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The present work aimed at investigating the effects of soy hull polysaccharide (SHP) in alleviating adverse effects in rats fed a high-fat-high-sucrose diet. After SHP feeding for 4 weeks, the fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum triglyceride (TG), serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and 16S rDNA gene sequence were determined. Administration of SHP significantly decreased body fat content and TG levels, and increased water intake and HDL-C levels after 4 weeks of treatment. The antihyperglycemic effect of SHP at a dose of 400 mg/kg mb had the most significant effects among the three dosage groups. SHP notably restored the FBG in rats fed a high-fat-high-sucrose diet (P

The yields, properties, and bioactivities of polysaccharides extracted by three methods from soybean hulls (SSCPs) were evaluated: hot water extraction (H‐SSCP), microwave‐assisted ammonium oxalate extraction (A‐SSCP), and microwave‐assisted sodium citrate extraction (S‐SSCP). A‐SSCP gave the highest yield of polysaccharides (9.3 ± 0.5%) although all three products had similar physicochemical characteristics and FT‐IR spectra. A‐SSCP and S‐SSCP produced polysaccharides with lower molecular weight distributions and higher total reducing power and scavenging ability for ABTS+• and DPPH• free radicals. Furthermore, the effect of SSCPs on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced liver injury was investigated in the mice. When compared with H‐SSCP and S‐SSCP, A‐SSCP significantly decreased the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen (ROS) to normal (p, The polysaccharides extracted from soybean hulls via microwave‐assisted ammonium oxalate extraction have the potential to be developed as a new functional food contributing to the alleviation of liver damage.

The solubility of CO in heavy oils is an important parameter for designing and optimizing the partial upgrading process of heavy oil under CO/syngas and water. To study the structure–solubility relationship of CO dispersion in organic liquids, the solubility of CO in hydrocarbons (n-hexane, n-octane, n-hexadecane, cyclohexane, toluene, and 1-methylnaphthalene), petroleum distillates, and residues from Canadian oil sand bitumen was measured at different temperatures and pressures. The dispersion behavior of CO in different molecules was simulated by the molecular dynamics calculation. The role of water on CO dispersion in these systems was also explored. Experimental data show that the increase of both paraffinic chain length and aromaticity of molecules could hinder the dissolution of CO. By theoretical calculation, it is found that n-hexadecane and 1-methylnaphthalene present the strongest self-aggregation tendency, resulting in the low interaction with CO. The intermolecular forces of hydrocarbons appear to be the key factor determining the CO solubility. The dissolved H2O molecules could weaken the intermolecular forces of hydrocarbons and thus increase the CO solubility. Based on the model system study, the solubility of CO in complex petroleum distillates and heavy residues is rationalized by their molecular composition, which is mainly dependent on the relative proportion of paraffins to aromatics.

In order to circumvent the water eutrophication caused by nitrogen loss in agriculture, slow-release and high-water containing fertilizers have captured much attention. Considering the unstable release of traditional slow-released fertilizers, novel strategies need to be designed to meet the steady release of fertilizers. Herein, by integrating cellulose-based hydrogel with MIL-100(Fe), a pH-sensitive Cellulose/MOFs hydrogel (CAM) with a high surface area (45.25 m2/g) was devised. The volume changes and the water adsorption of the hydrogels were uncovered from pH 3 to pH 11, where the highest water adsorption (100 g/g) was achieved at pH 11. Besides, a pH-sensitive urea slow release fertilizer (U-CAM) was also designed. The urea release of the U-CAM at pH 11 was much slower than that of the U-CAM at pH 3, which indicated its potential application in arid regions. In parallel with a favorable water-holding capacity, the totally loss of the soil moisture loaded with U-CAM was slowed down by 18 days as compared with the pure soil. The positive effect of the U-CAM on the growth of wheat was indexed with the germination rate, number of tillers, photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of the crop, which verified their further application in irrigating farming.

During the investigation of exploring potential sources of novel species and natural bioactives, a novel actinomycete, designated strain HIT-DPA4T, was isolated from a soil sample, which was collected from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, PR China and characterized using a polyphasic approach. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities and the result of phylogenetic analysis, strain HIT-DPA4T was most closely related to Streptomyces cyaneus CGMCC 4.1671 T, and shared the highest sequence similarity of 98.76%. In addition, the cell walls of the species HIT-DPA4T contained LL-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and the whole-cell hydrolysates were identified as glucose and ribose, and the principal phospholipids were found to be diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine. MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H4) were predominant menaquinones; and C16:0, anteiso-C15:0 and C15:0 as major cellular fatty acids of the organism HIT-DPA4T. Gene Ontology database analysis and antiSMASH server predicted results displayed that strain HIT-DPA4T was a promising classification units, which has various types of functions and contains multiple biosynthetic gene clusters with the similarity more than 80%. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of five housekeeping genes (atpD, gyrB, recA, rpoB and trpB) illustrated that Streptomyces luteolifulvus formed a separate branch in the genus Streptomyces. However, a combination of low level of DNA-DNA relatedness and physiological properties indicated that strain HIT-DPA4T can be distinguished from its phylogenetically related species Streptomyces cyaneus CGMCC 4.1671 T. Moreover, gene synteny research could be further differed organism HIT-DPA4T from similarity species. Therefore, the strain is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces luteolifulvus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HIT-DPA4T (= CGMCC 4.7558 T = TISTR 2751 T).

The synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of key intermediates [Cu(CF3)(X)]-Q+ (X = CF3 or I, Q = PPh4) in copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of aryl halides were studied. Qualitative and quantitative studies showed [Cu(CF3)2]-Q+ and [Cu(CF3)(I)]-Q+ were not highly reactive. Instead, a much more reactive species, ligandless [CuCF3] or DMF-ligated species [(DMF)CuCF3], was generated in the presence of excess CuI. On the basis of these results, a general mechanistic map for CuI-promoted trifluoromethylation of aryl halides was proposed. Furthermore, on the basis of this mechanistic understanding, a HOAc-promoted protocol for trifluoromethylation of aryl halides with [Ph4P]+[Cu(CF3)2]- was developed.

INTRODUCTION The blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption contributes to postoperative delirium, but cost-effective and non-invasive assessment of its permeability is not practicable in the clinical settings. Urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), reflecting systemic vascular endothelial dysfunction, may be a prognostic and predictive factor associated with postoperative delirium. The aim was to analyze the relationship between UACR and postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through stratified random sampling, a cohort of 408 individuals aged 60 years and older scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery were included between February and August 2019 in the single-center, prospective, observational study. The presence of delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) or Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) on the day of surgery, at 2 h after the surgery ending time and on the first 3 consecutive days with repeated twice-daily, with at least 6-h intervals between assessments. Urine samples were collected on one day before surgery, and 1st day and 3rd day after surgery. The primary outcome was the presence of postoperative delirium, and association of the level of UACR with postoperative delirium was evaluated with unadjusted/adjusted analyses and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Postoperative delirium was observed in 26.75% (107 of 400) of patients within 3 days post-surgery. UACR-Pre (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14-1.49, p

Hydrogels have great potential in food packaging. However, stimuli-responsive preservative delivery-based hydrogels for emerging active packaging have not yet been explored. Herein, Unprecedented pH/temperature-responsive hydrogel films for emerging active climacteric fruit packaging were developed based on TEMPO-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (TOCNFs) from wheat straw with food-grade cationic-modified poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-acrylamide) (CPNIPAM-AM). TOCNF incorporation into CPNIPAM-AM revealed desirable enhancement of characterization, antimicrobial properties, and pH/thermal-responsive behaviour. In-vitro delivery and release mechanism studies with natamycin revealed the fastest release rates in preferred low pH media, up to 32.1 times higher than that under neutral conditions via anomalous diffusion. Applying a thermal stimulus increased natamycin release rates, providing 1.5-21% gradual-additional pulses by Fickian diffusion. The final hydrogel film showed efficient decay control in response to stimuli of the climacteric fruit environment with safe, recyclable, and feasible application demonstrating the significant potential to be used as an alternative-sustainable material for stimuli-triggered preservative delivery in climacteric fruit packaging.

The purpose is to evaluate the efficacy of different irrigation techniques in the removal of various calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] and barium sulfate [BaSO4] formulations from three isthmuses in 3-dimensional (3D) printed molar root canal models. 3D printed transparent models were designed, fabricated, and filled with pure Ca(OH)2 paste, Ca(OH)2–BaSO4 8:1 paste, Ca(OH)2–BaSO4 1:1 paste, pure BaSO4 paste, all in water, and Diapaste. Open-ended needle irrigation (ONI) at 5 and 15 mL/min, double-side-vented needle irrigation (DNI) at 5 mL/min, the GentleWave system (GW), PiezoFlow (PF), and passive ultrasonic activation (PUI) with distilled water, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 3% NaOCl were used to remove the materials from the isthmuses. Ninety groups (n = 10) were established. The removal time was recorded from the start of irrigation to the completion of removal. GW and PF were the only methods that removed all tested materials from the isthmuses. PF required 2–3 × as much time as GW for complete removal, depending on the BaSO4 content of the paste. ONI at 15 mL/min removed pure Ca(OH)2 paste, Ca(OH)2–BaSO4 (8:1) paste, Ca(OH)2–BaSO4 (1:1) completely but could not completely remove pure BaSO4 paste and Diapaste. PUI with intermittent needle irrigation, ONI, and DNI at 5 mL/min were not able to completely remove any of the materials within 7.5 min. The GW removed all materials faster than PF, whereas other methods failed to remove all materials from the isthmuses. Pure Ca(OH)2 and the mixture with BaSO4 paste in the proportion 8:1 were removed in less time than the other mixtures by the GW, PF and ONI systems, the latter only when using 15 mL/min flow rate.

Atomically thin 2D materials provide an opportunity to investigate the atomic-scale details of defects introduced by particle irradiation. Once the atomic configuration of defects and their spatial distribution are revealed, the details of the mesoscopic phenomena can be unveiled. In this work, we created atomically small defects by controlled irradiation of gallium ions with doses ranging from 4.94 × 10

Polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs), polyurethanes with excellent properties, are cured without poisonous isocyanate. The carbamate groups in the structure can undergo bond exchange in the presence of amin...

Cytochalasins are a group of fungal secondary metabolites with diverse structures and bioactivities, including chaetoglobosin A production. Chaetoglobosin A is produced by Chaetomium globosum and has potential antifungal activity. Bioinformatics analysis of the chaetoglobosin A gene cluster (che) showed it that consists of nine open reading frames, including those encoding polyketide synthases (PKSs), PKS extender units, post-PKS modifications, and proposed regulators. Here, the role of the CgcheR regulator was investigated using gene disruption experiments. The CgcheR disruptant (ΔCgcheR) completely abolished the production of chaetoglobosin A, which was restored by the introduction of a copy of the wild-type CgcheR gene, suggesting that CgcheR is involved in chaetoglobosin A biosynthesis. A transcriptional analysis of the CgcheR disruptant indicated that CgCheR activates the transcription of chaetoglobosin biosynthetic genes in a pathway-specific manner. Furthermore, constitutive overexpression of CgcheR significantly improved the production of chaetoglobosin A from 52 to 260 mg/L. Surprisingly, CgcheR also played a critical role in sporulation; the CgcheR disruptant lost the ability to produce spores, suggesting that the regulator modulates cellular development. Our results not only shed light on the regulation of chaetoglobosin A biosynthesis, but also indicate a relationship between secondary metabolism and fungal morphogenesis.

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays a critical role in determining the performance of lithium metal batteries. Herein, the formation mechanisms of the SEI is investigated in electrolytes with two frequently adopted solvents: diethyl carbonate (DEC) and ethylene carbonate (EC). The dispersity of reaction products between Li and solvents are explored by 1H-NMR and first-principles calculations. Lithium ethylene carbonate (LEC), the reduction product of DEC, disperses in the electrolyte, while lithium ethylene dicarbonate (LEDC), the reduction product of EC, cannot disperse in the electrolyte. First-principles calculations further prove that the low polymerization degree of (LEC)n leads to its good dispersity, while poly-LEDC macromolecules can remain on the Li surface acting as the stable SEI. This work not only clearly points out the formation mechanism of SEI, but also demonstrates the functional role of EC, which can provide novel insights for electrolyte design of advanced batteries.

Non-isocyanate polyurethanes prepared using cyclic carbonates derived from epoxy soybean oil and CO2 can exhibit the reprocessing ability and facilitate the realization of carbon neutrality, but the relatively high temperature required for the reprocessing is not conducive to application. In this work, a NIPU with a dual dynamic network was designed to achieve reprocessing and self-healing under mild conditions.

As one of the important reasons for the greenhouse effect, CO2 can be effectively fixed by reacting with epoxides to synthesize the raw material cyclic carbonate of non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs). Thus, the environmental problems caused by CO2 and toxic isocyanates can be alleviated. Hence, we reported a strategy to use CO2 by preparing bio-based NIPUs using cyclic carbonated soybean oil with amines. The effect of the structure of the NIPUs on their mechanical properties, thermal properties, and dynamic thermomechanical properties was explored. More importantly, stress relaxation was performed to confirm the bond exchange behavior of hydroxyl with carbamate. The mechanical properties of NIPUs after physical hot pressing and chemical degradation recycling can be restored to at least 85% of their original values, indicating excellent reprocessing. The shape of the NIPUs is almost completely recovered, confirming the attractive shape memory. This work reveals an effective method for preparing bio-based NIPUs using the cyclic carbonate obtained by fixing CO2 with epoxy soybean oil; as expected, they exhibit interesting reprocessing and shape memory performance.

It is known that the tremendous structural units in a polymer chain can result in a larger free volume of the bulk, which can effectively decrease the dielectric constant of the polymer. According to this design strategy, a novel rosin-based BCB monomer containing Si–O and characterized by a symmetrical molecular structure was successfully synthesized. Subsequently, an amorphous cross-linked network, with a dielectric constant of 2.44 and a dielectric loss of 2.02 × 10−3 at 1.0 MHz, was formed after the monomer was polymerized at an appropriate temperature. Additionally, the effects of the rosin skeleton on other properties of the modified BCB resin were studied. Compared with those of a BCB resin without a rosin skeleton, the dielectric properties, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and hydrophobicity of the rosin-modified BCB resin were significantly improved. The improvement of these properties is due to the presence of a hydrogenated phenanthrene ring in rosin, which is difficult to rotate and hinders the movement of the molecular chains in the modified BCB resin. Meanwhile, the rigidity and hydrophobicity of the hydrogenated phenanthrene ring can also improve the properties of the BCB resin. Thus, this study shows that the introduction of a rosin skeleton can significantly and comprehensively improve the properties of BCB materials.

Amine transaminases offer an environmentally benign chiral amine asymmetric synthesis route. However, their catalytic efficiency towards bulky chiral amine asymmetric synthesis is limited by the natural geometric structure of the small pocket, representing a great challenge for industrial applications. Here, we rationally engineered the large binding pocket of an (S)-selective ω-transaminase BPTA from Paraburkholderia phymatum to relieve the inherent restriction caused by the small pocket and efficiently transform the prochiral aryl alkyl ketone 1-propiophenone with a small substituent larger than the methyl group. Based on combined molecular docking and dynamic simulation analyses, we identified a non-classical substrate conformation, located in the active site with steric hindrance and undesired interactions, to be responsible for the low catalytic efficiency. By relieving the steric barrier with W82A, we improved the specific activity by 14-times compared to WT. A π–π stacking interaction was then introduced by M78F and I284F to strengthen the binding affinity with a large binding pocket to balance the undesired interactions generated by F44. T440Q further enhanced the substrate affinity by providing a more hydrophobic and flexible environment close to the active site entry. Finally, we constructed a quadruple variant M78F/W82A/I284F/T440Q to generate the most productive substrate conformation. The 1-propiophenone catalytic efficiency of the mutant was enhanced by more than 470-times in terms of kcat/KM, and the conversion increased from 1.3 to 94.4% compared with that of WT, without any stereoselectivity loss (ee > 99.9%). Meanwhile, the obtained mutant also showed significant activity improvements towards various aryl alkyl ketones with a small substituent larger than the methyl group ranging between 104- and 230-fold, demonstrating great potential for the efficient synthesis of enantiopure aryl alkyl amines with steric hindrance in the small binding pocket.

Developing highly efficient red thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters remains a formidable challenge due to strict molecular design principles. In this contribution, two red emitters PXZ-AQPy and PXZ-AQPhPy with high structural rigidity and linear configurations are designed and synthesized based on phenoxazine (PXZ) as a donor and acenaphtho[1,2-b]quinoxaline (AQ) as an acceptor. Both molecules with horizontal orientation are endowed with TADF and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties. By elongating the acceptor segment via phenyl decoration, PXZ-AQPhPy exhibits higher horizontal ratios of the emitting dipole orientation (Θ‖ = 85%), while the emission characteristics are almost unaltered. Consequently, the PXZ-AQPhPy based device achieves a high external quantum efficiency of 19.6% with an emission peak at 610 nm. This work provides a simple and effective design strategy to selectively promote the horizontal orientation of red TADF emitters.

Lesion-mimic mutants (LMMs) provide a valuable tool to reveal the molecular mechanisms determining programmed cell death (PCD) in plants. Despite intensive research, the mechanisms behind PCD and the formation of lesions in various LMMs still remain to be elucidated. Here, we identified a rice (Oryza sativa) LMM, early lesion leaf 1 (ell1), cloned the causal gene by map-based cloning, and verified this by complementation. ELL1 encodes a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, and the ELL1 protein was located in the endoplasmic reticulum. The ell1 mutant exhibited decreased chlorophyll contents, serious chloroplast degradation, upregulated expression of chloroplast degradation-related genes, and attenuated photosynthetic protein activity, indicating that ELL1 is involved in chloroplast development. RNA sequencing analysis showed that genes related to oxygen binding were differentially expressed in ell1 and wild-type plants; histochemistry and paraffin sectioning results indicated that hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and callose accumulated in the ell1 leaves, and the cell structure around the lesions was severely damaged, which indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated and cell death occurred in the mutant. TUNEL staining and comet experiments revealed that severe DNA degradation and abnormal PCD occurred in the ell1 mutants, which implied that excessive ROS accumulation may induce DNA damage and ROS-mediated cell death in the mutant. Additionally, lesion initiation in the ell1 mutant was light dependent and temperature sensitive. Our findings revealed that ELL1 affects chloroplast development or function, and that loss of ELL1 function induces ROS accumulation and lesion formation in rice.

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the important taste compounds in 20 pungent spices commonly used in food, including seventeen free amino acids, four 5′-nucleotides and twelve organic acids. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) and taste activity value (TAV) of the analyzed samples were calculated. The results showed that the content of total free amino acids ranged from 0.57 to 46.67 g/kg in 20 pungent spices. The content of total free amino acids in horseradish was the highest. The content of total 5′-nucleotides ranged from 0.80 to 4.30 g/kg, and chive contains the highest 5′-nucleotide content. Inosine 5′-monophosphate was detected in all 20 pungent spices. The content of total organic acids ranged from 9.37 to 339.58 g/kg. The total organic acids content of fieldmint was the highest (339.58 g/kg). Oxalic acid was detected in 18 pungent spices, except white pepper and chilli. The EUC of fieldmint (37.1 g MSG/100 g) was the highest in all 20 pungent spices, followed with peppermint (24.5 g MSG/100 g), and horseradish (18.4 g MSG/100 g). The TAVs of malic acid, lactic acid and 5′-AMP were higher than 1 in more than 10 spices. Lactic acid were higher than 1 in 13 spices, implying these compounds contributed greater to the flavor of pungent spices. The results of this work will provide references for the application value of pungent spices.

Efficient dehydrogenation of cyclohexane at low temperatures is of great importance in the field of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). In this paper, a series of Pt nanoparticles with a size...

We report the rational design and fabrication of magnetically separable zinc ferrite@titanium dioxide (ZnFe2O4@TiO2) hollow core/shell nanospheres as photocatalysts for efficient H2 evolution by loading the TiO2 shell layer on the prepared ZnFe2O4 hollow nanospheres using the kinetics-controlled coating method. Meanwhile, the incident light absorption, photogenerated charge transfer and separation and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity were remarkably improved by well anchoring cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots on the ZnFe2O4@TiO2 hollow core/shell nanospheres. This unique design integrates the structural and functional merits of the ZnFe2O4, TiO2, and CdSe quantum dots into porous hollow nanospheres with the double-shell heterostructure. This design significantly accelerates the separation and transport of photogenerated charge carriers, enhances the light absorption, and offers more active sites for the photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction. Benefitting from the unique structural and component merits, the optimized magnetically separable ZnFe2O4@TiO2/CdSe hollow core/shell nanospheres exhibit excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance with a high H2 generation rate (266.0 μmol h−1·g−1) and high stability.

Generally, the conjugated homo-macrocycles (CHMs) are synthesized by covalently linking the repeating subunits. However, large subunits are often difficult to conjugate together due to severe stereo-hindrance. Meanwhile, large polyaromatic blocks can not only incorporate its appealing electronic and optical properties into CHMs but also distort the CHMs from planar to three-dimensional (3D) molecular structure. Here we synthesized the 3D CHM composed of large polyaromatic units by post-π-extension. Specifically, cyclo-m-phenylenes, as the cyclic precursor, were π-extended by C-C coupling and then subjected to dehydrocyclization, affording cyclo-1,3-dibenzo[e,1]pyrenylenes (CMDP). The structures of CMDPs were unambiguously characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, showing a congested and strained 3D conformation, which was also confirmed by theoretical calculations. Compared with the monomer, CMDPs showed redshifted absorption and emission, as well as a tenfold enhancement in photoluminescence quantum yield, which could be attributed to their 3D conformation.

Interfaces are often crucial determinants of the physicochemical properties of a material. As a result, the rational production and engineering of heterogeneities, and the resulting interfaces, can enhance the functionality of a material system. This is especially true of two dimensional (2D) materials, which are only a few atoms thick and thus sensitive to small perturbations of their surroundings. As a result, 2D materials and their heterostructures have been recently modified to function as catalysts, photodetectors, chemical sensors, memory, logic devices, single photon emitters, and more. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of functional interfaces in few-layered chalcogenide 2D systems, and address the following topics: The classification of interfaces by dimensionality and electronic structure, methods of creating 2D interfaces, characterization techniques and related challenges, applications of interfacial engineering in 2D systems, and finally a perspective on the future of this rapidly advancing field of study.

Zero-dimensional (0D) organic metal halide hybrids, in which organic and metal halide ions cocrystallize to form neutral species, are a promising platform for the development of multifunctional crystalline materials. Herein we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of a ternary 0D organic metal halide hybrid, (HMTA)4 PbMn0.69 Sn0.31 Br8 , in which the organic cation N-benzylhexamethylenetetrammonium (HMTA+ , C13 H19 N4 + ) cocrystallizes with PbBr4 2- , MnBr4 2- , and SnBr4 2- . The wide band gap of the organic cation and distinct optical characteristics of the three metal bromide anions enabled the single-crystalline "host-guest" system to exhibit emissions from multiple "guest" metal halide species simultaneously. The combination of these emissions led to near-perfect white emission with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency of around 73 %. Owing to distinct excitations of the three metal halide species, warm- to cool-white emissions could be generated by controlling the excitation wavelength.

During replication, numerous viral RNAs are modified by N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant internal RNA modification. m6A is believed to regulate elements of RNA metabolism, such as splicing, stability, translation, secondary structure formation, and viral replication. In this study, we assessed the occurrence of m6A modification of the EV71 genome in human cells and revealed a preferred, conserved modification site across diverse viral strains. A single m6A modification at the 5' UTR-VP4 junction was shown to perform a protranslational function. Depletion of the METTL3 methyltransferase or treatment with 3-deazaadenosine significantly reduced EV71 replication. Specifically, METTL3 colocalized with the viral dsRNA replication intermediate in the cytoplasm during EV71 infection. As a nuclear resident protein, METTL3 relies on the binding of the nuclear import protein karyopherin to its nuclear localization signal (NLS) for nuclear translocation. We observed that EV71 2A and METTL3 share nuclear import proteins. The results of this study revealed an inner mechanism by which EV71 2A regulates the subcellular location of METTL3 to amplify its own gene expression, providing an increased understanding of RNA epitranscriptomics during the EV71 replication cycle.

We obtained a new acidic soy hull polysaccharide (SHP-1) with a molecular weight (Mw) of 4.81 × 105 g/mol through ammonium oxalate and microwave assisted extraction. SHP-1 was mainly composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, rhamnose and arabinose (molar ratio = 46.59%:17.95%:14.77%:13.97%) with small amounts of fucose, glucose, mannose and xylose. The chemical structure was presumed to be of pectin-I type, consisting of 2/3 HGA and 1/3 RG-I. Furthermore, the rheological information and the chain morphology of SHP-1 were different in five solvents. Surfactant, salt and alkali solutions enhanced the solubility and flexibility of the polysaccharide, but the polysaccharide showed decreased fluidity under acidic conditions. The addition of ions and alkali increased the consistency coefficient of the solution, but the effect was far less than that of the cross-linking morphology. The structural and morphological information of purified SHP should aid in further study of its structure-function relationships and applications.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary rumen-protected betaine (RPB) supplementation, as partial replacement for methionine, on the lactation performance of mid-lactation dairy cows. A total of 36 Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to three groups [control, 20 g/day RPB, or 15 g/day rumen-protected methionine (RPM)]. The experiment was conducted over 9 weeks, with the first week for adaptation. Blood metabolites were analyzed with metabolomics in the control and RPB groups. The results revealed that the milk yield and milk protein content were higher in cows fed RPB and RPM compared to those in the control group. Concentrations of nine metabolites differed between cows in the RPB and control groups. These metabolites were mainly concentrated in six pathways, such as arginine synthesis and proline degradation and cyanoamino acid synthesis. This study revealed that RPB can spare methionine and improve lactation performance of dairy cows fed with diets moderately deficient in methionine.

This work presents an efficient approach for the primary separation of the petroporphyrin component from asphaltene aggregates. The n-pentane asphaltenes separated from the vacuum residue of Canadian oil sands bitumen were used as the feedstock. The release behavior of petroporphyrins from feed asphaltenes in polar solvents with the assistance of microwave irradiation was investigated. UV–vis spectroscopy was utilized to calculate the petroporphyrin release efficiency (PRE). The effects of asphaltene concentrations and solvent properties on the PRE were discussed. Results show that, under the microwave irradiation, asphaltenes could be rapidly separated into soluble and insoluble fractions. The solubles are enriched with vanadyl porphyrins, while the insolubles present only weak absorption of nickel porphyrins at proper asphaltene concentrations. The dispersion force (fd) of solvents has a strong correlation with the PRE. Under the optimized conditions of the methanol/toluene volume ratio of 2:1, the microwave time of 10 min, and the asphaltene concentration of 0.08 g/L, the PRE can reach up to 45%. Compared with the traditional solvent extraction method, the PRE of this new method is improved prominently. The possible mechanism of selective activation of petroporphyrin motivated by the microwave irradiation and the formation of asphaltene vesicles is proposed. This work could provide a more efficient technique to purify petroporphyrins from asphaltenes and could give insight into the interactions between petroporphyrins and asphaltene aggregates.

N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) is a temperature-responsive monomer, which is widely used for preparing responsive hydrogels. However, poor water solubility of NVCL necessitates the use of emulsifiers for better dispersion. Hydrolyzed epoxy soybean oil-grafted hydroxyethyl cellulose (H-ESO-HEC) polymeric emulsifier has excellent emulsifying properties, and the carboxyl groups afford pH-responsiveness to the hydrogels. A novel temperature- and pH-responsive cellulose-based hydrogel was prepared by combining NVCL and H-ESO-HEC. The hydrogel morphology, thermal stability, and swelling capacity were characterized, and it was also used as a dual-responsive drug preservative carrier. Scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the porous structure and good thermal stability, respectively, of the hydrogel. The hydrogel displayed a temperature- and pH-dependent swelling behavior and improved swelling capacity. The swelling behavior agreed well with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model and Schott's second-order kinetic model. The dual-responsive hydrogel has significant potential in the drug delivery systems owing to its biocompatibility and temperature and pH sensitivity.

A rapid and efficient magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) method, based on Fe3O4@β-cyclodextrin–lipid bilayer nanocomposites (Fe3O4@β-CD–LB), was built. The MSPE method coupled with GC-QTOF-MS has been designed for the trace detection of nine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in soil samples. The Fe3O4@β-CD–LB was successfully synthesized and characterized by vibrating sample magnetometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In this experiment, the OCPs in the soil samples were firstly extracted with n-hexane/dichloromethane (v/v 1 : 1) at high pressure and temperature, and then subjected to MSPE for adsorption and purification. Considering the synergy effect between host–guest inclusion complexation and hydrophobic interaction in the adsorption mechanism, the bi-functionalized magnetic nanocomposites exhibited excellent adsorption properties for the OCPs and natural resistance to interference by macromolecules. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the method showed wide linear ranges with low limits of detection (4.5 to 34 pg g−1). The results showed that the mean recoveries of the OCPs in the soil samples were 78–107% with 3.0–6.1% intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) and 3.5–6.9% inter-day RSD. The method has been applied for the determination of the OCPs in actual samples, and ΣOCPs ranged between 0 and 2.3 ng g−1 in seven soil samples.

Photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and the reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) process are critical for next-generation highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, it is not easy to simultaneously obtain high PLQY and fast RISC, especially in TADF emitters with twisted donor–acceptor structures due to their conflicting requirements for wave function overlapping. Herein, based on a rigid planar dibenzo[a,c]phenazine (DPPZ) unit as an acceptor, four emitters (isomers of DMAC-11-DPPZ and DMAC-10-DPPZ, and isomers of PXZ-11-DPPZ and PXZ-10-DPPZ) with 9,9-dimethylacridine (DMAC) and 10H-phenoxazine (PXZ) as donors substituted via 11- and 10-positions were designed and synthesized to balance the wave function overlapping and explore the relationship between their structures and luminescence properties. Photophysical characterization and theoretical calculations suggest small energy gaps (ΔEST) featuring fast RISC rates in all these compounds. Meanwhile, DMAC-11-DPPZ and PXZ-11-DPPZ achieve higher PLQYs due to the largely suppressed non-radiative transition as revealed by the decreased Huang–Rhys factors. As a result, high external quantum efficiencies (EQEmax) of 23.8% for DMAC-11-DPPZ and 13.7% for PXZ-11-DPPZ are obtained. This work provides a promising strategy to improve the PLQY of TADF materials by adjusting the substituted site, and also shows the potential of phenazine derivatives for OLED applications.

Tris[1,2,4]triazolo[1,3,5]triazine, a new acceptor based on a fused triazole and triazine moiety, is utilized to construct D3–A star-shaped tristriazolotriazine derivatives, named 3,7,11-tris(4-(10H-phenoxazin-10 yl)phenyl)tris([1,2,4]triazolo)[1,3,5]triazine (TTT-PXZ) and 3,7,11-tris(4-(9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9H)yl)phenyl)tris([1,2,4])triazolo[1,3,5]triazine (TTT-DMAC). Both TTT-PXZ and TTT-DMAC emitters feature TADF activities and AIEE properties. Consequently, solution processed OLEDs based on TTT-PXZ green emitters exhibited good performances, with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of up to 6.2%.

This study aimed to develop an innovative water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion with soyasaponin (Ssa) and polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) as emulsifiers. The effects of the oil/water ratio and aqueous Ssa concentration on the stability of emulsions was investigated. The analyses performed include evaluations of the overall stability, droplet size, rheological analysis, and interfacial tension. Research indicated that the most stable W/O emulsion corresponded to a water/oil ratio of 30/70, and the stability could be further enhanced by increasing the concentration of Ssa and PGPR. In the case of a 1% (w/w) Ssa emulsifier, results indicate a decreased particle size, increased viscosity, and increased stability of the prepared W/O emulsions. Furthermore, with 1% Ssa, the Turbiscan stability index (TSI) value of the W/O emulsions at 3% PGPR was lower than that of pure 4% PGPR emulsions. The results clearly show that 3% PGPR and 1% Ssa exhibited a synergistic effect on the stability of the emulsion. Overall, this study establishes a method for constructing food-grade W/O emulsions, which has prospects for certain applications in delivering functional components.

Tumor resection and treatment of trauma-related regional large bone defects have major challenges in the field of orthopedics. Scaffolds that treat bone defects are the focus of bone tissue engineering. 3D printing porous titanium alloy scaffolds, prepared via electron beam melting technology, possess customized structure and strength. The addition of a growth factor coating to the scaffold introduces a specific form of biological activation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is key to angiogenesis and osteogenesis in vivo. We designed a porous titanium alloy scaffold/thermosensitive collagen hydrogel system, equipped with VEGF, to promote local osseointegration and angiogenesis. We also verified the VEGF release via thermosensitive collagen and proliferation and induction of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via the composite system in vitro. In vivo, using microscopic computed tomography (Micro-CT), histology, and immunohistochemistry analysis, we confirmed that the composite scaffold aids in angiogenesis-mediated bone regeneration, and promotes significantly more bone integration. We also discovered that the composite scaffold has excellent biocompatibility, provides bioactive VEGF for angiogenesis and osteointegration, and provides an important theoretical basis for the restoration of local blood supply and strengthening of bone integration.

Neointima formation is a serious complication caused by mechanical trauma to the vessel. (R)-4,6-dimethoxy-3-(4-methoxy phenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indanone [(R)-TML 104] is a synthesized analog of the natural product resveratrol sesquiterpenes (±)-isopaucifloral F. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of (R)-TML104 on neointima formation. Our results showed that (R)-TML104 prevented neointima formation based on a carotid artery injury model in mice. Furthermore, (R)-TML104 inhibited platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB)-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotypic transformation, evidenced by increased α-smooth muscle actin, reduced VSMC proliferation, and migration. Simultaneously, (R)-TML104 upregulated sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) expression in VSMC. We further uncovered that SIRT1 expression is critical for the inhibitory effects of (R)-TML104 on PDGF-BB-induced VSMC phenotypic transformation in vitro and injury-induced neointima formation in vivo. Finally, (R)-TML104-upregulated SIRT1 inhibited PDGF-BB-induced VSMC phenotypic transformation by downregulating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 expression via decreasing nuclear factor-κB acetylation. Taken together, these results revealed that (R)-TML104 upregulates SIRT1 expression and ameliorates neointima formation. Therefore, the application of (R)-TML104 may constitute an effective strategy to ameliorate neointima formation.

Efficient dehydrogenation of cycloalkanes under mild conditions is the key to large-scale application of cycloalkanes as a hydrogen storage medium. In this paper, a series of active metals loaded on nitrogen-doped carbon (M/CN, M = Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Au, Ru, Ag, Ni, Cu) were prepared to learn the role of active metals in cycloalkane dehydrogenation with cyclohexane as the model reactant. Only Pt/CN, Pd/CN, Rh/CN and Ir/CN can catalyze the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane under the set conditions. Among them, Pt/CN exhibited the best catalytic activity with the TOF value of 269.32 h−1 at 180 °C, followed by Pd/CN, Rh/CN and Ir/CN successively. More importantly, the difference of catalytic activity between these active metals diminishes with the increase in temperature. This implies that there is a thermodynamic effect of cyclohexane dehydrogenation with the synthetic catalysts, which was evidenced by the study on the activation energy. In addition, the effects of molecular structure on cycloalkane dehydrogenation catalyzed by Pt/CN were studied. The results reveal that cycloalkane dehydrogenation activity and hydrogen production rate can be enhanced by optimizing the type, quantity and position of alkyl substituents on cyclohexane.

As the two types of major impurities in FCC slurry oil (SLO), olefins and sulfur seriously deteriorate the preparation and quality of mesophase pitch or needle coke. The development of a hydrotreatment for SLO to remove olefins and sulfur selectively becomes imperative. This work presents the potentiality of dispersed Mo2C and MoS2 nanoparticles as selective hydrotreating catalysts of SLO. Mo2C was synthesized by the carbonization of citric acid, ammonium molybdate and KCl mixtures while MoS2 was prepared from the decomposition of precursors. These catalysts were characterized by XRD, HRTEM, XPS, BJH, BET, and applied to the hydrotreating of an SLO surrogate with defined components and real SLO. The conversion of olefins, dibenzothiophene and anthracene in the surrogate was detected by GC-MS. Elemental analysis, bromine number, diene value, 1H-NMR and spot test were used to characterize the changes of the real SLO. The results show that hydrotreating the SLO surrogate with a very small amount of Mo-based nanoparticles could selectively remove olefins and sulfur without the overhydrogenation of polyaromatics. Mo2C exhibited much better activity than MoS2, with 95% of olefins and dibenzothiophene in the surrogate removed while only 15% anthracene was hydrogenated. The stability of the real SLO was significantly improved. Its structural parameters changed subtly, proving the aromatic macromolecules had been preserved.

Hypothesis Polyurethane plastic waste (PUPW), a port-abundant solid waste, is difficult to degrade naturally and poses a severe threat to the environment. Hence, the effective recycling of PUPW remains a challenge. Experiments Herein, a strategy of converting PUPW into stacked oil/water filtration layer grain through a layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly process is investigated. Notably, such PU-based, grain-stacked, and switchable wettability of the oil/water filter layer is first reported. Findings The grain-stacked filter layers are flexible for separating immiscible oil/water mixtures, water-in-oil emulsions (WOE), and oil-in-water emulsions (OWE) under gravity over 10 cycle-usages. They can withstand strong acid/alkali solutions (pH=1-14) and salt solutions over 12 hours. Besides, 100-times scale-up experiments have indicated that the obtained filter layers exhibit an upper to 98.2 % separation efficiency for 10 L real industrial oil/water emulsion in the 24 hours continuous operation. The demulsification mechanism for emulsions is that the electrostatic interaction along with adsorption between emulsion droplets and grains leads to the uneven distribution of surfactants on the interface film of the emulsion droplets, increasing the probability of tiny droplets colliding and coalescing into large droplets to achieve oil/water separation. This work proposes an effective and economical method of abundant plastic waste for industrial-scale oil-water separation rather than just on the laboratory-scale.

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to detect the urinary levels of dimethoate, benzo(a) pyrene (BaP), and bisphenol A (BPA) in first-year Hohai University students with different geographic origins.MethodsFirst-morning urine samples were collected from 540 healthy freshmen aged 17 to 19 years. Chemical levels were measured using β-glucuronidase hydrolysis followed by a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based method. Geometric means (GMs) of these three chemicals are presented by body mass index (BMI) and location in a volume-based and creatinine-standardized way.ResultsGM concentrations of omethoate, BPA and 3-OHBaP were 9.47 μg/L (10.80 μg/g creatinine), 3.54 μg/L (4.04 μg/g creatinine) and 0.34 ng/L (0.39 ng/g creatinine), respectively. The GM concentration of omethoate in males was significantly higher than that in females. The individuals with a BMI higher than 23.9 had higher GM concentrations of omethoate, BPA, and 3-OHBaP. The inhabitants of Southwest China had significantly lower GM concentrations of omethoate, BPA, and 3-OHBaP than those who lived in other locations in China.ConclusionThe average level of environmental chemical accumulation in freshmen is lower in Southwest China and differs in youth who live in different regions. In addition, obesity is correlated with higher toxin levels in youth.

Microbial secondary metabolites produced by Streptomyces are applied to control plant diseases. The metabolite, ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL), is a non-toxic food preservative, but the potential application of this compound as a microbial fungicide in agriculture is rarely reported. In this study, the effect and mode of action of ε-PL on two necrotrophic pathogenic fungi, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea, were investigated. The results showed that ε-PL effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea with EC50 values of 283 μg/mL and 281 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, ε-PL at the dose of 150 and 300 μg/mL reduced S. sclerotiorum sclerotia formation. The results of the RNA-seq and RT-qPCR validation indicated that ε-PL significantly regulated the gene expression of critical differential expressed genes (DEGs) involved in fungal growth, metabolism, pathogenicity, and induced an increase in the expression of the fungal stress responses and the detoxification genes. These results provided new insights for understanding the modes of action of ε-PL on S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea and improved the sustainable management of these plant diseases.

The co-encapsulation of multiple bioactive components in a carrier may produce synergistic effects and improve health benefits. In this study, the interactions of β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and/or piceatannol (PIC)/oxyresveratrol (OXY) were investigated by multispectroscopic techniques, isothermal titration calorimetry, and molecular docking. The static quenching mechanism of β-LG by EGCG, PIC and OXY was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-vis absorption difference spectroscopy. The binding sites of these three polyphenols in β-LG were identified by site marking fluorescence experiments and molecular docking. The thermodynamic parameters of the β-LG + EGCG/PIC/OXY binary complex and β-LG + EGCG + PIC/OXY ternary complex were obtained from fluorescence data and used to analyze the main driving force for complex formation. The exothermic binding process was further confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. The α-helical content, particle size and morphology of free and ligand-bound β-LG were determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The effect of EGCG, PIC and OXY on the conformation of β-LG was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the maximum synergistic antioxidant activity between EGCG and PIC/OXY was obtained by response surface analysis. The effects of β-LG in the binary and ternary systems on the antioxidant activity, stability, solubility and cytotoxicity of the polyphenols were also studied. Finally, the different cytotoxicities of the complexes and nanoparticles of the binary and ternary systems were compared. The results of this study are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the development of β-LG-based carriers co-encapsulating a variety of bioactive components.

In this work, a kind of MOF MIL-100(Fe)@CNFs hydrogel (MC) based on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) for fertilizers slow-release was prepared by free-radical polymerization, where N-vinyl caprolactam (NVCL) and CNFs were involved to exhibit temperature and pH response, respectively. Particularly, porous MIL-100(Fe), a kind of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), was introduced to optimize the load and slow-release capabilities. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize. The swelling behaviors and water-retention capabilities of hydrogels were evaluated. Using urea as the model fertilizer, the slow-release mechanism was revealed. Wheat was used as the model crop to evaluate the practical growth status. Compared with MC-0% hydrogels, the MC-10% hydrogels exhibited a better swelling capacity (37 g/g), water-retention (22.78%) and slow-release performance (40.84%). It also exhibited sensitivities to temperature and pH for regulating urea release. Besides, the number of tillers and leaves of wheat fertilized with MC hydrogels significantly increased, as did the photosynthetic rate. In conclusion, the MC-0% hydrogels had a positive influence on crops growth, and promoted the possible utilization of hydrogels in slow-release fertilizers.

Lactobacillus has been reported to inhibit acute lung injury (ALI). However, the molecular mechanism of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) in preventing ALI has not been identified, so we investigated whether L. casei pretreatment could inhibit the activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway following ALI. ALI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to female BALB/c mice. In L. casei LC2W group, mice were intragastrically administrated L. casei LC2W for a week, before the ALI modeling. The serum of normal BALB/c mice after intragastric administration of L. casei LC2W was used for in vitro cell assays. The serum was pre-incubated with mouse macrophage cell line (RAW264.7) and human lung cell line (HLF-A), then LPS was added to co-incubate. Compared with ALI model group, L. casei LC2W pretreatment significantly reduced lung pathological damage, the number of neutrophils and total cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Besides, L. casei LC2W pretreatment could significantly reverse the abnormal expression of ICAM-1, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 in lung tissue and serum, plus, L. casei LC2W significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of IRAK-1 and NF-κB p65. In vitro, the serum decreased the up-regulation of IL-6 and TNF-α in cell lines induced by LPS. In conclusion, L. casei LC2W intragastric administration pretreatment could significantly improve LPS-induced ALI in mice, probably through circulation to reach the lungs so as to inhibit the inflammatory response induced by activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

The core of China’s low-carbon development includes optimization of industrial structure, clean energy technologies, emission reduction technologies, and innovation of relevant systems and institutions. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has always been a proactive participant in developing low-carbon economy, shouldering the responsibilities of safeguarding oil and gas supply, conserving energy, and reducing emission. Therefore, CNPC fulfills those responsibilities as a substantial part of its overall strategy. Guided by low carbon and driven by innovation, petroleum corporations have taken constant innovation of low-carbon technologies, especially the development of green and low-carbon petroleum engineering technologies and equipment, as major measures for energy conservation and emission reduction. Large-scale development mode of unconventional resource anhydrous fracturing should be innovated. And supercritical CO2 should be used to replace water for fracturing operation, in order to achieve multiple objectives of CO2 burying, conserve water resource, improve single well production and ultimate recovery, realizing reduced emission and efficient utilization of CO2 resources. Artificial lifting energy-saving and efficiency-increasing technologies and injection-production technology in the same well should also be innovated. Energy consumption of high water-cut wells is reduced to support the new low-carbon operation mode of high water-cut oilfields and realize energy saving and efficiency improvement during oil production by developing the operation efficiency of the lifting system and reducing the ineffective lifting of formation water. These technologies have been widely recognized by local and international experts and have greatly enhanced CNPC’s international influence. This study expounds the key technologies and equipment with regard to the development of green and low-carbon petroleum engineering and provide relevant suggestions.

Many studies have demonstrated an association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Moreover, CMV infection is more common in patients with severe or steroid-refractory IBD. However, it is not clarified whether CMV worsens IBD or if it is merely a surrogate marker for IBD. Here, we used the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis model to investigate if CMV infection exacerbates colitis. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 10 MOI of murine CMV (MCMV) and thereafter, chronic colitis was induced by one cycle of DSS exposure. Anti-IL-23R mAb at 20 μg/mice and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an effective NF-κB inhibitor, at 50 mg/kg were administrated to the mice. The MCMV-infected mice had a shorter colon length and a higher histopathology score than the mock inoculum-treated mice, while anti-IL-23R mAb administration ameliorated the pathological changes. Expression of IL-23, phospho-NF-κB p65, and phospho-IκBα was upregulated in colon tissues of the MCMV-infected mice compared to mock inoculum-treated mice, while treatment with PDTC attenuated colonic IL-23 production. These data demonstrated that CMV infection could accelerate IBD development. This effect may be due to its activation on NF-κB signaling pathway and subsequently IL-23 production.

Bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on indwelling medical devices potentially cause serious and life-threatening infections. Technologies to prevent bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on biomedical devices are in great demand. Here, we report the preparation of coating monomers by conjugating rosin acid-derived maleopimaric acid quaternary ammonium cation (MPA-N+) with different chain of lengths allyloxy polyethylene glycol (APEG; either MW 1200 or 2400). The monomers of the cation plus its linker conjugates (APEG1200/2400-MPA-N+) were further grafted onto the surface of silicone rubber slides (PDMS) via plasma/UV-induced surface polymerization to form antimicrobial and antifouling coatings. The dual-functional coatings exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against gram-negative and positive bacteria, and they effectively prevented biofilm formation. The coatings also greatly reduced protein adsorption and platelet adhesion, indicating their excellent antifouling capability. In addition, the APEG1200/2400-MPA-N+ cation coatings were biocompatible towards mammalian cells, as shown by in vitro cytotoxicity assays using rabbit erythrocytes and attached human aorta smooth muscle cells. In addition, the APEG2400-MPA-N+ coating exhibited significant anti-infective activity in a rodent subcutaneous infection model. We show that the APEG2400-MPA-N+ coating is an effective strategy for the prevention of infections associated with indwelling biomedical devices.