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m-Benzoquinones are often regarded as unstable materials in the form of radicals. Herein, an air-stable small molecular m-benzoquinone [4,6-diamino-1,3-benzoquinone (4,6DA1,3BQ)] without bulky grou...

Appropriate screening tool for excessive alcohol use (EAU) is clinically important as it may help providers encourage early intervention and prevent adverse outcomes. We hypothesized that patients with excessive alcohol use will have distinct serum metabolites when compared to healthy controls. Serum metabolic profiling of 22 healthy controls and 147 patients with a history of EAU was performed. We employed seemingly unrelated regression to identify the unique metabolites and found 67 metabolites (out of 556), which were differentially expressed in patients with EAU. Sixteen metabolites belong to the sphingolipid metabolism, 13 belong to phospholipid metabolism, and the remaining 38 were metabolites of 25 different pathways. We also found 93 serum metabolites that were significantly associated with the total quantity of alcohol consumption in the last 30 days. A total of 15 metabolites belong to the sphingolipid metabolism, 11 belong to phospholipid metabolism, and 7 metabolites belong to lysolipid. Using a Venn diagram approach, we found the top 10 metabolites with differentially expressed in EAU and significantly associated with the quantity of alcohol consumption, sphingomyelin (d18:2/18:1), sphingomyelin (d18:2/21:0,d16:2/23:0), guanosine, S-methylmethionine, 10-undecenoate (11:1n1), sphingomyelin (d18:1/20:1, d18:2/20:0), sphingomyelin (d18:1/17:0, d17:1/18:0, d19:1/16:0), N-acetylasparagine, sphingomyelin (d18:1/19:0, d19:1/18:0), and 1-palmitoyl-2-palmitoleoyl-GPC (16:0/16:1). The diagnostic performance of the top 10 metabolites, using the area under the ROC curve, was significantly higher than that of commonly used markers. We have identified a unique metaboloic signature among patients with EAU. Future studies to validate and determine the kinetics of these markers as a function of alcohol consumption are needed.

Introduction Abnormal extravillous trophoblast (EVT) function is closely related to preeclampsia (PE) and may be caused by inadequate autophagy, apoptosis, and senescence. Cyclosporin A (CsA) is an effective immunosuppressant that has been reported to stimulate autophagy and exert benign biological effects on EVTs. Therefore, we hypothesized that CsA may display therapeutic efficacy against PE by activating autophagy. Methods We established the nitro- l -arginine methyl ester ( l -NAME)-induced preeclamptic mice model and a hypoxia‐reoxygenation (H/R) model in vitro. The effects of CsA on autophagy were evaluated by western blotting (WB). The effects of CsA on apoptosis were analyzed by Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, cell apoptosis assay and WB. Senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal) staining, RT-qPCR and WB were used to examine the senescence level. RT-qPCR were used to detect the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) level. DCFH-DA fluorescent probe, dihydroethidium (DHE) staining and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) were used to detect senescence-associated mitochondrial dysfunction (SAMD). Results CsA alleviated PE-like symptoms and reduced placental necrosis and senescence in mice injected with l -NAME. CsA ameliorated placental SASP and SAMD level induced by l -NAME. CsA also upregulated the expression of autophagic proteins in mouse placentas disrupted using l -NAME. In vitro, we found that CsA reversed H/R-induced apoptosis and senescence, as well as decreasing SASP and SAMD levels and upregulating autophagic proteins levels. Notably, 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an early phase inhibitor of autophagosome formation, abolished the protective effects of CsA against H/R. Discussion CsA may display some therapeutic effects against PE by activating autophagy in vivo and in vitro.

Rice planting (RP) is significant to methane (CH4) emissions from paddy fields, but its effect on the relative contribution of the acetoclastic methanogenesis to total CH4 production (Fac) and the fraction of CH4 oxidized (Fox) is poorly understood. To quantify the responses of the Fac and Fox to RP, we investigated CH4 fluxes, CH4 production and oxidation potentials, dissolved CH4 concentrations, and their stable carbon isotopes in a flooded paddy soil. The mcrA and pmoA gene copies were also determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Compared with the unplanted soil (control, CK), the seasonal CH4 emissions from the planted soil were significantly enhanced, 13.6 times, resulting in large decreases in the CH4 concentrations in the soil solution. This indicated that much more CH4 was released into the atmosphere by the RP than was stored in the soils. Acetoclastic methanogenesis became more important from the tillering stage (TS) to the ripening stage (RS) for the CK, with Fac values increased from 17%–20% to 46%–55%. With RP, the Fac values were enhanced by 10%–20%, and it significantly increased the copy numbers of the mcrA gene at the four rice stages (TS, booting stage (BS), grain-filling stage (GS), and RS). Furthermore, the effect of the RP on the abundance of the mcrA gene was highly concurrent with the effect on the Fac values. At the TS, the Fox values at the soil-water interface were around 50%–75% for the CK, being 15%–20% lower than those of the RP in the rhizosphere. It increased to 65%–100% at the GS, but was reduced by 20%–30% after the RP. These differences might be because the copy numbers of the pmoA gene were significantly raised at the TS while lowered at the GS by the RP. This was further demonstrated by the strong correlations between the effect of the RP on the abundance of the pmoA gene and the effect on the Fox values. These findings suggest that RP markedly impacts on the abundances of the mcrA and pmoA genes, affecting the pathway of CH4 production and the fraction of CH4 oxidization, respectively.

The alkyl substituent(s) in the scaffold of the alkylphosphanyl PNP ligands of the form Ph2PN(cyclopentyl)PPhR, Ph2PN(cyclopentyl)PR2, and RPhPN(cyclopentyl)PPhR have been observed to have a marked impact on the catalytic performance of Cr(III) catalysts in ethylene oligomerization reactions. Precatalyst 6, bearing diisopropylphosphanyl substituent, afforded the highest catalytic activity of 4490 kg(product)·g(Cr)−1·h−1 and 51.0% C8 selectivity with good product purity under suitable conditions. Precatalyst 7, having diethylphosphanyl substituent in the PNP scaffold, exhibited 72.0% high C8 selectivity with 1717 kg(product)·g(Cr)−1·h−1 improved catalytic activity. Precatalysts based on monoalkylphosphanyl PNP (2–4) and symmetrical alkylphosphanyl PNP (9–10) exhibited poor catalytic performance toward selective ethylene oligomerization. Single crystal analysis suggested that the alkyl substituents in the scaffold of the alkylphosphanyl PNP ligands may effectively induce the complex structure and consequently the catalytic performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that in comparison to the trimerization pathway, the rate-determining states in the tetramerization pathways of precatalysts 6–7 may face low energy barriers and therefore may offer high C8 selectivity.

Double-perovskite PrBaCo2O5.5+δ thin films were grown on (001) LaAlO3 substrates for investigating the processing dynamic-tuned epitaxial nature and physical properties under different oxygen conte...

It remains a challenge to explore economical, high-effective and long term stability electrocatalysts toward large-scale hydrogen production. This work utilizes surface engineering strategy to in-situ CoFe-Prussian Blue Analogues on NiCo-layered double hydroxides to obtain 3D hierarchical heterostructure precursor (NiCo–CoFe-PBA). After phosphatization, this precursor can be further transform into tri-metallic phosphide (NiCoP/CoFeP@NF) and directly act as efficient self-supported electrode for Water and Urea Electrolysis. Impressively, the obtained NiCoP/CoFeP@NF-12 (±) electrode shows excellent catalytic performance with only requires the cell voltage of 1.61 and 1.46 V to deliver 10 mA cm−2 in overall water splitting and urea electrolysis, respectively, which benefiting from the porous Ni foam (NF) substrate, large catalytic activity area, remarkable mass/electron transfer property, the synergistic effect of components as well as superhydrophilicity and superaerophobicity of electrode surface. In addition, the experimental results also confirm that urea-assisted system has energy saving advantage superior than traditional water splitting in alkaline electrolyte. Moreover, the hierarchical strategy can also be introduced to the construction of other intricate composites for the utilization in energy conversion and storage.

The conversion of chemically inert carbon dioxide and its photoreduction to value-added products have attracted enormous attention as an intriguing prospect for utilizing the principal greenhouse gas CO2. Herein, we explore the use of Ag25 clusters with well-defined atomic structures for high-selectivity photocatalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to methane. Ag25 clusters, with molecular-like properties and surface plasmon resonance, exhibit competitive catalytic activity for light-driven CO2 reduction that yield an almost 100% product selectivity of methane at a relatively mild temperature (100 °C). DFT calculations reveal that the absorption of CO2 on Ag25 clusters is energetically favorable. The methanation of the Ag25 cluster catalyst has been investigated by operando infrared spectroscopy, verifying that methane was produced through a -H-assisted multielectron reaction pathway via the transformation of formyl and formaldehyde species to form surface CHx. This work presents a highly efficient strategy for high-performance CO2 methanation via well-defined metal cluster catalysts.

Chemical reactions of single molecules, caused by rapid formation or breaking of chemical bonds, are difficult to observe even with state-of-the-art instruments. A biological nanopore can be engineered into a single molecule reactor, capable of detecting the binding of a monatomic ion or the transient appearance of chemical intermediates. Pore engineering of this type is however technically challenging, which has significantly restricted further development of this technique. We propose a versatile strategy, “programmable nano-reactors for stochastic sensing” (PNRSS), by which a variety of single molecule reactions of hydrogen peroxide, metal ions, ethylene glycol, glycerol, lactic acid, vitamins, catecholamines or nucleoside analogues can be observed directly. PNRSS presents a refined sensing resolution which can be further enhanced by an artificial intelligence algorithm. Remdesivir, a nucleoside analogue and an investigational anti-viral drug used to treat COVID-19, can be distinguished from its active triphosphate form by PNRSS, suggesting applications in pharmacokinetics or drug screening., Monitoring single molecule chemical reactions can be difficult and nanopore based strategies which have shown promise are technically challenging. Here, the authors report on a technique which allows for the direct observation of different reactions and demonstrate the ability to distinguish clinically relevant analogues.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Rationale: The NLRP3 (NLR [NOD-like receptor] family, pyrin domain containing 3) inflammasome is an important driver of atherosclerosis. Our previous study shows that chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), one of the main lysosomal degradative process, has a regulatory role in lipid metabolism of macrophages. However, whether the NLRP3 inflammasome is regulated by CMA, and the role of CMA in atherosclerosis remains unclear. Objective: To determine the role of CMA in the regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome and atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: The expression of CMA marker, LAMP-2A (lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2A), was first analyzed in ApoE−/− mouse aortas and human coronary atherosclerotic plaques, and a significant downregulation of LAMP-2A in advanced atherosclerosis in both mice and humans was observed. To selectively block CMA, we generated macrophage-specific conditional LAMP-2A knockout mouse strains in C57BL/6 mice and ApoE−/− mice. Deletion of macrophage LAMP-2A accelerated atherosclerotic lesion formation in the aortic root and the whole aorta in ApoE−/− mice. Mechanistically, LAMP-2A deficiency promoted NLRP3 inflammasome activation and subsequent release of mature IL (interleukin)-1β in macrophages and atherosclerotic plaques. Furthermore, gain-of-function studies verified that restoration of LAMP-2A levels in LAMP-2A–deficient macrophages greatly attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Importantly, we identified the NLRP3 protein as a CMA substrate and demonstrated that LAMP-2A deficiency did not affect the NLRP3 mRNA levels but hindered degradation of the NLRP3 protein through CMA pathway. Conclusions: CMA function becomes impaired during the progression of atherosclerosis, which increases NLRP3 inflammasome activation and secretion of IL-1β, promoting vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis progression. Our study unveils a new mechanism by which NLRP3 inflammasome is regulated in macrophages and atherosclerosis, thus providing a new insight into the role of autophagy-lysosomal pathway in atherosclerosis. Pharmacological activation of CMA may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis and other NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β–driven diseases.

Background Cognitive dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an important complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Accumulating evidence indicates that the abnormality of cerebrovascular structure and function plays an essential role in diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI), however, changes in cerebrovascular factors have been blurred during the development of diabetes. Objective To evaluate the changes in the structure and function of cerebrovascular in DCI mice and to investigate the changes of cerebral angiogenesis and stability factors during the development of DM. Methods Diabetes was induced by feeding with high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ,120 mg/kg). Cognitive function was evaluated at different stages of DM, cerebral neovascularization, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and hippocampal neurons were measured of DCI mice, and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) in hippocampus was detected during the development of DM. Results With the progress of diabetes, the learning and memory ability of mice gradually decreased, and DCI mice showed neuronal degeneration, increased BBB permeability and pathological cerebral neovascularization. Moreover, the expression of VEGF in the hippocampus increased first and then decreased at DM+8week, PDGFRβ decreased continuously with the development of diabetes. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that DCI may be attributed to the dynamic expression of VEGF/PDGFRβ in diabetic hippocampus, and pathological cerebral neovascularization, increased BBB permeability and neuronal degeneration are the key links.

Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes play essential roles in biological processes, and activation of PKC is proposed to alleviate the symptoms of a variety of diseases. It would be of great significance to find effective pharmacological modulators of PKC isozymes that can be translated for clinical use. Here, using in vitro activity assay, we demonstrated that green tea extract (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) dose-dependently activated PKCα with a half effective concentration (EC50) of 0.49 μM. We also performed surface plasmon resonance analysis and found that EGCG binds PKCα with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) value of 4.11 × 10-6 mol/L. Further computational flexible docking analysis revealed that EGCG interacted with the catalytic C3-C4 domain of PKCα (PDB: 4RA4) through establishing polar hydrogen bonds with V420, T401, E387, and K368 of PKCα, and the benzene ring group of EGCG hydrophobically interacted with the hydrophobic pocket formed by L345, M470, I479, and V353 of PKCα. Interestingly, the PKCα-selective blocker Ro-32-0432 could compete with EGCG for the same substrate-binding pocket of PKCα. Moreover, we found that EGCG dose-dependently improved the spatial memory, object recognition ability, and hippocampal long-term potentiation of ovariectomized mice, which was offset by Ro-32-0432. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel PKCα agonist and open the way to a new perspective on PKCα pharmacology and the treatment of PKCα-related diseases, including cognitive impairment.

The biogeochemical cycles of sulphur (S), iron (Fe) and nitrogen (N) elements play a key role in the reservoir ecosystem. However, the spatial positioning and interrelationship of S, Fe and N cycles in the reservoir sediment profile have not been explored to a greater extent. Here, we measure the gradients of Fe2+, SO42−, NO3−, NH4+, DOC, TC and TN in the pore water of the sediment, and combining the vertical distribution of the functional microorganisms involved in S, Fe and N cyclings in the sediments to determine the redox stratification in the sediment. It is found that the geochemical gradient of S, Fe and N of the reservoir sedimentary column is mainly defined by the redox process involved in the related functional microorganisms. According to the type of electron acceptor, the sediment profile is divided into 3 redox intervals, namely aerobic respiration (0–10 cm), denitrification/iron reduction (10–28 cm) and sulfate reduction (28–32 cm). In the aerobic respiration zone, NH4+ is oxidized by aerobic AOB to NO3− (0–5 cm), and Fe2+ is oxidized by microaerobic FeRB to Fe3+ (3–10 cm). In the denitrification/iron reduction zone, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas, as the dominant NRB genera, may use nitrate as an electron acceptor to oxidize Fe2+ (11–16 cm). The dominant genera in SOB, such as Sulfururvum, Thiobacillus and Thioalkalispira, may use nitrate as an electron acceptor to oxidize sulfide, leading to SO42− accumulation (14–24 cm). In the sulfate reduction zone, SO42− is reduced by SRB. This study found that functional microorganisms forming comprehensive local ecological structures to adapt to changing geochemical conditions, and which would be potentially important for the degradation and preservation of C and the fate of many nutrients and contaminants in reservoirs.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of whole soy and purified daidzein on markers of thyroid function in Chinese postmenopausal women who were equol-producers. Total 270 eligible women were randomized to either one of the three isocaloric supplements: 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder +63 mg daidzein (daidzein group) or 40 g low-fat milk powder (placebo) daily for 6 months. Serum thyroid markers were tested at baseline and 6 months for thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, reverse triiodothyronine and free thyroxine (FT4). There was no significant difference in the 6-month changes of thyroid markers among the three groups. Subgroup analysis among women with lowered thyroid function suggested a modest decrease of FT4. This randomized controlled trial among Chinese equol-producing postmenopausal women indicates the consumption of whole soy and purified daidzein at the provided dosages are safe and have no detrimental effect on thyroid function.

Understanding the fate of terrestrial organic carbon (OC) in a cascade impoundment system is critical for recognizing the role of carbon sink for reservoirs. Surface sediments collected from eight cascade reservoirs across the Wujiang River, southwestern China, were analyzed for elemental and stable carbon isotopic (δ13C) composition, and lignin phenols (Σ8 and Λ8) to investigate the spatial distribution, contribution, origin and degradation of sedimentary terrestrial OC. The values of total organic carbon (TOC) and Σ8 exhibited a remarkable reduction along the upstream–downstream transect suggesting the trapping effect of cascade-damming. A relatively broad range of δ13C (−26.61 to −25.54‰, 95% CI) and C/N (6.80–18.20) indicated mixed allochthonous/autochthonous OC sources in surface sediments. The quantitative simulation indicates that the OC of the sediments mainly was derived from terrestrial organic matter. Soil-derived OC rather than C3 vascular plant-derived OC makes a major contribution to sedimentary terrestrial OC in reservoirs on karst terrain. As evidenced by lignin compositions and δ13C, the predominant vascular plant origins of terrestrial OC along the Wujiang River are non-woody angiosperm C3 plants. The aged reservoirs showed a trend of increasing contribution of autochthonous OC, which potentially weaken the role of carbon sink for reservoirs. The relationship between runoff inputs, watershed area/water surface area ratios, and water residence time and Λ8 were explored, indicating the natural and anthropogenic influences on terrestrial OC remains very complex in a cascade-damming river.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Chronic alcohol drinking is a major risk factor for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP5), a cochaperone protein, is involved in many key regulatory pathways. It is known to be involved in stress-related disorders, but there are no reports regarding its role in ALD. This present study aimed to examine the molecular mechanism of FKBP5 in ALD. APPROACH AND RESULTS We found a significant increase in hepatic FKBP5 transcripts and protein expression in patients with ALD and mice fed with chronic-plus-single binge ethanol. Loss of Fkbp5 in mice protected against alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a significant reduction of Transcriptional enhancer factor TEF-1 (TEA) domain transcription factor 1 (Tead1) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (Cxcl1) mRNA in ethanol-fed Fkbp5-/- mice. Ethanol-induced Fkbp5 expression was secondary to down-regulation of methylation level at its 5' untranslated promoter region. The increase in Fkbp5 expression led to induction in transcription factor TEAD1 through Hippo signaling pathway. Fkbp5 can interact with yes-associated protein (YAP) upstream kinase, mammalian Ste20-like kinase 1 (MST1), affecting its ability to phosphorylate YAP and the inhibitory effect of hepatic YAP phosphorylation by ethanol leading to YAP nuclear translocation and TEAD1 activation. Activation of TEAD1 led to increased expression of its target, CXCL1, a chemokine-mediated neutrophil recruitment, causing hepatic inflammation and neutrophil infiltration in our mouse model. CONCLUSIONS We identified an FKBP5-YAP-TEAD1-CXCL1 axis in the pathogenesis of ALD. Loss of FKBP5 ameliorates alcohol-induced liver injury through the Hippo pathway and CXCL1 signaling, suggesting its potential role as a target for the treatment of ALD.

Inspired by the exciting physical/chemical properties in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of the redox-active tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) ligands, nickel bis(dithiolene-dibenzoic acid), [Ni(C2S2(C6H4COOH)2)2], has been designed and developed as an inorganic analogue of the corresponding TTF-type donors (such as tetrathiafulvalene-tetrabenzoate, TTFTB), where a metal site (Ni) replaces the central C═C bond. In this work, [Ni(C2S2(C6H4COOH)2)2] and In3+ have been successfully assembled into a three-dimensional MOF, (Me2NH2+){InIII-[Ni(C2S2(C6H4COO)2)2]}·3DMF·1.5H2O (1, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide), with satisfying chemical and thermal stabilities. With the combination of reversible redox activity and unsaturated metal sites originated from [Ni(C2S2(C6H4COOH)2)2], 1 showed a significantly enhanced performance in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction compared with the isomorphic MOF, (Me2NH2+)[InIII-(TTFTB)]·0.7C2H5OH·DMF (2, with TTFTB ligand). More importantly, by mimicking the active [NiS4] sites of formate dehydrogenase and CO-dehydrogenase, a prominently higher conversion rate and Faradaic efficiency (FE), with FEHCOO- increasing from 54.7% to 89.6% (at -1.3 V vs RHE, jHCOO- = 36.0 mA cm-2), were achieved in 1. Mechanistic investigations further confirm that [NiS4] can serve as a CO2 binding site and efficient catalytic center. This unprecedented effect of redox-active nickel dithiolene-based MOF catalysts on the performance of electroreduction of CO2 provides an important strategy for designing stable and efficient crystalline enzyme-mimicking catalysts for the conversion of CO2 into high-value chemical stocks.

Many studies have shown that phenolic compounds such as lignin and flavonoids enhance plant resistance. Tea plants are rich in flavonoid compounds. Whether these compounds are related to tea plant resistance is unclear. In this study, an interesting conclusion was drawn on the basis of experimental results: in response to abiotic stress (except for sucrose treatment), gene expression was increased in the phenylpropanoid and lignin pathways and was reduced in the flavonoid pathway in tea plants. CsHCTs, the genes located at the branch point of the lignin and flavonoid pathways, are most suitable for regulating the ratio of carbon flow in the lignin pathway and flavonoid synthesis. Enzymatic and genetic modification experiments proved that CsHCTs encode hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A:shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the genetic modification results showed that the contents of phenolic acids and lignin were increased in tobacco and Arabidopsis plants overexpressing CsHCTs, whereas the content of flavonol glycosides was decreased. Both types of transgenic plants showed resistance to many abiotic stresses and bacterial infections. We speculate that CsHCTs participate in regulation of the metabolic flow of carbon from the flavonoid pathway to the chlorogenic acid, caffeoylshikimic acid, and lignin pathways to increase resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Grazing animals act as a bioindicator to study the heavy metal status in the pasture lands because excessive amount of toxic metals in the animal diet either disturb their normal activity or deposit the contaminants into their tissues. The aim of this study was to appraise the chromium status in soil and pasture crops with respect to the nutritional requirement of grazing animals. Three different sites were selected to collect soil, forages, and animal samples from District Jhang. All the samples were processed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer to analyze the chromium concentration in them. Chromium concentration was varied as 0.703-4.20 mg/kg in soil, 0.45-2.85 mg/kg in forages, and 0.588-2.37 mg/kg in all collected animal samples. Both the soil and forage samples displayed the maximum chromium concentration in the Capparis decidua, whereas animal samples revealed maximum concentration in animal blood. Results of pollution load index (0.078 to 0.463 mg/kg) exhibited that all the sample values are less than unity while enrichment factor (1.57-8.25mg/kg) showed that significant level of chromium is enriched in these sites. The maximum value of daily intake (0.0007-0.0055mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.0004-0.00370055mg/kg/day) was observed in the buffalo that feed on the Capparis decidua. Bio-concentration factor (0.398-2.09mg/kg) value was the maximum in the Medicago sativa. It is concluded that all the animal samples showed chromium concentration beyond their standards. Thus, proper measures should be taken to reduce the metal contamination in these areas that ultimately lessen the availability of toxic metals to grazing animals.

The p-type or n-type redox reactions of organics are being used as the reversible electrodes to build the next-generation rechargeable batteries with sustainable and tunable characteristics. However, the n-type organics that store cations generally exhibit low potential (

This work presents a thorough guide to procedures for absolute electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quantum efficiency (ΦECL) measurements, which if employed effectively should raise the research impact of ECL studies for any luminophore. Absolute measurements are not currently employed in ECL research. Instead, ECL efficiencies have been determined relative to Ru(bpy)32+ under similar conditions, regardless of whether the conditions are favorable for Ru(bpy)32+ emissions or not. In fact, the most cited Ru(bpy)32+ ΦECL is from the pioneering work by the Bard research group in 1973 by means of a rotating ring-disk electrode revolving at 52 rotations per second measured with a silicon photodiode. Our presented technique uses a common disk electrode, spectrometer, and photomultiplier tube to measure the ΦECL. The more common light detection hardware and electrodes combined with an in-depth calculation walkthrough will provide ECL researchers the necessary tools to implement ΦECL measurement procedures in their own laboratories. Following a facile instrument setup and calculation, a systematic study of Ru(bpy)32+ ΦECL finds comparable results to those performed by Bard and co-workers.

To clarify the mechanism responsible for the reduction of interfacial tension (IFT), the dynamic and equilibrium IFTs of different betaine solutions against n-alkanes, kerosene, heavy oil fractions...

The oxidation of π-d-conjugated coordination polymers (CCPs) accompanied with anion insertion has the merits of increasing the capacity and elevating the discharge voltages. However, previous reports on this mechanism either required more investigations or showed low capacity and poor cyclablity. Herein, triphenylene-catecholate-based two-dimensional CCPs are constructed by employing inactive transition-metal ions (Zn2+ ) as nodes, forming Zn-HHTP. Substantial characterizations and theoretical calculations indicate the successive storage of cations and anions by redox reactions of only ligands, leading to a high reversible capacity of ≈150 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 and a remarkable capacity retention of 90 % after 1000 cycles. On the contrary, as a control experiment, the analogous CCPs (Cu-HHTP) with Cu2+ nodes, where both ligands and metal ions undergo redox reactions, accompanied by the storage of only Na+ cations, show a much poorer cyclability. These results highlight the importance of redox reactions of only ligands for long-term cycle life and the insight into the storage mechanisms deepens our understanding on CCPs for the further design of CCPs with high performance.

A simple method for the recovery of anthocyanins from eggplant peel by adsorption has been developed. Anthocyanins were extracted from eggplant peel and adsorbed onto three carbon adsorbents with different structures (C1, C2 and C3). The effects of the carbon pore size on the adsorption capacity were investigated. It was found that the size exclusion influenced the adsorption process. C1 had the best adsorption capability for eggplant peel anthocyanins due to its large pore size and high mesoporous volume and was used to purify eggplant peel anthocyanins. An equilibrium experiment showed that the isotherms of anthocyanins on C1 can be fitted well by Langmuir adsorption models. The kinetic rate was modeled using a pseudo-second-order model. Packed column experiments showed that the breakthrough point occurs when the load of the extract reached 16 bed volumes. The desorption was completely achieved with 5 bed volumes of 60% ethanol. The content of eggplant peel anthocyanin in the pigment product was 4.1% after one treatment. The findings indicate that carbon adsorbent with appropriate pore size and high mesoporous volume can be applied in the separation of anthocyanins from an aqueous solution.

The X-linked PIG-A gene is involved in the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors. PIG-A mutant cells fail to synthesize GPI and to express GPI-anchored protein markers (e.g., CD59 and CD55). In recent years, in vitro PIG-A assay has been established based on the high conservation of PIG-A/Pig-a loci among different species and the large data from the in vivo system. The purpose of this study was to extend the approach for PIG-A mutation assessment to in vitro human B-lymphoblastoid TK6 cells by detecting the loss of GPI-linked CD55 and CD59 proteins. TK6 cells were treated with three mutagens 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), etoposide (ETO), and two nonmutagens: cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and sodium chloride (NaCl). The mutation rate of PIG-A gene within TK6 cells was determined on the 11th day with flow cytometry analysis for the negative frequencies of CD55 and CD59. The antibodies used in this production were APC mouse-anti-human CD19 antibody, PE mouse anti-human CD55 antibody, PE mouse anti-human CD59 antibody, and nucleic acid dye 7-AAD. An immunolabeling method was used to reduce the high spontaneous level of preexisting PIG-A mutant cells. Our data suggested that DMBA-, ENU-, and ETO-induced mutation frequency of PIG-A gene was increased by twofold compared with the negative control, and the effects were dose-dependent. However, CdCl2 and NaCl did not significantly increase the mutation frequency of PIG-A gene, with a high cytotoxicity at a dose of 10 mmol/L. Our study suggested that the novel in vitro PIG-A gene mutation assay within TK6 cells may represent a complement of the present in vivo Pig-a assay, and may provide guidance for their potential use in genotoxicity even in cells with a significant deficiency of GPI anchor.