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Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of rhodamine 6G (R6G) was investigated using a hybrid nanostructure of double-aligned Ag nanowires (AgNWs) on a bilayer triangular MoS2 flake under excita...

A novel divergent domino annulation reaction of prop-2-ynylsulfonium salts with sulfonyl-protected β-amino ketones has been developed, affording various epoxide-fused 2-methylenepyrrolidines and S-containing pyrroles in moderate to excellent yields. Prop-2-ynylsulfonium salts act as C2 synthons in the reactions providing a promising epoxide-fused skeleton in a single operation with readily accessible starting materials.

A transition-metal-free, facile and efficient method for the synthesis of 3-alkynylpyrrole-2,4-dicarboxylates from methylene isocyanides and propiolaldehyde with moderate to good yields has been developed. The direct transformation process and good tolerance of various substituents make it an alternative approach to previous protocols, and potential applications of these investigated compounds are expected with or without post-modifications.

The door is a primary target for an explosive attack. The design of special building structure and its blast-resistant door has been reported in the previous literature. However, there is little about the failure analysis and design method for the anti-explosion property of aluminum alloy doors in ordinary buildings. Aiming at the problem of anti-explosion property of aluminum alloy doors in ordinary buildings, plastic deformation was used as the failure model, and a method to improve the anti-explosion property by controlling the external conditions was developed in this study. Based on dimensionless analysis and finite element simulation, the dynamic responses of aluminum alloy doors under blast load were compared with the experimental data, and the correctness of the model was verified. The prediction model for anti-explosion property of aluminum alloy doors was established, which provided a scientific basis to prevent the failure of aluminum alloy doors with different sizes and thicknesses. The critical amount of explosive charge to aluminum alloy doors with different explosion distances or thicknesses was obtained according to the quantitative results. The use of polyurea coating greatly improved the anti-explosion property of the door.

A series of novel 3-(thiophen/thiazole-2-ylthio)pyridine derivatives were designed and synthesized as IGF-1R tyrosine kinase inhibitors. All the target compounds were tested for their IGF-1R kinase inhibitory activities and cytotoxicities against five cancer cell lines (K562, Hep-G2, HCT-116, WSU-DLCL2, and A549). Although all these compounds exhibited moderate to potent cancer cell proliferation inhibitory activities (the most potent compound 43 showed IC50 value of 1.3 ± 0.9 μM against WSU-DLCL2 cell line), IGF-1R inhibition were not observed. In order to identify the exact target of these analogues, selected compounds were further screened for various kinases. The results indicated that this series of compounds may exert their anticancer activities through inhibiting various kinases including FGFR 3, EGFR, JAK, and RON. In addition, cell cycle analysis of compound 43 on Hep-G2 cells showed cell cycle arrest at G1/G0 phase. All the experiments validated the potential of 3-(thiophen/thiazole-2-ylthio)pyridine analogues as multi-target anticancer agents.

Novel divergent domino annulation reactions of sulfur ylides with aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates have been developed, affording various tetra- and trisubstituted pyrazole derivatives in moderate to good yields. Three molecules of sulfur ylides were applied as C1 synthon to construct the complex products with five new chemical bonds formed in these one-pot reactions.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of refractory epilepsy, in which inflammation is suggested to cause abnormal neuronal connections and neural networks. However, the expression of inflammatory genes in epilepsy remains incomplete, particularly in the context of the cortex, which is a hub of epileptic transmission but also is essential for mediating sensory, motor and cognitive function. Here, a rat model of epilepsy was established by kainic acid (KA) administration Gene transcriptome was explored in 4 signature phases in the hippocampus and cortex: acute damage (3 h), onset of epileptogenesis (3 d), spontaneous epilepsy (2 w) and cognitive impairment (9 w). Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis was applied to unravel the significantly altered pathways. We found, in both the hippocampus and cortex, the inflammatory gene was up-regulated in the acute phase, followed by a gradual decline; the phagocytosis and glial activation were remarkably increased since day 3; persistently down-regulated synaptic transmission and neuronal development started from the 3 h phase and lasted through the 9 w phase. While, the changed gene expression in the cortex fall into the same categories but were relatively lagging behind that in the hippocampus, also showing less number and distinct genes. Collectively, this study demonstrated the changes of gene transcriptome in the cortex and hippocampus in the signature phases after the KA administration, illustrating the association between epileptogenesis, inflammation genes and cognitive dysfunction, and may benefit identifying novel therapeutic targets for treating TLE and its comorbidities.

In this work, a plasmonic hybrid coupling-enhanced photocatalyst of Ag/rGO (reduced graphene oxide)-ZnO, integrating superior activity, lasting stability, and low cost all-in-one, is proposed to settle limitations related to narrow photoresponse range and high charge recombination on ZnO. Graphene oxide nanoflakes were successfully composited with ZnO nanorods using the self-assembly method, then modified with Ag nanoparticles. UV–vis absorption spectra, photoelectrochemical characterizations and the finite difference time domain simulations show that this nanocomposite has enhanced catalytic activity for reducing CO2 to CO and CH4 compared to pure ZnO (P-ZnO). By tuning the content of graphene and Ag, the maximum photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/rGO-ZnO (62.7 μmol g−1 h−1) far exceeds that of P-ZnO by at least 28 times, with high stability for more than 24 h in the absence of hole scavengers and photosensitizers. Meanwhile, with the addition of Ag and graphene, Ag/rGO-ZnO exhibits a selective tendency toward the cleaner fuel-CH4, which is 7 times higher than P-ZnO. Our study highlights the potential of broadening the light response range, suppressing e−/h+ recombination, and improving the stability of catalysts based on a nanocomposite structure. It also provides a more valuable reference for promoting low-cost commercial applications of ZnO photocatalysts.

Background NSCLC is the major type of lung cancer and the survival rates of NSCLC patients remain low. AZD9291 is a third-generation EGFR-TKI and approved to treat NSCLC patients harboring EGFR T790M mutation and common targetable activating EGFR mutations, but it has a limited effect for wtEGFR NSCLC. Purpose The current study investigated whether shikonin could enhance the antitumor effect of AZD9291 in wtEGFR NSCLC cells. Methods SRB and colony formation assay were used to detect the proliferation of NSCLC cells, propidium iodide staining was performed to detect the apoptosis, ROS was analyzed using DCFH-DA staining, and western blot was used to detect the expression of indicated proteins. Results We demonstrated that shikonin, a natural ROS inducer, could enhance the antitumor effect of AZD9291 in wtEGFR NSCLC cells. In addition, shikonin increased AZD9291-induced apoptosis accompanying with the generation of ROS and activation of ER stress. Furthermore, ROS inhibition by NAC or GSH reversed the apoptosis induced by shikonin plus AZD9291, and recovered the ER stress activated by combination treatment, indicating that ROS mediated ER stress played a vital role in this combination therapy. Moreover, shikonin increased the anticancer activity of AZD9291 in primary wtEGFR NSCLC cells through ROS-mediated ER stress. Conclusion Our study suggests that combining shikonin with AZD9291 is a promising therapeutic strategy for treating wtEGFR NSCLC patients.