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Aims This study aimed to separate the effects of chemical and microbial factors on the fermentation quality and bacterial community of ensiled Pennisetum giganteum. Methods and Results Fresh P. giganteum of two vegetative stages (stage I, GI; stage II, GII) was treated as follows: GI epiphytic microbiota + γ-ray presterilized GI (MICI), GII epiphytic microbiota + γ-ray presterilized GI (MIICI), GI epiphytic microbiota + γ-ray presterilized GII (MICII), and GII epiphytic microbiota + γ-ray presterilized GII (MIICII). Triplicates per treatment were sampled after 30 days of ensiling for chemical and microbial analyses and high-throughput sequencing. Silages made from CII (MICII and MIICII) had higher lactic acid concentration and the ratio of lactic to acetic acid, and lower pH and ammonia nitrogen concentration than silages produced by CI (MICI and MIICI). Species differential analyses showed that the changes of chemical composition rather than epiphytic microbiota significantly affected the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Pantoea in P. giganteum silages. Conclusion These above results manifested that chemical composition was the main factor influencing the fermentation quality and bacterial community of P. giganteum silage in this study. Significance and Impact of the Study The obtained results may, therefore, be the first record to provide an in-depth understanding of the relative contributions of chemical and microbial parameters on fermentation quality and bacterial community, which is of great importance for modulating silage fermentation and improving silage quality.

The acetonitrile solvate of a Schiff base molecule (HL) with acetonitrile (HL·2CH3CN) and its Cd(II) complex (Cd(HL)2Cl2, 1) were designed and synthesized. The different conformation of HL in HL·2CH3CN is adjusted by the hydrogen bonding O-H···O between HL molecules, together with N-H···N between HL molecules and acetonitrile molecules. While the conformation of HL in complex 1 is adjusted by coordination interactions between Zn ions and atoms O and N, together with hydrogen bonding N-H···Cl. The presence of the triphenylamine group makes HL·2CH3CN and complex 1 loosely packed. Upon grinding, HL·2CH3CN and complex 1 both showed high-contrast mechanochromic luminescence (MCL) change from blue to green and cyan to yellow, respectively. These changes can be eliminated by fumigation with organic vapor. The results of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) show that their MCL is due to the phase transformation from crystalline to amorphous state. In addition, HL·2CH3CN and complex 1 also exhibited high-contrast acidochromism upon exposure to HCl and NH3 vapor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and PXRD studies show that the protonation of the -NH- group together with a phase transformation from crystalline to amorphous state is attributed to the fluorescence switching. For HL·2CH3CN, the protonation process was accompanied by the departure of acetonitrile molecules. The emission of HL was restored to the amorphous state rather than the original crystalline state emission after further exposure to NH3 vapor, while 1-HCl could restore to the original crystalline state emission. In addition, HL·2CH3CN and complex 1 have been successfully used to produce writable and acid-responsive test papers.

A triphenylamine (TPA)-based 2H-quinazoline Zn(II) complex (Q-TPA-Zn) exhibiting dual fluorescence and phosphorescence emission in the solid state was designed and prepared. It possesses mechanochromic luminescence and thermochromic luminescence properties. In the solid state, the white afterglow luminescence could be observed at 77 K (CIExy: 0.27, 0.33) while cyan luminescence could be observed at 297 K. After thermolysis at 300 °C, Q-TPA-Zn could be transformed into Schiff base complex S-TPA-Zn with white fluorescence in the powder state (CIExy: 0.32, 0.38), in methanol (CIExy: 0.32, 0.39), and in dimethylformamide (CIExy: 0.26, 0.32) at room temperature. This arises from dual emission of normal* emission and tautomeric* emission induced by excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the benzimidazole NH group to the Schiff base N atom. Q-TPA-Zn could also be transformed into its isomeric form, S-TPA-Zn, through photochemical ring-opening reaction upon irradiation under 365 nm in the solution, exhibiting high-contrast photochromic luminescence. Interestingly, S-TPA-Zn could further be transformed into its zwitterionic isomer after continuous irradiation. The same ring-opening reaction could also take place for the orgainc compound Q-TPA via heating or 365 nm irradiation. The ring-opening reaction mechanism and ESIPT emission were interpreted via theoretical calculation.

The Schottky barrier at the interface between the semiconductor phase and the metal phase has excellent rectification effect which can greatly facilitate the formation of the electron accumulation region. The interface electronic modulation can promote the formation of electron depletion layer in the gas sensing process, which is a powerful strategy to improve the sensing performance. In this work, ZnO–TiC composites were successfully prepared. XRD, TEM, BET and XPS characterizations of the ZnO–TiC composites were proformed to investigate the compositions and structures. The as-synthesized samples were applied to fabricate gas sensors to investigate their gas sensing performance. Compared to pure ZnO and TiC, the composites achieved high sensitivity (232 for 100 ppm aniline) and linear detection (R2 = 0.986) of aniline. The improvement of sensor performance is mainly attributed to the electronic modulation of Schottky barrier at the interface between ZnO and TiC. Our results indicate that the construction of ZnO-TiC Schottky barrier is a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of gas sensors.

AIMS To investigate the effects of epiphytic microbiota from napiergrass and Sudan grass on ensiling characteristics and microbial community of oat silage. METHODS AND RESULTS By γ-ray irradiation sterilization and microbiota transplantation technology, the sterilized oat was inoculated as follows: (a) aseptic water (STOT), (b) epiphytic bacteria on oat (OTOT), (c) epiphytic bacteria on napiergrass (OTNP) and (d) epiphytic bacteria on Sudan grass (OTSD). STOT remained in the unfermented state based on similar chemical components with fresh oat. Compared with OTOT and OTSD, higher lactic acid content and ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid, and lower pH, acetic acid and ammonia nitrogen contents were observed in OTNP after 60 days of ensiling. At the late stage, Lactobacillus was the most predominant in each group. Lactococcus was eventually replaced by Lactobacillus in OTSD, whereas Lactococcus was found throughout the whole ensiling process in OTNP. Higher abundance of Weissella was observed in OTSD at the early and late stages. The result of co-occurrence network analysis proved that Lactococcus was pivotal in determining the silage fermentation pattern during ensiling. According to the 16S rRNA gene-predicted functional profiles, the inoculation of epiphytic microbiota from oat enhanced the metabolism of amino acids, whereas the inoculation of epiphytic microbiota from napiergrass and Sudan grass accelerated the carbohydrate metabolism. CONCLUSIONS The epiphytic microbiota on napiergrass promoted a homo-fermentative process, whereas the epiphytic microbiota on oat and Sudan grass facilitated a hetero-fermentative pattern in oat silage, which was closely related to the abundance and metabolism of Lactococcus, Weissella and Lactobacillus. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The exogenous microorganisms that promote the carbohydrate metabolism and inhibit the metabolism of amino acids could be a good potential source to improve the silage quality of temperate grass.

Introduction Berberine (BBR), as one of the outstanding representatives of isoquinoline alkaloids, has been used as an antibacterial drug for a long time in China since ancient times. Currently, a large number of studies have been reported that berberine has a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-obesity, and the like. Areas covered This review systematically discussed important patents on berberine and berberine derivatives in terms of pharmacological activity between 2016 and 2020. These patents were mainly searched through the European Patent Office database and Web of Science. These berberine patents (~41) cover a wide range of applications, mainly including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-metabolic disorder, and other newly reported pharmacological activities. Expert opinion Berberine is an important lead compound with great potential for optimization in drug development. However, there is a lack of research related to the biomolecular targets of BBR, which directly restricts the development of berberine in the pharmaceutical field. The problems involved with poor bioavailability and cytotoxicity are also worth considering in the development of berberine-based drugs. Accordingly, the increasing number of patents involving biomolecular targets in BBR's patent applications will be published as its related pharmacological mechanisms are further deciphered.

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is a clinical pathology that urgently needs to be solved, but research on the mechanism of BCP has so far achieved limited success. Nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NFE2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been shown to be involved in pain, but its involvement in BCP and the specific mechanism have yet to be examined. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that BCP induces the transfer of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and further promotes nuclear transcription to activate heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and inhibit the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling, ultimately regulating the neuroinflammatory response. Von-Frey was used for behavioural analysis in rats with BCP, whereas western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect molecular expression changes, and immunofluorescence was used to detect cellular localization. We demonstrated that BCP induced increased Nrf2 nuclear protein expression with decreased cytoplasmic protein expression in the spinal cord. Further increases in Nrf2 nuclear protein expression can alleviate hyperalgesia and activate HO-1 to inhibit the expression of NF-κB nuclear protein and inflammatory factors. Strikingly, intrathecal administration of the corresponding siRNA reversed the above effects. In addition, the results of double immune labelling revealed that Nrf2 and NF-κB were coexpressed in spinal cord neurons of rats with BCP. In summary, these findings suggest that the entry of Nrf2 into the nucleus promotes the expression of HO-1, inhibiting activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway, reducing neuroinflammation and ultimately exerting an anti-nociceptive effect.

Introduction Alcohol consumption has been steadily increasing in East Asia, however, there is comparatively little regional data of alcohol-related harms. This study examines the alcohol-related harms prevalence and risk factors in Hong Kong, a high population density city with limited alcohol regulation. Methods A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in 2019 on Chinese adults aged 18-74 (n = 3200). Respondents were asked about various past-year first-hand drinking harms (after one's own drinking), second-hand harms (harms from other people's drinking) and views of neighbourhood alcohol outlet regulation. Results Of drinkers, 21.1% reported first-hand alcohol harms, with physical/mental health harms (15.7%) most commonly reported. Younger-aged drinkers (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 2.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63, 4.48) and heavy drinkers (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.55, 3.55) were more likely to report first-hand harms. Of the sample, 18.2% experienced past-year second-hand harms, with public harms (12.9%) most commonly reported. Young age (AOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.43, 2.49), higher education (AOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13, 1.83), past-year binge drinking (AOR 4.29, 95% CI 3.04, 6.05) and communal living (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.13, 3.75) predicted greater likelihood of second-hand alcohol harms. Higher neighbourhood alcohol outlet density was not associated with any first-hand harms and only significantly predicted being inconvenienced by drinkers. Although victims of second-hand alcohol harms were more supportive of regulating outlet density, 93.3% of respondents were opposed to such policies. Discussion and conclusions Although high levels of alcohol-related harms were not reported by Hong Kong adults, regulations should target young drinkers and binge drinkers who are most likely to experience drinking-related harms.

Gas-phase fluidized-beds reactor (FBR) can overcome the shortages of bed clogging and performance decline in packed-bed reactors on VOCs treatment. Ideal FBR packing materials with minimum fluidized velocity and surface characteristics are required. In this study, an expanded polystyrene (EPS) with particle size 1.0–2.0 mm was selected as the skeleton among six types of EPS and two types of expanded polypropylene (EPP). They were then physically coated with a combination of potato dextrose medium, fine wheat bran particles, and inorganic glue. Different glue concentrations and amounts of medium were tested and the optimal values of 2 % and 0.22 g∙cm−2 were achieved. The wheat-coated EPS obtained hydrophilic functional groups on the surface, and its contact angle decreased from 93° to 37° after coating. By scanning electronic microscopy, more microorganisms were observed on the surface of the coated EPS than that of the uncoated EPS. A lab-scale fluidized bioreactor was built to treat gaseous ethanol. The minimum fluidized velocity of coated packing materials was 0.2 m∙s−1 under a relative humidity of 50 ± 10 %, reaching an average elimination capacity of 681 g m-3 h−1 during the 28-days operation, while the bioreactor packed with uncoated EPS reached only 18 g m−3 h−1.

In order to further understanding of how alga are adjusted to chromium(VI) toxicity at the level of photosynthesis, the pigment content and chlorophyll a (Chla) fluorescence parameters, were studied in Macrocystis pyrifera blades treated with 0, 0.5, 2, 10 and 20 mg/L Cr (VI) solution for 24 h. Results showed that these parameters were clearly affected by different concentrations of Cr (VI The pigment contents and Chla fluorescence parameters were clearly decreased in M. pyrifera exposed to 20 mg/L Cr (VI). Furthermore, the present study provided novel insights into Cr(VI) toxicity at the proteomic level using TMT-based technology after M. pyrifera was irrigated with 0 or 20 mg/L Cr(VI) solution for 24 h. The decreases in pigment content and Chl a fluorescence parameters resulted from alternations of the related proteins involved in pigment synthesis and photosynthetic processes. Expression of 227 different proteins was detected. Analysis of significant changes in KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways showed that M. pyrifera is able to reorganize its proteome in favor of photosynthesis, carbon fixation, metabolic pathways, oxidative phosphorylation, biosynthesis of amino acids, carbon metabolism, ribosome and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites under Cr(VI) stress. These findings could provide valuable information to elucidate the mechanism of Cr(VI) toxicity in M. pyrifera.

This study aimed to explore the quantitative efficacy of L-carnitine supplementation on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using model-based meta-analysis (MBMA).Literatures were retrieved from the public database and data from these trials were extracted. The quantitative efficacy of L-carnitine on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were evaluated by maximal effect (EIn the model of FPG, EIt was the first time to provide valuable quantitative information for efficacy of L-carnitine supplementation on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

An electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) is an appealing route to obtain the value-added feedstocks and alleviate the energy crisis. However, how to achieve high-performance electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to formate is challenging owing to the poor intrinsic activity, insufficient conductivity, and low surface density of active sites. Herein, we fabricated an extremely active and selective hydrangea-like superstructured micro/nanoreactor of ultrathin bismuth nanosheets through an in situ electrochemical topotactic transformation of hierarchical bismuth oxide formate (BiOCOOH). The resulted bismuth nanosheet superstructure is in the form of three-dimensional intercrossed networks of ultrathin nanosheets, forming an ordered open porous structure through self-assembly, which can be used as a micro/nanoreactor to enable a large electrochemically active surface area as well as high atomic utilization. Such a distinctive nanostructure endows the material with high electrocatalytic performances for CO2 reduction to formate with near-unity Faradaic selectivity (>95%) in a wide potential window from -0.78 to -1.18 V. Furthermore, this micro/nanoreactor can give the high current densities over 300 mA cm-2 at low applied potentials without compromising selectivity in a flow cell reactor. Density functional theory (DFT) and in situ attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy (in situ ATR-IR) were further conducted to interpret the CO2RR mechanisms.

A new, efficient approach toward the preparation of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran scaffolds through the Cu/SPDO-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition between quinone ester and styrene derivatives has been developed. The procedure features excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee), high yields (up to 96%), and broad substrate tolerance. Additionally, asymmetric synthesis of natural corsifurans A and B from commercially available starting materials has also been achieved in two or three steps using this reaction as a key transformation.

Oxidative stress, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), and inflammation are some of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of this study is to examine the protective effect of the chronic administration of astaxanthin, which is extracted from the shell of crabs and shrimps, into hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Animals were randomly assigned to 2 groups and treated with bilateral PVN infusion of astaxanthin or vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid) through osmotic minipumps (Alzet Osmotic Pumps, Model 2004, 0.25 μL/h) for 4 weeks. Spontaneously hypertensive rats had higher mean arterial pressure and plasma level of norepinephrine and proinflammatory cytokine; higher PVN levels of reactive oxygen species, NOX2, NOX4, IL-1β, IL-6, ACE, and AT1-R; and lower PVN levels of IL-10 and Cu/Zn SOD, Mn SOD, ACE2, and Mas receptors than Wistar-Kyoto rats. Our data showed that chronic administration of astaxanthin into PVN attenuated the overexpression of reactive oxygen species, NOX2, NOX4, inflammatory cytokines, and components of RAS within the PVN and suppressed hypertension. The present results revealed that astaxanthin played a role in the brain. Our findings demonstrated that astaxanthin had protective effect on hypertension by improving the balance between inflammatory cytokines and components of RAS.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an optical technique for molecule identification. However, fabrication of flexible and structured SERS substrates for performance improvement in a facile and cost-effective manner is challenging. In this work, we reported a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based flexible SERS substrate by femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) technology. The femtosecond laser-treated PTFE surface is 3D hierarchical micro-/nano-structures, and the structured PTFE-based SERS chip shows excellent performance enhancement. As a result, 10−7 M can be detected, which shows excellent potentials in developing flexible SERS for wearable electronics.

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to value-added and readily collectable liquid products is promising but remains a great challenge due to the lack of efficient and robust electrocatalysts. Herein, a self-supported large-size three-dimensional porous conductive network of bismuthene (Bi-ene-NW) as an efficient superstructured electrocatalytic membrane (ECM) has been pioneeringly assembled, in which the atomically thin Bi-ene with rich edge-site-involved defects is interconnected, highly exposing the active sites. Such ECM can be utilized as an ascendant catalytic cathode, displaying an unprecedented CO2RR performance with near-unity selectivity in a wide potential window and large current density for formate production. Remarkably, when integrated into a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) in a flow cell, Bi-ene-NW was capable of delivering industry-compatible current densities up to 560 mA cm−2 for formate production. Moreover, it was ultrastable to continuously operate for over 500 h at a high current density without significant activity decay. Such outstanding performance should be inseparable from its abundant accessible sites with high intrinsic activity, multiple interconnected channels and superior conductivity for mass/charge transport. The operando ATR-IR and theoretical calculations further deciphered that the rich defects in the roughened plane edges and in-plane pore edges of Bi-ene are conducive to the *OCHO intermediate stabilization.

A novel spiro-pyrrolidine (SPD)-derived bifunctional thiourea catalyst has been developed, enabling the development of a stereoselective conjugate addition of furfurals to β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters. The reaction represents an example of asymmetric trienamine catalysis in the benzylic C–H functionalization of 5-benzylfurfurals, and the rigid spirocyclic framework of the catalyst is proven to be essential for a highly enantioselective transformation.

Herein, for the first time, an active and stable bifunctional electrocatalyst has been elaborately designed to achieve the integration of CO2 reduction and anodic non-classical reaction to efficiently yield products of high value at both electrodes, which was constructed by surface anchoring of a novel multi-azido-group-bearing nickel phthalocyanine onto carbon nanotubes at the single-molecule level via strong interactions. Concretely, the obtained heterojunction-type electrocatalyst exhibits ultrahigh activity for completely selective CO2-to-CO conversion with a 100% faradaic efficiency in a wide potential window, large partial current density (>200 mA cm−2) and turnover frequency, and remarkable stability. Particularly, a mass of azido-derived amine groups around the nickel phthalocyanine centers increase the local concentration of CO2via chemisorption, thus boosting the formation of the key intermediate. Unprecedentedly, an exotic electrolytic system integrating CO2 reduction with oxidative nano-polymerization was further conceptually developed using this individual bifunctional electrocatalyst for both the cathode and anode. Besides the high-performance CO2 reduction at the cathode, a unique porous 3D polymer nano-framework was obtained in the anode chamber instead of low-value O2, while the cell voltage was significantly reduced by 1.05 V to achieve 10 mA cm−2.

A multi-binding site chemosensor, N-(3-methoxy-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-3-hydroxy-2-naphthahydrazone (H3L), with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) behaviour was prepared and characterized. It possesses no aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics but can detect Cd2+ and Zn2+ ions selectively in the "off-on" mode based on the AIE of their complexes in the media of THF/HEPES and THF/H2O, respectively, which will provide a new strategy for target detection based on AIE. The detection limits of Zn2+ and Cd2+ were 9.85 × 10-9 M and 1.27 × 10-7 M, respectively. The aggregates of the complexes formed in the detection system were confirmed by DLS data and SEM images. The corresponding Zn2+ (1) and Cd2+ (2) complexes were prepared to investigate the response mechanism. Powder X-ray diffraction and single crystal X-ray diffraction proved that complex 1 is the species formed in the detection system. The chemosensor coordinates with the Cd2+ and Zn2+ ions in different formation and coordination modes, leading to the emission position of the aggregates at 560 and 645 nm, respectively, based on which Cd2+ ions were successfully differentiated from Zn2+ ions. Moreover, the detection of Cd2+ and Zn2+ ions was realized qualitatively via test paper and quantitatively in water.

Designing electrically conductive electrode material with a hierarchical pore structure from abundant raw material remains a significant challenge in the development of energy storage research. In this work, 3D porous carbons with high surface areas are synthesized via high-temperature carbonization and activation. The synthesized activated carbons deliver a specifical capacitance of 280 F g−1 and area-specific capacitance of 1.3 F cm−2 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor can deliver a high energy output (7.7 Wh kg−1 at 5200 W kg−1). Thus, it is demonstrated the repurposing of lignin waste as electrode material can be a feasible resource that goes beyond the limitations of utilizing lignin in low value-added applications.

Congli Jia,1 Zhengquan Li,2 Dong Guo,1 Zhen Zhang,3 Jingming Yu,4 Guangdong Jiang,1 Xiaobo Xing,3 Shengjun Ji,5 Feng Jin3 1Weifang Medical University, Weifang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Laboratory Pathology, People’s Liberation Army 80th Group Military Hospital, Weifang, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Qingdao Center Hospital, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Shandong Hospital, Jinan, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Suzhou Hospital, Suzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Shengjun JiDepartment of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Suzhou Hospital, No. 16 Baita Road, Suzhou 215001, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail drshengjunji@163.comFeng JinDepartment of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Qingdao Center Hospital, No. 127 Siliu Road, Qingdao 266042, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 1093910079@qq.comBackground: Brain metastases (BM) are severe incidents among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and have been associated with significant morbidity and decreased survival; thus, new methods are required to improve clinical management. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows noninvasive measurements of biochemical information from tumor tissue, providing clinically useful imaging biomarkers. The primary aim of this study was to explore the application of MRS in the assessment of tumor prognosis after stereotactic radiotherapy in NSCLC patients with BM.Patients and Methods: MRS was performed on NSCLC patients attending Qingdao Center Hospital with suspected BM, and 68 patients were included in the survival analysis. The qualitative and quantitative parameters of MRS metabolites, such as choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), were recorded. To select a cutoff for MRS metabolite parameters in the tumor and to distinguish patients who had recurrence, we performed an ROC curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess the association between MRS metabolite parameters and clinical cancer prognosis.Results: The average age was 56 years. A total of 68 NSCLC patients underwent metabolic evaluation with single voxel proton MRS and were selected for retrospective analysis. According to the area under the curve (AUC) to predict recurrence, the MRS metabolite parameters were determined as Cho (AUC=0.550), Cr (AUC=0.415), NAA (AUC=0.524), NAA/Cr (AUC=0.600), Cho/Cr (AUC=0.723), and Cho/NAA (AUC=0.543). Cho and Cr predicted poor survival while Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr predicted improved survival (P< 0.05). In the multivariate model with adjustment to establish the potential role of MRS metabolite parameters, Cho/Cr showed a significant association with OS (P=0.009) and PFS (P=0.006) after stereotactic radiotherapy.Conclusion: The positive results of this study indicate the predictive value of metabolic characteristics of BM detected with MRS for the outcome after stereotactic radiotherapy.Keywords: brain metastases, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, stereotactic radiotherapy

Berberine, as a representative isoquinoline alkaloid, exhibits significant hypolipidemic activity in both animal models and clinical trials. Recently, a large number of studies on the lipid-lowering mechanism of berberine and studies for improving its hypolipidemic activity have been reported, but for the most part, they have been either incomplete or not comprehensive. In addition, there have been a few specific reviews on the lipid-reducing effect of berberine. In this paper, the physicochemical properties, the lipid-lowering mechanism, and studies of the modification of berberine all are discussed to promote the development of berberine as a lipid-lowering agent. Subsequently, this paper provides some insights into the deficiencies of berberine in the study of lipid-lowering drug, and based on the situation, some proposals are put forward.

Rational manipulation of supramolecular structures on surfaces is of great importance and challenging. We show that imidazole-based hydrogen-bonded networks on a metal surface can transform into an isostructural coordination network for facile tuning of the pore size and guest recognition behaviours. Deposition of triangular-shaped benzotrisimidazole (H3btim) molecules on Au(111)/Ag(111) surfaces gives honeycomb networks linked by double N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds. While the H3btim hydrogen-bonded networks on Au(111) evaporate above 453 K, those on Ag(111) transform into isostructural [Ag3(btim)] coordination networks based on double N–Ag–N bonds at 423 K, by virtue of the unconventional metal–acid replacement reaction (Ag reduces H+). The transformation expands the pore diameter of the honeycomb networks from 3.8 Å to 6.9 Å, giving remarkably different host–guest recognition behaviours for fullerene and ferrocene molecules based on the size compatibility mechanism., A hydrogen-bonded network on a Ag(111) surface can transform into an isostructural Ag(i) coordination network, giving drastically different host–guest recognition behaviours.

Berberine (BBR), a well-known alkaloid, exhibits various pharmacological activities, especially hypolipidemic activity, which has attracted much interest from medicinal chemists in the past decade. However, little progress was made on the structural modification of BBR for improving lipid-lowering activity, mainly due to its unclear biological target and low safety. In this study, a new scaffold of 7,9-disulfatetrahydroberberine was discovered unexpectedly, provided with extremely low cytotoxicity. Hence, a novel series of highly safe 7,9-disulfatetrahydroberberines were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their hypolipidemic activities. In order to investigate the significance of the 9-position substituent, another new series of 7-sulfatetrahydroberberines were designed and synthesized. Lipid-lowering experiments showed that among these compounds, 5f exhibited the best lipid-lowering activity based on two cell models, 3T3-L1 cells and HepG2 cells. Compared with the blank control, the inhibition rate of compound 5f against total cholesterol was over 60%, the inhibition rate against triglyceride was over 70%, the inhibition rate against low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was approximately 75%, and the inhibition rate against high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was close to 50%, which were far superior to the positive control BBR. This result also verified the feasibility of the development of BBR as a lipid-lowering drug via disubstituted modification at the 7- and 9-position.

The inhibition of 5-α reductase type 2 (SRD5A2) by finasteride is commonly used for the management of urinary obstruction resulting from benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). Certain BPE patients showing no SRD5A2 protein expression are resistant to finasteride therapy. Our previous work showed that methylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) islands in the SRD5A2 gene might account for the absence or reduction of SRD5A2 protein expression. Here, we found that the expression of the SRD5A2 protein was variable and that weak expression of the SRD5A2 protein (scored 0-100) occurred in 10.0% (4/40) of benign adult prostates. We showed that the expression of SRD5A2 was negatively correlated with DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression. In vitro SRD5A2-negative BPH-1 cells were resistant to finasteride treatment, and SRD5A2 was re-expressed in BPH-1 cells when SRD5A2 was demethylated by 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) or N-phthalyl-L-tryptophan (RG108). Furthermore, we determined the exact methylation ratios of CpG dinucleotides in a CpG island of SRD5A2 through MassArray quantitative methylation analysis. Ten methylated CpG dinucleotides, including four CpG dinucleotides in the promoter and six CpG dinucleotides in the first exon, were found in a CpG island located from -400 bp to +600 bp in SRD5A2, which might lead to the silencing of SRD5A2 and the absence or reduction of SRD5A2 protein expression. Finasteride cannot exert a therapeutic effect on patients lacking SRD5A2, which may partially account for the resistance to finasteride observed in certain BPE patients.

Background Lingual linear lesions (LLLs) are the oral linear lesions located on the dorsum, lateral borders, and/or ventral surface of tongue. It has been suggested that LLLs might be an early clinical sign of vitamin B12 deficiency. Here, a retrospective study was conducted to further investigate and validate the association between LLL and vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods Based on the clinical examination, patients with LLLs were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. Data regarding clinical and laboratory features were obtained. Follow-up was done at least 6 months following appropriate supplementation therapy. Results A total of 57 patients, consisting of 20 males and 37 females with a mean age of 59.12 years (range, 18-80), were enrolled in this study. The hematological examination revealed that 56 (98.25%) of the 57 patients had severe serum vitamin B12 deficiency, and the other 1 patient had a borderline low level of vitamin B12 . All the enrolled patients responded well to cobalamin replacement therapy. Conclusion LLLs might be a clinical sign strongly suggestive of severe vitamin B12 deficiency.

Porous molecular crystals sustained by hydrogen bonds and/or weaker connections are an intriguing type of adsorbents, but they rarely demonstrate efficient adsorptive separation because of poor structural robustness and tailorability. Herein, we report a porous molecular crystal based on hydrogen-bonded cyclic dinuclear AgI complex, which exhibits exceptional hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 134°, and high chemical stability in water at pH 2-13. The seemingly rigid adsorbent shows a pore-opening or nonporous-to-porous type butane adsorption isotherm and complete exclusion of isobutane, indicating potential molecular sieving. Quantitative column breakthrough experiments show slight co-adsorption of isobutane with an experimental butane/isobutane selectivity of 23, and isobutane can be purified more efficiently than for butane. In situ powder/single-crystal X-ray diffraction and computational simulations reveal that a trivial guest-induced structural transformation plays a critical role.

Urinary metabolomics is a useful non-invasive tool for large-scale screening of disease-related metabolites. However, no comprehensive urinary metabolomic analysis of vitiligo is presently available. To investigate the urine metabolic pattern of vitiligo patients, we conducted a combined cross-sectional and prospective self-control cohort study and an untargeted urinary metabolomic analysis. In the cross-sectional study, 295 vitiligo patients and 192 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were enrolled, and 71 differential metabolites between two groups were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, biopterin metabolism, vitamin B9 (folate) metabolism, selenoamino acid metabolism, and methionine and cysteine metabolism showed significant enrichment in vitiligo patients compared with the status in healthy controls. In the self-control cohort, 46 active vitiligo patients were recruited to analyse the urinary metabolic signatures after treatment. All of these patients were asked to undertake follow-up visits every 2 months three times after first consulting and the disease stage was evaluated compared with that at the last visit. Folate metabolism, linoleate metabolism, leukotriene metabolism, alkaloid biosynthesis, and tyrosine metabolism were predicted to be involved in vitiligo activity. Our study is the first attempt to reveal urinary metabolic signatures of vitiligo patients and provides new insights into the metabolic mechanisms of vitiligo.

To explain the differences found in cytotoxicity, interactions of an optically pure rosin derivative 2-amino-5-dehydroabietyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole (L) and its two copper(II) complexes [CuL4Cl]Cl·2CH2C...

Inthomycins are polyketide antibiotics which contain a terminal carboxamide group and a triene chain. Inthomycin B (1) and its two new analogues 2 and 3 were isolated from the crude extract of Streptomyces pactum L8. Identification of the gene cluster for inthomycin biosynthesis as well as the 15N-labeled glycine incorporation into inthomycins are described. Combined with the gene deletion of the rare P450 domain in the NRPS module, a formation mechanism of carboxamide moiety in inthomycins was proposed via an oxidative release of the assembly chain assisted by the P450 domain.

Background: Identification of novel Ure inhibitors with high potency has received considerable attention. Methodology & results: Ure inhibition was determined using the indophenol method, the affinities to Ure were estimated via surface plasmon resonance. Seventeen new plus ten known N-monosubstituted thiosemicarbazides were synthesized and identified as novel Ure inhibitors. Out of these compounds, compound b5 shows excellent activity against both crude Ure from Helicobacter pylori (IC50 = 0.04 μM) and Ure in living cell (IC50 = 0.27 μM), with the potency being over 600-fold higher than clinical used drug acetohyroxamic acid, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance demonstrated the high affinity ( Kd.#x00A0;= 6.32 nM) of b5 to Ure. Conclusion: This work provides a class of novel and promising Ure inhibitors.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction represents a sustainable approach for the conversion of CO2 into valuable fuels and chemicals. Here, we fabricated a series of composite nanomaterials through template-oriented polymerization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with isolated cobalt porphyrin units on amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Compared with pure COFs, the hybrid form of ultrathin COF nanolayers wrapped on the conductive scaffold leads to distended current density and stable Faradaic efficiency for CO2-to-CO conversion over a wide potential range. Specifically, the catalytic performances of the system can be finely optimized by the modification of the reticular structure with different functional groups. Our work gives a new strategy for the preparation of highly active and selective electrocatalysts for CO2RR.

Six two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymers (CPs), namely, poly[{μ5-3,3-[(5-carboxylato-1,3-phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoato-κ6 O 1:O 1′:O 3,O 3′:O 5:O 5′}bis(N,N-dimethylformamide-κO)lanthanide(III)], [Ln(C21H11O8)(C3H7NO)2] n , with lanthanide/Ln = cerium/Ce for CP1, praseodymium/Pr for CP2, neodymium/Nd for CP3, samarium/Sm for CP4, europium/Eu for CP5 and gadolinium/Gd for CP6, have been prepared by solvothermal methods using the ligand 3,3′-[(5-carboxy-1,3-phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoic acid (H3cpboda) in the presence of Ln(NO3)3. The complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray and powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All the structures of this family of lanthanide CPs are isomorphous with the triclinic space group P\overline{1} and reveal that they have the same 2D network based on binuclear LnIII units, which are further extended via interlayer C—H...π interactions into a three-dimensional supramolecular structure. The carboxylate groups of the cpboda3− ligands link adjacent LnIII ions and form binuclear [Ln2(RCOO)4] secondary building units (SBUs), in which each binuclear LnIII SBU contains four carboxylate groups from different cpboda3− ligands. Moreover, with the increase of the rare-earth Ln atomic radius, the dihedral angles between the aromatic rings gradually increase. Magnetically, CP6 shows weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the GdIII ions. The solid-state luminescence properties of CP2, CP5 and CP6 were examined at ambient temperature and CP5 exhibits characteristic red emission bands derived from the Eu3+ ion (CIE 0.53, 0.31), with luminescence quantum yields of 22%. Therefore, CP5 should be regarded as a potential optical material.

The hypermethylation in the promoter region of the SEPT9 gene is associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Although its clinical significance for early diagnosis and screening of CRC has been demonstrated, the tedious operations in the conventional DNA methylation (DNAm) detection hinder its wide application. Herein, an electronic method for determining SEPT9 methylation in CRC patients is proposed by using the carbon dot-modified liquid exfoliated graphene field effect transistor (CDs-LEG-FET) as the DNAm sensor, the specifically designed probes to capture the SEPT9 gene and the immunologic recognition to recognize 5-methylcytosine (5mC) positions on the anchored sequences. The identification and nanomorphology of the as-prepared materials and devices are executed first by the characterizations of UV-vis, Raman, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electronic measurements. Then, the role of CDs in enhancing DNAm sensitivity of CD-LEG-FET is manifested by comparing it with that of CD-free LEG-FET. Third, the captured SEPT9 genes on CD-LEG-FETs by different probes are evaluated, and the optimized temperature for hybridizing the target ssDNA sequences is determined to be 48 °C. Furthermore, the detection sensitivity for the low-quantity of DNA samples is demonstrated to be as low as 2 ng. Finally, the methylation degree of the tumor and corresponding noncancerous tissue DNA samples were examined by the proposed electric method and methylight assay in parallel. The diagnostic value of the electrical assay is confirmed by using the receiver operating characteristic curves; meanwhile, the superiority of the CD-LEG-FET platform is found to present a methylation panorama of the target gene.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to valuable fuels is appealing for CO2 fixation and energy storage. However, the development of electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity in a wide potential window is challenging. Herein, atomically thin bismuthene (Bi-ene) is pioneeringly obtained by an in situ electrochemical transformation from ultrathin bismuth-based metal-organic layers. The few-layer Bi-ene, which possesses a great mass of exposed active sites with high intrinsic activity, has a high selectivity (ca. 100 %), large partial current density, and quite good stability in a potential window exceeding 0.35 V toward formate production. It even deliver current densities that exceed 300.0 mA cm-2 without compromising selectivity in a flow-cell reactor. Using in situ ATR-IR spectra and DFT analysis, a reaction mechanism involving HCO3- for formate generation was unveiled, which brings new fundamental understanding of CO2 reduction.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent chemicals in the environment. So far, little is known about their uptake potential in wetland plants. Here, we investigated the uptake and translocation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in eight common wetland plants, namely

Solvothermal reactions of 3-(3-methylpyridin-4-yl)benzoic acid (Hmpba) with Mn(NO3)2 or Co(NO3)2 yielded isostructural porous coordination polymers, [Mn(mpba)2]·guest (MCF-56, 1·g) and [Co(mpba)2]·...

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is one of the most-characterized cytoplasmic DNA sensors in humans and other mammals. However, knowledge about cGAS homologs in nonmammalian species remains limited. In this study, we report the molecular and functional identification of two cGAS homologs, namely, DrcGASa and DrcGASb, from a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. DrcGASa and DrcGASb share the same overall conservative structural architectures and functional domains/residues to mammalian cGASs. Both homologs synthesized a 2'3'-cGAMP isomer but not a 3'3'-cGAMP isomer via oligomerization in response to DNA stimulation. Overexpression of DrcGASa/b in HEK293T cells and zebrafish embryos significantly activated NF-κB and IFN-I signaling pathways in a STING-dependent manner. Knockdown of DrcGASa or DrSTING impaired such activations, thereby reducing the host innate immunity against bacterial and viral infections. DrcGASa, but not DrcGASb, was involved in immunoglobulin Z-mediated mucosal immunity in gill-associated lymphoid tissue, suggesting differential functions between the two DrcGASs. This reaction was associated with the DrcGAS-DrSTING-IFNφ1 signaling axis in GALT's γδ T cells. Our findings provide experimental evidence that a modern cGAS-STING pathway that mainly participates in IFN-mediated immunity originated from teleost fish based on the functional constraint of cGAS and STING proteins during vertebrate evolution.

Objectives: To study the in vitro synergistic bactericidal activity of dual β-lactam antibiotics against KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and to explore the new therapeutic regimens for infect...

Two highly rearranged daphniphyllum alkaloids, daphnillonins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from Daphniphyllum longeracemosum and structurally characterized by a combination of diverse methods, including the calculation of electronic circular dichroism. Compound 1 possesses an unprecedented carbon architecture with a very unique 8-methyl-6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane moiety, and compound 2 represents a new carbon skeleton with an uncommon 7/6/5/7/5/5-fused ring system. The biosynthetic pathways for the two alkaloids were proposed with the concurrent major alkaloids as the precursors.

C1q/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related protein 12 (CTRP12) is a secretory protein that participates in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in obesity and diabetes. Its role in cardiovascular disease, particularly sepsis-induced cardiac injury, is unclear. Here, we stimulated cardiomyocytes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish an in vitro cardiomyocyte injury model and CTRP12 was overexpressed with an adenovirus delivery system. Overexpression of CTRP12 reduced the transcription and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from LPS-stimulated cardiomyocytes, including TNFα, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level increased and the oxidation/redox system was disturbed in LPS-stimulated cardiomyocytes, as evident from the decrease in superoxide dismutase activity and an increase in reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity and malondialdehyde level. CTRP12 overexpression decreased the increasing level of ROS and ameliorated the unbalance in the oxidation/redox system in LPS-stimulated cardiomyocytes. The viability of cardiomyocytes decreased after LPS stimulation, and the cells underwent apoptosis. CTRP12-overexpressing cardiomyocytes showed a decrease in the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells, and the ratio of B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-1/Bax in these cells was recovered. In comparison with the control group, LPS-stimulated cardiomyocytes showed reduced expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2), while CTRP12-overexpressing cardiomyocytes showed elevated NRF2 expression. Small-interfering RNA-mediated silencing of NRF2 expression in cardiomyocytes resulted in the inhibition of the protective effects of CTRP12. Thus, CTRP12 ameliorated injury in LPS-stimulated cardiomyocytes in an NRF2-dependent manner.

Developing earth-abundant, highly active, and durable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of crucial importance for renewable energy conversion processes. Herein, we fabricated novel flower-like NiFe-layered double hydroxide nanostructures with electron-withdrawing anion intercalation and surface sulfurization via a two-step hydrothermal treatment. Benefiting from the dual-modified electronic structure of the surface active sites of NiFe-LDHs, the as-obtained catalyst showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for the OER, only demanding a low overpotential of 259 mV to achieve 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH.

We report an efficient and environment-friendly method of synthesizing biodegradable, shape memory polyurethanes via a catalyst-free polymerization process. Two different polyurethanes (poly(PCL-1,4-butanediol-urethane) PCBU and poly(PCL-5,5′,6,6′-tetrahydroxy-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethyl-1,1′-spirobisindane-urethane) PCTU) were composed by the soft segment of polycaprolactone diol and the hard segment of non-planar ring structure/hexamethylene diisocyanate. The polyurethane products obtained were confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). PCTU and PCBU exhibited a shape fixation rate of 99.3% and 91.1% and shape recovery rate of 98.3% and 85.1%, respectively during a triple-shape memory procedure. Notably, these PUs had superior biodegradability in buffer solution without enzyme catalysis and the biodegradation weight loss ratio of the PCBU reached 48% within 3 months in the buffer solution.

Increasing the voltage window of an electrode material is effective for improving the energy density of aqueous symmetric supercapacitors. Herein, a novel aqueous symmetric supercapacitor equipped with a high cell voltage window of 2.6 V was assembled by P-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays on a Ti sheet. The arrays exhibit a wide potential range of about 1.2 V as the cathode, and a stable wide potential range of 1.4 V as the anode was also obtained. These wide potential windows in the cathode and anode render the symmetric supercapacitor with a very large working voltage window reaching 2.6 V, and thus a high volumetric energy density (1.65 mW h cm−3). These results suggest that P-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays can be promising candidates for energy storage devices.

Solvothermal reactions of 3-(3-methylpyridin-4-yl)benzoic acid (Hmpba) with Zn(II), Cd(II), or Cu(II) salts yielded crystals of coordination polymers [Zn(mpba)2] (1), [Cd(mpba)2] (2), and [Cu(mpba)2]·guest (3·g), respectively, possessing two-dimensional (2D) 4-connected sql coordination networks with different packing/interpenetration modes. 1 and 2 both possess close-packing two-fold interpenetrated sql nets, but the ligand orientations in their single layers and the stacking manners of their double layers are quite different and have an inversed trend of complexity. The sql nets in 3 are non-interpenetrated, which loosely pack to give a porous structure with 1D channels. Interestingly, 1–3 have a completely inversed trend in packing/interpenetration and porosity, compared to the coordination networks constructed by the same metal ions and the ligand without the methyl group (3-(pyridin-4-yl)benzoic acid). The porous framework of 3 can be retained after guest removal, as demonstrated by the CO2 adsorption isotherms and high catalytic performances for cycloaddition of epoxides and CO2.

High-efficiency recoverable catalytic magnetite microgel particles, comprising a magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticle (NP) core with a thermo-sensitive poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) polymer shell, were synthesized through a four-step procedure. The preparation route involved the following steps: (1) preparation of Fe3O4 NPs through a hydrothermal method; (2) attachment of double-bond functionalization to the surface of the NPs; (3) self-initiated photo-grafting and photopolymerization (SIPGP) of a monomer of 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA); (4) anchoring of Au onto Fe3O4@PDMAEMA magnetic microgel particles. Perfect surface functionalization was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Fe3O4@PDMAEMA–Au microgel particles exhibited excellent thermally adjustable catalytic activity for the typical reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). In addition, the Fe3O4@PDMAEMA–Au catalyst was responsive to an external magnetic field, allowing the microgel particles to be easily separated and recovered from water after the catalytic reaction. This type of novel smart microgel nanocatalyst has the potential to be applied as a high-performance, sustainable, catalytic system in the field of chemical synthesis, micromotors, and bio-molecule immobilization.

Two two-dimensional Ni(II) or Zn(II)-based coordination polymers, namely [[Ni3(μ4-cpboda)2(μ2-H2O)2(DMF)2(H2O)2]·3DMF·2HCOOH·2H2O]n (1) and [[Zn3(μ4-cpboda)2(μ2-H2O)2(DMF)2(H2O)2]·3DMF·3HCOOH·3H2O]n (2), a three-dimensional Ni(II)-based coordination polymer, namely [[Ni3(μ3-cpboda)2(1,4-bib)5(H2O)2]·DMF]n (3), and a dinuclear Zn(II) complex, namely [Zn (μ2-Hcpboda)(2,2-bipy)(H2O)]2 (4) (H3cpboda = 3,3′-((5-carboxy-1,3-phenylene)bis(oxy))dibenzoic acid, 2,2-bipy = 2,2-bipyridine, 1,4-bib = 1,4-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzene), were successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions and characterized via single-crystal X-ray and powder diffraction analyses, elemental analyses (EA), FT-IR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Complexes 1 and 2 show isomorphism and (3,4,6)-connected 2D sheet structures with the (32·4)2(32·83·9)2(34·4·282·94·103) topology. Complex 3 is a 4,4,7-connected 3D structure with the (42·52·62)2(46·5·614)2(54·6·8) topology. Complex 4 is only a simple dinuclear structure. Magnetization measurements disclose the weak ferromagnetic behavior between Ni(II) ions in the complexes 1 and 3. Fluorescence measurements indicate that 2 and 4 exhibit fast, sensitive, and selective luminescence quenching responses towards Cr2O72−/CrO42− in an aqueous solution. The limit of detection for Cr2O72−/CrO42− ions were estimated to be 0.51 and 0.60 ppm for 2 (0.89 and 1.03 ppm for 4), respectively, which are comparable to those reported for the CP-based fluorescent probes that can simultaneously detect Cr2O72−/CrO42− in aqueous environments. Moreover, 2 and 4 can be easily regenerated after the detection experiments, which is indicative of the excellent recyclability. All these results suggest that complexes 2 and 4 are highly selective and recyclable luminescence sensing materials for the quantitative detection of Cr2O72−/CrO42− anions in aqueous solutions.

Rechargeable aqueous batteries have received widespread interest for large-scale energy storage because of their intrinsic advantages of safety, low cost and environmental friendliness. However, great challenges still remain for developing long-life batteries with aqueous electrolytes. In this work, an aqueous hybrid battery composed of a sodium iron hexacyanoferrate (FeHCF) cathode and a zinc anode has been proposed. The coating of polyamide on Zn is effective in regulating uniform Zn plating/stripping and suppressing Zn corrosion in the aqueous electrolyte. The electrochemical window of the electrolyte was extended to 3.3 V and the dissolution of the FeHCF cathode was obviously suppressed by adding 2 vol% vinylene carbonate to the 7 M NaCF3SO3/0.1 M Zn(CF3SO3)2 solution. As a result, the aqueous electrolyte delivers a relatively high specific capacity of 75 mA h g−1 at 1C (100 mA g−1) and exhibits a good cycling stability (60% capacity retention after 4000 cycles at 10C), showing promising applications in energy storage.