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Flexible strain sensors have received increasing attention with the development of wearable electronic devices. However, integrating wide strain detection range, high sensitivity while maintaining relatively wide linear response range for such sensor system still remain a challenge. A fabric based flexible sensor (S-CNT/PDMS-F) was designed and fabricated, and the sensor can simultaneously achieve high sensitivity, wide linear response and strain detection range by combining self-segregated carbon nanotube (CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites and elastic medical bandage. It has been observed that this new sensor system can achieve a high sensitivity with a gauge factor of 615, a large linear responsive range of 0–100% strain (R2 ​= ​0.993) and a wide strain detection range of ∼ 200%, which is superior to almost all the reported CNT/PDMS flexible strain sensors. Compared to the similar fabric based strain sensor system deploying non self-segregated structure (C-CNT/PDMS-F), our S-CNT/PDMS-F demonstrates higher electrical conductivity and lower electrical percolation threshold and response time of 55 ​ms, as well as more stable and repeatable performance under cyclic loading conditions. The capability of the sensors in monitoring physiological activities and weight distribution has also been demonstrated.

This study aimed to comprehensively examine the genetic and phenotypic aspects of GABRB3-related epilepsy and to explore the potential prospects of personalized medicine. Genetic testing was conducted in all epilepsy patients without acquired factors for epilepsy. Through the collaboration of multicenter in China, we analyzed the genotype–phenotype correlation and antiepileptic therapy of 26 patients with GABRB3-related epilepsy. Thirteen GABRB3 variants were novel, and 25 were de novo. The seizure onset age ranged from 1 to 21 months (median age 3.75 months). Seizure types predominated including focal seizures (92.3%), generalized tonic–clonic seizures (23.1%), and epileptic spasms (15.4%). Clinical features included cluster seizures (80.8%), fever sensitivity (53.8%), and developmental delay (96.2%). Neuroimaging was abnormal in 10 patients, including dysplasia of the cerebral cortex, dysplasia of the frontal and temporal cortex, delayed myelination, and corpus callosum dysplasia. Eleven patients were diagnosed with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), four with West syndrome, three with epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS), one with epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizures (EMAS), one with Dravet syndrome, and one with febrile seizures plus (FS+). Seizures were controlled in 57.7% of patients by valproate, levetiracetam, or perampanel in the majority. The clinical features of GABRB3-related epilepsy included seizure onset in early infancy, cluster seizures and fever sensitivity. Most patients manifest severe epilepsy phenotypes. Valproate, levetiracetam and perampanel seem to have positive effects on seizure control for patients with GABRB3 variants.

BACKGROUND: Powdery mildew affects grapevine growth and development and reduces grapevine fruit yield and quality. Plant U-box (PUB) E3 ubiquitin ligases play important roles in ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated protein degradation during plant development and in the plant defense response. OBJECTIVE: We cloned the VvPUB17 gene from Vitis vinifera and analyzed that VvPUB17 enhanced the resistance of grapevine to powdery mildew through the SA signal pathway. METHODS: Pathogen inoculation of Arabidopsis thaliana and grapevine plants was carried out by the tableting method. Gene expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Sequence analysis and in vitro ubiquitination experiments show the structure and characteristics of VvPUB17. Exogenous salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, ethylene and powdery mildew induced the expression of VvPUB17 in Arabidopsis leaves to verify the resistance of VvPUB17 to powdery mildew. RESULTS: Sequence analysis and in vitro ubiquitination experiments show that VvPUB17 contains U-box and Armadillo repeats (ARM repeat) and has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity dependent on the conserved U-box motif. Transgenic plants showed elevated levels of key genes related to the SA defense response pathway and high concentrations of salicylic acid. CONCLUSIONS: VvPUB17 functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that enhances the resistance of grapes to powdery mildew through the SA signal pathway.

The pure and Yb-doped 3D ordered porous SnO2 with a controllable pore diameter (around 50 nm, 800 nm, and 1200 nm) were prepared by a simple template method. 3 at% Yb-doped 51.3 nm ordered porous SnO2 (51.3 nm SnO2/3%Yb) showed the largest specific surface area (70.08 m2/g) and the biggest oxygen vacancy in nitrogen adsorption–desorption and XPS analysis. The response of 51.3 nm SnO2/3%Yb is 95 against 50 ppm HCHO at 108 °C, which is 3.7 times higher than 1228.0 nm SnO2/3%Yb (27), 2.1 times higher than 806.0 nm SnO2/3%Yb (45), and 2.4 times higher pure 57.3 nm SnO2(40). However, the response of pure 57.3 nm SnO2 (40) is only 2.9 times higher than pure 1231.0 nm SnO2(13.5), and 1.2 times higher than pure 832.1.0 nm SnO2 (30). Especially, the detectable formaldehyde (HCHO) of 51.3 nm SnO2/3%Yb minimum limit has been reduced to 50 ppb and the relevant response is 3.5. Besides, 51.3 nm SnO2/3%Yb also exhibited high linearity (50 ppb-200 ppm), the fast response time (2 s) and excellent selectivity toward HCHO. Above all, for the same kinds of SnO2 nanomaterials, the smaller pore size is, the stronger sensitivity it will be, and under the effect of Yb doping, the gas sensitivity is enhanced more significantly with the decrease of the pore size. Besides, for the same kinds of SnO2 nanomaterials that have the same pore size, the gas-sensitive property is also significantly enhanced due to the doping of Yb.

Organic fluorophores/photosensitizers have been widely used in biological imaging and photodynamic and photothermal combination therapy in the first near-infrared (NIR-I) window. However, their applications in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window are still limited primarily due to low fluorescence quantum yields (QYs). Here, a boron dipyrromethene (BDP) is created as a molecularly engineered thiophene donor unit with high QYs to the redshift. Thiophene insertion initiates substantial redshifts of the absorbance as compared to its counterparts in which iodine is introduced. The fluorescent molecule can be triggered by an NIR laser with a single wavelength, thereby producing emission in the NIR-II windows. Single NIR laser-triggered phototherapeutic nanoparticles (NPs) are developed by encapsulating the BDP and the chemotherapeutic drug docetaxel (DTX) by using a synthetic amphiphilic poly(styrene-co-chloromethyl styrene)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with folic acid (FA). These BDP-T-N-DTX-FA NPs not only show superior solubility and high singlet oxygen QY (ΦΔ=62%) but also demonstrate single NIR laser-triggered multifunctional characteristics. After intravenous administration of the NPs into 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, the accumulation of the NPs in the tumor showed a high signal-to-background ratio (11.8). Furthermore, 4T1 tumors in mice were almost eradicated by DTX released from the BDP-T-N-DTX-FA NPs under single NIR laser excitation and the combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermic therapy (PTT). Statement of significance The application of organic photosensitizers is still limited primarily due to low fluorescence quantum yields (QYs) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window. Here, a boron dipyrromethene (BDP) as a molecularly engineered thiophene donor unit with high QYs to the redshift is created. Phototherapeutic nanoparticles (NPs) are developed by encapsulating the BDP and docetaxel (DTX) using a synthetic amphiphilic poly(styrene-co-chloromethyl styrene)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with folic acid (FA). These BDP-T-N-DTX-FA NPs not only show high singlet oxygen QY (ΦΔ=62%) but also demonstrate single NIR laser-triggered multifunctional characteristics and a high signal-to-background ratio (11.8). Furthermore, 4T1 tumors in mice were almost eradicated by DTX released from the BDP-T-N-DTX-FA NPs under single NIR laser excitation and the PDT/PTT combination therapy.

Incorporating aromatics into g-C3N4 is an effective strategy to extend electron delocalization. A novel intramolecular donor-acceptor conjugated g-C3N4 was synthesized via thermal copolymerization of urea and tris(p-fluorophenyl)phosphine (TPP). FTIR and XPS spectra showed that the incorporation of TPP did not destroy the framework of g-C3N4. DFT calculation displayed that the HOMO of TPP-modified g-C3N4 (TPP-CN) came mainly from pz orbital of phosphorus. The change of the electronic property led to a narrowed bandgap, extended delocalization of π-electrons through benzene rings, and accelerated migration of photoexcited electrons via intramolecular charge transfer. The optimal Pt-loaded TPP-CN showed the highest rate of H2 generation of 12.45 mmol h−1 g−1, 5 times of that of pure g-C3N4, and the apparent quantum efficiency of 24.9% at 420 nm. The degradation of p-chlorophenol over the optimal TPP-CN was 4 times of that of pure g-C3N4. The mechanism of photocatalytic p-chlorophenol degradation was proposed based on mass spectrometry analysis.

Rapid fabrication of organohydrogels at room temperature without external stimuli is a challenge. Inspired by plant catechol chemistry, a self-catalytic system established using sodium lignosulfonate and copper(II) ions (Ls–Cu2+) has been developed and applied to fabricate organohydrogels rapidly with fascinating multifunctional properties. The Ls–Cu2+ pair can induce ammonium persulfate (APS) to generate free radicals at room temperature, and subsequently initiate the free radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA) in water–glycerol binary phases in less than 30 s, without the removal of oxygen. The presence of the Ls–Cu2+ pair also endows the organohydrogel materials with fascinating UV-blocking (∼100%) and electrically conductive properties, and thereby they can be exploited as epidermal sensors. Owing to the presence of glycerol, the as-prepared organohydrogel exhibits intriguing anti-freezing (∼−50 °C) and anti-drying abilities (22–60 °C). This work taps the potential of dynamic plant catechol chemistry in the field of organohydrogel materials.

Development of high-performance aqueous batteries is an important goal for energy sustainability owing to their environmental benignity and low fabrication costs. Although a layered vanadyl phosphate is one of the most-studied host materials for intercalation electrodes with organic electrolytes, little attention has been paid to its use in aqueous Li+ systems because of its excessive dissolution in water. Herein, by controlling the water concentration, we demonstrate the stable operation of a layered vanadyl phosphate electrode in an aqueous Li+ electrolyte. The combination of experimental analyses and density functional theory calculations reveals that reversible (de)lithiation occurs between dehydrated phases, which can only exist in an optimal water concentration.

It is crucial to develop high-performance and cost-effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) toward overall water splitting. Herein, a unique heterostructure of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and CoNiO2 nanosheets directly grown on nickel foam (NF) were successfully fabricated and applied as a kind of highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst. The optimum CoNiO2@rGO/NF electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic OER performance with an overpotential of only 272 mV to drive a current density of 100 mA·cm−2, and HER performance with an overpotential of 126 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA·cm−2. Meanwhile, the electrodes also display outstanding long-term stability for OER and HER with negligible activity and morphology degradation after at least 40 h testing. Furthermore, when employed as both cathode and anode for overall water splitting, CoNiO2@rGO/NF electrode only requires 1.56 V at 10 mA·cm−2 and operates stably for over 40 h, which is among the best performing Co-based and Ni-based non-precious metal electrocatalysts. Detailed characterizations reveal that the extraordinary electrocatalytic performance should be attributed to the synergistic effect of the unique heterostructure of CoNiO2 nanosheets and rGO for increasing the electrode conductivity and integrity, ultrasmall primary particle size for providing larger electrode/electrolyte contact area and abundant active sites, and three-dimensional (3D) conductive networks for facilitating the electrochemical reaction.

Purpose This study aims to 1) describe the distribution characteristics of teicoplanin trough concentration (C min) and explore the related influencing factors and 2) evaluate the nephrotoxicity of teicoplanin in children. Patients and methods A cohort of children who were treated with teicoplanin intravenously were included in this retrospective study. Regression analysis was performed to explore the factors associated with the fluctuations of teicoplanin C min and the development of nephrotoxicity. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify the population at high risk for teicoplanin nephrotoxicity. Results A total of 269 plasma samples from 186 children were collected. Underexposure (C min 9.81 mg/L or patients with teicoplanin C min > 21.94 mg/L were at high risk for nephrotoxicity. Conclusion The fluctuations of teicoplanin C min could be affected by age, weight, gender, and serum creatinine. C min and concomitant treatment with amphotericin B were the independent risk factors for nephrotoxicity. We suggested that the therapeutic drug monitoring of teicoplanin should be performed in children.

The structure and surface properties of the sensing materials have been considered as the main factors for the fabrication of metal–oxide semiconductor gas sensors. In this paper, a one-step hydrothermal method for the preparation and control of the morphology of α-Fe2O3 is reported. The results show that the amount of glycol has a great influence on the morphology of the products. With the variation in ethylene glycol concentration (from 30 to 110 ml), we can obviously see the product was assembled into three-dimensional porous α-Fe2O3 micro-flower structure from two-dimensional nanochips from scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures. When the ethylene glycol was 70 ml, the micro-flower structure was the most uniform and perfect. It additionally showed the largest specific surface area (63.69 m2/g) and the biggest oxygen vacancy in nitrogen adsorption–desorption and XPS analysis. Further gas sensitivity test showed that gas sensitivity was also the best. Under the low operating temperature (210 °C), the porous α-Fe2O3 micro-flower (70 ml glycol) showed the highest response (49.4) to 100 ppm acetone, the sensitivity of other materials was 8.2/30 ml, 14.7/40 ml, 38.4/50 ml, 36.7/90 ml, 10.3/100 ml, 4.8/110 ml, respectively. In addition, the porous α-Fe2O3 micro-flower (70 ml glycol) has excellent selectivity, short response/recovery time (1 s/31 s), low detection offline (2.2 to 0.2 ppm acetone), and good stability. The reason for the improvement of gas-sensing performance is mainly due to the change of morphology, decrease of crystallite size, the increase of oxygen vacancy, and specific surface area.

Alkaline aluminum-air batteries show great potential for energy storage applications because of their high theoretical energy density and low cost. However, they are suffering from severe anodic self-corrosion and the gelation of electrolyte which greatly reduce the practical energy density and shelf life. Herein, we firstly construct an efficient high-energy alkaline Al-air battery based on high-concentration potassium acetate-potassium hydroxide electrolyte and prototype optimization. The self-corrosion of Al anode is greatly suppressed owing to the special hydrate structure in such electrolyte. The Al-air battery with optimum electrolyte demonstrates remarkable increased discharge capacity of 2324 mAh g−1, and the constructed miniaturized Al-air battery enables an outstanding system energy density of 436.1 ​Wh kg−1 (compared with 85.8 ​Wh kg−1 of normal electrolyte) after integrating a discharge product removing system. This work opens up a new direction for the practical realization of high-energy, low-cost, and high-efficiency alkaline Al-air battery and other aqueous metal-air batteries.

How to improve the intrinsic activity of the Pt catalysts is still a pivotal issue in direct methanol fuel cells. Here, we prepared ultrathin Pt-M (M = Fe, Co, Ni) bimetallic networked nanowire usi...

3D porous SnO2 nanomaterials enhanced gas sensitivity properties for formaldehyde has been successfully prepared by a simple template method. The morphology of the synthesized SnO2 was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as a 3D porous structure with a pore diameter of 120 nm. We systematically studied the gas sensing performance of 3D porous SnO2 and particulate SnO2. The result shows that the response value of 3D porous SnO2 to 100 ppm formaldehyde gas was 51.0 at low temperature 230 ℃, which was 6.4 times higher than that of particulate SnO2 (8.0), and the response/the recovery time of 3D porous SnO2 was 8 s/15 s. The minimum detection concentration of 3D porous SnO2 was 0.5 ppm formaldehyde with the response value of 2. However, particulate SnO2 can only be detected 10 ppm with the response value of 2. In addition, the selectivity coefficient of 3D porous SnO2 for formaldehyde was up to 7, which is better than particulate SnO2 (1). The reason for the enhanced sensitivity of 3D porous SnO2 formaldehyde gas is not only related to its porous structure and smaller grain size, but also to the increase in oxygen vacancies.

Background Gibberellic acid (GA3 ), a plant-growth regulator, is often used to obtain enlarged table grape berries and induce seedlessness in them. However, the effects of GA3 on rachis elongation and bunch compactness have seldom been reported in wine-grape production. We assessed the effects of GA3 spraying on wine-grape inflorescences and bunches and their practical implications for viticulture in the Jiaodong Peninsula, China. Results Various GA3 concentrations were sprayed on field-grown Vitis vinifera L. 'Cabernet Franc' (CF) and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (CS) grapevines before anthesis in the Jiaodong Peninsula, China, in 2015 and 2016. Inflorescence length during berry development was measured, and flavonoids and aroma compounds in the fruit were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. For both cultivars, 50 and 100 mg L-1 GA3 caused significant elongation of the rachis, whereas there was no significant effect on inflorescence growth and berry seed number. Anthocyanin, flavonol, and flavan-3-ol levels in mature berries were not significantly influenced by GA3 spraying, whereas C13 -norisoprenoids were modified. Conclusion The application of 50-100 mg L-1 GA3 prior to grapevine anthesis caused elongation of inflorescences and bunches, and eased cluster compactness in CF and CS, and no negative effects were observed on the yield and seed numbers. The concentration and composition of flavonoids and most aroma compounds were not influenced, except that the norisoprenoids were increased by 50 mg L-1 GA3 applications. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

In this study, the chitosan‐based release microspheres were prepared by spray drying method. Chitosan was used as the carrier material, and Panax notoginseng extract, Codonopsis extract, and Atractylodes extract (the mass ratio was 2:7:5) were active substance. The spray drying preparation process of microsphere was optimized by single factor experiment and L9 (34) orthogonal design. Drug loading (DL), particle size, and sustained release performance of microspheres were investigated. The mass fraction of chitosan was 1.5%, the mass ratio of drug to chitosan was 1:3, the inlet air temperature was 130°C, and the injection rate was 400 ml/hr. The chitosan‐based microspheres prepared under the above conditions had a smooth surface, and the DL was 23.87 ± 0.93%; the average particle diameter was 10.27 ± 1.05 μm, and the encapsulation efficiency (EE) of the microspheres was 91.28 ± 1.04%. The preparation process of chitosan‐based drug microsphere prepared by spray drying method was simple and stable. The prepared microspheres in this paper showed a sustained release effect in vitro., To study the characteristics and the drug release of the chitosan‐based microspheres in vitro. The gastric mucosal protective drug microspheres were used chitosan as the carrier material and prepared with Panax notoginseng extract, Codonopsis extract, and Atractylodes extract by spray drying. The preparation process of chitosan‐based gastric mucosa protective drug microsphere was simple and stable.

Arsenic-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata is efficient in As uptake, probably through phosphate transporters (Pht). Here, for the first time, we cloned a new PvPht1;4 gene from P. vittata and investigated its role in arsenate (AsV) uptake and transport in yeast and transgenic tobacco plants. On the basis of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), PvPht1;4 was abundantly expressed in P. vittata fronds and roots, with its transcripts in the roots being induced by both P deficiency and As exposure. PvPht1;4 was localized to the plasma membrane, which complemented a yeast-mutant defective in P uptake and showed higher P transport affinity than PvPht1;3. Under AsV exposure, PvPht1;4 yeast transformants showed comparable tolerance as PvPht1;3, but higher As accumulation than PvPht1;2 transformants, indicating that PvPht1;4 had considerable AsV and P transport activity. However, in soil and hydroponic experiments, PvPht1;4 expressing tobacco lines accumulated 26-44 and 37-55% lower As in the shoots than wild type plants, with lower root-to-shoot As translocation. In the roots of PvPht1;4 lines, higher glutathione (GSH) contents and expression levels of GSH synthetase gene NtGSH2 were observed. In addition, the transcripts of AsIII-GSH transporter NtABCC1 in PvPht1;4 lines were upregulated. The data suggested that PvPht1;4 lines probably detoxified As by reducing AsV to AsIII, which was then complexed with GSH and stored in the root vacuoles, thereby reducing As translocation in transgenic tobacco. Given its strong AsV transport capacity, expression of PvPht1;4 provides a new molecular approach to reduce As accumulation in plant shoots.

Integrating sulfur cathodes with effective catalysts to accelerate polysulfide conversion is a suitable way for overcoming the serious shuttling and sluggish conversion of polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries. However, because of the sharp differences in the redox reaction kinetics and complicated phase transformation of sulfur, a single-component catalyst cannot consistently accelerate the entire redox process. Herein, hierarchical and defect-rich Co3 O4 /TiO2 p-n junctions (p-Co3 O4 /n-TiO2 -HPs) are fabricated to implement the sequential catalysis of S8(solid) → Li2 S4(liquid) → Li2 S(solid) . Co3 O4 sheets physiochemically immobilize the pristine sulfur and ensure the rapid reduction of S8 to Li2 S4 , while TiO2 dots realize the effective precipitation of Li2 S, bridged by the directional migration of polysulfides from p-type Co3 O4 to n-type TiO2 attributed to the interfacial built-in electric field. As a result, the sulfur cathode coupled with p-Co3 O4 /n-TiO2 -HPs delivers long-term cycling stability with a low capacity decay of 0.07% per cycle after 500 cycles at 10 C. This study demonstrates the synergistic effect of the built-in electric field and heterostructures in spatially enhancing the stepwise conversion of polysulfides, which provides novel insights into the interfacial architecture for rationally regulating the polysulfide redox reactions.

The optimal regimens of novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors (BLBLIs), ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, and meropenem/vaborbactam, are not well defined in critically ill patients. This study was conducted to identify optimal regimens of BLBLIs in these patients. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed using the published data to calculate the joint probability of target attainment (PTA) and the cumulative fraction of response (CFR). For the target of β-lactam of 100% time with free drug concentration remains above minimal inhibitory concentrations, the PTAs of BLBLIs standard regimens were &lt, 90% at a clinical breakpoint for Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For ceftazidime/avibactam, 2000 mg/500 mg/8 h by 4 h infusion achieved &gt, 90% CFR for Escherichia coli, even for 4000 mg/1000 mg/6 h by continuous infusion, CFR for Klebsiella pneumoniae was &lt, 90%, the CFRs of 3500 mg/875 mg/6 h by 4 h infusion and 4000 mg/1000 mg/8 h by continuous infusion were appropriate for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For ceftolozane/tazobactam, the CFR of standard regimen was &gt, 90% for Escherichia coli, however, 2000 mg/1000 mg/6 h by continuous infusion achieved &lt, 90% CFRs for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For meropenem/vaborbactam, standard regimen achieved optimal attainments for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, 2000 mg/2000 mg/6 h by 5 h infusion, 2500 mg /2500 mg/6 h by 4 h infusion, 3000 mg/3000 mg/6 h by 3 h infusion and 4000 mg/4000 mg/8 h by 5 h infusion achieved &gt, 90% CFRs for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The CFRs of three BLBLIs were similar for Escherichia coli, but meropenem/vaborbactam were superior for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) identified in secondary organs, sometimes before the primary tumor becomes detectable and treated, can remain dormant for years to decades before manifesting. Microenvironmental and epigenetic mechanisms may control the onset and escape from dormancy, and here we reveal how a combination of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (AZA) and retinoic acid receptor ligands all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), orchestrate a novel program of stable dormancy. Treatment of HNSCC tumor cells with AZA+atRA induced a SMAD2/3/4 dependent regulation of downstream transcriptional program that restored the anti-proliferative function of TGFβ signaling. Significantly, AZA+atRA or AZA+AM80, an RARα specific agonist, strongly suppresses lung metastasis formation. The metastatic suppression occurs via the induction and maintenance of phenotypically homogenous dormant SMAD4+/NR2F1+ non-proliferative DCCs. These findings suggest that strategies that maintain or induce dormancy programs may be a viable alternative strategy to improve patient outcomes by preventing or significantly delaying metastasis development.

To improve the performance of polyether ether ketone matrix (PEEK) in hard tissue repair and replacement applications, we fabricated graphene (G) reinforced PEEK with graded G concentrations (0.1%-5%) through injection molding. The mechanical properties, surface morphology, chemical composition and thermal stability of the composites have been characterized through universal mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, contact-angle measurement, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis system. The biocompatibility has been assessed in vitro and the bone repair function of the composite implant have been assessed in vivo using a rabbit mandibular bone defect model. Mechanical testing results suggest that the composite samples have compressive moduli similar to that of the natural bone. Although addition of G into PEEK does not significantly influence the composite tensile, flexural or compressive moduli, it can significantly enhance the ductility and toughness of the material. On the other hand, all G-reinforced PEEK implants demonstrated enhanced adhesion and differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), with 5% G-PEEK showing the highest bioactivity among all samples. The in vivo osseointegration data further revealed that 5% G-PEEK has the best effect in promoting osseointegration and bone regeneration, in both early stage and late stage bone re-growth. Study shows that our G-reinforced PEEK-based implants provides a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of future regenerative bone implants.

Polyaniline, polyaniline/graphene composites were synthesized by a novel in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method including two oxidants. The morphology and structure of the material were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The electrochemical performance of polyaniline (PANI)-based composites was tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) testing, and constant current charge and discharge (GCD) tests. At 0.2 C of constant current, the discharge specific capacities of PANI/graphene oxide (PANI/GO) and PANI/GO-sodium borohydride (graphene oxide is reduced by sodium borohydride, named PANI/GO-NaBH4) were as high as 183 mAh/g and 192 mAh/g, respectively, which was nearly twice as high as that of PANI (100 mAh/g). After 100 charge and discharge cycles, the capacity retention rates of PANI, PANI/GO, and PANI/GO-NaBH4 were 80.4%, 89.4%, and 95.05%, respectively; the cycle performance was greatly improved before the modification. These results indicate that the composite has exciting potentials for the cathode material of zinc-rechargeable battery.

Polyaniline (PANI) conductive polymer is a unique energy storage electrode and sensor material. In this article, we report the use of electrochemistry as a quick and easy method to prepare PANI films, which are used as electrode materials to detect the selectivity to various acids. The sample was characterized and tested by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Various electrochemical parameters were measured and compared for various acids. As an electrode and sensor material, PANI film has different degrees of redox peaks for monobasic acid, dibasic acid, organic macromolecular acid, and inorganic acid. This type of sensor shows good repeatability and reproducibility, so this type of conductive polymer can be used as a sensor material to detect the minimum concentration of acid.

Five BODIPY derivatives containing different number of styryl units were designed and synthesized based on the Knoevenagel reactions. All compounds were characterized by NMR and HRMS. The single crystal structures of compounds 1 and 3–5 were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of these dyes were also investigated by UV/Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Our study indicates that the optical and electronic properties of the BODIPY derivatives could be easily tuned by the introduction of a various number of styryl units. Their absorption and emission spectra become gradually bathochromically shifted from the red region to the near-infrared region. Their first reduction and first oxidation potential (HOMO-LUMO gap) changes from 2.45 to 1.62 V. The structure-optical property relationships of these compounds are also systematically studied. Furthermore, cellular uptake experiments suggest that compounds 1–3 are membrane permeable and promising fluorophores for bio-labeling/imaging applications.

Making full use of the lignocellulose is of great significance to the current biorefinery enterprises. As a natural macromolecule polymer, lignin has a prominent potential as renewable feedstock to...

The energetics of single and multiple H atoms inside Y2O3, Y2Ti2O7, Y2TiO5, Y3Al5O12 and YAlO3 as well as the migration behavior of H atom have been investigated using first-principles calculations. Among these oxide matrixes, single H atom inside Y2TiO5 is most energetically stable, followed by Y2O3, Y2Ti2O7, Y3Al5O12 and YAlO3. The migration barrier of H atom in Y2O3 is lower than that in other oxide crystals. The formation energy and migration barrier of H atom in those oxide crystals are always higher than that in α-Fe. He atom is more stable than H atom inside oxide crystals, contrarily to the trend in α-Fe solid. Generally, in the cases of Hn (1 ≤ n ≤ 4) atoms inside oxide crystals, the formation energy of even-sized Hn cluster is lower than that of odd-sized Hn clusters, because two H atoms form a hydrogen molecule with strong H–H covalent bond.

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by the modified Hummers method and then reduced with NaBH4 to form RGO with a regular layered structure. The graphene oxide is benzenesulfonated to obtain a functionalized graphene material (RGO-BS). The benzenesulfonated polyaniline/RGO composite (PANI/RGO-BS) was prepared by adsorption double oxidation method using RGO as template. Some physical characterization methods (X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy) were used to analyze the morphology and crystallinity of the composite. The electrochemical properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and rate capability. The initial discharge specific capacities of oxidized PANI/RGO-BS and reduced PANI/RGO-BS were 165.4 and 176 mAh/g. After 100 cycles, the capacity retention rates were 92.6% and 96%, the coulombic efficiency of the battery is close to 100%. These results indicate functionalized composite has exciting potentials for the cathode material of lithium-ion battery.

Mixed-matrix membranes blended with nanosized inorganic fillers have been widely used in ultrafiltration (UF) for large molecule separation. In this work, we provide a feasible route to construct mixed-matrix polysulfone (PSf) UF membranes via the nonsolvent-induced phase inversion process, utilizing sheet-like copper iodide superstructures (s-CuI) as fillers. The size of s-CuI in lateral dimension reaches micrometer scale, but the nanosheets can be well embedded in the polymer matrix with their 2D basal planes parallel to the membrane surface. On account of the stacking straight-through channel structure of s-CuI and its large dimension spanning across multiple membrane pores within the layer, the PSf membrane blended with 0.8 wt% content of s-CuI displays optimal UF performance with a pure water permeation (PWP) of 1473 L/(m2 h bar) and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection of 92%. In contrast, the pure PSf membrane only presents a PWP of 556 L/(m2 h bar) and a BSA rejection of 58.2%. Besides, the enhancement of mechanical stability for the PSf/s-CuI 0.8% membrane is significant and the leakage of the s-CuI filler is negligible. Though the antifouling performance of the PSf/s-CuI 0.8% membrane against the protein BSA is limited, its flux is always 2–3 times higher than that of the pure PSf membrane in each step during a sequential test of fouling behavior. This study indicates that it is highly promising to employ designable superstructures as functional fillers to construct novel mixed-matrix membranes with good interfacial compatibility and superior performance.

Background Miscanthus is a leading bioenergy crop with enormous lignocellulose production potential for biofuels and chemicals. However, lignocellulose recalcitrance leads to biomass process difficulty for an efficient bioethanol production. Hence, it becomes essential to identify the integrative impact of lignocellulose recalcitrant factors on cellulose accessibility for biomass enzymatic hydrolysis. In this study, we analyzed four typical pairs of Miscanthus accessions that showed distinct cell wall compositions and sorted out three major factors that affected biomass saccharification for maximum bioethanol production. Results Among the three optimal (i.e., liquid hot water, H2SO4 and NaOH) pretreatments performed, mild alkali pretreatment (4% NaOH at 50 °C) led to almost complete biomass saccharification when 1% Tween-80 was co-supplied into enzymatic hydrolysis in the desirable Miscanthus accessions. Consequently, the highest bioethanol yields were obtained at 19% (% dry matter) from yeast fermentation, with much higher sugar–ethanol conversion rates by 94–98%, compared to the other Miscanthus species subjected to stronger pretreatments as reported in previous studies. By comparison, three optimized pretreatments distinctively extracted wall polymers and specifically altered polymer features and inter-linkage styles, but the alkali pretreatment caused much increased biomass porosity than that of the other pretreatments. Based on integrative analyses, excellent equations were generated to precisely estimate hexoses and ethanol yields under various pretreatments and a hypothetical model was proposed to outline an integrative impact on biomass saccharification and bioethanol production subjective to a predominate factor (CR stain) of biomass porosity and four additional minor factors (DY stain, cellulose DP, hemicellulose X/A, lignin G-monomer). Conclusion Using four pairs of Miscanthus samples with distinct cell wall composition and varied biomass saccharification, this study has determined three main factors of lignocellulose recalcitrance that could be significantly reduced for much-increased biomass porosity upon optimal pretreatments. It has also established a novel standard that should be applicable to judge any types of biomass process technology for high biofuel production in distinct lignocellulose substrates. Hence, this study provides a potential strategy for precise genetic modification of lignocellulose in all bioenergy crops.

A polyaniline/carbon (PANI/C) composite material was synthesized by chemical oxidation polymerization method and was manufactured to the form of gas diffusion electrode inspired by a zinc–air battery, and was used as cathode material. The composite’s structure and morphology of the synthesized polyaniline (PANI) composites were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the electrodes were examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), polarization curves, and galvanostatic discharge. The cell voltage kept at 0.88 V for 100 h during the galvanostatic discharge progress at the current of 10 mA and the specific discharge capacity achieved 1850 mAh/g which was 10 times more than the theory value of traditional Zn–PANI battery (about 100–200 mAh/g at the current density of 0.5 mA/cm2). Polyaniline acts as a special catalyst to catalyze oxygen reduction to achieve large capacity.

Specific study about the inhibitory effect of costunolide (CN) and relevant mechanism is of great significance for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Here, the pharmacological activity of costunolide on the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis was investigated in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo mice study, mice were received intratracheal injection of bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg) on 0 day to obtain BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis firstly. From 2 day to 21 day, mice were orally administered with different dose of CN (low dose(CNL): 10 mg/kg, high dose(CNH): 20 mg/kg) and pirfenidone (PFD)(positive control, 50 mg/kg). The in vitro cells model, cells were incubated with recombinant human TGF-β1 for 24 h to get TGF-β1-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Cells were treated differently for 24 h and divided into five groups. Then, the activity of CN was evaluated by the expression level of related protein and the factors of oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro, and the mechanism was tested from the involved channel protein aspect. As a result, from the comparison of multiple factors (α-SMA, collagen type I/III, HYP, MDA, SOD) between pirfenidone group and CN group, it revealed the beneficial effects of CN against BLM-induced and TGF-β1-induced pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, our study also proved that CN exerted its effects through suppressing the NF-kB dependent inflammation and regulated TGF-β1/Smad2/ NOX4-Nrf2 signaling pathways. In conclusion, CN could be a potential theraputic candidate for the treatment pulmonary fibrosis in the future.

Dye wastewater treatment has been a hot spot of scientific research and technological development. One kind of porous CuCl2 film with controllable three-dimensional structure was synthesized on the top surface of nanoporous anodic alumina (nano-PAA) by self-assembled method. The nano-PAA–CuCl2 film and H2O2 form a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalytic system, and the catalysts were characterized by EDS, XPS and FE-SEM. Then, the main parameters affecting the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) were investigated in detail. Under the optimum experimental conditions, i.e., initial pH 3.3, initial H2O2 concentration 14 mmol/L, nano-PAA–CuCl2 generated with 8 × 10−4 mol/L CuCl2 solution, RhB was completely degraded four times. Even the degradation rates were still as high as 97.1% and 94.8% when the nano-PAA–CuCl2 catalyst was reused for the fifth and sixth times, respectively. In addition to enhancing the catalytic activity, the pH of the treated solution had a wide range value, i.e., 2–8, with an optimal value of 5.8. At last in the paper, a degradation mechanism of heterogeneous Fenton-like catalytic degradation of RhB by nano-PAA–CuCl2/H2O2 system is proposed, the reaction kinetics accorded with the pseudo-first-order equation. All the results indicate that the nano-PAA–CuCl2 has practical prospects for H2O2-driven Fenton-like treatment of organic dye wastewater, with the advantages of green and cost-effective, stability and reusability.

Efficient deconstruction of lignocellulose is vitally important for the biorefinery industry because lignin structures play a crucial role in the high value-added conversion of lignin. In this study, an integrated process based on hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) and Kraft delignification was proposed to deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass. It was found that the HTP not only facilitated the production of xylo-oligosaccharides but also reduced the chemicals dosage of the following delignification. The structural characteristics of lignin obtained from the integrated process were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and gel-permeation chromatography. Additionally, double enzymatic lignins (DELs) isolated from different feedstocks were used as "model lignin" to delineate the structural transformations of lignin during H2 O2 , ClO2 , and O3 bleaching. Significant changes of the lignin structure were observed during the ClO2 bleaching process, including degradation of aromatic rings, enrichment in p-hydroxyphenyl units, and increase of carboxylic groups. A comparison of the structural characteristics of the bleached lignins indicated that HTP benefited the subsequent bleaching process. Enhanced knowledge of lignin chemistry during deconstruction and delignification could provide valuable insight into the current lignocellulose biorefinery.

In this study, a green and clean integrated process based on microwave-assisted hydrothermal pretreatment (MHTP) and subsequent alkali post-treatment was performed to isolate and characterize water- and alkali-soluble hemicelluloses (SHs and AHs) from Hybrid Pennisetum (HP) as well as to improve the enzymatic digestibility of HP. Meanwhile, part of hemicelluloses was degraded into the value-added xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) during the MHTP process, which would be applied to the food and pharmaceuticals industries. State-of-the-art analytical techniques (e.g., HPLC, HPAEC, GPC, and 2D-HSQC) were used to investigate the main component streams (SHs, AHs, XOS, and glucose). Results showed that the structural characteristic of SHs and AHs was mainly composed of β-(1→4)-linked xylans. Additionally, the enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose-rich substrate (A190(10)) was 92.8%, which was 3.4 times higher than that of raw material (27.4%). In short, the proposed integrated process was considered as a promising biorefinery strategy for both hemicellulose-based products and bioethanol.

Sulfides are one of the most fascinating cathodic candidates for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). However, low sulfur contents, dissolution of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) into the electrolyte and slow conversion kinetics are key challenges for commercialization of sulfided-based LSBs. Herein, massive active sites are fabricated by creating sulfur vacancies on zinc sulfide (ZnS) dispersed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (ZnS1-x/rGO) and subsequent in situ oxidation-refilling loading strategy, which allows for 90 wt% sulfur contents. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrocatalytical experiments and density functional theory (DFT) confirm that sulfur vacancies act as efficient adsorption and catalytic conversion sites for LiPSs. The S ZnS1-x/rGO cathode exhibits 1168 mAh g−1 capacity and ∼100% Coulombic efficiency with a capacity decay rate of 0.02% per cycle only at 0.5C after 500 cycles, one of the best performance reported up to date. Remarkably, high performances are retained even at 4.5 mg cm−2 areal sulfur loading.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of recombinant plectasin (Ple) on the growth performance, intestinal health, and serum immune parameters in broilers. A total of 288 1-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acres) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments including the basal diet (NC) and basal diet supplemented with 10 mg enramycin/kg (PC), 100 mg Ple/kg (LPle), and 200 mg Ple/kg (HPle) diets. The results indicated Ple increased (P

A simple and highly sensitive Raman approach for detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is developed on the basis of the conversion of fosfosal to salicylic acid via an ALP-catalyzed reaction. This method can be used for the clinical detection of ALP in serum.

Dark-field microscopy directly detects scattered light from a sample, and therefore requires no fluorescent labeling for single molecule detection. The technique has been extensively used for spectral characterization of nanoscopic particles, but its sensitivity to variations in molecular density has not been explored. 3D chromosome topology plays important roles in regulating life processes. Physical characteristics of DNA (e.g. persistence length) and its interaction with numerous proteins and polyamines determine chromosome and chromatin 3D topology. We herein demonstrate the capacity of dark-field microscopy in real-time monitoring of single DNA molecules' conformation and dynamics. Without fluorescent staining, DNA molecules remain intact in physical characteristics like persistence length, net charges and width of the chain. Exclusion of photobleaching and photocleavage effects allows long-term imaging of bare DNA chains at high ionic strength, in shear flows and in the presence of condensing and stretching agents. Furthermore, our studies reveal that the brightness of single molecules during dark-field imaging is determined by DNA conformation, dark when being stretched and bright upon condensation. The sensitivity of dark-field microscopy to nonuniform distribution of molecular density allows us to study the dynamic activities of the transcriptional factor within the cell membrane. In contrast to a fluorescently tagged antibody, which binds to a specific signaling pathway, variations in molecular density across the nuclear envelope can better represent cellular responses upon stimulation.

A low-cost and green biorefinery will increase the economy and revenue from lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, a biomass-derived deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment was developed to deconstruct the recalcitrant structure of Eucalyptus for further cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis and lignin valorization. The DES consisted of biomass-derived chemicals (lactic acid and choline chloride). The results showed that DES pretreatment resulted in notable removal of hemicelluloses and lignin, and drastically reduced “biomass recalcitrance”. Under the optimum conditions (DES ratio: 10 : 1, temperature: 110 °C, time: 6 h), the glucose yield by enzymatic hydrolysis reached 94.3%, which was significantly enhanced 9.8 times compared to that of the original biomass without DES pretreatment. The state-of-the-art analysis indicated that the regenerated lignin exhibited well-preserved structures (i.e., β-O-4, β–β linkages) without contaminated carbohydrates, and it had a relatively low and homogeneous molecular weight. All these structural characteristics suggested that lignin has great potential application in its conversion into bio-based chemicals and materials. Besides, it is urgent to develop low-cost recycled DESs as green solvents for sustainable biomass pretreatment. The lifetime and recyclability experiment of the DES solution showed that the recovery yield of the DES was at least 90% and the fundamental structural properties of the recycled DES were almost unchanged throughout the recycling cycles. More importantly, the pretreatment efficiency (delignification and enzymatic saccharification) was still largely maintained after the recycling process. Overall, this work demonstrated that biomass pretreatment with the recycled DES was promising for a low-cost biorefinery to achieve an efficient fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable glucose and high-quality lignin with tailored chemical structures.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a useful indicator for disease state diagnosis and clinical outcome. Investigation of ALP expression among cells is still challenging since ALP expression in a single cell is too low to be detectable. In our work, an ultrasensitive, high-throughput analytical method was applied for ALP determination in a single cell by using a surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS)-based microfluidic droplet technique. An ALP catalyzed substrate (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate, BCIP) was used to evaluate ALP activity in the cell within one droplet. When BCIP was incubated with cells, ALP can catalyze a hydrolysis reaction of colorless BCIP and oxidize the intermediate compound to form blue 5,5'-dibromo-4,4'-dichloro-1H,1H-[2,2']biindolylidene-3,3'-dione (BCI), which is a resonant Raman-active species. The encapsulation of BCI in droplets is favorable for detecting extremely low levels of molecules due to an accumulation effect along with reaction time. The ALP concentration as low as 1.0 × 10-15 M can be successfully detected in a uniform droplet. In addition, cellular heterogeneity profiled by ALP expression on single-cell resolution was monitored with this SERRS-based microfluidic droplet technique. Ultrasensitive determination of ALP secreted from individual cells can help us to understand cell-to-cell heterogeneity.

Future ocean profiling of dissolved inorganic carbon and other analytes will require miniaturised chemical analysis systems based on sealed gas membranes between two fluid channels. However, for long-term deployment in the deep ocean at high pressure, the ability to seal incompatible materials represents an immense challenge. We demonstrate proof of principle for high strength bond sealing. We show that Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a preferred membrane material for rapid CO2 transfer, without ion leakage, and report long-term stable bonding of thin PDMS membrane films to inert thermoplastic Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) patterned manifolds. Device channels were filled with 0.01 M NaOH and subjected to repeated tape pull and pressure – flow tests without failure for up to six weeks. Bond formation utilised a thin coating of the aminosilane Bis-[3-TriMethoxySilylPropyl]Amine (BTMSPA) conformally coated onto PMMA channels and surfaces and cured. All surfaces were subsequently plasma treated and devices subject to thermocompressive bond annealing. Successful chemically resistant bonding of membrane materials to thermoplastics opens the possibility of remote environmental chemical analysis and offers a route to float-based depth profiling of dissolved inorganic carbon in the oceans.

Lignin nanoparticles offer a way for a high value use of the renewable resources. However, there are few green and facile methods so far for producing lignin nanoparticles with both high yield and ...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility in child-bearing-age women. It is characterized by ovulation dysfunction, polycystic ovaries, and hyperandrogenism. Inflammation is likely to be a crucial contributor to the pathogenesis of PCOS. However, the association between the inflammatory cytokines and the development of PCOS has not been reported. To explore the relationship between the inflammatory cytokines and PCOS, alterations of serum proteins in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS rats were screened by protein array, and the concentration of IFN-γ was further measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DHEA-induced PCOS rats had a decreased level of IFN-γ compared with the control rats, which was restored partly in flutamide (an androgen receptor antagonist)-treated rats. Moreover, the level of IFN-γ in serum of patients with PCOS was also lower than that in healthy women. Using the ovarian granulosa cells (KGN), we demonstrated that DHEA downregulated the expression and secretion of IFN-γ in dose- and time-dependent manners, which could be restored to some extent by treating with flutamide. Furthermore, flutamide ameliorated the inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and promotive effect on cell apoptosis by DHEA. The results also revealed that IFN-γ promoted the proliferation but inhibited the apoptosis of KGN cells, which was suppressed by DHEA via activating the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, these results showed that DHEA inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells through downregulating the expression of IFN-γ which could be restored by flutamide, and IFN-γ may serve as a potential inflammatory biomarker for PCOS detection.

To design new mesoporous sucker-type selective sorbent for controlling environmental carcinogens like tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA), polyaniline (PANI) was controlled carefully to grow at different sites such as near the pore opening, in the channel or on the outside of SBA-15 by in one-pot synthetic and post-synthetic methods. The influences of aniline additional order, aniline to organosilicone ratio and with or without template are investigated in order to obtain the optimal growth position of PANI. Different location of PANI on SBA-15 was confirmed by TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption characterization and zeta potential measurement. PANI grows preferentially in the channel and then near the pore orifice when proper amount aniline is added previous to silicon source. If aniline is added later after the silicon source, PANI will grow mainly on the outside surface of SBA-15. The location of PANI is in the pore entrances once the aniline is put into the solution after template is removed. Resulting composites realize different selectivity for TSNA and tobacco alkaloids. 1P-S15 production possesses a best TSNA adsorptive capacity (23.2%), higher than commercial activated carbon (15.5%). FTIR spectrum of TSNA in 1P-S15 and quantum calculations demonstrated that the adsorption of TSNA is controlled by hydrogen bonding.

Background: The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) has been proposed as a marker to quantify inter-individual variation in hemoglobin glycosylation. However, whether HGI is associated with an increased risk of diabetic complications independent of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the association between HGI and the risk of all cause mortality and composite cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods: PubMed, and EMBASE databases were searched for related studies up to March 31, 2021. Observational studies reported associations between HGI levels and composite CVD and all cause mortality were included for meta-analysis. A random effect model was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for higher HGI.Results: A total of five studies, comprising 22,035 patients with type two diabetes mellitus were included for analysis. The median follow-up duration was 5.0 years. After adjusted for multiple conventional cardiovascular risk factors, an increased level of HGI was associated with a higher risk of composite CVD (per 1 SD increment: HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.04–1.26) and all cause mortality (per 1 SD increment: HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.05–1.32). However, when further adjusted for HbA1c, the association between HGI and risk of composite CVD (per 1 SD increment of HGI: HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.93–1.10) and all cause mortality (per 1 SD increment of HGI: HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.96–1.10) became insignificant.Conclusions: High HGI was associated with an increased risk of composite CVD and all cause mortality after adjustment for multiple conventional cardiovascular risk factors. However, the association was mainly mediating by the level of HbA1c.

Commercial sodium citrate is proposed as the self-sacrificial cathode additive for the first time to offset the initial sodium loss. The optimum additive can obviously increase the energy density of the as-constructed hard carbon//Na3V2(PO4)2F3/rGO full-cell by 28.9% without sacrificing its other electrochemical properties, showing promising application prospects in sodium ion batteries.

In this work, we designed and fabricated a multifunctional nanocomposite system that consists of chitosan, raspberry-like silver nanoparticles, and graphene oxide. The room temperature atmospheric pressure microplasma (RT-APM) process provides a rapid, facile, and environmentally-friendly method for introducing silver nanoparticles into the composite system. Our composite can achieve a pH controlled single and/or dual drug release. Under pH 7.4 for methyl blue loaded on chitosan, the drug release profile features a burst release during the first 10 h, followed by a more stabilized release of 70–80% after 40–50 h. For fluorescein sodium loaded on graphene oxide, the drug release only reached 45% towards the end of 240 h. When the composite acted as a dual drug release system, the interaction of fluorescein sodium and methyl blue slowed down the methyl blue release rate. Under pH 4, both single and dual drug systems showed a much higher release rate. In addition, our composite system demonstrated strong antibacterial abilities against E. coli and S. aureus, as well as an excellent photothermal conversion effect under irradiation of near infrared lasers. The photothermal conversion efficiency can be controlled by the laser power. These unique functionalities of our nanocomposite point to its potential application in multiple areas, such as multimodal therapeutics in healthcare, water treatment, and anti-microbials, among others.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic fatal lung disease characterized by destruction of lung parenchyma and deposition of extracellular matrix in interstitial and alveolar spaces. But known drugs for IPF are far from meeting clinical demands, validation of drug targets against pulmonary fibrosis is in urgent demand. Tyrosine kinase receptor DDRs has been considered as a potential therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis due to its pathological collagen binding property and the roles in regulating extracellular matrix remodeling. In this study we designed and synthesized a new indazole derivative XBLJ-13, and identified XBLJ-13 as a highly specific and potent DDRs inhibitor with anti-inflammation and anti-fibrosis activities. We first demonstrated that DDR1/2 was highly expressed in the lung tissues of IPF patients. Then we showed that XBLJ-13 potently inhibited DDR1 and DDR2 kinases with IC(50) values of 17.18 nM and 15.13 nM, respectively. Among a panel of 34 kinases tested, XBLJ-13 displayed relatively high selectivity for DDRs with minimal inhibitory effect on PDGFR family and FGFR1, as well as Abl kinase that had high homology with DDRs. Extensive profiling of XBLJ-13 revealed that the new inhibitor had much lower toxicity than nintedanib and better pharmacokinetic properties in mice. Furthermore, pharmacodynamic evaluation conducted in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice showed that administration of XBLJ-13 (30, 60, 90 mg·kg(−1)·d(−1), i.g.) for 12 days significantly and dose-dependently ameliorated lung inflammation and fibrosis. Together, this study confirms that DDRs kinase is a potential target for PF, Particularly, compound XBLJ-13 is a highly potent and specific DDRs inhibitor, along with good pharmacokinetics profiles, and preferable in vivo efficacy, suggesting that it is a potential candidate for the treatment of PF.

Miscanthus is regarded as a desired bioenergy crop with enormous lignocellulose residues for biofuels and other chemical products. In this study, the effect of different pretreatments (including microwave, NaOH, CaO, and microwave + NaOH/CaO) on sugar yields was investigated, leading to largely varied hexose yields at 4.0-73.4% (% cellulose) released from enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated Miscanthus residues. Among them, the highest yield of 73.4% for hexoses was obtained from 12% NaOH (w/v) solution pretreatment, whereas 1% CaO (w/w) and microwave pretreatment resulted in a lower hexose yield than the control (without pretreatment). The sugar yield from microwave followed with 1% NaOH pretreatment was 4.3 times higher than that of microwave followed with 1% CaO. However, the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies of the sample were 15.2% and 58.5% under microwave pretreatment followed by 12% NaOH or 12.5% CaO, respectively, which were lower than those of the same concentration of alkali (NaOH and CaO) pretreatments. To investigate the mechanism of varied enzymatic saccharification under different pretreatments, the changes in the surface structure and porosity of the Miscanthus-pretreated lignocelluses were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared, Congo red staining, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results show that the different pretreatments destroy the cell wall cladding structure and reduce the bonding force between cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin to different degrees, therefore increasing the accessibility of cellulose and enhancing cellulose digestion.