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The 100th anniversary of a leading nitrogen fixation technology developer like CASALE SA is a reason to reflect over the 20th century successful solution of the problem of world food supply, and to look out for solutions for sustainable developments with respect to ammonia production. We review the role of nitrogen as essential chemical constituent in photosynthesis and biology, and component of ammonia as it is used as fertilizer for primary production by photosynthesis for farming and food supply and its future role as energy carrier. While novel synthesis methods and very advanced synchrotron based x-ray analytical techniques are being developed, we feel it is important to refer to the historical and economical context of nitrogen. The breaking of the N N triple bond remains a fundamental chemical and energetic problem in this context. We review the electrochemical ammonia synthesis as an energetically and environmentally benign method. Two relatively novel X-ray spectroscopy methods, which are relevant for the molecular understanding of the catalysts and biocatalysts, i.e. soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and nuclear resonant vibration spectroscopy are presented. We illustrate the perceived reality in fertilizer usage on the field, and fertilizer production in the factory complex with photos and thus provide a contrast to the academic view of the molecular process of ammonia function and production.

We have performed and analyzed the first combined 151Eu and 57Fe nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) for naturally abundant KEu(iii)[Fe(ii)(CN)6] or Eu(iii)[Fe(iii)(CN)6] complex.

Although the flexible origami gripper can handle a wide range of objects, there is a need for significant further improvement in its gripping performance. This study develops a novel nonlinear topology optimization (NTO) method to enhance the gripping performance of an origami chomper-based flexible gripper. The proposed NTO method incorporates the additive hyperelasticity technique and multi-resolution design (MRD) strategy with the advantages of being computationally efficient, having excellent convergence, and enabling refined design. The effectiveness of the proposed NTO method is validated by two compliant mechanism benchmark examples, i.e., the displacement inverter and gripper mechanisms. We apply the NTO method to the origami chomper-based flexible gripper to redistribute the material at the creases to obtain the optimized origami chomper-based flexible gripper. Several optimized origami chomper-based flexible gripper prototypes are fabricated by using laser cutter, followed by a series of experiments to test the gripping performances, including gripping range capability under an identical input load, maximum gripping ratio, gripping adaptability, and achieving richer gripping characteristics by size scaling. Results demonstrate that the optimized origami chomper-based flexible gripper can handle a wide range of objects irregularities in textures and uneven shapes;and the gripping range capability can be significantly enhanced by the NTO method. We also show that the optimized origami chomper-based flexible gripper can enable effective gripping of objects across scales from millimeters to centimeters to decimeters through size scaling.

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)-based complex coacervate has attracted much attention in drug oral delivery due to its pH-responsive property. As a unique ampholyte polymer, the self-coacervation of CMCS has great research potential. In this work, CMCS self-coacervates were prepared by adjusting the pH of the CMCS aqueous solution close to its isoelectric point. The Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions were involved in the self-coacervation of CMCS. The obtained self-coacervates presented a dense surface structure, and were stable at a wide pH range of 3.0–6.0, and gradually dissolved under basic conditions. Although self-coacervation decreased the crystallinity and thermal stability of CMCS, the obtained coacervates showed excellent pH-responsive properties and ionic strength stability. We also investigated its potential in lactoferrin (LF) encapsulation and oral delivery. The CMCS self-coacervates exhibited a high encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 94.79 ± 0.49% and loading capacity (LC) of 26.29 ± 0.52% when the addition amount of LF was 2 mg. The simulated gastric digestion results demonstrated that CMCS self-coacervates could protect more than 80% of LF from hydrolysis and maintain the bioactivities of LF. Accordingly, the self-coacervation of CMCS could be used as a pH-responsive encapsulation and delivery strategy.

Evolutionary node shifting is an effective approach to the shape optimization of spatial structures for excellent mechanical performance. In this paper, a novel shape optimization algorithm is proposed, which is applicable to complex gridshell structures of irregular geometries and non-uniform grids. With the objective of maximizing the structural stiffness, the nodal coordinates are iteratively updated according to the sensitivity information. The perturbation displacements referring to the inverse hanging method are applied to the initial flat model. By analysis, we found that the irregular grids give rise to non-smooth gradient fields, which results in jagged surfaces. To normalize the non-smooth gradient fields and to prevent the optimization process from falling into local optima, a double filter scheme is introduced in the process of optimization. A variety of examples are presented to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively solve shape optimization problems of general gridshell structures.

In this study, the recovery of pecan nut kernel oil (PNKO) obtained by mechanical pressing (MP) was compared with that obtained by ultrasonic-assisted aqueous enzymatic extraction (UAAEE). At the same time, contents of substances with proven bioactivity, fatty acid compositions, physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of PNKO were also assessed. Obviously, the oil yield obtained by UAAEE (71.32%) was higher than that obtained by MP (56.81%). Therefore, Plackett-Burman design (PBD), as well as Box-Behnken design (BBD), further optimized the UAAEE process, and the highest oil yield of 78.83% was acquired under the following conditions: incubation time of 2 h, the mixed enzyme (cell ulase+hemicellulase+pectinase+neutrase, w/w/w/w=1/1/1/1) concentration of 2.9%, liquid-solid ratio of 4 mL/g, pH of 4, particle size of 300 μm, ultrasonic time of 20 min, ultrasonic power of 432 W and reaction temperature of 53°C. The PNKO obtained by the two methods possessed similar fatty acid composition, but that obtained by UAAEE had comparatively low acid value and peroxide value. Moreover, rich content of total phenolics, squalene and phytosterols, as well as strong scavenging activities against DPPH and ABTS

The size tunability and chemical versatility of nanostructures enable electron sources of high brightness and temporal coherence, both of which are important characteristics for high-resolution electron microscopy1–3. Despite intensive research efforts in the field, so far, only conventional field emitters based on a bulk tungsten (W) needle have been able to yield atomic-resolution images. The absence of viable alternatives is in part caused by insufficient fabrication precision for nanostructured sources, which require an alignment precision of subdegree angular deviation of a nanometre-sized emission area with the macroscopic emitter axis4. To overcome this challenge, in this work we micro-engineered a LaB6 nanowire-based electron source that emitted a highly collimated electron beam with good lateral and angular alignment. We integrated a passive collimator structure into the support needle tip for the LaB6 nanowire emitter. The collimator formed an axially symmetric electric field around the emission tip of the nanowire. Furthermore, by means of micromanipulation, the support needle tip was bent to align the emitted electron beam with the emitter axis. After installation in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, we characterized the performance of the electron source in a vacuum of 10−8 Pa and achieved atomic resolution in both broad-beam and probe-forming modes at 60 kV beam energy. The natural, unmonochromated 0.20 eV electron energy loss spectroscopy resolution, 20% probe-forming efficiency and 0.4% probe current peak-to-peak noise ratio paired with modest vacuum requirements make the LaB6 nanowire-based electron source an attractive alternative to the standard W-based sources for low-cost electron beam instruments. So far, only conventional field emitters based on a bulk W needle have achieved atomic resolution in electron microscopy. Here, through the integration of a passive collimator structure and micromanipulation-based alignment of the support needle, a LaB6 nanowire emitter yields stable emission under moderate vacuum conditions and allows for atomic-resolution images and high energy resolution.

Background Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) has been well documented to be effective against various cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Rg1 on mechanical stress-induced cardiac injury and its possible mechanism with a focus on the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) signaling pathway. Methods Mechanical stress was implemented on rats through abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) procedure and on cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts by mechanical stretching with Bioflex Collagen I plates. The effects of Rg1 on cell hypertrophy, fibrosis, cardiac function, [Ca2+]i, and the expression of CaSR and calcineurin (CaN) were assayed both on rat and cellular level. Results Rg1 alleviated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and improved cardiac decompensation induced by AAC in rat myocardial tissue and cultured cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. Importantly, Rg1 treatment inhibited CaSR expression and increase of [Ca2+]i, which similar to the CaSR inhibitor NPS2143. In addition, Rg1 treatment inhibited CaN and TGF-β1 pathways activation. Mechanistic analysis showed that the CaSR agonist GdCl3 could not further increase the [Ca2+]i and CaN pathway related protein expression induced by mechanical stretching in cultured cardiomyocytes. CsA, an inhibitor of CaN, inhibited cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, [Ca2+]i and CaN signaling but had no effect on CaSR expression. Conclusion The activation of CaN pathway and the increase of [Ca2+]i mediated by CaSR are involved in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, that may be the target of cardioprotection of Rg1 against myocardial injury., Graphical abstract The mechanism of cardioprotection by Ginsenoside Rg1 via downregulation of CaSR. AAC induces overload of [Ca2+]i through CaSR/IP3R pathway. The increased [Ca2+]i leads to activation of CaN signaling pathway, resulting in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through inhibiting [Ca2+]i and downregulation of CaSR, CaN and TGF-β1 signaling pathways.Image 1

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate(EGCG) was enzymatically modified to enhance the lipophilicity and the antioxidant property. The determination of optimal reaction conditions are as follows: Lipase DF "Amano" 15 and acetone were used as catalyst and solvent, respectively. Equal molar of EGCG and vinyl laurate (1:1); lipase addition of 6.0% (w/w of total substrates); reaction temperature of 50°C and reaction time of 96 h, which obtained the conversion rate of EGCG at 80.1%. The structure of EGCG lauroyl derivatives were 5″-O-lauroyl-EGCG, 3″,5″-2-O-lauroyl-EGCG, and 5',3″,5″-3-O-lauroyl-EGCG, identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Compared with the logP of precursor EGCG (0.69 ± 0.03), the logP of EGCG lauroyl derivatives was 1.37 ± 0.19, 2.27 ± 0.33, and 3.28 ± 0.37, increasing by 0.98, 2.28, and 3.75 times, respectively (p < 0.05), suggesting the grafted fatty acid chains make EGCG derivatives more lipophilic, and the lipid solubility gradually increased as the number of substituents increased. Furthermore, EGCG lauroyl derivatives had excellent lipid oxidation than that of EGCG. The POVs (peroxide values) of soybean oil with mono-, di-, tri-lauroyl EGCG were significantly reduced by 42%, 47%, and 57% than that of EGCG at 21 days, respectively, indicating the antioxidative inhibition of these derivatives decreased with the increase in substituents. This indicates that these derivatives have broad prospects of the antioxidant application while improving their solubility properties in lipophilic environments/high-fat food. Practical Application: The lipophilic esterification reaction of EGCG catalyzed by new catalytic lipase DF "Amano" 15 was carried out in a non-aqueous solvent.Various reaction factors on a higher conversion rate of EGCG lauroyl derivatives were evaluated. The lipophilicity and antioxidant properties of EGCG lauroyl derivatives were much excellent than that of parent EGCG.

Rosuvastatin has been found to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether rosuvastatin was effective in attenuating cardiac injury in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) – challenged mice and H9C2 cells and identify the underlying mechanisms, focusing on the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway. Cardiac injury, cardiac function, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and the NLRP3/TLR4 pathway were evaluated in both in vivo and in vitro studies. LPS-induced cardiomyocyte injury was markedly attenuated by rosuvastatin treatment, evidenced by increased cell proliferation of H9C2 cells, rescued cardiac function, and improved morphological changes in mice and reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB), and troponin I (cTnI) in serum. Apoptosis was clearly ameliorated in myocardial tissue and H9C2 cells co-treated with rosuvastatin. In addition, after LPS challenge, excessive oxidative stress was present, indicated by increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, NADPH activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Rosuvastatin improved all the indicators of oxidative stress, with an effect similar to that of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) (an ROS scavenger). Notably, LPS-exposed H9C2 cells and mice showed significant NLRP3 and TLR4/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway activation and inflammatory responses. Administration of rosuvastatin reduced the increases in NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), pro-caspase-1, TLR4, and p65 expression and decreased the tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-18, and IL-6 contents, with an effect similar to that of MCC950 (an NLRP3 inhibitor). In conclusion, inhibition of the inflammatory response and oxidative stress contributes to cardioprotective effect of rosuvastatin against cardiac injury induced by LPS, and the effect of rosuvastatin was achieved through inactivation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is an excellent modern vibrational spectroscopy, in particular, for revealing site-specific information inside complicated molecules, such as enzymes. There are two different concepts about the energy calibration for a beamline or a monochromator (including a high resolution monochromator): the absolute energy calibration and the practical energy calibration. While the former pursues an as-fine-as-possible and as-repeatable-as-possible result, the latter includes the environment influenced variation from scan to scan, which often needs an in situ calibration measurement to track. However, an in situ measurement often shares a weak beam intensity and therefore has a noisy NRVS spectrum at the calibration sample location, not leading to a better energy calibration/correction in most cases. NRVS users for a long time have noticed that there are energy drifts in the vibrational spectra's zero-energy positions from scan to scan (ΔE

Objective: The optimal dose of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke among the very elderly patients (aged ≥80 years) in China is unclear. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of low-dose (0.6 mg/kg) and standard-dose (0.9 mg/kg) rt-PA for varying severity and age of Chinese geriatric stroke patients. Methods: According to dose of rt-PA, the enrolled patients were divided into two groups: rt-PA low-dose group (0.6 mg/kg) and rt-PA standard-dose group (0.9 mg/kg). The efficacy outcome was favorable functional outcome(modified Rankin Scale score of ≤2) at 90 days. The short-term safety outcomes were intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and fatal intracerebral hemorrhage (fICH). The long-term safety outcome was death within 90 days. We assessed the efficacy and safety of low-dose vs standard-dose of rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke in Chinese very elderly patients. Results: A total of 201 eligible patients were enrolled; among them, 93 patientswere treated with low-dose rt-PA and 108 patients received standard-dose rt-PA. The incidences of ICH, sICH and fICH in rt-PA low-dose group were lower than rt-PA standard-dose group [8.6%(8/93) vs. 19.4%(21/108), 4.3%(4/93) vs. 10.2%(11/108), 1.1%(1/93) vs. 9.3%(10/108); unadjusted and adjusted P< .05]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups concerning the long-term safety index and the effectiveness index. Stratification by stroke severity and age，the favorable functional outcome rate at 90 days of moderate stroke sub-group and ≥90 years old in rt-PA low-dose group were both higher than rt-PA standard-dose group [76.3%(29/38) vs. 52.6%(20/38), 56.5%(13/23) vs. 25.0%(5/20); P< .05] and without a higher risk of mortality (mRS score of 6; P> .05). Conclusions: The efficacy and safety at 90 days of low-dose (0.6 mg/kg) rt-PA intravenous thrombolytic therapy for Chinese geriatric AIS patients was equivalent to the standard-dose (0.9 mg/kg) rt-PA but with a lower risk of ICH, sICH and fICH. For AIS patients with moderate stroke and age 90 years or older, intravenous thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA 0.6 mg/kg is recommended. Confirmation of the results through multicentre, prospective, randomised trial is required.

Early warning prediction of traumatic hemorrhagic shock (THS) can greatly reduce patient mortality and morbidity. We aimed to develop and validate models with different stepped feature sets to predict THS in advance. From the PLA General Hospital Emergency Rescue Database and Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III, we identified 604 and 1,614 patients, respectively. Two popular machine learning algorithms (i.e., extreme gradient boosting [XGBoost] and logistic regression) were applied. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the performance of the models. By analyzing the feature importance based on XGBoost, we found that features in vital signs (VS), routine blood (RB), and blood gas analysis (BG) were the most relevant to THS (0.292, 0.249, and 0.225, respectively). Thus, the stepped relationships existing in them were revealed. Furthermore, the three stepped feature sets (i.e., VS, VS + RB, and VS + RB + sBG) were passed to the two machine learning algorithms to predict THS in the subsequent T hours (where T = 3, 2, 1, or 0.5), respectively. Results showed that the XGBoost model performance was significantly better than the logistic regression. The model using vital signs alone achieved good performance at the half-hour time window (AUROC = 0.935), and the performance was increased when laboratory results were added, especially when the time window was 1 h (AUROC = 0.950 and 0.968, respectively). These good-performing interpretable models demonstrated acceptable generalization ability in external validation, which could flexibly and rollingly predict THS T hours (where T = 0.5, 1) prior to clinical recognition. A prospective study is necessary to determine the clinical utility of the proposed THS prediction models.

Laser cladding CoCrFeNiTiNbB1.25 high-entropy alloys coatings on H13 steel was fabricated. The microstructure and abrasion resistance of aged high-entropy alloys coatings at different temperature were researched. Results showed the phase was not changed in the high-entropy alloys coatings as the aging temperature elevated, the volume fraction of TiB phase was firstly increased, then reduced. The diffraction peak of fcc phase was firstly shifted to the right, and then shifted to the left. The aged high-entropy alloys coatings consisted of typical dendrite, interdendritic eutectic and dispersed intermetallic compound, and the dendrite obviously was coarsened after aging at 850 °C. Compared with non-aged high-entropy alloys coatings, the microhardness of aged high-entropy alloys coatings was firstly elevated as the aging temperature elevated, then decreased, and the mass loss was opposite. The microhardness and mass loss was decreased by 4.3% and 11.9%, respectively, for the aging at 750 °C. The abrasion mechanism of non-aged high-entropy alloys coatings was the abrasive wear, and was the abrasive wear and adhesive wear after aging.

Laser cladding CoCrFeNiTiNbB1.25 high entropy alloys (HEAs) coatings on H13 steel was fabricated. The effect of aging treatment temperature on microstructure and wear resistance of the HEAS coatings was investigated. Results showed the phases of the HEAs coatings were not changed as the aging treatment increased, the volume fraction of TiB phase was firstly increased, then reduced. The diffraction peak of fcc phase was firstly shifted to the right, and then shifted to the left. The HEAs coatings consisted of typical dendrite, interdendritic eutectic and dispersed intermetallic compound after aging treatment, and the dendrite obviously was coarsened after aging treatment at 850 °C. Compared with HEAs coatings before aging treatment, the microhardness of the HEAs coatings was firstly increased as the aging treatment temperature increased, then decreased, and the mass loss was opposite. The microhardness and mass loss was decreased by 4.3% and 11.9%, respectively for the aging treatment at 750 °C. The wear mechanism of the HEAs coatings before aging treatment was the abrasive wear, and was the abrasive wear and adhesive wear after aging treatment.

Mg-3Zn alloy presents filiform corrosion in NaCl solution but pitting corrosion in Na2SO4 solution. The mechanisms for those different localized corrosion forms were investigated using SEM, XPS and electrochemical measurements. It is found that surface films and different features of Cl– and SO42– determine the corrosion forms of Mg-3Zn alloy. The surface film formed in NaCl solution is porous, and Cl– ions are enriched in the filament heads, resulting in propagation of corrosion along the horizontal direction to form filiform corrosion. However, the surface film formed in Na2SO4 solution is compact, and SO42– anions are aboundant at the bottom of corrosion pits, resulting in the propagation of corrosion along the vertical direction to form pitting corrosion. Corrosive media play a key role in the initiation and propagation of corrosion, further resulting in the different corrosion forms of Mg alloys.

The poor lipophilicity and instability of water-soluble polyphenols limit their bioavailability and application in food. However, increasing attention has been given to water-soluble polyphenols due to their multiple biological activities, which prompts the modification of the structure of water-soluble polyphenols to improve their lipophilicity and stability and enable more efficient application. This review presents the enzymatic biosynthesis of lipophilic derivatives of water-soluble polyphenols, which will change the molecular structure of water-soluble polyphenols based on the loss of hydroxyl or carboxyl groups. Therefore, the effects of reaction factors on the structure of polyphenol derivatives and the change in their bioactivities will be further analyzed. Previous studies have shown that lipases, solvent systems, and hydrophobic groups are major factors influencing the synthesis and lipophilicity of polyphenol derivatives. Moreover, the biological activities of polyphenol derivatives were changed to a certain extent, such as through the enhancement or weakening of antioxidant activity in different systems and the increase in anti-influenza virus activity and antibacterial activity. The improvement of lipophilicity also expands polyphenol application in food. This review may contribute to the efficient synthesis of lipophilic derivatives of water-soluble polyphenols to extend the utilization and application range of polyphenols.

Iturin, a metabolite produced by Bacillus subtilis, has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect, and because they are secreted in the rhizosphere of plants, iturins are often mixed with many organic molecules. In recent years, people have improved their separation and purification methods but still cannot achieve simple and effective procedures, making Iturins an ideal biological control agent for insects and bacteria; commercial value still cannot be realized. With the in-depth studies of Iturins, its anti-cancer, hemolysis and other biological activities have gradually been discovered. This article reviews the branches of the Iturin family, structural features of these metabolite, separation and purification methods used for producing it, culture optimization, and various biological activities of the Iturin family, such as insecticidal, antibacterial, hemolytic and anticarcinogenic properties, among others have been summarized. Furthermore, this review revealed some commercial applications of Iturins and their relevance in research works. For example, in food packaging, clean water has good development potential.This can promote the commercial application of Iturins instead of other chemical and biological control agents that are environmentally friendly, pollution-free and have no side effects on humans. Furthermore, work documented anticancer, hemolytic and other biological activities of Iturin.

Hyperuricemia (HUA), a chronic disease caused by metabolic disorders of purine, is often accompanied by other diseases such as gout, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and hyperlipidemia. However, little is known about the relationship between HUA and these diseases on the protein level. We performed label-free liquid chromatography MS/MS spectrometry analysis of urine samples from 26 HUA patients and 25 healthy controls, attempting to establish the possible protein links between HUA and these diseases by profiling urine proteome. A total of 2119 proteins were characterized in sample proteomes. Among them, 11 were found decreased and 2 were found increased in HUA samples. Plausible pathways found by enrichment analysis of these differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) include the processes for insulin receptor recycling and lipid metabolism, suggesting potential links between HUA and T2DM and hyperlipidemia. The abundance changes of three key proteins (VATB1, CFAD, and APOC3) involved in these processes were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In conclusion, our result provides proteomic evidence, for the first time, that the aberrant pathways enriched by described key DEPs are closely related to the incidence of HUA and its concomitant diseases.

The study aimed to reveal the different mechanisms of delaying starch digestion by ECG, EGCG and Procyanidin based on the perspective of α-amylase-flavanol interaction and starch-flavanol interaction. The interaction characteristics of flavanols with α-amylase were studied from five aspects: enzyme inhibition, kinetics, fluorescence quenching, circular dichroism (CD) and computer simulation. The IC50 of flavanols (ECG, EGCG and Procyanidin) against α-amylase were 172.21 ± 0.22, 732.15 ± 0.13 and 504.45 ± 0.19 μg/mL according to the results of α-amylase inhibition experiment, respectively. ECG and Procyanidin showed mixed inhibition against α-amylase, while EGCG showed non-competition against α-amylase. However, thermodynamic parameters，computer-based docking and dynamic simulation proved that ECG and EGCG-α-amylase complexs were mainly driven by van der Waals and hydrogen bonds, while Procyanidin-α-amylase complexs was driven by hydrophobic interaction. In addition, it was indicated, by means of starch‑iodine complex spectroscopy, that flavanols inhibited the digestion of starch not only through bind with α-amylase but also through bind with starch. Thus, flavanols as a starch-based food additive have the potential to be employed as adjuvant therapy for diabetes.

Microbeam radiotherapy (MRT), a high dose rate radiotherapy technique using spatial dose fractionation at the micrometre range, has shown a high therapeutic efficacy in vivo in different tumour entities, including lung cancer. We have conducted a toxicity study for the spinal cord as organ of risk during irradiation of a target in the thoracic cavity. In young adult rats, the lower thoracic spinal cord was irradiated over a length of 2 cm with an array of quasi-parallel microbeams of 50 µm width, spaced at a centre-to-centre distance of 400 µm, with MRT peak doses up to 800 Gy. No acute or subacute adverse effects were observed within the first week after irradiation up to MRT peak doses of 400 Gy. No significant differences were seen between irradiated animals and non-irradiated controls in motor function and sensitivity, open field test and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). After irradiation with MRT peak doses of 450–800 Gy, dose-dependent neurologic signs occurred. Provided that long-term studies do not reveal significant morbidity due to late toxicity, an MRT dose of 400 Gy can be considered safe for the spinal cord in the tested beam geometry and field size.

In this paper, a piezoelectric electromagnetic composite energy harvester is studied. The device consists of a mechanical spring, upper and lower base, magnet coil, etc. The upper and lower bases are connected by struts and mechanical springs and secured by end caps. The device moves up and down under the vibration of the external environment. As the upper base moves downward, the circular excitation magnet moves downward, and the piezoelectric magnet is deformed under a non-contact magnetic force. Traditional energy harvesters have the problems of a single form of power generation and inefficient energy collection. This paper proposes a piezoelectric electromagnetic composite energy harvester to improve energy efficiency. Through theoretical analysis, the power generation trends of rectangular, circular, and electric coils are obtained. Simulation analysis yields the maximum displacement of the rectangular and circular piezoelectric sheets. The device uses piezoelectric power generation and electromagnetic power generation to achieve compound power generation, improve the output voltage and output power, and can provide power supply to more electronic components. By introducing the nonlinear magnetic action, the mechanical collision and wear of the piezoelectric elements during the work are avoided, so that the service life and service life of the equipment is extended. The experimental results show that the highest output voltage of the device is 13.28 V when the circular magnets mutually repel rectangular mass magnets and the tip magnet of the piezoelectric element is 0.6 mm from the sleeve. The external resistance is 1000 Ω, and the maximum power output of the device is 5.5 mW.

Previous studies showed that the chemotherapeutic effect of temozolomide (TMZ) and vincristine (VCR) against glioma might be blunted by the co‐culture with astrocytes, and connexin‐43 (CX43) was thought to play a vital role in the communication between glioma cells and astrocytes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the combined chemotherapeutic effect of AS602801 and TMZ/ VCR in glioma cells both. Dye transfer assay was used to evaluate the gap junction activity between U251 cells and astrocytes. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were carried out to analyse the expression of p‐JNK, CX43 and CASP‐3 proteins treated under different conditions. AS602801 significantly suppressed the gap junction activity between U251 cells and astrocytes. The expression of p‐JNK and CX43 was remarkably inhibited by AS602801. TMZ/VCR‐induced apoptosis of glioma cells was effectively enhanced by AS602801 treatment. Accordingly, the inhibitory role of TMZ/VCR in the expression of p‐JNK, CX43 and CASP‐3 in glioma cells was notably restored by AS602801. Furthermore, in a glioma cell xenograft, AS602801 showed an apparent capability to enhance TMZ/VCR‐induced tumour cell apoptosis through altering the expression of p‐JNK, CX43 and CASP‐3. The findings of this study demonstrated that the co‐culture of glioma cells with astrocytes blunted the tumour killing effect of TMZ and VCR. AS602801 down‐regulated CX43 expression by inhibiting JNK. And AS602801 also sensitized glioma cells to TMZ/VCR by blocking the gap junction communication between glioma cells and astrocytes via down‐regulating CX43, indicating its potential role as a novel adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of glioma.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG) are the most abundant ester catechins of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) with numerous potential bioactivities, which have wide application prospects in the fields of medicine and functional foods. In this study, a new method using macroporous resin and crystallization was established to separate and purify EGCG and ECG. Two resins with high adsorption and desorption capacities for EGCG and ECG were screened through static adsorption/desorption tests, and the LX-20B resin was selected through column chromatography due to its best separation effect. Moreover, the column separation parameters of LX-20B resin (sample amount, ethanol elution concentration, elution volume, and elution flow rate) were optimized. After resin purification, the EGCG and ECG purity were 70.08 ± 2.55% and 74.97 ± 2.66%, respectively, and the recovery rates were 68.07 ± 2.43% and 74.28 ± 2.24%, respectively. After crystallization, the EGCG purity reached 95.87 ± 0.89%, with a total recovery rate of 58.66%, and the ECG purity reached 95.55 ± 1.30%, with a total recovery rate of 62.45%. The separation efficiency of the resin showed no significant change after 6 cycles. These results show the proposed method to be a simple, eco-friendly, and cost-effective separation method for the industrial separation and purification of EGCG and ECG from GTPs.

Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) and density functional theory (DFT) are complementary tools for studying the vibrational and geometric structures of specific isotopically labeled molecular systems. Here we apply NRVS and DFT to characterize the trans-[57Fe(η2-H2)(H)(dppe)2][BPh4] [dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] complex. Heretofore, most NRVS observations have centered on the spectral region below 1000 cm-1, where the 57Fe signal is strongest. In this work, we show that state-of-the-art synchrotron facilities can extend the observable region to 2000 cm-1 and likely beyond, in measurements that require less than 1 day. The 57Fe-H stretch was revealed at 1915 cm-1, along with the asymmetric 57Fe-H2 stretch at 1774 cm-1. For a small fraction of the H2-dissociated product, the 57Fe-H stretch was detected at 1956 cm-1. The unique sensitivity to 57Fe motion and the isolated nature of the Fe-H/H2 stretching modes enabled NRVS to quantitatively analyze the sample composition.

Inflammation eventually leads to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Astragaloside IV(AS‐IV) has a protective effect on pulmonary hypertension, but the specific protective mechanism has been unclear until now. Therefore, in this study, our aim was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of AS‐IV on PAH. In vivo, male Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats were injected intraperitoneally with monocrotaline (MCT, 60 mg/kg) and treated with AS‐IV (40 mg/kg, 80 mg/kg), MCC950 and MDL‐28170. In vitro, human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) were treated with monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP, 60 μg/mL). The protein expression levels of NLRP‐3, caspase‐1, ASC, IL‐18, IL‐1β and calpain‐1 were measured in vivo and/or in vitro. The results showed that AS‐IV decreased the protein expression levels of NLRP‐3, caspase‐1, ASC, IL‐18, IL‐1β and calpain‐1 in vivo and/or vitro. In conclusion, in this study the results suggested that AS‐IV could inhibit monocrotaline‐induced pulmonary arterial hypertension via the NLRP‐3/calpain‐1 pathway.

The catalytic mechanism of [NiFe]-hydrogenases is a subject of extensive research. Apart from at least four reaction intermediates of H2/H+ cycling, there are also a number of resting states, which are formed under oxidizing conditions. Although not directly involved in the catalytic cycle, the knowledge of their molecular structures and reactivity is important, because these states usually accumulate in the course of hydrogenase purification and may also play a role in vivo during hydrogenase maturation. Here, we applied low-temperature infrared (cryo-IR) and nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) to the isolated catalytic subunit (HoxC) of the heterodimeric regulatory [NiFe]-hydrogenase (RH) from Ralstonia eutropha. Cryo-IR spectroscopy revealed that the HoxC protein can be enriched in almost pure resting redox states suitable for NRVS investigation. NRVS analysis of the hydrogenase catalytic center is usually hampered by strong spectral contributions of the FeS clusters of the small, electron-transferring subunit. Therefore, our approach to investigate the FeS cluster-free, 57Fe-labeled HoxC provided an unprecedented insight into the [NiFe] site modes, revealing their contributions in a spectral range otherwise superimposed by FeS cluster-derived bands. Rationalized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, our data provide structural descriptions of the previously uncharacterized hydroxy- and water-containing resting states. Our work highlights the relevance of cryogenic vibrational spectroscopy and DFT to elucidate the structure of barely defined redox states of the [NiFe]-hydrogenase active site., Active site vibrations of a [NiFe]-hydrogenase catalytic subunit are selectively probed by IR and NRV spectroscopy in two NiIIFeII and NiIIIFeII resting states, contributing in combination with DFT modeling to rationalized structural candidates.

The 100th anniversary of a leading nitrogen fixation technology developer like CASALE SA is a reason to reflect over the 20th century successful solution of the problem of world food supply, and to look out for solutions for sustainable developments with respect to ammonia production. We review the role of nitrogen as essential chemical constituent in photosynthesis and biology, and component of ammonia as it is used as fertilizer for primary production by photosynthesis for farming and food supply and its future role as energy carrier. While novel synthesis methods and very advanced synchrotron based x-ray analytical techniques are being developed, we feel it is important to refer to the historical and economical context of nitrogen. The breaking of the N≡N triple bond remains a fundamental chemical and energetic problem in this context. We review the electrochemical ammonia synthesis as an energetically and environmentally benign method. Two relatively novel X-ray spectroscopy methods, which are relevant for the molecular understanding of the catalysts and biocatalysts, i.e. soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and nuclear resonant vibration spectroscopy are presented. We illustrate the perceived reality in fertilizer usage on the field, and fertilizer production in the factory complex with photos and thus provide a contrast to the academic view of the molecular process of ammonia function and production.

This study sought to develop a nanoscale delivery system to enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of goat milk whey protein peptides. Goat milk whey protein was hydrolyzed by papain, and the hydrolysate was ultrafiltered to obtain a low molecular weight peptide (GWP,3 kDa) with strong hypoglycemic activity. The GWP-loaded liposomes and niosomes encapsulation systems were prepared using phytosterols (ergosterol, β-sitosterol, mixed phytosterols, and stigmasterol) instead of cholesterol. Results showed that the GWP-loaded niosomes (GWP-NS) prepared from β-sitosterol had the higher GWP encapsulation efficiency (90.46 ± 4.02 %) and the smaller particle size (92.07 ± 9.8 nm) than liposomes (GWP-LS). Additionally, the morphological results showed that two GWP-loaded systems were smooth and spherical, and the FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the successful formation of the peptide-loaded system. Compared with GWP, GWP-LS and GWP-NS showed the higher stability under different pH, temperature, and NaCl concentration conditions, especially GWP-NS. Furthermore, GWP-NS could significantly improve the retention rate of GWP during simulated gastrointestinal digestion, in vitro bioaccessibility, and hypoglycemic activity. These findings suggest that β-sitosterol could be a potential membrane stabilizer alternative to cholesterol, and GWP niosomes could be a potential new drug delivery system.

Dickkopf-related protein (DKK) 3, a member of the DKK family, is a secreted glycoprotein that acts as a modulator of Wnt signaling in organogenesis and carcinogenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that DKK3 has a variety of functions, suggesting that it plays roles not only in tumorigenesis, but also tumor neovascularization, prostatic acinus formation, cardiac vascular remodeling, renal and cardiac fibrosis, and immunological activity. The function of DKK3 is therefore of great interest, but details of the receptors and mechanisms involved have remained unclear. Here, we focused on the extracellular function of DKK3 as a secreted protein, and identified transforming growth factor beta induced protein ig-h3 (TGFBI) as a secreted protein interacting with DKK3. To investigate the function of these secreted proteins, we employed an in vitro cell model involving human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, human embryonic kidney cells, or non-neoplastic hepatocyte cells. We showed that DKK3 functions as an extracellular matrix-like molecule supporting adhesion, motility, and invasion, and that its interaction with TGFBI inhibits the functions of secreted DKK3 in cells expressing both proteins. These results suggest that this extracellular interaction between DKK3 and TGFBI modulates cell adhesion and motility through focal adhesion kinase signaling, and that this might serve as a potential therapeutic target in the context of cancer invasion and metastasis.

A new type of double-network hydrogel, cross-linked with microcrystalline cellulose grafted with e-polylysine (MCC-PL) and N,N-methylene bisacrylamide/acrylic acid, was synthesised to efficiently inhibit bacterial proliferation and remove heavy metals. The physicochemical properties of the MCC-PL hydrogel (MCC-PLH) were characterised using scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption results showed that the optimal adsorption conditions were temperature of 313 K at pH of 5 and 6 of Pb2+ and Cu2+, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of MCC-PLH5 was successfully determined using Freundlich isotherm, pseudo-second kinetics, and intra-particle diffusion model, in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Adsorption thermodynamic studies indicated that the process was spontaneous and endothermic. Antibacterial experiments showed that PL-grafted MCC hydrogel exhibited more efficient and durable antibacterial activity than MCC, indicating its potential for water decontamination.

In this study, the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Cissus rotundifolia leaves extract were evaluated. The active compounds of plant leaves were extracted by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions. Yield, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities were determined. In addition to six strains of gram-positive and negative bacteria were used for testing antibacterial activities of the plants’ extracts. The obtained results demonstrated that extraction of active compounds by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction was more efficient. The dry yield and total phenol compounds of extract were 29.97% and 82.87 mg GAE/g DE, respectively. The antibacterial activities of the extracts were tested against two types of bacteria, Gram-positive strains: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae, and Gram-negative strains: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results showed that leaves extract was more effective against Gram-negative bacterial strains. The concentrations of minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal of the leaves extract against S. typhimurium, E. coli and P. aeruginosa (Gram-negative bacteria) were at concentrations of 10, 20 and 20 mg/mL, respectively. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothioline-6-sulphonic acid)-diammonium salt (ABTS) scavenging activities at a concentration of 2 mg/mL were 90.94% and 98.20%, respectively, while the IC50 was achieved at concentrations of 0.475 and 0.790 mg/mL, respectively. The leaves extract has high antibacterial and antioxidant activities; therefore, it could be a rich source of natural antibacterial and antioxidants for several food and therapeutic applications.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influences of the partial replacement of the maltodextrin (MD) as primary wall material by argun fruit polysaccharide (AFPS) as a new promising wall material in microencapsulation of Citrus aurantium L. essential oil (CAEO). The emulsions properties, yield, microencapsulation efficiency (MEE), structural and physicochemical characteristics, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), glass transition temperatures by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), crystallinity, oxidative and antioxidant stability of the freeze-dried CAEO microcapsules were investigated. The highest values of viscosity and droplet size were achieved by CAEO emulsion stabilized with GMA100 formulation. The yield and MEE of CAEO microcapsules were significantly enhanced with increasing of AFPS in the formulations. The partial replacement treatments by AFPS increased solubility, bulk density, tapped density, particle density, and porosity of the obtained microcapsules. FTIR, X-ray, DSC, and TGA techniques were confirmed that the encapsulation of CAEO was perfectly successful. The partial replacement of MD with AFPS improved the oxidative stability and antioxidant activity of microencapsulated CAEO during the storage. Depending on physicochemical properties, thermal stability, and antioxidant activity, it could be considered these microcapsules have promising applications in the functional food and medicine industry.

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the Fingered citron extract (FCE) microcapsules powders with different formulations of the encapsulation carrier agents [gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD), modified starch (MS), and whey protein (WP)], which are obtained through spray drying. Encapsulation yield, encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, hygroscopicity, water activity, density properties, Carr's index, cohesiveness, flowability, porosity, wettability, solubility, color, particle size, thermal behavior, relative crystallinity, and micrographs were analyzed. Moreover, chemical structure of the microcapsule powder was identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Best results were achieved when Fingered citron extract was encapsulated using gum arabic/maltodextrin/modified starch (GMS) formulation as carrier agents, where it had the highest encapsulation yield (89.39%) and encapsulation efficiency (87.20%). Furthermore, it achieved the best result in density properties, flowability, porosity, wettability, and relative crystallinity. These results have shown that using gum arabic/maltodextrin/modified starch formulation was superior for production of the Fingered citron extract microcapsules powders.