salt Lake(QSL)in western China is K-Sr-Li-B-Br-Rb multi-resource coexisting Quaternary brine deposits.Significant research efforts have been directed to the origin of K-Li resources and evolutionary history of the QSL.However,the study on the different sources,recharge processes,and differential distribution patterns for these resource elements in brine deposits is still inadequate.Therefore,we measured Li-B concentrations and H-O-Sr-B isotopic compositions of different waters(river,spring,and brine)from the QSL,combined with the reported K-Sr contents and multiple isotopes of waters,to discuss the recharge,source of K-Sr-Li-B and their spatial distributions,by analogy with other evaporite basins in the world.The results show that:(1)the K-Li-B-Sr elemental concentrations of brines and their spatial distribution in the QSL are diverse;(2)high K and Sr values are distributed in Dabuxun and Qarhan sections,respectively,which are controlled by Ca-Cl springs in the northern QSL;on the contrary,Li and B values are enriched in the Bieletan section and are charged by thermal springs in the Kunlun Mountains;(3)the formation and evolution of Ca-Cl and thermal springs constrain fundamentally on the recharge processes of K-Sr and Li-B elements in the terminal salt lakes of the Qaidam Basin(QB);(4)some analogues of recharge processes limit the resource elements of the QSL and other salt lakes(Da Qaidam,Lop Nur,Zhabuye,Atacama,and Guayatayoc)in the world provides a reference for the resource exploration in deep formation waters in the evaporite basins.

Effect of dietary with Zhibai dihuang pills and gonadotropinreleasing-hormone-analogue on girls with precocious and rapidly progressive puberty

BACKGROUND At present,the clinical mechanisms underlying precocious puberty remain unclear,making effective intervention for children experiencing this condition and rapidly progressive puberty essential.AIM To explore the effects of Zhibai dihuang pills and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue(GnRHa)on growth and ovarian function in girls with precocious puberty.METHODS The clinical data of 84 adolescent girls with precocious puberty and rapidly progressive puberty from February 2017 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Girls were divided into a control group and an observation group,with 42 cases in each group.The control group received diet intervention combined with GnRHa treatment,while the observation group received diet intervention combined with Zhibai dihuang pills+GnRHa treatment.Outcomes such as clinical efficacy,growth indicators,ovarian function,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The observation group showed superior clinical efficacy compared to the control group(P<0.05).Prior to the intervention,no significant differences were found in growth or ovarian function between the groups(P>0.05).Post-intervention,the observation group exhibited significantly lower rates in growth,height,and bone age,along with reduced levels of progesterone,testosterone,estradiol,prolactin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone compared to the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions was similar across both groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Combining Zhibai dihuang pills with GnRHa and dietary intervention effectively improves growth,enhances ovarian function,and minimizes adverse reactions in adolescent girls with precocious and rapidly progressive puberty.

3D-QSAR Study of Melittin and Amoebapore Analogues by CoMFA and CoMSIA Methods

Peptides are one of the indispensable substances in life. The use of computer aided drug design(CADD) methods to design peptides and peptiodmimetics can short the design cycle, save research funding, improve the level of whole research to a large extent and guide the discovery of new drugs. In this paper, Melittin and amoebapore three-dimensional quantitative structureactivity relationship(3D-QSAR) models were established by using comparative molecular field analysis(CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis(CoMSIA) method. The result shows that, the correlation coefficient(q^2) was 0.583 and non-cross-validation correlation coefficient(r^2) was 0.972 for the melittin CoMFA model. The q^2 and r^2 were 0.630 and 0.995 for the best CoMSIA model, 0.645 and 0.993 for the amoebapore CoMFA model, and 0.738 and 0.996 for the best CoMSIA model. The statistical parameters demonstrated that the CoMFA and CoMSIA models had both good predictive ability and high statistical stability, and can provide theoretical basis for designing new high activity polypeptide drugs.

Application of nucleoside analogues to liver transplant recipients with hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a common yet serious infectious disease of the liver, affecting millions of people worldwide. Liver transplantation is the only possible treatment for those who advance to end-stage liver disease. Donors positive for hepatitis B virus(HBV) core antibody(HBc Ab) have previously been considered unsuitable for transplants. However, those who test negative for the more serious hepatitis B surface antigen can now be used as liver donors, thereby reducing organ shortages. Remarkable improvements have been made in the treatment against HBV, most notably with the development of nucleoside analogues(NAs), which markedly lessen cirrhosis and reduce post-transplantation HBV recurrence. However, HBV recurrence still occurs in many patients following liver transplantation due to the development of drug resistance and poor compliance with therapy. Optimized prophylactic treatment with appropriate NA usage is crucial prior to liver transplantation, and undetectable HBV DNA at the time of transplantation should be achieved. NA-based and hepatitis B immune globulin-based treatment regimens can differ between patients depending on the patients' condition, virus status, and presence of drug resistance. This review focuses on the current progress in applying NAs during the perioperative period of liver transplantation and the prophylactic strategies using NAs to prevent de novo HBV infection in recipients of HBc Ab-positive liver grafts.

Risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in the course of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and the protective effect of therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a major health problem worldwide, representing one of the leading causes of death. Chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection(CHB) is the most important etiologic factor of this tumor, accounting for the development of more than50% of the cases in the world. Primary prevention ofHCC is possible by hepatitis B vaccination conferring protection from HBV infection. However, according to the World Health Organization Hepatitis B Fact sheet N° 204(update of July 2014) globally there exists a large pool of > 240 million people chronically infected with HBV who are at risk for development of HCC. These individuals represent a target population for secondary prevention both of cirrhosis and of HCC. Since ongoing HBV replication in CHB is linked with the progression of the underlying liver disease to cirrhosis as well as with the development of HCC, effective antiviral treatment in CHB has also been evaluated in terms of secondary prevention of HCC. Currently, most patients with active CHB are subjected to long term treatment with the first line nucleos(t)ide analogues entecavir and tenofovir. These compounds are of high antiviral potency and have a high barrier to HBV resistance compared to lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil and even telbivudine. Many studies have shown that patients under antiviral treatment, especially those in virological remission, develop less frequently HCC compared to the untreated ones. However, the risk for development of HCC cannot be eliminated. Therefore, surveillance for the development of HCC of patients with chronic hepatitis B must be lifelong or until a time in the future when new treatments will be able to completely eradicate HBV from the liver particularly in the early stages of CHB infection. In this context, the aim of this review is to outline the magnitude of the risk for development of HCC among patients with CHB, in the various phases of the infection and in relation to virus, host and environmental factors as evaluated in the world literature. Moreover, the benefits of antiviral treatment of CHB with nucleos/tide analogs, which have changed the natural history of the disease and have reduced but not eliminated the risk of HCC are also reviewed.

Nanocrystals for enhancement of oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs

Nanocrystals,a carrier-free colloidal delivery system in nano-sized range,is an interesting approach for poorly soluble drugs.Nanocrystals provide special features including enhancement of saturation solubility,dissolution velocity and adhesiveness to surface/cell membranes.Several strategies are applied for nanocrystals production including precipitation,milling,high pressure homogenization and combination methods such as Nano-Edge^(TM),SmartCrystal and Precipitation-lyophilization-homogenization(PLH)technology.For oral administration,many publications reported useful advantages of nanocrystals to improve in vivo performances i.e.pharmacokinetics,pharmacodynamics,safety and targeted delivery which were discussed in this review.Additionally,transformation of nanocrystals to final formulations and future trends of nanocrystals were also described.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of novel curcumin analogues

Five novel curcumin analogues bearing different substituents at 4-position of phenyl group were synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by NMR and HRMS spectrum. Their cytotoxic activities against six tumor cell lines were tested by the standard MTT assay in vitro. The results indicated that four analogues （1A-1C, 1E） with solubilizing moieties showed selective potent cytotoxicity against HepG2, HeLa and CT26 cell lines, and analogue 1A and 1C exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than curcumin against CT26 cell line. It was suggested that introduction of appropriate substituents to 4-position of phenyl group might be a potential option for structural modification of curcumin.

2D-QSAR Studies on the Norcantharidin Analogues as Protein Phosphatase 1 and 2A Inhibitors

The Two-dimensional Quantitative Structure-activity Relationship （2D-QSAR） of a series of novel norcantharidin analogues, which exhibit hnhibitory activities of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A （PP1 and PP2A）, has been studied with a combined method of ab initio （I/F）, molecular mechanics （MM＋） and statistics. The established 2D-QSAR model （Eq. 1） for PP1 shows a reasonable regressive performance （R2= 0.749）, and the hydrophobic property of this molecule plays a decisive role in determining the inhibitory activity of PP1. In addition, the established 2D-QSAR model （Eq. 2） for PP2A also shows an acceptable regressive performance （R2= 0.701）, and the dipole moment of the molecule determines the inhibitory activity of PP2A.

Application of ion chromatography to the determination of water-soluble inorganic and organic ions in atmospheric aerosols

A simple, sensitive and convenient ion chromatography(IC) method was established for the simultaneous determination of twelve water-soluble inorganic anions(F -, Cl -, NO - 2, NO - 3, SO 2- 3, SO 2- 4, PO 3- 4), and fifteen water-soluble organic ions(formate, acetate, MSA, oxalate, malonate, succinate, phthalates, etc.) in atmospheric aerosols. The linear concentrations ranged from 0.005 μg/m 3 to 500 μg/m 3(r = 0.999—0.9999). The relative standard deviation(RSD) were 0.43%—2.00% and the detection limits were from 2.7 ng/m 3 to 88 ng/m 3. The proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of those inorganic ions and organic ions in PM 2.5 of Beijing.

SOME NONLINEAR INEQUALITIES INVOLVING IMPROPER INTEGRALS AND THEIR DISCRETE ANALOGUES

Some new inequalities involving improper integrals are established in the paper which generalize the related results due to Pachpatte and Rodrigues.Discrete analogues of the integral inequalities obtained are also derived.An example is given to show that the bound in Theorem 1 is not improvable.

Adverse effects of metal exposure on chemotaxis towards water-soluble attractants regulated mainly by ASE sensory neuron in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Chemotaxis to water-soluble attractants is mainly controlled by ASE sensory neuron whose specification is regulated by che-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our data suggested that exposure to high concentrations of metals, such as Pb, Cu, Ag, and Cr, would result in severe defects of chemotaxis to water-soluble attractants of NaCl, cAMP, and biotin. Moreover, the morphology of ASE neuron structures as observed by relative fluorescent intensities and relative size of fluorescent puncta of cell bodies, relative lengths of sensory endings in ASE neurons, and the expression patterns of che-1 were obviously altered in metal exposed animals when they meanwhile exhibited obvious chemotaxis defects to water-soluble attractants. In addition, the dendrite morphology could be noticeably changed in animals exposed to 150 μmol/L of Pb, Cu, and Ag. Furthermore, we observed significant decreases of chemotaxis to water-soluble attractants in Pb exposed che-1 mutant at concentrations more than 2.5 μmol/L, and in Cu, Ag, and Cr exposed che-1 mutant at concentrations more than 50 μmol/L. Therefore, impairment of the ASE neuron structures and functions may largely contribute to the appearance of chemotaxis defects to water-soluble attractants in metal exposed nematodes.

Microwave-assisted Green and Efficient Synthesis of N^6-(2-Hydroxyethyl)adenosine and its Analogues

An efficient protocol for the synthesis of N^6-（2-Hydroxyethyl）adenosine and its analogues through nucleophilic substitution was developed. All the reactions were completed in 10 rain under microwave irradiation. Using water as solvent makes our method eco-friendly and easy to handle with.

On-line Measurement of Water-Soluble Ions in Ambient Particles

Combining the system of rapid collection of ambient particles and ion chromatography, the system of rapid collection of fine particles and ion chromatography （RCFP-IC） was established to automatically analyze on-line the concentrations of water-soluble ions in ambient particles. Here, the general scheme of RCFP-IC is described and its basic performance is tested. The detection limit of RCFP-IC for SO4^2-, NO3^-, NO2^-, Cl^- and F- is below 0.3μg m^-3. The collection efficiency of RCFP-IC increases rapidly with increasing sized particles. For particles larger than 300 nm, the collection efficiency approaches 100%. The precision of RCFP-IC is more than 90% over 28 repetitions. The response of RCFP-IC is very sensitive and no obvious cross-pollution is found during measurement. A comparison of RCFP-IC with an integrated filter measurement indicates that the measurement of RCFP-IC is comparable in both laboratory experiments and field observations. The results of the field experiment prove that RCFP-IC is an effective on-line monitoring system and is helpful in source apportionment and pollution episode monitoring.

Synthesis and Antioxidant Properties of Novel Silybin Analogues

Eight novel silybin analogues （7a-h） were synthesized and their antioxidant properties including the capability of scavenging superoxide anion free radicals and the inhibitory effect on DPPH free radicals were determined. Several synthetic compounds showed comparable antioxidative effect to that of quercetin.

Prussian Blue Analogues in Aqueous Batteries and Desalination Batteries

In the applications of large-scale energy storage,aqueous batteries are considered as rivals for organic batteries due to their environmentally friendly and low-cost nature.However,carrier ions always exhibit huge hydrated radius in aqueous electrolyte,which brings difficulty to find suitable host materials that can achieve highly reversible insertion and extraction of cations.Owing to open threedimensional rigid framework and facile synthesis,Prussian blue analogues(PBAs)receive the most extensive attention among various host candidates in aqueous system.Herein,a comprehensive review on recent progresses of PBAs in aqueous batteries is presented.Based on the application in different aqueous systems,the relationship between electrochemical behaviors(redox potential,capacity,cycling stability and rate performance)and structural characteristics(preparation method,structure type,particle size,morphology,crystallinity,defect,metal atom in highspin state and chemical composition)is analyzed and summarized thoroughly.It can be concluded that the required type of PBAs is different for various carrier ions.In particular,the desalination batteries worked with the same mechanism as aqueous batteries are also discussed in detail to introduce the application of PBAs in aqueous systems comprehensively.This report can help the readers to understand the relationship between physical/chemical characteristics and electrochemical properties for PBAs and find a way to fabricate high-performance PBAs in aqueous batteries and desalination batteries.

Prediction of the ^(13)C NMR Chemical Shifts of Stilbene Analogues by GIAO Method

After the geometry optimization at B3LYP/6-31＋G（d,p） level,the calculations of the NMR chemical shifts of a series of stilbene analogues were carried out by means of Gauge Including Atomic Orbitals（GIAO） method at HF/6-31＋G（d） level and B3LYP/6-311G＋（2d,p） level,respectively.The 13C NMR chemical shifts calculated at both HF/6-31＋G（d） and B3LYP/6-31＋G（d,p） levels are in agreement with the observed values.By virtue of a series of linear correction equations（δpred.=a＋bδcalcd.） of the 13C chemical shifts,accurate prediction of 13C chemical shifts was achieved for the new stilbene compounds.For the 13C NMR chemical shifts calculated at HF/6-31＋G（d） level,the linear correlation of δpred.with δexptl.is excellent,and the square of correlation coefficient,r2,is 0.9985.The maximum absolute difference between δpred.and δexptl.,Δδ,is 2.3,and the root-mean-square error between δpred.and δexptl.is 0.98.In the meantime,for those obtained at B3LYP/6-31＋G（d,p） level,the linear correlation of δpred.with δexptl.is also excellent,and the square of correlation coefficient,r2,is up to 0.9987.The maximum absolute difference between δpred.and δexptl.,Δδ,is 2.2,and the root-mean-square error between δpred.and δexptl.is only 0.88.