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• A highly porous Ni-based electrocatalyst was synthesized by a sol–gel method with bubbling of gel mixture. • The Ni-based catalyst exhibited a high oxidation activity of 570 mA mg−1. • A urea fuel cell with the Ni-based anode catalyst exhibited a maximum power density of 36.4 at 70 °C. • The urea fuel cell showed a stable voltage over 3 days. A highly electroactive Ni-based catalyst for urea oxidation is prepared by a sol–gel method with bubbling of gel mixture. It is observed that the conditions for the gel formation strongly affect the morphology and electrochemical properties of the catalyst materials. As synthesized Ni-catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The Ni-based catalyst prepared at optimum conditions in the scope of this study exhibits the urea oxidation activity of 570 mA mg−1 (at 0.54 V). In a single urea/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell test, the Ni-catalyst provides maximum power densities of 19.6 and 36.4 mW cm−2 at 30 and 70 °C, respectively. Additionally, the cell catalyst shows a stable voltage for 3 days. Thus, this work suggests that a novel Ni-based catalyst derived from a facile method can be used for urea oxidation and as an efficient anode material for urea fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-based catalysts are considered as an efficient anode material for urea fuel cells due to the low cost and high activity in alkaline media. Herein, we demonstrate that Ni-Co bimetallic hydroxide particles with highly porous nanostructures can be synthesized using mesoporous silica nanoparticles as templates. The replicated nanostructures of the Ni-Co hydroxide samples from the mesoporous silica templates are observed. The porous Ni 0.8 Co 0.2 (OH) 2 particles exhibited considerably enhanced electro-catalytic activity for urea oxidation reaction by providing a high surface area and fast mass transport for urea oxidation reaction. It is also found that the Co-doping at 20% significantly reduce the overpotential and increase the peak current of urea oxidation reaction. A direct urea/H 2 O 2 fuel cell with the porous Ni 0.8 Co 0.2 (OH) 2 as anode material shows an excellent performance with maximum power densities of 11.2 and 25.6 mW cm−2 at 20 °C and 70 °C with 0.5 M urea in 5 M KOH, respectively. Thus, this work suggests that the highly porous Ni 0.8 Co 0. 2 (OH) 2 -derived from the mesoporous silica templates can be used for urea oxidation and as an efficient anode material for urea-based fuel cells. Image 1 • Highly porous nanostructured Ni-Co hydroxide was synthesized using silica as template. • The Ni-Co hydroxide exhibited a mesoporous structure with a high specific surface area. • The Ni-Co hydroxide featured excellent electro-catalytic activity for urea oxidation. • A urea fuel cell with Ni-Co hydroxide exhibited a maximum power density of 25.6 mW cm−2 at 70 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene aerogel‐supported manganese ferrite (MnxFe3−xO4/GAs) and reduced‐graphene oxide/manganese ferrite composite (MnFe2O4/rGO) were synthesized and studied as cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions in urea/O2 fuel cells. MnFe2O4/GAs exhibited a 3D framework with a continuous macroporous structure. Among the investigated Fe/Mn ratios, the more positive oxygen reduction onset potential was observed with Fe/Mn=2/1. The half‐wave potential of MnFe2O4/GAs was considerably more positive than that of MnFe2O4/rGO and comparable with that of Pt/C, while the stability of MnFe2O4/GAs significantly higher than that of Pt/C. The best urea/O2 fuel cell performance was also observed with the MnFe2O4/GAs. The MnFe2O4/GAs exhibited an OCV of 0.713 V and a maximum power density of 1.7 mW cm−2 at 60 °C. Thus, this work shows that 3D structured graphene aerogel‐supported MnFe2O4 catalysts can be used as an efficient cathode material for alkaline fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of lots of advantages such as a large workspace, high dynamics and high payload capacity, CDPRs have been widely used in various applications. In this study, kinematics and dynamics of CDPRs was derived for considering dynamic characteristics of CDPRs. This research considered two effective excitation frequencies which are the vibration induced by frame structural characteristics and acceleration profiles. Also, two main frequencies were considered as the variable constraints. They are the fundamental frequencies of each cable and the whole system. By considering them, the wrench-feasible workspace was determined and analyzed at conditions of various accelerations. In comparing the fixed and the frequency-based variable constraints, the size of the workspace was decreased slightly. However, the frequency-based variable constraint method raised stiffness of cables and end-effector. The stability of cables and end-effector was raised. Especially, the stability of cables was highly improved. Finally, the variable constraints method was verified with experiments. This method leads to high stability system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin-film BaZr 0.2 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 O 3−δ (BZCY) is a promising electrolyte material for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. However, a major drawback is its poor adhesion to porous electrodes. For achieving a high adhesion of thin BZCY films to anodes, a mixed electrolyte containing La 0.80 Sr 0.20 Ga 0.80 Mg 0.20 O 3−δ (LSGM) and BZCY is deposited onto a porous NiO–BZCYYb anode, followed by the deposition of a 4 μm-thick BZCY electrolyte layer over the mixed electrolyte layer by e-beam vapor deposition. The formation of a fully dense and well-adhered BZCY layer is confirmed. The prepared cell exhibits excellent potential for achieving high power densities with various fuels. The maximum power densities of a single cell are 1.21, 0.93, and 0.76 W cm −2 at 650 °C with hydrogen, methane, and biogas, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum power densities are 0.26, 0.12, and 0.21 W cm −2 at 500 °C with hydrogen, methane, and biogas, respectively. The ionic conductivities of the electrolyte layer are 1.2 × 10 −2 S cm −1 and 3.1 × 10 −3 S cm −1 at 650 and 500 °C respectively, with an activation energy of 0.46 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kaempferol, a natural flavonoid abundantly found in plants, is known to have pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. In this study, we investigated the antiviral effects of kaempferol against a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) clinical isolate in vitro. We found that kaempferol significantly inhibited VZV replication without exhibiting cytotoxicity. Kaempferol exerted its antiviral effect at a similar stage of the VZV life cycle as acyclovir, which inhibits VZV DNA replication. Taken together, our results suggest that kaempferol inhibits VZV infection by blocking the DNA replication stage in the viral life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urea splitting to produce H 2 is as an energy-saving alternative to water electrolysis. However, efficient catalysts are required for the practical implementation of urea splitting because of the high overpotentials of the urea oxidation reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, a Ni-modified direct Z-scheme photocatalyst for the urea oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions was synthesized by electroplating a WO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite on Ni-decorated carbon felt (WO/CN–Ni@CF). The 2D/2D nanostructure of the as-synthesized WO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 composite was confirmed by SEM and TEM. The WO/CN–Ni@CF catalyst electrode exhibited excellent bifunctional photocatalytic activity for the urea oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions. Consequently, the potential required to generate 100 mA cm−2 in an illuminated photoelectrochemical cell using WO/CN–Ni@CF as the anode and the cathode was reduced from 1.80 to 1.50 V. The photoelectrochemical cell exhibited good stability for 18 h with stable H 2 generation. [Display omitted] • WO 3 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite as Z-scheme photocatalyst for urea splitting. • The photocatalyst was electrospun onto Ni-plated carbon felt (WO/CN–Ni@CF). • The WO/CN–Ni@CF exhibited excellent bifunctional photocatalytic activity. • The required potential in UOR∥HER was considerably reduced by solar illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A perovskite-type oxide (LaNi 0.6 Fe 0.4 O 3 -CeO 2 , LNF-C) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite was employed as a novel catalyst material for the electrochemical oxidation of urea in an amperometric urea sensor. The structural and morphological properties of the LNF-C/MWCNT nanocomposite were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The Ni-based pervoskite exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity than a single NiO compound, and CeO 2 further improved the activity and stability. The reaction of urea electrooxidation on LNF-C occurred via 6-electrons, and was a half-order reaction with respect to urea concentrations in alkaline solution, as observed by cyclic voltammetry studies. The LNF-C/MWCNT modified electrodes exhibited a sensitivity of 195.6 μAmM −1  cm −2 in a linear range from 25 to 670 μM of urea with a low detection limit (1 μM), fast response time (5 s), and good stability. In addition, the urea sensor demonstrated feasibility for urea analysis in real urine samples. The results indicated that the LNF-C/MWCNT composite could be used as an effient catalyst for the electro-oxidation of urea and electrode material for non-enzymatic urea sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity production from macroalgae ( Saccharina japonica ) by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was studied. The macroalgae were pretreated in alkaline solution and used as substrates in the MFC, or anaerobically fermented and then the fermentation broth was used as the MFC substrate. When pretreated S. japonica , fermentation broth, and acetate were used as substrates for a MFC with a Pt-based cathode, the maximum power densities achieved were 99, 584, and 721 mW/m 2 , respectively. Ni particles with 3D nanostructure were also synthesized for use as cathode catalysts. The MFC with a Ni-based cathode delivered maximum power densities of 560 and 540 mW/m 2 using acetate and fermentation broth of S. japonica , respectively, which were close to those for the MFC with a Pt-based cathode. The results indicated that pretreatment of macroalgae by anaerobic fermentation can be used to realize high MFC performance and nanostructured Ni is a promising alternative catalyst in MFC application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirolimus(SRL) release from the biodegradable poly(l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) matrix was investigated for theapplication of drug-eluting stents (DES). In particular, this studyfocused on whether variousorganic solvents affect the interaction between SRL and PLGA and theformation of microstructures during ultrasonic coating. The SRL-loadedPLGA coated by tetrahydrofuran or acetone showed a significant initialburst, whereas that from acetonitrile was constantly released duringa period of 21 days. On the basis of these results, the interactionsat the molecular level of SRL with the polymer matrix were estimatedaccording to various organic solvents. Although the topographies ofthe coated surface were obviously different, the correlation betweensurface roughness and SRL release was very poor. Irrespective of organicsolvents, FT-IR data showed significantly weak SRL-PLGA interactions.From the result of wide-angle X-ray diffraction, it was confirmedthat SRL was dispersed in an amorphous state in the polymer matrixafter ultrasonic coating. The glass-transition temperature was alsoinfluenced by organic solvents, resulting in a plasticizing effect.The particle size of SRL appeared to determine the release profilefrom the PLGA matrix, which was the combination of diffusion and polymerdegradation at an SRL size of more than 800 nm and the Fickian releaseat that of less than 300 nm. Therefore, organic solvents can leadto a heterogeneous microstructure in the SRL-loaded PLGA matrix, whichis at or near the surface, consisting of aggregated drug- and polymer-richregions. It is expected that the drug release can be controlled byphysicochemical properties of organic solvents, and this study canbe used effectively for localized drug release in biomedical devicessuch as drug-eluting stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A free-standing catalyst electrode for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in a urea electrolysis cell was synthesized by electroplating a Ni–Fe alloy onto carbon felt, followed by phosphidation (P-NiFe@CF). The prepared P-NiFe@CF catalyst consisted of Ni5P4, NiP2, and FeP with 3D flower-like P-NiFe architecture on CF. P-NiFe@CF exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for the UOR (demanding only 1.39 V (vs. RHE) to achieve 200 mA cm−2), and for the HER with a low overpotential of 0.023 V (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm−2, indicating its feasibility as a bifunctional catalyst electrode for urea electrolysis. A urea electrolysis cell with P-NiFe@CF as both the free-standing anode and cathode generated a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a cell potential of 1.37 V (vs. RHE), which is considerably lower than that of water electrolysis, and also lower than previously reported values. The results indicate that the P-NiFe@CF catalyst electrodes can be used as free-standing bifunctional electrodes for urea electrolyzers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly porous free-standing NiCr-bimetallic catalyst is synthesized by electrospinning and carbonization and is applied as an anode in a direct urea/H 2 O 2 fuel cell for electro-oxidation of urea. It is observed that the morphology of the calcined NiCr catalyst, which has a higher specific surface area, is identical to that of the electrospun NiCr catalyst fiber. Cr-doping at 40% (Cr/Ni) significantly increases the oxidation peak current of the urea oxidation reaction. The addition of carbon nanotubes also considerably enhances the catalytic activity. A direct urea/H 2 O 2 fuel cell, which utilizes the synthesized catalyst (NiCr-CNT@C) as a free-standing anode, exhibits excellent performance with a maximum power density of 48.1 mW cm−2 and an open-circuit voltage of 0.92 V at 80 °C. Thus, the highly porous free-standing NiCr-CNT@C catalyst mat can be employed as an efficient anode material for urea oxidation in urea fuel cells. Image 1 • A freestanding NiCr catalyst mat was synthesized by electrospinning technique. • NiCr bimetal nanoparticles were uniformly embedded in the carbon nanofibers. • The NiCr catalyst featured excellent electro-catalytic activity for urea oxidation. • A urea fuel cell with NiCr catalyst exhibited a power density of 48.1 mW cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-based catalysts have been considered as an efficient anode material for urea fuel cells due to the low cost and high activity in alkaline media. Herein, we demonstrate that Ni-Co bimetallic nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotube aerogels as catalysts for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) can be synthesized by a polyol reduction and sol-gel method. The morphology, structure, and composition of the Ni-Co/MWCNT aerogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction. The electro-catalytic activity of the Ni-Co/MWCNT aerogels towards UOR was investigated using cyclic voltammetry. It was found that the Co-doping at 25% (Co/Ni) significantly increased the oxidation peak current and reduced the overpotential of the UOR. Furthermore, the MWCNT aerogel support also remarkably enhanced electro-catalytic activity by providing a high surface area and fast mass transport for the UOR owing to the porous 3D network structures with uniform distribution of Ni-Co nanoparticles. Urea/O2 fuel cell with Ni-Co/MWCNT aerogel as anode material exhibited an excellent performance with maximum power density of 17.5 mWcm−2 with an open circuit voltage of 0.9 V. Thus, this work showed that the highly porous three-dimensional Ni-Co/MWCNT aerogel catalysts can be used for urea oxidation and as an efficient anode material for urea fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various drug-eluting stents (DESs) have been developed to prevent restenosis after stent implantation. However, DES still needs to improve the drug-in-polymer coating stability and control of drug release for effective clinical treatment. In this study, the cobalt-chromium (Co Cr) alloy surface was coated with biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) and sirolimus (SRL) mixed with hydrophilic Pluronic F127 additive by using ultrasonic spray coating system in order to achieve a stable coating surface and control SRL release. The degradation of PDLLA/SRL coating was studied under physiological solution. It was found that adding F127 reduced the degradation of PDLLA and improved the coating stability during 60 days. The effects of organic solvent such as chloroform and tetrahydrofuran (THF) on the coating uniformity were also examined. It was revealed that THF produced a very smooth and uniform coating compared to chloroform. The patterns of in vitro drug release according to the type of organic solvent and hydrophilic additive proposed the possibility of controllable drug release design in DES. It was found that using F127 the drug release was sustained regardless of the organic solvent used. In addition, THF was able to get faster and controlled release profile when compared to chloroform. The structure of SRL molecules in different organic solvents was investigated using ultra-small angle neutron scattering. Furthermore, the structure of SRL is concentration-dependent in chloroform with tight nature under high concentration, but concentration-independent in THF. These results strongly demonstrated that coating stability and drug release patterns can be changed by physicochemical properties of various parameters such as organic solvents, additive, and coating strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid re-endothelialization of damaged vessel lining efficiently prevents restenosis and thrombosis and restores original vascular functions. In this study, we designed a novel metallic stent with a heparin-modified surface and used different methods, including 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and divinyl sulfone (DVS), to load growth factors. First we loaded heparin into a dopamine-conjugated hyaluronic acid (HA) coating to serve as a growth factor reservoir. In a second step, we took advantage of the heparin-binding domain of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to gain advanced re-endothelialization capabilities. We demonstrated that DVS technique offered higher amount of growth factor loading. In vitro assessment also showed better capillary-like structure formation and localized gap junctions when DVS coating was employed. This study suggested that growth factor loaded stent modified by HA and heparin provided the advantage to rapid and tight restoration of endothelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) have been used to treat coronary artery diseases by placing in the arteries. However, current DESs still suffer from polymer coating defects such as delamination and peeling-off that follows stent deployment. Such coating defects could increase the roughness of DES and might act as a source of late or very late thrombosis and might increase the incident of restenosis. In this regard, we modified the cobalt–chromium (Co–Cr) alloy surface with hydrophilic poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) or hydrophobic poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-grafted-poly(caprolactone) (PHEMA-g-PCL) brushes. The resulting surfaces were biocompatible and biodegradable, which could act as anchoring layer for the drug-in-polymer matrix coating. The two modifications were characterized by ATR-FTIR, XPS, water contact angle measurements, SEM and AFM. On the control and modified Co–Cr samples, a sirolimus (SRL)-containing poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) were ultrasonically spray-coated, and the drug release was examined for 8 weeks under physiological conditions. The results demonstrated that PHEMA as a primer coating improved the coating stability and degradation morphology, and drug release profile for short-term as compared to control Co–Cr, but fails after 7 weeks in physiological buffer. On the other hand, the hydrophobic PHEMA-g-PCL brushes not only enhanced the stability and degradation morphology of the PDLLA coating layer, but also sustained SRL release for long-term. At 8-week of release test, the surface morphologies and release profiles of coated PDLLA layers verified the beneficial effect of hydrophobic PCL brushes as well as their thickness on coating stability. Our study concludes that 200 nm thickness of PHEMA-g-PCL as interfacial layer affects the stability and degradation morphology of the biodegradable coating intensively to be applied for various biodegradable-based DESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack prevention of biodegradable polymer coatings on drug-eluting stents was investigated by introducing a nano-coupled layer at the interface between the metal surface and the polymer coating layer using surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. Poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) coating on cobalt-chromium control and ricinoleic acid-poly(caprolactone)–grafted cobalt-chromium was carried out using electrospraying. The cracking of the biodegradable polymer coating on drug-eluting stents during ballooning was addressed by introducing a nano-coupled interlayer on the cobalt-chromium surface. The ricinoleic acid-poly(caprolactone) nano-coupled interlayer and poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-coated top layer were characterized using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared, contact angle, ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Based on scratch tests, the nano-coupled samples had stronger interfacial adhesion compared to the control sample without the nano-coupled layer. Scanning electron microscope images indicated that the cracking on the poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) coating was addressed. Introducing a nano-coupling interlayer may be an important strategy to preventing polymer coating cracking on drug-eluting stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A new EMA system using 4 coils was proposed for 2-D locomotion. [•] The EMA system has 18% smaller volume and 26.7% less power consumption. [•] This study can give a position-based magnetic field control for EMA microrobot. [•] The position error of the microrobot was reduced to less than 0.33mm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recently, various micromanipulation methods using a microrobot have been studied in medicine and biology. In particular, the methods based on the use of a microrobot actuated by an electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system have received much attention because the microrobot using EMA system has free locomotion and precise controllability. These advantages of an electromagnetic actuated microrobot can be used to manipulate micro-particles. Previously, we proposed a 2-dimensional (2D) locomotive microrobot using EMA system and realized the free 2D locomotion of a microrobot of 10mm length and 1mm diameter. In this paper, we propose a microrobot for the manipulation of micro-particles. First, we fabricate a microrobot of desired shape and size by the conventional micro-molding technique. Second, we control the fabricated microrobot by using a 2D EMA system and test its basic performances such as directional controllability and velocity. The results of these basic tests confirmed that the microrobot had precise directionality with direction error from 1.52deg. to 2.16deg. and moving velocity range from 2.34mm/s to 18.67mm/s. In addition, the microrobot has the positioning errors in the 0.07–0.12mm range and the propulsion force of the microrobot is continuously changed in proportional to the applied current in Maxwell coil. Finally, the proposed microrobot and its EMA system were tested for their ability to position a micro-particle. The results confirmed that the microrobot using the EMA could be used for the manipulation of various micro-particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rapid sintering of a nanostuctured MgAlO compound in a short time was investigated with high-frequency induction heating sintering process. The advantage of this process is that it allows very quick densification to near theoretical density and prohibition of grain growth in nanostuctured materials. A highly dense nanostructured MgAlO compound was produced with simultaneous application of 80 MPa pressure and induced current with output of total power capacity (15 kW) within 2 min. The sintering behavior, grain size, and mechanical properties of the MgAlO compound were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanopowders of FeAl and Al2O3 were synthesized from Fe2O3 and Al by high energy ball milling. The sizes of FeAl and Al2O3 were 4 and 57nm, respectively. A dense nanostuctured FeAl–Al2O3 composite was consolidated by a high-frequency induction heated sintering method within two minutes from mechanically synthesized powders of FeAl and Al2O3. The grain size, sintering behavior and hardness of the sintered FeAl–Al2O3 composite were investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of three lignans (schisandrol A, schisandrol B, and schisandrin C) on insulin secretion in rat INS-1 pancreatic β-cells and glucose uptake in mouse C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Schisandrol A and schisandrin C enhanced insulin secretion in response to high glucose levels with no toxic effects on INS-1 cells. The effect of schisandrin C was superior to that of gliclazide (positive control), a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addition, western blot analysis showed that the expression of associated proteins, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), was increased in INS-1 cells after treatment with schisandrin C. In addition, insulin secretion effect of schisandrin C were enhanced by the Bay K 8644 (L-type Ca2+ channel agonist) and glibenclamide (K+ channel blocker), were abolished by the nifedipine (L-type Ca2+ channel blocker) and diazoxide (K+ channel activator). Moreover, schisandrin C enhanced glucose uptake with no toxic effects on C2C12 cells. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of associated proteins, including insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), PI3K, Akt, glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4), was increased in C2C12 cells after treatment with schisandrin C. Schisandrin C may improve hyperglycemia by enhancing insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells and improving glucose uptake into skeletal muscle cells. Our findings may provide evidence that schisandrin C may be beneficial in devising novel anti-T2D strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]