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Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic electrodes under actual working conditions show interesting mass transfer behaviors at solid (electrode)/liquid (electrolyte)/gas (hydrogen) three-phase interfaces. These behaviors are essential for forming a continuous and effective physical contact region between the electrolyte and the electrode and require further detailed understanding. Here, a case study on 1T-2H phase molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/carbon fiber paper (CFP) catalytic electrodes is performed. Rapid gas-liquid mass transfer at the interface for enhancing the working area stability and capillarity for increasing the electrode working area is found. The real scenario, wherein the energy utilization efficiency of the as-prepared non-noble metal catalytic electrode exceeds that of the noble metal catalytic electrode, is disclosed. Specifically, a fluid dynamics model is developed to investigate the behavior mechanism of hydrogen bubbles from generation to desorption on the catalytic electrode surface with different hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. These new insights and theoretical evidence on the non-negligible three-phase interface behaviors will identify opportunities and motivate future research in high-efficiency, stability, and low-cost HER catalytic electrode development.

Microwave-assisted catalytic technology is potentially promising in the application of water treatment due to its merits of high reaction rates, simple equipment and operations. In case of the cartap wastewater rarely studied, the easy transformation of cartap into metabolites could induce higher toxicity. This study aimed to develop a novel catalyst Ce/Co/γ-Al2O3 to dispose cartap effectively. The catalyst was prepared by loading Ce and Co on the surface of the support Al2O3, followed by characterization with X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Based on the treatment results, the microwave-induced catalytic oxidation procedure over Ce/Co/γ-Al2O3 could decompose the contaminants efficiently and fast in the case of a low oxidant dosage and a wide pH range. Under the conditions of pH of 5, microwave power of 450 W, catalyst dosage of 0.7 g and hydrogen peroxide dosage of 0.2 mL, the activity of Ce/Co/γ-Al2O3 catalyst could reach up to 86.08%. Importantly, the Ce/Co/γ-Al2O3 catalyst displayed excellent stability after using for 6 times in the degradation process. This work paved a new way for the effective catalyst design for efficient microwave-induced oxidative degradation.

Although Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR) has been widely used as a tonic and an anti-aging remedy for centuries, the extensively reported hepatotoxicity and potential kidney toxicity hindered its safe use in clinical practice. To better understand its toxicokinetics, the current study was proposed, aiming to evaluate the biodistributions of the major PMR components including 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG), emodin, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (EMG) and physcion as well as their corresponding glucuronides following bolus and multiple oral administrations of PMR to rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received a bolus dose or 21 days of oral administrations of PMR concentrated granules at 4.12 g/kg (equivalent to 20.6 g/kg raw material). Fifteen minutes after bolus dose or the last dose on day 21, rats were sacrificed and the blood, liver, and kidney were collected for the concentration determination of both parent form and glucuronides of TSG, emodin, EMG, and physcion by HPLC-MS/MS. Among all the tested analytes, TSG, EMG, EMG glucuronides in liver and TSG, EMG, as well as all the glucuronides of these analytes in the kidney demonstrated the most significant accumulation after multiple doses. Moreover, the levels of the parent analytes were all significantly higher in liver and kidney in comparison to their plasma levels. Strong tissue binding of all four analytes and accumulation of TSG, EMG, and EMG glucuronides in the liver and TSG, EMG, as well as the glucuronides of all four analytes in the kidney after multiple dosing of PMR were considered to be associated with its toxicity.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are important mediators of the normal cellular function and the cellular stress response. As such, HSPs are often utilized to measure the effects of stressors on organisms in vivo. However, multiple variables can influence their expression, including time or season, confounding results. To investigate the utility of HSPs in measuring effects of stressors in a top-trophic carnivore, we captured 20 American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis (Daudin, 1802)), placed them in burlap sacks for 2 h and collected blood samples over four time points (baseline, 1 and 2 h after placement into burlap sacks, and 24 h after initial capture) to measure plasma corticosterone (the main crocodilian glucocorticoid) and levels of HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90. Time point significantly affected plasma corticosterone levels in Alligators (p < 0.0001), with levels significantly elevated at 1, 2, and 24 h, relative to baseline (all p < 0.05). However, capture stress did not affect HSP60, HSP70, or HSP90 in red blood cells (all p > 0.05). Our results suggest HSPs may be important biomarkers for investigating the impacts of stressors on captive and wild crocodilians, as they are not acutely elevated by capture or handling stress.

An ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]) was blended with spiro-(1,10)-bipyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate (SBPBF4) salt and propylene carbonate (PC) to obtain a liquid mixture electrolyte system. The thermodynamic properties of the mixture electrolyte with different molar compositions such as viscosity, density, and electrical conductivity were determined at different temperatures. Infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) are used to calculate and describe the microscopic interactions in the mixture electrolyte system. Then, the IL-based mixture electrolyte was applied in supercapacitor with active carbon electrodes. The supercapacitor performances of the mixture electrolyte including the electrochemical window, the specific capacitance, and the energy density were tested and reckoned by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS), and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) methods, respectively. The interaction analysis and the electrochemical test results indicate that the appropriate addition of IL is a simple and effective way to improve the electrochemical performance of the electrolyte in supercapacitors.

Vertically oriented graphene (VG) is deposited on a wide range of substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Moreover, the growth mode of VG is proven to be bottom-up deposition using isotope labeling. The Raman characteristic features of rhodamine 6G (R6G), an aromatic dye, are acquired using VG as a universal fluorescence quencher. The fluorescence quenching mechanism is likely related to the transfer of energy and photon-excited electrons between dye molecules and VG because not only the fluorescence emission spectrum of R6G greatly overlaps with the UV–vis absorption spectrum of VG, but also the resistance of dye-coated VG decreases under light irradiation. In addition, the Raman features of other aromatic dyes, such as eosin Y, rhodamine B, methylene blue, and gallocyanine, are obtained by the same method.

Epicuticular wax serves as an interface with the environment and thus plays an important role in the resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Previously, we identified the wax-deficient mutant w5, and GC–MS profiling showed that β-diketone biosynthesis was completely blocked and the content of some other components also decreased significantly in the w5 mutant. In the present study, comparative transcriptome profile of the flag-leaf sheath between the w5 mutant and its wild type was performed, and the expression patterns of differentially expressed genes in wax metabolism pathway were analyzed. The results showed that a total of 767 differentially expressed genes were identified and they were mainly enriched in wax biosynthesis and transportation pathways by Gene Ontology (GO) analyses. Further analysis showed that the expressions of epicuticular wax metabolism-related genes were almost significantly downregulated, which might contribute to the dramatic decrease of the epicuticular wax content in the w5 mutant. Here, our study delineated a transcriptional landscape of the wax metabolism regulatory genes in the w5 mutant and paved a way for further exploring the molecular mechanisms of epicuticular wax metabolism in wheat.

Multilayer graphene has been employed as a functional material for tuning the emissivity in mid- and long-infrared range, which shows great potential for various applications, such as radiative cooling and thermal camouflage. However, the stability of the multilayer graphene is not sufficient for practical applications yet. Even though it is reported that the integrity of the multilayer graphene is compromised by ion intercalation, the detailed mechanism is rather unclear. Here, a set of ionic liquids is deployed as sources of electronic charges for tuning the emissivity of multilayer graphene. It is found that the emissivity modulator using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([EMIm]NTf2) as the ionic liquid provides a modulation depth of about 0.52 (i.e., about 21% larger than the best-reported value) while maintaining a reasonable device lifetime. The microscopic structures of the multilayer graphene in an operational and failure modulator are investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that the modulation depth of emissivity is negatively correlated with the initial voltage, which represents the reaction potential between the ionic liquid and graphene. Furthermore, not only the chemical reactivity but also the size of both anion and cation in the ionic liquids play important roles in maintaining stability of the modulator. Therefore, a set of criteria (e.g., low initial voltage and small size of anion and cation) is proposed to select proper ionic liquids for emissivity modulation. This not only sheds light on the underlying physics of the modulator but also promotes its practical applications.

Multielemental nanoparticles (MENPs) provide the possibility to integrate multiple catalytic functions from different elements into one nanoparticle. However, it is difficult to synthesize Ag-based MENPs with transition metals such as Ni and Fe because of the strong phase segregation between Ag and the other metals. Here, we show that nonmetal element P can help the amalgamation of Ag with other metals. Ag-Ni-Fe-P MENPs are successfully synthesized by a solution-phase chemistry, and they demonstrate excellent bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)/oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activities (the potential gap of the potential at 10 mA·cm-2 for OER and half-wave potential for ORR is 630 mV). More important, the synergistic effect from the MENPs endows them with even higher ORR or OER activity than the Ag or NiFeP nanoparticles. A rechargeable Zn-air battery is fabricated by using the Ag-Ni-Fe-P MENPs as the air electrode. The battery has an energy efficiency of ∼60% at 10 mA cm-2. Its performance is almost unchanged during a working period of 250 h, surpassing the Pt/C+IrO2-based battery. These results suggest that the rationally designed MENPs can integrate multiple catalytic functions together and achieve a synergistic effect, which can be used as high-performance multifunctional catalysts.

In this paper, the time-fractional coupled Burger equation under Riemann-Liouville derivative is systematically analyzed. Firstly, the Lie point symmetry is obtained by applying the Lie symmetry an...

In this study, a graphene oxide/polyvinylidene fluoride (GO/PVDF) tight hollow fiber membrane (HFM) with improved permeability was fabricated via one-step direct spinning process to fractionate the dyes and salts (NaCl and Na2SO4) in textile wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the GO/PVDF HFM possessed a smooth and tight outer selective layer and a relatively porous and loose inner surface. The optimized HFM not only possesses a small mean pore radius of 1.14 nm, but also has a high pure water flux of 24.8 L/m2·h·bar. The stronger negative charge (− 40 mV at pH = 7) was obtained by the GO/PVDF HFM. Due to the synergistic effects of size exclusion and charge repulsion, the resultant HFM exhibited excellent rejection for dyes (i.e., close to 100% for Congo red and Methyl blue, 98.9% for Eriochrome black T) and low salts rejection (i.e., 1% for NaCl, 11% for Na2SO4). Besides, with appropriate addition of hydrophilic GO to the doped solution, the resultant membrane exhibited good hydrophilicity, antifouling property and excellent stability. The newly developed tight HFM would be of great significance for effective fractionation and treatment of textile wastewater.

Pyrene represents one of the most attractive units for building organic optoelectronic materials. Most pyrene derivatives that have been reported are 1,3,6,8-substituted pyrenes, as these positions are active to electrophilic reactions. By utilising Ir-catalysed borylation, which is sterically driven, Marder and co-workers have developed an effective way to synthesise 2-, 4-, 2,7-, and 4,9-substituted pyrenes, and the photophysics of these pyrene derivatives has been investigated. Similar methodology has also been used in the study of perylene and others. This review summarises the Ir-catalysed borylation of pyrene and other aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as their contributions to the development of organic optoelectronics.

Background and purpose Altered drug pharmacokinetics is a significant concern in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients. Although high-fat high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet-induced NASH (HFHC-NASH) rats could simulate the typical dysregulation of cholesterol in NASH patients, experimental investigation on the altered drug pharmacokinetics in this model are limited. Thus, the present study comprehensive investigates the nature of such altered pharmacokinetics using simvastatin as the model drug. Experimental approach Pharmacokinetic profiles of simvastatin and its active metabolite simvastatin acid together with compartmental pharmacokinetic modelling were used to identify the key factors involved in the altered pharmacokinetics of simvastatin in HFHC-NASH rats. Experimental investigations via in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion and intrahepatic injection of simvastatin were carried out. Histology, Ces1 activities and mRNA/protein levels of Oatp1b2/CYP2c11/P-gp in the small intestine/liver of healthy and HFHC-NASH rats were compared. Key results Reduced intestinal absorption and more extensive hepatic elimination in HFHC-NASH rats resulted in less systemic exposures of simvastatin/simvastatin acid. In the small intestine of HFHC-NASH rats, thicker intestinal wall with more collagen fibres, increased Ces1 activity and up-regulated P-gp protein decreased the permeability of simvastatin, accelerated the hydrolysis of simvastatin and promoted the efflux of simvastatin acid respectively. In the liver of HFHC-NASH rats, higher hepatic P-gp expression accelerated the hepatic elimination of simvastatin. Conclusion and implications Altered histology, Ces1 activity and P-gp expression in the small intestine/liver were identified to be the major contributing factors leading to less systemic exposure of drugs in HFHC-NASH rats, which may be applicable to NASH patients.

Nanofiltration is widely used in separation of ions with different sizes and charges. However, thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane is hard to reach satisfied selectivity for monovalent ions from divalent ions. In this study, polyamide thin film nanocomposite (TFN) nanofiltration membranes were prepared via interfacial polymerization of piperazine and trimesoyl chloride on a PES substrate by incorporation of aminated titanium dioxide (APTES-TiO2). Surface morphology, roughness of the TFN membranes with varied concentration of aminated TiO2 were tested by SEM, AFM and Zeta analysis. The results showed membrane containing 0.3(w/v%) amino-modified titanium dioxide with ion-selective properties had greatly improved pure water flux while the Na2SO4 rejection keeps at a relative high level (>95%). For the separation of single salt solution, 0.3(w/v%) TFN has a higher rejection for sodium chloride (23.2%) and sodium sulfate (99.7%). For monovalent/divalent mixed salt solution has a separation factor of 477.89 in terms of chloride ion (Cl−) and sulfate (SO42−) in the mixed solution with a salt concentration ratio of 1:19, which was higher than that of the conventional commercial NF membranes, such as Desal-DL, NF 270. This method provides the possibility of recovering concentrated brine and industrial separation of monovalent and divalent ions.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), as a label-free, highly sensitive analytical method, has become an important tool for providing substance fingerprints. In this study, silver nanoparticles containing thiosulfate ions and calcium ions (Ag@SCNPs) have been used as an enhanced substrate to eliminate the interference of impurities on DNA signals. Intrinsic structural information on single-strand DNA (ssDNA) was directly obtained through SERS. The improved enhancement system was used to explore the base-stacking rules of ssDNA in a solution environment. For the first time, single-base insertion mutations and deletion mutations, as well as their exact mutation sites, were identified, and Raman spectra with high stability, repeatability, and high signal-to-noise ratio were obtained. The method is simple, fast, and accurate, and the detection process is nondestructive. It has potential to be applied in the fields of medical diagnosis and genetics research.

At ambient conditions, potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) usually exists in tetragonal structure, and only transforms to monoclinic structure at a temperature around 503 K. In this study, stable monoclinic KDP is developed at room temperature using a mixture of graphene oxides and unsaturated KDP solution. Furthermore, a reversible phase transition between monoclinic and tetragonal structure is observed by tuning the distance between graphene oxide layers. The first-principles calculation suggests that the tetragonal structure is more energetically favorable when KDP is sandwiched by two graphitic surfaces with a large interlayer distance, whereas the monoclinic structure is more stable with a small interlayer distance. This is attributed to the interaction between ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ cations and \ensuremath{\pi} electrons in the graphitic surface, which distorts the local structural configurations. The increase of interaction strength with decreasing interlayer distance not only reduces the crystal-liquid interfacial free energy, which promotes the formation of the monoclinic structure in unsaturated solution, but also stimulates transformation of existing tetragonal KDP to monoclinic structure. The observations shed light on the nucleation mechanism for crystal structure that is usually infeasible and unstable at ambient conditions, and provide an avenue to tune crystal structures for a wide range of metal salts.

Hydrogen-air proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are excellent fuel cells with high limits of energy density. However, the low carbon monoxide (CO) tolerance of the Pt electrode catalyst in hydrogen-air PEMFCs and methanol permanent in DMFCs greatly hindered their extensive use. Applying polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes can avoid these problems. The high thermal stability allows PBI membranes to work at elevated temperatures when the CO tolerance can be significantly improved; the excellent methanol resistance also makes it suitable for DMFCs. However, the poor proton conductivity of pristine PBI makes it hard to be directly applied in fuel cells. In the past decades, researchers have made great efforts to promote the proton conductivity of PBI membranes, and various effective modification methods have been proposed. To provide engineers and researchers with a basis to further promote the properties of fuel cells with PBI membranes, this paper reviews critical researches on the modification of PBI membranes in both hydrogen-air PEMFCs and DMFCs aiming at promoting the proton conductivity. The modification methods have been classified and the obtained properties have been included. A guide for designing modifications on PBI membranes for high-performance fuel cells is provided.

Background. The most effective treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is restricted in microsatellite instability (MSI-H) subsets of advanced colorectal cancer, but MSI-H only accounts for 4-5% among them. ICIs are completely ineffective in advanced colorectal cancer patients with microsatellite stable (MSS), according to literatures published. Regorafenib is a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKIs) that could normalize tumor blood vessels by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and its downstream, thus improving cytotoxic T cell infiltration in tumor microenvironment, which has a synergistic effect with ICIs. Toripalimab is a type of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody produced by Junshi Biosciences in China. Herein, we aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of regorafenib combined with toripalimab in the third-line and beyond treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Methods. We evaluated the outcomes of MSS patients with advanced colorectal cancer who received regorafenib combined with toripalimab in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from June 2019 to January 2021. These patients had previously received at least second-line treatment; the regimens were oxaliplatin and irinotecan-based chemotherapy and/or accompanied with bevacizumab or cetuximab. Thirty-three patients were treated orally with regorafenib 80 mg or 120 mg once daily for 21 days, 28 days as a cycle, combined with intravenous toripalimab until disease progression or intolerant to adverse reactions. We used the Kaplan–Meier method to estimate the rate of progression-free survival (PFS) and log-rank method to do a statistical test of the survival curve. The Cox regression model was used to analyze the influence of multiple factors on PFS. The primary endpoints were objective remission rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). The secondary endpoints were the incidence of adverse reactions and median progression-free survival (mPFS). Results. The evaluation of treatment effects was assessed according to RECIST 1.1. Four patients (12.12%) got partial response, twelve patients (36.36%) experienced stable disease, and seventeen patients (51.52%) suffered progressive disease. ORR was 12.12% and DCR was 48.48%. mPFS was 113 days (95% CI: 0–272.1). In univariate analysis, patients who had previously received second-line treatment were significantly better than those who had received third-line or more treatment ( p = 0.005 ). Lung metastasis was a negative factor in combined therapy ( p = 0.032 ). Five patients without previous treatment of bevacizumab were effective. Previous treatment without bevacizumab showed a trend of effective when combination therapy ( p = 0.034 ). It was also a positive factor that the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG) score was 0 ( p = 0.034 ). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed the number of previous chemotherapy lines and excision of primary lesions were independent prognostic factors. The most common treatment-related adverse reactions were hand-foot syndrome (33.33%), liver dysfunction (27.27), hypothyroidism (24.24%), fever (24.24%), fatigue (21.21%), leukopenia (15.15%), hypertension (12.12%), platelet count decreased (6.06%), diarrhea (3.03%), and myocarditis (3.03%); one patient stopped treatment as myocarditis. The incidence of grade 3/4 adverse reactions was 9.09%. Conclusions. Regorafenib combined with toripalimab has a promising effect in the third-line and beyond treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. In the early use of combination therapy, excision of primary lesions can have a positive impact in regorafenib and toripalimab combination. This treatment-related adverse reactions are tolerant in combined therapy.

Objective This study aims to explore the effect of daidzein, which is a natural isoflavone compound mainly extracted from soybeans, on osteosarcoma and the potential molecular mechanism. Material and Methods 143B and U2OS osteosarcoma cells were treated with gradient concentrations of daidzein, and MTT assay was used to determine the cell proliferation capacity and IC50. Hoechst 33342 staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI detection were used to determine apoptosis. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry, and migration ability were detected by transwell assays and scratch wound assay. An osteosarcoma xenograft mice model was applied to investigate the effect of daidzein on osteosarcoma in vivo. Systematic pharmacology and molecular modeling analysis were applied to predict the target of daidzein to osteosarcoma, and the target Src was verified by western blotting. We also observed the effect of daidzein on cell proliferation and apoptosis of Src-overexpressing osteosarcoma cells. Results In vitro, daidzein significantly inhibited 143B and U2OS osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration, and induced cell cycle arrest. In vivo, daidzein exerts antitumor effects in osteosarcoma xenograft mice. After systematic screening and analysis, Src-MAPK signaling pathway was predicted as the highest-ranked pathway. Western blot demonstrated that daidzein inhibited phosphorylation of the Src-ERK pathway in osteosarcoma cells. Also, overexpression of Src could partially reverse the inhibitory effects of daidzein on osteosarcoma cell proliferation. Conclusion Daidzein exerts an antitumor effect on osteosarcoma, and the mechanism may be through the Src-ERK pathway.

Abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain is the most significant pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have found that chronic systemic exposure to lipopolysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) induces the accumulation of Aβ in the brain of middle-aged mice. On the other hand, recent research has shown that circulating Aβ is transferred into the brain; however, the involvement of chronic systemic P. gingivalis infection in the peripheral Aβ metabolism is unknown. We hypothesized that chronic P. gingivalis infection expands Aβ pools in peripheral inflammatory tissues and thereby contributes to the accumulation of Aβ in the brain of patients with periodontitis. We showed that the increased expression of IL-1β, AβPP770, CatB, Aβ1-42, and Aβ3-42 was mainly co-localized with macrophages in the liver of P. gingivalis infected mice. Blocking CatB and NF-κB significantly inhibited the P. gingivalis-induced expression of IL-1β, AβPP770, Aβ1-42, and Aβ3-42 in RAW264.7 cells. Aβ3-42, but not Aβ1-42, induced the significant death of macrophages, and the reduction of phagocytic abilities induced by Aβ3-42 tended to be higher than that induced by Aβ1-42. Additionally, the expression of AβPP770, CatB, Aβ1-42, and Aβ3-42 was determined in the macrophages of gingival tissues from periodontitis patients. These findings indicate that chronic systemic P. gingivalis infection induces the Aβ accumulation in inflammatory monocytes/macrophages via the activation of CatB/NF-κB signaling, thus suggesting monocytes/macrophages serve as a circulating pool of Aβ in patients with periodontitis. Taken together, CatB may be a novel therapeutic target for preventing the periodontitis-related AD initiation and pathological progression.

Stimuli-responsive membranes exhibit a flexible adjustment in response to environmental stimuli and have been established many applications. In this paper, dual-stimuli-responsive ultrafiltration m...

Nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials show excellent water adsorption ability by forming strong hydrogen bonding between water molecules and the doped atoms. When these porous carbon materials are used to construct a water management layer (WML) of a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), high water concentration and hydraulic pressure formed inside the cathode catalyst layer would facilitate the water recovery from cathode to anode. In this paper, a highly hydrophilic nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel was synthesized by the carbonization of hydrogel precursors composed of resorcinol, formaldehyde, and graphene oxide under ammonia, and it was used for the first time to construct the WML for liquid-feed and vapor-feed passive DMFCs. The results show that the WML significantly improves the output performance of the liquid-feed DMFC by enhancing the water recovery, which is characterized and proved by the smaller cathode polarization, the slightly increased anode polarization, and a released cathode water flooding situation. A new method was also proposed to study the in situ methanol crossover of DMFCs, which confirmed that the methanol crossover during the discharge was reduced by the WML. As for the vapor-feed DMFCs, the WML reduces both the cathode and anode polarizations significantly, which increases the output performance greatly. This study opens a new window for the design and optimization of the membrane assembly electrode of DMFCs.

Immune response to implantation materials plays a critical role during early local inflammation and biomaterial-induced regeneration or restoration. A novel platelet concentrate termed i-PRF (injectable platelet-rich fibrin) has recently been developed without any additives by low centrifugation speeds. To date, scientists have investigated the capability of releasing growth factors to improve regeneration but have ignored whether i-PRF can inhibit the inflammatory effect around the wound. The present study investigated the anti-inflammation effects of i-PRF on immune response-related cells, especially macrophages and dendric cells. We found that i-PRF reduced pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype of macrophages and activated dendritic cells around muscle defect that was injected with bacterial suspension. Moreover, in vitro experiments showed similar results. i-PRF deleted inflammatory response caused by lipopolysaccharide to some extent. We determined that TLR4, an activator of inflammatory stimulation and p-p65, a key factor belongs to classical inflammatory related NF-κB signal pathway, can be inhibited by use of i-PRF. Results indicate the potential anti-inflammatory role of i-PRF during regeneration and restoration.

In this study, we have designed and synthesized a novel ‘AND’ logic based fluorescence probe,1-(3′,6′-bis((tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)oxy)-3-oxospiro (isoindoline-1,9′-xanthen)-2-yl)-3-phenylthiourea (FPSi), for the rapid (3 min) simultaneous detection of F− and Hg2+ in DMSO/H2O solution (7:3, v/v). The FPSi probe, synthesized over three steps starting from commercially available fluorescein, was constructed by attaching tert-butyldiphenylsilyl and thiosemicarbazide (as the specific identification groups for F− and Hg2+) to the skeleton of fluorescein, respectively. FPSi produced no fluorescence response towards the addition of F− or Hg2+ separately. However, when the probe was exposed to a solution containing both F− and Hg2+, there was a significant yellow-green fluorescence. FPSi demonstrated an excellent selectivity towards both F− and Hg2+ in the presence of interfering substances. The results of TOF-MS-EI analysis indicated that the response of FPSi towards F− and Hg2+ was mainly aroused by the F− promoted cleavage of Si–O bond, and Hg2+ triggered an irreversible desulfurization reaction leading to the spiral ring opening. Furthermore, the FPSi probe has been successfully used to detect F− and Hg2+ ions in tap water and cropland soil.

Bubble-like nitrogen-enriched graphitic carbon was prepared using EDTA-Fe(III) sodium complex (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ferric sodium salt) as the precursor. The complex was carbonized at 700 °C for 2 h in argon atmosphere, and then, the product was washed with diluted hydrochloric acid and distilled water to remove iron and iron compounds so as to achieve the hollow carbon nanospheres. The as-prepared bubble-like carbon material exhibits excellent energy storage capability as the anode for lithium-ion batteries. A maximal reversible specific capacity of about 505 mAh g−1 can be achieved at a current density of 100 mA g−1, and 150 mAh g−1 can still be retained at a high current density of 1600 mA g−1, demonstrating superior cycling performance and excellent rate capability mainly due to the unique porous architecture and improved conductivity.

The traditional methods to introduce multi-functional groups onto the surface of membrane require unpleasant reaction conditions and complex procedures. Motivated by the need of an economical purification method in the downstream processing of therapic proteins, we develop a simple approach to fabricate mixed mode membrane adsorbers. Nanofibrous membrane support was fabricated by electrospinning a blend of poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (SMA) with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Mixed mode ligands were then immobilized on the membrane through the conversion of anhydride moieties by aminolysis with functional amines, n-butylamine (BAE), n-octylamine(OAE), N-methyl- d -glumine(NMG). The obtained mixed-mode membrane adsorbers, PVDFS-g-BAE, PVDFS-g-OAE, and PVDFS-g-NMG, which contain hydrophobic interaction/ion exchange, reverse phase interaction/ion exchange, and hydrophilic interaction/ion exchange interactions respectively, were used for protein separation. The success of modification was supported by FTIR and XPS, indirectly confirmed by WCA measurements. Static protein binding property was measured with several model proteins. The PVDFS-g-BAE membrane showed a capacity of 120 mg/mL for IgG and fair selectivity over BSA or Lym; The PVDFS-g-OAE membrane showed a capacity of 140 mg/mL for ɑ-CTP and high selectivity over CYT-C. In addition, the nanofibrous membrane has large total pore area, high porosity, and good mechanical property, which is sufficient for the demands of practical use.

1. Donepezil (DPZ) is an acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitor used in the mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease. Among its major metabolites, 6-O-desmethyl DPZ (6-DDPZ), 5-O-desmethyl DPZ ...

Microcapsule of 500 nm was fabricated through non-agitation solution polymerization, used 5, 11, 17, 23-tetra-t-butyl- 25, 26, 27, 28-tetrakis(chlorocarbonyl-methoxy) calix [4] arene (C4C) and piperazine (PIP) with or without agitation. It was the amphiphilic self-assembly of C4C that made microcapsule the unique product for C4C/PIP couple in chloroform. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) proved the successful preparation of microcapsule. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that microcapsules uniformly scattered in chloroform as a colorless dispersion. Absorption-C4C/PIP ratio curve indicated that the optimum ratio is 1:3 by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). Microcapsule was almost uniform and intact at the optimum concentration of 3 × 10−4 mol L−1 under the optimum ratio of C4C/PIP. TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS) illustrated that non-agitation solution polymerization is a better method to prepare a dispersion of microcapsules. This dispersion can extract heavy metal cations from their aqueous solution and fixed them over the interface of the two liquid phases through the formation of floccule layer. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) data showed that extraction efficiencies of Pb(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), and Ce(II) ions were 98.85%, 100.00%, 99.56%, and 98.97%, respectively. Dilute nitric acid can dissociate floccule layer and release cations into water, meanwhile, renewing the dispersion. The recovery ratio was 77.50%, 62.96%, and 68.42% for Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ce(II) ions, respectively. For Zn(II) ions, the recovery efficiency was more than 99.99%.

A poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fiber membrane (HFM) was fabricated through a simple, fast (one-step), and inexpensive procedure to separate dyes and salts (sodium sulfate, sodium chloride) in textile wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy images of the HFM indicated that a neat hollow structure was obtained through a single shot spinneret. Moreover, the finger-like and sponge-like structure of the HFM had a hierarchical structure. The optimized HFM had a molecular weight cut off of 6798 Da and an isoelectric point of 3.8. Charge of the HFM was greater than −50 mV when the pH was higher than 6. The HFM displayed a pure water flux of 13.51 L/m2 ·h· bar, and rejection of 100% to Congo red at a dye concentration of 50 ppm and operation pressure of 0.2 MPa. The membrane also showed excellent stability and antifouling property during long-term operation with a mixture of dyes and salts. The HFM displayed efficient and stable separation performance for separation of salts and dyes, which would be of great significance for the reuse of textile wastewater.

Cementum regeneration is an important and challenging stage in periodontal tissue engineering and regeneration. Pathosis of the periodontium, including cementum, is important in precision diagnosis and obstinate treatment of systemic diseases, such as diabetes, leukemia, and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Here, we found that during periodontium development, transcription factor 7-like 2 (Tcf7l2) was widely expressed in the periodontium and dental sac. In mouse cementoblast cell line (OCCM-30), the activation of NF-κB and cementoblast mineralization was significantly reduced when Tcf7l2 gene was silenced. Moreover, Tcf7l2 has a positive effect on NF-κB and cementoblast mineralization. Therefore, Tcf7l2 promotes cementum formation through the NF-κB pathway. In addition, we found a decreased expression of phosphorylated p65 and a thin layer of cementum in Tcf7l2fl/fl mice. These results suggest that Tcf7l2, which accelerates cementum formation by activating NF-κB, has great potential in the treatment of periodontitis and provide guidance for periodontal tissue regeneration.

It remains a major challenge to prepare membranes with minimal protein adsorption for bio-related applications. In this work, modified polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes having ultralow protein adsorption were prepared by grafting zwitterionic and PEGylated cross-linked polymers onto the membrane surface. The PVDF membrane was first treated with alkaline and tethered with cross-linked polyethylene glycol diacrylate (CPEGDA) via ATRP. By reacting the abundant alkene group at the periphery of CPEGDA with cystine or monomethyl PEG thiol (MPEG-SH, Mn = 200, 600, 2000) by thio-ene reaction, the membrane surface was tethered with high density protein repellent groups. The PVDF-g-CLPEG2000 membrane shows the best performance and its bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine serum fibrinogen (BFG) adsorptions can be lowered to only 1/50 and 1/40 that of the original PVDF membrane, respectively. Similar fouling tendencies were observed in the dynamic filtration process. This work addresses the significance of cross-linked grafting on altering membrane surface properties.

Formation characteristic of microbubble in a T-junction microchannel in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chip is investigated. Microbubble formation experiments are carried out to investiga...

Membranes of anion channels in matrix were constructed through amphiphilic self-assembly of polyelectrolyte, SO3H group containing polyamide 6 (SPA6). SPA6 molecules self-aggregated into 255 nm micelles with negative charges at the surface in casting solution. Micelles switched into nanofibers, which formed pompoms of divergent arrangement of nanofibers from the center after immersed in coagulation bath. They adhered and piled up to construct the membrane. Charged groups were remained at the surface of pompoms during solidification. The gaps between spheres provided channels full of anions, which supplied great repulsion to anions. It endowed membranes the potential to remove anion dyes from aqueous solution. The rejection was up to 99.73% for 500 mg/L Congo red and 85.68% for 100 mg/L Acid blue 93 and 63.06% for 100 mg/L Methyl orange after first filtration. Total removal percentage was 95.48% for Acid blue 93 and 79.51% for Methyl orange after second filtration. Self-aggregation of dye molecules also helped their high removal efficiency. Flux of film 30 M of 100 mg/L CR solution dropped to 67.34% and rejection rate was higher than 95% in 1500 min. Flux could be brought back to more than 90% of the original values after washed by deionized water, suggesting that 30 M had good anti-fouling capacity. SPA6 membranes displayed a potential for effective treatment of textile wastewater.

Piceatannol (3,3',4,5'-trans-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural polyphenols compound that occurs hydroxylated analogue of resveratrol showing widely biological activities. Previous studies have demonstrated its functions on anti-cancer, neuroprotection and cardioprotection. However, few studies have clarified the benefits of piceatannol on cardiomyocytes except its anti-oxidative effect based on the original property of polyphenols. Here we apply H9c2 cardiomyocytes to study the cardioprotective mechanisms of piceatannol in vitro. We firstly verify its anti-peroxidation effect by using H2O2-induced in vitro model. Then, flow cytometry results show piceatannol reduce cellular apoptosis by enhancing Bcl-2 expressions in immunoblot analysis. Meantime, piceatannol decreases H2O2-induced excessive ROS and calcium overloading, and prevents mitochondrial depolarization. Most importantly, piceatannol pretreatment can regulate PI3K-Akt-eNOS signaling pathway to alleviate peroxidative injury. Immunoblot analysis of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt and eNOS shows H2O2 significantly reduces expressions of these proteins. Pretreatment of piceatannol evidently increases their expressions and decreases iNOS expression, implying piceatannol can upregulate PI3K-Akt-eNOS signaling to protect cardiomyocytes from peroxidative injury.

We demonstrate co-assembly of polystyrene (PS)-tethered gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with different sizes under 3D confinement. Interestingly, core–shell assemblies with particle size segregation were obtained, and the location/arrangement of GNPs can be effectively tuned by tailoring the chain length of the PS ligands. Typically, short PS-tethered GNPs locate in the outer layers while long PS-tethered GNPs accumulate in the interior because of the hydrophilicity difference between them. Binary GNP-based core–shell structures were clearly confirmed by transmission electron microscopy tomography and the formation mechanism was intensively explored. This fabrication approach is applicable to NPs with different sizes, shapes and types. Moreover, both UV-vis absorption spectra and photothermal conversion efficiencies of the GNP assemblies can be effectively regulated by adjusting the PS chain length and content ratio, thus facilitating their biomedical applications in osteosarcoma therapy.

P-type copper-doped zinc telluride (ZnTe:Cu) is a good candidate as a back contact of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell. The deposition rate, transmittance and resistivity of ZnTe:Cu films deposited via target bias radio frequency (r.f.) sputtering was studied. The target bias voltage considerably influenced ZnTe:Cu film resistivity. In the meantime we find that post-deposition heat treatment (PDHT) significantly reduces the electrical resistivity of the ZnTe:Cu films, which is due to increases in both carrier concentration and mobility. It is inspiring for us to further improve the conductivity of ZnTe:Cu by applying the r.f. coupled d.c. sputtering and PDHT.

Background:Coptidis rhizoma extracts (CREs) have been used widely for their anti-diabetic and anti-microbial activities, and berberine/jatrorrhizine/coptisine/palmatine are the primary bioactive components. Although guidelines have adopted content analyses of these components as a quality control method for CREs, it is difficult to differentiate the CREs from different sources using this method because of the lack of indications for their related pharmacological activities.Purpose: To explore the effect of CREs (CREA/CREB/CREC) with different compositions of major components on the gut microbiota and blood glucose levels in db/db mice.Methods: Degradation of berberine/jatrorrhizine/coptisine/palmatine from CREA/CREB/CREC in rat/mouse intestinal contents and their impact on nine common gastrointestinal bacteria were investigated. In addition, the effects of oral administration of CREA/CREB/CREC for 2 weeks on the gut microbiota and blood glucose levels in db/db mice were monitored via insulin/glucose tolerance test (ITT/GTT), insulin concentration, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and fecal 16S rRNA sequencing.Results and Conclusion: The total amount of berberine/jatrorrhizine/coptisine/palmatine was highest in CREA. Clostridium perfringens was strongly inhibited by all three CREs, with CREA demonstrating the most significant inhibitory effects on minimum inhibitory concentration, time-kill kinetics, and ATP production. In db/db mice, CREA resulted in the most significant decrease in ITT/GTT and depicted different changes in the microbiota from CREB/CREC. Thus, CREs with different compositions of berberine/jatrorrhizine/coptisine/palmatine differed in terms of time-kill kinetics and ATP production assays on C. perfringens. CREA revealed the potent bacterial inhibitory effects and glucose-lowering activity.

Anthropogenic-derived stressors represent an ever-increasing risk to organisms worldwide. To understand the effects of stressors on organisms, many studies measure an organism's oxidative status. American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are long-lived, top trophic carnivores that have been suggested to serve as an indicator of environmental quality. Raised tail scutes on crocodilians are often marked to enable easy subsequent identifications. Recent studies have illustrated scutes can also serve as indicators of stress or toxicant exposure. In this study, we investigated another role of scutes: as potential non-destructive (i.e., not requiring euthanasia to obtain) indicators of oxidative status. Three antioxidant enzymes, superoxide-dismutase (SOD)-1, SOD2, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), were measured in non-destructible (i.e., tail scutes) and destructible tissues using Western blot. Enzyme levels were then compared with body condition and health using principal component analysis (PCA). Linear mixed models revealed that tissue had a significant effect on relative enzyme level (all P 1) of both tail scutes and destructible tissues. Levels of GPX1 in tail scutes were positively related with body condition and organ mass. Our results suggest antioxidant enzyme levels in alligator tail scutes may serve as important, non-destructive indicators of internal organ and whole-body oxidative status. In addition, tail scute antioxidants may also provide insight into alligator body condition and health. Future studies involving captive or wild individuals should incorporate measuring tail scute antioxidant enzyme levels, along with more traditional stress parameters, to better understand how stressors affect crocodilians.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary anethole supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal barrier function, inflammatory response, and intestinal microbiota of piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88. Thirty-six weaned piglets (24 ± 1 days old) were randomly allocated into four treatment groups: (1) sham challenge (CON); (2) Escherichia coli K88 challenge (ETEC); (3) Escherichia coli K88 challenge + antibiotics (ATB); and (4) Escherichia coli K88 challenge + anethole (AN). On day 12, the piglets in the ETEC, ATB, and AN group were challenged with 10 mL E. coli K88 (5 × 109 CFU/mL), whereas the piglets in the CON group were orally injected with 10 mL nutrient broth. On day 19, all the piglets were euthanized for sample collection. The results showed that the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was increased in the Escherichia coli K88-challenged piglets, which was reversed by the administration of antibiotics or anethole (P < 0.05). The duodenum and jejunum of the piglets in ETEC group exhibited greater villous atrophy and intestinal morphology disruption than those of the piglets in CON, ATB, and AN groups (P < 0.05). Administration of anethole protected intestinal barrier function and upregulated mucosal layer (mRNA expression of mucin-1 in the jejunum) and tight junction proteins (protein abundance of ZO-1 and Claudin-1 in the ileum) of the piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88 (P < 0.05). In addition, administration of antibiotics or anethole numerically reduced the plasma concentrations of IL-1β and TNF-α (P < 0.1) and decreased the mRNA expression of TLR5, TLR9, MyD88, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in the jejunum of the piglets after challenge with Escherichia coli K88 (P < 0.05). Dietary anethole supplementation enriched the abundance of beneficial flora in the intestines of the piglets. In summary, anethole can improve the growth performance of weaned piglets infected by ETEC through attenuating intestinal barrier disruption and intestinal inflammation.

Objectives. To investigate physicochemical properties, dentin bonding, cytotoxicity, and in vivo pulp response of experimental self-adhesive composites tailored to direct pulp capping. Materials and Methods. Experimental composites were prepared with beta-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles adsorbed with simvastatin and glutathione added at 0% (control resin), 1 wt% (Res 1%), and 10 wt% (Res 10%). A commercial light-curable calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) (Ultra-Blend Plus) was used as control material. The physicochemical properties investigated were flexural strength and modulus, calcium release, and degree of conversion. Dentin bonding was assessed by the push-out test. Proliferation and cell counting assays were performed to evaluate in vitro cytotoxicity using fluorescence microscopy. In vivo pulp capping was performed on molars of Wistar rats, which were euthanized after 14 days and evaluated by histological analysis. Results. No statistical difference was observed in flexural strength and cell viability ( p > 0.05 ). Res 10% presented higher modulus than control resin and Ca(OH)2. Also, Res 10% attained statistically higher degree of conversion when compared to other experimental composites. Ca(OH)2 showed higher calcium release after 28 and 45 days of storage, with no statistical difference at 45 days to Res 10%. All experimental composites achieved significantly higher bond strength when compared to Ca(OH)2. While no significant difference was observed in the cell proliferation rates, resins at lower concentrations showed higher cell viability. In vivo evaluation of pulp response demonstrated no pulp damage with experimental composites. Conclusions. The experimental composite investigated in this study achieved adequate physicochemical properties with minor in vivo pulpal inflammation and proved to be a valuable alternative for direct pulp capping.

In the process of gas hydrate exploitation, methane leakage needs to be monitored in real time, so an in-situ electrical monitoring system for methane leakage is designed. The monitoring system is mainly composed of monitoring cable, acquisition station, power module and general control platform. According to the electrical principle, the system carries out regional monitoring on the seabed formation, forms the resistivity map, and realizes methane leakage monitoring. The cost of the monitoring system is low, and it can be remotely controlled or automatically collected data according to the preset program, so the system has good application and research value.

In order to further improve the functional properties of egg white protein powder (EWP), the effects of ball-milling pretreatment on the functional properties of EWP by glycosylation modification were studied. The results manifested that glycosylation reaction was successful. Compared with CEWP (glycosylated egg white protein powder without ball-milling pretreatment), BCEWP (glycosylated egg white protein powder after ball-milling pretreatment) showed lower free amino acid content and higher solubility. The results indicated that ball-milling pretreatment changed the secondary and tertiary structures of protein then prominently enhanced the degree of glycosylation reaction of EWP. Foaming ability of BCEWP (203.3%) was 1.12 times higher than that of CEWP (182.2%). The water holding capacity (WHC) of BCEWP (104.77%) was significantly larger than that of CEWP (100.28%), besides, BCEWP had greater gel springiness than CEWP. These results confirmed that ball-milling was an effective pretreatment to enhance the foaming and gel properties of EWP by glycosylation modification.

It has been reported that sevoflurane induces neurotoxicity in the developing brain. Dexmedetomidine is an α2 adrenoceptor agonist used for the prevention of sevoflurane‑induced agitation in children in clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to determine whether dexmedetomidine could prevent sevoflurane‑induced neuroapoptosis, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and neurocognitive impairment. Additionally, the involvement of α2 adrenoceptors in the neuroprotective effect of dexmedetomidine was assessed. Postnatal day (P)6 C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=6 in each group). Mice were pretreated with dexmedetomidine, either alone or together with yohimbine, an α2 adrenoceptor inhibitor, then exposed to 3% sevoflurane in 25% oxygen. Control mice either received normal saline alone or with sevoflurane exposure. Following sevoflurane exposure, the expression of cleaved caspase‑3 was detected by immunohistochemistry in hippocampal tissue sections. In addition, the levels of tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α), interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and malondialdehyde, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the hippocampus were measured. At P35, the learning and memory abilities were assessed in each mouse using a Morris water maze test. Dexmedetomidine significantly decreased the expression of activated caspase‑3 following sevoflurane exposure. Moreover, dexmedetomidine significantly decreased the levels of TNF‑α, IL‑1β and IL‑6 in the hippocampus. SOD activity also increased in a dose‑dependent manner in dexmedetomidine‑treated mice. MDA decreased in a dose‑dependent manner in dexmedetomidine‑treated mice. Lastly, sevoflurane‑induced learning and memory impairment was reversed by dexmedetomidine treatment. By contrast, co‑administration of yohimbine significantly attenuated the neuroprotective effects of dexmedetomidine. These findings suggested that dexmedetomidine exerted a neuroprotective effect against sevoflurane‑induced apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress and neurocognitive impairment, which was mediated, at least in part, by α2 adrenoceptors.

Traditional antimicrobial therapies always rely on antibiotics, which have led to the overuse of antibiotics and caused the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in recent years. In this study, an efficient and broad-spectrum antimicrobial system based on chitosan (CS)-encapsulated multifunctional metal-organic nanoparticles (Fe-TCPP@CS NPs) was constructed to integrate the electrostatic targeting property and photodynamic and photothermal antimicrobial therapies. Tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) coordinated with Fe3O clusters to form nanoparticles, Fe3O clusters enabled low-temperature photothermal therapy as well as avoiding the porphyrins self-aggregation to ensure the singlet oxygen yield under irradiation, and CS as the outer layer covered on Fe-TCPP nanoparticles could improve the dispersibility in aqueous solution and enhance the electrostatic binding with bacterial cell membranes to improve the antibacterial activities. After simple synthesis, we successfully obtained ideal and biocompatible multifunctional nanoparticles and verified their antimicrobial properties. Under light irradiation, Fe-TCPP@CS NPs could produce enough ROS and heat to kill S. aureus, E. coli and methicillin-resistant S. aureus with a synergistic effect. Therefore, Fe-TCPP@CS NPs would be an efficient and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, providing a novel approach to bacterial infection therapy.

Under ambient conditions, the only known valence state of calcium ions is +2, and the corresponding crystals with calcium ions are insulating and nonferromagnetic. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we report direct observation of two-dimensional (2D) CaCl crystals on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) membranes, in which the calcium ions are only monovalent (i.e. +1). Remarkably, metallic rather than insulating properties are displayed by those CaCl crystals. More interestingly, room-temperature ferromagnetism, graphene–CaCl heterojunction, coexistence of piezoelectricity-like property and metallicity, as well as the distinct hydrogen storage and release capability of the CaCl crystals in rGO membranes are experimentally demonstrated. We note that such CaCl crystals are obtained by simply incubating rGO membranes in salt solutions below the saturated concentration, under ambient conditions. Theoretical studies suggest that the formation of those abnormal crystals is attributed to the strong cation-π interactions of the Ca cations with the aromatic rings in the graphene surfaces. The findings highlight the realistic potential applications of such abnormal CaCl material with unusual electronic properties in designing novel transistors and magnetic devices, hydrogen storage, catalyzers, high-performance conducting electrodes and sensors, with a size down to atomic scale., Counter to conventional wisdom, two-dimensional CaCl crystals with +1 calcium ions have been observed, which show unexpected metallicity, room-temperature ferromagnetism, heterojunction, piezoelectricity-like property, and distinct hydrogen storage and release capability.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), generally known as a new gas signal molecule after nitric oxide and carbon monoxide, has been found as an important endogenous gasotransmitter in the last few decades, and it plays a significant role in the cardiovascular system both pathologically and physiologically. In recent years, there is growing evidence that H2S provides myocardial protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI), which resulted in an ongoing focus on the possible mechanisms of action accounting for the H2S cardioprotective effect. At present, lots of mechanisms of action have been verified through in vitro and in vivo models of I/R injury, such as S-sulfhydrated modification, antiapoptosis, effects on microRNA, bidirectional effect on autophagy, antioxidant stress, or interaction with NO and CO. With advances in understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of MIRI and pharmacology studies, the design, the development, and the pharmacological characterization of H2S donor drugs have made great important progress. This review summarizes the latest research progress on the role of H2S in MIRI, systematically explains the molecular mechanism of H2S affecting MIRI, and provides a new idea for the formulation of a myocardial protection strategy in the future.

Sargassum maclurei is a potential protein resource because of its high protein content and relatively balanced amino acid composition. To promote its usage in food, medical, or other industries, S. maclurei protein was hydrolyzed by pepsin and papain to obtain bioactive peptides. The S. maclurei protein hydrolysates (SMPHs) were purified using gel chromatography and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and 12 major fractions were obtained. The fraction D11 with the highest angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition (61.59%, at 1 mg/ mL) was subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, and about 17 peptides were identified, of which the RWDISQPY (1063.5 Da) was chosen to be synthesized based on in silico analysis. The RWDISQPY demonstrated high ACE inhibition ability (IC50: 72.24 &mu, M) with competitive inhibition mode, and could effectively (p &lt, 0.05) lower the systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats at the concentration of 150 mg/kg body weight. The results of the molecular docking simulation demonstrated that RWDISQPY could bind with the active sites S1 and S2 of ACE via short hydrogen bonds. Moreover, RWDISQPY showed acceptable endothelin-1 suppressing capacity (26.21% at 1.5 mg/mL). These results indicate that S. maclurei could be developed into functional foods such as antihypertensive products.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) during late pregnancy and lactation on sow productivity, colostrum and milk composition, and antioxidant status of sows in a subtropical climate. The study was a 2 × 2 factorial treatment design where the first factor was environmental THI level [Low THI (08:00-19:00: 70.76 ± 0.45, 19:00-08:00: 67.91 ± 0.18, L-THI) or High THI (08:00-19:00: 75.14 ± 0.98, 19:00-08:00: 68.35 ± 0.18, H-THI], and the second factor was dietary treatment (supplemented with or without 3 kg/t SCFP). A total of 120 sows were randomly allotted to the four treatments (n = 30). The feeding trial was conducted from 85-days post-breeding until 21-days post-partum. Compared with L-THI group, sows from H-THI group had lesser individual piglet birth weight, individual piglet weight at weaning, preweaning average daily gain of piglets, average daily feed intake of sows during lactation, and protein percentage in 14-days milk. Additionally, sows from H-THI group had lesser antioxidant status, indicated by lesser serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity at parturition; lesser serum T-AOC and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity at 14-days post-partum, as well as lesser SOD activity in colostrum. Compared with sows fed the control diet, sows fed the SCFP diet had greater number of piglets weaned, litter weight at weaning, and preweaning average daily gain of piglets. Moreover, sows fed the SCFP diet had improved antioxidant status as indicated by higher serum T-AOC at parturition, and lesser malondialdehyde (MDA) content in colostrum and 21-days milk. In conclusion, H-THI negatively affected the productivity, milk composition, antioxidant status, and lactation feed intake of sows. Dietary supplementation of SCFP partially alleviated the adverse effects of H-THI, by improving lactation performance and antioxidant status of sows without influencing reproductive performance and colostrum and milk composition in a subtropical climate.