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Direct depletion of lactate accumulated in the tumor microenvironment holds promise for cancer therapy, but remains challenging. Here we report a one‐pot synthesis of openwork@ dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (ODMSN) to address this problem. ODMSN self‐assembled through a time‐resolved lamellar growth mechanism feature an openworked core and a dendritic shell, both constructed by silica nanosheets of ~3 nm. With a large pore size, high surface area and pore volume, ODMSN exhibited a high loading capacity (> 0.7 g/g) of lactate oxidase (LOX) and enabled intratumoral lactate depletion by >99.9%, leading to anti‐angiogenesis, down‐regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor and increased tumor hypoxia. The latter event facilitates the activation of a co‐delivered prodrug for enhancing anti‐tumor and anti‐metastasis efficacy. This study provides an innovative nano‐delivery system and demonstrates the first example of direct lactate depletion enabled chemotherapy.

Biomaterials with suitable osteoimmunomodulation properties and ability to deliver osteoinductive biomolecules, such as bone morphogenetic proteins, are desired for bone regeneration. Herein, we report the development of mesoporous silica rods with large cone-shaped pores (MSR-CP) to load and deliver large protein drugs. It is noted that those cone-shaped pores on the surface modulated the immune response and reduced the pro-inflammatory reaction of stimulated macrophage. Furthermore, bone morphogenetic proteins 2 (BMP-2) loaded MSR-CP facilitated osteogenic differentiation and promoted osteogenesis of bone marrow stromal cells. In vivo tests confirmed BMP-2 loaded MSR-CP improved the bone regeneration performance. This study provides a potential strategy for the design of drug delivery systems for bone regeneration.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Nowadays, tissue engineering vascularisation has become an important means of organ repair and treatment of major traumatic diseases. Vascular endothelial layer regeneration and endothelial functionalisation are prerequisites and important components of tissue engineering vascularisation. The present researches of endothelial functionalisation mainly focus on tissue engineering scaffold preparation and implant surface modification. Few studies have reported the interaction of endothelial functionalisation and scaled materials, especially the nanomaterials. Magnesium (Mg), as an essential cytotropic active element in the human body, should promote the growth of endothelial cells. However, the authors’ previous work found that the Mg in the alloys had a defect of delayed endothelialisation, which may be attributed to the non‐uniform scales of the degradation products from Mg alloys. To validate this hypothesis and fabricate a novel nanomaterial for tissue engineering vascularisation, the authors prepared Mg‐doped hyaluronan (HA)/polyethyleneimine (PEI) nanoparticles for endothelial cells testing. Their data showed that the Mg‐doped HA/PEI nanoparticle with small scales (diameter

Deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) was successfully loaded and delivered by silver-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-Ag) for biofilm treatments. This nanoformulation showed enhanced antibacterial effects for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive biofilms by promoting the biofilm biomass dispersing ability of DNase I.

Effective removal of toxic mercury(II) from aqueous media is a primary challenge for public health and environmental protection. In this work, dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles modified with thiol moieties (denoted as TDMSNs) are used as nanoadsorbents to trap mercury(II) ions. It is demonstrated that the exceptionally high density and accessibility of thiol moieties are both necessary to achieve efficient mercury(II) decontamination. TDMSNs with the highest surface thiol group density of 283.2 μmol g−1 exhibit a Hg(II) adsorption capacity of 1502.4 mg g−1, outperforming reported thiolated adsorbents. The large and well-exposed mesopores of TDMSNs enable fast adsorption kinetics within 5 min to reduce the mercury(II) concentration from 10 ppm to below 2 ppb (US Environmental Protection Agency acceptable limit) which is faster than those in previous reports. Furthermore, the TDMSNs show adsorption stability in a wide range of pH and promising reusability performance (89% adsorption capacity maintenance after 5 reuses). Our contribution paves the way for the rational design of nanoadsorbents for efficient environmental pollutant remediation.

Two new sesquiterpenes, including 7-epi-3-eudesmene-1β,11-diol (1) and (7S,10R)-11-hydroxy-4,5-seco-guai-1-ene-4-one (2); one new natural product (11-hydroxy-1-oxo-4β,5β,7β,10β-eremophilane); (3) and nine known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. Their structures as well as their absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemical calculations. Compounds 1 to 9 were tested to evaluate their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Compounds 5 and 8 exhibited inhibitory effects, with IC50 values of 40.43 and 32.56 μM, respectively, compared to the positive control (i.e., dexamethasone, IC50 = 70.35 μM), and compound 4 exhibited a weaker activity, with an IC50 value of 112.56 μM.

The root Rhynchosia volubilis was widely used for contraception in folk medicine, although its molecular mechanism on antifertility has not yet been revealed. In human sperm, it was reported that the cation channel of sperm, an indispensable cation channel for the fertilization process, could be regulated by various steroid-like compounds in plants. Interestingly, these nonphysiological ligands would also disturb the activation of the cation channel of sperm induced by progesterone. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether the compounds in R. volubilis affect the physiological regulation of the cation channel of sperm. The bioguided isolation of the whole herb of R. volubilis has resulted in the novel discovery of five new prenylated isoflavonoids, rhynchones A – E (1 – 5), a new natural product, 5′-O-methylphaseolinisoflavan (6) (1H and 13C NMR data, Supporting Information), together with twelve known compounds (7 – 18). Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses and drawing a comparison with literature data, while their absolute configurations were determined by electronic circular dichroism calculations. The experiments of intracellular Ca2+ signals and patch clamping recordings showed that rhynchone A (1) significantly reduced cation channel of sperm activation by competing with progesterone. In conclusion, our findings indicat that rhynchone A might act as a contraceptive compound by impairing the activation of the cation channel of sperm and thus prevent fertilization.

Post translational modifications (PTM) such as phosphorylation are often correlated with tumorigenesis and malignancy in breast cancer. Herein, we report a PTM-assisted strategy as a simplified version of a personalized cancer vaccine for enhanced cancer immunotherapy. Titanium modified dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (TiDMSN) are applied to assist the specific enrichment of phosphorylated tumor antigens released upon immunogenic cell death. This strategy significantly improved the tumor inhibition efficacy in a bilateral breast cancer model and the expansion of both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in the distant tumor site. The nanotechnology based PTM-assisted strategy provides a simple and generalizable methodology for effective personalized cancer immunotherapy., The nano-enabled post-translational modification assisted strategy for effective cancer immunotherapy.

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) have drawn much attention in point-of-care diagnostic applications, and the development of high-performance label materials is the key. In this study, the impact of the surface chemistry of dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DMSNs) on their enrichment performance toward quantum dots (QDs) and signal amplification of the resultant DMSNs-QDs as label materials have been investigated. A series of DMSNs with controllable amino/thiol group densities have been synthesized. It is demonstrated that the amino groups are beneficial for QD fluorescence preservation, owing to the amino-based surface passivation, while the thiol groups are responsible for increasing the loading capacity of QDs due to the thiol-metal coordination. The optimized DMSNs-QDs labels with an amino density of 153 μmol g-1 and a thiol density of 218 μmol g-1 displayed sufficient QD fluorescence preservation (89.4%) and high QD loading capacity (1.55 g g-1). Ultrasensitive detection of serum amyloid A (SAA) with a detection limit of 10 pg mL-1 with the naked eye was achieved, which is 1 order of magnitude higher than that reported in the literature. This study provides insights into the development of advanced label materials and an ultrasensitive LFIA for future bioassay applications.

Heavy metal pollution from mining tailings has become a serious concern in China. Here, we quantitatively evaluated the accumulation status and environmental risk of the tailings impoundments located in a typical Pb-Zn mining area in Guangdong Province, South China. The distributional characteristics of the heavy metals in the tailings impoundment area were analyzed. The results showed that the spatial distributions of the heavy metals contained in the tailings were dependent on the geochemical characteristics of the mine tailings rather than on their diversified profile depths. Furthermore, the risk assessment of the heavy metal pollution in the soils surrounding the tailings impoundment showed that the comprehensive Nemerow pollution index (NPI) of the tested surface soil samples was higher than 3.0; thus, these values were much greater than those of the deep soil. Meanwhile, multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the heavy metals contained in the surrounding soils, such as Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, As, and Tl, experienced similar geochemical processes. The analysis of drainage water samples indicated that surface runoff from the tailings impoundment was the main route for the migration of heavy metals. Moreover, the alkaline substances would be consumed by the acid that is continuously generated in the tailings pond, and this increases the risk of heavy metals migrating from the tailings impoundment area. Lastly, resource analysis and process mineralogy analysis showed that the tailings had a high recovery value, and the recovery of tailings would completely eliminate the environmental risks posed by the tailings.

Objective The therapeutic efficacy of apigenin in PC12 cells and rats remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of apigenin against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods We first treated PC12 cells with cobalt chloride (CoCl2) to create a model of oxidative stress injury. Cell viability was then determined using a multifunctional microplate reader. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potentials (MMPs) were examined using high-content cytometer analysis. The efficacy of apigenin treatment was also analyzed in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model using TTC staining and neurological deficit scores. Results The half-inhibitory concentration of CoCl2 was 1.2 mM. Pretreatment with 10 µg ⋅ mL−1 apigenin significantly enhanced cell viability, reduced ROS levels, alleviated apoptosis, and improved MMP in PC12 cells with CoCl2-induced injury in vitro. In addition, apigenin treatment in vivo significantly improved neurological deficit scores and reduced infarct areas in MCAO rats. These results suggest that the neuroprotective mechanisms of apigenin may be related to mitochondrial activation. Conclusions Apigenin had excellent neuroprotective effects for the treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in vitro and in vivo.

To improve the effect of coal fly ash on the remediation of heavy metal polluted soils, the active silicate material (ASM) was prepared by coal fly ash and the remediation of lead polluted soils by ASM was investigated in this study. To study the reaction mechanism between ASM and Pb(II) in soil, the Pb(II) adsorption by ASM was investigated by a series of batch experiments. The result shows that the maximum adsorption capacity of ASM was 300.62 mg g−1 according to the Langmuir isotherm model. The average adsorption energy obtained from the D-K model revealed that the adsorption process of ASM is the ion-exchange process. To apply the ASM to the remediation of lead polluted soils, the soil stabilization experiment and pot experiment were carried out. The results reveal that ASM can reduce the mobility and bioavailability of lead in the soils by transforming the lead from exchangeable fraction, carbonate fraction and reducible fraction to oxidizable fraction and residual fraction. Moreover, ASM can improve the growth of pakchoi by promoting the production of chlorophyll. Furthermore, ASM can reduce the Pb accumulation of pakchoi by inhibiting the absorption of lead in the roots. It is anticipated that this study can provide a novel active silicate material for the application of coal fly ash in heavy metal pollution treatment.

Microsphere based drug delivery systems show great advantages for tissue engineering. However, it is still a big challenge to fabricate microspheres with capability in delivering and controlled releasing multiple growth factors. In the present study, double-layered microspheres consisting of an inner-layer of small core particles and an outer-layer of big shell particles were developed to sequentially release cell homing factors (SDF-1) and osteoinductive growth factors (BMP-2) for bone regeneration. In vitro release testing showed that bioactivity of both growth factors retained within the microspheres and differential release of SDF-1 and BMP-2 was achieved. Microspheres with both growth factors showed an obvious chemotaxis effect on preosteoblasts by inducing more cell migration. In osteoinductive ability tests, the microspheres with both growth factors showed higher ALP activity and more mineralized modules than control groups after culturing for 2 weeks. The expression of bone development transcription factors (Runx2, OCN, Osterix) as well as Smad signals (Smad 1, 5, 8) showed higher gene expression in the dual growth factor group. Our results suggest that a double-layered microsphere system enhances the recruitment of osteogenic cells and osteoinduction, which provides a promising platform for bone regeneration.

Lycopus lucidus root, harvested from two sites at three different times, was analysed for nutritional profiles; phenolics by HPLC-MS and NMR; enzymatic activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO); and DNA damage protective effect. The results showed that the moisture first increased and then decreased, and the crude fat and crude fibre increased continuously during the harvesting period. Sucrose and fructose were the predominant sugars with different changing patterns. Linolelaidic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic acids were the predominant fatty acids. No significant difference was observed of vitamin B2 accompany with an increase of vitamin C with the harvest time delayed among the three harvest times investigated. Caffeic, rosmarinic, and protocatechuic acid; rosmarinic acid methylester; protocatechualdehyde; Danshensu; 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl caffeate; and N-trans-feruloyl tyramine were identified ...

A superhydrophobic surface was successfully fabricated on micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on Mg-1Li-1Ca magnesium alloy via surface modification with stearic acid (SA). The microstructure, composition and superhydrophobic characteristics of the MAO/SA composite coatings were investigated by means of SEM, EDS, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, and contact angle (CA). The corrosion resistance of the coatings was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS), and immersion test in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution. The results demonstrated that the morphology of the porous MAO surface was transformed to a novel petal-like clusters after modified with SA. The magnesium stearate and SA were deposited in/on the micro-pores and the surface of the MAO coating. The CA of the SA-modified surface reached 155.5°. The corrosion current density of the MAO/SA-7h coating decreased about three orders of the magnitude compared to the substrate. The SA-modified surface can provide a long-term corrosion protection for the Mg-1Li-1Ca alloy. Additionally, the coating formation mechanism as well as the corrosion mechanism were proposed and discussed.

On the basis of a synergistic strategy for CO2 activation and conversion, a water-promoted selective synthesis of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones from aziridines and CO2 has been exploited in a metal- and base-free system in confined nanospaces of hierarchical porous silica, affording moderate to good conversions and yields. In this process, carbonic acid in-situ generated interacts with and ingeniously activates the aziridine ring, facilitating its subsequent transformation and promoting the selectivity of 5-substituted products. DFT calculations, FTIR spectroscopy and pH value monitoring reveal that the excellent 5-postion regio-selectivity is dictated by kinetics, which is attributed to the formation of a latent benzyl carbocation in the transition state. The confined nanospaces of hierarchical porous silica can be considered as plenty of nanoreactors, which would change concentrations of reagents and activation parameters, stabilize transition states and enhance the kinetics process. This environment-friendly system provides a synergistic strategy of optimizing both the chemical function and physical microenvironment to enhance CO2 activation, and enriches the carbon capture and utilization (CCU) coupling process by conversion of the waste (water-fixed CO2) into value-added compounds.

Insulin administration mimicking physiological insulin secretion behavior remains a challenge for the treatment of patients with type I diabetes. Herein, we report a novel glucose-responsive insulin-release nanosystem through an enzyme–polymer layer-by-layer coating strategy on silica vesicles loaded with insulin. With a choice of polyethylenimine with prioritized proton binding capability and glucose specific enzymes in the coating layer, the insulin-release threshold can be adjusted in a desired glucose concentration range 5–20 mM for the first time. In vitro tests show that the insulin release is switched “ON” in response to hyperglycemia (10, 20 mM) and “OFF” to normal glucose level (5 mM) repeatedly. Moreover, in vivo experiments in type I diabetes mice demonstrate that our nanosystem enables a fast glucose response insulin release and regulates the glycemia levels in a normal range up to 84 h with a single administration. In addition, when applied to healthy mice, the nanosystem maintains the blood ...

A polymethyltrimethoxysilane (PMTMS)/hydroxyapatite (HA) hybrid coating was successfully fabricated on a magnesium alloy by hydrothermal treatment and immersion method. The microstructure and composition of the coating were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The physical properties were investigated using scratch testing. At the same time, the corrosion resistance was evaluated via electrochemical and immersion tests. The results demonstrated that the corrosion resistance of the silane hybrid coating was significantly enhanced compared with the naked magnesium alloy. Especially, the corrosion current density of the PMTMS/HA magnesium alloy was three orders of magnitude lower than that of the bare material.

A series of dendritic mesoporous silica–titania nanospheres (DMSTN) with tunable Ti/Si molar ratios (φ = 0, 0.04, 0.13, and 0.4) has been successfully prepared through a post-treatment method. These materials possess high surface areas (450–550 m2 g−1), large pore volumes (0.9–1.04 cm3 g−1) and radially oriented mesopores (9.35–10.35 nm). The photodegradation of methylene green (an organic dye) was tested using DMSTN and a commercial photocatalyst (TiO2 Degussa P25) for comparative purposes. DMSTN exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance including higher adsorption capacity and better photocatalytic degradation performance compared to P25.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint degenerative disease that causes pain, joint damage, and dysfunction. External hyaluronic acid (HA) supplement is a common method for the management of osteoarthritis which requires multi-injections. It is demonstrated that biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles successfully deliver an enzyme, hyaluronan synthase type 2 (HAS2), into synoviocytes from the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and generate endogenous HA with high molecular weights. In a rat TMJ osteoarthritis inflammation model, this strategy promotes endogenous HA production and inhibits the synovial inflammation of OA for more than 3 weeks with one-shot administration. Such nanotherapy also helps repairing the bone defects in a rat OA bone defect model.

Thiolated dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (T-DMSNs) with ultrahigh density of thiol groups (284.6 ± 9 μmol g-1) are synthesized and used to load gold nanoparticles with tunable sizes (1.2-2.7 nm) and high content (34.0 wt %). It is demonstrated that the size of gold nanoparticles has a significant impact on their peroxidase-mimicking activity. At an optimized size of 1.9 nm, T-DMSNs@Au exhibits the highest activity. Our contribution provides new insights into the rational design of nanozymes for future applications.

A superhydrophobic surface was successfully constructed to modify the layered double hydroxide (LDH) coatings on aluminum alloy using stearic acid. The characteristics of the coatings were investigated using SEM, XRD, FT-IR and XPS. The corrosion resistance of the prepared coatings was studied using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectrum. The results revealed that the superhydrophobic surface considerably improved the corrosion-resistant performance of the LDH coatings on the aluminum alloy substrate. The formation mechanism of the superhydrophobic surface was proposed.

MgAl-layered double hydroxides (LDH) coatings were fabricated by the in-situ hydrothermal treatment method on the AA5005 aluminum alloy. The characteristics of the coatings were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, SEM and EDS. The effect of the pH value of the solution on the formation of the LDH coatings was studied. The optimum pH value of the solution was 10.0. The corrosion resistance of the LDH coatings was studied using potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS). The results demonstrate that the LDH coatings, characterized by platelets vertically to the substrate surface possess excellent corrosion resistance. The influence of the hydrothermal crystallization time on the corrosion resistance was evaluated. Prolonging the crystallization time can increase the corrosion resistance of the obtained LDH coatings. The anticorrosion mechanism of the LDH coatings was discussed.

The insulin immobilization behaviors of silica vesicles (SV) before and after modification with hydrophobic alkyl -C8 and -C18 groups have been studied and correlated to the grafted alkyl chain length. In order to minimize the influence from the other structural parameters, monolayered -C8 or -C18 groups are grafted onto SV with controlled density. The insulin immobilization capacity of SV is dependent on the initial insulin concentrations (IIC). At high IIC (2.6-3.0 mg/mL), the trend of insulin immobilization capacity of SV is SV-OH > SV-C8 > SV-C18, which is determined mainly by the surface area of SV. At medium IIC (0.6-1.9 mg/mL), the trend changes to SV-C8 ≥ SV-C18 > SV-OH as both the surface area and alkyl chain length contribute to the insulin immobilization. At an extremely low IIC, the hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction between the alkyl group and insulin molecules plays the most significant role. Consequently, SV-C18 with longer alkyl groups and the highest hydrophobicity show the best insulin enrichment performance compared to SV-C8 and SV-OH, as evidenced by an insulin detection limit of 0.001 ng/mL in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and 0.05 ng/mL in artficial urine determined by mass spectrometry (MS).

Poly(p-dioxanone)-block-polyethylene glycol diblock copolymers functionalized with pyrene moieties (Py-PPDO-b-PEG) at the chain ends of PPDO blocks were synthesized for preparing anisotropic micelles with improved stability. The micellization and crystallization of the copolymers were investigated by nano differential scanning calorimetry (Nano DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis spectrophotometery, fluorophotometer, and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. The results indicated that the aggregation of pyrene induced by intermolecular interaction lead to micellization of Py-PPDO-b-PEG at much lower concentrations than those of PPDO-b-PEG copolymers without pyrene moieties. The aggregation of pyrene moieties may also serve as nucleation agent and therefore enhance the crystallization rate of PPDO blocks. Fluorescence measurements by using Nile Red as the fluorescent agent indicated that the micelles of Py-PPDO-b-PEG have high stability and load capacity for hydrophobic molecules.

A novel and facile bottom-up strategy for preparing core-shell nanofibers with selectively localized carbon nanotubes is developed using hierarchical composite micelles of crystalline-coil copolymer and carbon nanotubes as the building blocks. An amphiphilic di-block copolymer of poly (p-dioxanone) (PPDO) and PEG (polyethylene glycol) functionalized with pyrene moieties at the chain ends of PPDO blocks (Py-PPDO-b-PEG) is designed for constructing composite micelles with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The self-assembly of Py-PPDO-b-PEG and MWCNTs is co-induced by the crystallization of PPDO blocks and the π-π stacking interactions between pyrene moieties and MWCNTs, resulting in composite micelles with "shish kebab"-like nanostructure. A mixture of composite micelles and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) water solution is then used as the spinning solution for preparing electrospun nanofibers. The morphologies of the nanofibers with different composition are investigated by SEM and TEM. The results suggest that the MWCNTs selectively localized in the core of the nanofibers of MWCNTs/Py-PPDO-b-PEG/PVA. The alignment and interfusion of composite micelles during the formation of nanofibers may confine the carbon nanotubes in the hydrophobic core region. In contrast, the copolymer without pyrene moieties cannot form composite micelles, thus these nanofibers show selective localization of MWCNTs in the PVA shell region.

A unique combined pore approach to the sensitive detection of human insulin is developed. Through a systematic study to understand the impact of pore size and surface chemistry of nanoporous materials on their enrichment and purification performance, the advantages of selected porous materials are integrated to enhance detection sensitivity in a unified two-step process. In the first purification step, a rationally designed large pore material (ca. 100 nm in diameter) is chosen to repel the interferences from nontarget molecules. In the second enrichment step, a hydrophobically modified mesoporous material with a pore size of 5 nm is selected to enrich insulin molecules. A low detection limit of 0.05 ng mL(-1) in artificial urine is achieved by this advanced approach, similar to most antibody-based analysis protocols. This designer approach is efficient and low cost, and thus has great potential in the sensitive detection of biomolecules in complex biological systems.

An experimental of the laser emission in a set of Ytterbium-doped silica microsphere resonator (YMCs) with various concentrations of Yb3+ ions at continuous-wave 980-nm pumping is reported. The Yb-doped silica microsphere is fabricated with single optical tapered fiber, which dipped ytterbium nitrate solution, heating of electrodes discharged.The tapered optical fiber is fabricated by using a hydrogen flame heating and step motor pulling system. The microcavity is pumped with 976 nm continue laser by a tapered optical fiber coupled to the cavity . A multimode laser emission spectrum is observed with the spectral range of laser is 1070–1185nm.

AIM To investigate the role of the complement 5a (C5a)/C5a receptor (C5aR) pathway in the pathogenesis of acute liver failure (ALF) in a mouse model. METHODS BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to different groups, and intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN) (600 mg/kg and 10 μg/kg) were used to induce ALF. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, at different time points within a 1-wk period, were detected with a biochemistry analyzer. Pathological examination of liver tissue was performed 36 h after ALF induction. Serum complement 5 (C5), C5a, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) and sphingosine-1-phosphate levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. Hepatic morphological changes at 36 h after ALF induction were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Expression of C5aR, sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), p38-MAPK and p-p38-MAPK in liver tissue, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and peritoneal exudative macrophages (PEMs) of mice or RAW 264.7 cells was analyzed by western blotting. C5aR mRNA levels were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS Activation of C5 and up-regulation of C5aR were observed in liver tissue and PBMCs of mice with ALF. Blockade of C5aR with a C5aR antagonist (C5aRa C5aRa) significantly reduced the levels of serum ALT, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and HMGB1, as well as the liver tissue damage, but increased the survival rates (P < 0.01 for all). Blockade of C5aR decreased SphK1 expression in both liver tissue and PBMCs significantly at 0.5 h after ALF induction. C5aRa pretreatment significantly down-regulated the phosphorylation of p38-MAPK in liver tissues of ALF mice and C5a stimulated PEMs or RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, inhibition of p38-MAPK activity with SB203580 reduced SphK1 protein production significantly in PEMs after C5a stimulation. CONCLUSION The C5a/C5aR pathway is essential for up-regulating SphK1 expression through p38 MAPK activation in ALF in mice, which provides a potential immunotherapeutic strategy for ALF in patients.

The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the efficacy of micro-Raman spectroscopy on detecting mineral content change during the demineralization and de/remineralization cycling process. The enamel samples (n = 55) were randomly divided into three groups and separately treated with demineralization solution (n = 20), de/remineralization cycling solution (n = 30), and distilled water (n = 5). Micro-Raman spectroscopy, microhardness (MHS), and the released calcium ions concentration were performed before and after treatment, respectively. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a post hoc Tukey test was used to analyze the results. The Spearman correlation coefficients among the parameters of Raman relative intensity decrease (RRID%), the percentage of MHS loss (PML), and the released calcium ions concentration were also analyzed. In demineralization group, RRID%, PML, and released calcium ions concentration were highly correlated with each other (r = 0.979, p < 0.001; r = 0.984, p < 0.001; and r = 0.983, p < 0.001, respectively). While for the de/remineralization cycling group, there also existed a high correlation between RRID% and PML (r = 0.987, p < 0.001). In conclusion, micro-Raman spectroscopy could effectively monitor the mineral content change, and its efficacy was validated by the measurement of released calcium ions concentration and MHS.

Coatings of the Mg(OH)2/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite were formed by a combined co-precipitation method and hydrothermal process on the AZ31 alloy substrate in alkaline condition. Subsequently, a superhydrophobic surface was successfully constructed to modify the composite coatings on the AZ31 alloy substrate using stearic acid. The characteristics of the composite coatings were investigated by means of X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and contact angle (CA). The corrosion resistance of the coatings was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization, the electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS), the test of hydrogen evolution and the immersion test. The results showed that the superhydrophobic coatings considerably improved the corrosion resistant performance of the LDH coatings on the AZ31 alloy substrate.

To observe effect of cortex lycii radicis ethanol-extract on the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic in T2DM rats. T2DM rat modelinduced by intravenous injection small dose of streptozotocin (STZ) and feeding high fat-high glucose diet .The rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model control group, cortex lycii radicis ethanol-extract groups of high dose, medium dose and low dose, positive drug rosiglitazone group. Seven weeks after medication, to observe influence of cortex lycii radicis ethanol-extract on rat weight and the content in fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin(INS), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Compared blank control group with the other groups, there were no significant differences in various indicators of be detected(P>0.05). Compared with the model group, cortex lycii radicis ethanol-extract can reduced body weight, FBG, INS, TC, TG and LDL-C, increased INS of T2DM rats, the differences were significant (P

Oxyfluoride tellurite glass with the composition of TeO2-AlF3-LaF3-ZnO/ZnCl2/ZnF2 was prepared successfully. The thermal stability and structure of TeO2-AlF3-LaF3 system tellurite glass were studied bySubscript text DSC and IR spectra. The results indicated that glass transition temperature of TeO2-AlF3-LaF3-ZnO/ZnCl2/ZnF2 glass was higher than that of (1-x)TeO2-xAlF3 (x=10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, in mol%) binary glass system slightly. A small number of ZnF2/ZnCl2/ZnO (5mol%) improved glass thermal stability. After adding 5mol% ZnF2/ZnO/ZnCl2 into fluoride tellurite glass respectively, glass transition temperature increased in turn. The introduction of 5mol% different zinc compounds had a little impact on the glass network structure.

Nano-Cordierite powders used for high frequency chip inductors (MLCIs) were prepared by the sol-emulsion-gel method. The samples derived from these powders could be sintered at 900°C to be cordierite ceramics having a low dielectric constant and dielectric loss (ε=3.18, tgδ=0.00011; 1GHz). Effects of precursor concentration, treating temperature, and [H2O]/[Si] ratio of this material were studied. The pseudo-ternary phase diagram of sol/TritonX-100/n-hexanol/cy- clohexane was constructed and the influences of each variable on the phase diagram were discussed. Results showed that the optimal precursor concentration, treating temperature, and [H2O]/[Si] ratio for qualifying the gelation of the material were 1.5 mol/L, 45°C, and 4, respectively. Results also showed that for qualifying cordierite powders, the use of TritonX-100 as a surfactant together with n-hexanol as a co-surfactant could dissolve more magnesium nitrate and aluminium nitrate, and obtain a wider W/O micro-emulsion region than when other reagents were used. The samples derived from this method can be co-fired with a silver electrode, an ideal dielectric material for high frequency MLCIs.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder was synthesized by reverse microemulsion technique using calcium nitrate and phosphoric acid as starting materials in aqueous phase. Cyclohexane was used as organic solvents, TX-100 as surfactants and n-butyl alcohol to make the emulsion. Synthesized powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The results showed that different pH values and temperatures had significant effect on the purity and crystallinity of HA by using the reverse microemulsion. When the pH value is 11 and at 700°C, high purity and well crystallinity HA was obtained. There is a dicalcium phosphate phase present at pH 9, which is easily disassembled to CPP at 700°C. This HA powders have a rapid Cu2+ and Cd2+ sorption rate and good removal efficiency. The removal rates for heavy metal ions were Cd2+＞Cu2+.

Nano-hydroxyapatite (HAP) were prepared by sol-gel method with Ca(NO3)2•4H2O and H3PO4 precursors. The result was shown that the powder was spherical with very little reunion and the particle size was around 50nm. The HAP adsorbent was utilized for copper removal from aqueous solutions using the batch technique. Some parameters that determine copper ion uptake including contact time, adsorbent dose, the solution temperature and initial concentration of the copper in the aqueous solution were evaluated. The experimental results shown that the removal efficiency was about 99.27% at pH 7, 40°C, contact time 60 min, adsorbent dose of 5g/L and initial concentration of 60mg/L.

Periodontal regeneration is defined as regeneration of the tooth-supporting tissues including cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) has been demonstrated to be an effective technique to achieve periodontal regeneration. In the GTR procedures, various kinds of membranes play important roles. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is biocompatible, biodegradable, and antimicrobial. It acts as hydrating agent and possesses tissue healing and osteoinducing effect. Chitosan can be easily processed into membranes, gels, nanofibers, beads, nanoparticles, scaffolds, and sponges forms and can be used in drug delivery systems. Here, we review the bioproperties of chitosan and report the progress of application of chitosan as membranes in GTR and guided bone regeneration (GBR), which indicates that chitosan could be a good substrate candidate as the materials for the GTR/GBR membranes.

To determine the therapeutic potential of sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) inhibition and its underlying mechanism in a well-characterized mouse model of D-galactosamine (D-GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute liver failure (ALF).Balb/c mice were randomly assigned to different groups, with ALF induced by intraperitoneal injection of D-GaIN (600 mg/kg) and LPS (10 μg/kg). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels at different time points within one week were determined using a multi-parametric analyzer. Serum high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and sphingosine-1-phosphate were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hepatic morphological changes at 36 h after acute liver injury induction were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. HMGB1 expression in hepatocytes and cytoplasmic translocation were detected by immunohistochemistry. Expression of Sphk1 in liver tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was analyzed by Western blot.The expression of Sphk1 in liver tissue and PBMCs was upregulated in GalN/LPS-induced ALF. Upregulated Sphk1 expression in liver tissue was mainly caused by Kupffer cells, the resident macrophages of the liver. The survival rates of mice in the N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS, a specific inhibitor of SphK1) treatment group were significantly higher than that of the control group (P0.001). DMS treatment significantly decreased the levels of serum ALT and AST at 6, 12, and 24 h compared with that of the control group (P0.01 for all). Serum HMGB1 levels at 6, 12, and 24 h, as well as serum TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels at 12 h, were significantly lower in the DMS treatment group than in the control group (P0.01 for all). Furthermore, hepatic inflammation, necrosis, and HMGB1 cytoplasm translocation in liver cells were significantly decreased in the DMS treatment group compared to the control group (43.72% ± 5.51% vs 3.57% ± 0.83%, χ(2) = 12.81, P0.01).Inhibition of SphK1 ameliorates ALF by reducing HMGB1 cytoplasmic translocation in liver cells, and so might be a potential therapeutic strategy for this disease.

The biomaterials used for central nervous system injury require not only interacting with specific cell adhesion but also specific growth factor receptors to promote nerve regeneration. In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels modified with poly-L-lysine (PLL) and nogo-66 receptor antibody (antiNgR) (HA-PLL/antiNgR) were administered to rats after lateral hemisection of the spinal cord. Anti-neurofilament positive axons were found to extend into the HA-PLL/antiNgR hydrogel at 8 weeks after implantation, which shows significant difference compared with HA-PLL or blank control group. Electron micrographs of implanted hydrogels showed that there were more cells and normal axons with myelin in the HA-PLL/antiNgR implant than that of HA-PLL hydrogel. The antiNgR grafted on HA hydrogels could be detected for 8 weeks after transplantation in vivo. All of these properties may facilitate HA-PLL/antiNgR hydrogels to become a promising scaffold for repairing spinal cord injury. Nevertheless, both two kinds of modified hydrogels (HA-PLL/antiNgR and HA-PLL) showed remarkable advantages in supporting angiogenesis, and simultaneously inhibiting the formation of glial scar.

The large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK(Ca)) channels are highly expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and play an essential role in the regulation of various physiological functions. Besides its electrophysiological function in vascular relaxation, BK(Ca) has also been reported to be implicated in nitric oxide (NO)-induced apoptosis of VSMCs. However, the molecular mechanism is not clear and has not been determined on cloned channels. The present study was designed to clarify whether activation of cloned BK(Ca) channel was involved in NO-induced apoptosis in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cell. The cDNA encoding the alpha-subunit of BK(Ca) channel, hSloalpha, was transiently transfected into HEK293 cells. The apoptotic death in HEK-hSloalpha cells was detected using immunocytochemistry, analysis of fragmented DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis, MTT test, and flow cytometry assays. Whole-cell and single-channel characteristics of HEK-hSloalpha cells exhibited functional features similar to native BK(Ca) channel in VSMCs. Exposuring of HEK- hSloalpha cells to S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine increased the hSloalpha channel activities of whole-cell and single-channel, and then increased percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis. However, blocking hSloalpha channels with 1 mM tetraethylammonia or 100 nM iberiotoxin significantly decreased the NO-induced apoptosis, whereas 30 microM NS1619, the specific agonist of BK(Ca), independently increased hSloalpha currents and induced apoptosis. These results indicated that activation of cloned BK(Ca) channel was involved in NO-induced apoptosis of HEK293 cells.

Large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel is formed by a tetramer of the pore-forming alpha-subunit and distinct accessory beta-subunits (beta1-beta4) which contribute to BK(Ca) channel molecular diversity. Accumulative evidences indicate that not only alpha-subunit alone but also the alpha + beta subunit complex and/or beta-subunit might play an important role in modulating various physiological functions in most mammalian cells. To evaluate the detailed pharmacological and biophysical properties of alpha + beta1 subunit complex or beta1-subunit in BK(Ca) channel, we established an expression system that reliably coexpress hSloalpha + beta1 subunit complex in HEK293 cells. The coexpression of hSloalpha + beta1 subunit complex was evaluated by western blotting and immunolocalization, and then the single-channel kinetics and pharmacological properties of expressed hSloalpha + beta1 subunit complex were investigated by cell-attached and outside-out patches, respectively. The results in this study showed that the expressed hSloalpha + beta1 subunit complex demonstrated to be fully functional for its typical single-channel traces, Ca(2+)-sensitivity, voltage-dependency, high conductance (151 +/- 7 pS), and its pharmacological activation and inhibition.

Emerging data indicated that HCV subverts the antiviral activity of interferon (IFN); however, whether HCV core protein contributes to the process remains controversial. In the present study, we examined the effect of HCV core protein on interferon-induced antiviral gene expression and whether the effect is involved in the activation and negative regulation of the Jak/STAT signaling pathway. Our results showed that, following treatment with IFN-α, the transcription of PKR, MxA and 2′-5′-OAS were down-regulated in HepG2 cells expressing the core protein. In the presence of HCV core protein, ISRE-dependent luciferase activity also decreased. Further study indicated that the core protein could inhibit the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1, whereas the level of STAT1 expression was unchanged. Accordingly, SOCS3, the negative regulator of the Jak/STAT pathway, was induced by HCV core protein. These results suggests that HCV core protein may interfere with the expression of some interferon-induced antiviral genes by inhibiting STAT1 phosphorylation and induction of SOCS3.

A novel mesoporous material modified with both insulin-binding-aptamers and hydrophobic methyl groups is synthesized. With rationally designed pore structures and surface chemistry, this material is applied in sample pre-treatment for ELISA, and enables the quantification (0.25-5 pg ml(-1)) of insulin in serum, 30-fold enhancement of the limit-of-detection compared to the commercial ELISA kit.

A new type of monodispersed mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a core-cone structure (MSN-CC) has been synthesized. The large cone-shaped pores are formed by silica lamellae closely packed encircling a spherical core, showing a structure similar to the flower dahlia. MSN-CC has a large pore size of 45 nm and a high pore volume of 2.59 cm(3) g(-1). MSN-CC demonstrates a high loading capacity of large proteins and successfully delivers active β-galactosidase into cells, showing their potential as efficient nanocarriers for the cellular delivery of proteins with large molecular weights.