Immobilized chiral tropine ionic liquid on silica gel as adsorbent for separation of metal ions and racemic amino acids.

Tropine-type chiral ionic liquid with proline anion was immobilized on silica gel by chemical modification method for the first time, which was proved by elemental, infrared spectrum and thermogravimetric analysis. Secondly, the performance of this kind of ionic liquid-modified silica gel was investigated in the adsorption of some metal ions, which included Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Mn(2+) and Ni(2+). Then the effects of time, initial concentration and temperature on adsorption for Cu(2+) ions were studied in detail, which was followed by the further research of adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics.

Separation of Berberine Hydrochloride and Tetrahydropalmatine and Their Quantitative Analysis with Thin Layer Chromatography Involved with Ionic Liquids.

[BMIM]OH was used in mobile and stationary phase of thin layer chromatography (TLC) to analyze berberine hydrochloride and tetrahydropalmatine for the first time. Supported imidazole ionic liquid with hydroxide ion on silica gel (SiO2·Im(+)·OH(-)) was synthesized through simple procedure and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Moreover, on the plates prepared by SiO2·Im(+)·OH(-), the contents of the above alkaloids in the Chinese patent medicine (CPM) of "Stomacheasy" capsule were successfully determined by TLC scanner.

A resolution approach of racemic phenylalanine with aqueous two-phase systems of chiral tropine ionic liquids.

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) based on tropine type chiral ionic liquids and inorganic salt solution were designed and prepared for the enantiomeric separation of racemic phenylalanine. The phase behavior of IL-based ATPS was comprehensive investigated, and phase equilibrium data were correlated by Merchuk equation. Various factors were also systematically investigated for their influence on separation efficiency.

Detection of the metabolites of human plasma and follicular fluid in IVF-ET with microextraction and LC-TOF-MS.

The metabolites from human plasma and follicular fluid in IVF-ET are related with the metabolic activity of follicular cells and further with oocyte quality. With liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) and organic extraction from plasma and follicular fluid, a fast and efficient method was established for detecting the metabolites of human plasma and follicular fluid. Certain metabolites were closely related with human physiological activities, such as hormone, amino acid, estrogen and fatty acid, and estrogen fatty acyllipid lipid were successfully detected in human plasma and follicular fluid.

Antioxidant and anticancer effection of the volatile oil from various habitats of Selaginella doederleinii Hieron.

This research aimed to compare antioxidant and anticancer activities of the essential oil from various habitats of Selaginella doederleinii Hieron. The results showed that antioxidative activities of the essential oil were the best from Guizhou province in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical scavenging, ferric reducing and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), while those of the essential oil from Sichuan province were the weakest among different habitats. The anticancer results showed that antitumor effects of the essential oil from Guizhou province were the best against A549 cell line and 7721 cell line, while those of the essential oil from Sichuan province were the weakest among different habitats.

Control of lateral thickness gradients of Mo-Si multilayer on curved substrates using genetic algorithm.

An inversion method based on a genetic algorithm has been developed to control the lateral thickness gradients of a Mo-Si multilayer deposited on curved substrates by planar magnetron sputtering. At first, the sputtering distribution of the target is inversed from coating thickness profiles of flat substrates at different heights. Then, the speed profiles of substrates sweeping across the target are optimized according to the desired coating thickness profiles of the primary and secondary mirrors in a two-bounce projection system.

Online NIR Analysis and Prediction Model for Synthesis Process of Ethyl 2-Chloropropionate.

Online near-infrared spectroscopy was used as a process analysis technique in the synthesis of 2-chloropropionate for the first time. Then, the partial least squares regression (PLSR) quantitative model of the product solution concentration was established and optimized. Correlation coefficient (R (2)) of partial least squares regression (PLSR) calibration model was 0.

YAP promotes malignant progression of Lkb1-deficient lung adenocarcinoma through downstream regulation of survivin.

The serine/threonine kinase LKB1 is a well-characterized tumor suppressor that governs diverse cellular processes, including growth, polarity, and metabolism. Somatic-inactivating mutations in LKB1 are observed in about 15% to 30% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). LKB1 inactivation confers lung adenocarcinomas (ADC) with malignant features that remain refractory to therapeutic intervention.

Prior knowledge driven Granger causality analysis on gene regulatory network discovery.

Background: Our study focuses on discovering gene regulatory networks from time series gene expression data using the Granger causality (GC) model. However, the number of available time points (T) usually is much smaller than the number of target genes (n) in biological datasets. The widely applied pairwise GC model (PGC) and other regularization strategies can lead to a significant number of false identifications when n>>T.

Influence of substrate temperatures on the properties of GdF(3) thin films with quarter-wave thickness in the ultraviolet region.

High-quality coatings of fluoride materials are in extraordinary demand for use in deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography. Gadolinium fluoride (GdF) thin films were prepared by a thermal boat evaporation process at different substrate temperatures. GdF thin film was set at quarter-wave thickness (∼27  nm) with regard to their common use in DUV/vacuum ultraviolet optical stacks; these thin films may significantly differ in nanostructural properties at corresponding depositing temperatures, which would crucially influence the performance of the multilayers.

Thalamocortical Sensorimotor Circuit Damage Associated with Disorders of Consciousness for Diffuse Axonal Injury Patients.

The relationship of structural and functional brain damage and disorders of consciousness (DOC) for diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is still not fully explored. We employed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state fMRI (RS-fMRI) to examine the changes of resting activations and white matter (WM) integrity for DAI with DOC. WM damages were observed in the body and genu of the corpus callosum, right external capsule (EC) and superior corona radiate (SCR), left superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) and posterior thalamic radiation (PTR).

Recent developments in the catalytic conversion of cellulose.

The increasing demand for energy has led to the development of biomass conversion technologies. As the most abundant biomass on Earth, cellulose is generally chosen as the primary research target for biomass conversion. In this review, gasification and pyrolysis of cellulose are briefly discussed and hydrolysis is then considered in detail.

LKB1 Inactivation Elicits a Redox Imbalance to Modulate Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Plasticity and Therapeutic Response.

LKB1 regulates both cell growth and energy metabolism. It remains unclear how LKB1 inactivation coordinates tumor progression with metabolic adaptation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here in Kras(G12D);Lkb1(lox/lox) (KL) mouse model, we reveal differential reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Rapid Screening and Structural Characterization of Antioxidants from the Extract of Selaginella doederleinii Hieron with DPPH-UPLC-Q-TOF/MS Method.

2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Q-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DPPH-UPLC-Q-TOF/MS), as a rapid and efficient means, now was used for the first time to screen antioxidants from Selaginella doederleinii. The nine biflavone compounds were screened as potential antioxidants. The biflavones were structurally identified and divided into the three types, that is, amentoflavone-type, robustaflavone-type, and hinokiflavone-type biflavonoids.

Structural characterization of steroidal saponins from Smilax trinervula using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Steroid saponins are a class of naturally existing substances widely distributed in the plants of Smilacaceae. Their biological activities have been attracting the interest of scientists in the chemical field for the past few years. To our best knowledge, there has been no study on structural characterization of steroidal saponins from Smilax trinervula (S.

YAP inhibits squamous transdifferentiation of Lkb1-deficient lung adenocarcinoma through ZEB2-dependent DNp63 repression.

Whether the Hippo pathway contributes to cell lineage transition under pathological conditions, especially tumorigenesis, remains largely unknown. Here we show that YAP, the major effector of the Hippo pathway, displays a distinct activation pattern in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); YAP is initially activated by LKB1 loss in lung ADC, which upregulates ZEB2 expression and represses DNp63 transcription in a default manner. During transdifferentiation, YAP is inactivated, which in turn relieves ZEB2-mediated default repression of DNp63 and triggers squamous differentiation reprogramming.

New ionic liquid-based preparative method for diosgenin from Rhizoma dioscoreae nipponicae.

Background: Rhizoma dioscoreae nipponicae is a perennial herb and its roots have been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Objective: To develop and optimize the extraction and hydrolysis technology of diosgenin from Rhizoma dioscoreae nipponicae.

Materials And Methods: 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([PSMIM]HSO4), as a kind of functional ionic liquid, replaced inorganic acid, and was used in a one-step ultrasonic extraction and hydrolysis for the preparation of diosgenin (the aglycone of dioscin and an important precursor chemical in the pharmaceutical industry) from Rhizoma dioscoreae nipponicae, for the first time.

Application of ionic liquids in liquid chromatography and electrodriven separation.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts in the liquid state at ambient temperature, which are nonvolatile, nonflammable with high thermal stability and dissolve easily for a wide range of inorganic and organic materials. As a kind of potential green solvent, they show high efficiency and selectivity in the field of separation research, especially in instrumental analysis. Thus far, ILs have been successfully applied by many related researchers in high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis as chromatographic stationary phases, mobile phase additives or electroosmotic flow modifiers.

6-Amino-2-methyl-8-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-iso-quinoline-5,7-dicarbo-nitrile.

In the title compound, C18H16N4, the dihedral angle between the benzene and phenyl rings is 61.40 (4)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯N(nitrile) hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers.

Natural anthocyanins from phytoresources and their chemical researches.

Anthocyanins are a class of naturally occurring polyphenols which have been most widely studied in recent decades for the rapid development of relative techniques. This article first reviews the various anthocyanin resources including fruits, flowers, vegetables and beverages. Besides the direct extraction from natural resources, anthocyanins can also be obtained by semi- or total synthesis.

2-Chloro-N-(4-chloro-3-iodo-phen-yl)-4-(methyl-sulfon-yl)benzamide.

In the title compound, C(14)H(10)Cl(2)INO(3)S, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 52.13 (10)°. In the crystal, the components are linked by pairs of N-H⋯O(sulfon-yl) hydrogen bonds into centrosymmetric dimers.

Plant lectins: targeting programmed cell death pathways as antitumor agents.

Lectins, a group of highly diverse, carbohydrate-binding proteins of non-immune origin that are ubiquitously distributed in plants, animals and fungi, are well-characterized to have numerous links a wide range of pathological processes, most notably cancer. In this review, we present a brief outline of the representative plant lectins including Ricin-B family, proteins with legume lectin domains and GNA family that can induce cancer cell death via targeting programmed cell death pathways. Amongst these above-mentioned lectins, we demonstrate that mistletoe lectins (MLs), Ricin, Concanavalin A (ConA) and Polygonatum cyrtonema lectin (PCL) can lead to cancer cell programmed death via targeting apoptotic pathways.

In silico analysis of molecular mechanisms of Galanthus nivalis agglutinin-related lectin-induced cancer cell death from carbohydrate-binding motif evolution hypothesis.

Galanthus nivalis agglutinin-related lectins, a superfamily of strictly mannose-binding-specific lectins widespread amongst monotyledonous plants, have drawn a rising attention for their remarkable anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities toward various types of cancer cells; however, the precise molecular mechanisms by which they induce tumor cell apoptosis are still only rudimentarily understood. Herein, we found that the three conserved motifs "QXDXNXVXY," the mannose-specific binding sites, could mutate at one or more amino acid sites, which might be a driving force for the sequential evolution and thus ultimately leading to the complete disappearance of the three conserved motifs. In addition, we found that the motif evolution could result in the diversification of sugar-binding types that G.

Determination and comparison of flavonoids and anthocyanins in Chinese sugarcane tips, stems, roots and leaves.

The flavonoids and anthocyanins in Chinese sugarcane (Saccharum sinensis Roxb.) tips, stems, roots and leaves were separately analyzed by HPLC-UV diode array detector, respectively. The results indicated that the content of flavonoids in sugarcane leaves was considerably high in comparison with previous reports in Brazil sugarcane (S.