Aqua­bis(triphenyl­phosphine-κP)copper(I) tetra­fluoridoborate

In the title compound, [Cu(C18H15P)2(H2O)]BF4, the CuI atom is coordinated by two P atoms from triphenyl­phosphine ligands and one water mol­ecule in a distorted trigonal geometry. In the BF4 − anion, three F atoms are disordered over two sites around the B—F bond, the site-occupancy ratio being 0.67 (6):0.33 (6). The Cu⋯F distance of 2.602 (5) Å between the Cu atom and the ordered F atom may suggest a weak but genuine inter­action. O—H⋯F and weak C—H⋯F hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal structure

THE ANTI-TUMOR EFFECT AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE EXTRACT JMM6 FROM THE STEM-BARKS OF THE CHINESE JUGLANS MANDSHURICA MAXIM ON HUMAN HEPATOMA CELL LINE BEL-7402

Juglans mandshurica Maxim is a traditional herbal medicines in China, and its anti-tumor bioactivities are of research interest. Bioassay-guided fractionation method was employed to isolate anti-tumor compounds from the stem barks of the Juglans mandshurica Maxim. The anti-tumor effect and biological activities of the extracted compound JMM6 were studied in BEL-7402 cells by MTT, Cell cycle analysis, Hoechst 33342 staining, Annexin V-FITC/PI assay and Detection of mitochondrial membrane potential (△Ψm). After treatment with the JMM6, the growth of BEL-7402 cells was inhibited and cells displayed typical morphological apoptotic characteristics. Further investigations revealed that treatment with JMM6 mainly caused G2/M cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis in BEL-7402 cells. To evaluate the alteration of mitochondria in JMM6 induced apoptosis. The data showed that JMM6 decreased significantly the △Ψm, causing the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. Our results show that the JMM6 will have a potential advantage of anti-tumor, less harmful to normal cells. This paper not only summarized the JMM6 pick-up technology from Juglans mandshurica Maxim and biological characteristic, but also may provide further evidence to exploit the potential medicine compounds from the stem-barks of the Chinese Juglans mandshurica Maxim

Establishment and application of health risk ranking model for heavy metals in aquatic products

Objective To develop a scientific and rapid risk ranking model that is suitable for the analysis of data from food chemicals surveillance system. Methods Based on the principles of food safety risk assessment, a series of index were developed for the contamination and toxicity characteristics of chemicals in food, food consumption characteristics of population, and standards violation rate, respectively. Then the logical operation relationship and the standards for assigning scores were set. The model was verified using real surveillance data. Results Total risk scores were calculated using the equation: total risk score = toxicity adjusted content score × violation rate score × consumption score. This model was applied to the risk classification of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead in aquatic products in China. The ranking result were in line with those estimated by the classical risk assessment model. Conclusion The model could rank the health risk of heavy metals in aquatic products properly, and can provide a scientific foundation for regulatory priority

Low alpha-defensin gene copy number increases the risk for IgA nephropathy and renal dysfunction

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. Although a major source of genetic variation, copy number variations (CNVs) and their involvement in disease development have not been well studied. Here, we performed association analysis of the DEFA1A3 CNV locus in two independent IgAN cohorts of Southern Chinese Han (total1189 cases and 1187 controls). We discovered three independent copy number associations within the locus: DEFA1A3 (P=3.99×10-9, OR=0.88), DEFA3 (P=6.55×10-5, OR=0.82) and a noncoding deletion variant (211bp) (P=3.50×10-16, OR=0.75) (OR per copy, fixed-effects meta-analysis). While showing strong association with increased risk for IgAN (P=9.56×10-20), low total copy numbers of the three variants also showed significant association with renal dysfunction in patients with IgAN (P=0.03, HR=3.69, after controlling for the effects of known prognostic factors) as well as high serum IgA1 (P=0.02) and a high proportion of galactose-deficient IgA1 (P=0.03). For replication, we confirmed the associations of DEFA1A3 (P=4.42×10-4, OR=0.82) and DEFA3 copy numbers (P=4.30×10-3, OR=0.74) with IgAN in a Caucasian cohort (531 cases and 198 controls) and found the 211bp variant to be much rarer in Caucasians. Interestingly, we also observed an association of the 211bp copy number with membranous nephropathy (P=1.11×10-7, OR=0.74 in 493 Chinese cases and 500 matched controls), but not with diabetic kidney disease (in 806 Chinese cases and 786 matched controls). By explaining 4.96% of disease risk and influencing the renal dysfunction in IgAN, the DEFA1A3 CNV locus is a potential candidate for therapeutic target and prognostic marker development

The complete chloroplast genome of Melicope pteleifolia (Rutaceae), a traditional medicinal plant in Southeast China

Meclicope pteleifolia is a traditional medicinal herb and edible plant in Southeast China. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genome of M. pteleifolia. The chloroplast genome is 159,012 bp in length with 38.33% GC content, containing a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,609 bp), a large single-copy (LSC) region (851 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs: 27,640 bp each). A total of 131 genes were predicted, including 84 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 2 pseudogenes. Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes of 17 plant species shows that M. pteleifolia is closest to Zanthoxylum and Casimiroa. These complete chloroplast genomes can be subsequently used for researches of Rutaceae

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Overweight or Obesity in Chinese Adults: Chinese Food Consumption Survey 2017–2020

Overweight and obesity have increased rapidly in the past few decades in China, and less research has focused on the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and overweight or obesity in Chinese adults. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship of UPF consumption with the risk of overweight or obesity in Chinese adults. Residents aged 18 years and above who participated in the nationally representative survey Chinese Food Consumption Survey in 2017–2020 were included in this study. Dietary intake data were collected via non-consecutive three-day 24 h dietary recalls and weighing household foods and condiments. According to the NOVA food classification system, UPFs were classified depending on the purpose and extent of food processing. Multiple logistic regression and multivariate-adjusted restricted cubic spline (RCS) regressions were performed to estimate the association between UPF consumption (categorized into quartiles: quartile 1 (Q1), quartile 2 (Q2), quartile 3 (Q3), and quartile 4 (Q4)) and risk of overweight or obesity. A total of 38,658 adults aged 18 years and above participated in the present study. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults was 33.0% (95% CI: 32.91–33.10) and 9.6% (95% CI 9.55–9.67), respectively. After a multivariable adjustment, the risk of overweight or obesity was increased by 10% in Q3 (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04–1.17) compared to Q1 as a reference. Women (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.20) and adults living in small and medium-sized cities (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01–1.26) with higher UPF consumption had higher odds of overweight or obesity. Nevertheless, the effect of higher UPF consumption on the risk of overweight or obesity was relatively weak for overall adults in China. The top three categories of subgroups consumption of UPFs were 1: sugar-sweetened beverages; 2: sauces, cheeses, spreads, and gravies; and 3: ultra-processed breads and breakfast cereals. These findings provide evidence that higher UPF consumption was positively associated with overweight or obesity, which was defined based on Chinese criteria among women and adults living in small and medium-sized cities in China. Further studies, such as intervention trials, are needed to identify the mechanism of correlation between the consumption of UPFs and health-related outcomes in Chinese adults. From a public health perspective, with the prevalence of overweight and obesity growing and the increase in UPF consumption in Chinese adults, it is necessary to promote healthy food intake and a balanced diet through active nutritional education actions for overweight and obesity prevention and control

Proteins Reprogramming: Present and Future

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are of great clinical interest for they are derived from one’s own somatic cells and have the potential of committed differentiation without immunological rejection after autografting. However, the use of viral and other modified vectors may still cause tumorigenesis due to chromosome insertion mutation, leading to limited practical use. iPSCs generated by reprogramming proteins overcome the potential safety risk and complicated manipulation procedures, thus they own better application prospective, yet some technical difficulties need to be studied and resolved, for instance, low reprogramming efficiency, unclear transduction, and reprogramming mechanism. In this paper, we summarize the current progress of proteins reprogramming technology for generation of iPSCs and discuss the promising efficiency-improved reprogramming methods by proteins plus other kinds of chemical compounds

Using SoC Online Correction Method Based on Parameter Identification to Optimize the Operation Range of NI-MH Battery for Electric Boat

This paper discusses a design of a Battery Management System (BMS) solution for extending the life of Nickel-Metal Hydride (NI-MH) battery. Combined with application of electric boat, a State of Charge (SoC) optimal operation range control method based on high precision energy metering and online SoC correction is proposed. Firstly, a power metering scheme is introduced to reduce the original energy measurement error. Secondly, by establishing a model based parameter identification method and combining with Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) method, the estimation accuracy of SoC is guaranteed. Finally, SoC optimal operation range control method is presented to make battery running in the optimal range. After two years of operation, the battery managed by proposed method has much better status, compared to batteries that use AH integral method and fixed SoC operating range. Considering the SoC estimation of NI-MH battery is more difficult becausing special electrical characteristics, proposed method also would have a very good reference value for other types of battery management

Targeting T cell metabolism for immunotherapy.

T cells play an important role in antitumor immunity. Numbers and function of T cells are controlled by regulating the uptake and utilization of nutrients, and their antitumor activity can be promoted by targeting metabolic pathways. In this review, we highlight the relationship between metabolism and cellular function of T cells. Specifically, we emphasize the metabolic state of tumor-infiltrating T cells and review key pathways that affect the antitumor function of T cells. In the field of tumor immunotherapy, targeting T cell metabolism to enhance the immune response is a new therapeutic strategy for enhancing immunotherapy combined with traditional treatments