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Dasatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has a protective effect on experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This study investigated the effect and mechanism of dasatinib in ARDS. C57BL/6 mice were administered with dasatinib (1 and 10 mg/kg) after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment to evaluate the effect of dasatinib on white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The levels and mRNA expressions of inflammation-related cytokines in lung tissues and RAW 264.7 cells were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. The protein expressions of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) were determined by Western blot. MTT assay was performed to detect the viability of RAW 264.7 cell. Rescue experiments were used to assess the effect of Nrf2 silencing on the LPS- and dasatinib-treated mice. Under LPS treatment, levels of the WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages in BALF and mRNA expressions of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 as well as expression of iNOS were increased, but the expression of arginase-1 was inhibited, while no obvious changes of the protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO1 were observed. Dasatinib partially reversed the effects of LPS above, and further promoted the mRNA expression of IL-10 and the protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO1, while Nrf2 silencing counteracted the effect of dasatinib. Dasatinib induced the polarization of M2 subtype of macrophages and alleviated LPS-induced ARDS through activating Nrf2 signaling pathway, which may provide a new strategy for the treatment of ARDS.

The aim of this study was to well understand the dynamic changes of physicochemical properties of polysaccharides from loquat leaves (LLP) during in vitro simulated saliva-gastrointestinal digestion and fecal fermentation and its related impacts on human gut microbiota. Results showed that the contents of reducing sugar of LLP slightly increased during the gastrointestinal digestion, and its molecular weight also slightly decreased, suggesting that LLP could be slightly degraded under the gastrointestinal digestion conditions. Moreover, during the fecal fermentation, the molecular weight of the indigestible LLP (LLP-I) significantly decreased, and the molar ratio of constituent monosaccharides of LLP-I, such as glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, galactose, and arabinose, significantly changed, indicating that LLP-I could be degraded and consumed by human gut microbiota. Indeed, some beneficial bacteria such as Megasphaera, Megamonas, Bifidobacterium, Phascolarctobacterium, and Desulfovibrio significantly increased, suggesting that LLP-I could change the composition and abundance of gut microbiota. LLP-I could also promote the production of health-promoting short chain fatty acids. Results from this study are benefical to well understand the in vitro digestion and fecal fermentation behaviors of LLP, and LLP can be developed as a potential prebiotic in the functional food industry.

In this work, commercial anatase TiO2 powders were modified using ultrathin Fe2O3 layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The ultrathin Fe2O3 coating having small bandgap of 2.20 eV can increase the visible light absorption of TiO2 supports, at the meantime, Fe2O3/TiO2 heterojunction can effectively improve the lifetime of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Results of ALD Fe2O3 modified TiO2 catalyst, therefore, showed great visible light driven catalytic degradation of methyl orange compared to pristine TiO2. A 400 cycles of ALD Fe2O3 (~ 2.6 nm) coated TiO2 powders exhibit the highest degradation efficiency of 97.4% in 90 min, much higher than pristine TiO2 powders of only 12.5%. Moreover, an ultrathin ALD Al2O3 (~ 2 nm) was able to improve the stability of Fe2O3-TiO2 catalyst. These results demonstrate that ALD surface modification with ultrathin coating is an extremely powerful route for the applications in constructing efficient and stable photocatalysts.

Phenolic compounds are considered the main bioactive components in kiwifruit. In order to well understand the accumulation pattern of health-beneficial phenolics, and to obtain high-quality kiwifruits with health-promoting characteristics, the changes of physicochemical properties, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacities, and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes of “Donghong” kiwifruits during maturation were systematically investigated. Noticeable variations in physicochemical properties and phenolic profiles were observed throughout the maturation stages of “Donghong” kiwifruit. According to the HPLC analysis, phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, (−)-epicatechin, procyanidin B2, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, gallic acid, neochlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid, were found in “Donghong” kiwifruit, while chlorogenic acid was the most abundant phenolic compound. Considering the accumulation patterns of both total phenolics and soluble solids content, the optimum harvest time of kiwifruit with relatively high level of health-beneficial components was determined. Furthermore, “Donghong” kiwifruit exerted remarkable antioxidant capacities, and inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase. Indeed, the Pearson’s correlation showed that chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, (−)-epicatechin, and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside could be major contributors to the antioxidant activity and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes. Results are beneficial for better understanding of the accumulation patterns of health-beneficial phenolic compounds, which can aid in the targeting of specific developmental stages with an optimal phenolic profile for the production of health-beneficial products.

Background: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Acute liver injury (ALI) is an important manifestation of HS. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) plays an important role in the liver protection of bile acids. Therefore, we designed this experiment to study the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on acute liver injury and its relationship with the FXR pathway in HS.Methods: In this study, eighteen adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups of six mice per group applying a table of random numbers: sham group; HS group and HS + UDCA group. Six FXR (-/-) adult male C57BL mice were classified as FXR (-/-) + HS + UDCA group. As to model of HS, MAP of 40 ± 5 mmHg was maintained for 1 hour. As to UDCA intervention, UDCA (300mg/kg) was given nasally fed. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were quantified with chromatographic quantitative kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Lactate concentration was determined by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and scored histopathologically.Results: Plasma ALT, AST and lactate levels decreased significantly after treatment with UDCA under HS conditions. Pathological scores of liver tissues decreased significantly after treatment with UDCA under HS conditions. In the case of FXR (-/-), the influence of UDCA was inhibited.Conclusions: UDCA can reduce ALT, AST and lactate levels and alleviate liver injury during HS through the FXR pathway.

In order to well understand the physicochemical characteristics and biological activities of polysaccharides (OPPs) from different cultivars of okra collected in China, the chemical characteristics, rheological properties, antioxidant activities, in vitro binding properties, and in vitro inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase of polysaccharides from five representative okra cultivars, including ‘Lvjian’, ‘Kalong8’, ‘Shuiguo’, ‘Taiwanwufu’, and ‘Kalong3’, were investigated and compared. Results showed that the constituent monosaccharides of OPPs were similar, which composed of rhamnose, galacturonic acid, galactose, and arabinose. However, their weight-average molecular weights varied from 2.76 × 103 to 4.20 × 103 kDa, and from 0.11 × 103 to 0.90 × 103 kDa, respectively. The uronic acids and degrees of esterification of OPPs ranged from 39.32% to 61.68%, and from 21.66% to 30.02%, respectively. OPPs exhibited typical shear-thinning behavior and viscoelastic properties. Furthermore, OPPs exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities, in vitro binding capacities, and inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, which might be attributed to their relatively high content of uronic acids, high degrees of esterification, and high molecular weights. Results are helpful for better understanding of the physicochemical structures and bioactivities of OPPs, and OPPs had good application prospects as functional food ingredients for industrial applications.

In this work, we propose a new design of flexible strain sensors based on biomimetic patterned-polydimethylsiloxane (P-PDMS) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with Ir nanoparticles (NPs) deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The biomimetic flexible strain sensors of Ir NPs@MWCNTs on patterned PDMS show superior sensitivity (34.96), larger sensing range (0–30%), better stability (＞10,000 stretch and release cycles), and fairly faster response time (150 ms) under optimal 200 ALD Ir cycles. This is attributed to the synergic effect of utilizing patterned PDMS films copied from duck webs as substrates and Ir@CNTs as sensing materials. Furthermore, the flexible strain sensors can detect not only stretch but also bend stress rapidly and accurately. Above all, a simple, green, and low cost method has been developed to fabricate the flexible biomimetic strain sensors with patterned PDMS and Ir NPs@MWCNTs, exhibit promising prospects in human motion detection, wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, etc.

The impacts of three extraction techniques, including hot water extraction (HWE), pressurized water extraction (PWE), and microwave assisted extraction (MAE), on the physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant activities, in vitro binding properties, and in vitro inhibitory activities on α-amylase and α-glucosidase of okra polysaccharides (OPPs) were investigated and compared. The extraction yields, constituent monosaccharides, and FT-IR spectra of OPP-W, OPP-P, and OPP-M extracted by HWE, PWE, and MAE, respectively, were similar. However, their molecular weights, intrinsic viscosities, uronic acids, and degree of esterification were different. Furthermore, results showed that OPP-W, OPP-P, and OPP-M exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities, binding capacities, and inhibitory activities on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Indeed, the antioxidant activities of OPP-W were significantly lower than those of OPP-M and OPP-P, which might be attributed to the low molecular weights and high contents of unmethylated galacturonic acid of OPP-P and OPP-M. However, the binding capacities and inhibitory activities on α-amylase and α-glucosidase of OPP-W and OPP-P were similar, but significantly higher than those of OPP-M, which might be attributed to the low molecular weights of OPP-M. Results suggested that the PWE method could be a good potential technique for the extraction of OPPs with high bioactivities for industrial applications.

A charge trapping memory device using Ta2O5/Al2O3/TiO2/Al2O3/Ta2O5 (TATiAT) nanocomposite high-k dielectrics as charge trapping layer (CTL) and amorphous Al2O3 as the tunneling and blocking layers has been investigated, in which all the high-k dielectric films were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. A large memory window of 10.0 V with higher charge trap density of 1.10 × 1013 cm−2 at gate voltage of ±10 V has been achieved. The better storage characteristic is attributed to the inter-diffusion between nanocomposite high-k oxides and the formation of more oxygen vacancies in CTL. The device shows the fast P/E speed and excellent endurance characteristics. A 70% initial memory window can be maintained after 10 years of retention by using the extrapolation method. The large conduction band offsets of 1.02 eV between TATiAT and Al2O3 is beneficial to retention characteristic due to the deep trap level.

For HIV/AIDS treatment, the cocktail therapy which uses a combination of anti-retroviral drugs remains the most widely accepted practice. However, the potential drug toxicity, patient tolerability, and emerging drug resistance have limited its long-term efficiency. Here, we design a HIV Gag protein-targeting redox supramolecular assembly (ROSA) system for potential HIV inhibition. An assembling precursor was constructed through conjugation of an oxidation-activatable fluorogenic compound BQA with a selected tetrapeptide GGFF. Since BQA shares a similar structure with the known Gag inhibitor, the precursor could bind to HIV Gag protein with moderate affinity. Moreover, after oxidation, the corresponding nanofibers could bind to Gag protein and trap HIV to realize virus control, thus providing a potential anti-HIV strategy.

Four chiral phosphapalladacycle complexes functionalized with the malonate moiety at the chiral carbon have been synthesized via a consecutive asymmetric hydrophosphination and cyclometallation protocol. High conversions were achieved in the P–H addition reaction, which was itself catalyzed by a phosphapalladacycle. Moderate to good enantioselectivities, were obtained for this step depending on the nature of the functional groups present on the naphthalene backbone. In contrast, the outcome of the subsequent cyclometallation reaction relies highly on the character of the functional groups. The catalytic potential of the synthesized phosphapalladacycle complexes was evaluated in the hydrophosphination reaction of chalcone with moderate results. Ministry of Education (MOE)

In this work, TiN film deposited by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) is adopted to modify the commercial anatase TiO2 powders. A series of analyses indicate that the surface modification of 20, 50 and 100 cycles of TiN by PEALD does not change the morphology, crystal size, lattice parameters, and surface area of TiO2 nano powders, but forms an ultrathin amorphous layer of nitrogen doped TiO2 (TiOxNy) on the powder surfaces. This ultrathin TiOxNy can facilitate the absorption of TiO2 in visible light spectrum. As a result, TiOxNy coated TiO2 powders exhibit excellent photocatalytic degradation towards methyl orange under the visible light with good photocatalytic stability compared to pristine TiO2 powders. TiOxNy (100 cycles PEALD TiN) coated TiO2 powders exhibit the excellent photocatalytic activity with the degradation efficiency of 96.5% in 2 hours, much higher than that of pristine TiO2 powder of only 4.4%. These results clearly demonstrate that only an ultrathin surface modification layer can dramatically improve the visible light photocatalytic activity of commercial TiO2 powders. Therefore, this surface modification using ALD is an extremely promising route to prepare visible light active photocatalysts.

Background/Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the VR-10 TSP-1 synthetic polypeptide on cytokines and the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, as well as exploring a new method for anti-ocular neoangiogenesis. Methods: We measured the proliferation of RF/6A cells by an MTT assay and investigated the migration of RF/6A cells by a Transwell chamber assay. We examined the mRNA transcript levels of TGF-β2, VEGF, PEDF, Bcl-2 and FasL in RF/6A cells by RT-PCR and evaluated the expression of Fas and caspase-3 proteins in RF/6A cells by western blot analysis. Results: 1. TSP-1 (1 µg/ml) and synthetic peptide VR-10 (0.1 µg/ml, 1 µg/ml and 10 µg/ml) inhibited the proliferation of RF/6A cells in a time and dose-dependent way. 2. TSP-1 and synthetic peptide VR-10 could inhibit the migration of RF/6A cells in a Transwell chamber (P < 0.001). It was demonstrated that 10 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 had the strongest effect. 3. The expression of TGF-β2 mRNA in RF/6A cells increased after treatment with 1 µg/ml TSP-1 (P < 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between the synthetic peptide VR-10 and the control group (P > 0.05). Expression of PEDF mRNA in RF/6A cells was increased after treatment with 1 µg/ml TSP-1 and synthetic peptide VR-10. We demonstrated that 10 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 had the strongest effect (P < 0.001). There were significant differences between groups (P < 0.001). Expression of TGF-β2 mRNA in RF/6A cells increased after treatment with 1 µg/ml TSP-1 (P = 0.000). There was no significant difference between the synthetic peptide VR-10 and the control group (P > 0.05). PEDF mRNA expression in RF/6A cells decreased after 1 µg/ml TSP-1 and synthetic peptide VR-10 therapy, among which 10 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 demonstrated the strongest effect (P < 0.001). There were significant differences between groups (P < 0.001), except for the 1 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 and 1 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 groups (P = 0.615). 4. Compared with the control group, FasL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the 10 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 treatment group; however, Bcl-2 mRNA expression was decreased. 5. Western blotting showed that RF/6A cells in the control group mainly expressed the 32 kD procaspase-3 forms. For the 10 µg/ml synthetic peptide, VR-10 treatment group, it showed decreased expression of procaspase-3 (32 kD) and concomitant increased expression of its shorter pro apoptotic forms (20 kD). Compared with the control group, Fas protein expression significantly increased in the 10 µg/ml synthetic peptide VR-10 treatment group. Conclusions: Synthetic peptide VR-10 had an inhibitory action on the proliferation and migration of RF/6A cells. VR-10 inhibited angiogenesis by its combined actions, which included up-regulating the expression of an anti-angiogenesis gene, namely, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), down-regulating the expression of the pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and mediated endothelial cell apoptosis.

Here we developed a critical gasotransmitter (H2S) mediated reduction to induce supramolecular self-assembly in multiple living cell lines. Specifically, the reduction converted an azido group to an amine which allowed the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds planarized the assembling molecules and promoted the supramolecular self-assembly.

Peptide self-assembly has a profound biological significance since self-assembled bioactive peptides are gifted with improved bioactivity as well as life-span. In this study, peptide self-assembly was investigated using a therapeutic peptide, PTP-7S (EENFLGALFKALSKLL). Combining experiments of atomic force microscopy (AFM), circular dichroism (CD), and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) fluorescence spectra, PTP-7S showed the α-helical structure and was found self-assembling into nanofibers in solution. Relying on the coarse-grained (CG) dynamic simulations, the self-assembling of PTP-7S was revealed as a stepwise process that peptide monomers first clustered into peptide-assembling units (PUs) with charged surface, and then the PUs integrated together to construct nanofibril aggregates. Different roles of the nonbonded driving forces did play in the two phases: the hydrophobic force and electrostatic interaction acted as the predominant motivations in the formation of PUs and nanofiber, respectively. Moreover, the electrostatic interaction helped to guide the longitudinal growth of peptide nanofibers. A sequence principle is proposed for peptide self-assembling in aqueous solution: a balance of the counter charges and sufficient hydrophobicity degree. The self-assembled PTP-7S displayed good anticancer activity, proteases resistance, and sustained drug-release, showing a great potential for clinical application. This study reveals the molecular mechanism in explaining PTP-7S self-assembly and it is beneficial for future innovation of the self-assembled bioactive peptides.

A chiral phosphine auxiliary was generated with excellent ee via catalytic asymmetric hydrophosphination of 3-(naphthalen-1-ylmethylene)pentane-2,4-dione. The subsequent metal complexation of the monophosphine yielded two different coordination complexes depending on the reaction conditions. The ortho-palladation of both coordination complexes resulted in the formation of a single dimeric phosphapalladacycle complex that could be further converted to the monomeric bisacetonitrile derivative. Moreover, the palladium complex exhibits interesting oxophilicity as the stable bisaquo derivative could be isolated and characterized crystallographically. The catalytic potential of the phosphapalladacycle was also demonstrated.

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent joint disease, and there are still no effective therapeutic agents or clinical methods for the cure of this disease to date. The degradation of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major cause of OA. Method IL-1β was used to induce chondrogenic degradation. Q-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect mRNA and protein level, respectively. ELISA was used to detect the secreted TNF-α and IL-6 level. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the protein level of Aggrecan, Collagen II and ki67. TUNEL and flow cytometry were used to examine cell apoptosis of chondrocytes. ChIP and luciferase assay were used to study molecular gene regulation. Osteoarthritic animal model and Safranin-O staining were used to determine the in vivo OA phenotype. Results The expression of ADAM8 was up-regulated in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. Knockdown of ADAM8 suppressed the OA phenotype in the in vitro OA cell model. ADAM8 regulated OA progression through the activation of EGFR/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Inhibition of Notch signaling suppressed OA phenotype in the in vitro OA cell model. Notch signaling regulated the gene expression of ADAM8 directly via Hes1. Notch1-ADAM8 positive feedback loop promoted the progression of OA in vivo. Conclusion Notch1-ADAM8 feed-back loop regulates the degradation of chondrogenic extracellular matrix and osteoarthritis progression.

Chuanminshen violaceum has been used as an important traditional Chinese medicine and a popular tonic food in China. Polysaccharides are considered the major bioactive components in C. violaceum. In this study, in order well understand the chemical structures and bioactivities of non-starch polysaccharides in C. violaceum (CVPs), the physicochemical structures, antioxidant activities, and immunomodulatory activities of CVPs in C. violaceum collected from different regions of China were investigated and compared. Results showed that the constituent monosaccharides and Fourier transform infrared spectra of CVPs in C. violaceum collected from different regions were similar. However, their molar ratios of constituent monosaccharides, molecular weights, and contents of uronic acids were different. Furthermore, CVPs exerted remarkable antioxidant activities (ABTS and nitric oxide radical scavenging capacities) and immunomodulatory activities (promoted production of nitric oxide, IL-6, and TNF-α from RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro). Meanwhile, the antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of CVPs extracted from C. violaceum also varied by cultivated regions. Moreover, results indicated that the antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of CVPs were closely correlated to their α-1,4-d-galactosiduronic linkages. Results are helpful for better understanding of the structure-bioactivity relationships of CVPs, and beneficial for the improvement of their applications in pharmaceutical and functional food industries.

This study aimed to understand the in vitro simulated digestion and fecal fermentation behaviors of a pectic polysaccharide from okra (OPP-D) and its impacts on human gut microbiota. Results showed that the content of reducing sugars increased from 0.20 to 0.35 mg/mL during gastric digestion. The molecular weight of OPP-D slightly decreased from 2.242 × 105 to 1.932 × 105 Da during in vitro digestion, and then significantly decreased to 1.269 × 105 Da after in vitro fecal fermentation for 48 h. The apparent viscosity of OPP-D was overall stable during in vitro digestion, but significantly decreased during in vitro fecal fermentation. The constituent monosaccharides of OPP-D, including rhamnose, galacturonic acid, and galactose, were stable during in vitro digestion and fecal fermentation, but their molar ratios were changed from 1: 0.76: 1.82 to 1: 0.74: 2.08 during fecal fermentation for 48 h. The results indicate that OPP-D was partially degraded during in vitro digestion, and was significantly degraded and utilized by human gut microbiota. In addition, some bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Phascolarctobacterium, Megasphaera, and Desulfovibrio, significantly increased after fecal fermentation, suggesting that OPP-D could alter the composition and abundance of human gut microbiota. Moreover, OPP-D could promote the production of short-chain fatty acids during fermentation for 48 h. Especially, acetic acid increased from 11.45 to 19.71 mmol/L, and propionic acid increased from 2.59 to 8.02 mmol/L. In general, this study can be helpful to better understand the potential digestion and fermentation mechanism of OPP-D.

A simple method to prepare TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite photocatalysts by atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been developed. A uniform ultra-thin TiO2 coating was coated conformally on g-C3N4 powders via ALD. After 500 °C annealing process, amorphous TiO2 turns into anatase nanocrystals and forms heterojunctions between TiO2 and g-C3N4, which greatly improves the separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers of g-C3N4. Moreover, an exfoliation phenomenon of g-C3N4 based on ALD is also observed with dramatically increased specific surface areas from 10.4 m2/g (g-C3N4) to 31.2 m2/g (annealed TiO2/g-C3N4), providing a new way for the exfoliation of layered materials. As a result, annealed 50TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibits the best photocatalytic activity with the methyl orange degradation efficiency of 98.2% in 90 min under visible light irradiation, much better than pure g-C3N4 with only 45% degradation efficiency. The first-order reaction rate constant of annealed TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is 0.0406 min−1 with the half-life period of only 17 min, which is 5.8 times higher than that of the pure g-C3N4 powders. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of annealed TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites can be ascribed to the synergetic effect of heterojunctions between crystalline TiO2 and g-C3N4 and the increased specific surface areas. Above all, ALD may be a kind of promising and feasible method to fabricate g–C3N4–based nanocomposite powders for photocatalytic applications.

Many lytic peptides contain a heptad sequence with leucine or isoleucine residues at “a” and “d” positions. However, their roles in the peptide-induced cytolytic process remain unclear. We have recently reported an anticancer lytic peptide ZXR-2 (FKIGGFIKKLWRSLLA), which contains a shortened zipper-like sequence with Ile/Leu at “a” and “d” positions. To understand the roles of these Ile/Leu residues, a series of analogs were constructed by sequentially replacing the Ile or Leu residue with alanine (Ala). Significant reduction of the cytolytic activity was observed when the Ile (3rd and 7th) and Leu (10th and 14th) residues at the “a” and “d” positions were substituted, while the replacement of the separate Leu (15th) residue had less effect. Based on the quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of the peptides and their induced surface pressure changes of lipid monolayer, it was conjectured that the peptide ZXR-2 might insert into cell membranes from the C-terminal and to a depth of the W11 position. Accordingly, I3, I7, and L10 residues which mainly exposed in aqueous solution were more responsible for the peptide self-association on cell membranes, while L14, together with L15, might help peptide insert and anchor to cell membranes. These results are significant to elucidate the crucial roles of such Ile/Leu residues at “a” and “d” positions in peptide–peptide and peptide–membrane interactions to exert the membrane disruption activity of lytic peptides. With further understanding about the structure–activity relationship of lytic peptides, it would be helpful for designing novel anticancer lytic peptides.

Tin phosphite nanosheets were synthesized by a facile exfoliation method. SnHPO3 nanosheets with a thickness of ∼2.6 nm readily form a stable colloidal suspension in ethanol using ultrasonic method. Structures and optical properties of the obtained nanosheets were investigated. The prepared SnHPO3 nanosheets exhibit an obvious blue-shift in UV absorbance compared with bulk SnHPO3 crystal materials. Moreover, the piezoelectric coefficients of SnHPO3 monolayer were calculated based on density functional theory, which are larger than that of h-BN monolayer, indicating this material could be a good candidate for designing electro-optical nano-devices.

An AIE fluorescent surfactant has been first used to prestain protein by ultrastrong hydrophobic interaction between fluorescent surfactants and proteins, distinguishing from the most widely used poststaining strategies by employing AIE molecules with weak hydrophobic characteristics. A mixture of proteins with variable molecular weights has been detected.

In this study, the phenolic profiles and bioactivities of five representative cultivars of okra collected in China were investigated. Noticeable variations of phenolic compounds and their bioactivities were observed among these different cultivars of okra. The contents of total flavonoids (TFC) in &ldquo, Shuiguo&rdquo, &ldquo, Kalong 8&rdquo, Kalong 3&rdquo, Wufu&rdquo, and &ldquo, Royal red&rdquo, ranged from 1.75 to 3.39 mg RE/g DW, of which &ldquo, showed the highest TFC. Moreover, five individual phenolic compounds were found in okra by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, including isoquercitrin, protocatechuic acid, quercetin-3-O-gentiobioside, quercetin, and rutin, while isoquercitrin and quercetin-3-O-gentiobioside were detected as the main phenolic compounds in okra. Moreover, all tested okra exhibited significant antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity, 2,2&rsquo, azino-bis (3-ethylenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power) and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes (lipase, &alpha, glucosidase, and &alpha, amylase). Indeed, &ldquo, exhibited much better antioxidant activities and inhibitory activities on digestive enzymes, which might be attributed to its high TFC. Results suggested that okra, especially &ldquo, could be developed as natural antioxidants and inhibitors against hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in the fields of functional foods and pharmaceuticals, which could meet the increasing demand for high-quality okra with health-promoting properties in China.

Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) is a major piscine pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality among numerous fish species, especially tilapia; these deaths have resulted in huge economic losses for aquaculture. Beta-hemolysin/cytolysin and hyaluronidase are critical virulence factors of S. agalactiae, thereby suggesting that they are important targets for the development of potential treatment strategies. Hence the effects of 40 phytochemicals on β-hemolytic/cytolytic activity and hyaluronidase production were evaluated in this paper. The results showed that only bacalin simultaneously possesses significant inhibitory effects on the β-hemolytic/cytolytic activity of five S. agalactiae strains and the hyaluronidase production of S. agalactiae PBSA0901. The β-hemolytic/cytolytic activity-inhibition ratios of 4 μg/mL baicalin ranged from 22.11% to 84.54%, and the half maximum inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of baicalin to the β-hemolytic/cytolytic activity of S. agalactiae PBSA0901 was 5.39 ± 0.55 μg/mL. Additionally, the inhibitory effects of baicalin on the β-hemolytic/cytolytic activity cannot be removed by passage. Baicalin at the concentration of 4 μg/mL completely inhibited S. agalactiae PBSA0901 from producing hyaluronidase. Furthermore, baicalin significantly increased the sensitivity of S. agalactiae PBSA0901 to H2O2. However, it had a nonsignificant effect on the sensitivity of S. agalactiae PBSA0901 to lysozyme. Moreover, studies in vivo demonstrated that baicalin had a significant inhibitory effect on the lethality of S. agalactiae PBSA0901. Furthermore, baicalin exerted a significant therapeutic effect on tilapia challenged by S. agalactiae PBSA0901, and the median effect concentration (EC50) was 525.8 mg/kg. These results indicated that baicalin would be an interesting therapeutic compound against S. agalactiae infection in tilapia.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered as potential antibiotic substitutes because of their potent activities. Previous studies mainly focused on the effects of peptide charges and secondary structures, but the self-assembly of AMPs was neglected. As more and more researchers notice the roles of peptide self-assembly in AMPs, it has been considered as another important property. In this review, we will discuss the influences of peptide self-assembly on the activity and mode of action, and some specific features it introduces to the AMPs, such as particular responsiveness, improved cell selectivity and stability and sustained release. In addition, some methods to design self-assembling AMPs are primarily discussed. With further understanding about the self-assembling regularity, design of particular self-assembling AMPs will be very helpful for their applications, especially in the fields of drug delivery and biomedical engineering. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A novel multiple responsive polymer-peptide bioconjugate, which exhibits responses to calcium ion, pH, and temperature, was presented. In our study, a peptide with calcium ion response was conjugated with a thermo-responsive polymer at the N terminus to generate a polymer-peptide bioconjugate. Several experiments were conducted to characterize the environmental response of the bioconjugate. Results suggest that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding are the driving forces for peptide self-assembly. Additionally, the incorporation of polymer endows new property to the peptide, though it may disrupt the inner-molecular interactions between peptides in some extent. This study will highlight the fundamental understanding of polymer-peptides that are of potential utility as stimuli-responsive biomaterials.

Peptides are considered as a new generation of drugs due to their high structural and functional diversity. However, the development of peptide drugs is always limited by their poor stability and short circulation time. Carriers are applied for peptide drug delivery, but there may be problems like poor loading efficiency and undesired xenobiotic toxicity. Peptide self-assembly is an effective approach to improve the stability and control the release of peptide drugs. In this study, two self-assembling anticancer peptides are designed by appending a pair of glutamic acid and asparagine to either the N-terminus or the C-terminus of a lytic peptide. This simple, yet rational sequence modification was made to change the amphiphilic pattern and secondary structural content of the parent peptide, thereby modulating its self-assembly process. It was found that the N-terminus modified peptide favors the formation of nanofibrils and the peptide with C-terminal modification formed micelles. Although both nanostructures showed prolonged action profiles and improved serum stability compared to the parent peptide, the morphology of the nanostructures is highly critical to manipulate the release profile of the free peptide from the assembly and regulate their bioactivity. We believe the self-assembly approach demonstrated in this study can be applied to a variety of therapeutic peptide drugs to improve their stability and therapeutic activity for the development of carrier-free drug delivery system.

Dental caries, a highly prevalent oral disease, is primarily caused by pathogenic bacteria infection, and most of them are anaerobic. Herein, we investigated the activity of a designed antimicrobial peptide ZXR-2, and found it showed broad-spectrum activity against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative oral bacteria, particularly the caries-related taxa Streptococcus mutans. Time-course killing assays indicated that ZXR-2 killed most bacterial cells within 5 min at 4 × MIC. The mechanism of ZXR-2 involved disruption of cell membranes, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, ZXR-2 inhibited the formation of S. mutans biofilm, but showed limited hemolytic effect. Based on its potent antimicrobial activity, rapid killing, and inhibition of S. mutans biofilm formation, ZXR-2 represents a potential therapeutic for the prevention and treatment of dental caries.

In order to evaluate the performance of the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) to treat 90SrO-contained radioactive graphite in N2 atmosphere, waste forms were prepared with the self-developed SHS reactor according to the waste forms formulation designed with a solid-soluted content of 010 wt% (calibrated in mass, hereinafter the same). The waste forms were made with the exothermic reaction (3C + 4Al + 3TiO2 = 2Al2O3 + 3TiC + Q), where, 88SrO (a stable Sr isotope)-containing 88SrO was used to simulate 90SrO. And the raw materials for the waste forms were the powdery materials of graphite (C), aluminum (Al) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). Then, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to test and analyze the phase composition and morphology of the prepared waste forms. According to the results in dealing with the treatment with the given exothermic reaction of the 90SrOcontaining radioactive graphite in N2 atmosphere, the SrO solid solubility could be up to 8 wt%. Besides, with a SrO content of 0~2 wt%, the major composition of the waste forms was including: alumina (Al2O3) in diamond scheme, titanium carbide (TiC) in cubic phase, graphite (C), anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum nitride (AlN) in cubic phase. Comparatively, with a SrO content of 3~8 wt%%, the major composition of the waste forms was including: alumina (Al2O3) in diamond scheme, titanium carbide (TiC) in cubic phase, graphite (C), anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2), aluminum nitride (AlN) in cubic phase and rhomboid aluminum titanate (Al2TiO5). Furthermore, diffractive peaks of unidentified phase occurred at 2θ = 7.7°, 15.6°, 19.8° and 24.1° position, whose intensities were increased with the increasing additional SrO content. The grain sizes of the prepared waste forms are mainly within 515μm, majorly exist in pieces.

The first example of an enantioselective hydrophosphination reaction of ethenesulfonyl fluoride derivatives catalyzed by a phosphapalladacycle afforded chiral sulfonyl fluoride-derived phosphines in quantitative yields and enantioselectivities of up to 93% ee. Investigations revealed the importance of adjacent vacant sites within the active metal center for intramolecular nucleophilic attack to provide the functionalized phosphine.

Qijia-Gulong concave slope area is a succession nose shape structure slope as well as Qijia-Gulong depression of Songliao basin developing process, Putaohua formation is most important contains oil goal formation in this area center lower part to contain oil combines, since long ago, the forming law is not unclear to be recognized, based on the theories and means of sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, petroleum geology and so on, from the fine research of palaeostructure, sequence frame work sedimentary facies, forming period, hydrocarbon water distribution, trap type, and generalize on hydrocarbon forming pattern and enrichment law, pointed out new objects and orientation of exploration and development, had important instruction significance of hydrocarbon genesis of Qijia-Gulong depression.

Peptide-based hydrogels have gained much interest for biomedical applications as a result of their biocompatibility. Herein, we reported a synthetic pH-sensitive and calcium-responsive peptide-amphiphilic hydrogel. The sequences of the peptide amphiphiles were derived from the repeat-in-toxin (RTX) motif. At a certain peptide-amphiphile concentration, self-assembly was accompanied by the formation of a rigid, viscoelastic hydrogel at low pH or the presence of calcium ions. Circular dichroism spectra showed that the peptide amphiphiles adopted beta-sheet structure. Meanwhile, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy, the peptide-amphiphile self-assembly was accompanied by the formation of long interconnected nanofibrillar superstructure. Material properties of the resulting peptide-amphiphile hydrogel were characterized using oscillatory sheer rheology, and the storage modulus (G′) was found to be one order of magnitude higher than the loss modulus (G″), indicating a moderately rigid viscoelastic material. Furthermore, with systematical residue substitution, it was found that the aspartic acid within the repeat-in-toxin sequence of peptide amphiphiles was responsible for the pH and calcium selectivity. The environmental responsiveness, secondary structure, morphology, and mechanical nature of the peptide-amphiphile hydrogel make it a possible material candidate for biomedical and engineering application. Copyright © 2013 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The acaricidal activity of Adonis coerulea extracts was investigated against Psoroptes cuniculi. The aqueous, methanol, acetic ether and petroleum ether extracts all showed marked acaricidal activity in vitro. Especially, the acetic ether extract possessed strong toxicity against mites in vitro with LT50 values 0.743 h, 2.730 h, 5.919 h and 22.536 h at concentrations of 500, 250, 125 and 62.5 mg/ml, respectively. At the same time, the acetic ether extract showed the best effectiveness topically to infested rabbits in vivo. After three times treatment, at the day 20, rabbits treated with A. coerulea extract were observed only small scabs or secretions in ear canal, but no mites. These findings suggested that as a potential insecticide, A. coerulea should be studied further to develop active components or a new acaricidal drug.

A series of compounds with the general formula Gd2-xNdxZr2O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) was synthesized by high- temperature solid state method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. Trivalent neodymium was used as the surrogate for americium with three valences, an actinide found in radioactive nuclear wastes. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the whole system of Gd2-xNdxZr2O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) consistently possesses the pyrochlore structure. In order to get the accurate data of structural changes of zirconate pyrochlores incorporating Am3+, the Rietveld structural refinement method was employed to calculate the crystal cell parameters of zirconate pyrochlores. The calculated results indicated that the value of x in the system Gd2-xNdxZr2O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) and the crystal cell parameter a accord with a = 10.52696 + 0.07036 x, x and the volume of crystal cell V follow the relation of V = 1166.45459 + 23.72163 x.

Recently, several microRNAs (miRNAs) were reported to be involved in the modulation of glioma development. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of miR-181d on the growth of glioma and to investigate whether this growth is modulated by targeting K-ras and Bcl-2. Real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression of miR-181d in human glioma samples and glioma cell lines. Apoptosis, cell cycle, and proliferation (MTT) assays were performed to assess the phenotypic changes in glioma cells. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of K-ras and Bcl-2 in glioma tissues, and a luciferase reporter assay was carried out to confirm whether K-ras and Bcl-2 are direct targets of miR-181d. Western blotting was used to identify the potential signaling pathways affected glioma cell growth by miR-181d. In vivo, xenograft tumors were examined for an anti-glioma effect of miR-181d. MiR-181d was down-regulated in human glioma samples and up-regulated in transfected glioma cells. Ectopic expression of miR-181d suppressed proliferation and triggered cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cell lines. K-ras and Bcl-2 were identified as direct targets of miR-181d and were up-regulated in glioma samples. The results showed evidence linking the tumor suppressor activity of miR-181d in glioma cells with the K-ras-related PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways. Furthermore, xenograft tumors from miR-181d-treated U251 cells were suppressed in vivo. MiR-181d may act as a glioma suppressor by targeting K-ras and Bcl-2.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Rhodiola algida, Saussurea involucrata, and other herbs grown in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau have long been used to prevent and treat acute mountain sickness. Aim of the study To screen and identify the anti-hypoxic constituents in the herbs grown in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of Northwestern China. Materials and methods The anti-hypoxic activities of 20 selected plateau herbs were examined against two positive controls, Rhodiola algida and acetazolamide, using the normobaric hypoxia model of mice. The herb with the highest activity was successively extracted with 70% ethanol, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The extract with the highest activity was identified by comparing the survival time of mice under normobaric hypoxia condition after being subjected to different extracts. The identified extract was further tested by simulating high altitudes through an acute decompression model and a chronic decompression model for mice. Results The herb found to have the highest anti-hypoxic activity was Saussurea involucrate (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip, and the most effective fraction was in the petroleum ether extract. Administration of petroleum ether extract of Saussurea involucrata (PESI) to mice at 50 mg/kg significantly decreased the mortality of animals under acute decompression conditions. Changes in biochemical indicators for glycometabolism and energy metabolism, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in brain and cardiac muscle, lactic acid (LAC) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in blood and cardiac muscles, blood sugar, and glycogen content in liver and skeletal muscle were reversed under chronic decompression conditions. Conclusions Saussurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip exhibits high anti-hypoxic activity that may be effective in preventing acute mountain sickness, and the active constituents are mainly in the petroleum ether extract.

High-level theoretical methods (BMK, B3LYP, B98, B3P86, B3PW91, PBE1PBE, PBE1KIS, MPWPW91, MPW1KCIS, TPSS1KCIS, G3, G3//BMK, and CBS-Q) were utilized to study the carbon–sulfur bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of hydrocarbons in petroleum chemistry. The performance of these methods was evaluated on the basis of a training set including the available experimental BDEs, and it was found that the BMK (Boese-Martin for Kinetics) method had the best agreement with experimental values. By using the BMK method to calculate CS BDEs of saturated hydrocarbon, the main factors, which determine the changing trend of BDE values, were discussed. Results revealed that the repulsive energies played an important role in determining a change in the trend of BDEs as well as the radical effect. Good agreements were obtained between further calculated BDEs and the experimental ones for CS and CO bonds. Moreover, the same calculation method was applied to predict CS BDEs for which the experimental values were still unavailable. A range of predicted bond dissociation enthalpy values were provided according to the calculations. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 22:97–105, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/hc.20662

The new complex [Cu(phen)(L-arg)Cl]2 · 7H2O was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, IR, UV–Vis and X-ray diffraction methods. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group with four molecules in a unit cell of dimensions, a = 10.3733(13) A, b = 12.4269(15) A, c = 18.926(2) A, α = 94.627(2)°, β = 104.864(2)°, γ = 101.032(2)°, V = 2292.8(5) A3, Z = 2, D c = 1.493 g cm−3, µ = 1.004 mm−1, F(000) = 1072, R int = 1.113 for 7290 unique reflections. The superoxide dismutase-like activity of the complex for catalyzing the dismutation of was determined by the NBT method. The complex has high superoxide dismutase-like activity and the rate constant (K Q) of complex for catalyzing the dismutation of is 5.19 × 107 mol−1 dm3 s−1. CCDC: 645352

The combination of transition metal ions with mixed ligands resulted in the formation of three new coordination polymers, {[Co(C4H4O5)(bpe)(H2O)2] · (0.5bpe)(H2O)}n (1), {[Cu(C4H4O6)(bipy)] · 5H2O}n (2) and {[Cu(C4H4O5)(bpa)] · 2.5H2O}n (3) ( C 4 H 4 O 5 2 - = malate dianion , C 4 H 4 O 6 2 - = tartrate dianion , bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene, bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine, bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane), which were prepared under solvothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 and 2 feature 1D chain structures. Interestingly, each pair of chains recognizes each other through aromatic π–π stacking interactions, generating a zipper-like double-stranded chain in 2. Compound 3 shows 2D 63 topology framework with a rectangle-like grid.

Three new iron(III) citrate complexes [Fe2(cit)2(H2O)2](H2bpa) (1), [Fe2(cit)2(H2O)2](H2bpe) (2) and [Fe4(cit)4(H2O)4](H2bpp)2(H2O) (3) (cit = C(O−)(COO−)(CH2COO−)2, bpa = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, bpe = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene, bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic techniques and magnetic properties. Single X-ray diffraction analyses in the 1–3 complexes reveal that the iron ion is six-coordinated and is bound by two deprotonated citrates and a pair of aqua ligands in a distorted octahedral fashion. The anionic complex contains a centro-symmetrical planar of four-membered Fe2O2 ring. There are significant contributions to the stabilities of the assembled lattices in 1–3 arising from the protonated pyridine analogue counterions neutralizing the anionic charges of the complexes. The units in the complexes are connected together via hydrogen bonding to form 3D supramolecular networks. The supramolecular structures of 1–2 show alternating R 6 6 ( 50 ) and R 6 4 ( 48 ) motif linking the anionic moieties which are in turn interwoven with cationic moieties, while 3 shows alternating R 6 6 ( 51 ) and R 6 4 ( 49 ) motif. The magnetic properties of 1–3 are investigated and discussed in detail.

The new complex {[Cu(dde)(bpe)] · H2O}n (1) (dde = 4,4′-dicarboxydiphenyl ether, bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene) has been synthesized and characterized. It exhibits a novel (2D → 3D) three-fold parallel interpenetrating architecture that is obtained for the first time from the self-assembly of grid-containing 2D (4, 4) layer motifs. The fluorescent property of 1 is discussed.

The self-assembly of Cu2+ ions with malate and 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) affords a 3D coordination polymer {[Cu(Hmal)(bpp) · 6H2O]}n (1) (malic acid = H3mal). The metal ions were interconnected by α- and β-carboxylate of malate produce infinite [Cu(C4H4O5)]n layers, which were further pillared by bridging ligand bpp molecules to form a 3D interpenetrating network. Of further interest, lattice water molecules form 1D infinite water tapes in 1D open cavities.

Further discovery and design of new anticancer peptides are important for the development of anticancer therapeutics, and study on the detailed acting mechanism and structure-function relationship of peptides is critical for anticancer peptide design and application. In this study, a novel anticancer peptide ZXR-1 (FKIGGFIKKLWRSKLA) derived from a known anticancer peptide mauriporin was developed, and a mutant ZXR-2 (FKIGGFIKKLWRSLLA) with only one residue difference at the 14th position (Lys→Leu) was also engineered. Replacement of the lysine with leucine made ZXR-2 more potent than ZXR-1 in general. Even with only one residue mutation, the two peptides displayed distinct anticancer modes of action. ZXR-1 could translocate into cells, target on the mitochondria and induce cell apoptosis, while ZXR-2 directly targeted on the cell membranes and caused membrane lysis. The variance in their acting mechanisms might be due to the different amphipathicity and positive charge distribution. In addition, the two Ile-Leu pairs (3-10 and 7-14) in ZXR-2 might also play a role in improving its cytotoxicity. Further study on the structure-function relationship of the two peptides may be beneficial for the design of novel anticancer peptides and peptide based therapeutics.

The first catalytic asymmetric phospha-Michael addition of diphenylphosphine to 4-oxo-enamide using a palladacycle catalyst is developed.

Human interleukin-24 (IL-24) has been found recently to play a tumor-suppressor role in a variety of tumors, including gliomas. However, the exact mechanism of glioma tumor suppression by IL-24 remains unclear. We collected by surgery 30 gliomas at different grades and evaluated IL-24 and double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) expression using fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemical techniques. Two human glioma cell lines, U87 and U251, were transfected with Ad5F35-IL24 via recombinant adenovirus-mediated gene transfer and apoptosis, as well as PKR and eIF-2α expression analyzed. The results showed that IL-24 and PKR expression decreased with increasing tumor grade. Compared with cells of the control groups, Ad5F35-IL24-infected U87 and U251 cells exhibited a significantly increased apoptosis and elevated PKR, eIF-2α, p-PKR, and p-eIF-2α levels, while the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased. Finally, IL-24 also sensitized apoptosis of glioma cells to temozolomide (TMZ). This study indicates that IL-24 upregulates expression and activation of PKR, further increasing expression and activation of eIF-2α, and decreasing Bcl-2 to promote apoptosis. IL-24 also increases chemosensitivity of glioma cells to TMZ.

Using the half-sandwich tricyanometalate, KCpCo(CN) 3 ( 1 , Cp = cyclopentadienyl), as the building block, two new cyano-bridged heterobimetallic complexes, [{CpCo(CN) 3 } 2 M(H 2 O) 2 ] · 2H 2 O (M = Fe II , 2 ; Co II , 3 ), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Complexes 2 and 3 are isostructural. In each complex, [CpCo(CN) 3 ] − acts as a bis-monodentate bridging ligand toward the central [M(H 2 O) 2 ] 2+ core through two of its three cyanide groups, which leads to a two-dimensional network layer structure with a repeating cyclic octameric [(–M–NC–Co–CN–)] 4 unit. The magnetic properties of complexes 2 and 3 have been investigated in the temperature range of 2.0–300 K and they both show weak antiferromagnetic interaction.

The hydrothermal reactions of Zn(ClO4)2 · 6H2O and Cd(ClO4)2 · 6H2O with the ligand N,N′-bis(pyridylcarbonyl)-4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (L) afford two one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers, ([CdL(ClO4)2 · (H2O)2] · 2H2O) (1) and [ZnL(ClO4)2 · (H2O)2] · 2H2O, (2) having a nanoporous M2L2 rhombohedral molecular square with an approximately accessible cavity of 12.9 × 12.9 (1) and 12.7 × 12.7 (2) A without any interpenetrations. Both 1 and 2 are isostructural and display very strong blue fluorescent emission in the solid state at room temperature.