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Sepsis is a life-threatening disease caused by infection. Inflammation is a key pathogenic process in sepsis. Paeonol, an active ingredient in moutan cortex (a Chinese herb), has many pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antitumour actions. Previous studies have indicated that paeonol inhibits the expression of HMGB1 and the transcriptional activity of NF-κB. However, its underlying mechanism is still unknown. In this study, microarray assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results confirmed that paeonol could significantly up-regulate the expression of miR-339-5p in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by LPS. Dual-luciferase assays indicated that miR-339-5p interacted with the 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) of HMGB1. Western blot, immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses indicated that miR-339-5p mimic and siHMGB1 both negatively regulated the expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., HMGB1, IL-1β and TNF-α) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Studies have confirmed that IKK-β is targeted by miR-339-5p, and we further found that paeonol could inhibit IKK-β expression. Positive mutual feedback between HMGB1 and IKK-β was observed when we silenced HMGB1 or IKK-β. These results indicated that paeonol could attenuate the inflammation mediated by HMGB1 and IKK-β by upregulating miR-339-5p expression. In addition, we constructed CLP model mice by cecal ligation and puncture. Paeonol was used to intervene to investigate its anti-inflammatory effect in vivo. The results showed that paeonol could improve the survival rate of sepsis mice and protect the kidney of sepsis mice.

AgCl was incorporated with clay montmorillonite to improve the individual catalytic or adsorption performance. A green method was proposed to synthesize AgCl/montmorillonite composite by intercalating silver-ammonia complexes into the interlayers of montmorillonite followed by reacting with HCl vapor to in situ form AgCl particles on montmorillonite. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum. It was shown that AgCl not only intercalated into the interlamination of montmorillonite but also anchored on its exterior surfaces. AgCl on clay surface was cube-like particles, which were dominated by the higher activity of {1 0 0} planes. The photocatalytic activity of AgCl/montmorillonite (AgCl-Mt) composites were evaluated by degradation of azo dye Acid Red 18 (AR18) under UV-irradiation. AgCl in AgCl-Mt composites had an optimum amount. When 3CEC of silver-ammonia was used to prepare [Ag(NH3)2]+-exchanged Mt, the obtained 3AgCl-Mt had the best activity. The degradation of 50 mL AR18 at pH 6 with 1 g L−1 of catalyst only needed 10 min. The low pH and dye concentration, and high catalyst loading favored the removal of dye. Moreover, the superoxide radicals and holes were found to be major reactive species responsible for the photocatalytic degradation of AR18. PL revealed that besides reducing the aggregation of AgCl and tailoring morphology of AgCl, montmorillonite also suppressed the combination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and thus enhanced the photocatalytic activity and stability. This study may offer an efficient approach for fabricating silver-halide-based composite photocatalysts for environmental cleanup.

Inflammation is a common inducer of numerous severe diseases such as sepsis. The NF-κB signaling pathway plays a key role in the inflammatory process. Its activation promotes the release of pro-inflammatory mediators like inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) inactivates nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and subsequently attenuates inflammation. Rhein, an agent isolated from rhubarb, has been known to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, its influence on PPAR-γ remains largely unknown. In this study, an inflammation model was constructed by stimulating RAW264.7 cells with lipopolysaccharide. Rhein was used as a therapeutic agent, while rosiglitazone (PPAR-γ activator) and GW9662 (PPAR-γ inhibitor) were used as disrupters for in depth studies. The results demonstrated that rhein inhibits NF-κB activation and inflammatory factor release. However, GW9662 significantly reduced this effect, indicating that PPAR-γ is a critical mediator in the rhein-mediated anti-inflammatory process. Additionally, positive modulation of PPAR-γ expression and activity by rosiglitazone correspondingly influenced the effects of rhein on inflammatory factors and NF-κB expression. We also found that rhein could enhance PPAR-γ, NF-κB, and histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) binding. These results indicate that rhein exerts its anti-inflammation function by regulating the PPAR-γ–NF-κB–HDAC3 axis.

A highly efficient Fenton-like catalyst was successfully developed by covalently immobilizing a Cu(II)–pyridine group complex onto silica microspheres. The catalyst was characterized by SEM, FTIR and XPS measurements. The catalytic activity was evaluated by heterogeneous degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) with H2O2 in the dark. The effects of pH, catalyst loading, H2O2 concentration, initial dye concentration, and temperature on the degradation kinetics were investigated to optimize operational variables and find the potential mechanisms. It was found that the optimum pH of medium was near neutral, at which over 98% of RhB (5–7.5 mg L−1) was efficiently decolorized in 6 hours with 2 g L−1 catalyst and 200 mg L−1 H2O2. The TOC removal of RhB (10 mg L−1) also reached 72% after the reaction duration. Meanwhile, the acute toxicity of RhB to marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri was almost completely eliminated. The degradation of RhB could be well described with a pseudo-first order kinetic model. The reaction activation energy was approximately 38.60 kJ mol−1. Fluorescence analysis and free radical scavenging experiments were performed, and revealed that the hydroxyl radical was the main active species for RhB degradation. The stability of the catalyst was confirmed by insignificant leaching of copper species and loss of activity after four cycles. Based on these results and the literature, a possible mechanism for RhB degradation was proposed.

Shenfu injection (SFI), a Chinese herbal medicine with substances extracted from Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, is widely used as an anti-inflammatory reagent to treat endotoxin shock in China. However, the mechanism of SFI in endotoxin shock remains to be illuminated. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a vital inflammatory factor in the late stage of endotoxin shock, may stimulate multiple signalling cascades, including κB (NF-κB), a nuclear transcription factor, as well as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β, among others in the overexpression of downstream proinflammatory cytokines. An investigation into the effects of SFI on the inhibition of the HMGB1-NF-κB pathway revealed the contribution of SFI to acute lung injury (ALI) in a rat model of endotoxin shock. To assess the anti-inflammatory activity of SFI, 5 ml/kg, 10 ml/kg, or 15 ml/kg of SFI was administered to different groups of rats following an injection of LPS, and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 5 h and the survival rate at 72 h were measured. 24 h after LPS injection, we observed pathological changes in the lung tissue and measured the mRNA expression, production, translocation, and secretion of HMGB1, as well as the expression of the NF-κB signal pathway-related proteins inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB)-α, P50, and P65. We also evaluated the regulation of SFI on the secretion of inflammatory factors including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and TNF-α. SFI effectively prevented the drop in MAP, relieved lung tissue damage, and increased the survival rate in the endotoxin shock model in dose-dependent manner. SFI inhibited the transcription, expression, translocation, and secretion of HMGB1, increased the expression of toll-like receptor (TLR4), increased the production of IκB-α, and decreased the levels of P65, P50, and TNF-α in the lung tissue of endotoxin shock rats in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, SFI decreased the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. In summary, SFI improves the survival rate of endotoxin shock, perhaps through inhibiting the HMGB1-NF-κB pathway and thus preventing cytokine storm.

High solid content waterborne polyurethane-acrylate (WPUA) emulsions have been successfully synthesized in two steps. Firstly, we prepared a waterborne polyurethane emulsion, then reacted it with acrylate monomer by emulsion polymerization using the semi-continuous seeded method. The effects of the type and amount of emulsifier, the amount of dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), the choice of capping group, the ratio of PU/PA, and the method of adding a water-soluble monomer to the properties of the composite emulsion were investigated. The reactive emulsifier replaced the traditional emulsifier and there were no metal ions introduced to the reaction, whether by the emulsifier or the initiator. Through a variety of tests, we proved that the prepared emulsion has the advantages of small particle size, narrow distribution, good stability, good performance of the film, and solid content of 46%.

In this study, a bi-functionalized magnetic iron oxide composite which was covalently bound by ammonium and phosphonate groups has been employed as a novel sorbent for effective sorption of uranium(VI) from alkaline media. The maximum sorption capacity was observed at pH 9.0 with a capacity of 70.7 mg g−1 at CU(VI)initial = 21.7 mg L−1. The sorption isotherm followed a pseudo-second order kinetic equation and could be described by a Freundlich isotherm. The thermodynamics research showed that the sorption was a feasible and endothermic process. Since the as-prepared material could be separated by magnetic field without filtration and centrifugation, it could be a promising sorbent for highly-efficient removal of U(VI) from alkaline solution.

The stability of hydroxyl polyacrylate emulsion was studied from two aspects of the structure of latex particles and polymerization conditions. Waterborne polyacrylate was prepared through seeded semicontinuous emulsion polymerization method with pre-emulsification process. HEMA was used to provide a high content of hydroxyl group, and the reactive emulsifier SE-10 was introduced to substitute for the traditional emulsifier. The best conditions including polymerization process and temperature, monomer types and dropping time were determined, and the effects of emulsifier content and addition method, HEMA content, chain transfer agent content, and soft/hard monomer ratio on the properties of emulsion were investigated. Through the optimization of polymerization conditions and the control of the structure of particles, we have successfully synthesized the core-shell structure of polyacrylate emulsion with a good appearance, low viscosity and a solid content of 46.5%. The hydroxyl polyacrylate exhibits good performance, which has great potential in development and application. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 133, 44844.

Uric acid (UA) is generalized as a byproduct the terminal steps of purine catabolism, which are catalyzed by xanthine oxidoreductase. Xanthine oxidase activity and uric acid synthesis are reported to be increased under tissue ischemia. Therefore, elevated uric acid may act as a prognostic marker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A few studies have showed that UA is associated with therapeutic outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the prognostic significance of the UA as a predictor of in-hospital mortality. We performed a systematic review and included studies that used both UA and in-hospital mortality from Embase and PubMed. Six studies have been included in this review with totally 5,686 patients. During the follow-up, high UA level was found to be associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality [risk ratios (RR) 2.10 (1.03-4.26), number needed to harm (NNH) 37], MACE [RR 3.44 (2.33-5.08), NNH 17]. High UA level has the potential to be an important prognostic marker for in-hospital mortality in individuals with AMI.

A high hydroxyl content waterborne polyester-acrylate emulsion was successfully synthesized in two steps. Firstly, the carboxyl terminated unsaturated polyester was synthesized, then it was reacted as a monomer with acrylate monomer by emulsion polymerization using the semi-continuous seeded method. The effects of the amount of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), the ratio of polyester/acrylic, the ratio of soft/hard monomer, and the content of chain transfer agent to the properties of the composite emulsion were investigated. Through a variety of tests, both the emulsion and film properties of the composite emulsion were better than polyacrylate emulsion. The introduction of polyester improved the flexibility and impact resistance of hydroxyl acrylate film, and made the modified resin have advantages of both.

Wetting theory about superhydrophobic surfaces reveals that hydrophobicity of surfaces has great relationship with surface roughness and surface free energy. Adopt electrochemical plus fluorine silane modified method to prepare superhydrophobic surface on anodic aluminum oxide surface, which not only enhances surface roughness, but also reduces surface free energy, even the static contact angle can reach 159.2° and anti-condensation is authenticated. Based on the experimental findings, analyze the reason of anti-condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces: one is that the density of droplets formed on superhydrophobic surfaces is low and the number of droplets is little; the other is bigger static contact angle and smaller rolling angle on superhydrophobic surfaces make droplets easy to detach on smaller tilt angle. This research can solve some condensation problems of equipment using in HVAC systems, such as heat exchangers in air conditioning system, cold radiation boards, air supply outlets, and so on.

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were facilely prepared via in situ polymerization. The properties of the nanocomposites were studied using FTIR, XRD, and (1)H NMR, and the state of dispersion of GO in the PBS matrix was examined by SEM. The crystallization and melting behavior of the PBS matrix in the presence of dispersed GO nanosheets have been studied by DSC and polarized optical microscopy. Through the mechnical testing machine and DMA, PBS/GO nanocomposites with 3% GO have shown a 43% increase in tensile strength and a 45% improvement in storage modulus. This high performance of the nanocomposites is mainly attributed to the high strength of graphene oxide combined with the strong interfacial interactions in the uniformly dispersed PBS/GO nanocomposites.

The thermal effect of microwave energy on e-caprolactone (CL) monomer and polymerization reaction mixture of CL with stannous octoate [Sn(Oct)2] intimately depended on the power level of microwaves and the mass scale of materials. When 10 g of CL was heated by microwaves at a power of 680 W, its temperature increased rapidly from 20 to 355°C within 5 min after which it was self-regulated to keep constant at 360°C. Heat generation was observed when a polymerization reaction mixture of 10 g CL with 0.1% (mol/mol) Sn(Oct)2 was irradiated at 680 W. The exothermic peak was recorded at 2–5 min and its temperature was over 300°C, with the maximum at 343°C. During this period the ring-opening polymerization of CL occurred quickly, resulting in poly(e-caprolactone) with weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 123,000 g/mol and yield of 95%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2657–2664, 2003

The carbon nanotube/oxide/metal/crossed carbon nanotube (COMC) structure was first fabricated and demonstrated to be capable of stable bipolar resistive switching. The linewidth of the crossbar is smaller than 20 nm, and can be further scaled down by using smaller carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The reset current is as small as 10 μA, which is of great advantage for low power applications. Electroforming-free planar devices were also fabricated to be compared with COMC devices. The resistive switching with CNT electrodes could be extended to other one-dimensional nanowires or nanotubes with cylindrical surface. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

WIN 64733 solubility and partition coefficients were determined with a precise and accurate HPLC method. Solubility decreased with increasing pH (140 mg/mL at pH 2.0, 86 mg/mL at pH 3.8, and 48 mg/mL at pH 5.2) but equilibrated within 30 hours. In purified water the maximum concentration was 102 mg/mL with pH 3.6. The maximum solubility in hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) is only 43 mg/mL. However, unlike the water solution, the cyclodextrin preparation did not precipitate when added to 0.1 N HCl or 0.9% NaCl. The precipitated chloride salt of WIN 64733 is amorphous. Excess compound that was wetted, but not dissolved, formed liquid crystals.In human gastric fluid (HGF), WIN 64733 did not decompose in the solid or liquid state for 2 hours, or precipitate from solution despite NaCl and HCl in the HGF. WIN 64733 solid is stable to heat (50°C), light (1000 ft-candles), humidity (75% RH), and heat plus humidity for 6 weeks. Solutions of WIN 64733 are unstable, with first-order decomposition ra...

Replication forks can stall spontaneously at specific sites in the genome, and upon encountering DNA lesions resulting from chemical or radiation damage. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins implicated in processing of stalled replication forks include those encoded by the SGS1, TOP3, MUS81, MMS4, SLX1, SLX4, SLX5/HEX3, and SLX8 genes. We tested the roles of these genes in suppressing gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs), which include translocations, large interstitial deletions, and loss of a chromosome arm with de novo telomere addition. We found that mus81, mms4, slx1, slx4, slx5, and slx8 mutants all have elevated levels of spontaneous GCRs, and that SLX5 and SLX8 are particularly critical suppressors of GCRs during normal cell cycle progression. In addition to increased GCRs, deletion of SLX5 or SLX8 resulted in increased relocalization of the DNA damage checkpoint protein Ddc2 and activation of the checkpoint kinase Rad53, indicating the accumulation of spontaneous DNA damage. Surprisingly, mutants in slx5 or slx8 were not sensitive to transient replication fork stalling induced by hydroxyurea, nor were they sensitive to replication dependent double-strand breaks induced by camptothecin. This suggested that Slx8 and Slx8 played limited roles in stabilizing, restarting, or resolving transiently stalled replication forks, but were critical for preventing the accumulation of DNA damage during normal cell cycle progression.

We propose that a photodetector based on nanotubes formed from layered structure may have a faster response than nanowires or nanobelts. The layered compound tungsten disulfide (WS2) can absorb visible and near-infrared lights. We fabricated photodetectors based on individual WS2 nanotubes. The photodetectors exhibited a remarkable response to excitation with 633 and 785 nm light. The nanotube-based photodetectors exhibited short rise and decay times of a few hundred μs, high on/off ratio, and high spectral responsivity and external quantum efficiency. Our results imply that WS2 nanotubes are prospective candidates for high-performance nanoscale optoelectronic devices.

International audience; The ability of mammals to resist body fat accumulation is linked to their ability to expand the number and activity of "brown adipocytes" within white fat depots. Activation of β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) can induce a functional "brown-like" adipocyte phenotype. As cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs) and β-AR agonists are similarly potent at stimulating lipolysis in human adipocytes, we investigated whether NPs could induce human and mouse adipocytes to acquire brown adipocyte features, including a capacity for thermogenic energy expenditure mediated by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). In human adipocytes, atrial NP (ANP) and ventricular NP (BNP) activated PPARγ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and UCP1 expression, induced mitochondriogenesis, and increased uncoupled and total respiration. At low concentrations, ANP and β-AR agonists additively enhanced expression of brown fat and mitochondrial markers in a p38 MAPK-dependent manner. Mice exposed to cold temperatures had increased levels of circulating NPs as well as higher expression of NP signaling receptor and lower expression of the NP clearance receptor (Nprc) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). NPR-C(-/-) mice had markedly smaller WAT and BAT depots but higher expression of thermogenic genes such as Ucp1. Infusion of BNP into mice robustly increased Ucp1 and Pgc-1α expression in WAT and BAT, with corresponding elevation of respiration and energy expenditure. These results suggest that NPs promote "browning" of white adipocytes to increase energy expenditure, defining the heart as a central regulator of adipose tissue biology.

The effects of the detergent lithium dodecyl sulfate and the reducing agent sodium borohydride on the absorption spectrum of the B800–850 light-harvesting complex from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila 7750 were determined. Treatment of B800–850 complex with 0.1% lithium dodecyl sulfate results in an approx. 85% attenuation of the bacteriochlorophyll absorption band at 800 nm and 2–4 nm red-shifts of the bacteriochlorophyll absorption bands at 590 nm and 857 nm and a 4 nm blue-shift of the carotenoid absorption bands. Treatment with sodium borohydride resulted in an attenuation of the bacteriochlorophyll absorption band at 800 nm, a 1 nm red-shift of the bacteriochlorophyll 857 nm absorption band and an attenuation of the carotenoid bands. A comparison of the effects suggests that lithium dodecyl sulfate induces a nonspecific change in the antenna complex, possibly a protein conformational change whereas sodium borohydride chemically modifies both bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoid. The spectral changes are interpreted in terms of alterations in the pigment interactions which are responsible for the native absorption properties of B800–850 complexes.