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Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) is a novel therapeutic platform for targeted cancer therapy. Previously, we have demonstrated that miR-146b-5p plays an important role in colorectal cancer progression. However, a safe and effective strategy for delivery of an ASO to its targeted RNA remains as a major hurdle in translational advances. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal cell (hUC-MSC)–derived exosomes were used as vehicles to deliver an anti-miR-146b-5p ASO (PMO-146b). PMO-146b was assembled onto the surface of exosomes (e) through covalent conjugation to an anchor peptide CP05 (P) that recognized an exosomal surface marker, CD63, forming a complex named ePPMO-146b. After ePPMO-146b treatment, cell proliferation, uptake ability, and migration assays were performed, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression was evaluated in vitro. A mouse xenograft model was used to determine the antitumor effect and distribution of ePPMO-146b in vivo. ePPMO-146b was taken up by SW620 cells and effectively inhibited cell proliferation and migration. The conjugate also exerted antitumor efficacy in a xenograft mouse model of colon cancer by systematic administration, where PPMO-146b was enriched in tumor tissue. Our study highlights the potential of hUC-MSC-derived exosomes anchored with PPMO-146b as a novel safe and effective approach for PMO backboned ASO delivery. Schematic illustration of the preparation of an exosomal anchor peptide (CP05)-PMO that conjugately binds to exosomes from hUC-MSCs (ePPMO-146b) and the antitumor effect of ePPMO-146b in CRC, which occurs through the inhibition of Smad signaling and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various yarn-shaped flexible strain sensors have recently been developed. However, research is lacking on additive manufacturing for smart clothing for integrating yarn sensors with commercial garments. Herein, a strain-sensing yarn is sewn into a piece of fabric through a novel stitching technique, and the influence of the stitching method and needle pitch on the sensing performance is investigated using finite element analysis (FEA). The sensing performance could be improved when the sensing yarn is self-locked in the fabric at the needle eyes, and the needle pitch was reduced to 0.5 cm, which is attributed to the enhanced stress and strain concentration. Meanwhile, the composite sensing fabric featured outstanding performance, including a low detection limit (0.1%), rapid response (280 ms), excellent durability (10000 cycles), and high stability (negligible drift and frequency independence). In addition, the remarkable wear resistance, washability, and anti-interference to ambient humidity and perspiration were obtained. Therein, the optimal stitch trace lengths of sensing yarn for detecting elbow motion, breathing, and heartbeats are discussed. Finally, a smart clothing system composed of smart clothing, data acquisition unit, and mobile APP was developed to simultaneously detect human movement and physiological signals. This work provides a reference to produce intelligent garments based on yarn sensors for health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface modifications are efficient techniques to enhance the corrosion resistance of flaky carbonyl iron (FCI) for electromagnetic wave absorbing coatings. However, with the emergence of diverse harsh service environments (tropical marine climate, etc.), it becomes more challenging for traditional single-layer modification of FCI to meet the durability requirements. Here, a facile synthesis method for enhancing the corrosion resistance of FCI was developed by dual silane surface modifications. The corrosion behaviors of FCI with and without dual silane surface modifications were investigated by immersing in a corrosive environment (chemical corrosion) and electrochemical testing. Following immersion tests, the dual layer modified FCI exhibits the highest remaining solid mass, the highest self-corrosion potential, the largest polarization resistance, and the lowest corrosion current density. In addition, the dual layer modified FCI maintains a decent electromagnetic wave absorption ability which reaches the minimum value of the reflection loss ( RL min ) of − 21 dB with a thickness of 3 mm. Therefore, designing a dual coated structure provides a promising scalable strategy to enhance the applicability of electromagnetic wave absorption coating during service in diverse field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weakly supervised semantic segmentation (WSSS) can obtain pseudo-semantic masks through a weaker level of supervised labels, reducing the need for costly pixel-level annotations. However, the general class activation map (CAM)-based pseudo-mask acquisition method suffers from sparse coverage, leading to false positive and false negative regions that reduce accuracy. We propose a WSSS method based on local superpixel transformation that combines superpixel theory and image local information. Our method uses a superpixel local consistency weighted cross-entropy loss to correct erroneous regions and a post-processing method based on the adjacent superpixel affinity matrix (ASAM) to expand false negatives, suppress false positives, and optimize semantic boundaries. Our method achieves 73.5% mIoU on the PASCAL VOC 2012 validation set, which is 2.5% higher than our baseline EPS and 73.9% on the test set, and the ASAM post-processing method is validated on several state-of-the-art methods. If our paper is accepted, our code will be published at https://github.com/JimmyMa99/SPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of fine oil droplets that are difficult to coalesce greatly reduces the oil–water separation efficiency of alkali‒surfactant‒polymer (ASP) flooding-produced water. In order to improve the oil–water separation efficiency and promote the reinjection of ASP-produced water, a novel cationic graft copolymer CDC was obtained by ultrasonically assisted copolymerization of chitosan and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride under the initiation of cerium ions. The copolymer CDC was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TGA and SEM, and it was confirmed that the grafting reaction proceeded successfully. The flocculation effect of copolymer CDC on ASP-produced water (Nan 4–8, pH = 7.83; Sanyuan-6, pH = 9.95) was investigated. Copolymer CDC has better oil removal rate (90.5%) and light transmittance (95.25%) to Nan 4–8 produced water compared with Sanyuan-6-produced water. It has a better oil removal effect when the initial pH of produced water is 6–7 and the temperature is 30 °C. After the addition of CDC, the large-diameter oil droplets in produced water will coalesce and separate. It may be that under weak acid or neutral conditions, the electrostatic attraction of produced water is enhanced, compressing the double electron layer of oil droplets, and destroying the stability of oil droplets. In addition, the hydrophobic effect of –CH=CH2 in CDC molecules increases the hydrophobic association between molecules and increases the probability of oil droplet collision during the flocculation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the growing health threat posed by drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, the development of novel antimicrobial medications with multiple mechanisms of action is in urgent demand. With traditional antibacterial drug resources challenging to push forward, developing new antibacterial drugs has become a hot spot in biomedical research. In this study, we tested the antibacterial activity of 119 phenanthridine derivatives via the antibacterial assay and obtained 5 candidates. The cytotoxicity assay showed one phenanthridine derivative, HCK20, was safe for mammalian cells below 125 µM. HCK20 was verified to possess significant antibacterial activity to Streptococcus spp., such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus suis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Streptococcus equi with MICs ranging from 15 to 60 µM. Furthermore, we found that HCK20 probably achieved its bacterial inhibition by influencing the permeability of bacterial cell walls via interacting with Streptococcal penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Our results suggest that this phenanthridine derivative, HCK20, has great potential to become a novel antibacterial agent that can be a potent treatment for streptococcal infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly and gained resistance to multiple therapeutics targeting the virus. Development of host-directed antivirals offers broad-spectrum intervention against different variants of concern. Host proteases, TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB cleave the SARS-CoV-2 spike to play a crucial role in the two alternative pathways of viral entry and are characterized as promising pharmacological targets. Here, we identify compounds that show potent inhibition of these proteases and determine their complex structures with their respective targets. Furthermore, we show that applying inhibitors simultaneously that block both entry pathways has a synergistic antiviral effect. Notably, we devise a bispecific compound, 212-148, exhibiting the dual-inhibition ability of both TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB, and demonstrate antiviral activity against various SARS-CoV-2 variants with different viral entry profiles. Our findings offer an alternative approach for the discovery of SARS-CoV-2 antivirals, as well as application for broad-spectrum treatment of viral pathogenic infections with similar entry pathways. TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB, host proteases that facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry, are promising drug targets. Here the authors simultaneously inhibit these host proteases and see synergistic antiviral effects, offering a broad-spectrum intervention against SARS-CoV-2 variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peer interactions of children with autism have received attention, but few studies have focused on the behavior of preschool children with autism to independently manage friendship relations, and the internal and external reasons that determine these behaviors. Qualitative data on the autonomy in managing friendship practices of 12 young children with autism enrolled in public kindergartens in China were analyzed. The results suggested that young children with autism showed different attitudes and ways of friendship management in different situations, and four factors might play important roles in their friendship management: (a) children's personality and temperament types, (b) children's motivation and goals, (c) children's ability status, and (d) school rhythm arrangement and role guidance. The core of the four factors is children's motivation and goals, that is, children with autism tend to choose peers they think are appropriate for interaction and active management. Therefore, teachers should configure environmental support in a way more suitable for children's learning rhythm, and respect their independent thinking and choices in a way consistent with their social ecology. The study enriches environmental support strategies to promote peer relationships in inclusive settings with a focus on supporting autonomy for children with autism. These findings could guide the development of autonomous interventions for children with autism to better meet their needs and have enlightening significance for caregivers, practitioners and researchers seeking to support the friendship experience of children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical imaging and spectroscopic modalities are of broad interest for in-vivo molecular imaging, fluorescence guided cancer surgery, minimally invasive diagnostic procedures, and wearable devices. However, considerable debate still exists as to how deeply visible and near-infrared (NIR) light could penetrate normal and diseased tissues under clinically relevant conditions. Here we report the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags embedded in ex-vivo animal tissues for direct and quantitative measurements of light attenuation and spectroscopic detection depth at both the NIR-I and NIR-II spectral windows. SERS nanotags are well suited for this purpose because of their sharp spectral features that can be accurately differentiated from fluorescence and background emission. For the first time, the spectroscopic detection depth is quantitatively defined and measured as the maximal thickness of tissues through which the embedded SERS nanotags are still detected at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of three (99.7% confidence level). Based on data from six types of fresh ex-vivo tissues (brain, kidney, liver, muscle, fat, and skin), we find that the maximum detection depth values range from 1—3 mm in the NIR-I window, to 3—6 mm in the NIR-II window. The depth values are largely determined by two factors – the intrinsic optical properties of the tissue, and the overall SNRs of the system without the tissue (system SNR, a result of nanotag brightness, instrument efficiency, and data acquisition parameters). In particular, there is an approximately linear-logarithmic relationship between the system SNR and maximum detection depth. Thus, the detection of hidden or occult lesions can be improved by three strategies – reducing tissue attenuation, minimizing background noise, and maximizing the system's performance as judged by SNR. Highlights: The spectroscopic detection depth is quantitatively defined and measured as the maximal thickness of tissues through which the embedded Raman nanotags are detected at a signal-to-noise ratio of three. The intrinsic optical properties of the tissue and the system signal-to-noise ratio are the two deciding factors of signal penetration in bio-tissues. A generalized linear-logarithmic relationship is revealed between the system SNR and spectroscopic detection depth for each tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in pathogen detection of periprosthetic joint infections. A total of 95 cases who previously had undergone hip and knee replacement undergoing revision from January 2018 to January 2021 were included in this study. Specimens of synovial fluid and deep-tissue were collected for culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing, and patients were retrospectively categorized as infected or aseptic using the Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria after revision surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were compared. A total of 36 cases had positive culture results and 59 cases had positive metagenomic next-generation sequencing results. Culture was positive in 34 infected cases (58.6%) and 2 aseptic cases (5.4%). Metagenomic next-generation sequencing was positive in 55 infected cases (94.8%) and 4 aseptic cases (10.8%). Five cases diagnosed with infection had other potential pathogens detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Among the 24 culture-negative periprosthetic joint infections, metagenomic next-generation sequencing was able to identify potential pathogens in 21 cases (87.5%). From sampling to reporting, the average time needed for culture was 5.2 (95% CI 3.1–7.3) days, while that for metagenomic next-generation sequencing was 1.3 (95% CI 0.9–1.7) days. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing is more advantageous in pathogen detection of periprosthetic joint infection after total joint replacement, especially in patients with multiple infections or negative culture results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we developed a convenient and efficient method via protonation of p-toluenesulfonic acid promoted cyclocondensation of o-phenylenediamine and aldehydes for selectively synthesizing 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles. This method displayed broad substrate adaptability and afforded the desired products in moderate to excellent yield in short reaction time. The effect of different substituents on the yield was investigated by extending optimum reaction conditions, which was further confirmed by theoretical calculations. It suggested that the surface electrostatic potential of oxygen atom and nitrogen atom on the substrates played important role in the synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles. Besides, the crystal structure of compound 2t in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)/c was presented. Also, the anti-mycolicibacterium smegmatis (MC2155) activity was evaluated using rifampicin as a positive control. The products (2a, 2b, 2c, 2i, 2j, 2k, 2m) showed good antibacterial activities which were comparable to rifampicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explored the role of irisin/fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) in epithelial ovarian cancer and investigated its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of irisin/FNDC5 in epithelial ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissues. Cell Counting Kit-8, transwell, and wound-healing assays were performed to examine the effect of irisin on the viability, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, respectively. Western blotting was used to detect the changes of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway proteins. Ovarian cancer cells were treated in vitro with the PI3K agonist (740Y-P) in combination with irisin to explore the mechanism of irisin in ovarian cancer. Results: The expression of irisin/FNDC5 in epithelial ovarian cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in normal ovarian tissues, and the expression in late stage patients with lymph node metastasis was lower than that in early stage patients without metastasis. Irisin inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of epithelial ovarian cancer cells, down-regulated phosphorylated Akt, and inhibited EMT progression. The PI3K agonist, 740Y-P, partially reversed the effects of irisin on the invasion, migration, and EMT of ovarian cancer cells. Conclusion: These findings show that irisin/FNDC5 was highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissues, which may regulate the EMT through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of epithelial ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus suis is an important emerging zoonosis that causes economic losses in the pig industry and severe threats to public health. Transcriptional regulators play essential roles in bacterial adaptation to host environments. In this study, we identified a novel XRE family transcriptional regulator in S. suis CZ130302, XtrSs, involved in the bacterial fitness to hydrogen peroxide stress. Based on electrophoretic mobility shift and β-galactosidase activity assays, we found that XtrSs auto-regulated its own transcription and repressed the expression of its downstream gene psePs, a surface protein with unknown function in S. suis, by binding to a palindromic sequence from the promoter region. Furthermore, we proved that the deletion of the psePs gene attenuated bacterial antioxidant response. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that XtrSs and PsePs naturally co-existed as a combination in most S. suis genomes. Collectively, we demonstrated the binding characteristics of XtrSs in S. suis and provided a new insight that XtrSs played a critical role in modulating psePs to the hydrogen peroxide resistance of S. suis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient synthesis of 1,3,5-trisubstituted-1H-pyrazoles was developed via cyclocondensation in 78–92% yields starting from α,β-unsaturated aldehydes/ketones with substituted phenylhydrazine using vitamin B1 as a catalyst, and was characterized by HR-MS, FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The reaction has simple operation, metal-free catalysis, acid or base free catalysis. As a green catalyst, vitamin B1 was found to possess favorable catalytic activity and reusability for the condensation reaction. 1,3,5-trisubstituted-1H-pyrazole shows from orange-red to cyan in different solvents when the electron withdrawing group is attached to acetophenone (taking compound 5i as an example). Compound 5i as a metal ion fluorescent probe has excellent selectivity for Ag+ detection. The crystal structure of the compound 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole (5b) in the orthorhombic space group Pca 21 was presented and formed racemic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-atom catalysts anchoring offers a desirable pathway for efficiency maximization and cost-saving for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. However, the single-atoms loading amount is always within 0.5% in most of the reported due to the agglomeration at higher loading concentrations. In this work, the highly dispersed and large loading amount (>1 wt%) of copper single-atoms were achieved on TiO2, exhibiting the H2 evolution rate of 101.7 mmol g−1 h−1 under simulated solar light irradiation, which is higher than other photocatalysts reported, in addition to the excellent stability as proved after storing 380 days. More importantly, it exhibits an apparent quantum efficiency of 56% at 365 nm, a significant breakthrough in this field. The highly dispersed and large amount of Cu single-atoms incorporation on TiO2 enables the efficient electron transfer via Cu2+-Cu+ process. The present approach paves the way to design advanced materials for remarkable photocatalytic activity and durability. In this work, the highly dispersed and large loading amount (>1 wt%) of copper single-atoms were achieved on TiO2, resulting into an apparent quantum efficiency of 56% at 365 nm, in addition to an excellent thermal stability as proved after storing 380 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic textiles are important superhydrophobic materials because of their low cost and high demand. In this work, low surface energy substance, dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTM), was used to modify the hydrolyzed tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OH)4) to obtain DTM@Ti(OH)4 particles and realize the surface organic modification of Ti(OH)4 particles. Then, functional cotton fabric was prepared by loading DTM@Ti(OH)4 particles onto the fabric based on the adhesion of natural polyphenols. The static contact angle of finished cotton fabric was up to 169.9°, the rolling contact angle was less than 8°, and the UPF value was generally greater than 70. Due to the excellent adhesion of polyphenols, the superhydrophobic cotton fabric showed great stability and durability under harsh environmental conditions. By various treatments, the water contact angles (CA) of the finished fabrics can still be greater than 155° and the UPF value was still greater than 50. The preparation process is simple, efficient and low-cost, which is suitable for large-scale industrial production. Encouragingly, this modification method is universal and can be applied to other kinds of fabrics. It has broad application prospects in outdoor textiles, oil and water separation, metal corrosion prevention and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave frequency is a critical parameter for applications ranging from human hearing, acoustic non-reciprocity, medical imaging to quantum of energy in matter. Frequency alteration holds the promise of breaking limits imposed by the physics laws such as Rayleigh's criterion and Planck–Einstein relation. We introduce a linear mechanism to convert the wave frequency to any value at will by creating a digitally pre-defined, time-varying material property. The device is based on an electromagnetic diaphragm with a MOSFET-controlled shunt circuit. The measured ratio of acoustic impedance modulation is up to 45, much higher than nonlinearity-based techniques. A significant portion of the incoming source frequency is scattered to sidebands. We demonstrate the conversion of audible sounds to infrasound and ultrasound, respectively, and a monochromatic tone to white noise by a randomized MOSFET time sequence, raising the prospect of applications such as super-resolution imaging, deep sub-wavelength energy flow control, and encrypted underwater communication. Temporal modulation materials have been attracting attention thanks to their ability to break wave reciprocity, i.e., waves traveling from point A to B are identical to waves propagating from B to A. The authors present a linear temporal modulation device with a giant acoustic impedance modulation ratio and ability to linearly change wave frequency, operating in two quantized states when a shunt circuit is connected and disconnected by a MOSFET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) urgently needs an effective cure. 3CL protease (3CLpro) is a highly conserved cysteine proteinase that is indispensable for coronavirus replication, providing an attractive target for developing broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. Here we describe the discovery of myricetin, a flavonoid found in many food sources, as a non-peptidomimetic and covalent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Crystal structures of the protease bound with myricetin and its derivatives unexpectedly revealed that the pyrogallol group worked as an electrophile to covalently modify the catalytic cysteine. Kinetic and selectivity characterization together with theoretical calculations comprehensively illustrated the covalent binding mechanism of myricetin with the protease and demonstrated that the pyrogallol can serve as an electrophile warhead. Structure-based optimization of myricetin led to the discovery of derivatives with good antiviral activity and the potential of oral administration. These results provide detailed mechanistic insights into the covalent mode of action by pyrogallol-containing natural products and a template for design of non-peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors against 3CLpros, highlighting the potential of pyrogallol as an alternative warhead in design of targeted covalent ligands. SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease (3CLpro) is essential for coronavirus replication and of great interest as an antiviral drug target. Here, the authors show that the naturally occurring flavonoid myricetin is a non-peptidomimetic and covalent inhibitor of 3CLpro, and they solve crystal structures of 3CLpro with myricetin and derivatives, which reveal that the pyrogallol group covalently modifies the catalytic cysteine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the synthesis of the target products using sodium metasulfite (Na2S2O5) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) separately as catalysts was studied. Herein, the liquid phase microwave method was chosen to synthesize triphenylamine substituted mono- and di-branched benzimidazole derivatives compared with the solid phase microwave method, and the reaction conditions were optimized using Na2S2O5 as a catalyst in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent. A possible reaction mechanism is discussed. Ten new triphenylamine-benzimidazole derivatives were successfully synthesized. On this basis, PTSA using a catalyst was introduced into the reaction, the yields of the target products were evidently increased (the yield was enhanced 5‒22% using PTSA as a catalyst). It is found that PTSA only acted as a catalyst, while Na2S2O5 acted as both a catalyst and an oxidant, and PTSA could effectively catalyze the synthesis of benzimidazoles. Further, the luminescent properties of the synthesized compounds were comparatively studied after the structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed. The results showed that the fluorescence quantum yield and the intensity of the synthesized compounds were enhanced with the increase in the number of substituted benzimidazole on triphenylamine, and the different substituents on 5-position of benzimidazole also have significant effect on the luminescent properties of the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quorum sensing (QS) inhibition is an essential strategy to combat bacterial infection. Previously, we have synthesized a series of thymidine derivatives bearing isoxazole and 1,2,3-triazole rings (TITL). Herein, the inhibitory effects of TITL on QS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 were evaluated. In vitro results demonstrated that TITL effectively inhibited biofilm formation and reduced the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa PAO1. In combination with antibiotics, our TITL compounds significantly prolonged the lifespans of Caenorhabditis elegans N2 nematodes that were infected with P. aeruginosa PAO1 in vivo. In conclusion, TITL compounds are promising candidates for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa PAO1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flocculant played an important role in water treatment and sludge dewatering. It is imperative to design and synthesize an eco-friendly and biodegradable flocculant based on natural polymer. In the present work, a new amphoteric CMC-based flocculant, CMC-g-PDMC was synthesized via grafting DMC onto hydroxyl of CMC initiated by potassium persulfate under traditional heating condition. The optimal graft copolymerization condition was optimized by orthogonal experiment. The structure, morphology and thermostability of the obtained graft copolymer were characterized by measuring FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TGA analyzer, respectively. Moreover, comparing with the commercial flocculant PAM, PAC and CPAM, the dewatering capacity of municipal sludge was evaluated using CMC-g-PDMC by FCMC, SRF, SVI and light transmittance. It suggested that the flocculation to municipal sludge was related to the ion properties of the flocculant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of VO2 films with different thicknesses (from about 25 nm to 250 nm) were prepared on sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The deposition times varied from 15 min to 150 min. The metal to insulator transitions (MIT) of the films were studied. The optical transmittance of the films to infrared light (with a wavelength of 4.0 µm) at room temperature (30°C) varied significantly with film thickness, ranging from 86.53% to 41.01%. The modulation property also changes with thickness, decreasing from 22.89% to 14.74%. The phase transition temperature remained approximately 70°C during heating, and approximately 53°C during cooling, despite a tenfold increase in the deposition time, and the resulting thickness of the films. Raman spectroscopy of the films indicated that the intensities of the characteristic peaks corresponding to V2O5 increase with the increasing of film thickness. Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy indicated that the peaks corresponding to VO2 undergo reversible changes during heating and cooling of the films, while the peaks corresponding to V2O5 remain unchanged throughout. Careful control of the V2O5 content of the films (by varying the duration of the deposition process) allows control over their transmittance and optical modulation properties without changes in the phase transition temperature. This provides a new method of controlling the optical properties of these materials and shows promise for their potential applications in thermochromic windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure is increasingly concerned. We investigated the effect of maternal BPA exposure during pregnancy on male offspring and its potential mechanism. Thirty pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into exposed and control groups. At PND56, the number of sperm, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone in the BPA-exposed group decreased, and testicular tissue structure was damaged in offsprings. At GD20, the miRNA profile in the testis of male offspring was examined and the expression levels of 28 deregulated miRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR. We found that miR-361-5p, miR-203a-3p, and miR-19b-2-5p had significantly different expression levels in the testis. These results suggest that maternal exposure to BPA can lead to differential changes in progeny miRNAs, which will provide direction for future in-depth mechanisms of reproductive injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient strategy for synthesizing of 3-substituted bis-isoxazole ether bearing 2-chloro-3-pyridyl under microwave radiation was reported. The reactive regioselectivity was improved by changing mainly the solvent and acid-binding agent. 3-(2-Chloropyridin-3-yl)-5-(((3-substituted phenyl isoxazol-5-yl)methoxy)methyl)isoxazoles were synthesized in 31–92% yields and were characterized by FT-IR, HRMS, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The single crystal of 3-(2-chloropyridin-3-yl)-5-(((3-(p-tolyl)isoxazol-5-yl)methoxy)methyl)isoxazole was obtained, and the structure of compound has also been determined by X-ray diffraction technique. Weak intra- and intermolecular C–H∙∙∙O interactions and a C–H∙∙∙π interaction link molecules into a three-dimensional network. The results showed that the synthesized compounds belonged to triclinic system, and their regioselectivity depended on the solvent and acid-binding agent. The merits of this method include the environmentally friendly, efficient, simple operation, and higher regional selectivity. An efficient synthesis of 3-substituted bis-isoxazole ethers was developed via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction starting from 3-substituted phenyl-5-((prop-2-yn-1-yloxy))methyl)isoxazoles and (Z)-2-chloro-N-hydroxynicotinimidoyl chloride using NaHCO3 as an acid-binding agent in THF solvent-dissolved trace water under catalyst-free microwave-assisted conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new poly(N-allyl-tetrasubstituted imidazole) containing furan rings and benzene ring was synthesized starting from 1-allyl-4,5-di(furan-2-yl)-2-phenyl-1H-imidazole (N-allyl-tetrasubstituted imidazole, monomer) using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator coupled with the mixture of benzene and water as solvents. The influence factors on the conversion of N-allyl-tetrasubstituted imidazole (monomer) were optimized by the orthogonal experiment. The structure and property of the obtained monomer and polymers were characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, the luminescence property of monomer and polymers from the different polymerization conditions was investigated. The results showed that the luminescence property and thermal stability of polymer were related to molecular weight and the crystallization degree of polymer, and their thermal stability was markedly better than monomer. It suggested that poly(N-allyl-tetrasubstituted imidazole) had potential application in the fields of heat-resistant material and luminescence material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic study of a Gram-stain negative, rod-shaped, motile, asporogenous, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterium, sh-6T, forming pink-red colonies, isolated from a contaminated R2A plate in the laboratory was performed. Its optimum growth temperature was determined to be 28 °C in the absence of NaCl on R2A plates. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain sh-6T belongs to the genus Hymenobacter and is closely related to Hymenobacter deserti ZLB-3T (95.05%), Hymenobacter paludis KBP-30T (94.96%), Hymenobacter coalescens WW84T (94.04%), Hymenobacter gummosus ANT-18T (93.38%), Hymenobacter ocellatus Myx2105T (93.70%), Hymenobacter jeollabukensis 1-3-3-8T (93.48%) and Hymenobacter koreensis GYR3077T (93.21%). Comparison of the genome of strain sh-6T and that of H. gummosus ANT-18T gave digital DNA–DNA hybridization and Average Nucleotide Identity values of 20.6% and 78.4%, respectively. The respiratory isoprenoid quinone and polyamine component were identified as MK-7 and sym-homospermidine, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids identified as iso-C15:0, summed feature 4 (iso-C17:1 I/anteiso B), iso-C16:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH and iso-C17:0. The major polar lipid of strain sh-6T determined to be phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content was determined to be 60.5 mol%. On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, a novel species of the genus Hymenobacter, Hymenobacter oligotrophus sp. nov., is proposed, with the type strain sh-6T (= CCTCC AB 2016064T = KCTC 62345T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim is to analyze the clinical characteristics of intermediate trophoblastic tumor (ITT).Methods: 12 cases diagnosed at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2005 to December 2016 were investigated. Additionally, 50 cases were selected from MEDLINE and CBM databases between January 2010 and December 2016. The clinical data extracted from those aforementioned 62 cases were analyzed.Results: There were 42 cases with placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT), 19 cases with epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT), and 1 case with mixed type (PSTT and ETT). No significant differences were found between PSTT and ETT in terms of age, type of antecedent pregnancy, main complaints, serum β-hCG peak, FIGO stage or prognosis. However, the interval between antecedent pregnancy and the onset was longer in ETT than in PSTT (P = 0.01). FIGO stage was irrelevant to serum β-hCG (P = 0.263). All 62 cases underwent surgeries and seven cases preserved fertility. Fifteen cases with high risk factors were not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Univariate analysis results showed that age ≧ 40 years, serum β-hCG peak ≧ 1000 IU/L and nonstandard treatment were associated with poor survival, but only age remained significant on multivariate analysis for ITT (P = 0.018).Conclusion: PSTT and ETT have similar clinical characteristics generally. Serum β-hCG can not reflect the progress of ITT. Age ≧ 40 years is the independent high risk factor for ITT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetic patients, insulin replacement therapy with simulating on-demand prandial and basal insulin secretion is the best option for optimal glycemic control. However, there is no insulin delivery system yet could mimic both controlled basal insulin release and rapid prandial insulin release in response to real-time blood glucose changes. Here we reported an artificial insulin delivery system, mimicking physiological basal and prandial insulin secretion, to achieve real-time glycemic control and reduce risk of hypoglycemia. A phenylboronic acid (PBA)/galactosyl-based glucose-responsive insulin delivery system was prepared with insulin-loaded micelles embedded in hydrogel matrix. At the hyperglycemic state, both the hydrogel and micelles could swell and achieve rapid glucose-responsive release of insulin, mimicking prandial insulin secretion. When the glucose level returned to the normal state, only the micelles partially responded to glucose and still released insulin gradually. The hydrogel with increased crosslinking density could slow down the diffusion speed of insulin inside, resulting in controlled release of insulin and simulating physiological basal insulin secretion. This hydrogel-micelle composite insulin delivery system could quickly reduce the blood glucose level in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, and maintain normal blood glucose level without hypoglycemia for about 24 h. This kind of glucose-responsive hydrogel-micelle composite may be a promising candidate for delivery of insulin in the treatment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel phenolate-bridged binuclear copper(II) complex, [Cu2II(L–3H)Cl] (1, where L = 2,6-bis[((2-hydroxybenzyl)(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-methylphenol), have been synthesized and characterized. The antiproliferative activity of the complex has been tested in vitro against the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa, human non-small-cell lung cancer cell line A-549, the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, and the human hepatic cell line LO2. The results show the complex has the low micromolar range (9.4–11.2 µM) of IC50 values towards the three cancer cell lines, which is markedly comparable to those of cisplatin. However 1 exhibited 10.6-fold less toxicity than cisplatin toward normal cells LO2, suggesting that complex 1 had high selectivity between tumor cells and normal cells. The interactions with DNA were investigated by UV–Vis absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism, and gel electrophoresis. The results show that the copper(II) complex could strongly bind to DNA mainly by the groove binding mode and efficiently cleave the pBR322 plasmid DNA into its nicked and linear forms in the presence of excessive ascorbic acid. In addition, the evaluation of the protein binding ability shows that complex 1 could bind to human serum albumin (HSA) with a moderate binding affinity and quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new chitosan-grafting copolymers (chitosan-g-PAM-AA and C-chitosan-g-PAM-AA) as sludge conditioners (flocculation and aggregation) have been prepared by employing ceric sulfate as a free radical initiator under nitrogen atmosphere in aqueous solution. The optimum condition for synthesizing chitosan-grafting copolymer was determined by orthogonal experiments. The structure, morphology and property of the obtained graft polymers were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TGA and contact angle. Further, the municipal activated sludge dewatering performance of the synthesized copolymers was evaluated by the filter cake moisture content. Herein, the effects of pH value and dewatering temperatures of activated sludge, loading dosage or cationic degree of C-chitosan-g-PAM-AA on the filter cake moisture content were investigated. The synthesized amphoteric flocculant C-chitosan-g-PAM-AA showed a highly effective flocculation capability for activated sludge compared with chitosan-g-PAM-AA, chitosan, polyacrylamide (PAM). Also, the lowest filter cake moisture content was up to 61.41%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calcineurin B-like (CBL) protein and the CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) signaling pathway play important roles in plant abiotic stress tolerance. To investigate the molecular mechanism of salt stress tolerance of foxtail millet, SiCBL4 and SiCIPK24 were identified and functionally characterized. Both SiCBL4 and SiCIPK24 were induced by salt, abscisic acid (ABA), methyl viologen (MV), and heat shock stress in foxtail millet seedlings. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay showed that SiCBL4 interacted with SiCIPK24. The mutation of the N-myristoylation site of SiCBL4 changed the sub-cellular localization of SiCBL4 and directed the SiCBL4-SiCIPK24 protein complex from plasma membrane to cytoplasm, and disrupted its function in plant salt stress tolerance. Overexpression of SiCBL4 or SiCIPK24 in Arabidopsis sos3-1 or sos2-1 mutant plants rescued the mutant salt hypersensitivity phenotype. In addition, overexpression of SiCIPK24 also enhanced the salt stress tolerance of Arabidopsis wild-type plants. This work helps to understand the structure and function of the foxtail millet CBL and CIPK genes and confirmed that the foxtail millet CBL-CIPK pathway can be manipulated to enhance the plant salt stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) powder is widely used for bone regeneration due to its osteoinductivity and osteoconductivity. However, difficulties with handling, tendency to migrate from graft sites and lack of stability after surgery sometimes limit the clinical utility of this material. In this work, the possibility of using sodium alginate (ALG) carrier to deliver DBM powder was assessed. DBM-ALG putty with the DBM:ALG weight ratio of 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2 were prepared, respectively. The properties of the formed composite, including discrete degree, washout property, pH, equilibrium swelling as well as cytotoxicity in vivo, were adopted to ascertain the optimal ratio of DBM and ALG. The discrete diameter increased from 1.25 cm (5:5) to 2.08 cm (8:2) with the increase of DBM content. There was significant difference between the 8:2 group and the other groups in discrete diameter. The ratio of DBM had a significant effect on the swelling value. The pH of composites showed an increase trend with the DBM ratio's increase, when the ratio reached 7:3, the pH (7.22) was approximately equal to the body fluid. The proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells was inhibited in the 5:5, 6:4 and 7:3 groups, while a slightly increased in the 8:2 group. The DBM-ALG with the optimal ratio of 7:3 was confirmed based on the results of the above mentioned. The histocompatibility of DBM-ALG (7:3) was examined using a rat model in which the materials were implanted subcutaneously, compared with the polyethylene, ALG and DBM. The study in vivo showed DBM-ALG (7:3) had a lower inflammatory response than DBM, a higher vascularization than ALG. The osteoinduction of DBM-ALG (7:3) was evaluated by co-culturing with MC3T3-E1 in vitro, compared with the DMEM, ALG and DBM. The results indicated calcification area in the DBM-ALG group was similar to that in the DBM group, larger than ALG group and DMEM group. The DBM-ALG (7:3) putty is promising as a directly injectable graft for repair of bone defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The azole pharmacophore is still regarded as a viable lead structure for the synthesis of more efficacious and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. In this study, a novel series of triazole derivates that are structurally related to the famous antimicrobial azole pharmacophore were synthesized and the structures of them were characterized by spectral (IR, H NMR, C NMR, and MS spectra) analysis. Antimicrobial activity was measured against both bacteria and fungus. In vitro antimicrobial evaluation showed that five compounds had growth inhibitory effects on the tested Gram-positive bacteria and fungus with special efficacy. Potential antibacterial and antifungal activities are incorporated in these triazole compounds. Results of antimicrobial activities also revealed that compounds ( 5a-i) were the potent antibacterial and antifungal agents as compared to standard drugs (ciprofloxacin and itraconazole), and thus could be promising new lead molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin and N-acetylserotonin (NAS) are tryptophan metabolites that have potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties in several animal models of neurological injury and disease including multiple sclerosis (MS). The therapeutic effect of NAS has not been reported previously in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a commonly used animal model of MS. Using a MOG-peptide induced EAE mouse model we examined the effects of melatonin and NAS on clinical score, inflammatory markers, free radical generation, and sparing of axons, oligodendrocytes and myelin. We found that NAS and melatonin reduced clinical scores when administered prior to or after symptom onset. This effect was more pronounced when melatonin and NAS were administrated prior to symptom onset whereby the appearance of motor symptoms was significantly delayed. Activated microglia and CD4 T-cells were increased in the white matter of untreated EAE mice, with a return to near control levels after melatonin or NAS treatment. The expression of the NADPH oxidase component p67phox and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was increased in the EAE mice as compared with controls, and both drug treated groups had significant reductions in their expression. Melatonin and NAS treatment significantly reduced the loss of mature oligodendrocytes, demyelination and axonal injury. Both compounds also significantly attenuated iNOS induction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia in culture. Our results show for the first time the therapeutic effects of NAS and confirm previous reports on the effectiveness of melatonin in the EAE model of MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-molecularly imprinted powder (MIP) composites in this paper were prepared by mixing SWCNTs with MIPs. The structure and micrograph of the as-prepared SWCNTs-MIPs samples were characterized by XRD and TEM. The gas-sensing properties were tested through indirect-heating sensors based on SWCNT-MIP composites fabricating on an alumina tube with Au electrodes and Pt wires. The results showed that the structure of SWCNTs-MIPs is of orthogonal perovskite and the average particle size of the SWCNTs-MIPs was in the range of 10-30 nm. SWCNTs-MIPs exhibit good methanol gas-sensitive properties. At 90 °C, the response to 1 ppm methanol is 19.7, and the response to the interferent is lower than 5 to the other interferent gases (ethanol, formaldehyde, toluene, acetone, ammonia, and gasoline). The response time and recovery time are 50 and 58 s, respectively. Graphical Abstract: The as prepared SWCNTs-MIPs possesses good selectivity and high response to low concentrationmethanol [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines was developed. 1,4-Dihydropyridines were synthesized starting from various 3-substituted isoxazolyl-5-carbaldehydes, ethyl acetoacetate, and ammonium acetate under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions (86-96 %), and were characterized by HRMS, FT-IR, H NMR, and C NMR spectroscopy. Solid support SiO was found to possess favorable catalysis and dispersancy for the condensation reaction. The merits of the method included the environmental friendly reaction conditions, simple operation, extensive substrates, good yields and reuse of the SiO. Moreover, the crystal structure of compound diethyl 4-[3-(2-methoxyphenyl)isoxazol-5-yl]-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate in orthorhombic Pbca space group was presented. Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]