Highly efficient and tunable visible-light-catalytic synthesis of 2,5-diformylfuran using HBr and molecular oxygen.

This paper discloses that inexpensive hydrobromic acid (HBr) is active and highly selective to the photo-oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) with dioxygen (O) or even with water under visible light illumination, which can achieve the highest 89.1% DFF yield in DMSO at 80 °C under pure O atmosphere. More importantly, under bifunctional acid-photooxidation catalysis of HBr, fructose can be directly converted to DFF and its two-step cascade conversion in DMSO provides a far higher DFF yield (80.

Construction of a lysosome-targetable ratiometric fluorescent probe for HO tracing and imaging in living cells and an inflamed model.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO), an important reactive oxygen species (ROS) with unique destructive oxidation properties, can be produced in lysosomes to fight off pathogens. Although many fluorescent probes have been developed for the detection and imaging of HO, the development of a ratiometric fluorescent probe for HO detection and imaging in lysosomes and an inflammation model remains rather scarce. Therefore, it is important to develop an efficient tool for monitoring HO in inflamed tissues to evaluate the physiological and pathological relationship between inflammation and lysosomal HO.

Preparation of hyper-cross-linked hydroxylated polystyrene for adsorptive removal of methylene blue.

A series of hydroxylated polystyrene (PS-OH) resins were prepared from macroporous poly(styrene--divinylbenzene) by nitration, reductive amination, diazotation and hydrolysis in sequence, and then a series of hyper-cross-linked hydroxylated polystyrene (HCPS-OH) resins were successfully prepared from the PS-OH resins by the Friedel-Crafts post-cross-linking using dichloromethane as an external cross-linker. Benefiting from the synthetic protocol, the HCPS-OH resins showed better adsorption performance for methylene blue in aqueous solution as compared with the corresponding PS-OH resins. HCPS-OH-4, one of the fabricated HCPS-OH resins which had the hydroxyl content of 5.

Correction: The morphology and surface charge-dependent cellular uptake efficiency of upconversion nanostructures revealed by single-particle optical microscopy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C8SC01828F.].

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of a Ru(bpy) /arginine system: a specific and sensitive detection of acetaminophen.

Ru(bpy)Cl/TPrA is a prominent and widely used ECL system in analytical science. However, the co-reactant TPrA restricts the variety of applications because of its toxicity, volatility, and high cost. Here, we use arginine (Arg) as an alternative co-reactant for Ru(bpy) by taking advantage of its low cost, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility.

Tunable multicolor and bright white emission in PEG modified β-NaGdF nanocrystals by systematic introduction of Ce and Mn/Ln.

In this paper, Mn/Ln-doped hexagonal phase (β-) NaGdF:Ce (Ln = Tb, Dy, Eu) nanomaterials with subtly tuned multicolor output have been successfully synthesized by a typical simple hydrothermal method using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a surface modifying agent. The crystal structures, morphology, luminescence performance, and energy transfer (ET) mechanism of the synthesized NaGdF nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated in detail. It is found that due to the effective ET between Ce and Mn/Ln, the multicolor down-conversion (DC) emission phosphors can yield three major emission bands in the visible region including blue, green and red.

Neomodified Koyanagi technique for severe hypospadias with one-stage sealed Y-shaped penis foreskin vascular protection surgery.

Proximal hypospadias defects represent the most challenging aspect of maintaining blood supply to the flap, which eventually leads to a high rate of complications. We modified a sealed Y-shaped penis foreskin vascular protection technique, which can repair the urethra in a single stage. The inner plate of the foreskin was cut along the coronal sulcus, and both sides of the urethral plate were cut as deep as Buck's fascia.

Changes of inflammatory factors in patients after resection of lung adenocarcinoma with propofol and etomidate.

Objective: This research was designed to investigate the changes of inflammatory factors in patients after resection of lung adenocarcinoma with propofol versus etomidate.

Methods: A total of 104 patients who underwent resection of lung adenocarcinoma in our hospital were divided into a propofol group (group A, n=50) and an etomidate group (group B, n=54). The levels of CRP and IL-6 at different time points and the changes of blood gas indexes at 10 min before and after operation were observed in both groups.

Four new species of the spider genus Strand, 1906 from South China (Araneae, Salticidae).

Four new species of the jumping spider genus Strand, 1906 from Guizhou and Yunnan, China are described: (♀), (♂♀), (♂♀), and (♀). Photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs and a distributional map are provided.

Four new species of the jumping spider genus (Araneae, Salticidae) from China.

We diagnose and describe four new species of Karsch, 1878 and describe for the first time the male of Peng, Li & Chen, 2003 from China based on morphological characters. The females of sp. nov.

Good's syndrome with diffuse panbronchiolitis as the prominent manifestation: A case and literature review.

Good's syndrome (GS) is characterized by thymoma combined with adult-onset immunodeficiency. Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease, which predominantly affects East Asians. Japanese scholars have reported extensively about GS combined with DPB or DPB-like pulmonary manifestation.

, a new species in Begoniasect.Platycentrum (Begoniaceae) from southern Guangxi of China.

, a new species in Begoniasect.Platycentrum (Klotzsch) A.DC.

MeSiSiMe(O Bu): a disilane reagent for the synthesis of diverse silacycles Brook- and retro-Brook-type rearrangement.

Herein, a readily available disilane MeSiSiMe(O Bu) has been developed for the synthesis of diverse silacycles Brook- and retro-Brook-type rearrangement. This protocol enables the incorporation of a silylene into different starting materials, including acrylamides, alkene-tethered 2-(2-iodophenyl)-1-indoles, and 2-iodobiaryls, the cleavage of Si-Si, Si-C, and Si-O bonds, leading to the formation of spirobenzosiloles, fused benzosiloles, and π-conjugated dibenzosiloles in moderate to good yields. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that this transformation is realized by successive palladium-catalyzed bis-silylation and Brook- and retro-Brook-type rearrangement of silane-tethered silanols.

1-n-heptyl-5-(3, 4-difluorophenyl) biguanide inhibits non-small cell lung cancer cell growth by downregulating the EGFR signaling pathways.

Lung cancer is among the diseases with the highest rates of morbidity and mortality. Our previous study found that a novel biguanide derivative, 1-n-heptyl-5-(3, 4-difluorophenyl) biguanide (8e) shows excellent anti-proliferative activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line A549. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive.

Effects of carbamazepine and sodium valproate on efficacy, cognitive function and uric acid in epileptic patients with first generalized seizure.

Objective: To investigate the effects of carbamazepine and sodium valproate on efficacy, cognitive function and uric acid in epileptic patients with first generalized seizure.

Methods: 120 epilepsy patients with first generalized seizure who admitted to our hospital from March 2017 to March 2019, were selected and randomly divided into carbamazepine-group and sodium valproate-group, with 60 objects in each group. Both groups of patients received medication for one year.

A novel strategy of "pick the best of the best" for the nondestructive identification of Poria cocos based on near-infrared spectroscopy.

In this paper, a novel strategy of "pick the best of the best" was proposed for the nondestructive identification of different-origin and adulterated Poria cocos with near-infrared spectroscopy. First, various preprocessing methods were divided into three classes: baseline correction, scattering and trend correction, and scaling. The single preprocessing methods with the best predictions in each class were selected.

Two new toxic yellow species from China: morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analyses and toxin detection.

Some species of caused neurotoxic poisoning after consumption around the world. However, there are a large number of species in this genus that have not been studied for their toxicity or toxin content. In this study, we report two new toxic yellow species from China based on morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analyses and toxin detection.

Analyzing COVID-19 Using Multisource Data: An Integrated Approach of Visualization, Spatial Regression, and Machine Learning.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths worldwide continues to increase rapidly, the prevention and control of COVID-19 remains urgent. This article aims to analyze COVID-19 from a geographical perspective, and this information can provide useful insights for rapid visualization of spatial-temporal epidemic information and identification of the factors important to the spread of COVID-19.

Phenformin synergistically sensitizes liver cancer cells to sorafenib by downregulating CRAF/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways.

Sorafenib is a first-line drug to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which can prolong the median overall survival of patients by approximately 3 months. Phenformin is a biguanide derivative that has been shown to exhibit antitumor activity superior to that of metformin. We herein explored the ability of phenformin to enhance the anti-cancer activity of sorafenib against HCC and the mechanisms underlying such synergy.

Development and validation of prognostic nomograms for single large and huge hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

Aim: The prediction model of postoperative survival for single large and huge hepatocellular carcinoma (SLH-HCC, diameter > 5.0 cm) without portal vein tumour thrombus has not been well established. This study aimed to develop novel nomograms to predict postoperative recurrence and survival of these patients.

Bioinformatics analysis of epigenetic and SNP-related molecular markers in systemic lupus erythematosus.

We analyzed gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using public databases. The goal was to identify lupus biomarkers by determining whether differentially expressed genes are mediated by methylation, miRNA, or SNP. Two cDNA microarrays were subjected to integration analysis, and we calculated the mutually differentially expressed genes (|log2fold change (FC)| > 1, P < 0.

CHOP overexpression sensitizes human non-small cell lung cancer cells to cisplatin treatment by Bcl-2/JNK pathway.

C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), a 29 kDa cellular protein, plays a role in regulating tumor proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, cell death, and in tumor resistance to chemotherapy. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a tumor of the respiratory system and drug resistance is prevalent among NSCLC clinical cell cultures. Herein, our study elucidated the effect of CHOP on NSCLC cells with cisplatin resistance and its mechanism.

Effect of oxymatrine on liver gluconeogenesis is associated with the regulation of PEPCK and G6Pase expression and AKT phosphorylation.

An increase in liver gluconeogenesis is an important pathological phenomenon in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and oxymatrine is an effective natural drug used for T2DM treatment. The present study aimed to explore the effect of oxymatrine on gluconeogenesis and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a high-fat diet and streptozotocin for 4 weeks to induce T2DM, and HepG2 cells were treated with 55 mM glucose to simulate T2DM .

Four new coelotine species (Araneae, Agelenidae, Coelotinae) from South China, with the first description of the male of Wang, Yin, Peng & Xie, 1990.

Four new species are described from Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province of southern China: (♂♀), (♀), (♀) and (♀). Additionally, Wang, Yin, Peng & Xie, 1990 is redescribed and its male is described for the first time.

Label-Free Ratiometric Upconversion Nanoprobe for Spatiotemporal pH Mapping in Living Cells.

Sensing and imaging pH inside living cells are of paramount importance for better penetrating cellular functions and disease diagnostics. Herein, we engineered an original pH sensor by a simple one-step self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)ylated phospholipid (DSPE-PEG) and a phenol red small molecule on the surface of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to form a phospholipid monolayer for sensing and imaging the change of intracellular pH. The sensor showed excellent reversibility and rapid response to the pH variations.