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FV520B stainless steel is an important material for compression turbine impellers. Its corrosion resistance at high temperatures is critical for the manufacturing and service reliability management...

Interferon (IFN) is a multifaceted immunomodulator that is effective against many diseases, including chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C infection. IFN defends against viral infection, but may also cause various side effects, such as ulcerative colitis (UC). Herein, we present a case of UC triggered by pegylated interferon alpha-2b (PEG-IFN-α-2b) therapy in a patient with concurrent chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. The diagnosis was based on typical clinical symptoms, colonoscopy findings, colonic mucosal biopsy, and histopathology. Accordingly, treatment with mesalazine was initiated without stopping PEG-IFN-α-2b. Fortunately, UC relieved gradually without compromising the effects of treatment. Simultaneously, we conducted a literature review of previously published case reports on the side effect of UC in patients with underlying chronic hepatitis. Various reactions have been reported, including induction, exacerbation, and no change. This is the first report of UC triggered by PEG-IFN-α-2b in a CHB patient. We recommend that physicians pay attention to the rare side effect of UC during administration of PEG-IFN-α-2b. Mesalazine can relieve UC with sustained use of PEG-IFN-α-2b.

Medicinal plants are one of the most important sources of antiviral agents and lead compounds. Lignans are a large class of natural compounds comprising two phenyl propane units. Many of them have demonstrated biological activities, and some of them have even been developed as therapeutic drugs. In this review, 630 lignans, including those obtained from medicinal plants and their chemical derivatives, were systematically reviewed for their antiviral activity and mechanism of action. The compounds discussed herein were published in articles between 1998 and 2020. The articles were identified using both database searches (e.g., Web of Science, Pub Med and Scifinder) using key words such as: antiviral activity, antiviral effects, lignans, HBV, HCV, HIV, HPV, HSV, JEV, SARS-CoV, RSV and influenza A virus, and directed searches of scholarly publisher's websites including ACS, Elsevier, Springer, Thieme, and Wiley. The compounds were classified on their structural characteristics as 1) arylnaphthalene lignans, 2) aryltetralin lignans, 3) dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans, 4) dibenzylbutane lignans, 5) tetrahydrofuranoid and tetrahydrofurofuranoid lignans, 6) benzofuran lignans, 7) neolignans, 8) dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans and homolignans, and 9) norlignans and other lignoids. Details on isolation and antiviral activities of the most active compounds within each class of lignan are discussed in detail, as are studies of synthetic lignans that provide structure-activity relationship information.

Background Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients have a high virological relapse rate after cessation of nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment, but the clinical outcome remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the 96-week clinical outcomes and the risk factors for relapse in CHB after cessation of NAs. Methods This study was a prospective trial; 74 eligible patients were enrolled. The patients underwent NA cessation and follow-up according to the 2012 Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver Guideline. Symptoms, biochemical (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], total bilirubin, urea nitrogen, creatinine), virological data (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg], hepatitis B e antibody [HBeAb], hepatitis B virus [HBV] DNA levels), and color Doppler ultrasound examination results were recorded and analysed. Results After NA cessation, 19 cases were HBsAg-negative without relapse during the 96-week follow-up. Of the 55 cases of HBsAg-positive after cessation, four types of clinical outcomes were observed. Twelve patients had no relapse during the 96-week follow-up (type A, 21.8%), 7 patients underwent virological relapses but spontaneously had a non-virological relapse (type B, 12.7%), 10 patients maintained virological relapse (type C, 18.2%), and 26 patients turned to clinical relapse, received NA retreatment, and achieved ALT normalization and negative conversion of HBV DNA within 12 months (type D, 47.3%). The 2-year overall cumulative rates of virological and clinical relapses were 58.1% and 24.3%, respectively. Independent factors associated with virological relapse were duration of negative HBV DNA, EOT (end of treatment) HBsAg, and original status of HBeAg. The EOT HBsAg was also an independent factor for clinical relapse. Conclusions There are four types of clinical outcomes in patients with CHB after cessation of NA treatment. Further research is needed to explore the mechanism of different clinical outcomes. The EOT HBsAg level is an independent factor associated with both virological and clinical relapse.

Chitosan-based thermosensitive hydrogels have been widely used in drug delivery and tissue engineering, but their poor bioactivity has limited their further applications. Integral active oyster peptide microspheres (OPM) with an average particle diameter of 3.9 μm were prepared with high encapsulation efficiency (72.8%) and loading capacity (11.9%), exhibiting desirable sustained release effects. Using catechol functionalized chitosan (CS-C) as the polymeric matrix, OPM as the filler, and β-sodium glycerophosphate (β-GP) as a thermal sensitizer, the thermosensitive hydrogel CS-C/OPM/β-GP was prepared. Besides, the application of the hydrogel on wound healing was studied, and its biosafety was evaluated. The results of cell migration in vitro showed that the cell migration rate of CS-C/OPM/β-GP reached 97.47 ± 5.41% within 48 h, indicating that the hydrogel accelerated the migration of L929 cells. As demonstrated in the mouse skin wound experiment, CS-C/OPM/β-GP hydrogel not only inhibited the aggregation of diversified inflammatory cells and accelerated the generation of collagen fibers and new blood vessels of the wound, but also enhanced the synthesis of total protein (TP) in granulation tissue, and up-regulated the expression of Ki-67 and VEGF in the injury, thereby achieving fast wound healing. Safety evaluation results showed that CS-C/OPM/β-GP hydrogel was not cytotoxic to L929 cells, and the hemolysis ratio was less than 5% within 1 mg/mL. In conclusion, CS-C/OPM/β-GP hydrogel is expected as a promising medical dressing for wound healing.

Given the increasing global trend toward unhealthy lifestyles and dietary decisions, such as "over-consumption of alcohol, and high sugar and fat diets" (ACHSFDs), it is not surprising that metabolic hypertension (MH) is now the most common type of hypertension. There is an urgent, global need for effective measures for the prevention and treatment of MH. Improper diet leads to decreased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in the gut, leading to decreased gastrointestinal function, metabolism, and blood pressure as a result of signaling through G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ultimately causing MH. Previous studies have suggested that Dendrobium officinale (DO) may improve gastrointestinal function, lower blood pressure, and regulate metabolic abnormalities, but it is not clear whether it acts on MH by increasing SCFA and, if so, how. In this research, it was observed that Dendrobium officinale ultrafine powder (DOFP) could lower blood pressure and improve lipid abnormalities in ACHSFD-induced MH model rats. Moreover, DOFP was found to improve the intestinal flora and increased the SCFA level in feces and serum, as well as increased the expressions of GPCR43/41 and eNOS and the nitric oxide (NO) level. An experiment on isolated aorta rings revealed that DOFP improved the vascular endothelial relaxation function in MH rats, and this effect could be blocked by the eNOS inhibitor l-NAME. These experimental results suggest that DOFP improved the intestinal flora and increased the production, transportation, and utilization of SCFA, activated the intestinal-vascular axis SCFA-GPCR43/41 pathway, improved vascular endothelial function, and finally lowered blood pressure in MH model rats. This research provides a new focus for the mechanism of the effect of DOFP against MH by triggering the enteric-origin SCFA-GPCR43/41 pathway.

Manganese (Mn) overexposure produces long-term cognitive deficits and reduces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. However, it remains elusive whether Mn-dependent enhanced alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) expression, suggesting a multifaceted mode of neuronal toxicities, accounts for interference with BDNF/TrkB signaling. In this study, we used C57BL/6J WT and α-Syn knockout (KO) mice to establish a model of manganism and found that Mn-induced impairments in spatial memory and synaptic plasticity were related to the α-Syn protein. In addition, consistent with the long-term potentiation (LTP) impairments that were observed, α-Syn KO relieved Mn-induced degradation of PSD95, phosphorylated CaMKIIα, and downregulated SynGAP protein levels. We transfected HT22 cells with lentivirus (LV)-α-Syn shRNA, followed by BDNF and Mn stimulation. In vitro experiments indicated that α-Syn selectively interacted with TrkB receptors and inhibited BDNF/TrkB signaling, leading to phosphorylation and downregulation of GluN2B. The binding of α-Syn to TrkB and Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of GluN2B were negatively regulated by BDNF. Together, these findings indicate that Mn-dependent enhanced α-Syn expression contributes to further exacerbate BDNF protein-level reduction and to inhibit TrkB/Akt/Fyn signaling, thereby disturbing Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor GluN2B subunit at tyrosine. In KO α-Syn mice treated with Mn, spatial memory and LTP impairments were less pronounced than in WT mice. However, the same robust neuronal death was observed as a result of Mn-induced neurotoxicity.

Significance During pathogenic invasion, neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are involved in regulating immune clearance and evoking the host-protective response. We previously reported a highly potent nAb 8C11 against HEV, an RNA virus with an icosahedral capsid and associated with abundant acute hepatitis. Structural analysis demonstrates that the binding of 8C11 to HEV VLPs would result in tremendous spatial clashing with the capsid. Cryo-EM analysis showed that 8C11 binding leads to complete disorder of the outer rim of the VLP at earlier stages (∼15 min) and causes the dissociation of HEV VLPs into homodimer species within 2 h. Similar 8C11-mediated dissociation was observed for the native HEV virion. Our results categorize a viral neutralization mechanism and suggest a strategy to generate 8C11-like antibodies., In adaptive immunity, organisms produce neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) to eliminate invading pathogens. Here, we explored whether viral neutralization could be attained through the physical disruption of a virus upon nAb binding. We report the neutralization mechanism of a potent nAb 8C11 against the hepatitis E virus (HEV), a nonenveloped positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus associated with abundant acute hepatitis. The 8C11 binding flanks the protrusion spike of the HEV viruslike particles (VLPs) and leads to tremendous physical collision between the antibody and the capsid, dissociating the VLPs into homodimer species within 2 h. Cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of the dissociation intermediates at an earlier (15-min) stage revealed smeared protrusion spikes and a loss of icosahedral symmetry with the capsid core remaining unchanged. This structural disruption leads to the presence of only a few native HEV virions in the ultracentrifugation pellet and exposes the viral genome. Conceptually, we propose a strategy to raise collision-inducing nAbs against single spike moieties that feature in the context of the entire pathogen at positions where the neighboring space cannot afford to accommodate an antibody. This rationale may facilitate unique vaccine development and antimicrobial antibody design.

Melongenaterpenes A-L (1-12), 12 new sesquiterpenoids with rare spiro[4.5]decane skeletons, were isolated from the roots of Solanum melongena. Their 2D structures and relative configurations were determined based on NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configuration of melongenaterpene A (1) was defined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The absolute configurations of the remaining compounds were determined by comparison of their NMR data with 1 and consideration of the biosynthetic pathway. This is the first report of the crystal structure of a vetispirane-type sesquiterpenoid. None of the compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against the three human cancer cell lines HepG2, HeLa, and MCF-7.

A highly efficient broadband terahertz absorber is designed. We present a broadband terahertz absorber based on heavily N-doped silicon metamaterials. The absorber can achieve over 90% abso...

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) is widely known to induce alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) oligomerization, which has been attributed to the oxidative damage of α-Syn protein. Trehalose has been shown to induce autophagy and serve as a chemical chaperone, but little information has been reported about its effect on Mn-induced α-Syn oligomerization. In this study, we investigate whether trehalose can effectively interfere with Mn-induced α-Syn oligomerization, using different concentrations of trehalose (2% and 4% (g/vol [mL])) in a mouse model of manganism. After 6 weeks of exposure to Mn, both oxidative stress and autophagy were activated and resulted in α-Syn oligomerization and neuronal cell damage in the mouse brain tissue. Our results also revealed that pretreatment with trehalose significantly reduced the oxidative damage to α-Syn protein and increased autophagy activation. These findings clearly demonstrated that trehalose can relieve Mn-induced α-Syn oligomerization and neuronal cell damage through its anti-oxidative and autophagy-inducing effects.

Reticular chemistry has been an important guiding principle for the design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This approach utilizes discrete building units (molecules and clusters) that are connected through strong bonds into extended networks assisted by topological considerations. Although the simple design principle of connecting points and lines has proved successful, new design strategies are still needed to further explore the structures and functions of MOFs. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of two mixed-ligand MOFs, [(CH

In this paper, chitosan and caffeic acid were used as starting materials to prepare chitosan caffeates by reflux-heating and freeze-drying. The structures of chitosan caffeates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and potentiometric titration. At the same time, the physical properties of chitosan caffeates were tested and the hemostatic properties were evaluated. The results showed that four chitosan caffeates with different mass ratios of chitosan and caffeic acid (1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6) had been successfully prepared, which enhanced the water solubility. FTIR analysis demonstrated that caffeic acid had been successfully grafted onto chitosan chains. XRD showed that the crystal form of chitosan changed to some extent and the chain had some regularity in some directions, but its crystallinity reduced. Chitosan caffeates, particularly mass ratio of 1:1, showed excellent hemostatic properties and even better than chitosan and the positive control (Yunnan Baiyao), which were expected to be developed as an effective biomaterial for hemostasis.

Poly(3,4-ethenedioxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and graphene oxide (GO) as well as their hybrids have been widely used to prepare hole-transport layer (HTL) for inverted planar perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). However, their acidic nature is detrimental to the stability of PeSC. In this study, we report a simple and general strategy to prepare non-corrosive HTL by treating GO and PEDOT:PSS with ammonia or ammonium (i.e., (NH4)2HPO4), respectively. The PeSC based on ammonia-treated GO (a-GO) yields a power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 14%, remarkably outperforming those with pristine GO (∼12%) or PEDOT:PSS (∼13%). Similar improvement is also observed for the devices with ammonia or ammonium-treated PEDOT:PSS. The mechanism behind such improvement is thoroughly studied, demonstrating the significance of ammonia treatment on the HTL performance. More importantly, the devices based on ammonia-treated HTL exhibit significantly improved stability, as compared to those based on pristine PEDOT:PSS and GO.

The hydrogen bond (H-bond) is one of the most important intra- and inter molecular attraction in chemistry, while the hydroxyl is one of the chemical groups that forms H-bond most easily. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the hydroxyl group is essential to a fundamental understanding of the H-bond. In this paper, the molecular structures especially the H-bond were investigated through the near infrared spectra (NIR) of n-propanol and n-butanol over a temperature range of 36–76 °C (or 36–79 °C) using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-Correlation) techniques. The following results were drawned:1) the change of the hydroxyl vibrational frequency is caused by the breakage of H-bonds as the temperature increases, the vibrational frequencies of the H-bonds and free hydroxyl remain unchanged. However, the spectral peak positions shifted as the changed of H-bonds and free hydroxyl's composition. 2) when the temperature rose, the absorption of the free hydroxyl vibration in the first overtone region increased faster than H-bonded hydroxyl was reduced, which means that the frequency of H-bonded hydroxyl shifted to higher frequency before breaking. However, in the combination vibration region where both free hydroxyl and H-bonded hydroxyl overlapped, the situation is just the opposite; that is, the change of H-bonded hydroxyl is faster than in free hydroxyl. This difference may be related to the symmetry of hydroxyl's combination vibration. 3) With the increased temperature, the combination absorption will be partially converted to overtone vibration absorption, and the combination vibration absorption of n-propanol will be changed more easily into the first overtone absorption than is the case for n-butanol due to poor symmetry. 4) Principal component analysis (PCA) leads the authors to propose three possible states of hydroxyl bonding: free (non-H-bonding) hydroxyl, inter-hydroxyl group binding (through one or two H-bonds), and a weak force bonding (less bond energy than H-bonding) between the hydroxyl and alkyl groups on different molecules.

Due to superior properties, chitosan (CS) has been widely applied in health field. However its acid-solubility and poor antimicrobial activity compromise its safety and applications, respectively. To enhance its water-solubility and antimicrobial activity, gentamicin-grafted-chitosan (GT-CS) is synthesized for the first time, which is then confirmed by various characteristic methods and the graft ratio for gentamicin is about 22.1%. Particularly, it is the first study, disclosing there are degradation and crosslinking involved simultaneously during CS oxidation. Furthermore, GT-CS shows greatly improved water solubility (10.0w%). Compared to CS, the antibacterial activity of GT-CS is improved significantly, approaching the pure gentamicin. It should be noted that the antimicrobic mechanism may not be the target-specific interactions but the nonspecific interactions with the bacterial membrane as shown by scanning electron microscope. To sum up, GT-CS is a superior antimicrobial with good solubility.

Spent refractory brick (SRB) generated from the steel industry has a high magnesium content. In this study, a procedure was developed to utilize SRB gravels for efficient recovery of phosphate and ammonia from high strength wastewater via struvite (MgNH4PO4∙6H2O(s)) precipitation. Mg2+ and Ca2+ were first leached from SRB gravels using nitric acid solution. Ca2+ in the solution could inhibit struvite precipitation and was sequestered by dosing SO32− to form calcium sulfite (CaSO3(s)). The resulting Mg2+-rich solution was then employed to initiate struvite precipitation for phosphate and ammonia recovery. The optimal precipitation was achieved with a molar ratio of [Mg2+]:[NH3–N]:[PO43–P] = 2:1:2 at pH 9.5. The residual phosphate in the solution can be further removed via the precipitation of calcium phosphate minerals. Overall, 99.6% phosphate and 98.2% ammonia could be recovered and the treated wastewater could meet the discharging standards of ammonia and phosphate. The resulting solids, including calcium sulfite, struvite and calcium phosphate can be potentially used in the cement industry and agriculture sector to achieve sustainable recycle of spent materials.

A new non-interpenetrated three-dimensional (3D) pillared-layered TPP-based LMOF [Zn3(TPyTPP)0.5(BDC)3]·8DMF (denoted as Zn-MOF 1) was successfully prepared (TPyTPP = tetrakis(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)pyrazine and H2BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid). Zn-MOF 1 was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, PXRD, IR, N2 adsorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and luminescent spectrum. Impressively, luminescent sensing studies reveal that activated Zn-MOF 1 not only displays excellent luminescence-quenching efficiency with the values of high Ksv and low LODs toward 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA), respectively, but also possesses outstanding sensing characteristics in terms of fast response, high sensitivity, and specific selectivity. Zn-MOF 1 performs as efficient sensing of carcinoid biomarkers to provide a fresh detection platform for the diagnosis of carcinoids. In addition, the sensing mechanism was also explored on the basis of ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, DFT calculations, and structural analysis.

Uncontrolled massive hemorrhage is one of the principal causes of death in trauma emergencies. By using catechol-modified chitosan (CS-C) as the matrix material and &beta, glycerol phosphate (&beta, GP) as a thermo-sensitive agent, chitosan-based thermo-sensitive hydrogel loading oyster peptides (CS-C/OP/&beta, GP) were prepared at physiological temperature. The hemostatic performance of CS-C/OP/&beta, GP hydrogel was tested in vivo and in vitro, and its biological safety was evaluated. The results showed that the in vitro coagulation time and blood coagulation index of CS-C/OP/&beta, GP hydrogel were better than those of a commercial gelatin sponge. Notably, compared with the gelatin sponge, CS-C/OP/&beta, GP hydrogel showed that the platelet adhesion and erythrocyte adsorption rates were 38.98% and 95.87% higher, respectively. Additionally, the hemostasis time in mouse liver injury was shortened by 19.5%, and the mass of blood loss in the mouse tail amputation model was reduced by 18.9%. The safety evaluation results demonstrated that CS-C/OP/&beta, GP had no cytotoxicity to L929 cells, and the hemolysis rates were less than 5% within 1 mg/mL, suggesting good biocompatibility. In conclusion, our results indicate that CS-C/OP/&beta, GP is expected to be a promising dressing in the field of medical hemostasis.

Manganese (Mn), an essential micronutrient, acts as a cofactor for multiple enzymes. Epidemiological investigations have shown that an excessive level of Mn is an important environmental factor involved in neurotoxicity. Frequent pollution of air and water by Mn is a serious threat to the health of the population. Overexposure to Mn is particularly detrimental to the central nervous system, leading to symptoms similar to several neurological disorders. Many different mechanisms have been implicated in Mn-induced neurotoxicity, including oxidative/nitrosative stress, toxic protein aggregation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, dysregulation of autophagy, and the apoptotic cascade, which together promote the progressive neurodegeneration of nerve cells. As a compensatory regulatory mechanism, autophagy plays dual roles in various biological activities under pathological stress conditions. Dysregulation of autophagy is involved in the development of neurodegenerative disorders, with recent emerging evidence indicating a strong, complex relationship between autophagy and Mn-induced neurotoxicity. This review discusses the connection between autophagy and Mn-induced neurotoxicity, especially alpha-synuclein oligomerization, ER stress, and aberrated protein S-nitrosylation, which will provide new insights to profoundly explore the precise mechanisms of Mn-induced neurotoxicity.

The incorporation of large π-conjugated ligands into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can introduce intriguing photophysical and electrochemical properties into the framework. However, these effects are often hindered by the strong π-π interaction and the low solubility of the arylated ligands. Herein, we report the synthesis of a porous zirconium-based MOF, Zr6(μ3-O)4(μ3-OH)4(OH)6(H2O)6(HCHC) (PCN-136, HCHC = hexakis(4-carboxyphenyl)hexabenzocoronene), which is composed of a hexacarboxylate linker with a π-conjugated hexabenzocoronene moiety. Direct assembly of the Zr4+ metal centers and the HCHC ligands was unsuccessful due to the low solubility and the unfavorable conformation of the arylated HCHC ligand. Therefore, PCN-136 was obtained from aromatization-driven postsynthetic annulation of the hexaphenylbenzene fragment in a preformed framework (pbz-MOF-1) to avoid π-π stacking. This postsynthetic modification was done through a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation and was clearly observable utilizing single -crystal X-ray crystallography. The formation of large π-conjugated systems on the organic linker dramatically enhanced the photoresponsive properties of PCN-136. With isolated hexabenzocoronene moieties as photosensitizers and Zr-oxo clusters as catalytic sites, PCN-136 was employed as an inherent photocatalytic system for CO2 reduction under visible-light irradiation, which showed increased activity compared with pbz-MOF-1.

A drug–drug salt was prepared consisting of metformin and aspirin with two crystalline phases characterized. A hydrophilic surface induced recrystallization mechanism was supposed for the transition from anhydrate to hemihydrate. The modulated solubility properties of the dual drug would help to overcome the associated gastrointestinal side effects to some extent.

Presented here are two isostructural SOD-type zeolitic tetrazolate-imidazolate frameworks (ZTIFs), Zn(etz)0.86(mim)1.14 (ZTIF-9, Hetz = 5-ethyltetrazole, Hmim = 2-methylimidazole) and Zn(vtz)0.63(mim)1.37 (ZTIF-10, Hvtz = 5-vinyltetrazole). The adjustment of the ligand ratios within these ZTIFs was realized through changing the substituent groups of tetrazole ligands. Remarkably, ZTIF-9 with a suitable ligand ratio perfectly balances gas uptake and stability, exhibiting 6-fold improvement of C2H2 uptake compared to the prototype ZIF-8 (Zn(mim)2).

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Solanum melongena L. resulted in the isolation of six new steroidal saponins, including five new cholestane saponins (1-5) and one new steroidal alkaloid (6), along with one new natural product (7) and three know steroids (8-10). The structures of all isolated compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments and by comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with literature values. The inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a RAW 264.7 cell line were assayed for all the isolated compounds. Compounds 1, 2 and 4–9 exhibited moderate inhibition of NO production with IC50 values ranging from 12.6 to 59.5 μM.

Fe atoms were deposited on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 restructured surface, which had been covered by CH3OH molecules. A newly formed surface is stabilized by a quasi-potential made by breaking, and adsorbed atoms or molecules can be stabilized by forming “quasi-compounds”. Then, aim to greatly enhance the magnetic properties of the memory units, nitriding experiments were implemented on the existing Fe compounds. With the in-situ observation of STM, a series of Fe3N structures make up the newly emerged iron-nitride compounds, showing good linear characteristics. By adjusting the concentration, this study further explored its formation process and compounds models.

A simple alcohol-soluble perylene derivative (i.e., tetramethylammonium salt of perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid; TMA-PTC) was prepared and applied as a cathode interlayer (CIL) to modify the PC61BM/Ag interface in planar p–i–n perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the TMA-PTC-based PeSCs is ca. 30% higher than that of the devices without CIL. It was revealed that the enhancement in PCE might be attributed to the improved electron-transporting and hole-blocking properties of the PC61BM/TMA-PTC/Ag interfaces. Moreover, the TMA-PTC devices show remarkably higher stability than those without CIL probably due to the suppressed corrosion of perovskite on Ag cathode. Our findings thus demonstrate a multifunctional and solution-processable CIL that may be a promising block for the fabrication of low-cost, high-efficiency and stable planar p–i–n PeSCs.

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) has been known to induce alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) oligomerization, which is degraded mainly depending on endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) and autophagy pathways. However, little data reported the cross-talk between ER stress and autophagy on Mn-induced α-Syn oligomerization. To explore the relationship between ER stress and autophagy, we used 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA, the ER stress inhibitor), rapamycin (Rap, autophagy activator) and 3-methyladenine (3-MA, autophagy inhibitor) in mice model of manganism. After 4 weeks of treatment with Mn, both ER stress and autophagy were activated. Exposed to Mn also resulted in α-Syn oligomerization and neuronal cell damage in the brain tissue of mice, which could be relieved by 4-PBA pretreatment. Moreover, when the ER stress was inhibited, the activation of autophagy was also inhibited. Rap pretreatment significantly activated autophagy and decreased α-Syn oligomers. However, 3-MA pretreatment inhibited autophagy resulting in increase of α-Syn oligomers, and compensatorily activated PERK signaling pathway. Our results also demonstrated that the inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA aggravated neuronal cell damage. The findings clearly demonstrated that the cross-talking between autophagy and ER stress might play an important role in the α-Syn oligomerization and neurotoxicity by Mn.

Poly(methyl methacrylate)/expanded graphite (PMMA/EG) composites are prepared using water-assisted mixing extrusion (WAME) technique. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy micrographs show that the EG exhibits better exfoliation and dispersion in the composite samples prepared with water injection than that in those without water injection. More EG layer networks and stronger PMMA-EG interfacial interaction are formed in the composite samples prepared with water injection, which are confirmed by the results of the FTIR and rheological measurements and the linear fits of experimentally obtained tensile yield stresses. The composite samples with well exfoliated and dispersed EG layers exhibit higher thermal conductivity and mechanical properties, which are ascribed to lower interfacial thermal resistance and stronger interfacial interaction, respectively. Finally, a mechanism for promoted EG exfoliation and dispersion in the PMMA matrix during the WAME is interpreted by analyzing the combined effect of injected high-pressure water with the shear force provided by the extruder screw.

A series of flexible MOFs (PCN-605, PCN-606, and PCN-700) are synthesized and applied to reversible bromine encapsulation and release. The chemical stability of these Zr-MOFs ensures the framework's integrity during the bromine adsorption, while the framework's flexibility allows for structural adaptation upon bromine uptake to afford stronger host-guest interactions and therefore higher bromine adsorption capacities. The flexible MOFs act as bromine-nanocontainers which elongate the storage time of volatile halides under ambient conditions. Furthermore, the bromine pre-adsorbed flexible MOFs can be used as generic bromine sources for bromination reactions giving improved yields and selectivities under ambient conditions when compared with liquid bromine.

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) has been known to induce nitrosative stress. The dysregulation of autophagy has implicated in nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity alterations. However, the mechanism of Mn-induced autophagic dysregulation is unclear. The protein of Bcl-2 was considered as a key role that could participate to the autophagy signaling regulation. To further explore whether S-nitrosylation of Bcl-2 involved in Mn-induced autophagy dysregulation, we treated human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells with Mn and pretreated cells with 1400 W, a selective iNOS inhibitor. After cells were treated with 400 μM Mn for 24 h, there were significant increases in production of NO, inducible NO synthase (iNOS) activity, the mRNA and protein expressions of iNOS. Interestingly, autophagy was activated after cells were treated with Mn for 0-12 h; while the degradation process of autophagy-lysosome pathway was blocked after cells were treated with Mn for 24 h. Moreover, S-nitrosylated JNK and Bcl-2 also increased and phospho-JNK and phospho-Bcl-2 reduced in Mn-treated cells. Then, the affinity between Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 increased significantly in Mn-treated cells. We used the 1400 W to neutralize Mn-induced nitrosative stress. The results showed that S-nitrosylated JNK and Bcl-2 reduced while their phosphorylation were recovered to some extent. The findings revealed that NO-mediated S-nitrosylation of Bcl-2 directly affected the interaction between Beclin-1 and Bcl-2 leading to autophagy inhibition.

Vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G) has been widely used for pseudotyping retroviral, lentiviral, and artificial viral vectors. The objective of this study was to establish a potential approach for large-scale production of VSV-G. To this end, VSV-G was cloned with an N-terminal His-tag into Pichia pastoris expression vector pPIC3.5K. Three clones (Muts) containing the VSV-G expression cassette were identified by PCR. All clones proliferated normally in expansion medium, whereas the proliferation was reduced significantly under induction conditions. VSV-G protein was detected in cell lysates by western blot analysis, and the highest expression level was observed at 96 h post induction. VSV-G could also be obtained from the condition medium of yeast protoplasts. Furthermore, VSV-G could be incorporated into Ad293 cells and was able to induce cell fusion, leading to the transfer of cytoplasmic protein. Finally, VSV-G-mediated DNA transfection was assayed by flow cytometry and luciferase measurement. Incubation of VSV-G lysate with the pGL3-control DNA complex increased the luciferase activity in Ad293 and HeLa cells by about 3-fold. Likewise, incubation of VSV-G lysate with the pCMV-DsRed DNA complex improved the transfection efficiency into Ad293 by 10% and into HeLa cells by about 1-fold. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that VSV-G could be produced from P. pastoris with biofunctionalities, demonstrating that large-scale production of the viral glycoprotein is feasible.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the crystal structures and physicochemical properties of amisulpride polymorphs. Except of the previously reported polymorph (named as Form I), a new polymorphic form (named as Form II) was discovered through comprehensive solid-state screening experiments. Both polymorphic forms were characterized by single crystal X-ray structure analysis (SXRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) and thermal analysis (TGA and DSC) as well. It has been found that the Forms I and II are of conformational polymorph with the main conformational difference around ethylsulfonyl group. Form II possesses lower hygroscopicity and better solubility compared with that of Form I, indicating Form II could be an alternate solid form for formulation development.

The present work adopts an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique to synthesize highly-crystalline Pt nanoparticles onto carbon powders, offering superior catalytic activity toward methanol oxidation within the temperature range of 25–55 °C. Uniformly-dispersed Pt nanoparticles with an ultralow loading are coated over the carbon supports, served as catalyst materials for methanol electro-oxidation. Experimental results reveal that ALD-Pt catalyst offers not only an improved catalytic activity toward methanol oxidation but also superior CO tolerance, as compared to commercial Pt one. The decreased current ratio for direct to indirect pathway with an increase in temperature is found, referring to the kinetic limitations for the formation and oxidation of Pt–(CO) ads sites at high temperatures. Followed up Arrhenius-type behavior, small apparent activation energies (i.e., ca. 30.3 and 41.7 kJ mol − 1 ) of ALD-Pt catalyst can be achieved for dehydrogenation of methanol (direct pathway) and oxidation of adsorbed CO species (indirect pathway) in methanol oxidation reaction. The low potential barrier on ALD-Pt catalyst is attributed to small particle size (i.e., average particle size of 2.1 nm) and oxidized Pt surface (i.e., native Pt–O* active sites) that efficiently enhance the catalytic activity and CO tolerance, respectively. As a result, this study examines the influence of temperature on catalytic activity and anti-poisoning performance on the ALD-Pt catalyst, in which the surface chemistry and structural motif is more efficient at electrochemically oxidizing methanol and improving the CO tolerance.

Effective hole transport layers (HTLs) are still critical and desirable for the fabrication of high-performance, high-stability and cost-effective polymer solar cells (PSCs). In this work, we report that the graphene oxide (GO) simply modified with CuCl2-doping (GO:CuCl2) can be used as an effective HTL to produce high-performance PSC based on poly[(ethylhexyl-thiophenyl)-benzodithiophene-(ethylhexyl)-thienothiophene]:[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7-Th: PC71BM). As a result, the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) reaches 7.68%, remarkably higher than that of the device using pristine GO as HTL (7.10%) and comparable to that of the device with conventional HTL of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) (7.69%). UPS measurements suggest that the work function of GO:CuCl2 is slightly increased relative to that of undoped GO. AFM characterizations also reveal a more continuous film morphology for the deposited GO:CuCl2 layer on indium tin oxide (ITO). Such improvements render an ohmic contact as well as a better interfacial contact between the electrode and active layer, yielding improved open-current voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF) and thus enhanced PCE.

This study examines the thermal properties of ZnO-coated carbon fiber (CF) filaments for high-performance infrared (IR) heaters. An efficient pulse microwave (PM) method is applied to deposit different morphologies of ZnO crystals at various pH values of Zn 2+ solutions, i.e., fragments (pH = 9), thin films (pH = 10), bulky islands (pH = 11), and nanoparticles (pH = 12). Under the applied voltage of 25 V, the CF composite filament, prepared by the PM route at pH = 10, offers the highest thermal radiation power and superior heat-storage capability among these IR heaters. Its saturation temperature and heating rate of ZnO-coated CF heater can reach to 184 °C and 28 °C/min, respectively. The enhanced thermal performance can be ascribed to the facts (i) the ZnO crystals create more emissive surface area and (ii) the composite filament illuminate more homogeneous spectral IR rays, showing the synergetic effect.

An efficient microwave-assisted synthesis (MS) method to synthesize highly crystalline Cu nanocrystals onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets for glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) has been investigated. The mass density of Cu nanocrystals onto rGO sheets, ranged from 22.6 to 42.8 wt%, is selected as a controlling factor in determining the catalytic activity toward GOR in alkali electrolyte. The cyclic voltammetry measurement reveals an obvious signature of GOR on the Cu(III)/Cu(II) active surface. Through an appropriate loading of Cu crystals, the Cu-rGO catalysts exhibits an improved performance toward the GOR, including excellent sensitivity, wide detection range, fast response, and superior selectivity. The enhanced performance can be ascribed to a synergetic effect that consists of small crystalline size, uniform dispersion, and two-dimensional conductive support, imparting high accessibility to non-enzymatic catalysis of glucose. Herein the rGO sheets works as a two-dimensional conductive scaffold, capable of rapidly conducting electron and well dispersing Cu nanocrystals. The injection amperometric investigation confirms the highest selectivity of 284 mA g − 1 μM −1 is attained, according to a linear regression plot of current response versus glucose concentration, i.e. , 0‒1 mM. Accordingly, the robust design of Cu-rGO catalyst electrode can serve as a feasible candidate for non-enzymatic glucose biosensor.

Eight new sesquiterpenoids named melongenaterpenes M-T (1-8), together with nine known compounds (9-17), were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of the sepals of Solanum melongena L. The structures of all isolated compounds were elucidated based on 1D and 2D NMR spectra and a comprehensive comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with values from the published literatures. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of all the isolated compounds was evaluated on the three human cancer lines of Hela, Ishikawa and MGC-803 by CCK8 assay, respectively.

From discovery in the early 1990s to completion of full-scale anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) reactor, it took almost two decades to uncover the secret veil of anammox bacteria. There were three milestones during the commercialization of anammox: the development of the first enrichment culture medium, completion of first commercial anammox reactor, and fast start-up of full-scale anammox plant. Till now, the culture of anammox bacteria experienced a big progress through two general strategies: (a) to start up a reactor from scratch, and (b) to seed the reactor with enriched anammox sludge. The first full-scale anammox reactor took 3.5 years to realize full operation using the first approach due to several reasons besides the lack of anammox sludge. On the contrary, the first Asian anammox reactor started up in 2 months, thanks to the availability of anammox seed. Along with the implementation of anammox plants, anammox eventually becomes the priority choice for ammonium wastewater treatment.

Two new alkaloids named Melongenamides H-I (1–2), together with twenty-one known compounds (3–23), were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of the sepals of Solanum melongena L. The structures of all isolated compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectra and by comparing their spectroscopic and physical data with values from the published literatures. All the isolated compounds were evaluated the cytotoxicity against three human canner lines (Hela, Ishikawa and MGC-803) by CCK8 assay.

d-Luciferin is a popular bioluminescent substrate of luciferase in the presence of ATP. It is used in luciferase-based bioluminescence imaging and cell-based high-throughput screening applications. Herein, the iodination of d-luciferin was undertaken and explored as a bioluminescence probe without the need for light excitation to sensitively trace and image carbon monoxide (CO) in liver cancer cells. The bioluminescent probe (7'-iodo-luciferin) exhibited excellent selectivity for CO detection in vitro. This new probe could image exogenous and endogenous CO in the luciferase-transfected cancer cells. This new probe might be used for evaluating the roles of CO in various biological processes.

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) can result in neurotoxicity and is associated with manganism, a Parkinson's-like neurological disorder. In addition, Mn can induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice to establish a model of manganism and found that Mn could induce cell injury. Our results also showed that Mn could initiate the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling and autophagy, via initiation of the UPR signaling occurring earlier than autophagy. We further investigated the intrinsic relationship between the endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus 1(ERN1, also known as inositol requiring enzyme 1, IRE1) signaling pathway and autophagy induction in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to Mn. Our results revealed that autophagy activation was a protective response in Mn-induced toxicity. Additionally, we found that Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibition downregulated autophagy and interaction of c-Jun with the Beclin1 promoter. In addition, knockdown of IRE1 with the LV-IRE1 shRNA suppressed the expression of IRE1, TRAF2, p-ASK1, and p-JNK in Mn-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, the expression of proteins associated with ASK1-TRAF2 complex formation and autophagy activation were reversed by the LV-IRE1 shRNA. These findings suggest that IRE1 was involved in the activation of JNK through the formation of the ASK1-TRAF2 complex, and JNK activation led to the induction of autophagy, which required Beclin1 transcription by c-Jun. In this study, we demonstrated that the IRE1 signaling pathway mediated the activation of JNK signaling via the formation of the ASK1-TRAF2 complex which could initiate autophagy and the protein c-Jun which regulates Beclin1 transcription in Mn-induced neurotoxicity.

Mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) have a unique ability to firmly adhere to different surfaces in aqueous environments via the special amino acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). The catechol groups in DOPA are a key group for adhesive proteins, which is highly informative for the biomedical domain. By simulating MAPs, medical products can be developed for tissue adhesion, drug delivery, and wound healing. Hydrogel is a common formulation that is highly adaptable to numerous medical applications. Based on a discussion of the adhesion mechanism of MAPs, this paper reviews the formation and adhesion mechanism of catechol-functionalized hydrogels, types of hydrogels and main factors affecting adhesion, and medical applications of hydrogels, and future the development of catechol-functionalized hydrogels.

Exposure to excess levels of manganese (Mn) may lead to nitrosative stress and neurotoxic effects on the central nervous system (CNS). The dysfunction of autophagy correlates with Mn-induced nitrosative stress; however, the exact mechanism of Mn-mediated autophagy dysfunction is still unclear. Three S-nitrosylated target proteins, namely, JNK, Bcl-2, and IKKβ, were classified as the pivotal signaling pathway mediators that could play a role in the regulation of autophagy. To reveal whether these three proteins were involved in Mn-mediated autophagy dysregulation, we studied the effects of Mn on C57/BL6 mice and human neuroblastoma cells. Exposing the mice or cells, to 300 μmol/kg or 200 μM Mn, inhibited the degradation system of the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Additionally, in Mn-treated mice or cells, S-nitrosylated JNK, Bcl-2, and IKKβ increased while the level of their phosphorylation reduced. The interaction of Beclin1 and Bcl-2 significantly increased in response to 200 μM Mn, whereas the decrease in phosphorylation of AMPK activated the mTOR pathway. We then used 20 μM 1400 W, an iNOS-specific inhibitor, to neutralize the nitrosative stress induced by Mn. Our results show that 1400 W reduced the S-nitrosylated JNK, Bcl-2, and Ikkβ and relieved their downstream signaling molecular functions. Moreover, pretreatment with 20 μM 1400 W alleviated Mn-induced autophagic dysregulation and nerve cell injury. These findings revealed that S-nitrosylated JNK, Bcl-2, and IKKβ are crucial signaling molecules in the Mn-mediated autophagic dysfunction.

It is known that polychromatic carbon quantum dots (CQDs) can be obtained by doping and surface modification. The layer-wise synthesis of blue and green emitting CQDs (with typical sizes between 3 and 6 nm) is described here by adding oxalic acid and by introducing polycarboxy groups. By changing the external environment, the emission of CQDs can be adjusted in the blue-green spectral region (469-527 nm) under photoexcitation at 405 nm. The findings presented here provide new directions for the reversible regulatory transformation of polychromatic CQDs. The luminescence also is affected by a variety of conditions such as surface defects, degree of polymerization, polarity of external solutions, and hydrogen bonding which is studied in some detail. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of the blue-green fluorescent transformation of the green carbon quantum dots(G-CQDs) to blue carbon quantum dots(B-CQDs).

Novel measurements of the neutron energy spectra of the 9Be(d,n)10B reaction with a thick beryllium target are performed using a fast neutron time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer for the neutron emission angles and , and the incident deuteron energies are 250 and 300 keV, respectively. The neutron contributions from the 9Be(d,n)10B reaction are distributed relatively independently for the ground state and the first, second, and third excited states of 10B. The branching ratios of the 9Be(d,n)10B reaction for the different excited states of 10B are obtained for the neutron emission angles and , and the incident deuteron energies are 250 and 300 keV, respectively. The branching ratio of the 9Be(d,n)10B reaction for the third excited state decreases with increase in the incident deuteron energy, and the branching ratios for the ground state and the second excited state increase with increase in the neutron emission angle.