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Here, we demonstrate the development and the synthetic applications of a novel class of diphosphine ligands (SPSiP) based on chiral spirosilabiindane diol (SPSiOL). Starting from SPSiOL, the biphosphine ligands could be readily prepared in three steps with high efficiency. This novel class of biphosphine ligands features rigid configuration, a large dihedral angle, a large P–M–P angle, and a long P–P distance, which might possess unique catalytic reactivities. The potentials of SPSiPs in asymmetric catalysis have also been preliminary disclosed by Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation, Rh-catalyzed tandem hydrosilylation, and Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation.

The Tarim craton in modern Central Asia was an important component of the supercontinent Rodinia in the Neoproterozoic, although its paleogeography in Rodinia during that era is still controversial. Here, we present new stratigraphic, geochemical, and geochronological data from the Neoproterozoic sedimentary and volcanic rock successions along the northwestern margin of the Tarim craton and discuss the significance of these data and our interpretations for its tectonic evolution and paleogeographic position within Rodinia. The Lower Ediacaran sedimentary sequence (Sugetbrak Formation) in northwest Tarim includes terrestrial and shallow-marine clastic rocks intercalated with two discrete basaltic lava flows near the top. The Upper Ediacaran sedimentary sequence conformably overlying the volcanic and clastic rocks consists mainly of stromatolitic dolomite (Chigebrak Formation), representing a transgressive shallow-marine environment. Previous U-Pb zircon dating of the basaltic lava flows has constrained the timing of their eruption in the early Ediacaran (615 Ma). Detrital zircon U-Pb dating of a feldspar-quartz-sandstone unit situated between the two lava flows revealed an oldest age of 2517 ± 18 Ma and a youngest age of 612 ± 6 Ma, with a majority of zircon grains (n = 42) dated at 891–754 Ma (Tonian). A quartz-sandstone unit above the upper lava flow revealed an oldest age of 2724 ± 15 Ma and a youngest age of 607 ± 8 Ma, with a missing age group of 891–800 Ma. These data and observations indicate: (1) a major switch in the depositional setting from a terrestrial (synrifting) to shallow-marine environment following the eruption of the upper lava unit; and (2) an abrupt disappearance of the source rocks of the 891–800 Ma zircons and sediments from the provenance of the post-615 Ma (postrifting) sedimentary sequence. The basaltic rocks have low SiO2 and MgO but high total Fe2O3 and TiO2 contents (2.34–3.19 wt%), analogous to high-Ti basalts and continental flood basalts. Their Ti/V ratios (65–88), low Th/Nb ratios (~0.1), and high TiO2/Yb ratios (~1.1) are similar to those of ocean-island basalt (OIB). Combined with their Sm/Yb and La/Sm ratios and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope values, we infer that magmas of the Sugetbrak basalts were likely derived from partial melting of an enriched mantle source (EM I) in a transitional spinel-garnet lherzolite field. This petrogenetic evolution was a result of mantle plume–influenced rift magmatism during the Ediacaran breakup of Rodinia. The Central Tianshan terrane, which was attached to the northern Tarim craton until the Ediacaran Period, was the provenance of 891–800 Ma (Tonian) zircons in the synrift sedimentary succession. As the Central Tianshan terrane broke away from the Tarim craton after ca. 615 Ma, Tonianaged zircons were no longer available to the depocenter of the postrift sedimentary sequence. The transition from rifting to drifting between the Tarim craton and the Central Tianshan terrane marked the final breakup of Rodinia, a global event that was possibly driven by mantle plume activities coeval with the development of the Central Iapetus magmatic province in Laurentia during the Ediacaran.

To date, the extremely high polarity and poor signal intensity of macromolecular nucleic acids are greatly impeding the progress of mass spectrometry technology in the quality control of nucleic acid drugs and the characterization of DNA oxidation and RNA modifications. We recently described a general

The transcriptional capacities of target genes are strongly influenced by promoters, whereas few studies have focused on the development of robust, high-performance and cross-species promoters for wide application in different bacteria. In this work, four novel promoters (Pk.rtufB, Pk.r1, Pk.r2, and Pk.r3) were predicted from Ketogulonicigenium robustum and their inconsistency in the -10 and -35 region nucleotide sequences indicated they were different promoters. Their activities were evaluated by using green fluorescent protein (gfp) as a reporter in different species of bacteria, including K. vulgare SPU B805, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, Paracoccus denitrificans PD1222, Bacillus licheniformis and Raoultella ornithinolytica, due to their importance in metabolic engineering. Our results showed that the four promoters had different activities, with Pk.r1 showing the strongest activity in almost all of the experimental bacteria. By comparison with the commonly used promoters of E. coli (tufB, lac, lacUV5), K. vulgare (Psdh, Psndh) and P. putida KT2440 (JE111411), the four promoters showed significant differences due to only 12.62% nucleotide similarities, and relatively higher ability in regulating target gene expression. Further validation experiments confirmed their ability in initiating the target minCD cassette because of the shape changes under the promoter regulation. The overexpression of sorbose dehydrogenase and cytochrome c551 by Pk.r1 and Pk.r2 resulted in a 22.75% enhancement of 2-KGA yield, indicating their potential for practical application in metabolic engineering. This study demonstrates an example of applying bioinformatics to find new biological components for gene operation and provides four novel promoters with broad suitability, which enriches the usable range of promoters to realize accurate regulation in different genetic backgrounds.

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli"(ST36) pretreatment on lung functions, inflammatory response, and levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and angiotensin (1-7) ［Ang (1-7)］ in rats with sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of ALI.Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model and EA groups (Following modeling, the levels of FVC, FEV0.1, FEV0.3, ratio of FEV0.1/FVC and FEV0.3/FVC, content of Ang (1-7) in the BALF, and the expression levels of ACE2 and MasR mRNAs and proteins in the lung tissue were significantly decreased (EA preconditioning at ST36 can improve pulmonary function in sepsis-related ALI rats, which may be related to its effects in inhibiting inflammatory response and up-regulating ACE2 and MasR expression and Ang (1-7) content in the lung tissue.

To observe the effect of pre-moxibustion at "Baihui"(GV20), "Shenshu"(BL23) and "Zusanli"(ST36) on expression of Tau protein and related protein kinases as glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), etc. in the hippocampal CA3 region of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats, so as to explore its mechanism underlying prevention and treatment of AD cognitive impairment.Male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control, sham operation， model and pre-moxibustion，with 9 rats in each group. Rats of the pre-moxibustion group received moxibustion of GV20, BL23 and ST36 for 15 min, once a day, 6 days a week for 3 weeks. After completion of moxibustion, the AD model was reproduced by injection of amyloid beta-peptide 25-35(Aβ 25-35) aggregation solution 1 μL (5 μg/μL) into the bilateral hippocampus, rats of the sham operation group received injection of the same dose of normal saline into the hippocampus. The spatial learning-memory ability was detected using Morris water maze test, and changes of the ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons were observed using electron microscope, and those of histopathological changes of hippocampus tissue observed using hematoxylin eosin (H.E.) staining. The expression levels of hippocampal GSK-3β, p-Tau, CDK5 and Synapsin I proteins were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively.No significances were found between the normal control and sham groups in all the indexes (Pre-moxibustion at GV20, BL23 and ST36 plays a role in slowing down the occurrence and development of cognitive impairment in AD rats, which may be related to its functions in inhibiting tau protein hyperphosphorylation and reducing the expression of some related protein kinases in the hippocampus.

We aimed to examine the influence of sleep disturbances on the risk of oligo/astheno/teratozoospermia (OAT) in men attending an infertility clinic.We consecutively enrolled men attending an infertility clinic from July 2020 to June 2021. Semen parameters were obtained at initial presentation, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, and the STOP-BANG Questionnair were completed to assess sleep quality. Embryo outcomes were evaluated after infertility treatment.Of 466 men enrolled, 119 had OAT (OAT group) and 347 had normozoospermia (NS group). There were no differences between the two groups regarding Epworth Sleepiness Scale and STOP-BANG Questionnaire scores. The prevalence of poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score ≥ 5) in the OAT group was significantly higher than that in the NS group (42% vs. 29%, p = 0.009). A higher rate of poor subjective sleep quality was observed in the OAT group compared with the NS group (p = 0.005) and Pearson's correlations revealed a negative relationship between subjective sleep quality and semen quality. Logistic regression found that subjective sleep quality was independently associated with an increased risk of OAT (adjusted odds ratio = 0.610, p = 0.007).Men with OAT attending an infertility clinic exhibited poor subjective sleep quality. Improving sleep disturbances may be a target intervention to reduce the risk of OAT. This possibility warrants further investigation.

Pyrethrins constitute a class of terpene derivatives with high insecticidal activity and are mainly synthesized in the capitula of the horticulturally important plant

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Feishu" (BL13) on the activation and secretion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) and inflammatory response in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in treating COPD.Male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, COPD model and EA groups, with 7 rats in each group. The COPD model was established by forced inhale of cigarette smoke for 1 h in a self-made box (1 m×1 m×1 m in volume), twice daily for 12 weeks. EA (4 Hz/20 Hz, 1-3 mA) was applied at bilateral ST36 and BL13 acupoints for 30 min, once a day for 14 consecutive days. The pulmonary function including the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 0.1 second (FEV0.1), FEV0.3, FEV0.1/FVC and FEV0.3/FVC was detected using a lung function analyzer for small animals. The lung tissue was sampled for observing histopathological changes by using H.E. staining, for observing expression and distribution of PNECs by Grimelius silver staining, and for detecting the immunoactivity (integrated optical density) of CGRP and 5-HT by using immunohistochemistry. The contents of CGRP, 5-HT, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were detected by ELISA, and the correlations between TNF-α and CGRP, IL-1β and CGRP, TNF-α and 5-HT, and IL-1β and 5-HT levels were analyzed. The mRNA and protein expression levels of nerve fiber markers of CGRP and purinergic receptor P2X ligand gated ion channel 3 (P2X3) which dominate PNECs in the lung tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot, respectively.Compared with the normal control group, the levels of FVC, FEV0.1, FEV0.3, and the ratios of FEV0.1/FVC and FEV0.3/FVC were significantly decreased (EA at ST36 and BL13 can improve lung function and reduce inflammatory response in COPD rats, which may be related to its function in inhibiting the activation of PNECs and release of neuroactive substances.

Pyrethrins constitute a class of terpene derivatives with high insecticidal activity and are mainly synthesized in the capitula of the horticulturally important plant, Tanacetum cinerariifolium. Treatment of T. cinerariifolium with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in the field induces pyrethrin biosynthesis, but the mechanism linking MeJA with pyrethrin biosynthesis remains unclear. In this study, we explored the transcription factors involved in regulating MeJA-induced pyrethrin biosynthesis. A single spray application of MeJA to T. cinerariifolium leaves rapidly upregulated the expression of most known pyrethrin biosynthesis genes and subsequently increased the total pyrethrin content in the leaf. A continuous 2-week MeJA treatment resulted in enhanced pyrethrin content and increased trichome density. TcMYC2, a key gene in jasmonate signaling, was screened at the transcriptome after MeJA treatment. TcMYC2 positively regulated expression of the pyrethrin biosynthesis genes TcCHS, TcAOC, and TcGLIP by directly binding to E-box/G-box motifs in the promoters. The stable overexpression of TcMYC2 in T. cinerariifolium hairy roots significantly increased the expression of TcAOC and TcGLIP. Further transient overexpression and viral-induced gene-silencing experiments demonstrated that TcMYC2 positively promoted pyrethrin biosynthesis. Collectively, the results reveal a novel molecular mechanism for MeJA-induced pyrethrin biosynthesis in T. cinerariifolium involving TcMYC2.

Xiaoqinglong decoction (XQLD), a classic prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has already been used clinically to cure acute lung injury (ALI), but its mechanism remains unclear. This subject aimed to explore the preventive role of XQLD in septic ALI rats besides its effects on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 and its downstream factors. After, respectively, administrated with different concentrations of XQLD (6.25 g/kg/d, 12.5 g/kg/d, 25 g/kg/d) for 5 days and dexamethasone (DEX, 1 mg/kg) for 0.5 h, the rat models of ALI were established by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg) for 24 h. All rats were evaluated by lung function test, arterial blood gas analysis, morphological observation, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, and the lung injury score. The levels of malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and angiotensin (Ang) (1–7) in the lung were measured through biochemical and ELISA kits. The expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2, mitochondrial assembly receptor (MasR), and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in lung tissue were detected by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Positive reaction cells of MasR were observed by immunohistochemistry. The results show that XQLD significantly ameliorated septic lung injury including edema and hemorrhage, as well as improved pulmonary function and arterial blood gas. Furthermore, XQLD markedly decreased the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, MDA, and NF-κB while increased the levels of SOD, Ang (1–7), ACE2, and MasR in septic ALI rats. Pearson correlation showed that the expressions of ACE2 were inversely related to IL-1β, TNF-α, MDA, and NF-κB and positively correlated with SOD contents. Our data indicated that XQLD pretreatment alleviated inflammation and oxidative damage in septic ALI rats, which might be related to the up-regulation of ACE2-Ang (1–7)-MasR axis and inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

(±)-Decumicorine A (1) and (±)-epi-decumicorine A (2), two pairs of enantiomeric isoquinoline alkaloids featuring a novel phenylpropanoid-conjugated protoberberine skeleton, were isolated and purified from the rhizomes of Corydalis decumbens. The separation of (±)-1 and (±)-2 was achieved by chiral HPLC to produce four optically pure enantiomers. The structures and absolute configurations of compounds (-)-1, (+)-1, (-)-2, and (+)-2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, ECD calculations, and X-ray crystallographic analyses. The two racemates were generated from a Diels-Alder [4 + 2] cycloaddition between jatrorrhizine and ferulic acid in the proposed biosynthetic pathways, which were fully verified by a biomimetic synthesis. Moreover, compound (+)-1 exhibited an antiviral entry effect on SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus by blocking spike binding to the ACE2 receptor on HEK-293T-ACE2

In order to study the dissemination mechanism of knowledge, a SIRI dynamics model with the learning rate, the forgetting rate and the recalling rate is constructed in this paper. Stability of equilibria and global dynamics of the SIRI model are analyzed. Two thresholds that determine whether knowledge is disseminated are given. We describe the stability of the equilibria for the SIRI model in which there are an equilibrium and a line of equilibria. In particular, we find the dividing curve function which is used to partition invariant set in order to discuss the local stability, and obtain the equation of the wave peak value or wave trough value in the process of knowledge dissemination. Numerical simulations are provided to support the theoretical results. The complicated dynamics properties exhibit that the model is very sensitive to variation of parameters, which play an important role on controlling and administering the knowledge dissemination.

Background Traditional CRISPR/Cas9 systems that rely on U6 or U3 snRNA promoters (RNA polymerase III-dependent promoters) can only achieve constitutive gene editing in plants, hampering the functional analysis of specifically expressed genes. Ribozyme-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 systems increase the types of promoters which can be used to transcribe sgRNA. Therefore, such systems allow specific gene editing; for example, transcription of the artificial gene Ribozyme-sgRNA-Ribozyme (RGR) is initiated by an RNA polymerase II-dependent promoter. Genetic transformation is indispensable for editing plant genes. In certain plant species, including pyrethrum, genetic transformation remains challenging to do, limiting the functional verification of novel CRISPR/Cas9 systems. Thus, this study’s aim was to develop a simple Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation system to analyze the function of a ribozyme-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system in pyrethrum. Results A hairy root transformation system for pyrethrum is described, with a mean transformation frequency of 7%. Transgenic hairy roots transformed with the pBI121 vector exhibited significantly increased beta-glucuronidase staining as a visual marker of transgene expression. Further, a ribozyme-based CRISPR/Cas9 vector was constructed to edit the TcEbFS gene, which catalyzes synthesis of the defense-related compound (E)-β-farnesene in pyrethrum. The vector was transferred into the hairy roots of pyrethrum and two stably transformed hairy root transgenic lines obtained. Editing of the TcEbFS gene in the hairy roots was evaluated by gene sequencing, demonstrating that both hairy root transgenic lines had DNA base loss at the editing target site. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that the (E)-β-farnesene content was significantly decreased in both hairy root transgenic lines compared with the empty vector control group. Altogether, these results show that RGR can be driven by the CaMV35S promoter to realize TcEbFS gene editing in pyrethrum hairy roots. Conclusion An A. rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation and ribozyme-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system in pyrethrum was established, thereby facilitating gene editing in specific organs or at a particular developmental stage in future pyrethrum research.

Hydroxycamptothecin (SN38) is a natural plant extract isolated from Camptotheca acuminate. It has a broad spectrum of anticancer activity through inhibition of DNA topoisomerase I, which could affect DNA synthesis and lead to DNA damage. Thus, the action of SN38 against cancers could inevitably affect endogenous levels of ribonucleotide (RNs) and deoxyribonucleotide (dRNs) that play critical roles in many biological processes, especially in DNA synthesis and repair. However, the exact impact of SN38 on RNs and dRNs is yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer effect and associated mechanism of SN38 in human colorectal carcinoma HCT 116 cells. As a result, SN38 could decrease the cell viability and induce DNA damage in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, cell cycle arrest and intracellular nucleotide metabolism were perturbed due to DNA damage response, of which ATP, UTP, dATP, and TTP may be the critical metabolites during the whole process. Combined with the expression of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates synthesis enzymes, our results demonstrated that the alteration and imbalance of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates caused by SN38 was mainly due to the de novo nucleotide synthesis at 24 h, and subsequently the salvage pathways at 48 h. The unique features of SN38 suggested that it might be recommended as an effective supplementary drug with an anticancer effect.

The total arsenic concentrations of the three main drinking water types in China were determined through a systematic literature review. The distribution models of drinking water exposure parameters for different age groups were obtained using the regression method. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of different population groups caused by arsenic exposure through different drinking water types were evaluated by a probabilistic risk assessment. The results showed that the geometric mean of total arsenic content in all the drinking water samples in China was (13.0±38.1) μg·L

Remdesivir (RDV) has generated much anticipation for its moderate effect in treating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, the unsatisfactory survival rates of hospitalized patients limit its application to the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, improvement of antiviral efficacy of RDV is urgently needed. As a typical nucleotide analog, the activation of RDV to bioactive triphosphate will affect the biosynthesis of endogenous ribonucleotides (RNs) and deoxyribonucleotides (dRNs), which are essential to RNA and DNA replication in host cells. The imbalance of RN pools will inhibit virus replication as well. In order to investigate the effects of RDV on cellular nucleotide pools and on RNA transcription and DNA replication, cellular RNs and dRNs concentrations were measured by the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method, and the synthesis of RNA and DNA was monitored using click chemistry. The results showed that the IC50 values for BEAS-2B cells at exposure durations of 48 and 72 h were 25.3 ± 2.6 and 9.6 ± 0.7 μM, respectively. Ten (10) μM RDV caused BEAS-2B arrest at S-phase and significant suppression of RNA and DNA synthesis after treatment for 24 h. In addition, a general increase in the abundance of nucleotides and an increase of specific nucleotides more than 2 folds were observed. However, the variation of pyrimidine ribonucleotides was relatively slight or even absent, resulting in an obvious imbalance between purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotides. Interestingly, the very marked disequilibrium between cytidine triphosphate (CTP) and cytidine monophosphate might result from the inhibition of CTP synthase. Due to nucleotides which are also precursors for the synthesis of viral nucleic acids, the perturbation of nucleotide pools would block viral RNA replication. Considering the metabolic vulnerability of endogenous nucleotides, exacerbating the imbalance of nucleotide pools imparts great promise to enhance the efficacy of RDV, which possibly has special implications for treatment of COVID-19.

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Feishu" (BL13) on the expression of autophagy related proteins in the lung tissue of rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so as to explore the mechanism of EA underlying improvement of COPD.Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model and EA groups (Following modeling, the FVC, FEV0.1, FEV0.3, FEV0.1/FVC and FEV0.3/FVC levels were significantly decreased (EA at ST36 and BL13 can improve the lung function of COPD rats, which may be related to its effects in inhibiting the autophagy level and reducing the inflammation response in the lung.

Salmon calcitonin phospholipid complex loaded-solid lipid nanoparticles (sCT-PC-SLNs) were prepared from Salmon calcitonin phospholipid complex (sCT-PC) by a film dispersion method. The formulation was optimized by the Box-Behnken response surface design using quality properties such as particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential value, entrapment efficiency (EE), and drug loading capacity (DL). The relative bioavailability of different dosage forms of salmon calcitonin (sCT) were calculated separately for plasma calcium percentage of SD female rats after subcutaneous injection and colonic administration. The results show that each dosage form offers reduced plasma calcium levels after colonic administration, except for blank loaded-solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN). The relative bioavailability (0.32 ± 0.17%) for sCT-PC-SLN is twice as high as that of aqueous sCT solution (0.16 ± 0.03%), as well as values for Salmon calcitonin loaded-solid lipid nanoparticles (sCT-SLN) (0.15 ± 0.01%); these results are statistically significant. Compared to SLN, uptake of sCT in a rat colon can be greatly improved by phospholipid complex loaded-solid lipid nanoparticles (PC-SLN). The new dosage form developed here overcomes the low EE of the water-soluble drug, enhances the EE of SLN, and reduces the degradation of gastrointestinal enzymes due to its encapsulation in lipids.

Graphene oxide/attapulgite (GO/APT) composite membranes were successfully fabricated by the vacuum-assisted filtration for efficient dyes wastewater treatment. By characterization of FTIR, XPS, Raman, XRD and FESEM, APT nanorods were confirmed to be incorporated into GO laminar layers via grafting modification, which would influence GO interlayer distance (d-spacing), membrane surface microstructure (laminate morphology, structure, and hydrophilicity) and even water separation performance. Comparison of those of pristine GO membrane, the calculated d-spacing of GO/APT membranes gradually increased from 0.90 nm to 1.07 nm, while water contact angles decreased from 71.0° to 43.3° with the increasing APT/GO ratios. Moreover, GO/APT membranes exhibited rough hierarchical microstructure and higher surface hydrophilicity, which was in conjunction with larger interlayer spacing to synergistically improve separation performance. The water permeated flux increased from 3.4 of pristine GO membrane to 13.3 L m−2 h−1 of GO/APT membrane with preserving high rejection nearly to 100% for 7.5 mg L−1 Rh B wastewater under optimized conditions. Similarly, membrane thickness, dye concentrations and separating species in feed solutions were also found to affect membrane separation performance. Dye molecules were efficiently rejected through GO/APT nanofiltration membranes by the synergistic separation mechanism: size exclusion effect because of the unimpeded water channels formed into 3D network laminate structure, and electrostatic interactions between the oxygen-containing functional groups on membrane surface and charged molecules. Such these GO/APT membranes demonstrated efficiently separation properties and thus provided new insight into the potential applications in water purification and dyes wastewater treatment.

A monocationic ZnII tetrahedral cluster, [Zn4L3(μ3-OH)]·NO3·1.25H2O (Zn4L3) based on a new salicylamide imine ligand H2L, H2L = 1-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzamido)-3-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzylideneamino)-propane, has been prepared. Single crystal X-ray analysis reveals that three deprotonated ligands L2– chelate three Zn(II) centres with their salicylamide moiety in such a way that the three salicylimine groups attached to the other side of the three chelates are converged to bind another Zn(II) centre to provide a tetrahedral cluster with two phenyl groups of the same ligand L2– being close enough to present a strong intramolecular π⋯π stacking effect. Fluorescence studies indicate that Zn4L3 is stable in water and exhibits highly sensitive and selective recognition of phosphates against other common anions including CO32–, HCO3–, NO3–, F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, HSO4–, SO42–, OAc−, BF4–, ClO4– and CF3SO3– in HEPES buffer solution (pH = 7.4) + DMSO (V : V = 1 : 9). The excellent sensing capability of Zn4L3 for phosphate against other common anions with a low detection limit of 0.15 μM renders it a candidate probe for phosphate detection. Furthermore, the observed fluorescence quenching responses of Zn4L3 towards phosphates were highly reversible. The possible sensing mechanisms for phosphate detection by Zn4L3 was investigated by means of 1H NMR, UV-Vis spectra and high-resolution ESI-MS spectra and the results indicate that phosphates could exclusively decompose Zn4L3 to release H2L in HEPES buffer solution (pH = 7.4) + DMSO (V : V = 1 : 9).

A set of two cyclic [2]catenane dimers were self-assembled in aqueous media via selective hydrazone condensation, by means of either one-pot or post-functionalization procedures. Considering that each catenane is composed of two thirty-six member rings, each of these two cyclic [2]catenane dimers can be considered as a ultra-large macrocycle that contains more than fifty atoms in the ring framework. This cyclization methodology relying on catenation thus represents a novel approach for accomplishing ultramacrocyclization in pure water.

Scannerless time-of-flight three-dimensional imaging, the successor to raster scanning three-dimensional imaging, relies on large-scale detector arrays to obtain high pixel resolution; however, manufacturing limitations lead to a bottleneck in imaging resolution. Here, we report a methodology for laser imaging using code division multiple access, which involves three key steps. Optical encoding is carried out for a pulsed laser to generate space-time encoded beams for projection. Optical multiplexing subdivides the backscattered light signals and multiplexes them to a downscaled avalanche-photodiode array. Subpixel decoding decodes the digitized encoded full waveforms and decomposes the features of all subpixels. Accordingly, we design a prototype based on a 64-order encoder and a 4-element avalanche-photodiode array and conduct an outdoor experiment. We demonstrate that the system is capable of obtaining 256 pixels per frame in push-broom mode and reconstruct a three-dimensional image with centimetre-level lateral resolution and range precision at a distance of ∼112 m. Scannerless time of flight three-dimensional devices can produce high-quality images from the ground or in space and provide information on light detection and ranging. The authors design and demonstrate a downscaled subpixel 3D laser imaging device which uses pulse-encoded illumination to encode the pixels.

Three LnIII coordination polymers, [Ln2L3(NO3)3]n·2CH3COOCH2CH3 (Ln = Nd (Nd2L3), Eu (Eu2L3), Tb (Tb2L3)), following coordination-assembly reactions involving a new bi-monodentate salicylamide ligand, L = 1,4-bis[(2΄-thenylaminoformyl)phenoxyl]methyl}-benzene, have been successfully synthesized. Among them, Nd2L3 and Tb2L3 were structurally authenticated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and the results indicate both Nd2L3 and Tb2L3 are one-dimensional corrugated blockchains with LnIII containing 64-membered block loops filled by ethyl acetate molecules alternating in nearly orthogonal directions. For they are isomorphous, two binary co-doped lanthanide coordination polymers, Tb0.965Eu1.035L3 and Tb0.717Nd1.283L3 are obtained. Luminescent studies indicate that Tb0.965Eu1.035L3 exhibits a temperature recognition property with the significantly high sensitivity of 2.61% per K in the 296–386 K temperature range upon excitation at 345 nm as well as white emission when excited in the range of 370–390 nm. Tb0.717Nd1.283L3 shows enhanced NdIII-centred NIR luminescence and diminished TbIII-centred luminescence as compared to those of Nd2L3 and Tb2L3. The results presented herein show that the energy transfer from TbIII to both EuIII and NdIII has been successfully achieved in Tb0.965Eu1.035L3 and Tb0.717Nd1.283L3. Generally speaking, this work explores the potential applications of lanthanide-based coordination polymers based on multi-monodentate salicylamide ligand in the area of thermal sensing.

Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Few reports have been published on the relationship between drug exposure and the risk of cancer in patients with BD. Herein, we explored the relationship between pharmacologic interventions for BD and the risk of cancer.Methods: we carried out a retrospective nested case-control study in a cohort of BD patients from attending our institution. Among 1,148 patients, 22 cancer patients were individually 1:2 matched to 44 cancer-free controls. The following biochemical indicators were evaluated: routine blood analysis, liver and kidney function tests, inflammatory indexes, blood gas analysis, blood electrolyte and previous pharmacologic interventions to manage BD including systemic glucocorticoids, methotrexate, cyclosporine-A, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide (CYC), and thalidomide, which are considered the primary medicines used for the management of BD.Results: Among the 22 BD patients with cancers, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (22.72%) was the most common type. Furthermore, CYC administration was significantly higher in BD patients with cancer compared with the cancer-free matched control group. Further, we observed that complement 4 (C4) (odds ratio [OR] = 0.0001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.001–0.065) and hemoglobin (Hb) (OR = 0.891, 95% CI: 0.795–0.998) levels were independent protective factors for predicting cancer risk in BD patients on multivariate analyses.Conclusion: Our study revealed that CYC was associated with a high risk of cancer in BD patients. Furthermore, C4 and Hb are independent protective factors for oncogenesis in BD patients. These findings may provide references and suggestions for clinicians to select appropriate treatments and for the early recognition of high-risk patients to reduce cancer incidence in BD patients.