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INTRODUCTION The medical demand for lymphedema treatment is huge since the disease mechanism remains unclear, and management are difficult. Our purpose was to develop a reliable lymphedema model mimicking the clinical scenario and allows a microsurgical approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male Lewis rats weighing 400 to 450 g were used to create lymphedema with groin and popliteal lymph node dissection and creation of 5 mm circumferential skin defect (n = 6). A skin incision was made and closed primarily for control group (n = 5). Evaluation included indocyanine green (ICG) lymphangiography 1 and 2 months postoperatively, volume difference between bilateral hindlimbs measured using micro-CT, and the skin was harvested for histological evaluation 2 months postoperatively. RESULTS Larger volume differences present in the lymphedema group (17.50 ± 7.76 vs. 3.73 ± 2.66%, p

Dropping during shipping and handling of liquid biopharmaceutical formulations has long been known to cause protein degradation and aggregation. On the other hand, accidental dropping of freeze-dried protein formulations is generally considered not a major issue for biopharmaceutical quality. Reports of stability and especially the underling degradation mechanism(s) during shipping and handling of freeze-dried protein formulations were rarely seen in literature. In this manuscript, we report an interesting phenomenon in which repeated dropping of freeze-dried monoclonal antibody X (mAb-X) formulation powder resulted in significant protein sub-visible particles (SbVPs) in the reconstituted liquid as determined by the sensitive particle analyzing technique micro-flow imaging (MFI). Free radicals were observed after repeated dropping by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Formation of SbVPs could be partially inhibited by the free radical scavengers methionine and 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidin-yloxy free radical (CTPO). The amount of free radicals and SbVPs was correlated to the sample temperature during dropping. Therefore we propose that the high temperature formed during dropping was probably the root cause for protein aggregation and free radical formation, which could further cause protein aggregation. Our observations suggest that similar to liquid protein formulations, dropping of freeze-dried protein formulations should also be avoided or mitigated.

Urinary metabolomics is a useful non-invasive tool for large-scale screening of disease-related metabolites. However, no comprehensive urinary metabolomic analysis of vitiligo is presently available. To investigate the urine metabolic pattern of vitiligo patients, we conducted a combined cross-sectional and prospective self-control cohort study and an untargeted urinary metabolomic analysis. In the cross-sectional study, 295 vitiligo patients and 192 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were enrolled, and 71 differential metabolites between two groups were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, biopterin metabolism, vitamin B9 (folate) metabolism, selenoamino acid metabolism, and methionine and cysteine metabolism showed significant enrichment in vitiligo patients compared with the status in healthy controls. In the self-control cohort, 46 active vitiligo patients were recruited to analyse the urinary metabolic signatures after treatment. All of these patients were asked to undertake follow-up visits every 2 months three times after first consulting and the disease stage was evaluated compared with that at the last visit. Folate metabolism, linoleate metabolism, leukotriene metabolism, alkaloid biosynthesis, and tyrosine metabolism were predicted to be involved in vitiligo activity. Our study is the first attempt to reveal urinary metabolic signatures of vitiligo patients and provides new insights into the metabolic mechanisms of vitiligo.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive treatment that kills cancer cells by converting photon energy into heat. The past few decades have witnessed the booming development of photothermal materials, mainly focusing on precious metal nanomaterials and carbon nanomaterials, such as nanogold and silver and nanocarbon materials for near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered PTT. As precious metals are expensive and potentially harmful to humans, exploration and development of a new type of photothermal materials has become a research hotspot in this field. Herein, we report narrow bandgap conjugated polymer nanoparticles (PDPP NPs) based on pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (DPP) with intense NIR absorption at 900 nm, as well as a photothermal energy conversion efficiency of 75%. This polymer nanoparticle is essentially non-toxic, as the cell viability of mouse remained more than 90%, even when the concentration of PDPP NPs was at 0.5 mg·mL−1.

ObjectiveTo analyze the expression of macrophages, AIM, TGF-β1 in the kidney of IgAN patients, and to explore the role of macrophages, AIM, TGF-β1 in the progression of renal fibrosis in IgAN patients.MethodsThe paraffin specimens of renal tissue from 40 IgAN patients were selected as the observation group. At the same time, paraffin specimens of normal renal tissue from 11 patients treated by nephrectomy were selected as the normal control group. We observed the distribution of macrophages, the expression of AIM and TGF-β1 by immunohistochemical staining and/or immunofluorescence.ResultThe number of M0, M1, M2 macrophages could be found increased in IgAN patients. M0 macrophages are mainly polarized towards M2 macrophages. The expression of AIM and TGF-β1 were significantly higher in IgAN patients than in NC. M2 macrophage, AIM and TGF-β1 were positively correlated with serum creatinine and 24-hour proteinuria, but negatively correlated with eGFR. M2 macrophages, AIM, TGF-β1 were positively correlated with fibrotic area.ConclusionM2 macrophages, AIM and TGF-β1 play important roles in the process of IgAN fibrosis, and the three influence each other.

Control over core structure is much more challenging than that over shell structure in core–shell silver nanoclusters. Herein, two isostructural chalcogen-mediated [Ag6Z4@Ag36] (Z = S or Se) nanocl...

Objective To prepare neogambogic acid nanoliposomes (GNA-NLC) and study its pharmacokinetics (PK) in rats. Study design An experimental study. Place and duration of study Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China, from January 2016 to October 2017. Methodology GNA-NLC was prepared by emulsion evaporation-low temperature solidification. The entrapment efficiency, average particle size, and zeta potential were investigated. Male Wistar rats were injected with 1 mg/mL gambogic acid and GNA-NLC into the caudal vein respectively, and the plasma concentration was determined by UPLC- MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the two agents were compared. Results GNA-NLC prepared in this study were mostly spherical spheroids with an average particle size of 146.35 ±1.72 nm, polydispersity coefficient of 0.26 ±0.02, zeta potential of -28.24 ±0.13 MV, entrapment efficiency of 84.63%, and drug loading capacity of 4.23%. DSC showed that neogambogic acid nanoparticles had formed and neogambogic acid was amorphous in the matrix. The pharmacokinetics results in rats showed that GNA-NLC plasma concentration was significantly higher than that of common preparation of gambogic acid, with a half-life period of 10.14 ±0.03 hours, 4.57 times that of gambogic acid. AUC0 ~ 24h of gambogic acid in GNA-NLC lipidosome was 58.36 ±0.23 mg/h/mL, 4.83 times that of gambogic acid. Conclusion GNA-NLC can be prepared successfully by emulsion evaporation-low temperature solidification. The method is simple and easy to control. The GNA-NLC has a long cycle, and high blood concentration, sustained release compared with the raw material gambogic acid.

We fabricated tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) channel waveguides and used them to experimentally demonstrate higher-order mode supercontinuum (SC) generation. The Ta2O5 waveguide has a high nonlinear refractive index which was in an order magnitude of 10–14 cm2/W and was designed to be anomalously dispersive at the pumping wavelength. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a higher-order mode femtosecond pump based broadband SC has been measured from a nonlinear waveguide using the phase-matching method. This enabled us to demonstrate a SC spectrum spanning from 842 to 1462 nm (at − 30 dB), which corresponds to 0.83 octaves, when using the TM10 waveguide mode. When using the TE10 mode, the SC bandwidth is slightly reduced for the same excitation peak power. In addition, we theoretically estimated and discussed the possibility of using the broadband higher-order modes emitted from the Ta2O5 waveguide for trapping nanoparticles. Hence, we believe that demonstrated Ta2O5 waveguide are a promising broadband light source for optical applications such as frequency metrology, Raman spectroscopy, molecular spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography.

This study aimed to establish the role of miR-129 and miR-384-5p in cerebral ischemia-induced apoptosis. Using PC12 cells transfected with miR-129 or miR-384-5p mimics or inhibitors, oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions were applied for 4 h to simulate transient cerebral ischemia. Apoptotic phenotypes were assessed via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, MTT cell metabolism assay, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The effect of miR overexpression and inhibition was evaluated by protein and mRNA detection of bcl-2 and caspase-3, critical apoptosis factors. Finally, the direct relationship of miR-129 and bcl-2 and miR-384-5p and caspase-3 was measured by luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of miR-384-5p and miR-129 deficiency significantly enhanced cell viability, reduced LDH release, and inhibited apoptosis. By contrast, overexpression of miR-129 and miR-384-5p deficiency aggravated hypoxia-induced apoptosis and cell injury. miR-129 overexpression significantly reduced mRNA and protein levels of bcl-2 and miR-129 inhibition significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of bcl-2 in hypoxic cells.miR-384-5p overexpression significantly reduced protein levels of caspase-3 while miR-384-5p deficiency significantly increased protein levels of caspase-3. However, no changes were observed in caspase-3 mRNA in either transfection paradigm. Finally, luciferase reporter assay confirmed caspase-3 to be a direct target of miR-384-5p; however, no binding activity was detected between bcl-2 and miR-129.Transient cerebral ischemia induces differential expression of miR-129 and miR-384-5p which influences apoptosis by regulating apoptotic factors caspase-3 and bcl-2, thereby participating in the pathological mechanism of cerebral ischemia, and becoming potential targets for the treatment of ischemic cerebral injury in the future.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness among the elderly. AMD is characterized by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell dysfunction. However, the pathogenesis of AMD is still unclear, and there is currently no effective treatment. Accumulated evidence indicates that oxidative stress and autophagy play a crucial role in the development of AMD. H2S is an antioxidant that can directly remove intracellular superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antioxidative effect of H2S in RPE cells and its role in autophagy. The results show that exogenous H2S (NaHS) pretreatment effectively reduces H2O2-induced oxidative stress, oxidative damage, apoptosis, and inflammation in ARPE-19 cells. NaHS pretreatment also decreased autophagy levels raised by H2O2, increased cell viability, and ameliorated cell morphological damage. Interestingly, the suppression of autophagy by its inhibitor 3-MA showed an increase of cell viability, amelioration of morphology, and a decrease of apoptosis. In summary, oxidative stress causes ARPE-19 cell injury by inducing cell autophagy. However exogenous H2S is shown to attenuate ARPE-19 cell injury, decrease apoptosis, and reduce the occurrence of autophagy-mediated by oxidative stress. These findings suggest that autophagy might play a crucial role in the development of AMD, and exogenous H2S has a potential value in the treatment of AMD.

A novel functionalized graphene-based composite is prepared by successive modification of graphene oxide (GO) with epichlorohydrin (ECH), iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and 1-phenylboronic acid (1-PBA) through covalent functionalization and then chelating with nickel ions. Characterizations by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TGA and ICP-MS demonstrate the successful modification of the graphene surface, resulting in a GO–PBA–IDA–Ni composite with a Ni2+ immobilization amount of 3.01 × 10−3 mol g−1. The composite shows favorable selectivity for the adsorption of lysozyme (Lys). In practice, a homogeneous GO–PBA–IDA–Ni film with a thickness of ca. 1.0 μm is fabricated by filtering the composite through a cellulose membrane with a pore aperture of 1.2 μm. The GO–PBA–IDA–Ni film is subsequently fastened into a rounded membrane cartridge and incorporated into a sequential injection system for on-line selective isolation of Lys. An adsorption efficiency of ca. 96% is achieved for 25 μg ml−1 Lys in 500 μl of sample solution at a loading rate of 5 μl s−1. Metal affinity and electrostatic interactions are the main driving forces for governing the protein adsorption behaviors. The retained Lys is readily recovered by a borate buffer (pH 10) containing 1.0 mol l−1 NaCl and 20 mmol l−1 imidazole, giving rise to a recovery of ca. 90%. The practical applicability of the composites is demonstrated by selective isolation of Lys from chicken egg white, and SDS-PAGE assay indicates that Lys is selectively isolated with high purity from complex matrices.

As flow improvers for heavy crude oil, two oil-soluble copolymers (DM-S-VA, DA-S-VA) were successfully synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and GPC. A rich alkyl chain and appropriate molecular weight of copolymer play fundamental role in viscosity reduction of heavy oil. Furthermore, synergistic effect of surfactants on polymers can promote the viscosity reduction, and the best formulation can increase the viscosity reduction rate to 78% to oil A. Comparing with the apparent viscosity of the different heavy oil mixing system in a wide shear rate range (0.1–200 s−1), the results show good stability and viscosity reducing effect.

The four polymers with different contents of alkyl chain (C12–C18), styrene, and vinyl acetate were synthesized and employed as the viscosity reducers for super heavy oils A and B. Compared with the apparent viscosity of heavy oil in a wide share rate range (0–200 s−1) at 50°C, it can be seen that the optimal efficiency could be achieved to reduce viscosity when the polymers have suitable length of alkyl chain in the permeation of small molecules (vinyl acetate). Furthermore, the adaptation of the polymers to different oil samples and application temperature of polymers were also studied.

The four components of extra-heavy oil (saturates, aromatic, resins, asphaltene) were analyzed by chemical separation. The terpolymers with different contents of styrene (S), alkyl chain (MM/DM), and vinyl acetate (V) were designed, synthesized and employed as the viscosity reducers for super heavy oil. Thus, structure and average molecular weight of the oil-soluble terpolymers were measured by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), respectively. Comparing with the apparent viscosity of heavy oil in a wide range of shear rates (0.1–200 s−1) and temperatures (25–75 °C), it can be seen that optimal efficiency could be achieved to reduce viscosity when the terpolymer has a high percentage of long-chain alkyl. Furthermore, the molar ratio between long-chain alkyl groups and aromatic ring as well as molecular weight of terpolymers play a fundamental role in viscosity reduction of super heavy oil.

Iodine is an essential trace element for human health. Its deficiency in biogeochemical environment affects about two billion people worldwide. Besides universal salt iodization, the biofortification of crops with iodine has been proposed as a strategy for improving human nutrition. This study aims at exploring the effects of iodine biofortification on the fruit quality of the pepper plants. The contents of iodine, ascorbic acid, soluble sugar and total acidity of the pepper fruits grown in solution at various iodide concentration levels were measured. Furthermore, in order to reveal the mechanism of fruit quality change, the variations in Chl-a, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the pepper leaves at various growth periods in response to various iodine treatments were determined. The results indicated that the iodine content of the pepper fruits grown in 0.25–5.0 mg L −1 KI solutions can amount to 350–1330 μg kg −1 FW, matching the 150 μg d −1 dietary iodine allowance recommended by WHO. Thus, the pepper can be used as a candidate crop for iodine biofortification. In addition, low-moderate levels (0.25–1.0 mg L −1 ) of iodine application improved the fruit quality by enhancing the ascorbic acid and soluble sugar contents, and by reducing the total acidity of pepper fruits as well. Generally, after iodine treatments, the Chl-a concentration, and CAT, POD, SOD activities of the pepper leaves increased, while the MDA concentration decreased. The changes in photosynthetic and antioxidant capacities of the plants promoted the improvement of the pepper fruit quality.

Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) is a promising material for optical waveguide applications of photonics integration due to its excellent linear and nonlinear optical properties, such as high refractive index, large bandgap, and high nonlinearity. The quality of thin film deposition will then be critical for realizing optical waveguide devices and modules. In this work, an ion-assisted electron-beam evaporation system has been used to deposit such thin film. As low as 0.73 nm thickness roughness has been demonstrated in a 700 nm thick film, indicating it as a candidate for fabricating a low-loss waveguide. An optical waveguide-based ring resonator was made for examining the optical waveguide performance. Through the flat surface morphology, a low propagation loss of 1.4 dB/cm with an unloaded quality factor of 3 × 105 ring resonance has been realized. The nonlinear index of refraction (n2) in as-deposited Ta2O5 film was found to be in an order of magnitude of 10−14 cm2/W, which was also confirmed by both Z-scan technique and all-optical modulation technique. By such high bandgap properties, a nonlinear absorption threshold of few TW/cm2 was also observed for the first time. The measured device performances are comparable to the state-of-the-art results from up-to-date counterparts.

Iodine deficiency is an environmental health problem affecting one-third of the global population. An iodine biofortification hydroponic experiment was conducted to explore the iodide and iodate uptake characteristics of strawberry plants, to measure the dosage effects of iodine on plant growth and to evaluate the influence of I? or IO3? application on fruit quality. RESULTS After biofortification, the iodine contents of the fresh strawberry fruits were 600?4000 µg kg?1, covering the WHO dietary iodine allowance of 150 µg · day?1 for adults. The iodine uptake of the strawberry plants increased with increasing I? or IO3? concentration of the culture solution. At the same iodine concentration, the iodate uptakes of various plant organs under I? treatments were apparently more than those under IO3? treatments. Low-level exogenous iodine (I? ≤ 0.25 mg L?1 or IO3? ≤ 0.50 mg L?1) not only promoted plant growth and increased biomass per plant, but also improved fruit quality by enhancing the vitamin C and soluble sugar contents of the strawberry fruits. Nevertheless, excessive exogenous iodine inhibited plant growth and reduced biomass per plant. IO3? uptake apparently increased the total acidity and nitrate content of the fruits, reducing the quality of the strawberry fruits. Conversely, I? uptake obviously decreased the total acidity and nitrate content of the strawberry fruits, improving the fruit quality. CONCLUSION The strawberry can be used as a target crop for iodine biofortification. Furthermore, applying an appropriate dose of KI can improve the fruit quality of the strawberry plants. ? 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

A systematic evaluation of eight different coatings made of solid phase extraction (SPE) and carbon-based sorbents immobilized with polyacrylonitrile in the thin-film microextraction (TFME) format using LC-MS/MS was described. The investigated coatings included graphene, graphene oxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), carboxylated MWCNTs, as carbon-based coatings, and polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB), octadecyl-silica particles (C18), hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance particles (HLB) and phenyl-boronic acid modified particles (PBA), as SPE-based coatings. A total of 24 compounds of diverse moieties and of a wide range of polarities (log P from −2.99 to 6.98) were selected as probes. The investigated coatings were characterized based on their extraction performance toward the selected probes at different pH values and at optimized desorption conditions. In the case of SPE-based coatings, PS-DVB and HLB exhibited a balanced extraction for compounds within a wide range of polarities, and C18 showed superior extraction recoveries for non-polar analytes. Carbon-based coatings showed high affinity for non-polar compounds given that their main driving force for extraction is hydrophobic interactions. Interestingly, among the studied carbon-based coatings, graphene oxide showed the best extraction capabilities toward polar compounds owing to its oxygen-containing groups. Overall, this work provided important insights about the extraction mechanisms and properties of the investigated coatings, facilitating the coating selection when developing new TFME applications.

Serum is an important component in cell culture medium. It also possesses potent antioxidant properties. Therefore, the conventional protocols for detecting reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cultured cells with fluorescent probes include washing and suspending cells with serum-free buffers, such as PBS. This transient serum deprivation is essential for the ROS detecting. Unfortunately, it may also cause unexpected results, which push us to choose more optimal experiment conditions. In the present study, we found an acute lytic cell death induced by xanthohumol (XN), which obstructed ROS detecting in human leukemia cell line HL-60 cells. XN induced ROS burst, caused cell swelling, membrane permeability increase, LDH release, and ultimately an acute lytic cell death and cell rupture. These effects could be alleviated by the antioxidant N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Apoptosis, pyroptosis or necroptosis were not observed in this process. Results also indicated that 2% serum addition had already completely scavenged ROS induced by 10 μM XN. Taken together, it is strongly suggested to detecting ROS in a serum-free medium when studying where and how ROS generated in cells. The concentration at the ROS maximum point (10 μM XN in this study) can be selected as the optimal concentration.

Periosteal osteogenic capacity can be exploited to enhance bone formation in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Despite this importance, there have been no studies examining the composition, structure, and osteogenic capacity of periostea from different bone sources. In this study, structure and osteogenic factor content were compared among periostea from rib, calvarial, femoral, and tibial bones, in which the native bones of these four regions were harvested and subjected to histological analysis. The osteogenic capacity of grafted periosteum was evaluated using an in vivo vascularized pedicle model of bone tissue engineering. Poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(l-lactic acid) (PEG-PLLA) copolymer hydrogels were seeded with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and implanted with grafted periosteum harvested from either calvarial or tibial bone, which were representative of thin and thick native periostea, respectively. The cambium layer thickness of periostea from the femoral and tibial bones (36.9% ± 2.5% and 36.8% ± 2.6%) was greater than that from the calvarial and rib bones (26.8% ± 2.4% and 25.5% ± 1.9%). The osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase levels were comparatively higher in the femoral and tibial periostea than those in periostea harvested from the calvarial and rib bones. The construct implanted with grafted tibial periosteum resulted in greater neo-bone regeneration and higher osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase expression. This study is the first investigation of the osteogenic capacity of periostea from diverse sources. The results can be used to guide clinical strategies that exploit periostea for tissue engineering and clinical applications.

Treatment of a chelating silane 1-(dimethylsilyl)-2-silylbenzene (4) with Pd(PEt3)4 in the ratio of 2:1 selectively afforded a unique mononuclear palladium complex [{1,2-C6H4(SiMe2)(SiH)}2Pd(PEt3)2] (6), which was formed by two Si–Si coupling reactions between the SiH2 groups and the SiMe2 moieties from two hydrosilane ligands. Complex 6 was structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis and multinuclear NMR spectroscopic studies and is one of the very few examples of cis-bis(silyl)palladium(II) complexes containing in situ formed Si–Si single bonds.

Polymeric ionic liquid (PIL), poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide) (P(ViEtIm+Br−)), modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (PIL–rGO) are prepared during the reduction process using hydrazine hydrate. The as-prepared PIL–rGO is further self-assembled onto the surface of SiO2 nanoparticles through electrostatic interactions as demonstrated by TEM & SEM images. The obtained PIL–rGO@SiO2 nano-hybrid exhibits highly selective adsorption toward acidic protein, i.e., ovalbumin (Ova) as a model in the present case. The strong electrostatic attractions and π–π interactions between Ova and the nano-hybrid are the main driving forces for protein adsorption. An adsorption efficiency of ca. 95% is achieved for 150 mg L−1 Ova in a 4 mM B–R buffer at pH 5, along with an ultra-high adsorption capacity of ca. 917.4 mg g−1 as compared to those adsorbents for similar purposes. The adsorbed Ova could be effectively recovered from the surface of the nano-hybrid by using a 0.4% (w/v) SDS solution, giving rise to a recovery of ca. 70%. The practical applicability of the PIL–rGO@SiO2 nano-hybrid is demonstrated by selective isolation and removal of Ova from a complex biological sample matrix, i.e., chicken egg white.

Hemoglobin (Hb) modified magnetic nanocomposites are prepared by immobilization of Hb onto the surface of amino-functionalized Fe(3)O(4)@SiO(2) magnetic nanoparticles via covalent bonding with glutaraldehyde as cross-linker. The obtained nanocomposites are characterized with FT-IR, SEM, XRD and surface charge analysis. A direct solid-phase extraction procedure for the isolation/separation of plasmid DNA using this nanocomposite as a novel adsorbent is thus developed. Some important experimental parameters governing the sorption efficiency, i.e., the pH of sample solution and the ionic strength, are investigated. The Hb modified magnetic nanocomposites provide a sorption capacity of 27.86 mg g(-1) for DNA. By using 2.0mg of the nanocomposites as sorption medium and a suitable acidity of pH 6.1, a sorption efficiency of 93% is achieved for 25 μg mL(-1) of DNA in 1.0 mL of sample solution. Afterwards, the absorbed DNA could be readily recovered by using 1.0 mL of Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.9, 0.01 mol L(-1)), giving rise to a recovery of ca. 68.3%. The present solid-phased extraction protocol is applied for the isolation of plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli culture, resulting in comparable yield and purity of plasmid DNA with respect to those obtained by using commercial kits.

In this work, acrylic acid and N-methylolacrylamide were used as functional monomers for preparation of styrene-acrylic emulsion, in combination with styrene and acrylic ester, as primary monomers. Also, 4 optimized emulsifier blends, including OP-10/FR-1, ER-30/FR-1, S-201/RE610, and CO-630/OF-40, were employed. A series of styrene-acrylic emulsion for automobile filter paper was successfully synthesized by preemulsification and semicontimuous copolymerization methods. The dilution stability, electrolyte stability, freeze-thaw stability, viscosity, pH and particle structure of emulsions after different storage time were monitored; the water resistance, bursting strength, stiffness of automobile filter paper after application were tested to study the effects of storage time. The results showed that the emulsions had good storage stability, while using all the 4 emulsifier blends. The pH value of emulsions decreased slowly, viscosity, dilution stability, particle size and distribution of emulsions were good; stabilities of freeze-thaw, storage and electrolyte changed slightly. Emulsions from emulsifier blends of OP-10/FR-1, ER-30/FR-1 and CO-630/OF-40 gave good water resistance property to filter paper. After 6 months, the paper bursting strength was almost unchanged, although the emulsion was stored for 6 months. The stiffness of papers reached the highest value, when the emulsion was stored for 2 weeks, and kept consistent until storage time of 6 months.

On the basis of molecular recognition, a series of proline hydrazide derived organocatalysts have been designed and synthesized. They have been effectively used in the direct aldol reaction between acetone and α-keto acid, which afforded α-hydroxyl carboxylic acids with a tertiary stereogenic center in excellent yields (up to 99% yield) and high enantioselectivities (up to 90% ee).

A new class of efficient low-molecular-weight gelators composed of a 2-substituted anthraquinone and a hydrazide subunit were synthesized, and the structure–property relationships with respect to their gelation abilities in organic solvents were investigated. The toluene gels showed exceptional thermal stability. Interestingly, it was also found that the ultrasound radiation could promote 1b–e to form a stable organogels instead of precipitates in polar solvent, and the ultrasound could remarkably induce changes of the morphology of the assembly in pyridine. Moreover, the reversible gel to sol phase transition could be achieved by adding TFA and TEA. The gelators 1b–e further showed selective gelation of aromatic solvents or chloroalkanes from their mixtures with water.

Two novel low-molecular-weight organogelators (LMOGs) 1 and 2 composed of an anthraquinone unit, a hydrazide group, and long alkyl chains were synthesized. They could form stable gels in wide tested solvents. Chloroalkanes and aromatic solvents tend to result in transparent gels, while alcohol and other solvents yield opaque gels. The FT-IR, PXRD, and (1)H NMR spectral studies revealed that hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions were the main driving forces for formation of the gels. Although the hydrazide unit and the anthraquinone group were connected by the sigma-bond, the chloroform gel of 1 could be changed into a red solution upon the addition of anion (F(-), AcO(-), and H(2)PO(4)(-)) due to the disruption of the intermolecular hydrogen-bondings. Moreover, the red color clearly faded at once and the solution regelated upon the addition of methanol. The results indicated that 1 and 2 as smart anion-responsive gel might provide the basis for the development of nonfluid systems for sensing anion with the naked eye.

Graphene oxide-La(BTC)(H2O)6 (H3BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) metal organic framework composites (LaMOF-GOn, n = 1-6, corresponding to the percentage of GO at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10%) are prepared through a simple and large-scale method at room temperature. The obtained composites are characterized by ATR-FTIR spectra, SEM, XRD, TGA, and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. The presence of GO significantly changes the morphologies of the composites from spindly rectangular rods to irregular thick blocks and increases their surface area from 14.8 cm(2) g(-1) (LaMOFs) to 26.6 cm(2) g(-1) (LaMOF-GO3), whereas at the same time, the crystalline structure of La(BTC)(H2O)6 is maintained. As a novel solid-phase adsorbent the LaMOF-GO composite exhibits outstanding adsorption properties for proteins. The strong hydrophobic interaction, especially π-π interaction between protein and the composite, is the main driving force for protein adsorption. In particular, highly selective isolation of hemoglobin (Hb) is achieved by using LaMOF-GO3 composite as sorbent in 4 mM B-R buffer containing 0.05 mol L(-1) NaCl at pH 8. The retained Hb could be effectively recovered with a 1 mM B-R buffer at pH 10, giving rise to a recovery of 63%. The practical applicability of the LaMOF-GO3 composite is demonstrated by the selective adsorption of Hb from human whole blood, and SDS-PAGE assays indicate that Hb could be selectively isolated with high purity from biological samples of complex matrixes.

Nickel nanoparticle decorated graphene (GP-Ni) is prepared by one-pot hydrothermal reduction of graphene oxide and nickel cations by hydrazine hydrate in the presence of poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate) (PSS). The GP-Ni hybrid is characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, XPS, Raman and FT-IR spectra, demonstrating the formation of poly-dispersed nickel nanoparticles with an average size of 83 nm attached on the surface of graphene sheets. The GP-Ni hybrid exhibits ferromagnetic behavior with a magnetization saturation of 31.1 emu g(-1) at 10,000 Oersted (Oe). The GP-Ni also possesses favorable stability in aqueous medium and rapid magnetic response to an external magnetic field. These make it a novel magnetic adsorbent for the separation/isolation of His6-tagged recombinant proteins from a complex sample matrix (cell lysate). The targeted protein species is captured onto the surface of the GP-Ni hybrid via specific metal affinity force between polyhistidine groups and nickel nanoparticles. The SDS-PAGE assay indicates highly selective separation of His6-tagged Smt A from cell lysate. The GP-Ni hybrid displays favorable performance on the separation/isolation of His6-tagged recombinant proteins with respect to the commercial NTA-Ni(2+) column.

Objective To isolate and identify active neuraminidase constituents of Polygonum cuspidatum against influenza A (H1N1) influenza virus. Method On the basis of the bioassay-guided fractionation,such chromatographic methods as silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and HPLC were adopted to isolate active constituents of extracts from Polygonum cuspidatum, and their molecular structures were identifiied on the basis of their spectral data such as NMR and MS and physico-chemical properties. Result Seven compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of P. cuspidatum and identified as 2-methoxystypandrone (1), emodin (2), resveratrol (3), polydatin (4), emodin-8-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), (E)-3, 5, 12-trihydroxystilbene-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside-2'-(3", 4", 5"-trihydroxybenzoate) (6) and catechin-3-O-gallate (7), respectively. Among them, the NA test showed that compounds 3, 6 and 7 had inhibitory effect against NAs activity, with IC50 values of 129.8, 44.8 and 21.3 micromol x L(-1), respectively. Moreover, the further CPE test showed compounds 6 and 7 had significant inhibitory effect against H1N influenza virus (EC50 = 5.9, 0.9 micromol x L(-1), respectively), with very low cytotoxicity to the host cells, their therapeutic selective index(SI) in MDCK cells ranged from 56 to 269. Conclusion The neuraminidase inhibitors against H1N1 anti-influenza virus isolated from extracts of P. cuspidatum on the basis of the bioassay-guided fractionation are significant in specifying their therapeutic material basis and drug R&D against influenza.

With respect to the conventional imidazolium ionic liquids which generally create very weak fluorescence with quantum yields at extremely low levels of 0.005-0.02, a symmetrical hydrophilic ionic liquid 1,3-butylimidazolium chloride (BBimCl) was found to be highly fluorescent with λ(em) at 388 nm when excited at λ(ex)340 nm. The very high quantum yield of BBimCl in aqueous medium, derived to be 0.523 when excited at 315 nm, was attributed to its symmetrical plane conjugating structure. In the presence of hemoglobin, the fluorescence of BBimCl could be significantly quenched, resulting from the coordinating interaction between the iron atom in the heme group of hemoglobin and the cationic imidazolium moiety. This feature of the present hydrophilic ionic liquid makes it a promising fluorescence probe candidate for the sensitive sensing of hemoglobin. A linear regression was observed within 3 × 10(-7) to 5 × 10(-6) mol L(-1) for hemoglobin, and a detection limit of 7.3 × 10(-8) mol L(-1) was derived.

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets have been immobilized onto SiO(2) particles through electrostatic interactions by surface assembly. The surface-assembled composite material was characterized by means of SEM and FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy to reveal an assembling ratio of 2.3% (w/w, GO/SiO(2)). The GO/SiO(2) composites were subsequently used, for the first time, as adsorbents for the adsorption/isolation of proteins. Selective isolation of proteins of interest, namely, hemoglobin (Hb) in this case, from complex sample matrices, for example, human whole blood, could be obtained by carefully manipulating the adsorption/desorption process. At pH 7, an adsorption of 85% was achieved for Hb (70 mg L(-1)) in sample solution (1.0 mL) by the GO/SiO(2) composites (3.0 mg). The adsorption behavior was consistent with the Langmuir adsorption model, corresponding to a theoretical adsorption capacity of 50.5 mg g(-1) for Hb. The retained Hb could be readily recovered by using a Tris-HCl buffer at pH 8.9 to give a recovery of 80%. Circular dichroism and specific activity investigations indicated that the GO/SiO(2) composites exhibited favorable biocompatibility, characterized by virtually no effect on the conformation and activity of Hb after adsorption/desorption. The composites were used for the selective isolation of Hb from human whole blood and achieved satisfactory results by assaying with sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Self-complementary monomer 1, which combines a macrotricyclic polyether and two dibenzylammonium ions together, was synthesized, and its self-assembly into supramolecular polymer networks by host-guest interactions was studied. For the purpose of comparative study, two model molecules 2 and 3 were also prepared. It was found that model molecule 2 and dibenzylammonium ion 4 form a 1:2 complex in solution and in the solid state, which afforded a model system for the investigation of the assembly behavior of monomer 1. Consequently, the (1)H NMR spectrum of 1 in CD(3)CN showed characteristic proton signals similar to the model system, which suggested that 1 self-assembles into a supramolecular polymer network. Formation of the supramolecular polymer was further evidenced by the MALDI-TOF MS spectrum, viscometry, and dynamic light-scattering (DLS) experiments. Moreover, it was found that the decomposition and re-formation of the supramolecular polymer could be chemically controlled by the use of triethylamine and trifluoroacetic acid. Interestingly, the supramolecular polymer forms an organogel both in CD(3)CN and in 1:1 (v/v) CDCl(3)/CD(3)CN, and reversible thermo- and pH-induced gel-sol transitions were also found. The presented work will provide a new strategy for the construction of supramolecular polymers with specific structures and properties.

Oral administration of Yin Zhi Huang (YZH) daily for 3 days in rabbits accelerated plasma clearance of infused unconjugated bilirubin. A similar but less dramatic effect resulted from 3 days pretreatment with phenobarbital, 70 mg/kg/day orally. Similar doses were injected intraperitoneally in rats for 3 days, following which the bile ducts were ligated and bilirubin infused intravenously. Plasma clearance of unconjugated bilirubin and plasma appearance of conjugated bilirubin were faster, and hepatic bilirubin content was higher in both YZH- and phenobarbital-treated rats than in control animals. These observations indicate that YZH is as effective as phenobarbital in stimulating bilirubin metabolic pathways and suggest that the drugs may share common mechanisms of action.

Most inducible expression vectors for the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are based on galactose-inducible promoters. Yeast has been increasingly used to study vertebrate steroid receptors because of its powerful genetics. In principle, both regulatory systems are compatible and can be combined in the same strain. However, we found that commercial galactose can be contaminated by bioactive estrogen and progesterone at concentrations that are sufficient to fully activate their cognate receptors. Since steroids can elicit biological responses in pathogenic fungi and possibly other microorganisms, such contaminants in a commonly used fermentable carbon source may need to be screened for.

Cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin polymerization, interferes with ascogonial differentiation in the fertile fluffy mutant of Neurospora crassa. As the total level of actin and its mRNA remain unchanged, this suggests that it is in its microfilamentous form (F-form) that actin is stringently required for female differentiation.

Graphene quantum dots prepared by a one-step hydrothermal procedure in a microwave exhibit an unusual emission transformation in strong acidic media and at high concentration, induced by self-assembled J-type aggregation under restrained π-π interactions.

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were decorated with a cysteine-rich metal-binding protein, cyanobacterium metallothionein (SmtA). The SmtA–GO composites were characterized by means of FT-IR, AFM and TGA, giving rise to a SmtA binding amount of 867 mg g−1. The SmtA–GO composites exhibit ultra-high selectivity toward the adsorption of cadmium, i.e., the tolerant concentrations for the coexisting metal and anionic species were 1–800 000 fold improved after SmtA decoration with respect to bare GO. The SmtA–GO composites were then assembled onto the surface of cytopore microbeads and used for highly selective adsorption and preconcentration of ultra-trace cadmium. In comparison with bare GO (carboxyl-rich GO) loaded cytopore (GO@cytopore), SmtA–GO loaded cytopore (SmtA–GO@cytopore) shows a 3.3-fold improvement over the binding capacity of cadmium, i.e. 7.70 mg g−1 for SmtA–GO@cytopore compared to 2.34 mg g−1 for that by GO@cytopore. A novel procedure for selective cadmium preconcentration was developed using SmtA–GO@cytopore beads as a renewable sorption medium incorporated into a sequential injection lab-on-valve system, with detection by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The cadmium retained on the SmtA–GO surface was eluted with a small amount of nitric acid. An enrichment factor of 14.6 and a detection limit of 1.2 ng L−1 were achieved within a linear range of 5–100 ng L−1 by using a sample volume of 1 mL. The procedure was validated by analyzing cadmium in certified reference materials and a series of environmental water samples.

It is difficult to achieve fluorescent graphene-quantum dots (QDs) conjugation because graphene quenches the fluorescence of the QDs. In the present study, the conjugation of graphene (reduced graphene oxide, RGO) with QDs via a bridge of bovine serum albumin (BSA) provides a novel highly fluorescent nano probe for the first time. BSA capped QDs are firmly grafted onto polyethylenimine (PEI)/poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) coated RGO (graphene-QDs) via electrostatic layer by layer assembly. The strong luminescence of the graphene-QDs provides a potential for non-invasive optical in vitro imaging. The graphene-QDs are used for in vitro imaging of live human carcinoma (Hela) cells. Graphene-QDs could be readily up-taken by Hela cells in the absence of specific targeting molecules, e.g., antibodies or folic acid, and no in vitro cytotoxicity is observed at 360 μg mL(-1) of the graphene-QDs. The results for the imaging of live cells indicated that the cell-penetrating graphene-QDs could be a promising nano probe for intracellular imaging and therapeutic applications.

As a group of novel green solvents, ionic liquids have attracted extensive attention and gained popularity in various applications including protein assays. Ionic liquids are not only an excellent reaction medium to replace the conventional organic solvents, but are also an efficient participant to achieve better performances. The aim of the present mini-review is to illustrate the state-of-the-art progress of implementing ionic liquids in protein assays, focusing on the investigations of protein stability/activity, protein extraction and isolation/purification, protein crystallization, separation of protein species and their detections.

A bioassay-guided fractionation of methanol extracts of stem barks, combined with screening based on Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)-responsive neural stem cells (erNSCs) differentiation assay, has been used. This study resulted in the isolation of 3,3′-di- O-methylellagic acid 1, 3,3′-di- O-methyl ellagic acid-4- O-β-D-xylopyranoside 2, ellagic acid 3, and arjunolic acid 4. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit potent induction of neuronal differentiation in neurosphere stem cells with no cytotoxic effect. These results indicate that compounds 1 and 2 may be useful as pharmacological agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. These compounds may account, for the use of T. superba in folk medicine for nervous system and mental disorders.