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Three new compounds (1‒3), including a phenylpropanoid (1), a bistetrahydrofuran lignin (2), and a lignan dimer (3), and seven known lignans (4‒10), were isolated from an EtOH extract of the aerial parts of Triadica rotundifolia. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. New compounds 1−3 were evaluated for their antineuroinflammatory and antioxidant activities. Research on the antineuroinflammatory activity suggested that compounds 2 and 3 had significant inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-induced BV-2 cells, with the IC50 values of 15.7 and 5.8 μM, respectively. Meanwhile, compounds 2 and 3 exhibited better DPPH free radical scavenging activities with EC50 values of 2.0 and 4.3 μM, respectively, than the positive control vitamin C (EC50 = 14.3 μM).

Three new tyramine-type alkamides (1-3), three new natural products (4-6), five new N-acylated/formylated aporphine alkamides with different ratios of rotational isomers (7-11), and 20 known alkamides (12-31) were isolated from an EtOH extract of the stems and leaves of Piper puberulum. The absolute configurations of compounds 7, 8, and 10 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the biological activity assay, compounds 3, 5, and 10-23 displayed inhibitory effects against lipopolysaccharide-induced NO release in BV-2 microglial cells, exhibiting IC50 values of 0.93-45 μM.

Three new pairs of lignan enantiomers (1a/1b‒3a/3b) and two pairs of known lignan enantiomers (4a/4b and 5a/5b) were isolated from the stems of Mappianthus iodoides. The structures of the enantiomers were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Their absolute configurations were assigned by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis as well as comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra. The antineuroinflammatory activity research revealed that compounds 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, and 5b could moderately inhibit NO production in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells with IC50 values ranging from 13.42 to 48.34 μM.

Two pairs of cycloneolignane enantiomers, piperhancins A and B (1 and 2, respectively), along with two enantiomeric pairs of biosynthetic related neolignanes, hancinone C (3) and piperhancin C (4), were isolated from the stems of Piper hancei. Compound 1 is an unprecedented 1',2:1,2'-dicyclo-8,3'-neolignane. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Among all of the isolates, compounds (+)-1, (-)-1, (+)-2, (-)-2, and (+)-3 could significantly inhibit the production of nitric oxide secreted by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation in BV-2 microglial cells, with IC50 values of 1.1-26.3 μM. In addition, compound (-)-1 could decrease the mRNA levels of iNOS, IL-6, and TNF-α induced by LPS in BV-2 microglial cells.

Chemotherapy resistance is a bottleneck for ovarian cancer treatment; therefore, revealing its regulatory mechanism is critical. In the present study, we found that prostate tumor overexpressed-1 (PTOV1) was upregulated significantly in ovarian cancer cells and tissues. Patients with high PTOV1 levels had a poor outcome. In addition, PTOV1 overexpression increased CDDP (cisplatin) resistance, while PTOV1 knockdown inhibited CDDP resistance, as determined using cell viability assays, apoptosis assays, and an animal model. Mechanistic analysis showed that PTOV1 increased nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway activity, reflected by increased nuclear translocation of its p65 subunit and the phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunits alpha and beta, which are markers of NF-κB pathway activation. Inhibition of the NF-κB pathway in PTOV1-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells increased CDDP-induced apoptosis, suggesting that PTOV1 promoted chemotherapy resistance by activating the NF-κB pathway. In summary, we identified PTOV1 as a prognostic factor for patients with ovarian cancer. PTOV1 might be a target for inhibition of chemotherapy resistance., Graphical Abstract, Chemotherapy resistance is a bottleneck of ovarian cancer treatment. In this study, we found PTOV1 not only served as a prognostic factor for ovarian cancer patients but also was a novel target for inhibition of cisplatin resistance.

Nitrate (NO3-) is known to be actively involved in the processes of mineralization and heavy metal transformation; however, it is unclear whether and how it affects the bioavailability of antimony (Sb) in paddy soils and subsequent Sb accumulation in rice. Here, the effects of NO3- on Sb transformation in soil-rice system were investigated with pot experiments over the entire growth period. Results demonstrated that NO3- reduced Sb accumulation in brown rice by 15.6% compared to that in the control. After amendment with NO3-, the Sb content in rice plants increased initially and then gradually decreased (in roots by 46.1%). During the first 15 days, the soil pH increased, the oxidation of Sb(III) and sulfides was promoted, but the reduction of iron oxide minerals was inhibited, resulting in the release of adsorbed and organic-bound Sb from soil. The microbial arsenite-oxidizing marker gene aoxB played an important role in Sb(III) oxidation. From days 15 to 45, after NO3- was partially consumed, the soil pH decreased, and the reductive dissolution of Fe(III)-bearing minerals was enhanced; consequently, iron oxide-bound Sb was transformed into adsorbed and dissolved Sb species. After day 45, NO3- was completely reduced, Sb(V) was evidently reduced to Sb(III), and green rust was generated gradually. Thus, the available Sb decreased due to its enhanced affinity for iron oxides. Moreover, NO3- inhibited the reductive dissolution of iron minerals, which ultimately caused low Sb availability. Therefore, NO3- can chemically and biologically reduce the Sb availability in paddy soils and alleviate Sb accumulation in rice. This study provides a potential strategy for decreasing Sb accumulation in rice in the Sb-contaminated sites.

Copper selenide is widely considered to be a promising candidate for high-performance flexible thermoelectrics; however, most of the reported ZT values of copper selenides are unsatisfactory at a relatively low temperature range. Herein, we utilized some wet chemical methods to synthesize a series of copper selenides. XRD, SEM and TEM characterizations revealed that CuSe, Cu3Se2 and Cu2−xSe were prepared successfully and possessed different morphologies and sizes. Based on the analysis of their thermoelectric properties, Cu2−xSe exhibited the highest Seebeck coefficient and lowest thermal conductivity among the three samples owing to its unique crystal structure. After being sintered at 400 °C under N2 atmosphere, the electrical conductivity of Cu2−xSe enhanced considerable, resulting in a significant improvement of its ZT values from 0.096 to 0.458 at 30 to 150 °C. This result is remarkable for copper selenide-based thermoelectric materials at a relatively low temperature range, indicating its brilliant potential in the field of flexible thermoelectric devices.

Fast charge transfer and lithium-ion transport in the electrodes are necessary for high performance Li–S batteries. Herein, a N-doped carbon-coated intercalated-bentonite (Bent@C) with interlamellar ion path and 3D conductive network architecture is designed to improve the performance of Li–S batteries by expediting ion/electron transport in the cathode. The interlamellar ion pathways are constructed through inorganic/organic intercalation of bentonite. The 3D conductive networks consist of N-doped carbon, both in the interlayer and on the surface of the modified bentonite. Benefiting from the unique structure of the Bent@C, the S/Bent@C cathode exhibits a high initial capacity of 1,361 mA h g−1 at 0.2C and achieves a high reversible capacity of 618.1 m Ah g−1 at 2C after 500 cycles with a sulfur loading of 2 mg cm−2. Moreover, with a higher sulfur loading of 3.0 mg cm−2, the cathode still delivers a reversible capacity of 560.2 mA h g−1 at 0.1C after 100 cycles.

Background: Inhibition of cancer cell growth and low in vivo toxicity are two important criteria for the development of anti-cancer drugs. Curcumin is a promising candidate for developing novel anti-cancer drug analogs. The research group designed the 3,5-bis-(3,4,5- trimethoxybenzylidene)-1-methyl-piperidin-4-one analog of curcumin that significantly inhibited the growth of esophageal cancer cells in vivo. In this study, 81 curcumin analogs were synthesized, analyzed both in vitro and in vivo, and their structure activity relationships (SARs) were determined. Methods: Based on the parent structure of curcumin, 81 analogs of 3,5-bis(substitutedbenzylidene)- piperidin-4-one compounds were designed and synthesized. Their anti-cancer activity in the human cancer cell lines was evaluated using the MTT assay, and in vivo toxicity was evaluated in mice. The SARs of selected compounds were analyzed. Results and Discussion: Among the designed curcumin analogs, 61 compounds exerted anti-cancer effects higher than the parent compound in vitro; 23 compounds inhibited cell growth in the human cancer cell line at low concentrations (IC50 values below 1 μM). The acute toxicity of curcumin analogs was tested in mice; 13 compounds were selected, which did not show any obvious toxicity at doses as high as 25.0 mg/kg. The SARs of these shortlisted curcumin analogs were determined. Conclusion: Twenty-three curcumin analogs exhibiting promising in vitro anti-cancer activity and low in vivo toxicity were designed. SAR analysis indicated the optimal functional groups in the molecule required for anti-cancer activity. This study not only suggested a useful strategy to design curcumin analogs for the development of anti-cancer drugs, but also revealed a group of curcumin analogs which could be further explored.

Motivated by novel graphyne-like carbon nanostructure C68-GY, spin-polarized DFT calculations with dispersion-correction were performed to investigate the hydrogen adsorption capacity of Li decorated C68-GY nanosheet. The binding energy between Li and C68-GY was larger than the cohesive energy of bulk metal, indicating Li atoms would prefer to separately attached on C68-GY. The ab initio molecular dynamics simulation has been performed to confirm the stability of Li/C complex. When five Li atoms decorated on C68-GY, 14H2 molecules were captured. The maximum hydrogen storage density was 8.04 wt% with an average hydrogen adsorption energy of −0.227 eV per H2. The positively charged Li atoms aroused electrostatic field and induced the polarization of H2. It was notable to observe strong hybridization between the main peak of H-1s orbitals with Li below Fermi level, which was responsible for the enhancement of hydrogen binding energy, indicating its potential application on hydrogen storage.

Erosion control materials with long-term effective, economical and environmentally friendly properties play a critical role in controlling erodible and unstable sandy slopes deformed under rainfall. In this study, a novel cellulose-based curing agent was developed and applied as a sustainable sand fixation materisal. The novel cellulose-based curing agent was a dual-polymer composite material (DPCM), which was prepared by mixing two kinds of organic polymer materials: carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyacrylamide (PAM). The microstructure and composition of DPCM were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The adsorption kinetics of the curing agent on sand particles was discussed by fitting with pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Water resistance and the compressive strength of the sand-fixing specimen at different curing ages were studied. Finally, the DPCM stabilization layer’s resistance to water erosion was investigated using a rainfall simulation test. The results demonstrated that the adsorption kinetic behavior of DPCM adsorbed on sand particles followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Additionally, the interaction between the DPCM and sand particles was primarily hydrogen bonding, covalent bonds, and physical adsorption. The compressive stress was in the range from 53 to 915 kPa. Sandy slopes treated by DPCM showed excellent resistance to water erosion under a rainfall intensity of 120 mm/h.

Mast cells (MCs) are the major effector cells of allergic rhinitis (AR). The present study aimed to investigate the effects of C-C chemokine receptor type 3 (CCR3) on the proliferation, apoptosis, chemotaxis and activated degranulation of mouse MCs. Mouse bone marrow-derived MCs were cultured in vitro, purified and identified using toluidine blue staining and flow cytometry. Three different CCR3-short hairpin (shRNA) lentiviral vectors were constructed and transfected into MCs, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of CCR3 were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. Proliferation and apoptosis of the MCs were measured using Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays and flow cytometry, respectively. MC chemotaxis was assessed by Transwell assay and quantified using flow cytometry. The activation of MC degranulation was examined using ELISAs. The results demonstrated that MCs were appropriately isolated, and identified that CCR3-shRNA2 presented the higher knockdown effect among the three shRNAs tested. Following 96 h of transfection, the results of CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays demonstrated that CCR3-shRNA2 inhibited MC proliferation and promoted MC apoptosis. The results from the Transwell assay indicated that CCR3-shRNA2 restrained MC chemotaxis, whereas ELISA results demonstrated that CCR3-shRNA2 suppressed MC degranulation. In conclusion, CCR3-shRNA2 effectively downregulated CCR3 mRNA and protein expression levels in mouse MCs. In addition, CCR3-shRNA2 promoted MC apoptosis and suppressed the proliferation, chemotaxis and degranulation of mouse MCs, suggesting that CCR3-shRNA2 may serve as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

For electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs), high electrical conductivity generally conflicts with excellent mechanical properties because electrical conductivity increases while desirable mechanical properties decrease with the increase in loading of conductive fillers or removal of lubricants on the silver filler surface. In this work, a method was developed to improve both the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the ECAs by introducing double bonds. Itaconic acid (IA) was used to replace the lubricant on the silver flake (Ag-F) surface, and acrylic acid (AA) was used as part of the ECA resin matrix. IA can replace the lubricant on the Ag-F surface, similar to other short-chain dibasic acids, to improve the ECA electrical conductivity. Furthermore, IA can be polymerized with AA to form covalent bonds between the silver flakes and the resin matrix, enhancing the mechanical properties of ECA. Compared with ECA filled with commercial silver flakes, the electrical conductivity of ECA filled with IA-treated silver flakes increased by ~ 21%, and the lap shear strength increased by ~ 29%.

Tyrosinase plays important roles in many different disease related processes, and the development of its inhibitors is particularly important in biotechnology. In this study, thirty-nine 3-/4-alkoxyphenylethylidenethiosemicarbazides were synthesized as novel tyrosinase inhibitors based on structure-based molecular design. Our experimental results demonstrated that thirty-one of them possess remarkable tyrosinase inhibitory activities with IC50 value below 1 µM, and 5a, 6e, 6g and 6t did not display any toxicity to 293T cell line at the concentration of 1000 µmol/L. According to the inhibitory activities, several compounds were selected for detail investigation on the structure-activity relationships (SARs), mechanisms of enzyme inhibition, inhibitory kinetics and cytotoxicity. In particular, the interaction between the selected inhibitors and the active center of tyrosinase was considered and discussed in detail based on their structural characteristics. Taken together, the results presented here demonstrated that the newly designed compounds are promising candidates for the treatment of tyrosinase-related disorders and further development of them may have significant contribution in biomedical science.

The hydrogen storage capacity of yttrium decorated graphyne nanotubes is calculated using spin polarized DFT method. The stabilities, electronic properties and the structures of Y attachment on graphyne tube are investigated. It is revealed that Y can be separately adsorbed on graphyne tube with the binding energy of 6.76 eV and the clustering of metal atoms is hindered. The geometry optimization shows that Y atoms decorated graphyne tube can capture 42H2 molecules through Dewar-Kubas like interaction and the polarization under the electrostatic potential formed by Y and graphyne tubes. The weight percent capacity is 5.71 wt%, with an average hydrogen adsorption energy of −0.153 eV per H2, indicating its potential application on hydrogen storage candidates.

Twenty new chebulic acid and brevifolincarboxylic acid derivatives, including eight optically pure or achiral compounds (1–7 and 14) and six pairs of enantiomers (8a/8b–13a/13b), along with nine kn...

The chemisorption and catalysis of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are effective strategies to suppress the shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, multisize CoS 2 particles intercalated/coated-montmorillonite (MMT) as an efficient sulfur host is synthesized. As expected, the obtained S/CoS 2 @MMT cathode achieves an absorption-catalysis synergistic effect through the polar MMT aluminosilicate sheets and the well-dispersed nano-micron CoS 2 particles. Furthermore, efficient interlamellar ion pathways and interconnected conductive network are constructed within the composite host due to the intercalation/coating of CoS 2 in/on MMT. Therefore, the S/CoS 2 @MMT cathode achieves an outstanding rate performance up to 5 C (~548 mAh·g -1 ) and a high cycling stability with low capacity decay of 0.063 and 0.067% per cycle for 500 cycles at 1 and 2 C, respectively. With a higher sulfur loading of 4.0 mg·cm -2 , the cathode still delivers satisfactory rate and cycling performance. It shows that the CoS 2 @MMT host has great application prospects in Li-S batteries.

Catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO) at ambient temperature is an effective method for indoor HCHO removal. In this study, Ni/Co-Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with different molar ratios were successfully synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. Their structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET)-specific surface area, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), respectively. The catalytic activity results show that Ni/Co-LDHs with the Ni/Co ratio of 1:2 exhibited enhanced activity for HCHO decomposition. The removal efficiency of indoor HCHO was up to 99.7% at ambient temperature, and it remained highly stable without any obvious deactivation even after a reaction time of 800 min. The abundant hydroxyl groups were favorable for catalytic activity, which could not only enrich the adsorption of HCHO on the surface of catalysts, but also directly react with HCHO to obtain CO2 and H2O. Moreover, the redox cycles of Ni3+/Ni2+ and Co3+/Co2+ would provide more reactive oxygen species and therefore promote catalytic reaction. This work can provide a new insight into LDH-based catalysts for low-concentration HCHO removal in practical application.

A novel method to prepare crosslinked acrylate self-matting coatings is introduced in this study. Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PET4A) was used as a cross-linker to synthesize a series of self-matting crosslinked acrylate coatings (PETs). The gloss value of the PET films was found to decrease as the amount of the cross-linker increased at the three typical incident angles of 20°, 60°, and 85°. Furthermore, the factors that affect glossiness including phase separation, cross linking density, the film-forming temperature, and the film-forming thickness were investigated. PET films provided a transparency of 84% with only 5 wt% of PET4A addition and exhibited a gloss of 5.0 (60°), which illustrates the advantage of using PETs in low-gloss aqueous coatings. In addition, the results of thermogravimetric analysis showed that the PET films exhibit excellent thermal stability. Furthermore, the PET emulsions exhibited a narrow particle size distribution, with a zeta potential of approximately −30.0 mV, revealing their excellent storage stability.

Six new quassinoids, named kumulactone F (1), kumulactone G (2), kumulactone H (4), kumulactone I (5), kumulactone J (6), and kumulactone K (7), a pair of undescribed epimers α- and β-nigakihemiacetal G (3), 15 known quassinoids (8-22), and a mixture of the known compounds α- and β-neoquassin (23) were separated from the dried stems of the medical plants Picrasma quassioides. The chemical structures of all of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic data analyses (HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD)). Biologically, compounds 9 and 21 showed toxicity toward the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama with potent activity even equal to that of the positive control (Abamectin), compound 11 exhibited an excellent neuroprotective effect against SH-SY5Y cells which were pretreated by H2O2 with potent activity equal to that of the positive control (Trolox), and none of them showed cytotoxic activity toward the HeLa or A549 cell lines (IC50 > 100 μM).

Thiol-ene click reactions are more oxygen tolerant alternative to the conventional (meth)acrylate chemistry that is frequently used for the rapid production of photopolymerized networks with numerous desirable properties. To attain a high curing efficiency while maintaining the advantages of thiol-ene systems, a castor oil-based hyperbranched urethane acrylate was employed in this work as a primary oligomer for UV-curable coating formulation. Subsequently, a tetrathiol monomer (PETMP) was introduced into the coating formulation to obtain a thiol-ene system. The effects of PETMP loadings on the UV-curing kinetics and final polymer properties were systematically investigated. Consequently, thiol-ene based films with excellent flexibility and water resistance were obtained as a result of the high efficient thiol-ene photopolymerization. The double bond conversion of the thiol-ene system was found to increase with the addition of more PETMP. Impressively, with the incorporation of 5 wt% PETMP, the resultant UV-cured film had the best acid resistance and exhibited a double bond conversion of 93.6%, a pencil hardness of 6H, a water absorption of 0.76%. Additionally, all of the prepared films were completely transparent and possessed good microstructures. These thiol-ene based films may provide insight into the preparation of high-performance UV-curable coatings with excellent flexibility.

Lignin was used herein to prepare chemical grouting materials as replacements for petroleum-based epoxy precursors. Demethylation, phenolation, and hydroxymethylation were conducted and the products were characterized via FT-IR, 1H NMR, and GPC. A quantitative NMR method was used to study the precise changes in the functional group composition. Raw lignin (RL), demethylated lignin (DML), phenolated lignin (PHL), and hydroxymethylated lignin (HML) were respectively reacted with epichlorohydrin to synthesize various lignin epoxy resin (LEP), including raw lignin epoxy resin (RLEP), demethylated lignin epoxy resin (DMLEP), phenolated lignin epoxy resin (PHLEP), and hydroxymethylated lignin epoxy resin (HMLEP). With LEP as feedstocks, new grouting materials were prepared and the effects of the RLEP content and the LEP variants were investigated. The results demonstrated that the prepared lignin epoxy grouting resin had outstanding viscosity and mechanical properties with RLEP content up to 16%, and this performance greatly exceeded the industry standard. DMLEP, PHLEP, and HMLEP were able to provide better tensile properties, heat-resistance, chemical-resistance and curing performance compared with that achieved with RLEP. Overall, lignin has displayed great potential in replacing petroleum-based materials for the preparation of high-performance chemical grouting materials.

Fluoride removal from aqueous solution by adsorption using fly ash cenospheres (FAC) modified with paper mill lime mud (LM) as composite adsorbent had been investigated. The characterization of FAC and composite adsorbent were analyzed by Scanning electron spectroscope (SEM), Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Brunauer emmett teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), which demonstrated that the porous structure of composite adsorbent was obtained after surface modification. Adsorption of fluoride on modified fly ash cenospheres was fitted with pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate the effects of F− concentration, pH, adsorbent dosage and temperature on the removal efficiency. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the adequacy of the mathematical models. The Nonelectrostatic model of modified fly ash cenospheres adsorbing fluoride was built through the Generalized composite method, indicating that two inner-spherical complexes, ≡SF and ≡SOHF−, were formed in the adsorption process by means of the ligand exchange and surface complexation. Optimization of the adsorption conditions enabled the realization of the practical needs for fluoride contaminated water.

Selective oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides or sulfones is an important transformation in organic synthesis. Activated carbon supported Nb-based catalysts were prepared by the impregnation method and then characterized by the XRD, TEM and XPS. The characterization results indicate Nb species is amorphous Nb2O5. The catalysts were applied for the catalytic oxidation of sulfides in aqueous phase with H2O2 as the oxidant. Sulfides could be converted into the corresponding sulfoxides or sulfones with high conversion and selectivity at room temperature. The recycling experiments showed the Nb2O5/AC catalysts exhibited good reusability. They could be recycled for 10 times without obvious loss of activity and selectivity.

Cross-linked sustained-release polycarboxylate superplasticizers (SPs) are superior alternative to the comb-type polycarboxylate SPs due to they offer both a high fluidity and a good retention effect for concrete slurry. In this context, a series of cross-linked polycarboxylate superplasticizers were synthesized using acrylic acid, methylallyl polyoxyethylene ether and four different cross-linkers containing ester groups, respectively. The key difference among these four cross-linkers is their molecular weights because they each possessed the different ethoxy content. The fluidity and fluidity retention tests, adsorption performance and scanning electron microscope tests showed that the cross-linked superplasticizers offered good dispersing effects and excellent slump performance. Excitingly, the maximum flow reached up to 394 mm at a water-cement ratio of 0.35 and this high fluidity could be simultaneously maintained for 2 h, which facilitated concrete transport over long distances, therefore improving the practical workability of concrete. Furthermore, it was found that the superplasticizers derived from cross-linkers with higher ethoxy group contents provided cement paste samples with improved fluidity. Evaluation of the hydration heat and setting time demonstrated that the cross-linked polycarboxylate superplasticizers could delay the hydration of cement and the final setting time had been extended by 4 h in comparation with blank samples. After 3, 7 and 28 d, the compressive strength of the cement mortar was improved with increases of molecular weight of the cross-linker in the cross-linked superplasticizers due to the elevation of ethoxy content.

The synthesis, characterization and properties of novel amphoteric polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCs) are highlighted in this work. Specifically, two classes of amphoteric PCs were pre...

A new chlorinated diphenyl ether, ethyl dichloroasterrate (1), and a new sesquilignan, mappilignan A (2), along with two known diphenyl ethers (3 and 4) and one known sesquilignan (5), were isolated from the stems of Mappianthus tomentosus. The structures of 1−5 were assigned by spectroscopic data analysis and by comparison with literature data. The absolute configuration of 2 was established using experimental and calculated ECD data. Compound 2 displayed inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 microglial cells, with IC50 value of 38.87 ± 2.27 μM.

A novel hydrolysable cationic monomer of quaternary ammonium dialkyl maleate was synthesized and subsequently copolymerized with acrylic acid and isobutenyl polyethylene glycol to successfully yield an amphoteric polycarboxylate superplasticizer (APC). The effects of the APC on cement particles were systematically investigated. The fluidity, fluidity retention and mechanical properties were measured to evaluate the performances of the APC and compared with those of a polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE). In addition, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric and scanning electron microscopy characterization were performed to investigate the influences of the APC on cement particles from microscopic level. Furthermore, the interactions of the APC with cement particles were also investigated via adsorption, hydration heat and zeta potential measurements. It was found that the introduction of a hydrolysable cationic monomer could improve the micro-structure and delay the hydration of cement. Moreover, the APC could increase the cement paste fluidity and fluidity retention.

Fluorescein has been found as an efficient visible-light-induced oxidase mimic and its catalytic performance is group-dependent. Herein, a facile colorimetric strategy for β-galactosidase (β-gal) was developed using fluorescein di β-D-galactopyranoside (FDG) as a probe based on the analyte induced change in oxidase mimicking activity of fluorescein derivatives. FDG doesn’t possess any visible-light-induced oxidase activity and can generate fluorescein and fluorescein mono β-D-galactopyranoside (FMG) in the presence of β-gal. The in situ generated fluorescein and FMG possess high oxidase-like activities under visible-light illumination and could catalyze the oxidation of 3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) upon short irradiation by light-emitting diode (LED) lamp. Thus, the β-gal activity can be selectively detected in linear range from 0.10 to 12.9 μg mL−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04 μg mL−1. We further integrated with the visual detection of α-fetoprotein antigen (AFP) based on the corresponding colorimetric signal induced by β-gal-linked colorimetric immunoassay, a LOD of 0.08 ng mL−1 could be achieved. Significantly, our proposed assay provides a facile sensing platform based on the change in enzyme mimicking activity induced by analytes. In addition, this optical method works without complex synthesis procedure and efficiently avoids participation of unstable H2O2 as an oxidant. Therefore, the present work not only shows the excellent assay performance in β-gal and tumor biomarker detection, but also opens up a new avenue for its application in practical optical sensing.

Functional microorganisms play a vital role in removing environmental pollutants because of their diverse metabolic capability. Herein, a function-oriented fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based graphene quantum dots (GQDs-M) probe was developed for the specific identification and accurate sorting of azo-degrading functional bacteria in the original location of environmental samples for large-scale culturing. First, nitrogen-doped GQDs (GQDs-N) were synthesized using a bottom-up strategy. Then, a GQDs-M probe was synthesized based on bonding FRET-based GQDs-N to an azo dye, methyl red, and the quenched fluorescence was recovered upon cleavage of the azo bond. Bioimaging confirmed the specific recognition capability of GQDs-M upon incubation with the target bacteria or environmental samples. It is suggested that the estimation of environmental functional microbial populations based on bioimaging will be a new method for rapid preliminary assessment of environmental pollution levels. In combination with a visual single-cell sorter, the target bacteria in the environmental samples could be intuitively screened at the single-cell level in 17 bacterial strains, including the positive control Shewanella decolorationis S12, and were isolated from environmental samples. All of these showed an azo degradation function, indicating the high accuracy of the single-cell sorting strategy using the GQDs-M. Furthermore, among the bacteria isolated, two strains of Bacillus pacificus and Bacillus wiedmannii showed double and triple degradation efficiency for methyl red compared to the positive control (strain S12). This strategy will have good application prospects for finding new species or high-activity species of specific functional bacteria.

To retrospectively assess the value of the combination of conventional ultrasound and shear-wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating the segmental heterogeneity of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia (BA) patients after Kasai portoenterostomy. A total of 35 BA patients with liver segmental deformation were enrolled. The segmental deformation was assessed by conventional ultrasound followed with SWE examinations for evaluating the liver stiffness. Liver biopsy was performed in 11 patients in the region of SWE measurement and liver fibrosis was assessed using the Metavir classification. Aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) was calculated for comparison. The correlations between serum biochemical tests with SWE values were evaluated. Spearman’s rank coefficient test was performed to evaluate the correlation between variables. The SWE values of the biopsy segments had significant positive correlations with liver fibrosis severity (r = 0.828, p = 0.001), which was better than APRI (r = 0.366, p = 0.242). The levels of bilirubin and transaminase showed significant correlations with the SWE values at hypertrophic segments in all patients (r from 0.336 to 0.576, all p

Two new steroidal glycosides oxystauntoside A (1) and oxystauntoside B (2), together with sixteen known compounds (3–18) were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of Merrillanthus hainanensis. Their structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic analysis including NMR and mass spectra and single crystal X-ray crystallography. The absolute configuration of 1 and 2 were further determined by ECD calculations. All of these compounds were isolated from M. hainanensis for the first time. All the fractions and compounds were tested for the anti-inflammatory activity against the TNF-α factor. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the most potent inhibition (71.3%) at 10 μg/mL and compounds 5 (78.9%) and 9 (73.4%) in this fraction with both carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups showed significant inhibition at 10 μM. Our study provided the first scientific report for the medicinal value of M. hainanensis.

Four new diterpenoids (1–4), three new triterpenoids (12–14), and seven known diterpenoids (5–11) were obtained from an aqueous EtOH extract of the aerial parts of Triadica rotundifolia. The structures of new compounds were determined by spectroscopic techniques. Their absolute configurations were verified via single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, Mo2(OAc)4 induced electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and ECD calculations. The antineuroinflammatory effects of the isolates were assessed by inhibiting NO production in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells. Compared with the positive control minocycline (IC50 = 16.1 μM), compounds 3, 8, 11 showed moderate inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 35.9, 17.0, 31.5 μM, respectively.

In this study, by incorporating imide-fused benzothiadiazole (BIBT) as the electron-withdrawing core unit, for the first time we designed and synthesized a novel A1–D–A2–D–A1 type small molecule acceptor denoted BIBT-NI for organic solar cell (OSC) applications. Its thermal, optical and electrochemical properties were thoroughly investigated. Density functional theory was also applied to shed light on the molecular configuration and energy level distribution of the acceptor. This molecule exhibited a strong absorption spectrum in the range of 420–550 nm together with an optical bandgap of 2.04 eV. The inverted OSC devices based on BIBT-NI as an electron-acceptor combined with the classical polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an electron-donor afforded an optimal power conversion efficiency of 2.11% with a comparatively high open-circuit voltage of 0.78 V. These results underscore the promising potential of BIBT as an electron-deficient building block in constructing nonfullerene acceptors for OSCs.

This work aims to explore the feasibility of self-matting coatings based on soybean oil. A novel reactive waterborne polyurethane (RWPU) dispersion containing unsaturated CC double bonds was synthesized from epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). Subsequently, the RWPU dispersion was copolymerized with hard/soft monomers at different weight ratios to prepare polyurethane/acrylate (MPU) hybrid emulsions. The results reveal the gloss levels of MPUs to be as low as 3.3 gloss units at 60°. A scanning electron microscope and three-dimensional surface profilometer were employed to observe the morphology of the MPU-based films, and the relation between the surface roughness and gloss was determined. Further, thermal gravimetric analysis was conducted to determine the thermal stability of the MPU-based films, and the results denoted that these MPU-based films exhibited excellent thermal stability. Tensile tests indicated that the RWPU dispersion, which was copolymerized at a hard monomer weight of 30%, exhibited a good tensile strength of 13.2 MPa and a high elongation percentage of 578%. Furthermore, after one year, the MPU emulsions exhibited a narrow particle size distribution and their zeta potential values were approximately −30.0 mV, revealing the excellent storage stabilities (>one year) of all the MPU emulsions.

Six new lignans with various type of linkage between two C6-C3 fragments (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3, 4), two new meroterpenoids (5, 6) and 24 known compounds (7–30) were isolated from an EtOH extract of the stems and leaves of Piper puberulum. The absolute configurations of enantiomers 1a and 1b were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, 2a and 2b were determined by comparing their calculated and experimental ECD spectra. Biogenetically, all the new lignans may come from the polymerization of two molecules of hydroxychavicol (30). In the anti-neuroinflammation activity assay, the IC50 values of fifteen compounds were lower than those of the positive control minocycline, and compound 1a showed good activity, but its enantiomer 1b showed no activity. Compound 1a have notable anti-neuroinflammatory activity, and can significantly decrease mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) in a dose-dependent manner.

Two new cadinane sesquiterpene glucosides (1, 2), two new phenylpropanoid glycosides (3, 4), and two new diterpenoid glucosides (5, 6), as well as 6 known compounds were isolated from the stems of Tinospora sinensis. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by timedependent density functional theory (TDDFT) electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations and in situ dimolybdenum CD method. All the isolated compounds except for compounds 7, 11 and 12 were evaluated for their anti-neuroinflammatory effect by inhibiting the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine BV-2 microglial cells, and compound 4 showed anti-neuroinflammatory activity with IC50 values 42.90 μM in vitro assay.

Synthesis, characterization, and coating performance of castor oil (CO)-based waterborne hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate (WHPUA) emulsions are highlighted in this work. Herein, a second-generation CO-based hyperbranched polyester (C20) was synthesized by introducing the renewable CO as a B3 core and dimethylolpropionic acid as an AB2 monomer via a pseudo-one-pot condensation procedure. Three types of CO-based WHPUA emulsions were prepared through the addition of the hyperbranched C20 with maleic anhydride (MA) and the isocyanate-bearing semiadduct (IPDI-HEA) at different MA/IPDI-IH molar ratios without the addition of any emulsifiers. The prepared emulsions were further formulated into UV-curable coating formulations and exposed to a medium-pressure mercury lamp. Consequently, the obtained UV-cured coatings exhibited outstanding adhesion performance, excellent transparency, and an acceptable degree of final double bond conversion. Owing to a relatively low concentration of hydrophilic units and a large number of acrylate functionalities in the waterborne oligomer, the obtained films were endowed with high crosslinking density and low hydrophilic nature, thus producing enhanced tensile strength, pencil hardness, water resistance, and chemical resistance. Due to their combination of renewable materials, a waterborne system and a UV-curing technique, these CO-based WHPUA emulsions offer promising opportunities to be used as environmentally friendly coatings.

Photoresponsive complex emulsions are prepared in a three-phase system consisting of two oils: hexane (H) and perfluorooctane (F). An aqueous solution of a mixed surfactant of fluorosurfactant, F(CF2)x(CH2CH2O)yH (Zonyl FS-300), and a synthesized light-responsive surfactant, 2-(4-(4-butylphenyl)diazenylphenoxy)ethyltrimethylammonium bromide (C4AZOC2TAB) was employed as the continuous phase. Complex emulsions with various geometries were prepared by one-step vortex mixing and a temperature-induced phase-separation method. It was noticed that the topology of the complex emulsion was highly dependent on the mass ratio of Zonyl FS-300/C4AZOC2TAB. Light microscopy images showed that phase inversion from an H/F/W- to an F/H/W-type double emulsion via a Janus emulsion was achieved by gradually increasing the mass ratio of C4AZOC2TAB/Zonyl FS-300. Upon UV/blue light irradiation, the topology of complex emulsions was turned to switch from an F/H/W double emulsion to a Janus emulsion to an entirely inverted H/F/W d...

Two previous undescribed cyclic pentapeptide-type compounds (1–2), with two known ones (3–4), were first isolated and purified from Clerodendrum japonicum (Thunb.) Sweet. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data (1D and 2D NMR) analysis. The absolute configurations of the two compounds were assigned using a combination of Marfey’s method and HPLC-MS analysis. All four compounds showed weak cytotoxicity against four human cancer cells lines (T24, A549, HepG2, MGC-803), with IC50 values ranging from 23.8 to 39.6 μM.

Block copolymers (BCPs) have stimulated widespread research interest due to their applications as facile templates in the fabrication of optimized thermosets with micro– or nanostructured morphologies. In the present work, a novel block copolymer was obtained from a commercial poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SBS) triblock copolymer precursor by a two-step process including reaction with hydrogen peroxide in a water/dichloroethane biphasic system to achieve an epoxidized derivative with a 46 mol% degree of epoxidation (thus denoted as eSBS46), which was then followed by reaction with 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperazine (AEP, thus yielding eSBS46-AEP) as a reactive functional group that was incorporated to prepare nanostructured epoxy thermosetting blends. As a result of the oxirane ring-opening achieved (to a conversion degree of 10 mol%) by reaction with AEP, the nanostructured morphology was converted from spherical micelles in the case of eSBS46 to branched wormlike micelles for eSBS46-AEP. ...

A novel waterborne polyurethane (WPU) resin with low gloss and micro-roughness was synthesized by the prepolymer and self-emulsification method. It was achieved by introducing multi-hydroxyl castor oil and reactive bisphenol A-type epoxy E-44 or E-51 resin to polyurethane prepolymer to form a cross-linking network structural waterborne polyurethane emulsion, which demonstrated the distinctive characteristic of the shear-thinning pseudoplastic fluid with a yield stress. The chemical structures and rough surface morphologies of the WPU films were characterized by FTIR-ATR, LCRS, AFM, SPMS and SEM, respectively. The specular gloss values at 20°, 60° and 85° incident angles were measured, and the values of different kinds of roughness parameters were obtained. The relationship between the gloss and the castor oil content was also discussed in detail. In general, this WPU resin endowed the film with micro-roughness, moderate hardness and good adhesive strength, making it very prospective in substitution for the traditional low gloss coatings.

A novel environmentally friendly method was developed to fabricate hollow core–shell conductive nanoparticles using a natural and nontoxic material, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), as the template. The NCC used in this study has nano-scale rod-like structure. After the oxidization to dialdehyde cellulose, the insulated NCC was functionalized by poly(dopamine) (PDA) in weakly alkaline conditions through Schiff base reaction and self-polymerization. The Schiff base can be hydrolyzed in an aqueous acetone solution via ultraviolet radiation so that the hollow structure constructed. This structure not only strengthened the mechanical properties but also provided more active sites for silver deposition. Utilizing the chelating ability of the catechol groups in PDA, electroless plating method was used to form the silver coating layer. Scanning electron microscope and Dynamic Light Scattering measurements indicated that these nanoparticles (NPs) had well-defined morphology and a mean diameter of 100–120 nm. Moreover, these prepared Ag–DA–NCC0 NPs exhibited excellent conductivity. Their electrical resistivity reached 0.2 mΩ·cm, which is much higher than that of many other conductive particles used in conductive adhesive.

Six previously undescribed oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, fortunosides A–F, together with six known ones, were isolated from the aerial parts of Lysimachia fortunei Maxim. Their structures were established by spectroscopic data analyses (1D, 2D-NMR and HRESIMS) and chemical methods. All isolated triterpenoid saponins were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four human liver cancer cell lines (SMMC-7721, Hep3B, HuH7, and SK-Hep-1). Three saponins with the aglycone protoprimulagenin A exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against all of the tested human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 4.76 to 15.12 μM.

A series of low gloss waterborne polyurethane acrylate (WPUA) hybrid emulsions with different weight ratios of hard/soft monomers of acrylic monomers were synthesized successfully. Compared with the traditional low gloss coatings that achieve low gloss effects by adding a large number of pigments, fillers or both to roughen the surfaces, the low gloss effect of these WPUA emulsions was achieved through the formation of self-roughed surfaces during film formation with zero loading of extraneous dulling agent. Gloss levels could be as low as 3 units at 60° incident angle. The chemical structures of these WPUA films were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance carbon spectroscopy ( 13 C NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The rough surface topographies of these WPUA films were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size distributions of these WPUA emulsions were analyzed by DLS measurement. The polymeric phase separation behaviors of these WPUA films were assessed by DSC analysis. In general, the WPUA emulsions that afforded films with good hardness, good adhesion strengths and excellent thermal stabilities, showed a great advantage in applications of low gloss aqueous coating.

Natural chalcopyrite (NCP) was used as a low-cost and efficient activator of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to repair groundwater polluted by aged landfill leachate. The optimal remediation effect of polluted groundwater was achieved at pH 8, PMS concentration 25 mM and NCP dosage 10 g/L via response surface method. The excellent performance of NCP was mainly Fe3+/Fe2+ and Cu2+/Cu+ cycles promoted by sulfur species, which was investigated via XPS analysis. Furthermore, the transformation of SO4•─, •OH and O2•─ were clarified by quenching experiments and ESR. The conversion of organics was revealed by UV–vis spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. Moreover, the toxicity of polluted groundwater after remediation was significantly reduced through the growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Finally, the flowing experiment using NCP/sand column showed that NCP could effectively activate PMS and thereby restore polluted groundwater.

Graphene is an important class of carbon-based materials that exhibits excellent thermal conductivity along its layers. In order to construct a 3D thermal transport material, herein, SiO2@C was successfully inserted into the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layers to enhance its axial thermal transport performance via vacuum-assisted electrostatic self-assembly and pyrolysis processes. The formed rGO-SiO2@C composite exhibits an enhanced axial thermal conductivity of 6.65 W/(m*K) and an in-plane thermal conductivity of 36.54 W/(m*K). Moreover, it also displays good electromagnetic shielding properties, with the high total shielding effectiveness (SET) value of 45.59 dB, and an ultralow shielding effectiveness reflection (SER) value of 2.72 dB. Our work provides a simple method to construct a hybrid as a 3D conductive and thermal conductive network.

We herein reported a series of superplasticizers that were synthesized from the macro-monomer polyethylene glycol methacrylate and the monomers acrylic acid, sodium allyl sulfonate, or vinylphosphonic acid at different molar ratios. In order to explore the influence of COO-, SO32-, and PO32- on the performance of superplasticizers, fluidity tests and plastic viscosity tests were carried out to evaluate the dispersion performance of these polymers. Furthermore, the conformation of these superplasticizers in calcium hydroxide solution was analyzed via dynamic light scattering and Ca2+ concentration tests. The results showed that these superplasticizers exhibited the best dispersion effect when the molar ratio of COO-:SO32- and COO-:PO32- was 3:1. In addition, the calcium complexing capacity of the phosphonate groups was higher than that of the sulfonate ions, leading to the lower plastic viscosity of cement pastes containing the superplasticizer with COO-:PO32- at a ratio of 3:1. This study provides valuable information for the application in practical engineering.

Sixteen chebulic acid derivatives, including nine new (1–9) and seven known (10–16) ones, were isolated from an ethanol extract of the branches and leaves of Balakata baccata. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by their UV, IR, HRESIMS, NMR, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The effects of all the isolates on antineuroinflammatory and antioxidant activities were evaluated. Compared with the positive control minocycline (IC50 = 1.21 ± 0.71 μM), compounds 1–16 with IC50 values being greater than 50 μM, displayed almost no effects on the inhibition of NO production in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells, however, the results of antioxidant activity for compounds 1–16 showed significant DPPH-radical scavenging abilities with EC50 value ranging from 3.98 to 14.24 μM, while the EC50 value of positive control vitamin C was 14.31 μM. At last, the results of PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that compound 1 could enhance the expression of antioxidases (HO-1, GCLC, and NQO1) at the mRNA levels.