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[Display omitted] Acute kidney injury (AKI) results from the rapid deterioration of renal function, which is mainly treated by transplantation and dialysis, and has a high mortality rate. Inflammation induced by excess reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS) plays a crucial role in AKI. Although small molecule antioxidants have been utilized to alleviate AKI, low bioavailability and side-effect of these drugs tremendously limit their clinical use. Hence, we successfully construct ultra-small (2–4 nm) rhodium nanoparticles modified with l -serine (denoted as Rh-Ser). Our results show that Rh-Ser with multiple enzyme-mimicking activities, allows remove various RONS to protect damaged kidney cells. Additionally, the ultrasmall size of Rh-Ser is conducive to enrichment in the renal tubules, and the modification of l -serine enables Rh-Ser to bind to kidney injury molecule-1, which is highly expressed on the surface of damaged renal cells, thereby targeting the damaged kidney and increasing the retention time. Moreover, Rh-Ser allows the production of oxygen at the inflammatory site, thus further improving hypoxia and inhibiting pro-inflammatory macrophages to relieve inflammation, and increasing the survival rate of AKI mice from 0 to 80%, which exhibits a better therapeutic effect than that of small molecule drug. Photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging can effectively monitor and evaluate the enrichment and therapeutic effect of Rh-Ser. Our study provides a promising strategy for the targeted treatment of AKI via RONS scavenging and inflammatory regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutrophication is a serious threat to water quality and human health, and chlorophyll- a (Chla) is a key indicator to represent eutrophication in rivers or lakes. Understanding the spatial-temporal distribution of Chla and its accurate prediction are significant for water system management. In this study, spatial-temporal analysis and correlation analysis were applied to reveal Chla concentration pattern in the Fuchun River, China. Then four exogenous variables (wind speed, water temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity) were used for predicting Chla concentrations by six models (3 traditional machine learning models and 3 deep learning models) and compare the performance in a river with different hydrology characteristics. Statistical analysis shown that the Chla concentration in the reservoir river segment was higher than in the natural river segment during August and September, while the dominant algae gradually changed from Cyanophyta to Cryptophyta. Moreover, air temperature, water temperature and dissolved oxygen had high correlations with Chla concentrations among environment factors. The results of the prediction models demonstrate that extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) were the best performance model in the reservoir river segment (NSE = 0.93; RMSE = 4.67) and natural river segment (NSE = 0.94; RMSE = 1.84), respectively. This study provides a reference for further understanding eutrophication and early warning of algal blooms in different type of rivers. [Display omitted] • Chlorophyll-a in the reservoir river segment (RRS) were higher than the natural river segment (NRS) in August and September. • Temperature and DO were higher correlated with Chlorophyll- a , and the relationship was stronger in RRS than in NRS. • The successful application of machine learning algorithms enabled highly accurate predictions for water blooms. • XGBoost and LSTM were the best performance model in RRS and NRS, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse contour cardiac output (PCCO) analysis is a minimally invasive technique for continuous cardiac output (CO) measurement monitoring. PCCO requires calibration by transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD). Studies showed good agreement between PCCO, TPTD CO and CO measured by pulmonary artery thermodilution (PATD) during stable hemodynamics. However, data are limited in patients with intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). The objective is to compare the agreement between PCCO, TPTD CO, and PATD CO in a piglet model of multi-step IAH. Ten female domestic piglets were enrolled in this study. IAH was induced by stepwise carbon dioxide inflation into peritoneal cavity in anesthetized piglets. Following baseline registrations, intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was increased and maintained at each IAP plateau of 10, 20, 30, and 40 mmHg for 15 min before CO measurements. CO was measured by PATD and simultaneously by 2 femoral artery PCCO catheters. One PCCO catheter was recalibrated by TPTD at each IAP plateau while the other was only calibrated at baseline. In pooled data of different IAP stages, TPTD CO and recalibrated PCCO (R-PCCO) showed excellent correlation (r 2 = 0.94 and 0.93) and small bias (−0.09 and −0.09 L/min), respectively, compared with PATD CO. However, PCCO without recalibration (NR-PCCO) were not accurate during IAH (r 2 = 0.58, bias: +0.32 L/min). When IAP increased to 30 mmHg, NR-PCCO failed to agree with PATD CO (r 2 = 0.47, bias: +0.52 L/min). On the contrary, a clinically accepted agreement between TPTD CO, R-PCCO, and PATD CO was observed at different IAP stages. TPTD CO and R-PCCO agreed with PATD CO in this piglet model of multi-step IAH. On the contrary, NR-PCCO failed to agree with PATD CO when IAP increased to 30 mmHg or more. PCCO analysis needs recalibration in this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bismuth-based polymer, [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O (H 2 pydc=pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, bpe=trans-bis(4-pyridyl) ethylene) has been hydrothermally synthesized. Transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies indicate that the synthesized polymer with efficient charge separation and transportation can be used as a potential photocatalyst. So we use it for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye wastewater under visible light. The comparative study on commercial Bi 2 O 3 shows [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O has the higher photocatalytic performance, with the degradation rate of 97% and 2% within 100 min for [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O and commercial Bi 2 O 3 respectively. Additionally, the five cycle reproducibility results of [Hbpe][Bi(Hpydc) 2 (pydc)]·H 2 O implies that it can be used as a stable photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Bi(III) coordination polymer Bi 2 (Hpdc) 2 (pdc) 2 ·2H 2 O (H 2 pdc=pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) was synthesized by hydrothermal method. Solid state thermal decomposition of this complex under 500 °C for 1 h led to the foliated Bi 2 O 3 nanoparticles, which were then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparative study on their photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) in polluted water was explored, and the mechanism of these photocatalytic degradation was discussed. These results provided some interesting insights into their photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two 2-(1-imidazole)-1-hydroxyl-1,1׳-ethylidenediphosphonato and oxalic acid bridged coordination polymers (H 2 en)[Co 3 (H 2 zdn) 2 (ox)(H 2 O) 2 ] ( 1 ) and Cd 2 (H 2 zdn)(ox) 0.5 (H 2 O) ( 2 ) (2-(1-imidazole)-1-hydroxyl-1,1׳-ethylidenediphosphonic acid=H 5 zdn; oxalic acid=H 2 ox) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by the infrared (IR), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), elemental analyses (EA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Compound 1 is bridged by phosphonate anions to 1D chain, and further linked by oxalate anions to 2D layer. Compound 2 is bridged by O–P–O units of H 5 zdn to the layer, and then pillared by oxalate anions to generate 3D frameworks. Compound 1 shows anti-ferromagnetic behaviors analyzed with the temperature-dependent zero-field ac magnetic susceptibilities, while compound 2 exhibits an influence on the luminescent property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] KLF11 expression is reduced in failing and hypertrophic hearts. [•] Cardiac-specific KLF11 overexpression represses TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy. [•] Cardiac-specific KLF11 overexpression abrogates TAC-induced cardiac fibrosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Three new pyridine-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylato (H4pdtc) complexes K2[Mn(H2O)(pdtc)]·3H2O 1, Na2[M3(H2O)6(pdtc)2]·6H2O (M=Mn 2, Co 3) were obtained and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods and magnetic measurements. The characteristic building blocks of 1–3 are the pdtc bridged stair-like chains {[M(H2O)](pdtc)3/3}2–, which results from the six-coordinated transition metal atoms bridged by pdtc4− ligands. The infinite chains in 1 are assembled by hydrogen bonds into 2D supramolecular networks, which are held together by (4·82) topological K+–H2O networks to complete 3D architecture. While the stair-like chains in 2 and 3 are interconnected by trans-[M(H2O)4]2+ moieties to 2D polymeric layers, which are bridged by dimeric [Na2(μ-H2O)2(H2O)2]2+ moieties to build up 3D framework. The magnetic properties of 1–3 were analyzed on the basis of (i) linear trinuclear M3 models and (ii) the free Mn2+ and Co2+ ions with the zero-field splitting effect and spin–orbit coupling effect, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two fumarato-bridged Co(II) coordination polymers Co(H2O)4L 1 and [Co3(H2O)4(OH)2L2]·2H2O 2 with H2L&z.dbnd6;HOOCCH &z.dbnd6;CHCOOH were prepared. Complex 1 consists of polymeric chains ∞1[Co(H2O)4(C4H2O4)2/2], which result from octahedrally coordinated Co atoms bridged by bis-monodentate fumarate anions and are assembled by interchain hydrogen bonds. Within 2, the edge-shared Co2O10 bi-octahedra are connected to the CoO6 octahedra to form 1D cobalt oxide chains and 3D open framework generated from the chains inter-linked by bis-bidentate fumarate anions displays rhombic tunnels, which are filled with the lattice H2O molecules. Thermal and magnetic behaviors of both the title coordination polymers are discussed. Crystal data: (1) monoclinic, P21/c, Z=4, a=7.493(1) A˚, b=14.377(1) A˚, c=7.708(1) A˚, β=99.54(1)°, V=818.9(2) A˚3, R1=0.0304, and wR2=0.0669 for 1487 observed reflections (I⩾2σ(I)) out of 1877 unique reflections; (2) monoclinic, P21/c, Z=2, a=6.618(1) A˚, b=8.172(2) A˚, c=15.578(3) A˚, β=96.30(3)°, V=837.4(3) A˚3, R1=0.0360 and wR2=0.0663 for 1442 observed reflections (I⩾2σ(I)) out of 1927 unique reflections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two succinato-pillared coordination polymers Mn5(OH)2L4 1 and Cd3(OH)2L2 2 were prepared by hydrothermal reactions of succinic acid (H2L&z.dbnd;HOOC(CH2)2COOH) and KOH with the corresponding metal chlorides at 180°C. Within 1, the adjacent MnO6 octahedra are edge shared to generate Mn5O22 pentamers, which are interconnected to form 2D manganese oxide layers stabilized by the intralayer gauche succinato groups within the aperture. The manganese oxide layers are pillared by the interlayer trans succinato groups to complete 3D framework. The magnetic behavior of 1 obeys Curie–Weiss law χm(T−Θ)=4.46(2) cm3 mol−1 K with the Weiss constant Θ=−67.3(3) K over the temperature range 5−300 K. Compound 2 contains CdO6 octahedra and edge-shared Cd2O10 bi-octahedra. The former CdO6 octahedra are each surrounded by four Cd2O10 bi-octahedra which in turn are each surrounded by four former CdO6 octahedra and four neighboring Cd2O10 bi-octahedra, thus resulting in the corrugated cadmium oxide layers. The formed 2D layers are pillared by trans succinato groups to constitute 3D coordination polymer. Additionally, thermal decomposition of both title coordination polymers upon heating in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere from room temperature to 800°C is discussed. Crystal data: (1) monoclinic, P21/c, Z=2, a=9.575(2) A˚, b=9.611(2) A˚, c=12.526(3) A˚, β=97.04(2)°, V=1144.0(4) A˚3, R1=0.0289 and wR2=0.0815 for 2411 observed reflections (I⩾2σ(I)) out of 2629 unique reflections; (2) orthorhombic, Pbca, Z=4, a=10.679(1) A˚, b=6.873(1) A˚, c=16.996(2) A˚, V=1247.5(3) A˚3, R1=0.0234 and wR2=0.0585 for 1213 observed reflections (I⩾2σ(I)) out of 1437 unique reflections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A suberato-pillared Mn(II) coordination polymer Mn2(H2O)(C8H12O4)2 was hydrothermally synthesized at 170°C for 3 days and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: monoclinic, C2/c, Z=4, a=26.544(5), b=7.617(2), c=9.187(2) A˚, β=105.38(2)°, V=1791.0(7) A˚3, R1=0.064 and wR2=0.162. The compound shows a layered structure consisting of inorganic Mn oxygen polyhedral layers and organic regions. The inorganic Mn oxygen layers are generated from Mn2O10 bioctahedral units, which share corners with neighbors to form zigzag chains along the [001] direction and are, along the [010] direction, further connected by carboxylate groups of the suberato ligands and hydrogen bonds. The magnetic studies indicated that the compound becomes antiferromagnetic at low temperatures with TNe´el=12 K and follows Curie–Weiss law χm(T+22.429)= 4.48 cm3 mol−1 K between 25 and 300 K. Upon heating in Ar stream, Mn2(H2O)(C8H12O4)2 decomposes in three steps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Flooded rice paddy fields are a significant source of anthropogenic methane (CH 4) emissions. Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most common and toxic contaminants in paddy soils. However, little is known about how the soil microbial communities associated with CH 4 emissions respond to the increasing Cd-stress in paddies. In this study, we employed isotopically 13C-labelled CH 4 , high-throughput sequencing analysis, and gene quantification analysis to reveal the effect and mechanism of Cd on CH 4 emissions in paddy soils. Results showed that 4.0 mg kg−1 Cd addition reduced CH 4 emissions by 16–99% in the four tested paddy soils, and significantly promoted the transformation of 13CH 4 to 13CO 2. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrated that Cd addition increased the abundances of pmoA gene, the ratios of methanogens to methanotrophs (mcrA / pmoA) showed a positive correlation with CH 4 emissions (R 2 = 0.798, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the composition of the microbial community containing the pmoA gene was barely affected by Cd addition (p > 0.05). This observation was consistent with the findings of a pure incubation experiment where methanotrophs exhibited high tolerance to Cd. We argue that microbial feedback to Cd stress amplifies the contribution of methanotrophs to CH 4 oxidation in rice fields through the complex interactions occurring among soil microbes. Our study highlights the overlooked association between Cd and CH 4 dynamics, offering a better understanding of the role of rice paddies in global CH 4 cycling. [Display omitted] • Cadmium impeded methanogenesis and stimulated methane oxidation; • Cadmium increased the relative abundances of both pmoA and mcrA genes, with a more significant increase of pmoA than mcrA ; • Methanotrophs are highly tolerant to cadmium stress; • Microbial feedback to cadmium amplifies the contribution of methanotrophs to methane oxidation in rice fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are amphipathic, alpha-helical peptides that are secreted by staphylococci in high amounts in a quorum-sensing-controlled fashion. Studies performed predominantly in Staphylococcus aureus showed that PSMs structure biofilms, which results in reduced biofilm mass, while it has also been reported that S. aureus PSMs stabilize biofilms due to amyloid formation. We here analyzed the roles of PSMs in in vitro and in vivo biofilms of Staphylococcus epidermidis , the leading cause of indwelling device-associated biofilm infection. We produced isogenic deletion mutants for every S. epidermidis psm locus and a sequential deletion mutant in which production of all PSMs was abolished. In vitro analysis substantiated the role of all PSMs in biofilm structuring. PSM-dependent biofilm expansion was not observed, in accordance with our finding that no S. epidermidis PSM produced amyloids. In a mouse model of indwelling device-associated infection, the total psm deletion mutant had a significant defect in dissemination. Notably, the total psm mutant produced a significantly more substantial biofilm on the implanted catheter than the wild-type strain. Our study, which for the first time directly quantified the impact of PSMs on biofilm expansion on an implanted device, shows that the in vivo biofilm infection phenotype in S. epidermidis is in accordance with the PSM biofilm structuring and detachment model, which has important implications for the potential therapeutic application of quorum-sensing blockers. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to useful fuels or chemicals is a promising path for carbon recycling. In this study, a novel mixed-metallic MOF [Ag 4 Co 2 (pyz)PDC 4 ][Ag 2 Co(pyz) 2 PDC 2 ] was synthesized, and it transformed into Ag doped Co 3 O 4 catalyst, which exhibits excellent electro-catalytic performance for reduction of CO 2 in water to syngas (H 2 + CO). The as-prepared Ag/Co 3 O 4 material exhibits a high selectivity of CO in 0.1 M KHCO 3 aqueous solution (CO 2 saturated) with the corresponding faradaic efficiency up to 55.6%. Compared with the Ag/Co 3 O 4 electrode, the maximum faradaic efficiency (FE) of CO of pure Co 3 O 4 is 21.3% at − 1.8 V vs. SCE. The results show that the presence of Ag can improve the efficiency of CO significantly, thereby inhibiting the production of H 2 . The stability of the samples can be maintained for more than 10 h at − 1.8 V vs. SCE. The ratio of production between H 2 and CO can be controlled by varying the potential values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new dinuclear silver(I) coordination complexes [Ag(Hntph)(tpyz) 2/2 ] n 1 and [Ag 2 (dtrz) 2 (Hntph) 2 ] 2 (H 2 ntph=2-nitroterephthalic acid, tpyz=2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, dtrz=3,5-dimethyl-4 H -1,2,4-triazol-4-amine) have been obtained by hydrothermal reactions of Ag(I) salts with H 2 ntph and various N-donor ligands. Complex 1 exhibits a 2D layer structure constructed by the binuclear Ag 2 (Hntph) 2 units and tpyz ligands. Complex 2 also shows a different binuclear unit Ag 2 (dtrz) 2 , which was assembled via hydrogen bonds interactions to a 3D supramolecular architecture. The photocatalytic experiments showed that complex 2 is an excellent visible light candidate for degradation of RhB, and the degradation ratio of RhB reached 91.4% after 7 h under the light of 90 W white LED lamp. Moreover, the photoluminescent properties and the optical band gaps of 1 – 2 have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of type I collagen declines is a main characteristic during photoaging, but the mechanism is still not fully understood. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of newly identified non-coding RNAs with regulatory potency by sequestering miRNAs like a sponge. It's more stable than linear RNAs, and would be a useful tool for regulation of gene expression. However, the role of circRNAs in collagen expression during photoaging is still unclear. Here we performed deep sequencing of RNA generated from UVA irradiated and no irradiated human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and identified 29 significantly differentially expressed circRNAs (fold change ≥ 1.5, P < 0.05), 12 circRNAs were up-regulated and 17 circRNAs were down-regulated.3 most differentially expressed circRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR and the down-regulated circCOL3A1-859267 exhibited the most significantly altered in photoaged HDFs. Overexpression of circCOL3A1-859267 inhibited UVA-induced decrease of type I collagen expression and silencing of it reduced type I collagen intensity. Via a bioinformatic method, 44 miRNAs were predicted to binding with circCOL3A1-859267, 5 of them have been confirmed or predicted to interact with type I collagen. This study show that circCOL3A1-859267 regulate type I collagen expression in photoaged HDFs, suggesting it may be a novel target for interfering photoaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An uranium coordination polymer, namely [(UO 2 (pydc)(H 2 O)]·H 2 O ( 1 ) (H 2 pydc=2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), has been obtained by hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray single crystal structure determination. Structural analysis reveals that complex 1 exhibits 1D chain coordination polymer, in which UO 2 2+ ions are bridged by 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylate ligands and the chains are connected into a 3D supramolecular network by O–H···O hydrogen bond interactions and π–π stacking interactions. The photocatalytic properties of 1 for degradation of methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) under Hg-lamp irradiation have been performed, and the amount of the catalyst as well as Hg-lamp irradiation with different power on the photodegradation efficiency of MB have been investigated. Elemental analyses, infrared spectroscopy, TG-DTA analyses and luminescence properties were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy has been associated with a variety of diseases especially aging. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) can internalize and then degrade elastin, collagen and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in lysosomes, which plays prominent roles in extracellular matrix homeostasis and AGEs removal in the dermis. Although autophagy has been reported to be decreased in photoaged fibroblasts, the underlying mechanism and its relevance to photoaging remain elusive. Here, we showed that GFP-LC3 puncta per cell, LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ conversion and p62 expression were significantly increased, whereas beclin1 expression was not altered in UVA-induced photoaged fibroblasts compared with non-photoaged control. Moreover, autophagic flux was not significantly affected by chloroquine treatment, but was remarkably induced by rapamycin treatment in photoaged fibroblasts, suggesting that UVA-induced photoaging might inhibit autophagy at the degradation stage. Further lysosomal function studies demonstrated that degradation of formed autophagosomes, LC3Ⅱprotein and DQ-Green BSA was all dramatically decreased in photoaged fibroblasts. LysoSensor yellow/blue DND 160 staining and flow cytometry assays demonstrated that photoaging obviously attenuated lysosomal acidification. Also, decreased expression of cathepsin B, L and D was found in photoaged fibroblasts. These data suggest that lowered lysosomal acidity and decreased cathepsins expression might contribute to the inhibition of autophagic degradation, which might be crucial in the development of photoaging through impairing intracellular degradation. • UVA-induced photoaging decreases lysosomal acidification in human dermal fibroblasts. • UVA-induced photoaging attenuates expression of cathepsin B, L and D. • UVA-induced photoaging impairs lysosomal degradation. • UVA-induced photoaging inhibits autophagy at the degradation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current sample processing (SP) methods for tacrolimus (FK506) immunoassays are mainly based on extraction of drug by organic solvent and divalent metal ions. Although these methods are effective for drug extraction and interference elimination, they suffer from drawbacks including inconvenience for operation, difficulties for automation and potential measurement bias. To overcome these limitations, this study describes a new SP reagent for blood cell lysis and protein denaturation. A TRFIA (time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay) was developed by using this SP reagent for whole blood FK506 quantification. Results show that blood samples could be turned into homogeneous solution after being treated by this SP reagent, and so could be directly applied to immunoassays without centrifugation. The analytical sensitivity of the FK506-TRFIA was 0.57 ng/mL, the within-run and between-run coefficient of variations (CVs) were both less than 10%. The FK506 values of 126 samples obtained by FK506-TRFIA correlated excellently with that obtained by ABBOTT FK506-CMIA (R2 = 0.982). Comparison studies also show that the FK506-TRFIA was highly resistant to endogenous interferences. These results suggest that the present SP method is a more promising chose for FK506 immunoassay, and in the meantime, its simplicity makes the whole-process immunoassay automation more feasible by obviating the necessary for centrifugation. • A new sample processing (SP) method is presented for effective drug release in tacrolimus immunoassay. • The FK506-TRFIA based on the proposed SP shows excellent performance regarding to accuracy, sensitivity and precision. • The proposed SP is unnecessary for performing centrifugation or using the volatile and flammable organic solvent. • Besides tacrolimus, the present SP method is potentially applicable to immunoassays of other small molecule analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for biodegradable and biocompatible materials applied to the antibacterial field has become a significant topic of interest worldwide. In this study, the electrospinning and electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) techniques were applied to achieve composite mats with enhanced physical and biological properties. Electrospun silk fibroin (SF) was selected as the substrate, and chitosan (CS) and rectorite (REC) were assembled on the surface of the substrate as positively and negatively charged layers via electrostatic LBL. The morphology, composition and structure of the mats were examined, and the results suggested that LBL modification was successful. In addition, the variation of the bilayer numbers and the component of the outmost layer could affect the morphology and the physical and biological properties of LBL mats. Additionally, the morphology and the water contact angle investigation results of the as-prepared mats indicated that the surface features were changed through the LBL process, resulting in a rougher surface than in pure SF mats. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the SF mats were improved after the LBL process. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the LBL self-assembled SF mats against E. coli and S. aureus with a concentration of 10 6 CFU/mL were 84 and 92%, respectively. The cell-culture experiments demonstrated that the mats maintained superior biocompatibility after the introduction of CS and REC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two mixed uranyl-cadmium malonate coordination polymers [(UO 2 ) 2 Cd(H–bipy) 2 (mal) 4 (H 2 O) 2 ]·4H 2 O 1 and [(UO 2 )Cd(bipy)(mal) 2 ]·H 2 O 2 (H 2 mal = malonic acid, bipy =4,4′-bipyridine) have been synthesized in room temperature. Compound 1 represents a one-dimensional (1D) chain assembly of Cd(II) ions, uranyl centers and malonate ligands. Compound 2 exhibits a two-dimensional (2D) 2D +2D → 3D polycatenated framework based on inclined interlocked 2D 4 4 sql grids. The two compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and UV–vis spectroscopy, thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectroscopy. And the ferroelectric property of 2 also has been studied. Moreover, compound 2 exhibits good photocatalytic activity for dye degradation under UV light and is excellent adsorbent for removing tetracycline antibiotics in the aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First synthesis of five Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers natural products and 30 new derivatives. • Discovery of two compounds 3 and 17 h selectively act on KCNQ1 and KCNQ2 ion channels. • Provide a class of compounds targeting KCNQ1 and KCNQ2 potassium channels. Natural polybrominated diphenyl ethers, often isolated from marine sponges, have been reported to possess various biological activities, such as antibacterial, antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. Via a high throughput screening of our marine natural product library, the polybrominated diphenyl ether 3 was found to display a KCNQ potassium channel activation effect. To obtain more compound 3 related natural products and their derivatives for further bioactivity study, a diversity-oriented synthesis was conducted, leading to the successful synthesis of five polybrominated diphenyl ether natural products (1 – 4 , 6) and 30 new derivatives. Compound 3 was found to preferentially potentiate KCNQ1 potassium channel, whereas 17h relatively activated KCNQ2 potassium channel. The structure–activity relationship was analyzed assisted by molecular docking and 17h was further conducted for its agonistic mechanism study on KCNQ2 channel. This research work may give an insight for the discovery of marine polybrominated diphenyl ether derived new drug leads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Genitourinary candidiasis, which is most frequently caused by Candida albicans, is a common problem worldwide. The pathogenesis of the infection, especially recurrence of the infection, remains to be elucidated. This study analyzed 199 independent Chinese C. albicans isolates using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and microsatellite typing, with the focus on the isolates associated with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) of Chinese women. MLST data of 221 vaginal isolates from other countries available from the consensus MLST database of C. albicans were retrieved for comparison. A total of 124 diploid sequence types (DSTs) were recognized from the Chinese C. albicans isolates, among which, 98 (79.0%) have not been reported in the MLST database of the species. The majority of the VVC (71.6%) and balanitis (92.3%) isolates from China were located in clade 1 of C. albicans; while only 40.6% of the vaginal isolates and 7.8% of the oral isolates from healthy volunteers were found in the same clade. Furthermore, 69.1% of the VVC and 84.5% of the balanitis isolates concentrated in a cluster of clade 1 with DST 79 as the primary founder. The isolates in this cluster possessed microsatellite genotypes CAI 30–45, CAI 32–46 and their close derivatives. Interestingly, a remarkable difference in genotype distribution patterns between Chinese and non-Chinese vaginal isolates of C. albicans was observed. Only 11.3% of the non-Chinese vaginal isolates compared were located in the cluster concentrated with Chinese VVC isolates. The results suggest significant association of specific and genetically similar genotypes with genital infections in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrothermal reactions of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid (H2L) and lanthanide chlorides yielded six compounds: [Ln(L)(HL)(phen)] (Ln=Pr, 1; Nd, 2), [Ln(L)(HL)(phen)(H2O)] (Sm, 3; Eu, 4), [Tb(L)(HL)(phen)(H2O)]2·2H2O (5), [Er3(L)4(OH)(phen)]2 (6). Compounds 1–4 are structurally featured by one-dimensional polymeric chains; 5 hold binuclear structure constructed from eight-coordinated lanthanide center LnN2O6 of distorted bicapped trigonal prism bridged by dicarboxylate ligands; 6 shows that erbium ions are in mono and bicapped trigonal prismatic geometries, respectively, which are further connected by μ3-OH to give rise to trinuclear structure. Thermogravimetric analyses of 1, 3 and 5 were performed. Fluorescent measurements of 4 and 5 were carried out, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important parameter that reflects soil fertility and quality. In this study, the effects of intercropping perennial ryegrass and straw mulch on the content, composition and spectral characteristics of soil DOM in orchards in arid and semi-arid areas were investigated by three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Three treatments were applied in a 6-year-old apple orchard on the Loess Plateau: (1) clean tillage (CT); (2) intercropping perennial ryegrass mulch (RE); (3) intercropping straw mulch (CS). Soil samples (0–10, 10–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80, 80–100 cm) were collected from different treatments. The total soil organic carbon (SOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content were ranked as CS> RE> CT, and decreased with soil depth. In addition, the vertical distribution of DOC with different soil depth was caused by organic matter input but not leaching. Three humic-like components and two protein-like components were identified by EEM-PARAFAC. Fluorescence spectra showed that humic-like compounds were the dominant fractions in soil DOM in the CS treatment. Fluorescence Index (FI) indicated that the proportion of plant residues and soil organic matter derived DOM ranked as CT> RE> CS and gradually decreased with soil depth. Our results highlight the key role of orchard intercropping mulch in improving the content and compositions of soil DOM through different forms of organic inputs and provide new theoretical support for the evaluation of soil fertility in orchards. Image 1 • Effects of intercropping mulch on soil DOM were analyszed by EEM-PARAFAC. • Vertical distribution of DOC was caused by organic matter input but not leaching. • FI showed that DOM derived from plant residues decreased with increasing soil depth. • Humic-like compounds were the dominant fraction in the intercropping mulch straw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]