Soaking the Rare-Earth Carbonates for a Change: An Alternative Approach to Explore Carbonate Nonlinear Optical Crystals.

Alkali-metal rare-earth carbonates (ARECs) find great potential in nonlinear optical applications. As the most common method, the hydrothermal reaction is widely used in synthesizing ARECs. The black-box nature of the hydrothermal reaction makes it difficult for understanding the formation processes and therefore may slow down the pace of structural discovery. Here, by simply soaking the rare-earth carbonates in Na2CO3 solutions, we successfully obtain a series of noncentrosymmetric Na3RE(CO3)3·6H2O (RE = Tb 1, Sm 2, Eu 3, Gd 4, Dy 5, Ho 6, and Er 7) compounds without using the high-temperature hydrothermal method. The transformation process, investigated by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, is governed by the concentration of the soaking solutions. Na3Tb(CO3)3·6H2O, as an example, is studied structurally, and its physical properties are characterized. It exhibits a second harmonic generation effect of 0.5 × KDP and a short UV cutoff edge of 222 nm (5.8 eV). Our study provides insights for exploring new AREC structures, which may further advance the development of carbonate nonlinear optical crystals.

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor reduces tumor-associated macrophages and enhances anti-PD-L1-mediated tumor suppression in non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited, and combined use with other therapies is recommended. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors, a class of small molecule inhibitors, are highly effective for treating type 2 diabetes. Emerging evidence implicates DPP4 inhibitors as immunomodulators that modify aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. We evaluated the combination of a DPP4 inhibitor (anagliptin) and PD-L1 blockade in an NSCLC mouse model. Methods The effect of the combination of anti-PD-L1 and anagliptin was evaluated in subcutaneous mouse models of NSCLC. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Bone marrow-derived monocytes of C57BL/6 mice were isolated in vitro to examine the underlying mechanism of anagliptin on the differentiation and polarization of macrophage. Results Anagliptin dramatically improved the efficacy of PD-L1 antibody monotherapy by inhibiting macrophage formation and M2 polarization in the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, anagliptin suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species in bone marrow monocytes by inhibiting NOX1 and NOX2 expression induced by macrophage colony-stimulating factor, reduced late ERK signaling pathway activation, and inhibited monocyte-macrophage differentiation. However, the inhibitory effect was reactivated by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma interacting with corresponding receptors during M1 macrophage polarization, but not M2. Conclusions Anagliptin can enhance PD-L1 blockade efficacy in NSCLC by inhibiting macrophage differentiation and M2 macrophage polarization, and combination therapy may be a promising strategy for treating PD-L1 blockade therapy-resistant patients with NSCLC (AU)

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor reduces tumor-associated macrophages and enhances anti-PD-L1-mediated tumor suppression in non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited, and combined use with other therapies is recommended. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors, a class of small molecule inhibitors, are highly effective for treating type 2 diabetes. Emerging evidence implicates DPP4 inhibitors as immunomodulators that modify aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. We evaluated the combination of a DPP4 inhibitor (anagliptin) and PD-L1 blockade in an NSCLC mouse model. METHODS: The effect of the combination of anti-PD-L1 and anagliptin was evaluated in subcutaneous mouse models of NSCLC. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Bone marrow-derived monocytes of C57BL/6 mice were isolated in vitro to examine the underlying mechanism of anagliptin on the differentiation and polarization of macrophage. RESULTS: Anagliptin dramatically improved the efficacy of PD-L1 antibody monotherapy by inhibiting macrophage formation and M2 polarization in the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, anagliptin suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species in bone marrow monocytes by inhibiting NOX1 and NOX2 expression induced by macrophage colony-stimulating factor, reduced late ERK signaling pathway activation, and inhibited monocyte-macrophage differentiation. However, the inhibitory effect was reactivated by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma interacting with corresponding receptors during M1 macrophage polarization, but not M2. CONCLUSIONS: Anagliptin can enhance PD-L1 blockade efficacy in NSCLC by inhibiting macrophage differentiation and M2 macrophage polarization, and combination therapy may be a promising strategy for treating PD-L1 blockade therapy-resistant patients with NSCLC.

Simultaneous determination of volatile phenol, cyanide, anionic surfactant, and ammonia nitrogen in drinking water by a continuous flow analyzer.

This study developed a method for the simultaneous determination of volatile phenol, cyanide, anionic surfactant, and ammonia nitrogen in drinking water, using a continuous flow analyzer. The samples were first distilled at 145 °C. The phenol in the distillate then subsequently reacted with alkaline ferricyanide and 4-aminoantipyrine to form a red complex that was measured colorimetrically at 505 nm. Cyanide in the distillate subsequently reacted with chloramine T to form cyanogen chloride, which then formed a blue complex with pyridinecarboxylic acid that was measured colorimetrically at 630 nm. The anionic surfactant reacted with basic methylene blue to form a compound that was extracted into chloroform and washed with acidic methylene blue to remove interfering substances. The blue compound in chloroform was determined colorimetrically at 660 nm. Ammonia reacted with salicylate and chlorine from dichloroisocyanuric acid to produce indophenol blue at 37 °C in an alkaline environment that was measured at 660 nm. The relative standard deviations were 0.75-6.10% and 0.36-5.41%, respectively, and the recoveries were 96.2-103.6% and 96.0-102.4% when the mass concentration of volatile phenol and cyanide was in the range of 2-100 µg/L. The linear correlation coefficients were ≥ 0.9999, and the detection limits were1.2 µg/L and 0.9 µg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations were 0.27-4.86% and 0.33-5.39%, and the recoveries were 93.7-107.0% and 94.4-101.7%. When the mass concentration of anionic surfactant and ammonia nitrogen was 10-1000 µg/L. The linear correlation coefficients were 0.9995 and 0.9999, and the detection limits were 10.7 µg/L and 7.3 µg/L, respectively. When compared to the national standard method, no statistically significant difference was found. This approach saves time and labor, has a lower detection limit, higher precision and accuracy, less contamination, and is more appropriate for the analysis and determination of large-volume samples.

[Influencing factors on culture of medicinal plants adventitious roots].

With the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal plants resources cannot meet the request of Chinese medicine industry. Medicinal plants adventitious roots culture in a large scale is an important way to achieve Chinese medicine industrialization. However, how to establish good adventitious roots culture system is its key, such as plant hormones, explant, sucrose, innoculum and salt strength.

[Cultivation of Panax ginseng adventitious roots in bubble bioreactors].

OBJECTIVE: To study cultivation of Panax ginseng adventitious roots in bubble bioreactors. METHOD: The adventitious roots were obtained through tissue culture different types of bioreactors. The contents of ginsenosides Re, Rb1 and Rg1 were determined by HPLC while the contents of polysaccharides were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. RESULT: The results showed that of the three types tested, the most efficient bioreactor for cultivation of the ginseng adventitious roots was the cone-type bioreactors (with the 120 degrees ), in which, the growth curve of adventitious roots was S-shaped. The maximum biomass was obtained on the 40th day, with the fresh weight, dry weight and growth rate reaching the maximum, which were 113.15 g, 9.62 g and 63.13 times respectively, and the concomitant contents of polysaccharide and ginsenoside were 2.73% and 2.25 mg x g(-1). CONCLUSION: The results showed that the most efficient bioreactor for cultivation of the ginseng adventitious roots was the cone-type bioreactors (with the 120 degrees). These results provide a theoretical reference for developing an efficient production process of active metabolites of ginseng in the scale-up cultivation.

[Study on tissue cultivation of adventitious roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically optimize the cultivation conditions of adventitious roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. METHOD: Tissue cultivation technology and ultraviolet spectrophotometry were adopted to observe the effect of inoculum volume, sucrose concentration, inorganic salt concentration, number of cultivation days, gradual scale-up cultivation and bubble different angles of bioreactor on the growth of adventitious roots of P. heterophylla, and determine the content of constituents such as saponin, polysaccharide and amino acid. RESULT: The propagation multiple of adventitious roots reached the maximum when the inoculum was 6 g in a 1 L culture shake flask. With the increase in sucrose concentration, the dry weight propagation multiples of adventitious roots followed an up and down trend. The inorganic salt concentration in a cultivation dish had a greater effect on the growth of adventitious roots, particularly 3/4 MS was the most favorable for the growth of adventitious roots. The growth curve of P. heterophylla was "S", with the biomass reaching the maximum at the 28th day. CONCLUSION: The inoculum volume, sucrose concentration, inorganic salt concentration, gradual scale-up cultivation and angles of bubble bioreactor had a significant effect on the growth of adventitious roots of P. heterophylla. The contents of saponin and amino acid in adventitious roots were higher than that in cultivated P. heterophylla, whereas the polysaccharide content were lower than that in cultivated P. heterophylla.