The polysaccharide extracts from the fungi Coprinus comatus and Coprinellus truncorum do exhibit AChE inhibitory activity

The polysaccharide (PSH) extracts from the edible mushroom species Coprinus comatus and Coprinellus truncorum were screened in liquid for their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory (AChE) activity. Both extracts were found to display inhibition of the aforementioned enzyme reaching similar IC₅₀ values of 0.62 ± 0.07 and 0.61 ± 0.03 mg/mL, respectively. According to the means of FTIR spectroscopy, these PSH extracts mostly contained β-glucans. However, the presence of some proteins and polyphenolics as minor ingredients were also detected. Compared with existing literature data for anti-AChE activity of the sugar samples, the findings within this study may be treated as a profound bioactivity. Consequently, this study puts some light on the possible use of the screened macrofungi in the palliative treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Decay rates of energy of the 1D damped original nonlinear wave equation

We consider the decay rate of energy of the 1D damped original nonlinear wave equation. We first construct a new energy function. Then, employing the perturbed energy method and the generalized Young’s inequality, we prove that, with a general growth assumption on the nonlinear damping force near the origin, the decay rate of energy is governed by a dissipative ordinary differential equation. This allows us to recover the classical exponential, polynomial, or logarithmic decay rate for the linear, polynomial or exponentially degenerating damping force near the origin, respectively. Unlike the linear wave equation, the exponential decay rate constant depends on the initial data, due to the nonlinearity.     

Optimized POCl3-assisted synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole/1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as anti-influenza agents

Although recent decades have witnessed the synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles via phosphorus POCl₃-promoted cyclization reaction, simultaneous access to 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole analogs remains unexpected and elusive. Herein, a detailed regiocontrolled synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles in good to high yields with good regioselectivities from readily available thiosemicarbazides using POCl₃ was disclosed. Meantime, to establish a comprehensive structure–activity relationship, 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as single regioisomers were prepared via EDCI·HCl-triggered cyclization of the thiosemicarbazide intermediates. The in vitro anti-influenza assays proved that the selected compounds with the pyrazine/pyridine ring exhibited certain inhibitory activities against influenza A virus strains A/HK/68 (H3N2) and A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) in MDCK cells. Among them, N-(adamantan-1-yl)-5-(5-(azepan-1-yl)pyrazin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (4j) was the most active compound, and exhibited favorable activity with EC₅₀ values of 3.5 μM and 7.5 μM, respectively. In addition, the molecular docking results explained the reason why compound 4j had dual inhibitory activity and revealed the reasonable binding mode of this compound with the M2-S31N and M2-WT ion channels. This compound had the potential to be further developed as an anti-influenza drug.     

Deviation from Ohm's law in electric field assisted capillary liquid chromatography

Earlier studies of electric field assisted LC (EF-LC) have shown that the effect on charged analytes of the application of an electric field over a capillary LC column is relatively small. Charged analytes can only be affected by the electric field while present in the mobile phase, which makes the effective time for influence of the electric field t(0) independent of retention time. Because the charged analytes only can be affected for a short time the electric field strength ought to be high in order to increase the impact of the electric field on the separation. We have, however, found that only a relatively low electric field strength can be used in EF-LC when pressure is used as main driving force. The useful field strength was limited by a dramatic increase in the current. This increase in current was found to origin from an increased concentration of buffer ions that have an electrophoretic mobility towards the pumped flow.     

A study for quality evaluation of Taxilli Herba from different hosts based on fingerprint-activity relationship modeling and multivariate statistical analysis

In this study, a fingerprint-activity relationship modeling between chemical fingerprints and antirheumatic activity was established, and multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate the quality of Taxilli Herba (TH) from different hosts. Characteristic fingerprints of 20 batches of TH samples were generated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS), and the similarity analysis was calculated based on thirteen common characteristic peaks by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Subsequently, nine efficacy markers were discovered by combining fingerprints and antirheumatic activity through grey correlation analysis (GCA) and bivariate correlation analysis (BCA). Meanwhile, the content of 5 constituents in 9 markers was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). The comprehensive quality of TH was assessed using multivariate statistical analysis, including principal components analysis (PCA) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The results showed that a high dose of TH extract could markedly ameliorate arthritis damage compared to other doses, with flavonoids playing an important role in the antirheumatic activity. The comprehensive quality of samples from Morus alba L. (SS) was superior to those from Liquidambar formosana Hance (FXS). The present study will demonstrate the markers associated with efficacy, and provide an applicable strategy for more comprehensive quality control and evaluation of TH.     

Calix[4]pyrrolato Aluminates: The Effect of Ligand Modification on the Reactivity of Square-Planar Aluminum Anions

Structural constraint represents an attractive tool to modify p-block element properties without the need for unusual oxidation or valence states. The recently reported methyl-calix[4]pyrrolato aluminate established the effect of forcing a tetrahedral aluminum anion into a square-planar coordination mode. However, the generality of this structural motif and any consequence of ligand modification remained open. Herein, a systematic ligand screening was launched, and the class of square-planar aluminum anions was extended by two derivatives that differ in the meso-substitution at the calix[4]pyrrolato ligand. Strikingly, this modification provoked opposing trends in the preference for a Lewis acidic binding mode with σ-donors versus the aluminum-ligand cooperative binding mode with carbonyls. Insights into the origin of these counterintuitive experimental observations were provided by computation and bond analysis. Importantly, this rationale might allow to exploit mode-selective binding for catalytic rate control.     

厄米-高斯电磁光束在杨氏干涉实验中的偏振度变化

基于随机电磁光束相干和偏振性的统一理论和交叉谱密度矩阵传输公式,将杨氏双缝干涉实验作为双缝衍射现象来处理,在考虑缝宽情况下,研究了厄米-高斯电磁光束在杨氏干涉实验中的偏振度变化,讨论了入射厄米-高斯电磁光束的偏振度、自相关和互相关长度、模阶数和双缝的遮拦比对观察屏上偏振度的影响。结果表明：观察屏上的偏振度随双缝面上偏振度和互相关长度的增加而增大,随自相关长度减小而增大;当模阶数为偶数时,观察屏轴上偏振度取极大值,模阶数为奇数时,取极小值。     

Solvent effect in polymer analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Solvent effect is one of the important factors in sample preparation which may affect matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra of synthetic polymers. MALDI imaging, a useful imaging tool for discovering biomarkers in tissues, is applied here for better comprehension of solvent effect in polymer analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Nylon-6 was chosen as a model polymer for the study of solvent effect. Its MALDI mass spectra in different solvents were performed. MALDI imaging analysis was performed for studying the incorporation of analytes into matrix crystals in different solvent combinations. Specifically, the colocalization of matrix and analyte was obtained through Pearson’s correlation (PC) coefficient analysis of their MALDI images. The results demonstrated that satisfactory spectra were obtained in higher PC value conditions. PC decreased along with an increase in the ratio of poor solvent, which suggested that we should minimize the poor solvent ratio to obtain better MALDI spectra.     

Discovery of potential inhibitor against human acetylcholinesterase: a molecular docking and molecular dynamics investigation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of central nervous system among elderly people. Human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE), an important enzyme in neuronal signaling, is responsible for the degradation of acetylcholine which in turn prevents the post synaptic signal transmissions. hAChE has been an attractive target of drug discovery for the search of therapeutics against AD. In the recent past hAChE has become hot target for the investigation of new potential therapeutics. We performed virtual screening of entire database against hAChE. Further, the extra precision molecular docking was carried out to refine the docking results and the best complex was passed for molecular dynamics simulations in order of understanding the hAChE dynamics and its behavior in complex with the ligand which corroborate the outcomes of virtual screening. This also provides binding free energy data that establishes the ligands efficiency for inhibiting hAChE. The computational findings discussed in this paper provide initial information of inhibitory effects of ligand, (drugbank entry DB00983), over hAChE.     

Treatment by serum up-conversion nanoparticles in the fluoride matrix changes the mechanism of cell death and the elasticity of the membrane

Nanoparticles are increasingly being used for treatment and diagnostic purposes, but their effects on cells is not fully understood. Here, the interaction of fluorescent up-conversion nanoparticles (UpC-NPs) with neutrophils was investigated by imaging and measurement of membrane-cytosceletal elasticity by atomic force microscopy. It was found that UpC-NPs induce the death of neutrophils mainly by necrosis, and to a smaller extent by a novel process called ‘mummification'. Necrosis occurs by gradual loss of intracellular contents and nuclei, 45–110 min after exposure to UpC-NPs. Mummification is apparent as an increase in the rigidity of the neutrophils' membrane and acquisition of a characteristic bumpy shape with numerous protrusions; this structure does not change during atomic force microscopy scanning. Coating UpC-NPs with protein by incubation with serum leads to (1) formation of nanoparticle aggregates in the nm and μm size range, (2) a reduction in toxicity, (3) reduced mummification of neutrophils, and (4) no significant reduction of the elasticity of the membrane-cytoskeletal complex of neutrophils 30 min after exposure to coated UpC-NPs. The study shows that serum proteins greatly curb the toxicity of nanoparticles and reveals mummification as a novel mechanism of UpC-NP-induced cell death.