Globally, sorghum is one of the most important but least utilized staple crops. Sorghum grain is a rich source of nutrients and health‐beneficial phenolic compounds. The phenolic profile of sorghum ...is exceptionally unique and more abundant and diverse than other common cereal grains. The phenolic compounds in sorghum are mainly composed of phenolic acids, 3‐deoxyanthocyanidins, and condensed tannins. Studies have shown that sorghum phenolic compounds have potent antioxidant activity in vitro, and consumption of sorghum whole grain may improve gut health and reduce the risks of chronic diseases. Recently, sorghum grain has been used to develop functional foods and beverages, and as an ingredient incorporated into other foods. Moreover, the phenolic compounds, 3‐deoxyanthocyanidins, and condensed tannins can be isolated and used as promising natural multifunctional additives in broad food applications. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of nutrition and phenolic compounds derived from sorghum and their related health effects, and demonstrate the potential for incorporation of sorghum in food systems as a functional component and food additive to improve food quality, safety, and health functions.
This account describes recent progress (>2006) in the synthesis and structural characterization of isolable N-heterocyclic silylenes (NHSi's) and their fascinating reactivities with respect to an ...emergent topic in main-group chemistry: metal-free small-molecule activation. Since the seminal discovery of stable N-heterocyclic silicon analogues of nucleophilic Wanzlick−Arduengo-type carbenes in 1994, new types of NHSi's have emerged with unique electronic features and strikingly different reactivities. Among them, the first zwitterionic (ylide-like) silylene LSi: (L = CH(CCH2)CMeNAr2; Ar = 2,6-Pr i 2C6H3) and unprecedented N-heterocyclic bis(silylenes) with amidinate ligands and Si(I)−Si(I) bonds were synthesized. Their striking electronic structures open new doorways to metal-free activation of C−H, C−X, Si−X, E−H (E = group 15, group 16 elements), P−P, E−O (E = C, N), and E−E bonds (E = O, S, Se, Te).
A monatomic zerovalent silicon(0) complex (“silylone”) stabilized by the chelating bis(silylenyl)-ortho-carborane ligand, 1,2-(LSi)2-1,2-C2B10H10 L = PhC(NtBu)2, has been synthesized from the redox ...reaction of the dipotassium bis(silylenyl)-nido-carboranate salt, 1,2-(LSi)2-1,2-C2B10H10K2, and NHC-SiCl2 (NHC = {HCN(2,6-iPr2C6H3)2C:}). Markedly different from previous examples, this silylone undergoes reduction due to the closo-C2B10 cluster backbone, which is prone to accept up to two electrons to form the cage-opened dianionic nido-C2B10 cluster core. Surprisingly, the closo-C2B10 core of the silylone consumes only one molar equiv of potassium naphthalenide, in addition, one electron is intramolecularly transferred from the Si0 atom to the C2B10 core to form an elusive bis(silylene)-stabilized SiI radical cation which undergoes homocoupling to the corresponding isolable dicationic SiI–SiI complex.
The conformational distribution and mutual interconversion of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters significantly affect the exciton utilization. However, their influence on the ...photophysics in amorphous film states is still not known due to the lack of a suitable quantitative analysis method. Herein, we used temperature‐dependent time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy to quantitatively measure the relative populations of the conformations of a TADF emitter for the first time. We further propose a new concept of “self‐doping” for realizing high‐efficiency nondoped OLEDs. Interestingly, this “compositionally” pure film actually behaves as a film with a dopant (quasi‐equatorial form) in a matrix (quasi‐axial form). The concentration‐induced quenching that may occur at high concentrations is thus expected to be effectively relieved. The “self‐doping” OLED prepared with the newly developed TADF emitter TP2P‐PXZ as a neat emitting layer realizes a high maximum external quantum efficiency of 25.4 % and neglectable efficiency roll‐off.
Until now, the influence of the conformational distribution on the photophysics and device performance of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters has not been clear. Herein, conformational populations in disordered solid states are quantitatively measured for the first time. A high‐performance “self‐doping” OLED with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 25.4 % is achieved.
Background and Purpose
Dysphagia is common and is associated with aspiration pneumonia. However, little is known about the prevalence of and factors influencing dysphagia screening (DS) and pneumonia ...after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
Methods
We used data on SAH patients admitted to 1476 hospitals from the China Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA) from August 2015 to July 2019 to analyze the rates of DS and pneumonia. We then conducted univariate and multivariable analyses to examine the relationship between DS and pneumonia.
Results
Among 4877 SAH patients who were eligible for DS and had complete data on pneumonia status, 3527 (72.3%) underwent DS, and 1006 (20.6%) developed pneumonia. Compared with patients without pneumonia, patients with pneumonia were older (mean: 63.4 vs. 57.8 years of age), had lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores at admission (mean: 13.5 vs. 14.3), were more likely to have dysphagia (15.2% vs. 3.3%), and were more likely to have undergone aneurysm isolation (19.1% vs. 10.0%). In multivariable analyses, factors independently associated with a higher risk of pneumonia were dysphagia odds ratio (OR), 3.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.85–4.98, age (OR, 1.50 per 10‐year increase; 95% CI, 1.40–1.60), male sex (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02–1.49), arrival at the hospital by emergency medical services (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.16–1.58), nimodipine treatment (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.11–1.81), endovascular embolization of aneurysms (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03–1.47), cerebral ventricular shunt placement (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.41–3.54), and treatment at a higher grade hospital (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.21–1.71).
Conclusion
More than a quarter of patients with SAH did not have documented DS, while one‐fifth developed pneumonia. DS performance was associated with a lower risk of pneumonia. Randomized controlled trials may be needed to determine the effectiveness of DS.
Among 4877 SAH patients who were eligible for DS and had complete data on pneumonia status from the China Stroke Center Alliance, 3527 (72.3%) underwent DS, and 1006 (20.6%) developed pneumonia. Dysphagia was the most significant predictor of pneumonia. In order to reduce the rate of in‐hospital pneumonia among stroke patients, standardized management strategies for dysphagia should be refined.
Increased consumer awareness of health and wellness has promoted a high demand for foods and beverages with functional and therapeutic properties. Cereals, apart from being important staple crops and ...primary sources of energy and nutrition, are replete with bioactive phytochemicals with health properties. Cereal grains contain a diverse range of bioactive phytochemicals including phenolic compounds, dietary fibers, carotenoids, tocols, phytosterols, γ-oryzanol, and phytic acid and therefore have great potential for processing into functional beverages. Although there are a variety of cereal grain-based beverages produced world-wide, very little scientific and technological attention has been paid to them. In this review, we have discussed cereal grain-based functional beverages based on 3 main categories: cereal grain-based milk alternatives, roasted cereal grain teas, fermented nonalcoholic cereal grain beverages. The processing techniques, health properties and product features of these beverages are elaborated, and the challenges and future perspectives are proposed. As the food market becomes increasingly diverse, cereal grain-based beverages could be a promising new category of health functional beverages in our daily life.
G-quadruplexes are specialized secondary structures in nucleic acids that possess significant conformational polymorphisms. The precise G-quadruplex conformations in vivo and their relevance to ...biological functions remain controversial and unclear, especially for telomeric G-quadruplexes. Here, we report a novel single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody, D1, with high binding selectivity for parallel G-quadruplexes in vitro and in vivo. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation using D1 and deep-sequencing revealed the consensus sequence for parallel G-quadruplex formation, which is characterized by G-rich sequence with a short loop size (<3 nt). By using D1, telomeric parallel G-quadruplex was identified and its formation was regulated by small molecular ligands targeting and telomere replication. Together, parallel G-quadruplex specific antibody D1 was found to be a valuable tool for determination of G-quadruplex and its conformation, which will prompt further studies on the structure of G-quadruplex and its biological implication in vivo.
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•A new antibody with parallel G-quadruplex specific recognition•Consensus sequence for parallel G-quadruplex formation on the human genome•Identification of parallel G-quadruplex formation at telomeres•Modulation of telomeric parallel G-quadruplex formation in human cell
G-quadruplex conformation in vivo is difficult to assay, especially for telomeric G-quadruplexes. Liu et al. demonstrate the parallel G-quadruplex consensus sequence on the genome and identify the regulated formation of parallel quadruplex at telomeres by using a new antibody.
Erianin is a small‐molecule compound that is isolated from Dendrobium chrysotoxum Lindl. In recent years, it has been found to have evident antitumor activity in various cancers, such as bladder ...cancer, cervical cancer, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, we assessed the effect of erianin on lung cancer in terms of cell growth inhibition and the related mechanism. First, erianin at a concentration of less than 1 nmol/L exhibited cytotoxicity in H1975, A549, LLC lung cancer cells, did not cause marked growth inhibition in normal lung and kidney cells, induced obvious apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest of cells, and inhibited the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells in vitro. Second, in a mouse xenograft model of lewis lung cancer (LLC), oral administration of erianin (50, 35, and 10 mg kg−1 day−1 for 12 days) substantially inhibited nodule growth, reduced the fluorescence counts of lewis cells and the percentage vascularity of tumor tissues, increased the number of apoptotic tumor cells, the thymus indices, up‐regulated the levels of interleukin (IL)‐2 and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), decreased IL‐10 levels and the spleen index, and enhanced immune function. Lastly, the possible targets of erianin were determined by molecular docking and verified via western blot assay. The results indicated that erianin may achieve the above effects via inhibiting the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in vitro and vivo. Taken together, the results showed that erianin had obvious antitumor effects via inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in vitro and vivo and may have potential clinical value for the treatment of lung cancer.
Post-stroke inflammation increases the risk of functional disability through enlarged cerebral infarct size directly and follow-up stroke event indirectly. We aimed to use post-stroke proinflammatory ...cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a marker of inflammatory burden and quantify post-stroke inflammation's direct and indirect effect on functional disability.
We analyzed patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to 169 hospitals in the Third China National Stroke Registry. Blood samples were collected within 24 h of admission. Stroke recurrence and functional outcome measured by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) were assessed via face-to-face interviews at 3 months. Functional disability was defined as an mRS score ≥2. Mediation analyses under the counterfactual framework were performed to examine the potential causal chain in which stroke recurrence may mediate the relationship between IL-6 and functional outcome.
Among the 7053 analyzed patients, the median (interquartile range IQR) NIHSS score was 3 (1-5), and the median (IQR) level of IL-6 was 2.61 (1.60-4.73) pg/mL. Stroke recurrence was observed in 458 (6.5%) patients, and functional disability was seen in 1708 (24.2%) patients at the 90-day follow-up. Per stand deviation (4.26 pg/mL) increase in the concentration of IL-6 was associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence (adjusted odds ratio aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09-1.29) and disability (aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.15-1.30) within 90 days. Mediation analyses revealed that 18.72% (95% CI, 9.26%-28.18%) of the relationship between IL-6 and functional disability was mediated by stroke recurrence.
Stroke recurrence mediates less than 20% of the association between IL-6 and functional outcome at 90 days among patients with acute ischemic stroke. In addition to typical secondary prevention strategies for preventing stroke recurrence, more attention should be paid to novel anti-inflammatory therapy to improve functional outcomes directly.
Mechanistic understanding of how ionizing radiation induces type I interferon signaling and how to amplify this signaling module should help to maximize the efficacy of radiotherapy. In the current ...study, we report that inhibitors of the DNA damage response kinase ATR can significantly potentiate ionizing radiation‐induced innate immune responses. Using a series of mammalian knockout cell lines, we demonstrate that, surprisingly, both the cGAS/STING‐dependent DNA‐sensing pathway and the MAVS‐dependent RNA‐sensing pathway are responsible for type I interferon signaling induced by ionizing radiation in the presence or absence of ATR inhibitors. The relative contributions of these two pathways in type I interferon signaling depend on cell type and/or genetic background. We propose that DNA damage‐elicited double‐strand DNA breaks releases DNA fragments, which may either activate the cGAS/STING‐dependent pathway or—especially in the case of AT‐rich DNA sequences—be transcribed and initiate MAVS‐dependent RNA sensing and signaling. Together, our results suggest the involvement of two distinct pathways in type I interferon signaling upon DNA damage. Moreover, radiation plus ATR inhibition may be a promising new combination therapy against cancer.
Synopsis
Type I interferon signaling plays key roles in cancer radiotherapy with ionizing radiation (IR). Here, exploration of combinatory effects of IR and DNA damage kinase inhibitors reveals surprising involvement of distinct cytosolic nucleic acid‐sensing pathways in interferon response induction.
Inhibition of DNA damage response kinase ATR (ATRi) significantly potentiates IR‐induced type I interferon response in multiple human and murine cancer cells.
MAVS‐dependent RNA sensing pathway is indispensable for interferon signaling induced by combined IR+ATRi in some human cells.
Both cGAS/STING‐dependent cytosolic DNA‐ and MAVS‐dependent cytosolic RNA‐sensing pathways contribute to IR+ATRi‐induced interferon signaling to varying extent in different cell lines.
DNA damage‐elicited AT‐rich DNA mediates type I interferon signaling in a subset of human cells.
Surprisingly, both cGAS/STING‐dependent DNA‐ and MAVS‐dependent RNA‐sensing pathways contribute to the effects of combined radiotherapy and blocked DNA damage signaling, depending on cellular context.
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