BODIPYs are highly potential photoactive agents for cancer theragnostics. The rational design of BODIPY-based photoactive nanodrugs with high efficiency and near-infrared (NIR) absorption is imperative. Herein, we developed a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) organic photosensitizer (PS) (BODIPY, named NBB), which possessed strong absorption in the NIR region due to the multi-intersection of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), photoinduced electron transfer (PET), and heavy atom effects. Through a nanoprecipitation method, NBB nanoparticles (NPs) were facilely prepared. The as-prepared NBB NPs exhibited favorable water-stability and photostability. In particular, the outstanding photon absorption capacity endows the NPs with high photothermal conversion efficiency (η = 53.8%) and active singlet oxygen (1O2) generation ability upon 808 nm laser irradiation, and promotes their tumour inhibition efficiency via the combination of photothermal/photodynamic therapy (half-maximal inhibitory concentration IC50 = 8.11 and 7.77 μM for HeLa and HepG2 cells, respectively). Together with the favorable synthetic yield and excellent antitumour effect, we envision that this exploration can provide beneficial guidance for the clinical translation of BODIPY-based PSs for phototherapy.This work reports on the chiral structure fluctuations of peptide clusters at the early stages of aggregation in a coarse-grained peptide model. Our model reproduces a variety of aggregate structures, from disordered to crystal-like, that are observed experimentally. Unexpectedly, our molecular dynamics simulations showed that the small peptide cluster undergoes chiral structure fluctuations although the underlying implicit solvent model does not assume the chirality of peptides. The chiral fluctuations are quantified through a cluster twist parameter. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/vacuolin-1.html A simple model is presented where the twist parameter undergoes a stochastic diffusion on a 1D potential surface. The shape of the potential surface changes with the cluster size. The model shows semi-quantitative agreement with the simulations. We hypothesize that the chiral fluctuations at the early stages of peptide aggregation can contribute to the selection of the final fibril structures.Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disease with a distinct phenotype. It occurs due to a mutation in the huntingtin (or IT19) gene with an abnormal CAG repeat, leading to a variable length N-terminal polyglutamine chain (poly-Q). Like most neurodegenerative diseases, HD is characterized by the abnormal deposition and aggregation of proteins in the cell, which impairs the proteostasis and disrupts cellular homeostasis. In this study, we used Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model due to its easy genetic manipulation and high homology of genes and signaling pathways with mammals. Worms were exposed to diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 at 25, 50 and 100 μM, and then we analyzed the polyQ aggregation, neurodegeneration, touch response, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, lifespan and health span. In addition, we analyzed the involvement of the transcription factor DAF-16, a FOXO-ortholog, and the downstream heat-shock protein-16.2 (HSP-16.2) and superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3). Our data demonstrate that chronic treatment with (PhSe)2 reduced polyQ aggregation in muscle and polyQ mediated neuronal cell death of sensory neurons ASH, as well as maintaining the neuronal function. In addition, (PhSe)2 decreased ROS levels and extended the lifespan and health span of wild type and PolyQ mutant worms. The mechanism proposed is the activation of DAF-16, HSP-16.2 and SOD-3 in whole body tissues to increase the antioxidant capacity and regulation of proteostasis, decreasing PolyQ aggregation and toxicity and reducing ROS levels, leading to an increase in lifespan, and healthspan. Our findings provide new clues for treatment strategies for neurodegenerative diseases and other diseases caused by age-related protein aggregation.Through the strategy of F/H substitution, we precisely designed the highest-Tc (phase transition temperature) organic enantiomeric ferroelectrics, (R)- and (S)-(N,N-dimethyl-3-fluoropyrrolidinium) iodide, of which the Tc reaches up to 470 K, far beyond those of other enantiomeric ferroelectrics and also the commercial ferroelectric BaTiO3.The synthesis of primary, secondary and tertiary 18O-enriched alcohols from readily available 16O-alcohols via a Mitsunobu esterification and hydrolysis is described. The method is further exemplified in the labelling of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, dropropizine and is shown to be tolerant of modern, separation friendly Mitsunobu reagents.This paper explores multi-component gelation systems containing two low-molecular-weight gelators and a polymer gelator. By controlled spatial and temporal application of different triggers - physical and chemical - it is possible to sequentially assemble gel networks, with a degree of self-sorting. A photo-patterned gel with four different domains was fabricated from a complex mixture of components, with the history of each domain programming the gel.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a serious threat to people's health worldwide. Artesunate (ART), one of the classical antimalarial drugs, has recently been shown to exert significant cytotoxicity in various cancers, but its bioavailability is low. Cyclometalated iridium(iii) complexes have emerged as a promising class of anticancer therapeutic agents. Herein, through conjugation of two of them, three novel Ir(iii)-ART conjugates, [Ir(C-N)2(bpy-ART)](PF6) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, C-N = 2-phenylpyridine (ppy, Ir-ART-1), 2-(2-thienyl)pyridine (thpy, Ir-ART-2), and 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine (dfppy, Ir-ART-3)) have been synthesized, and their potential as anti-HCC agents was evaluated. We demonstrate that Ir-ART-1-3 display higher cytotoxicity against HCC cell lines than normal liver cells, and they can especially locate to mitochondria of HepG2 cells and induce a series of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis events. Moreover, Ir-ART-1-3 can regulate the cell cycle and inhibit metastasis of HepG2 cells. Finally, in vivo antitumor evaluation also demonstrates the inhibitory activity of Ir-ART-1 on tumor growth.

BACKGROUND The primary aim of this study was to assess the utility of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c to identify diabetes by the 2-hour plasma glucose (PG) criterion in the Korean population at high risk for diabetes. METHODS A total of 1646 participants with a BMI of ≥23 kg/m2 without having a history of diabetes were recruited in this study. The cutoff values of FPG and HbA1c for detecting diabetes were identified using the Youden index using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/hth-01-015.html The gold standard for diabetes prediction was defined by the 2-hour PG level of ≥200 mg/dL. RESULTS The participants comprised 54.0% women, and the mean age of all participants was 55.0 ± 8.1 years. At baseline, FPG was 104.1 ± 14.2 mg/dL, the 2-hour PG value was 162.9 ± 55.3 mg/dL, and HbA1c was 5.9% ± 0.5%. 446 subjects (27.1%) were diagnosed with diabetes and 976 subjects (59.3%) were determined to be at prediabetes. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of FPG and HbA1c for diabetes were 0.776 and 0.802, while the AUC of FPG and HbA1c for prediabetes were 0.515 and 0.477. The optimal cutoff value for diagnosing diabetes of FPG and HbA1c were 104.5 mg/dL (sensitivity 75.8%, specificity 67.5%) and 5.9% (sensitivity 80.6%, specificity 63.8%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS FPG of 104.5 mg/dL and HbA1c value of 5.9% (41 mmol/mol) can be used as an optimal screening value for diabetes by 2-hour PG criterion in the Korean population at high risk for diabetes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Reported herein is the first efficient strategy to synthesize a broad range of unsymmetrical N-CF3 hydrazines, which served as platform to unlock numerous currently inaccessible derivatives, such as tri- and tetra-substituted N-CF3 hydrazines, hydrazones, sulfonyl hydrazines and valuable N-CF3 indoles. These compounds proved to be remarkably robust, being compatible with acids, bases and a wide range of synthetic manipulations. The feasibility of RN(CF3)-NH2 to function as a directing group in C-H functionalization is also showcased. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Single-atom catalysts have attracted much attention. It is necessary but remains challenging to uncover new regulation means of their electronic structures for precise catalysis. Herein, we report that regulating charge transfer of lattice oxygen in serial single-atom doped titania enables tunable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. First-principles calculations disclose that the activity of lattice oxygen for HER can be regularly promoted by substituting its nearest metal atom and doping-induced charge transfer plays the essential role. Besides, the charge transfer realm of the active site can be enlarged into the second nearest atom by making oxygen vacancies, resulting in further optimized HER. We fabricate various single-atom doped titania nanosheets via a simple route to validate the proposed model. We demonstrate that taking advantage of the localized charge transfer to the lattice atom is feasible to realize precise regulation of its electronic structures and thus catalytic activity. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Luminescent metal clusters have attracted considerable attention due to the promising application in imaging and sensing. However, promoting the emission from metal clusters at room temperature (RT) is a challenging task owing to the lack of the efficient appro a ch to suppress the nonradiative decay process in metal cores , although most of them display emission at cryogenic temperatures. In this study, we report that the addition of an Ag atom into the metal interstice of a radar-like thiolated silver cluster [ Ag 27 (S t Bu) 14 (S) 2 (CF 3 COO) 9 (DMAc) 4 ]·DMAc ( NC1 , DMAc=dimethylacetamide), which is non-emissive under ambient conditions, produced another silver cluster [ Ag 28 ( Adm S) 14 (S) 2 (CF 3 COO) 10 (H 2 O) 4 ] ( NC2 ) that displayed a bright green RT photoluminescence, aided by the new ligand 1-adamantanethiol (AdmSH). The 28 th Ag atom, which hardly affects the geometrical and electronic structures of the Ag-S core, triggered the emission of green light as the result of the rigidity effect in the cluster structure . Based on two perfect metal cluster models with atomic-precis i on structure, this work reveals that clusteroluminescence induced by specific metal atom aggregations could be a critical approach for enhancing photoluminescence from metal clusters at room temperature. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.INTRODUCTION Prophylaxis with factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates in children with haemophilia A (HA) is current standard of care. The benefit of prophylactic treatment for adult HA patients is not commonly accepted. AIM To investigate the benefit of prophylaxis over on-demand treatment in adult and elderly patients with severe or non-severe HA in a real-life setting. METHODS Data from 163 patients comprising 1202 patient-years were evaluated for 7.5 (±5.3) years. The effects on the annual bleeding rate (ABR, including spontaneous and traumatic bleeds) of treatment with a plasma-derived FVIII concentrate, the patient's age and disease severity were investigated. The effect of changing the treatment from on demand to continuous prophylaxis on the patients' ABRs was further analysed. RESULTS Prophylaxis had the greatest effect on the ABRs of patients of any age with severe or non-severe HA. The difference in ABR of all patients treated on demand (median 31.4; interquartile range (IQR) 27.6; N = 83) compared with those treated prophylactically (median 1.3; IQR 3.6; N = 122) was statistically significant (P  less then  .05), even for patients with non-severe HA (median 8.4; IQR 15.5; N = 11) vs median 1.5; IQR 4.2 (N = 17), P  less then  .05). Patients, aged up to 88 years, switching from on demand to continuous prophylaxis showed the lowest median ABR (1.1; N = 51) after their regimen change. CONCLUSION Any (even low-frequency) prophylaxis results in lower ABR than on-demand treatment. Patients switching to prophylaxis benefitted the most, irrespective of age or HA severity. Prophylactic treatment-even tertiary-is the regimen of choice for patients of any age, including elderly patients, with severe or non-severe HA. © 2020 The Authors. Haemophilia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In this study, anti-proliferative effects of twenty-seven indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one derivatives were investigated in three human cancer cell lines, namely the colon cancer cell line HCT-116, the liver cancer cell line HepG-2, and the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Among them, 5, 6, 13, 14a, b and 15d-f derivatives displayed excellent anti-proliferative activities against the three tested cell lines compared to the reference standard Imatinib. Therefore, they were selected for further studies. First, to ensure the safety of our hits, investigation of the IC50 values on normal human cells (WI-38) was executed indicating that, they are highly selective (IC50 > 107 μM) in their cytotoxic effect. Second, the induction of apoptosis by these active compounds was achieved by down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of BAX and caspase-3. Further investigations have shown that 14b and 15f, the most potent derivatives, induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Moreover, in silico evaluation of ADME properties indicated that all the potent compounds are orally bioavailable with no permeation to the blood brain barrier.Resveratrol (RVT) derivatives (10a-i) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their potential as gamma-globin inducers in treating Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) symptoms. All compounds were able to release NO at different levels ranging from 0 to 26.3%, while RVT did not demonstrate this effect. In vivo, the antinociceptive effect was characterized using an acetic acid-induced abdominal contortion model. All compounds exhibited different levels of protection, ranging from 5.9 to 37.3%; the compound 10a was the most potent among the series. At concentrations between 3.13 and 12.5 µM, the derivative 10a resulted in a reduction of 41.1-64.3% in the TNF-α levels in the supernatants of macrophages that were previously LPS-stimulated. This inhibitory effect was higher than that of RVT used as the control. In addition, the compound 10a and RVT induced double the production of the gamma-globin chains (γG + γA), compared to the vehicle, using CD34+ cells. Compound 10a also did not induce membrane perturbation and it was not mutagenic in the in vivo assay. Thus, compound 10a emerged as a new prototype of the gamma-globin-inducer group with additional analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and proving to be a useful alternative to treat SCD symptoms.Series of 2-arylbenzofuran-1,2,3-selenodiazole hybrids were prepared via multiple reactions and then evaluated in vitro through enzymatic assay for inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activities including antioxidant activity. The presence of 1,2,3-selenodiazole moiety resulted in increased inhibitory effect for compounds 4a-f against α-glucosidase and COX-2 activities, and increased free radical scavenging activity. 6-Acetoxy-2-phenyl-5-(1,2,3-selenadiazol-4-yl)benzofuran (4a) and its 2-(4-methoxyphenyl) substituted derivative (4f) were, in turn, screened for antiproliferation against the breast MCF-7 cancer cell line and for cytotoxicity on the human embryonic kidney derived Hek293-T cells. A cell-based antioxidant activity assay involving lipopolysaccharide induced reactive oxygen species production in these cells was performed. Molecular docking has also been performed on these two compounds to predict protein-ligand interactions against α-glucosidase and COX-2.In this study, new pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives were designed and evaluated for anticancer activity. PIM-1 inhibitiory activity were measured for the most potent compounds. Molecular docking study and molecular dynamics were also done. Thus, the novel derivatives of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine have been synthesized and characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. HMBC and NOESY experiments were used to confirm regiospecific structure of pyrimidine ring. The newly synthesized derivatives were evaluated for their antitumor activities against HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines. These derivatives showed clear in vitro antitumor activities. Compound 5h showed the highest bioactivity (IC50 = 1.51 µM) against HCT-116 cell line. While, compound 6c was the most potent derivative, its IC50 was 7.68 µM against MCF-7 cell line. Compounds 5c, 5g, 5h, 6a and 6c showed PIM-1 inhibitory activity with IC50 of 1.26, 0.95, 0.60, 1.82, 0.67, respectively µM that could be correlated with their cytotoxic effect. Molecular docking study was done to predict the mode of binding of the target compounds inside PIM-1 active site. The molecular dynamic simulation was conducted in order to evaluate stability of binding of the tested compounds.A selection of new chromeno[2,3-b]pyridines was prepared from chromenylacrylonitriles and N-substituted piperazines, using a novel and efficient synthetic procedure. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/p7c3.html The compounds were tested for their anticancer activity using breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, Hs578t and MDA-MB-231 and the non-neoplastic cell line MCF-10A for toxicity evaluation. In general, compounds showed higher activity towards the luminal breast cancer subtype (MCF-7), competitive with the reference compound Doxorubicin. The in vivo toxicity assay using C. elegans demonstrated a safe profile for the most active compounds. Chromene 3f revealed a promising drug profile, inhibiting cell growth and proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase, apoptosis and microtubule destabilization. The new compounds presented exciting bioactive features and may be used as lead compounds in cancer related drug discovery.The chemical constituents of the roots and bark of Azadirachta indica were investigated, leading to the isolation of six tricyclic diterpenoids and four limonoids including a new compound, azadirachtin J (4). The structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry as well as comparison with the literature. Furthermore, melanogenesis-inhibitory activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated. As a result, compounds 1-3 and 10 exhibited superior inhibitory activities against melanogenesis with no, or almost no, toxicity to the cells (86.5-105.1% cell viability). Western blot analysis showed that compounds 1 and 3 exhibited melanogenesis inhibitory activities in α-MSH-stimulated B16 melanoma cells due to, at least in part, inhibition of the expression of MITF, followed by a decrease in the expression of tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activities (IC50 values of 44.86 μM and 69.85 μM respectively). Docking results confirm that the active inhibitors strongly interact with tyrosinase residues.

BACKGROUND Oncology guidelines suggest using the Khorana score to select ambulatory cancer patients receiving chemotherapy for primary venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention, but its performance in different cancers remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE To examine the performance of the Khorana score in assessing 6-month VTE risk, and the efficacy and safety of LMWH among high-risk Khorana score patients. METHODS This individual patient data meta-analysis evaluated (ultra)-low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in patients with solid cancer using data from seven randomized controlled trials. RESULTS A total of 3,293 patients from the control groups with an available Khorana score had lung (n=1,913; 58%), colorectal (n=452; 14%), pancreatic (n=264; 8%), gastric (n=201; 6%), ovarian (n=184; 56%), breast (n=164; 5%), brain (n=84; 3%), or bladder cancer (n=31; 1%). The 6-month VTE incidence was 9.8% among high-risk Khorana score patients and 6.4% among low-to-intermediate-risk patients (OR 1.6; 95%-CI, 1.1-2.2). The dichotomous Khorana score performed differently in lung cancer patients (OR 1.1; 95%-CI, 0.72-1.7) than in the group with other cancer types (OR 3.2; 95%-CI, 1.8-5.6; Pinteraction =0.002). Among high-risk patients, LMWH decreased the risk of VTE by 64% compared to controls (OR 0.36; 95%-CI, 0.22-0.58), without increasing the risk of major bleeding (OR 1.1; 95%-CI, 0.59-2.1). CONCLUSION The Khorana score was unable to stratify patients with lung cancer based on their VTE risk. Among those with other cancer types, a high-risk score was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of VTE compared with a low-to-intermediate risk score. Thromboprophylaxis was effective and safe in patients with a high-risk Khorana score. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/dual-specificity-protein-phosphatase-1-6-Inhibitor-bcl.html This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Increasing evidence suggests that interference with growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) signaling can affect DNA damage response (DDR) networks, with a consequent impact on cellular responses to DNA-damaging agents widely used in cancer treatment. In that respect, the MET RTK is deregulated in abundance and/or activity in a variety of human tumors. Using two proteomic techniques, we explored how disrupting MET signaling modulates global cellular phosphorylation response to ionizing radiation (IR). Following an immunoaffinity-based phosphoproteomic discovery survey we selected candidate phosphorylation sites for extensive characterization by targeted proteomics focusing on phosphorylation sites in both signaling networks. Several substrates of the DDR were confirmed to be modulated by sequential MET inhibition and IR, or MET inhibition alone. Upon combined treatment, for two substrates, NUMA1 S395 and CHEK1 S345, the gain and loss of phosphorylation, respectively, were recapitulated using in vivo tumor models by immunohistochemistry, with possible utility in future translational research. Overall, we have corroborated phosphorylation sites at the intersection between MET and the DDR signaling networks, and suggest that these represent a class of proteins at the interface between oncogene-driven proliferation and genomic stability. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and tolerability of the dual EGFR/VEGFR inhibitor, vandetanib, in combination with carboplatin and gemcitabine in the first line treatment of patients with advanced urolthelial cancer (UC) who were unsuitable for cisplatin. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 2011 and 2014, 82 patients were randomised from 16 hospitals across the UK into the TOUCAN double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised phase II receiving six 21-day cycles of intravenous carboplatin (AUC 4.5 day 1) and gemcitabine (1000mg/m2 days 1,8) in combination with either oral vandetanib 100mg or placebo (once daily). Progression-free survival (PFS - primary endpoint), adverse events (AEs), tolerability and feasibility of use, objective response rate and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Intention-to-treat and per protocol analyses were used to analyse the primary endpoint. RESULTS Eighty-two patients were randomised 11 to vandetanib (n=40) or placebo (n=42). 25 patients (30%) completed 6 cycles of all allocated treatment. Toxicity ≥grade 3 was experienced in 80% (n=32) and 76% (n=32) of patients on vandetanib and placebo arms respectively. Median PFS was 6.8 and 8.8 months for vandetanib and placebo arms, respectively (HR=1.07, 95% CI 0.65-1.76, p=0.71); median OS was 10.8 vs 13.8 months (HR=1.41, 95% CI 0.79-2.52, p=0.88); and radiological response rates were 50% and 55%. CONCLUSION There is no evidence that vandetanib improves clinical outcome in this setting. Our data do not support its adoption as the regimen of choice for first line treatment in UC patients who were unfit for cisplatin. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), also known as cluster of differentiation 26 (CD26), is a serine exopeptidase expressed ubiquitously in several tissues, including but not limited to lung, kidney, liver, gut, and immune cells. The question has been raised on whether DPP4 modulation or inhibition may prevent infection and/or progression of the COVID-19. A docked complex model of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and DPP4 has been proposed, showing a large interface between the proteins and proposing close similarity with other coronaviruses using DPP4 as functional receptor. In absence of experimental validation, these data should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, this observation may rise the question on whether DPP4 is directly involved in SARS-CoV-2 cell adhesion/virulence, and whether DPP4 inhibition might be a therapeutic strategy for preventing infection. Although a direct involvement of DPP4 in SARS-CoV-2 infection needs to be clarified, there is also evidence suggesting that DPP4i modulate inflammation and exert anti-fibrotic activity. These properties may be of potential use for halting progression to the hyperinflammatory state associated with severe COVID-19. Taken together these findings may suggest a potential role for DPP4 inhibition or modulation in one or more steps of COVID-19 immunopathogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

7 to 77.0 g/100g moisture, 20.7 to 23.5 g/100g protein, 1.2 to 2.2 g/100g fat and 1.1 to 1.3 g/100g ash content. These values compare favorably to other game species, indicating that impala meat may serve as a lean protein source.In this paper, we present the results of an empirical study that aims to evaluate the performance of sighted and blind people to discriminate web page structures using vibrotactile feedback. The proposed visuo-tactile substitution system is based on a portable and economical solution that can be used in noisy and public environments. It converts the visual structures of web pages into tactile landscapes that can be explored on any mobile touchscreen device. The light contrasts overflown by the fingers are dynamically captured, sent to a micro-controller, translated into vibrating patterns that vary in intensity, frequency and temperature, and then reproduced by our actuators on the skin at the location defined by the user. The performance of the proposed system is measured in terms of perception of frequency and intensity thresholds and qualitative understanding of the shapes displayed.Vaccinium macrocarpon (syn. American Cranberry) is employed in dietary supplements (DS) with the aim to improve urinary tract well-being. This property is linked to the antiadhesion-activity of proanthocyanidins (PACs) against uropathogenic-bacteria. However, the current European legislation has been criticized for being weak and ineffective. Indeed, recent scientific works report mislabeled, contaminated, and adulterated supplements containing dangerous or unknown compounds, or sold at toxic doses. In this work, we analysed 24 DS that claim to contain cranberry, and to have a specific dosage of PACs. Our tests included the control of the good manufacturing practice according to the European Pharmacopoeia, and the verification of the claimed dosage of PACs. Moreover, in order to confirm the real presence of cranberry in DS, chemical fingerprinting via HPLC-UV/Vis-MS/MS was employed. Our results showed that 17 DS did not comply with the uniformity test of dosage forms, and only five contained cranberry. Finally, 16 DS claimed an incorrect amount of PACs. These data suggest that several cranberry-based DS are present in the European market with insufficient quality controls. Considering that often DS are self-prescribed by consumer relying on their claim, the data obtained in this work should encourage more controls and stricter rules.Herein we report on novel multiferroic core-shell nanostructures of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4)-bismuth, sodium titanate doped with barium titanate (BNT-BT0.08), prepared by a two-step wet chemical procedure, using the sol-gel technique. The fraction of CoFe2O4 was varied from 10.5 to 11.5 = BNT-BT0.08/CoFe2O4 (molar ratio). X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of both the spinel CoFe2O4 and the perovskite Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 phases. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the diameter of the core-shell nanoparticles was between 15 and 40 nm. Transmission electron microscopy data showed two-phase composite nanostructures consisting of a BNT-BT0.08 core surrounded by a CoFe2O4 shell with an average thickness of 4-7 nm. Cole-Cole plots reveal the presence of grains and grain boundary effects in the BNT-BT0.08/CoFe2O4 composite. Moreover, the values of the dc conductivity were found to increase with the amount of CoFe2O4 semiconductive phase. Both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Mössbauer measurements have shown no change in the valence of the Fe3+, Co2+, Bi3+ and Ti4+ cations. This study provides a detailed insight into the magnetoelectric coupling of the multiferroic BNT-BT0.08/CoFe2O4 core-shell composite potentially suitable for magnetoelectric applications.Although numerous studies have been conducted on ginger extracts and fractions, the data on the pharmacological activity of single constituents of Zingiber officinale are still insufficient. To assess the antidementia properties of the plant, a thin layer chromatography (TLC)-based bioautography acetylcholinesterase inhibitory assay was performed on the Zingiber officinale diethyl ether extract. It led to the recognition of three active inhibitors among volatile constituents of the plant ar-curcumene (A), α-sesquiphellandrene (B) and a-zingiberene (C). The identification of the components was possible thanks to the application of a TLC-HPLC-MS interface analysis of active zones and the GC-MS qualitative analysis of the tested samples. Based on the obtained results, the influence of several extraction techniques (hydrodistillation-HD, pressurized liquid extraction or accelerated solvent extraction-ASE, shaking maceration-SM, supercritical fluid extraction-SFE, and ultrasound-assisted extraction-UAE) on the recovery of the active metabolites from plant material was assessed to deliver enriched extracts. As a result, HD and SFE, were found to be the most efficient methods to recover the volatile components and the concentrations of A, B, and C reached 0.51 ± 0.025, 0.77 ± 0.045, and 1.67 ± 0.11 percent, respectively. Only HD and SFE were found to recover monoterpene hydrocarbons from the plant matrix. The remaining techniques provided extracts rich in more complex constituents, like sesquiterpenes.The Centers for Disease Control declared e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) a national outbreak due to the high incidence of emergency department admissions and deaths. We have identified chemical constituents in e-cig counterfeit cartridges and compared these to medical-grade and CBD containing cartridges. Apart from vitamin E acetate (VEA) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), other potential toxicants were identified including solvent-derived hydrocarbons, silicon conjugated compounds, various terpenes, pesticides/plasticizers/polycaprolactones, and metals. This study provides additional insights into the chemicals associated with EVALI cartridges and thus may contribute to the underlying disease mechanism of acute lung injury.Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely studied and applied in the field of tumor diagnosis and treatment because of their special fundamental properties. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Azacitidine(Vidaza).html In order to make AuNPs more suitable for tumor diagnosis and treatment, their natural properties and the interrelationships between these properties should be systematically and profoundly understood. The natural properties of AuNPs were discussed from two aspects physical and chemical. Among the physical properties of AuNPs, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), radioactivity and high X-ray absorption coefficient are widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. As an advantage over many other nanoparticles in chemicals, AuNPs can form stable chemical bonds with S-and N-containing groups. This allows AuNPs to attach to a wide variety of organic ligands or polymers with a specific function. These surface modifications endow AuNPs with outstanding biocompatibility, targeting and drug delivery capabilities. In this review, we systematically summarized the physicochemical properties of AuNPs and their intrinsic relationships.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness and possible mechanism of acupuncture treatment for negative emotion in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS A total of 40 PCOS patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 20 cases in each one. Both groups received lifestyle interventions (exercise and diet guidance) on the 5th day of menstruation. On the basis of above treatment, the patients in the observation group received acupuncture at Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongwan (CV 12), Guilai (ST 29), Futu (ST 32), Liangqiu (ST 34), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (LI 4), Shenmen (HT 7), Baihui (GV 20) as the main acupoints, and connected the electroacupuncture (continuous wave, 2 Hz, 30 min), once every other day, 3 times a week. The treatment for 1 month was as one course and 4 courses were required totally in both groups. Before and after treatment, the body mass index (BMI), ferriman-gallway (F-G) score, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score, self-rating depression treatment of patients with PCOS can effectively relieve anxiety and depression, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation on the levels of serumβ-endorphin and androgen.OBJECTIVE To explore the therapeutic effect and partial mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for patients with insulin resistance (IR) polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS Seventy patients with IR-PCOS were randomly divided into an EA group (36 cases, 5 cases dropped off) and a medication group (34 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The patients in the medication group were treated with oral administration of metformin hydrochloride, 500 mg each time, twice a day. The patients in the EA group were treated with EA (continuous wave, 2 Hz of frequency) at Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Yishu (EX-B 3), Shenshu (BL 23), Pishu (BL 20), Ciliao (BL 32) for 30 min, three times a week. One menstrual cycle or 4 weeks were taken as a course of treatment, and 3 continuous courses were given. The follow-up was 3 months. The lipid metabolism indexes of triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and testosterone (T) in serum were compared before and after treatment, and the clinical effects of the two groups were evaluated during the follow-up. RESULTS The total effective rate was 67.7% (21/31) in the EA group and 60.0% (18/30) in the medication group, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum T, HOMA-IR, LDL, TG and TC were decreased significantly in the two groups (P less then 0.01, P less then 0.05), and HDL was increased significantly (P less then 0.01); the levels of TC in the EA group after treatment was lower than that in the medication group (P less then 0.05). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/tasin-30.html CONCLUSION EA may adjust some dyslipidemia in patients to correct IR and improve endocrine disorder of PCOS, which had superior/similar effects to metformin.OBJECTIVE To compare the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with donepezil hydrochloride and donepezil hydrochloride alone on improving learning-memory ability in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to explore its action mechanism. METHODS Sixty patients of AD were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated with EA at governor vessel (GV) combined with donepezil hydrochloride. EA was applied at Baihui (GV 20) and Fengfu (GV 16) with dilatational wave (10 Hz/50 Hz of frequency, 0.5 to 5.0 mA of intensity), and the needles were kept for 40 min, EA was given once a day; the donepezil hydrochloride tablet was taken orally, 5 mg, once a day, and after 4 weeks the dosage might be increased to 10 mg per day according to the specific situation. All the treatment was given for 8 weeks. The patients in the control group were only treated with donepezil hydrochloride with the identical procedure asand P3 in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group and the amplitude was higher than that in the control group (P less then 0.05). Compared before treatment, the serum levels of APP and Aβ1-42 were lower after treatment in the two groups (P less then 0.05), and the serum levels of APP and Aβ1-42 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P less then 0.05). CONCLUSION EA at Baihui (GV 20) and Fengfu (GV 6) combined with donepezil hydrochloride can effectively reduce the serum levels of APP and Aβ1-42 and improve the scores of MoCA and ADAS-Cog and the levels of N2 and P3 of P300 in AD patients, which has superior effect to donepezil hydrochloride alone in improving the learning-memory of AD patients.OBJECTIVE To observe the therapeutic effects of different waves of electroacupuncture (EA) on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and to explore the mechanism of different waves of EA on promoting cartilage repair. METHODS Ninety- seven patients with KOA were randomly divided into a dilatational wave group (32 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a continuous wave group (32 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a discontinuous wave group (33 cases, 3 cases dropped off). The same acupoints of Xuehai (SP 10), Liangqiu (ST 34), Dubi (ST 35) and Neixiyan (EX-LE 4) were selected in the three groups. The dilatational wave (frequency of 2 Hz/10 Hz) was used in the dilatational wave group, the continuous wave (frequency of 10 Hz) was used in the continuous wave group, and the discontinuous wave (frequency of 10 Hz) was used in the discontinuous wave group. All the needles were retained for 30 min. All the treatment was given 3 times a week (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) for 4 weeks. Lysholm knees scoring scale (LKSS) was used to evaluatatational wave had the best overall effect, which can be used as a clinical optimal treatment.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical efficacy of medicinal penetration on acupoint combined with medication for histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) of heat-toxin syndrome, and to explore the methods of improving the clinical effect. METHODS A total of 72 cases with HNL with heat-toxin syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 36 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with oral administration of prednisone tablets for 40 days (first 5 days 10 mg, three times a day; since then, reduced by 5 mg every 7 days). In the observation group, on the basis of the medication in the control group, the patients were treated with acupoint application and ultrasonic drug penetration therapy, once a day for 14 days. The acupoints of Waiguan (TE 5), Fengchi (GB 20) of affected side and ashi points were selected. The changes of target lymph node swelling, visual analogue score (VAS), axillary temperature and total score of symptoms and signs were evaluated before treatment and 7, 14, 28 and 40 d into treatment; the changes of white blood cell (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were evaluated on 14 d and 40 d into treatment; the patients were followed-up for half a year.

No patients had grade 3/4 neurotoxicity. The overall survival rates at 3 years, 1 year, and 6 months were 10.5%, 42.0%, and 50.3%, respectively, according to the Kaplan-Meier method. We confirmed two partial responses. One patient with sustained stable disease was alive after 44.2 months. CAR T-cell expansion tended to be positively associated with tumor response. CONCLUSIONS This report demonstrated the initial safety profile of CAR-GPC3 T-cell therapy. We observed early signs of antitumor activity of CAR-GPC3 T cells in patients with advanced HCC. Copyright ©2020, American Association for Cancer Research.PURPOSE In NSABP B-41, pathologic complete response (pCR) was associated with prolonged survival among women with HER2-positive operable breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and lapatinib, trastuzumab, or the combination. We used a large human breast cancer gene expression panel to select candidate prognostic biomarkers for pCR among women treated with trastuzumab in NSABP B-41. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Eligible patients had a baseline pre-adjuvant treatment core biopsy sample, known pCR status, and no withdrawal of consent. We analyzed extracted RNA using the human nCounter® Breast Cancer 360™ gene expression panel. Gene counts were normalized to housekeeping genes and transformed into logarithmic scale with base two. To screen for candidate genes and meta-gene signatures prognostic of pCR, we used univariate logistic regression. Variable selection was done by multivariable logistic regression with lasso regularization. RESULTS Analyses of data from 130 patients revealed that a composite of gene expression from 19 genes and one gene signature appeared to predict pCR in women with HER2-positive early- stage breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab-containing regimens. The identified genes are involved in important pathways such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, adhesion and migration, estrogen receptor signaling, DNA damage and repair, apoptosis, and proliferation. The AUC from a 10-fold cross validation on predicting pCR, with these 20 genomic markers in a logistic regression model, was 0.73. CONCLUSIONS The expression level of ERBB2, ESR1, and few other genomic markers was highly predictive of pCR after trastuzumab-containing regimens. These findings need to be validated and calibrated in future studies. Copyright ©2020, American Association for Cancer Research.BACKGROUND A significant fraction of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) display abnormalities in renal function. Retrospective studies of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, report an incidence of 3%-7% progressing to ARF, a marker of poor prognosis. The cause of the renal failure in COVID-19 is unknown, but one hypothesized mechanism is direct renal infection by the causative virus, SARS-CoV-2. METHODS We performed an autopsy on a single patient who died of COVID-19 after open repair of an aortic dissection, complicated by hypoxic respiratory failure and oliguric renal failure. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/acetylcysteine.html We used light and electron microscopy to examine renal tissue for evidence of SARS-CoV-2 within renal cells. RESULTS Light microscopy of proximal tubules showed geographic isometric vacuolization, corresponding to a focus of tubules with abundant intracellular viral arrays. Individual viruses averaged 76 µm in diameter and had an envelope studded with crown-like, electron-dense spikes. Vacuoles contained double-membrane vesicles suggestive of partially assembled virus. CONCLUSIONS The presence of viral particles in the renal tubular epithelium that were morphologically identical to SARS-CoV-2, and with viral arrays and other features of virus assembly, provide evidence of a productive direct infection of the kidney by SARS-CoV-2. This finding offers confirmatory evidence that direct renal infection occurs in the setting of AKI in COVID-19. However, the frequency and clinical significance of direct infection in COVID-19 is unclear. Tubular isometric vacuolization observed with light microscopy, which correlates with double-membrane vesicles containing vacuoles observed with electronic microscopy, may be a useful histologic marker for active SARS-CoV-2 infection in kidney biopsy or autopsy specimens. Copyright © 2020 by the American Society of Nephrology.BACKGROUND Despite opioids' known association with hip fracture risk in the general population, they are commonly prescribed to patients with ESKD. Whether use of opioids or gabapentinoids (also used to treat pain in patients with ESKD) contributes to hip fracture risk in patients with ESKD on hemodialysis remains unknown. METHODS In a case-control study nested within the US Renal Data System, we identified all hip fracture events recorded among patients dependent on hemodialysis from January 2009 through September 2015. Eligible cases were risk-set matched on index date with ten eligible controls. We required >1 year of Medicare Parts A and B coverage and >3 years of part D coverage to study cumulative longer-term exposure. To examine new, short-term exposure, we selected individuals with >18 months of Part D coverage and no prior opioid or gabapentinoid use between 18 and 7 months before index. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS For the longer-term analyses, we identified 4912 first-time hip fracture cases and 49,120 controls. Opioid use was associated with increased hip fracture risk (adjusted OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.53). Subgroups of low, moderate, and high use yielded adjusted ORs of 1.33 (95% CI, 1.20 to 1.47), 1.53 (95% CI, 1.36 to 1.72), and 1.66 (95% CI, 1.45 to 1.90), respectively. The association with hip fractures was also elevated with new, short-term use (adjusted OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.52). There were no associations between gabapentinoid use and hip fracture. CONCLUSIONS Among patients dependent on hemodialysis in the United States, both short-term and longer-term use of opioid analgesics were associated with hip fracture events. Copyright © 2020 by the American Society of Nephrology.

MYO1E and MYO1F function in host self-defense, with a better defined role in innate immunity in cell migration and phagocytosis. Impairments of their function have been identified in patients suffering pathologies ranging from tumoral processes to kidney diseases. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of specific features and functions of MYO1E and MYO1F in various tissues, as well as their involvement in disease.Success of the da Vinci surgical robot in the last decade has motivated the development of flexible access robots to assist clinical experts during single-port interventions of core intrabody organs. Prototypes of flexible robots have been proposed to enhance surgical tasks, such as suturing, tumor resection, and radiosurgery in human abdominal areas; nonetheless, precise constraint control models are still needed for flexible pathway navigation. In this paper, the design of a flexible snake-like robot is presented, along with the constraints model that was proposed for kinematics and dynamics control, motion trajectory planning, and obstacle avoidance during motion. Simulation of the robot and implementation of the proposed control models were done in Matlab. Several points on different circular paths were used for evaluation, and the results obtained show the model had a mean kinematic error of 0.37 ± 0.36 mm with very fast kinematics and dynamics resolution times. Furthermore, the robot's movement was geometrically and parametrically continuous for three different trajectory cases on a circular pathway. In addition, procedures for dynamic constraint and obstacle collision detection were also proposed and validated. In the latter, a collision-avoidance scheme was kept optimal by keeping a safe distance between the robot's links and obstacles in the workspace. Analyses of the results showed the control system was optimal in determining the necessary joint angles to reach a given target point, and motion profiles with a smooth trajectory was guaranteed, while collision with obstacles were detected a priori and avoided in close to real-time. Furthermore, the complexity and computational effort of the algorithmic models were negligibly small. Thus, the model can be used to enhance the real-time control of flexible robotic systems.This study examined a large dataset of ultra-cycling race results to investigate the sex difference in ultra-cycling performance (100 to 500 miles) according to age and race distance. Data from the time period 1996-2018 were obtained from online available database of the ultra-cycling marathon association (UMCA), including distance-limited ultra-cycling races (100, 200, 400, and 500 miles). A total of 12,716 race results were analyzed to compare the performance between men and women by calendar year, age group (18-34, 35-44, 45-59, and 60+ years), and race distance. Men were faster than women in 100 and 200 mile races, but no sex differences were identified for the 400 and 500 mile races. The performance ratio (average cycling speedmen/average cycling speedwomen) was smaller in the 200 mile races compared to the 100 mile races and remained stable in the 400 and 500 mile races. In all race distances, the difference in average cycling speed between women and men decreased with increasing age. The gender gap in performance was closed in several distance-limited ultra-cycling races, such as the 400 and 500 mile races.In this work, polyamide 1010 (PA1010) films were prepared by melt-quenching. A wide-angle X-ray diffractometer (WAXD) with a thermal stretching stage was used to investigate the structure transformation, crystallinity and degree of orientation in the course of simultaneous thermally stretched PA1010. The crystallinity increased along with the increase of draw ratio and then decreased as the draw ratio was over 2.00 times-which the maximum value reached when the draw ratio was about 2.00 times. The degree of orientation of γ-PA1010 was much greater at higher temperature than room temperature (RT); the difference gradually became weaker with the increase of draw ratio. There was a linear relationship between the draw ratios and tensile force at higher temperatures, and the tensile force increased with the increase of draw ratios. The tensile force may induce crystallization and promote orientation in the course of simultaneous thermally stretched PA1010. These phenomena are beneficial to understand the structure-processing-performance relationship and provide some theoretical basis for the processing and production.The effect of electron-beam melting (EBM) and selective laser melting (SLM) processes on the chemical composition, phase composition, density, microstructure, and microhardness of as-built Ti55511 blocks were evaluated and compared. The work also aimed to understand how each process setting affects the powder characteristics after processing. Experiments have shown that both methods can process Ti55511 successfully and can build parts with almost full density (>99%) without any internal cracks or delamination. It was observed that the SLM build sample can retain the phase composition of the initial powder, while EBM displayed significant phase changes. After the EBM process, a considerable amount of α Ti-phase and lamella-like microstructures were found in the EBM build sample and corresponding powder left in the build chamber. Both processes showed a similar effect on the variation of powder morphology after the process. Despite the apparent difference in alloying composition, the EBM build Ti55511 sample showed similar microhardness as EBM build Ti-6Al-4V. Measured microhardness of the EBM build sample is approximately 10% higher than the SLM build, and it measured as 348 ± 30.20 HV.Development of new immunogens eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) is a main priority for the HIV-1 vaccine field. Envelope glycoproteins from non-B-non-C HIV-1clades have not been fully explored as components of a vaccine. We produced Vaccinia viruses expressing a truncated version of gp120 (gp120t) from HIV-1 clades CRF02_AG, H, J, B, and C and examined their immunogenicity in mice and rabbits. Mice primed with the recombinant Vaccinia viruses and boosted with the homologous gp120t or C2V3C3 polypeptides developed antibodies that bind potently to homologous and heterologous envelope glycoproteins. https://www.selleckchem.com/Proteasome.html Notably, a subset of mice immunized with the CRF02_AG-based envelope immunogens developed a cross-reactive neutralizing response against tier 2 HIV-1 Env-pseudoviruses and primary isolates. Rabbits vaccinated with the CRF02_AG-based envelope immunogens also generated potent binding antibodies, and one animal elicited antibodies that neutralized almost all (13 of 16, 81.3%) tier 2 HIV-1 isolates tested.

The genus Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920, frogs from the family Odontophrynidae Lynch, currently contains 41 nominal species with poorly resolved phylogenetic relationships (Frost 2019; Mângia et al. 2018). Molecular data from 15 and 18 Proceratophrys species support the monophyletic hypothesis of the genus (Teixeira-Jr et al. 2012; Dias et al. 2013; respectively) but do not fully resolve the phylogenetic relationship among the species. Currently, there are advertisement call parameters provided for 31 species of Proceratophrys in the literature (Ferreira et al. 2016; Andrade et al. 2018; Mângia et al. 2018; Nascimento et al. 2019). The Proceratophrys advertisement call is composed of pulsed notes, amplitude modulation, short to medium duration calls (0.05-4 s) and only one note in almost all species (see Nascimento et al. 2019 for details). Considering the importance of bioacoustics for taxonomy (Köhler et al. 2017), further descriptions of advertisement calls for the genus could also improve our understanding of the species' relationships.The genus Thrips comprises 296 species (ThripsWiki 2019) and is the largest of all Terebrantian genera. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/bx471.html The only other Thysanopteran genera comparable in size are the phlaeothripids Haplothrips and Liothrips. Species of Thrips can be found in flowers and on leaves of a wide variety of plants from grasses to trees. Most of them are beneficial pollinators (Garcia-Fayos Goldarazena 2008; Eliyahu et al. 2015), while others are pests and cause significant economic damage (Mound Marullo 1996). Some of them are polyphagous and widespread, while others are rarely seen and restricted to one species of plant (Palmer 1992).The morphology of adult instars of two South African oribatid mites Galumna lawrencei Jacot, 1940 and Galumna capensis dissimilis Engelbrecht, 1969, is analyzed, resulting in the following new taxonomic proposal G. lawrencei Jacot, 1940 (=G. capensis dissimilis Engelbrecht, 1969 syn. nov.). Comparison was based on the lectotype and paralectotypes (for G. lawrencei) and on the holotype and paratypes (for G. capensis dissimilis). Comments are made on the type material.Most mealybug species in the Afrotropical Region have been described or redescribed adequately and their identities are now well established. The species are listed in the catalogue of world species by Ben-Dov (1994) and in ScaleNet, an online database of the scale insects (García-Morales et al. 2019). The genera found in South Africa, and their type species, were discussed by Millar (2002). However, two species remain that have not been discussed since they were described, and their identities remain obscure. Here we discuss these species.Falklandia Forster Platnick, 1985 was established for a genus of spider (Dysderoidea, Orsolobidae) in a paper published in July 1985. The homonymy with Falklandia De Broyer, 1985 (Lysianassoidea, Tryphosidae) published in October 1985 has been recognised only recently and requires a replacement name for the latter concept. An additional junior homonym, Falklandia Whatley, Chadwick, Coxhill Toy, 1987, is discussed by Brandão (in press).The discovery of the first damselfly Lestes regina Théobald, 1937 from Monteils (Gard, France) supports the identity of late Eocene age of this outcrop with the historical outcrop of Célas, type locality for the type series of this species. Lestes regina is also documented from the late Eocene Isle of Wight basin, confirming the presence of significant contacts between this southern area and the anglo-Parisian lacustrine basin at that time. Nearly all the Eocene and Oligocene fossil Lestes from Western Europe have a particular character, viz. the presence of a supplementary row of cells between the veins MP and CuA. This character is much less frequent in extant Lestes and is still unknown among Neogene representatives of the genus.A new brachypterous species of the scarab beetle genus Orphnus Macleay, 1819, O. (O.) brevialatus Frolov Akhmetova, new species, is described from Kipengere Range (Livingstone Mountains), Tanzania. The new species differs from other flightless Orphnus species occurring in East Africa in having a well-developed pronotal armature with two long, acute lateral processes. In the shape of the head, pronotum, and male genitalia it is similar to O. compactilis Quedenfeldt, 1882, but differs from it, in addition to the reduced wings and shorter body, in the shape of the endophallic armature. Flightlessness is rather common among the orphnines 56 orphnine species out of 235 have the wings reduced to different degree making them incapable of flight, although this is a preliminary minimum figure. Flightless species are found in Hybalus Dejean, 1833, Chaetonyx Schaum, 1862, Orphnus Macleay, Hybaloides Quedenfeldt, 1884, Aegidium Westwood, 1845 and Stenosternus Karsch, 1881. All regional orphnine faunas except for Indo-Malayan and Madagascan include flightless species, although flightlessness is more common in African taxa.The first fossil representative of Eledonoprius Reitter, E. incoronatus sp. nov., is described from Eocene Baltic amber. The genus is associated with old-growth forests in the modern Western Palaearctic Region and apparently has persistent in this Region since the Paleogene.Stenocorse is a monotypic genus with wide distribution and a large range of beetle hosts. We analyzed the morphological variation of 346 specimens from the USA south to Brasil. We studied 15 morphometric and 30 discrete characters using principal component (PCA) and discriminant function analyses (DFA) to assess character informativeness and the influence of geographic distribution and host source to detect differentiation. Mexican samples were studied according to location and biogeographic provinces. Specimens from Colombia were studied according to the plant where the host was recorded. Three measurements show group differentiation whereas four were redundant. Three groups of individuals were supported by continuous and discrete characters one found in the USA, Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, a second from Mexico, and a third from Colombia and Brazil. These groups showed poor agreement with the differentiation of its common beetle host populations. This could be a consequence of the large number of sympatric host species feeding on a large number of plant species.