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Glioblastoma (GBM) is known for its aggressive nature and poor prognosis, with currently no effective treatment available. Research has shown that introducing fluorinated functional groups into different parts of natural product quinoline significantly affects its anti-tumor activity. Therefore, this study synthesized the trifluoromethyl quinoline derivative FKL296 to investigate its anti-tumor effect on GBM and reveal its mechanism of action. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that FKL296 effectively inhibitd the growth of GBM and is relatively safe and low toxicity, whice also induced cell apoptosis and autophagy. Additionally, protein kinase profiling and molecular docking analyses have revealed a strong binding affinity between FKL296 and SGK1. Cellular thermal shift assay experiments have confirmed the targeting of SGK1 by FKL296 and its role in enhancing SGK1 stability. Bioinformatics analysis and pathway validation indicated that FKL296 targeted SGK1 and inhibited autophagy in tumor cells through the mTOR/FOXO3a signaling pathway. In summary, FKL296 may become a promising drug for the treatment of GBM.

A racemic bis(pyridyl) ligand (L) was synthesized and characterized following our previous work. Subsequently, a series of Ag(I) coordination polymers (CPs) were synthesized from this ligand with silver(I) salts containing nine different anions and further characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal structures of CPs 1–9 show that the anions play a vital role in the chiral assembly process of L with different silver(I) salts, resulting in homochiral or heterochiral complexes. CPs 1–3 exist as 2D homochiral conglomerates formed by spontaneous chiral resolution. CPs 4–8 exist as 1D heterochiral tube-like chains, and CP 9 adopts a 1D heterochiral zig-zag chain structure. Furthermore, CPs 2, 4, and 9 were chosen as representatives to investigate their photocatalytic performances for the degradation of organic dyes. The results showed that CP 4 is much more active than CPs 2 and 9 for the degradation of both rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation, and it is thus inferred that CPs 4–8 are suitable as potential photocatalysts for the degradation of RhB and MB in water. This work has revealed that the chiral assembly structures induced by anions lead to differences in their photocatalytic performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic framework (MOF)-based functionalized porous liquids are promising candidates for efficient functional species, owing to their better storage stability, higher dispersibility, and convenient processing properties than solid MOF-based fillers. However, the structural design and synthesis strategy for such porous liquids have been a challenge so far. Herein, a porous flame retardant (UiO-66-NH2@PA@OAPS, U@PA@OA) was designed using UiO-66-NH2 as a precursor, 3-phosphonopropanoic acid (PA) as a flame-retardant ligand, and octa(aminophenyl) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OAPS) as a modifier through post-synthesis modification strategies, such as ligand replacement, defect engineering, and surface modification. Later, it was utilized as a rigid guest and polysiloxane was employed as a mobile phase and a hydrophobic component to manufacture functionalized porous liquids (UiO-66-NH2@PA@OAPS PLs, U@PA@OA PLs). Advanced U@PA@OA PLs present favorable storage stability as well as compatibility with polyurea components. Impressively, U@PA@OA PLs with a 10 wt% loading (2 wt% U@PA@OA content) in polyurea can improve the limiting oxygen index value of the composites to 26.9% and pass the V-0 rating in the UL-94 test. Moreover, the peak of heat release rate, total heat release, and total smoke production of the polyurea composites are reduced by around 53.7, 36.3, and 34.0%, respectively, compared to neat polyurea. Moreover, the mechanical properties, impact resistance, and chemical resistance of PLs modified polyurea composites are also significantly enhanced. This work not only motivates researchers to design functionalized porous liquids rationally, but it is also expected to expand the application of composites in other potential fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there have been few reports on the application of zeolites in the field of flame retardants, although their excellent thermal stability indicates great potential as flame retardants. However, a key challenge that needs to be solved urgently is the compatibility between molecular sieves as inorganic fillers and polymer matrices, which directly affects their performance and stability in practical applications. In this work, ZSM-5 zeolite was used as the carrier, Ce ions were introduced through ion exchange, and the growth of Ce-MOF was restricted on its surface, and a Ce-MOF@ZSM-5 hybrid material was designed to improve the flame retardant and ultraviolet resistance properties of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU). The absorbance value of TPU composites in the whole region is significantly higher than that of pure TPU, and its absorbance reaches 1.33. Compared with pure TPU, the peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate of TPU/Ce-MOF@ZSM-5 composites were reduced by 26.0% and 34.8%, respectively. In addition, the chemical resistance of TPU composites has been significantly improved. This work provides the possibility of preparing three-proofing TPU materials with UV resistance, chemical resistance and fire resistance, and is expected to expand the application of TPU materials in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Antibiotic growth promoters are encountering diminishing social acceptance due to escalating public concern regarding the potential risks of drug residues to human health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with its extensive history of use for human health, has been validated as safe and effective through numerous clinical practices. TCM encompasses a wide range of natural herbs and plants that are used to treat or prevent diseases or promote health. The natural constituents of TCM minimize the risk of drug residue accumulation, making it a potential alternative to antibiotics in livestock feed. The present study introduced a TCM extract as a potential substitute for antibiotics that could improve feed efficiency and alter nutrient metabolism in sheep. The findings offer significant data for advancing research into TCM's application in boosting ruminant productivity. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) encompasses a wide range of natural herbs and plants that are used to treat or prevent diseases or promote health. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding a TCM formula extract on nitrogen (N) balance, microbial nitrogen supply (MNS), and plasma leucine kinetics in sheep. Six sheep were fed with mixed hay (Hay-diet) only or supplemented with 2% TCM (mixture of Astragalus root, Angelica root, and Atractylodes rhizome; TCM-diet) in a crossover design over two 21-day periods. An isotope dilution of [1-13C]leucine was used to measure the rate of plasma leucine turnover. Purine derivative (PD) excretion in urine was determined to estimate the MNS. The TCM-diet significantly increased N intake (p < 0.01) and N digestibility (p = 0.02) compared to the Hay-diet, with less N excretion (p = 0.02) in feces, while no significant difference was observed between diets in terms of N excretion in urine and N retention. Total PD excretion and MNS were higher (p < 0.01), as well as the turnover rate of plasma leucine tended to be higher (p = 0.06) with the supplementation of TCM. The present results suggested that the TCM formula could be considered as a potential feed additive for ruminant production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]