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Biaryl amides as new RORγt modulators were discovered. The crystal structure of biaryl amide agonist 6 in complex with RORγt ligand binding domain (LBD) was resolved, and both “short” and “long” inverse agonists were obtained by removing from 6 or adding to 6 a proper structural moiety. While “short” inverse agonist (8) recruits a corepressor peptide and dispels a coactivator peptide, “long” inverse agonist (9) dispels both. The two types of inverse agonists can be utilized as potential tools to study mechanisms of Th17 transcriptional network inhibition and related disease biology.

The surface chemistry and pore-fracture morphology of coals are critical to the process of CO2 sequestration in coal seams with enhanced coalbed methane (CH4) recovery (CO2-ECBM). To assess the influence of deionized water–CO2 mixture (DH2O–CO2) exposure on these properties, the interaction of DH2O–CO2 with three rank coals, i.e., sub-bituminous coal (SBC), high volatile bituminous coal (HVBC), and anthracite, was conducted on a dynamic supercritical fluid extraction system with a temperature of 45 °C and an equilibrium pressure of 12 MPa. Characterization methods including proximate analysis (PA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), probe molecule (N2/CO2) adsorption, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were adopted to fully address the changes in surface functional groups and pore-fracture characteristics. The results indicate that the geochemical interaction occurs between the mineral matters and DH2O–CO2 as demonstrated by the change in th...