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Reactions of N,N '- bis (3-methylpyridyl)oxalamide ( L 1 ), N , N '- bis (3-methylpyridyl)adipoamide ( L 2 ) and N , N '- bis (3-methylpyridyl)sebacoamide ( L 3 ) with tricarboxylic acids and Cu(II) salts afforded {[Cu( L 1 )(1,3,5-HBTC)]·H 2 O} n (1,3,5-H 3 BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid), 1 , {[Cu 1.5 ( L 2 ) 1.5 (1,3,5-BTC)(H 2 O) 2 ]·6.5H 2 O} n , 2 , [Cu( L 2 ) 0.5 (1,3,5-HBTB)] n (1,3,5-H 3 BTB = 1,3,5-tri(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene), 3 , [Cu 4 ( L 3 )(OH) 2 (1,3,5-BTC) 2 ] n , 4 , {[Cu 3 ( L 3 ) 2 (1,3,5-BTB) 2 ]·2.5MeOH·2H 2 O} n , 5 , and {[Cu 3 ( L 3 ) 2 (1,3,5-BTB) 2 ]·DMF·2H 2 O} n , 6 , which have been structurally characterized by using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Complexes 1-4 form a 2D layer with the {4 4 .6 2 }- sql topology, a 2D layer with the (4.6 2 ) 2 (4 2 .6 2 .8 2 )- bex topology, a three-fold interpenetrated 3D net with the (4 12 ·6 3 )- pcu topology and a 3D framework with the (4 10 ·6 32 ·8 3 )(4 2 ·6) 2 (4 3 ·6 3 ) topology, respectively, whereas 5 and 6 are 3D frameworks with the (6 3 ) 2 (6 4 ·8 2 )(6 8 ·8 5 ·10 2 ) topology. Complex 5 shows a better iodine adsorption factor of 290.0 mg g -1 at 60 °C for 360 min than the other ones, revealing that the flexibility of the spacer ligand governs the structural diversity and the adsorption capacity.

The disruption of mitochondrial dynamics has been identified in cardiovascular diseases, including pulmonary hypertension (PH), ischemia-reperfusion injury, heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) is abundantly expressed in heart and pulmonary vasculature cells at the outer mitochondrial membrane to modulate fusion. Previously, we have reported reduced levels of Mfn2 and fragmented mitochondria in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) isolated from a sheep model of PH induced by pulmonary over-circulation and restoring Mfn2 normalized mitochondrial function. In this study, we assessed the effect of increased expression of Mfn2 on mitochondrial metabolism, bioenergetics, reactive oxygen species production, and mitochondrial membrane potential in control PAECs. Using an adenoviral expression system to overexpress Mfn2 in PAECs and utilizing 13 C labeled substrates, we assessed the levels of TCA cycle metabolites. We identified increased pyruvate and lactate production in cells, revealing a glycolytic phenotype (Warburg phenotype). Mfn2 overexpression decreased the mitochondrial ATP production rate, increased the rate of glycolytic ATP production, and disrupted mitochondrial bioenergetics. The increase in glycolysis was linked to increased hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) protein levels, elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mt-ROS), and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Our data suggest that disrupting the mitochondrial fusion/fission balance to favor hyperfusion leads to a metabolic shift that promotes aerobic glycolysis. Thus, therapies designed to increase mitochondrial fusion should be approached with caution.

Eight coordination polymers constructed from divalent metal salts, N,N ' -bis(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)terephthalamide ( L ), and various dicarboxylic acids are reported, affording [Co( L )(5-ter-IPA)(H 2 O) 2 ] n (5-tert-H 2 IPA = 5-tert-butylisophthalic acid), 1 , {[Co( L )(5-NO 2 -IPA)]⋅2H 2 O} n (5-NO 2 -H 2 IPA = 5-nitroisophthalic acid), 2 , {[Co( L ) 0.5 (5-NH 2 -IPA)]⋅MeOH} n (5-NH 2 -H 2 IPA = 5-aminoisophthalic acid), 3 , {[Co( L )(MBA)]⋅2H 2 O} n (H 2 MBA = diphenylmethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid), 4 , {[Co( L )(SDA)]⋅H 2 O} n (H 2 SDA = 4,4-sulfonyldibenzoic acid), 5 , {[Co 2 ( L ) 2 (1,4-NDC) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ]⋅5H 2 O} n (1,4-H 2 NDC = naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid), 6 , {[Cd( L )(1,4-NDC)(H 2 O)]⋅2H 2 O} n , 7 , and {[Zn 2 ( L ) 2 (1,4-NDC) 2 ]⋅2H 2 O} n , 8 , which were structurally characterized by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structural types of 1 - 8 are subject to the metal and ligand identities, showing a 2D layer with the hcb , a 3D framework with the pcu , a 2D layer with the sql , a polycatenation of 2-fold interpenetrated 2D layer with the sql , a 2-fold interpenetrated 2D layer with the 2,6L1, a 3D framework with the cds , a 2D layer with the 2,4L1, and a 2D layer with the (10 2 ⋅12)(10) 2 (4⋅10⋅12 4 )(4) topologies, respectively. The investigation on the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) by using complexes 1 - 3 reveals that the degradation efficiency may increase with increasing surface areas.

This study synthesized two azide-functionalized monomers through p -dichloro xylene and double-decker silsesquioxane (DDSQ) units with NaN 3 to form DB-N 3 and DDSQ-N 3 monomers, respectively. In addition, five different propargyl-functionalized monomers were also prepared from hydroquinone, bisphenol A, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methanone, 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (then reacted with hydrazine hydrate solution) and 1,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-diphenylethene with propargyl bromide to form P-B, P-BPA, P-CO, P-NP, and P-TPE monomers, respectively. As a result, various DDSQ-based main chain copolymers could be synthesized using Cu(I)-catalyzed click polymerization through DDSQ-N 3 with different propargyl-functionalized monomers, of which the chemical structure and molecular weight could be confirmed by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy analyses also could characterize the thermal stability, morphology, and optical behaviors of these DDSQ-based copolymers. All results indicate that the incorporation of an inorganic DDSQ cage could improve the thermal stability such as thermal decomposition temperature and char yield, because of the DDSQ dispersion homogeneously in the copolymer matrix, and this would then affect the optical properties of NP and TPE units in this work.

In this study, we have used the one-pot polycondensation method to prepare novel 2D conjugated microporous polymers (Th-F-CMP) containing thiophene (Th) and fluorene (Fl) moieties through the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data revealed that Th-F-CMP ( T d10 = 418 °C, char yield: 53 wt%). Based on BET analyses, the Th-F-CMP sample displayed a BET specific surface area of 30 m 2 g -1 , and the pore size was 2.61 nm. Next, to show the effectiveness of our study, we utilized Th-F-CMP as a fluorescence probe for the selective detection of Fe 3+ ions at neutral pH with a linear range from 2.0 to 25.0 nM ( R 2 = 0.9349). Furthermore, the electrochemical experimental studies showed that the Th-F-CMP framework had a superior specific capacity of 84.7 F g -1 at a current density of 0.5 A g -1 and outstanding capacitance retention (88%) over 2000 cycles.

Hg(II) halide complexes [HgCl 2 ] 2 L 1 [ L 1 = N,N' -bis(3-pyridyl)bicyclo(2,2,2,)oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic diamide), 1 , [HgBr 2 ( L 1 )] n , 2 , [HgI 2 ( L 1 )], 3 , [Hg 2 X 4 ( L 2 ) 2 ] [X = Cl, 4 , Br, 5 , and I, 6 ; L 2 = N,N' -bis(4-pyridylmethyl)bicyclo(2,2,2,)oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic diamide] and {[HgX 2 ( L 3 )]⋅H 2 O} n [X = Cl, 7 , Br, 8 and I, 9 ; L 3 = 4,4'-oxybis(N-(pyridine-3-yl)benzamide)] are reported and structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The linear HgCl 2 units of complex 1 are interlinked by the L 1 ligands through Hg---N and Hg---O interactions, resulting in 1D supramolecular chains. Complex 2 shows 1D zigzag chains interlinked through the Br---Br interactions to form 1D looped supramolecular chains, while the mononuclear [HgI 2 L 2 ] molecules of 3 are interlinked through Hg---O and I---I interactions, forming 2D supramolecular layers. Complexes 4 - 6 are isomorphous dinuclear metallocycles, and 7 - 9 form isomorphous 1D zigzag chains. The roles of the ligand type and the halide anion in determining the structural diversity of 1 - 9 is discussed and the luminescent properties of 7 - 9 evaluated. Complexes 7 - 9 manifest stability in aqueous environments. Moreover, complexes 7 and 8 show good sensing towards Fe 3+ ions with low detection limits and good reusability up to five cycles, revealing that the Hg-X---Fe 3+ (X = Cl and Br) interaction may have an important role in determining the quenching effect of 7 and 8 .

Reactions of divalent metal salts with 4,4-oxybis(N-(pyridine-4-yl)-benzamide), L , and naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (1,4-H 2 NDC) in various solvents gave [Zn( L )(1,4-NDC)·H 2 O] n , 1 , [Cd( L )(1,4-NDC)(H 2 O)·MeOH] n , 2 , and [Co( L )(1,4-NDC)(H 2 O) 0.5 ·MeOH] n , 3 , which have been structurally characterized. Complexes 1 - 3 show eight-fold interpenetrating frameworks with the dia topology, which exhibit porosities substantiated by CO 2 adsorption, whereas 1 and 2 manifest stability in aqueous environments and show high selectivity toward sensing of mesitylene molecules and Fe 3+ ions with low detection limits and good reusability up to five cycles.

Tauopathy refers to a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease, which correlate with the malfunction of microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) due to abnormal hyperphosphorylation, leading to the formation of intracellular aggregates in the brain. Despite extensive efforts to understand tauopathy and develop an efficient therapy, our knowledge is still far from complete. To find a solution for this group of devastating diseases, several animal models that mimic diverse disease phenotypes of tauopathy have been developed. Rodents are the dominating tauopathy models because of their similarity to humans and established disease lines, as well as experimental approaches. However, powerful genetic animal models using Drosophila , zebrafish, and C. elegans have also been developed for modeling tauopathy and have contributed to understanding the pathophysiology of tauopathy. The success of these models stems from the short lifespans, versatile genetic tools, real-time in-vivo imaging, low maintenance costs, and the capability for high-throughput screening. In this review, we summarize the main findings on mechanisms of tauopathy and discuss the current tauopathy models of these non-rodent genetic animals, highlighting their key advantages and limitations in tauopathy research.

In this study, we designed, synthesized and evaluated, in vitro, novel chalcone analogs containing dialkylamino pharmacophores in the cervical cancer cell line, OV2008. The compound, DML6 was selective and significantly decreased the proliferation of OV2008 and HeLa cells in sub-micromolar concentrations, compared to prostate, lung, colon, breast or human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293). DML6 , at 5 μM, arrested the OV2008 cells in the G2 phase. Furthermore, DML6 , at 5 μM, increased the levels of reactive oxygen species and induced a collapse in the mitochondrial membrane potential, compared to OV2008 cells incubated with a vehicle. DML6 , at 5 μM, induced intrinsic apoptosis by significantly (1) increasing the levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins, Bak and Bax, and (2) decreasing the levels of l the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, compared to cell incubated with a vehicle. Furthermore, DML6 , at 5 and 20 μM, induced the cleavage of caspase-9, followed by subsequent cleavage of the executioner caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7, which produced OV2008 cell death. Overall, our data suggest that DML6 is an apoptosis-inducing compound that should undergo further evaluation as a potential treatment for cervical cancer.

Cleaning is an important factor in most aspects of our day-to-day life. This research work brings a solution to the fundamental question of "How clean is clean" by introducing a novel framework for auditing the cleanliness of built infrastructure using mobile robots. The proposed system presents a strategy for assessing the quality of cleaning in a given area and a novel exploration strategy that facilitates the auditing in a given location by a mobile robot. An audit sensor that works by the "touch and inspect" analogy that assigns an audit score corresponds to its area of inspection has been developed. A vision-based dirt-probability-driven exploration is proposed to empower a mobile robot with an audit sensor on-board to perform auditing tasks effectively. The quality of cleaning is quantified using a dirt density map representing location-wise audit scores, dirt distribution pattern obtained by kernel density estimation, and cleaning benchmark score representing the extent of cleanliness. The framework is realized in an in-house developed audit robot to perform the cleaning audit in indoor and semi-outdoor environments. The proposed method is validated by experiment trials to estimate the cleanliness in five different locations using the developed audit sensor and dirt-probability-driven exploration.

The hydro blasting of metallic surfaces is an essential maintenance task in various industrial sites. Its requirement of a considerable labour force and time, calls for automating the hydro blasting jobs through mobile robots. A hydro blasting robot should be able to cover the required area for a successful implementation. If a conventional robot footprint is chosen, the blasting may become inefficient, even though the concerned area is completely covered. In this work, the blasting arm's sweeping angle is chosen as the robot's footprint for hydro blasting task, and a multi-objective optimization-based framework is proposed to compute the optimal sweeping arc. The genetic algorithm (GA) methodology is exploited to compute the optimal footprint, which minimizes the blasting time and energy simultaneously. Multiple numerical simulations are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Moreover, the strategy is successfully implemented on our hydro blasting robot named Hornbill, and the efficacy of the proposed approach is validated through experimental trials.

Currently, the use of sensors and supporting technologies has become indispensable in the assessment of tribological behavioral patterns of composites. Furthermore, the current investigation focused on the assessment of the tribological behavior of the Al-SiCp composite for high-temperature applications. Moreover, the Al-SiCp composite was fabricated by adapting the liquid metallurgy route with varying weight percentages of SiC p (x = 3, 6, and 9). Density, hardness, and high-temperature wear tests were performed to evaluate the hardness and tribological characteristics and properties of modern-day advanced composites. Moreover, the inclusion of SiC p enhanced the advanced composite materials hardness from 60 HV to 110 HV due to a high degree of refinement of the α-phase. Subsequently, the fabricated samples' wear behavior was assessed by varying the wear parameter viz. the applied load (20 N and 30 N) and sliding distance (250 m, 500 m, 750 m, and 1000 m) with the constant sliding velocity (0.45 m/s) for various temperatures (40 °C, 150 °C, and 250 °C). Moreover, the results revealed that the enhancement in the reinforcement percentage improves the wear resistance. Consequently, the wear rate decreased at 250 °C, possibly owing to the development of the oxide layers. Therefore, the occurrence of delamination and plastic deformation were evidenced in the wear-out surface, thereby depicting the prevalence of delamination and the abrasive wear-mechanism.

Efficacy assessments using a combination of baricitinib and methotrexate necessitate the development of an analytical method for the determination of both drugs in plasma with precision. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of baricitinib and methotrexate in rat plasma. Extraction of baricitinib, methotrexate, and tolbutamide (internal standard; IS) from 50 µL of rat plasma was carried out by protein precipitation with methanol. Chromatographic separation of the analytes was performed on the YMC pack ODS AM (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column under gradient conditions with methanol: 2.0 mM ammonium acetate buffer as the mobile phases at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The precursor ion and product ion transition for both analytes and IS were monitored on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, operated with selective reaction monitoring in positive ionization mode. The method was validated over a concentration range of 0.5-250.00 ng/mL for baricitinib and methotrexate. Mean extraction recoveries for baricitinib, methotrexate, and IS of 86.8%, 89.4%, and 91.8% were consistent across low, medium, and high QC levels, respectively. Precision and accuracy at low, medium, and high quality control levels were less than 15% across the analytes. Benchtop, wet, freeze-thaw, and long-term stability were evaluated for both of the analytes. The analytical method was applied to support the pharmacokinetic study of simultaneous estimation of baricitinib and methotrexate in Wistar rats. Assay reproducibility was demonstrated by reanalysis of 18 incurred samples.