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Reversible data-hiding in encrypted images (RDHEI) plays a pivotal role in preserving privacy within images stored on cloud platforms. Recently, Wang et al. introduced a dual-stage permutation encryption scheme, which is highly compatible with RDHEI techniques. In this study, we undertake an exhaustive examination of the characteristics inherent to the dual-stage permutation scheme and propose two cryptanalysis schemes leveraging a large-kernel convolutional neural network (LKCNN) and a known plaintext attack (KPA) scheme, respectively. Our experimental findings demonstrate the effectiveness of our cryptanalysis schemes in breaking the dual-stage permutation encryption scheme. Based on our investigation, we highlight significant security vulnerabilities in the dual-stage permutation encryption scheme, raising concerns about its suitability for secure image storage and privacy protection in cloud environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data hiding in digital images is a potent solution for covert communication, embedding sensitive data into cover images. However, most existing methods are tailored for one-to-one scenarios, which present security risks. To mitigate this vulnerability, we introduce an innovative one-to-two data hiding scheme that employs a two-tier bit-flipping strategy to embed sensitive data in dual images. This process produces two stego images which are then transmitted to two distinct recipients who cannot extract any sensitive data alone. The sensitive data can only be extracted when the two recipients trust each other. Through this method, we can secure the stego images. The experimental results illustrate that our method achieves an excellent data payload while maintaining high visual quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trait rumination was positively correlated with procrastination. • Trait rumination was negatively correlated with the grey matter volumes of left insula. • The left insula-lmSFG functional connectivity was negatively associated with trait rumination. • Trait rumination completely mediated the relationship between left insula-lmSFG connectivity and procrastination. Procrastination is regarded as a prevalent problematic behavior that impairs people's physical and mental health. Although previous studies have indicated that trait rumination is robustly positively correlated with procrastination, it remains unknown about the neural substrates underlying the relationship between trait rumination and procrastination. To address this issue, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) approaches to explore the neural basis of the relationship between trait rumination and procrastination. Our behavior results found that trait rumination was significantly positively correlated to procrastination, while the VBM analysis showed that trait rumination was negatively correlated with gray matter volume of the insula. Furthermore, the RSFC results revealed a negative association of the left insula-lmSFG (left medial superior frontal gyrus) functional connectivity with trait rumination. More importantly, the mediation analysis showed that trait rumination could completely mediate the relationship between left insula-lmSFG functional connectivity and procrastination. These results suggest that the left insula-lmSFG functional connectivity involved in emotion regulation modulates the association between trait rumination and procrastination, which provides neural evidence for the relationship between trait rumination and procrastination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, traditional antimicrobial strategies have lost efficacy due to a rapid rise in antibiotic resistance and limited success in developing new antibiotics. Rather than relying on therapeutics solely targeting the bacterial pathogen, therapies are emerging that simultaneously focus on host responses. Here, we describe the most promising 'host-informed therapies' (HITs) in two categories: those that aid patients with fully functional immune systems, and those that aid patients with perturbed immune processes. Using Streptococcus pneumoniae , the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, as a case study, we show HITs as an attractive option for supplementing infection management. However, to broaden their applicability and design new strategies, targeted research and clinical trials will be essential. Host-informed therapies (HITs) are a novel approach in the field of anti-infectives that aim to enhance host responses that curb disease progression and/or diminish those that promote damage. Combinations of canonical pathogen-directed drugs (e.g., antibiotics) and HITs can become indispensable in treating emerging infections as well as preventing the emergence of, and overcoming diseases caused by, drug-resistant bacteria. General HIT strategies can be considered for most bacterial infections, as they target general immune processes such as boosting immune cell function or modulating the inflammatory response. HITs can be tailored to the host with specific vulnerabilities, including hosts with influenza co-infection, sickle cell disease, or advanced age, which makes them highly susceptible to, for instance, pneumococcal infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG tract expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT). HD is characterized by involuntary movements, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. Pathologically, patients with HD show selective striatal neuronal vulnerability at the early disease stage, although the mutant protein is ubiquitously expressed. Activation of the immune system and glial cell-mediated neuroinflammatory responses are early pathological features and have been found in all neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including HD. However, the role of inflammation in HD, as well as its therapeutic significance, has been less extensively studied compared to other NDDs. This review highlights the significantly elevated levels of inflammatory proteins and cellular markers observed in various HD animal models and HD patient tissues, emphasizing the critical roles of microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in mediating neuroinflammation in HD. Moreover, it expands on recent discoveries related to the peripheral immune system's involvement in HD. Although current immunomodulatory treatments and inflammatory biomarkers for adjunctive diagnosis in HD are limited, targeting inflammation in combination with other therapies, along with comprehensive personalized treatment approaches, shows promising therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the information age, a digital image is an important media for people's daily interactions. Looking to maintain the quality of the restored image, how to maximise the compression of images has become a challenging topic. Vector quantisation (VQ) compression is an easy-operating image compression method that can compress images to 1/16th of the original size. Based on VQ compresses, a novel image compression method is proposed in this paper. The proposed scheme compresses the image depending on the result of linear regression prediction which can significantly increase the compression ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) arises from the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT), resulting in the production of the mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with a polyglutamine stretch in its N-terminus. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying HD are complex and not yet fully elucidated. However, mHTT forms aggregates and accumulates abnormally in neuronal nuclei and processes, leading to disruptions in multiple cellular functions. Although there is currently no effective curative treatment for HD, significant progress has been made in developing various therapeutic strategies to treat HD. In addition to drugs targeting the neuronal toxicity of mHTT, gene therapy approaches that aim to reduce the expression of the mutant HTT gene hold great promise for effective HD therapy. This review provides an overview of current HD treatments, discusses different therapeutic strategies, and aims to facilitate future therapeutic advancements in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxalate enhanced mechanism of Fe 3 O 4 @γ-Fe 2 O 3 was developed to provide novel insight into catalytic process regulation of iron oxide catalysts in heterogeneous UV-Fenton system. And the iron oxide composite of Fe 3 O 4 @γ-Fe 2 O 3 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The results showed that large amount of iron could be leached from catalyst in the presence of oxalate, which promoted the homogeneous UV-Fenton reactions in solution. Orange II degradation could be significantly enhanced with the increase of the ratio of homogeneous UV-Fenton process to heterogeneous UV-Fenton process. The optimum concentration of oxalate determined by experiment was 0.5 mM in oxalate enhanced heterogeneous UV-Fenton system. On this condition, the pseudo-first-order rate constant value of Orange II degradation was 0.314 min −1 , which was 2.3 times as high as that in heterogeneous UV-Fenton system. The removal rates of color and TOC were 100% and 86.6% after 20 min and 120 min treatment, respectively. In addition, the iron ions in solution could be almost completely adsorbed back to the catalyst surface in later degradation stages of Orange II. During the recycle experiments, the results showed that the increase of pH in solution and the sorption of intermediates on the catalyst surface would hinder oxalate enhanced process and lead to a decrease of degradation rate of Orange II in oxalate enhanced heterogeneous UV-Fenton system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida spp. are the fourth leading cause of nosocomial blood stream infections in North America. Candida glabrata is the second most frequently isolated species, and rapid development of antifungal resistance has made treatment a challenge. In this study, we investigate the therapeutic potential of metformin, a biguanide with well-established action for diabetes, as an antifungal agent against C. glabrata. Both wild type and antifungal-resistant isolates of C. glabrata were subjected to biguanide and biguanide-antifungal combination treatment. Metformin, as well as other members of the biguanide family, were found to have antifungal activity against C. glabrata, with MIC50 of 9.34 ± 0.16 mg/mL, 2.09 ± 0.04 mg/mL and 1.87 ± 0.05 mg/mL for metformin, phenformin and buformin, respectively. We demonstrate that biguanides enhance the activity of several antifungal drugs, including voriconazole, fluconazole, and amphotericin, but not micafungin. The biguanide-antifungal combinations allowed for additional antifungal effects, with fraction inhibition concentration indexes ranging from 0.5 to 1. Furthermore, metformin was able to lower antifungal MIC50 in voriconazole and fluconazole-resistant clinical isolates of C. glabrata. We also observed growth reduction of C. glabrata with rapamycin and an FIC of 0.84 ± 0.09 when combined with metformin, suggesting biguanide action in C. glabrata may be related to inhibition of the mTOR complex. We conclude that the biguanide class has direct antifungal therapeutic potential and enhances the activity of select antifungals in the treatment of resistant C. glabrata isolates. These data support the further investigation of biguanides in the combination treatment of serious fungal infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A capillary electrophoretic method for the enantioseparation of ofloxacin and its five related substances (potential impurities, indicated as impurities B-F) was developed using β-cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral selectors. To our knowledge, there are no previous studies about using capillary electrophoresis for the separation of impurities B-D. Six β-cyclodextrin derivatives including cationic (piperidine- and cyclohexylamine-), neutral (dimethyl- and hydroxypropyl-), and anionic (carboxymethyl- and sulfated-) β-cyclodextrin derivatives were tested and operational parameters such as buffer pH and concentration of β-cyclodextrin derivatives were investigated. The best resolutions were all obtained with anionic β-cyclodextrin derivatives: ofloxacin, impurities C-F could be best resolved with carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin at satisfactory resolutions of 8.27, 9.98, 5.92, 8.49 and 6.78, respectively, while for impurity B, a particularly impressive resolution value, up to 21.38, was observed using sulfated-β-cyclodextrin. The enhancement of enantioseparation observed for the tested analytes using anionic β-cyclodextrin derivatives might be due to some favorable interaction between selectors and analytes. Given the fact that the selection of chiral selector depends on the structures of analytes, with the help of structural similarities and differences of the analytes, the structure-separation relationship was further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesocellular silicon foam supported poly(chloromethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene) (MCF–copolymer) was synthesized. It has a pore size of 24.2 nm. The pore volume and the surface area were 0.84 cm 3 /g and 246.9 m 2 /g, respectively. MCF–copolymer supported sulfonic acid was accomplished via sulfonation with concentrated sulfuric acid. The acid amount on the MCF–copolymer was 2.03 mmol/g. Hydrolysis of banana pseudo-stem fibers and microcrystalline cellulose was carried out over the catalyst. The large pore size favors the diffusion of molecules in catalyzing bulky molecules. The corresponding catalytic turnover frequencies (TOF) were 5.57 h − 1 and 8.066 h − 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibers have growing demands in textile industry due to its availability, eco-friendliness, renewability, CO2-neutrality, flexibility, low density and low cost. Banana pseudostem fibers (BPSFs) can be a potential candidate to replace the synthetic fibers. However, there are still limitations for their application in textile industry because of their poor quality, such as "coarseness, shortness, hardness and crispness". This paper described one chemical method for extracting finer natural BPSFs from natural banana pseudostem. The effects of different pre-acid, pre-oxygen and alkali cooking processes on degumming rate and residual lignin rate of BPSFs were studied. The better degumming process was determined. The physicochemical properties of BPSFs treated chemically were analyzed by using the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR revealed structural modification after chemical treatments. SEM was used to evaluate the fracture morphology of failed samples. The tensile properties of BPSFs treated chemically were also investigated. The result showed that the pre-acid process condition was 2 g/L H2SO4 aqueous solution at 55 °C for 2 h, where the external wax could be removed. The pre-oxygen process was achieved by immersing the banana pseudostem in a 200 mL mixture liquid composed of 7 g/L H2O2, 3wt% Na2SiO3 and 2wt% sodium polyphosphate at 95 °C for 1.5 h. Afterwards, The sample was immersed in 200 mL NaOH solution of 9 g/L at boiling temperature for 3 h, then washed with 1 g/L H2SO4 for 2-3 min to neutralize the residual alkali in the sample. Under the conditions, the residual gum rate of BPSFs treated chemically was 20.80%, and the residual lignin rate was 8.21%. BPSFs treated chemically were white and clean, and consisted of a large number of fine micro fibrils with a diameter of from 0.05 to 0.09 mm. In addition, BPSFs treated chemically were soft. FTIR results showed that most of the hemicelluloses and lignin were removed by chemical treatments, and the relative crystallinity index of BPSFs treated chemically was 61.2%. The SEM of longitudinal morphologies of BPSFs treated chemically had a cleaner, rougher, and fibrillated fiber surface due to dissolution of hemicelluloses and lignin. The SEM diagram indicated the BPSFs treated chemically exhibited a combination of ductile and brittle failure. Tensile test was carried out on single fiber according to the ASTM D 3822-01 standard. The diameter of BPSFs treated chemically was within the range of 0.068 mm, and the tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation rate were 353.09 MPa, 18.34 GPa and 1.70% respectively. The tensile strength and elongation rate were enhanced by 13% and 6.5% respectively in the BPSFs treated chemically compared to those of untreated ones. And the Young's modulus was decreased by 14% in the BPSFs treated chemically compared to those of untreated ones. The tensile properties of BPSFs treated chemically were correlated with the results of FTIR, XRD and SEM. Based on the properties of BPSFs treated chemically, we expect that these fibers will be suitable for the use as textile materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L5278 --> Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and invasive disease, particularly, in the elderly. S. pneumoniae lung infection of aged mice is associated with high bacterial burdens and detrimental inflammatory responses. Macrophages can clear microorganisms and modulate inflammation through two distinct lysosomal trafficking pathways that involve 1A/1B‐light chain 3 (LC3)‐marked organelles, canonical autophagy, and LC3‐associated phagocytosis (LAP). The S. pneumoniae pore‐forming toxin pneumolysin (PLY) triggers an autophagic response in nonphagocytic cells, but the role of LAP in macrophage defense against S. pneumoniae or in age‐related susceptibility to infection is unexplored. We found that infection of murine bone‐marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDMs) by PLY‐producing S. pneumoniae triggered Atg5‐ and Atg7‐dependent recruitment of LC3 to S. pneumoniae‐containing vesicles. The association of LC3 with S. pneumoniae‐containing phagosomes required components specific for LAP, such as Rubicon and the NADPH oxidase, but not factors, such as Ulk1, FIP200, or Atg14, required specifically for canonical autophagy. In addition, S. pneumoniae was sequestered within single‐membrane compartments indicative of LAP. Importantly, compared to BMDMs from young (2‐mo‐old) mice, BMDMs from aged (20‐ to 22‐mo‐old) mice infected with S. pneumoniae were not only deficient in LAP and bacterial killing, but also produced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Inhibition of LAP enhanced S. pneumoniae survival and cytokine responses in BMDMs from young but not aged mice. Thus, LAP is an important innate immune defense employed by BMDMs to control S. pneumoniae infection and concomitant inflammation, one that diminishes with age and may contribute to age‐related susceptibility to this important pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with dopamine. • 'Biosensors' proposed, nanomaterial & biomolecule assisted dopamine sensing. • Video games such as 'Sand-box', helps to minimize the consequences of ADHD. • Nanomaterials used as, nanofilm, nanoparticle, nanopowder and nanohybrid. • Gleaned sensing strategies for dopamine biosensors to fulfil necessities for ADHD. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with mental or psychological disorder at differential expressions of dopamine. Among these, ADHD is highly related with the habit to focus on video games such as 'Sand-box', which helps to minimize the consequences of ADHD. A growing progression with sand-box players especially with Chinese Children brought a step ahead with the healthcare and creativity. Since dopamine changes are highly correlated to ADHD, several diagnostics as 'biosensors' have been proposed and demonstrated well in several instances. Further, nanomaterial and biomolecule assisted dopamine sensors have promoted the sensing systems to higher levels due to the minute detection. Nanomaterials have been used in different formats such as, nanofilm, nanoparticle, nanopowder, nanohybrid and with similar formats. Current overview gleaned various sensing strategies with dopamine biosensors to fulfil the necessities for ADHD and other disorders towards minimizing the growing number of cases especially with young generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that intravenous normal saline (NS) may be associated with the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to evaluate the association between the volume of NS infusion and AKI in heat stroke (HS) patients. This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 138 patients with HS. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI. Secondary outcomes included the need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), length of stay in the ICU and hospital, and in-hospital mortality. Multivariate regression models, random forest imputation, and genetic and propensity score matching were used to explore the relationship between NS infusion and outcomes. The mean volume of NS infusion in the emergency department (ED) was 3.02 ± 1.45 L. During hospitalization, 33 patients (23.91%) suffered from AKI. In the multivariate model, as a continuous variable (per 1 L), the volume of NS infusion was associated with the incidence of AKI (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.43–4.40; p =.001), admission to the ICU (OR, 3.46; 95% CI 1.58–7.54; p =.002), and length of stay in the ICU (β, 1.00 days; 95% CI, 0.44–1.56; p <.001) and hospital (β, 1.41 days; 95% CI, 0.37–2.45; p =.008). These relationships also existed in the forest imputation cohort and matching cohort. There were no differences in the use of CRRT or in-hospital mortality. The volume of NS infusion was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of AKI, admission to the ICU, and length of stay in the ICU and hospital among patients with HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive Internet of Things (IoT) connecting various types of intelligent sensors for goods tracking in logistics, environmental monitoring and smart grid management is a crucial future ICT. High-end security and low power consumption are major requirements in scaling up the IoT. In this research, we propose an efficient data-hiding scheme to deal with the security problems and power saving issues of multimedia communication among IoT devises. Data hiding is the practice of hiding secret data into cover images in order to conceal and prevent secret data from being intercepted by malicious attackers. One of the established research streams of data-hiding methods is based on reference matrices (RM). In this study, we propose an efficient data-hiding scheme based on multidimensional mini-SuDoKu RM. The proposed RM possesses high complexity and can effectively improve the security of data hiding. In addition, this study also defines a range locator function which can significantly improve the embedding efficiency of multidimensional RM. Experimental results show that our data-hiding scheme can not only obtain better image quality, but also achieve higher embedding capacity than other related schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing an efficient non-noble metal photocatalyst, which utilizes solar energy, has great potential to produce clean energy hydrogen. The microstructural refinement of 1D Cd 0.2 Zn 0.8 S nanorod was induced by doping with 2D MoS 2 @MoO y layer during microwave hydrothermal treatment. The maximum H 2 production rate of the composite prepared at optimum conditions was 186 mmol g−1 h−1, which increased by 34.8% compared with that of Cd 0.2 Zn 0.8 S (138 mmol g−1 h−1). The apparent quantum yields of the optimized composite were 10.3% and 15.6% at 365 and 420 nm, respectively. The tight S-scheme heterojunction contributed to the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs effectively, as confirmed by the characterization analysis of ·OH and ·O− 2 radicals, surface potential under illumination and darkness and in situ XPS spectra. Moreover, the active species of sulfur coordinated-Mo5+ as low-coordinate center promoted the dissociation of water and decreased the over potential of H 2 production. Furthermore, the optimal composite showed excellent stable catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution, and the H 2 production rate was 176.7 mmol g−1 h−1 after five cycles (95% of the first cycle). Overall, this work provides a promising strategy for improving the effectiveness of H 2 production by preparing non-noble metal composite photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • 1D Cd 0.2 Zn 0.8 S nanorod doped with 2D MoS 2 @MoO y nanosheet material was prepared. • Heterojunction mechanism effectively provided channels for electron transmission. • The H 2 yields of optimal hybrid achieved 186 mmol g−1 h−1 under simulated sunlight. • Active species of Mo5+ and S2− 2 promoted photocatalytic H 2 evolution performance. • ·OH and ·O− 2 radicals rising from redox process confirmed the S-scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper-catalyzed three-component and four-component cascade reactions of cyanamides, dirayliodonium triflates, and propargylamine were established for the rapid construction of polysubstituted 2-aminoimidazoles and 2-iminoimidazoles using K2CO3 and pyridine as the base, respectively. Each reaction step was efficiently accelerated by copper, and 3–4 C–N bonds were constructed with excellent regioselectivities and good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on developing three kinds of polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCEs), i.e., ether-type polycarboxylate superplasticizer (T-PCE), fluorine-type polycarboxylate superplasticizer (F-PCE), and phosphate-type polycarboxylate superplasticizer (P-PCE) synthesized respectively with three functional monomers, i.e., isopentenyl polyoxyethylene ether (TPEG3000), hexafluorobutyl methacrylate (HFBMA), and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate phosphate (HEMAP) for improved dispersion and low air entrainment in cementitious systems. The molecular structures of PCEs were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR). Further, the influence and mechanism of the functional monomers on the dispersion and air entrainment of PCEs in cement paste and mortar were investigated. Finally, the mechanisms of the functional monomers' effect on the air entrainment of PCEs in the cement paste and mortar were discussed. The results showed that T-PCE, F-PCE, and P-PCE were successfully synthesized, and P-PCE had the optimal effect on the fluidity (at W/C=0.35, 305.5 mm), the lowest foaming height (11.000 mm), and the fastest rate of defoaming of the cementitious systems, followed by F-PCE and T-PCE. Complexation, adsorption, surface activity, and polar hydrophobic mechanisms were identified. For unmodified T-PCE, there are more hydrophilic groups (-COOH), stronger surface activity. Therefore, T-PCE shows strong air entrainment; T-PCE has a high density of carboxylate and often forms a complex with 1 Ca2+ in the form of 4 carboxyl groups before reaching the adsorption equilibrium, so the concentration of free Ca2+ with foam stabilizing effect is high, which leads to strong air entrainment of T-PCE. The adsorption and complexation ability of F-PCE with Ca2+ is weaker than that of T-PCE. However, the hydrophobicity of F-PCE molecules is enhanced and the surface tension of F-PCE is reduced due to the ester group and C-F bonds in the structure of HFBMA, so the air entrainment of F-PCE is lower than that of T-PCE through Marangoni effect. P-PCE exhibited the lowest surface activity and the largest surface tension. Defoaming effect is promoted due to increased additional pressure on the bubble surface. Moreover, its adsorption and complexation with Ca2+ surpassed those of T-PCE and F-PCE due to the phosphate group has two negative charges, and the free Ca2+ is reduced, which also reduces the bubble stability. Therefore, P-PCE has minimal air entrainment in the cementitious systems. [Display omitted] • PCEs were synthesized with different functional monomers. • P-PCE has lower air entrainment in fresh mortar and paste than T-PCE and F-PCE. • Complexation, adsorption, surface activity, & hydrophobicity mechanisms of air entrainment mechanisms of PCEs were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbamazepine (CBZ)–hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) complex in the presence of HPMC was prepared and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometer intended for improving the dissolution rate of CBZ. The phase-solubility method was used to investigate the effect of HP-β-CD and HPMC on the solubility of CBZ. Tablets of the resulting complex were prepared using direct compression method and the bioavailability was evaluated in beagle dogs using a UPLC/MS/MS method. The results showed solubility of CBZ was increased up to 95 times by complexation with HP-β-CD in the presence of 0.1% HPMC. The results of DSC and X-ray diffraction proved a formation of complex between CBZ and HP-β-CD. Dissolution rate of CBZ was notably improved from complex tablets with more than 97.39% released within 10min; whereas for the commercial tablets, around 60% was released within 30min. Using commercial tablets as the reference formulation, the bioavailability of complex tablets was considerably increased by 1.5-fold (P <0.05) and T max was reduced to 0.88h compared with 1.25h for commercial tablets. Furthermore, a lower inter-subject variability (49.9%) was observed compared with that of the commercial tablets (39.7%). It is evident from the results herein that complexation with HP-β-CD in the presence of HPMC is a feasible way to prepare a rapidly acting and better absorbed CBZ oral product. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights • Coir fiber cellulose was effectively isolated and purified by multiple treatments. • Coir CNFs were prepared by mild TEMPO-mediated oxidation and ultrasonication. • Coir CNFs had been applied for effective property-reinforcement of PVA based films. Abstract Coconut waste husks were effectively utilized in this study as a promising cellulose source for production of purified coir cellulose (PCC) after multiple treatments, e.g., ultrasonic-assisted solvent immersion, alkaline treatment, bleaching, etc. As to upgrade the self-value of coir cellulose based products and further broaden their applications in light of biorefinery, coir cellulose nanofibrils (CCNF) with an average diameter of 5.6 ± 1.5 nm were prepared by selection of a milder TEMPO-mediated oxidation system (TEMPO/NaClO/NaClO 2 , pH = 4.8) accompanied by subsequent ultrasonic treatment. The cellulose nanofibrils were comprehensively characterized in terms of their functional groups, crystallinity, morphology, and thermal stability. The potential reinforcement of CCNFs as a filler for biodegradable PVA based films was investigated and the main properties including tensile strength, elongation at break, and thermal stability of CCNF/PVA composite films were significantly enhanced especially when 3% of CCNF (based on dry film weight) was applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Banana pseudo-stems fibers were novel extracted via atmospheric liquefaction combined with TEMPO-mediated oxidation. Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and nanocrystals (CNC) were subsequently obtained by high-intensity ultrasonic treatment and acidolysis, respectively. Liquefied residue content as well as its constituent varied with liquefaction time. Scanning electron microscopy and fourier transform infrared demonstrate that the progressive removal of non-cellulosic impurities. Morphological studies exhibit that CNF present a range of 3∼10 nm in diameter and 140∼690 nm in length, while CNC have average diameter of 3.5 ± 1.6 nm and a length of 93.3 ± 37.6 nm. XRD analysis indicates that the CNCs have a high crystallinity (95.6%). The thermal stability of the fibers was measured by thermogravimetric analysis. The structures and properties of CNF and CNC give it potential to be used in reinforcing polymeric matrix materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High adsorption capabilities were obtained for different types of pollutants. • Good saturation magnetization was achieved at relatively low pyrolysis temperature. • Active oxygen containing groups (–COOH, –OH) were introduced. • Quasi-nanoscale γ-Fe 2 O 3 was efficiently generated and stably anchored on surface. A novel oxidative magnetization, involving phosphomolybdic acid and Fe(NO 3) 3 co-promoted pyrolysis, was established to manufacture highly adsorptive magnetic biochars for adsorbing aqueous tetracycline, methylene blue, and Cr6+. The modification of phosphomolybdic acid greatly boosted the formation of γ-Fe 2 O 3 and oxygen containing groups with enhancement of specific surface area and pore volume at 400 °C. Importantly, γ-Fe 2 O 3 was stably fixed on surface in quasi-nanoscale. The oxidized magnetic biochar displayed 631.53, 158.45, 155.13 mg/g adsorption capabilities for tetracycline, methylene blue, and Cr6+ with 22.79 emu/g saturation magnetization, respectively. Oxygen containing groups and quasi-nanoscale γ-Fe 2 O 3 served as key adsorption sites for these pollutants. A general oxidative magnetization was established for manufacturing high-performance magnetic biochar through phosphomolybdic acid/Fe(NO 3) 3 co-promoted pyrolysis at relatively low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new hydrophobic modification of sodium alginate was proposed. • Hydrogels prepared by hydrophobic sodium alginate had good ability to adsorb PX. • The new bacteria-hydrogel system can remove 25,830 mg/m3 of PX within 3 h. • Systemic efficiency removal of PX was achieved through 4 synergistic mechanisms. Hydrogel adsorption for volatile organic compound (VOC) removal shows great potential for application, but the hydrophilic nature of hydrogels, low removal efficiency, and reusability limit the use of hydrogels for VOC removal. Herein, a new conductive bacteria–hydrogel system is reported for the rapid and complete removal of para-xylene (PX). This new system was constructed by combining hydrophobically modified sodium alginate (SA) with bacteria and electron shuttles. In comparison with conventional single hydrogels, this system provides allows hydrogel to adsorb VOCs through the action of hydrophobicity and solves the problem of subsequent treatment after adsorption. Furthermore, the system was designed to be electrically conductive to enhance the removal of PX by bacteria, and it exhibits excellent PX removal without the fear of secondary contamination. Under the synergistic effect of hydrogel adsorption, electrical tension, and electronic mediators, the degrading bacteria that can self-produce surfactants can completely remove 25,830 mg/m3 of PX within 3 h, resulting in a 75% time saving. In addition, the bacteria–hydrogel system is reusable and can maintain the same PX removal effect after three cycles. This work provides a new idea for the treatment of VOCs and the development of amphiphilic hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fly-ash-based strain-hardening geopolymer composite (SHGC) plates were manufactured by hot-pressing on a plate vulcanizing press machine. The strain-hardening behavior of SHGC was examined by direct tensile tests, displaying an ultimate strain more than 4%. The flexural behavior of SHGC was investigated by centrally loaded square plates. The parameters under investigation included liquid-to-solid ratio, age, temperature, pressure, fiber type and content. The influence of these parameters on load carrying capacity, deflection, toughness and failure mode were analyzed. The results showed that the load carrying capacity increased with temperature, pressure and age, while the ductility decreased slightly. The specimens gained 66% and 89% load carrying capacity at 1 d and 7 d, respectively, in the reference to that for 28 d. The plates reinforced with 1.5% by volume fiber gave performance comparable to that for 2%. The plates with oiled polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers are around 20% higher than those with non-oiled PVA fibers in maximum load and deflection under flexure. This study has proven the feasibility of fabricating high-ductility SHGC plates by a hot-pressing machine readily available from the market, which could be a preferred option for applications in precasting industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycarboxylate (PCE) is a high performance superplasticizer for modern concrete. With the high quality sand becoming precious, more and more low quality sands are used in concrete. However, low quality sands generally contain a relatively high content of montmorillonite (MMT), which could seriously reduce the efficiency of PCE. In order to develop PCE suitable for concrete with low quality sands, the absorption behavior on MMT of PCE with different side chains and acid/ether ratio was investigated. In order to explore the effect of MMT on PCE, two macromonomers were selected, isoprene glycol ether 400(TPEG400) and isoprene glycol ether 2400 (TPEG2400), to synthesize six long and short side chain comb-type PCEs with acid-ether ratios of 1.5:1, 2.5:1 and 3.5:1, respectively. The MMT tolerance mechanism of comb-type PCE in MMT-containing cement slurry was examined by FT-IR, DLS, TOC and other analysis. The PCE with long side chain is much easier to be inserted into the layered structure of MMT, resulting in intercalation absorption. The absorption amount of two kinds of side chain PCE on the MMT particles decreased as the acid ether ratio increases. PCE with long side chains showed shear-thickening properties in MMT-containing cement slurry, on the contrary, short side chains showed shear-thinning properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of cyanamides, amines, and diaryliodonium triflates was developed for the synthesis of guanidines. The mild reaction accommodates both aromatic and aliphatic amines and provides the products in good yields with good functional group tolerance. Moreover, it was demonstrated that C-H activation of the arenes could be realized for the direct preparation of guanidines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical mesoporous silica (MS) has been widely applied in various fields, including catalysis, adsorption, biology, drug delivery, and so on. In fact, the specific applications of MS were dependent on its surface functionality. However, the hydrophobic MS has not been well established to date. In this work, the hydrophobic MS was developed through the surface grafting of the perfluoroalkyl group using the fluorinated organosilane (1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane). Specifically, the corresponding structure, surface areas, pore-volume, and thermal properties of hydrophobic MS samples were characterized. After the surface grafting, the structure of fluorinated MS remained unchanged. However, the specific surface area decreased from 808 m2/g to 390 m2/g, and its pore size reduced from 6.2 nm to 4.3 nm. With the increase of fluorosilane content, the MS samples were gradually converted from an initial hydrophilic surface to a superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle up to 156.50°. Moreover, a typical "hills and valleys" surface type for the fluorinated MS was observed due to the obvious surface particle attachment. In the oil-water mixture and the water-in-oil emulsion separation, the separation efficiency was greatly high (>99%) with great stability. Therefore, the fluorinated MS would be expected to provide a potential solution for oil-water remediations. [Display omitted] • A superhydrophobic mesoporous silica was developed by surface grafting. • After surface grafting, both surface area and pore size were decreased. • Superhydrophobic fluorinated MS has a contact angle of 156.50. • The oil-water mixture separation efficiency with fluorinated MS was >99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A CE method employing a dual system of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin ( HP-β- CD) and ionic liquids ( ILs) has been developed for the simultaneous enantioseparation of four azole antifungals for the first time. In this study, three different types of ILs were employed as modifiers and among them dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride was found to be the most effective. The effects of the concentration, cations, and anions of ILs on the enantioseparation were investigated. With the developed dual system, all the enantiomers were well separated in resolutions of 3.8, 3.5, 2.8, and 2.5 for miconazole, econazole, ketoconazole, and itraconazole, respectively. The interactions between dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride and HP-β- CD were also studied using a neutral polyacrylamide coated capillary and 1 H NMR spectroscopy to further explore the synergistic effect involved. It was found that ILs improved the enantioseparation not only by changing the EOF, but also by interactions with HP-β- CD that could change its ability of forming inclusion complex with the enantiomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An MgFe 2 O 4 -doped magnetic biochar was manufactured without additional base. • Iron oxides and oxygen containing groups were simultaneously introduced. • High adsorption capabilities were achieved for different cationic pollutants. • Both carbon matrix and iron species collaborated with each other for the adsorption. Magnetic biochar has captured a great interest for remediation of environment as an easily separable carbonous adsorbent. Herein, a highly adsorptive magnetic biochar was manufactured through seawater mineral and K 2 FeO 4 co-promoted pyrolysis of jackfruit peel at 300 °C for removal of different cationic pollutants, and characterized by element analysis, FTIR, SEM-EDS, XRD, XPS and so on. MgFe 2 O 4 was generated without external base and a 19.42 emu/g saturation magnetization was achieved. Simultaneously, iron oxides and oxygen containing groups were introduced. The magnetic biochar exhibited 61.30 mg/g, 129.61 mg/g, and 1238.30 mg/g adsorption capacities for Cu2+, methylene blue (MB), and malachite green (MG) at 25 °C, respectively, and remarkably surpassed the corresponding pristine biochar. The adsorption of MB and MG was mainly realized by electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, complexation, and π-π electron-donor–acceptor interaction, and that of Cu2+ was attributed to electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and complexation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naturally abundant seawater mineral was employed to engineer banana pseudostem and bamboo biochars through pyrolysis at different low temperatures for improving their adsorption capabilities for methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC). The adsorption capabilities were greatly enhanced as the biochars were pyrolyzed at 300 °C with 50/1 (mL/g) dosage of seawater to biomass. For instance, the engineered banana pseudostem biochar exhibited 8.00 and 6.54 times higher adsorption capabilities than the corresponding pristine biochar for MB (447.79 mg/g vs 55.96 mg/g) and TC (100.59 mg/g vs 16.75 mg/g) at 25 °C, respectively. The characterization results indicated that a large number of carboxylates, lactone acid salts, and alkoxides were generated on the engineered biochar and a high cation exchange capacity was gained. The adsorption of MB was mainly attributed to cation exchange complying with hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction, whereas the adsorption of TC was realized by hydrogen bonding and complexation. [Display omitted] • Oxygen containing groups were regulated by seawater mineral-promoted pyrolysis. • Carboxylates, lactonic salts and alkoxides were massively generated. • High cation exchange capacity was obtained. • High adsorption capabilities were achieved for methylene blue and tetracycline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In the present study, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and an ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium- l-lactate) were used as additives in for the enantioseparation of 10 analytes, including ofloxacin, propranolol hydrochloride, dioxopromethazine hydrochloride, isoprenaline hydrochloride, chlorpheniramine maleate, liarozole, tropicamide, amlodipine benzenesulfonate, brompheniramine maleate, and homatropine methylbromide. The effects of ionic liquid concentrations, salt effect, cations, and anions of on enantioseparation were investigated and the results proved that there was a synergistic effect between hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and the ionic liquid, and the cationic part of the ionic liquid played an important role in the increased resolution. With the developed dual system, all the enantiomers of 10 analytes were well separated in resolutions of 5.35, 1.76, 1.85, 2.48, 2.88, 1.43, 5.45, 4.35, 2.76, and 2.98, respectively. In addition, the proposed method was applied to the determination of the enantiomeric purity of S-ofloxacin after validation of the method in terms of selectivity, repeatability, linearity range, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quality (LOQ). Chirality 25:409-414, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the enantioseparation of zopiclone, repaglinide, chlorphenamine maleate, brompheniramine maleate, dioxopromethazine hydrochloride, promethazine hydrochloride, liarozole, carvedilol, homatropine hydrobromide, homatropine methylbromide, venlafaxine, and sibutramine hydrochloride has been investigated using β- CD in combination with a chiral ionic liquid ( IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-L-lactate. The influence of the type of IL and its concentration, BGE p H, and chain length of the IL cations on the resolution are discussed. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied for the chiral impurity determination of eszopiclone in pharmaceutical tablets after validation with respect to accuracy and precision, linearity range, selectivity, repeatability, LOD and LOQ. It is assessed that the chiral impurity determination in the commercial tables is fewer than 0.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Loneliness mediates the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. • New evidence is proposed to support the interpersonal theory of suicide. • Gender moderates the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. • Gender difference of suicidal ideation indicates the gender paradox hypothesis. Bullying victimization has long been a public health issue among left-behind children in China. Although prior studies have confirmed the negative effects of being bullied on suicidal ideation, the mechanism of how being bullied triggers suicidal ideation and whether this varies with gender difference is still unknown. To address this research gap, the mediating effect of loneliness and the moderating effect of gender were tested. Preliminary analyses suggested strongly positive significance among suicidal ideation, loneliness, and bullying victimization. The path analyses indicate that loneliness partially mediated the association between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation, and hierarchical regression analyses suggest a moderating effect of gender existed in the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. The present study provides new evidence to support the interpersonal theory of suicide as well as the gender paradox hypothesis by shedding light on the roles which loneliness and gender play in the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A highly adsorptive magnetic biochar was prepared using K 2 FeO 4 in one-step. • Oxygen containing groups were simultaneously introduced with single phase ɤ-Fe 2 O 3. • In situ generation of oxygen containing groups benefited to capturing ɤ-Fe 2 O 3. • Both ɤ-Fe 2 O 3 and biochar matrix contributed to adsorption of Cr(VI). • The magnetic biochar exhibited 209.64 mg/g maximum adsorption capability. Magnetic biochar was usually prepared using ferrous and ferric compounds as precursor of magnetic medium. Ferrate, which could be an internal oxidative modifier, was less explored for preparing magnetic biochar. Here, a magnetic biochar was prepared through K 2 FeO 4 -promoted pyrolysis of pomelo peel for adsorption of hexavalent chromium. Oxygen-containing groups and single phase ɤ-Fe 2 O 3 were simultaneously introduced into biochar matrix at 300 °C. The magnetic biochar exhibited 209.64 mg/g maximum adsorption capability at 45 °C, outperformed the best magnetic biochar with 142.86 mg/g maximum adsorption capability at 40 °C in the literature. Moreover, a good magnetism was obtained, facilitating separation of the magnetic biochar from aqueous solution by a magnet. The removal of hexavalent chromium was contributed to the hybrid adsorption of ɤ-Fe 2 O 3 and biochar matrix by reduction, electrostatic interaction and complexation. This method was attractive, required neither extra modifiers nor multiple operations for preparation of highly adsorptive magnetic biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

to give guanidines in good yields [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]