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A facile and straightforward strategy was used to prepare carbon dots (CDs) using catechol as carbon source in one-pot hydrothermal method. The synthesis method is simple without any doping and modification and the prepared CDs do not require any post-processing. Characterizations of the obtained CDs indicated that they had high crystallinity and higher quantum yield (QY, 32%) than most non-functionalized and non-doped CDs. Noticeably, the fluorescence of CDs could be quenched with hypochlorite (ClO−) by oxidation of the residual pyrocatechol groups on the surface to o-benzoquinone exhibiting high sensitivity and selectivity for ClO−. The assay covered a linear range from 0.1 to 10 μM with a low detection limit of 30 nM. The results showed that the CDs provided a promising potential tool for the detection of ClO− in real water samples.

Limited empirical evidence exists on the role of electricity intensity of residential income and disposable income in China's electricity consumption. Furthermore, little attention has been paid to the variation in the growth rate of electricity consumption. We develop a Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index model to examine factors that affect electricity consumption and whether there are structural changes impacting electricity consumption. The drivers of slowing electricity consumption in China between 2007 and 2019 are quantified. We find that China's electricity consumption is closely associated with economic growth during the current New Normal period 2013–2019. Decelerated electricity consumption rate is linked to adjustments in industrial structure and a decline in energy intensity. Decreasing the electricity intensity of residential income also contributed to the decelerated rate. In 2014 there was a clear structural break in the growth rate of China's electricity consumption. We conclude that the decline in the electricity consumption growth rate is structural, and the low average annual growth rate will be sustained if nascent energy efficiency improvements and industry transition continue. Therefore, both electricity consumption and its influencing factors should be monitored continuously. Policies should be aimed at promoting energy efficiency and optimizing industrial structure.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The genus Salvia is one of the largest genera of the Lamiaceae family. In China, about 40 Salvia species have been used as medicinal plants for treatment of various diseases, specifically hepatic and renal diseases and those of the cardiovascular and immune systems. Aim of this review This review aims to provide systematically organized information on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of medicinal Salvia species in China to support their therapeutic potential in the treatment of human diseases. Materials and methods Relevant information on the Chinese Salvia species was obtained from scientific online databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and SciFinder. Additional information was derived from other literature sources (e.g. Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition, Chinese herbal classic books, PhD and MSc thesis, etc). Results Our comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature indicates that many Chinese Salvia species are valuable and popular herbal medicines with therapeutic potentials to cure various ailments. Phytochemical analyses identified diterpenoids and phenolic acids as the major bioactive substances in Chinese Salvia species. Crude extracts and pure compounds isolated from the Chinese Salvia species exhibited various pharmacological activities, typically targeting the cardiovascular and immune systems and hepatic and renal diseases. Conclusion This review summarizes the results from current studies about basic properties of medicinal Salvia species in China, such as active constituents and their mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, underlying molecular mechanisms, toxicology, and efficacy, which are still being studied and explored to achieve integration into medical practice.

Xiaoheiyao, the rhizomes of Inula nervosa Wall., is a culinary spice known to contain some electrophilic Nrf2 activators that could potentially intervene in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, the electrophilic components from Xiaoheiyao were annotated by comprehensive cheminformatics analyses on UHPLC-MS/MS data after being knocked out with glutathione (GSH)-immobilized magnetic microspheres. Their intervention effects against hepatic steatosis were investigated in free fatty acid (FFA)-treated HepG2 cells. The electrophilic components in Xiaoheiyao were found to be the major bioactive components preventing hepatic steatosis in FFA-treated HepG2 cells. In particular, 10-isobutyryloxy-8,9-epoxythymol isobutyrate (XHY-1) improved hepatic lipid metabolism disorder, Krebs cycle activity, oxidative phosphorylation, and the cellular and mitochondrial redox status. Moreover, XHY-1 activates the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway through the up-regulation of Nrf2 expression and promotion of Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Molecular docking further showed that XHY-1 could conjugate with Cys151 in the BTB domain of Keap1 through the epoxy group. In conclusion, the electrophilic components of Xiaoheiyao, especially XHY-1, attenuated hepatic steatosis in FFA-treated HepG2 cells through activation of the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway.

Carbonyl compounds are widely distributed in organisms, and the commonly used methods for determination of them like UV/fluorescence/mass spectrometry always require derivatization reagents. However, the reported derivatization reagents have significant difference in reactivity, which is very unfavorable for developing highly reactive reagent. In this study, we theoretically investigated the factors affecting the reactivity of hydrazine-based derivatization reagents, and proposed a strategy for filtering highly reactive reagents by quantum chemical calculation. With this strategy, N-propyl-4-hydrazino-1,8-naphthalimide (NPHNA) was filtered out as a fluorescent derivatization reagent. Taking aliphatic aldehydes as representatives, we evaluated the reactivity of NPHNA for carbonyl compounds. The derivatization of NPHNA with aliphatic aldehydes could be finished at room temperature within 60 min or 35 °C within 35 min, which showed higher reactivity than the most popular UV/MS reagent, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH). We believe that the strategy we proposed in this work is of great potential to design highly reactive UV/fluorescent/MS labeling reagents for carbonyl compounds and even other analytes.

A micro-arc oxidation (MAO)/zinc stearate (ZnSA) composite coating was fabricated via MAO processing and subsequent sealing with electrodeposition of a superhydrophobic ZnSA. The surface morphologies, chemical composition and corrosion resistance of the coatings were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction and electrochemical and hydrogen evolution measurements. Results indicated that the MAO coating was efficiently sealed by the following superhydrophobic ZnSA coating. The MAO/ZnSA composite coating significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg alloy Mg-4Li-1Ca due to its superhydrophobic function. Additionally, corrosion mechanism was suggested and discussed for the composite coating.