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Three Gram-staining negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped and motile strains, FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T were isolated from the sediment samples of Zhangjiang Estuary Mangrove National Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results indicated they could be novel members of the genus Shewanella. The optimum temperature for growth was 30 °C. The respiratory quinones of the strains were ubiquinone Q-7 or Q-8, and menaquinone MK-7. Polar lipids of the strains FJAT-52962T and FJAT-51800T were phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and unidentified aminophospholipids while strain FJAT-54481 consist of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified aminolipids and four unidentified lipids. The major fatty acid of the three strains was iso-C15:0. The genomic DNA G + C contents of strains FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T were 48.2, 55.3 and 48.1%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strains FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T and other closely related Shewanella members were below the cut-off level (95–96%) for species identification. Genome analysis showed that these strains encode genes for osmo-regulation. Based on the results of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genome analyses, strains FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T represent three novel species of the genus Shewanella, for which the names Shewanella avicenniae sp. nov., Shewanella sedimentimangrovi sp. nov., and Shewanella yunxiaonensis sp. nov., are proposed. The type strains are FJAT-51800T (= GDMCC 1.2204T = KCTC 82448T), FJAT-52962T (= MCCC 1K05496T = KCTC 82445T) and FJAT-54481T (= GDMCC 1.2348T = KCTC 82646T).

Attapulgite is a promising adsorbent for removal of anionic dyes in water after being modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and four kinetics models and three isotherm models were used to evaluate the adsorption behavior of Congo red onto the adsorbents. It indicated that pseudo-second-order and Sips models were better to describe the adsorption data. Based on Sips model, it was confirmed that the modified attapulgite exhibited a higher adsorption capability for Congo red due to the more high-energy sites. Furthermore, high temperature and acidic environment were conducive to adsorbing Congo red on attapulgite, but the adsorption of the modified attapulgite toward Congo red was not sensitive to the temperature and pH value. A hydrophobic surface of the modified attapulgite reduced the surface tension between adsorbent and dye molecules, and electrostatic interaction played an important role for adsorption of CR on APTES/ATP.

Silica dust mainly attacks alveolar macrophages (AMs). The apoptosis of AMs is correlated with the progress of silicosis. Our previous study showed that autophagic degradation was blocked in AMs from silicosis patients. However, the effects of nicotine on AM autophagy and apoptosis in silicosis are unknown. In this study, we collected AMs from twenty male workers exposed to silica and divided them into observer and silicosis patient groups, according to the tuberous pathological changes observed by X-ray. The AMs from both groups were exposed to nicotine. We found increased levels of LC3, p62, and cleaved caspase-3, decreased levels of LAMP2, and damaged lysosomes after nicotine stimulation of the AMs from both groups. We also found that the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3MA) inhibited nicotine-induced apoptosis in the AMs. Furthermore, 3MA reversed both the nicotine-induced decrease in Bcl-2 and the increase in Bax in both groups. These results suggest that nicotine may induce apoptosis by blocking AM autophagic degradation in human silicosis.

Silica-induced apoptosis of alveolar macrophages (AMs) is an essential part of silicosis formation. Autophagy tends to present a bidirectional effect on apoptosis. Our previous study found that the blockade of autophagy degradation might aggravate the apoptosis of AMs in human silicosis. We presume that targeting the autophagic pathway is regarded as a promising new strategy for silicosis fibrosis. As a main active component of the Atractylodes rhizome, Atractylenolide III (ATL-III) has been widely applied in clinical anti-inflammation. However, the effect and mechanism of ATL-III on autophagy in AMs of silicosis are unknown. In this study, we found that ATL-III might inhibit autophagy by mTOR-dependent manner, thereby improving the blockage of autophagic degradation in AMs. ATL-III alleviated the apoptosis of AMs in human silicosis. Furthermore, Rapamycin reversed the protective effect of ATL-III in AMs. These results indicate that ATL-III may be a potentially protective ingredient targeting autophagy for workers exposed to silica dust. These findings also suggest that inhibition of autophagy may be an effective way to alleviate the apoptosis of AMs in silicosis.

Firstly, a novel pyrazole-pyrazoline fluorescent probe was developed and synthesized. The probe can be used to determine Fe3+ ions in a series of cations in tetrahydrofuran aqueous solution with high selectivity and high sensitivity. After the addition of iron ions, the fluorescence intensity is significantly reduced, Its structure was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HR-ESI-MS. UV absorption spectra and Fluorescence spectroscopy were used to study the selective recognition of probe M on metal ions. The probe M can selectivity and sensitivity to distinguish the target ion from other ions through different fluorescence phenomena. In addition, the binding modes of M with Fe3+ were proved to be 1:1 stoichiometry in the complexes by Job’s plot, IR results. The combination of probe M and iron ions is 1:1, and the detection limit is 3.9 × 10−10 M. The binding mode and sensing mechanism of M with Fe3+ was verified by theoretical calculations using Gaussian 09 based on B3LYP/6-31G(d) basis.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) harvest electrons from microorganisms in the anode and perform reductive reactions, such as the reduction of oxygen into water, in the cathode. Efficient electron harvesting is important in constructing high-performance MFCs; however, current methods for evaluating Coulombic efficiency (CE) consume large amounts of time, samples, and labors. A rapid quantification method to acquire CE of MFCs is presented in this study. The rapid quantification is accomplished by a laminar flow based microfluidic assay (LF-μAssay), which measures the open circuit voltage differences (ΔOCV) between active and inactivated microorganism samples. The ΔOCV measured by the microfluidic assay and the CE of lab-scale H-type microbial fuel cells were highly correlated. The linear correlation was validated with 3 pure strains of electrogenic microorganisms and applied on the evaluation of the CE of mixed-culture microorganisms with an error less than 0.053%.

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signalling plays a fundamental role in many cell types including platelets. cGMP has been implicated in platelet formation, but mechanistic detail about its spatiotemporal regulation in megakaryocytes (MKs) is lacking. We expressed a photo-activated guanylyl cyclase, Blastocladiella emersonii Cyclase opsin (BeCyclop), after viral-mediated gene transfer in bone marrow (BM)-derived MKs to precisely light-modulate cGMP levels. BeCyclop-MKs showed a significantly increased cGMP concentration after illumination, which was strongly dependent on phosphodiesterase (PDE) 5 activity. This finding was corroborated by real-time imaging of cGMP signals which revealed that pharmacological PDE5 inhibition also potentiated nitric oxide (NO) triggered cGMP generation in BM MKs. In summary, we established for the first time optogenetics in primary MKs and identified PDE5 as the predominant PDE regulating cGMP levels in MKs. These findings also demonstrate that optogenetics allows for the precise manipulation of MK biology.

Two aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, endospore-forming, thermophilic bacterial strains, designated FJAT-54423T and FJAT-54424, were isolated from hyperthermophilic compost sampled in Shanxi Province, PR China. Growth was observed at 30–60 °C (optimum, 50 °C) and pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), with up to 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % NaCl). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between FJAT-54423T and FJAT-54424 was 99.9%, and the maximum similarity to a valid taxon was observed with Brevibacillus borstelensis (98.3%). Further, in phylogenetic and phylogenomic trees, strains FJAT-54423T and FJAT-54424 branched with members of the genus Brevibacillus . The menaquinone was MK-7, and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The main polar lipids included phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The cell-wall peptidoglycan was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid. The DNA G+C content of strains FJAT-54423T and FJAT-54424 were 54.3 and 54.4 mol%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of strain FJAT-54423T and its most closely related reference strain B. borstelensis DSM 6347T were 77.7 and 21.5 %, respectively, which were lower than the recommended species delineation thresholds of ANI (95%) and dDDH (70%). Based on the observed physiological properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics and ANI and dDDH values, FJAT-54423T and FJAT-54424 belong to a novel species of the genus Brevibacillus , for which the name Brevibacillus composti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FJAT-54423T (=GDMCC 1.2054T=KCTC 43273T).

Background Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a ubiquitous second messenger that transduces extracellular signals in virtually all eukaryotic cells. The soluble Beggiatoa photoactivatable adenylyl cyclase (bPAC) rapidly raises cAMP in blue light and has been used to study cAMP signaling pathways cell-autonomously. But low activity in the dark might raise resting cAMP in cells expressing bPAC, and most eukaryotic cyclases are membrane-targeted rather than soluble. Our aim was to engineer a plasma membrane-anchored PAC with no dark activity (i.e., no cAMP accumulation in the dark) that rapidly increases cAMP when illuminated. Results Using a streamlined method based on expression in Xenopus oocytes, we compared natural PACs and confirmed bPAC as the best starting point for protein engineering efforts. We identified several modifications that reduce bPAC dark activity. Mutating a phenylalanine to tyrosine at residue 198 substantially decreased dark cyclase activity, which increased 7000-fold when illuminated. Whereas Drosophila larvae expressing bPAC in mechanosensory neurons show nocifensive-like behavior even in the dark, larvae expressing improved soluble (e.g., bPAC(R278A)) and membrane-anchored PACs exhibited nocifensive responses only when illuminated. The plasma membrane-anchored PAC (PACmn) had an undetectable dark activity which increased >4000-fold in the light. PACmn does not raise resting cAMP nor, when expressed in hippocampal neurons, affect cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA) activity in the dark, but rapidly and reversibly increases cAMP and PKA activity in the soma and dendrites upon illumination. The peak responses to brief (2 s) light flashes exceed the responses to forskolin-induced activation of endogenous cyclases and return to baseline within seconds (cAMP) or ~10 min (PKA). Conclusions PACmn is a valuable optogenetic tool for precise cell-autonomous and transient stimulation of cAMP signaling pathways in diverse cell types.

Occupational exposure to silica dust is related to pulmonary inflammation and silicosis. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) could aggravate apoptosis in alveolar macrophages (AMs) of human silicosis through autophagy, yet how the reduction of autophagy attenuated LPS-induced lung injury and the related mechanisms need to be investigated. In the study, we aim to understand the role of 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an inhibitor of autophagy, in LPS-mediated inflammatory responses and fibrosis. We collected AMs from observers/silicosis patients. The results showed that LPS induced NF-κB-related pulmonary inflammation in observers and silicosis patients, as confirmed by an increase in the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and p65, which could be inhibited by 3-MA treatment. In mice models, at the early stage (7d) of silicosis, but not the late (28d) stage, blocking autophagy reversed the increased levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and p65 caused by LPS. Mechanism study revealed that LPS triggered the expression of LC3 II, p62, and cleaved caspase-3 at the early stage exposed to silica, which could be restored by 3-MA, while there was no difference in the expression of LAMP1 either at the early or late stage of silicosis in different groups. Similarly, 3-MA treatment did not prevent fibrosis characterized by destroyed alveoli, collagen deposition, and increased expression of α-SMA and Col-1 induced by LPS at the late stage of silicosis. The results suggested that 3-MA has a role in the protection of lung injury at the early stage of silicosis and provided an experimental basis for preventive strategies of pulmonary inflammation and silicosis.

The effects of dimensional structure on the properties of lead iodide perovskite (C8H9NH3)2(CH3NH3)n-1PbnI3n+1were investigated. Furthermore, perovskite thin films with different dimensionalities were applied as the channel layer of thin film transistors (TFT). The electrical performance and stability of TFT devices were significantly improved through the regulation of dimensional microstructure of the perovskites. As a result, the quasi-2D (n = 6) perovskite TFTs achieved a field-effect mobility (μFE) of 3.90 cm2V-1s-1, with 104on-off current ratio and -1.85 V threshold voltage, which can be maintained well after 4 days without degradation at 30% ambient humidity. Moreover, the electrical performance of the TFTs based on Pure-2D and Quasi-2D perovskite also exhibited a good bias stability.

Five naphthalene-type chalcone organogelators with different hydrophobic alkyl units, were designed and synthesized. The prepared organogelators demonstrated excellent gel properties in some selected solvents, such as cyclohexane, tert-Butanol, isooctane, and isopropanol etc. The results for thermal stability showed that the alkyl chain length attached to the chalcone also had an important influence on the gelation behavior. Under identical concentrations increasing the length of alkyl chains of the gel molecules and then the gel-to-sol transition temperature value is increased too. It has found that the hydrogen bonding between molecules, the van der Waals force and the π-π stacking provide multiple driving forces for gel self-assembly using various techniques. The morphology of the xerogel was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). As the length of the carbon chain increases, the dry gel tends to form a lamellar network structure. The UV–vis absorption and emission spectra of the gel molecules were also studied.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are synthesized by the method of high-temperature pyrolysis from marigold granules and subsequently nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) are synthesized from ethylenediamine by hydrothermal treatment, which shows a strong blue emission with 7.84% quantum yield (QY). This will be used in detection of Fe3+ in water environments and the field of bioimaging.

Sialylation is one of important glycosylation in human beings and plays an important role in cancer development. α2,3-Linked and α2,6-linked sialic acids are normally observed on the end of N-glycans and have different functions. Derivatization on sialic acid was designed to detect the different linkages by MALDI-TOF MS. In this study, a two-step derivatization by dimethylamine and ammonium hydroxide was improved to modify the sialic acid and made it easier to detect the different linkages of sialic acids on MALDI-TOF MS. Using this derivatization method, specific sialic acids linkages on N-glycans of protein samples such as fetuin and lactoferrin were detected. For complex cell samples, increased α2,3-linked and α2,6-linked sialic acids on bi-antennary and tri-antennary N-glycans were observed in A549 cells induced by hypoxia environment. Taken together, our two-step derivatization of sialic acids offers a simple and accurate way to detect specific linkages on N-glycans with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer.

Foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) is an acute and febrile infectious disease, which can cause great economic losses. Virus‐like particles (VLPs) as an advantageous antigen can induce significant specific immune response. To improve immunity of VLPs, especially, make it induce persistent immune response, the hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) as a potential nano‐adjuvant were synthesized and loaded the FMD virus (FMDV) VLPs. They were injected into guinea pigs and the specific immune response was detected. The results confirmed that HMSNs/VLPs can induce persistent humoral immunity with high‐level antibody titer for more than three months. HMSNs also improve the T‐lymphocyte proliferation and IFN‐γ induced by FMDV VLPs, and provides the ideal protection against FMDV challenge. These consequences indicated that HMSNs were good protein delivery vehicle and potential nano‐adjuvant of vaccines., Highlights We synthesized Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs), as a delivery vehicle, are ideal candidate and have many unique structural features, including relatively larger surface areas, and controlled release capability, especially, good biocompatibility compared to golden nanoparticles as adjuvant.VLPs are composed of one or more structural proteins of virus, and without viral genetic material. As a new type of safe vaccine, FMDV VLPs can induce excellent immune response as traditional vaccines.To improve specific and persistent immune responses of FMDV VLPs, It is first time that HMSN was used as delivery of FMDV VLPs.The results confirmed that HMSNs can improve specific and persistent immune responses of FMDV VLPs, as new generation adjuvant.

Dendrimer-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with large center-radial mesopores have been prepared for macromolecular protein loading and delivery. Due to their unique structure, the dendrimer-like MSNs with small and uniform particle size (156 ± 11 nm) exhibited large surface area (637 m2 g−1), high pore volume (3.08 cm3 g−1) and center-radial pores with an average size of ca. 22 nm, and were utilized as nano-carriers for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and foot-and-mouth disease virus-like particle (FMD VLP) protein loading and release in vitro. The degradation behavior of the MSNs has been investigated in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. The cellular uptake of MSN-FITC was visualized by using laser scanning confocal microscopy. Furthermore, the biocompatibility of the MSNs was systematically evaluated by cell viability assay, hemolysis assay and histological examination. Finally, the adjuvant effect of MSNs was evaluated by immunization and challenge experiments of guinea pigs. Our results suggested that the dendrimer-like MSNs are excellent nano-carriers for large proteins with high molecular weight (large antigens) and have potential to be used as a safe and stable adjuvant for VLP-based vaccines and other subunit vaccines.

Monocytes are one of the most abundant immune cells infiltrating the inflamed organs. However, the majority of studies on monocytes focus on circulating cells, rather than those in the tissue. Here, we identify and characterize an intravascular (i.v.) and extravascular (e.v.) synovial population (Syn Ly6C- cells) which lack cell surface markers of classical monocytes (Ly6C and CD62) or tissue macrophages (CD64 and Tim4), are transcriptionally distinct and conserved in RA patients. e.v. Syn Ly6C- cells are independent of NR4A1 and CCR2, long-lived and embryonically derived while the i.v. Syn Ly6C- cells are dependent on NR4A1, short lived and derived from circulating NCM. e.v. Syn Ly6C- cells undergo increased proliferation and reverse diapedesis dependent on LFA1 in response to arthrogenic stimuli and are required for the development of RA-like disease. These findings uncover a new facet of mononuclear cell biology and are imperative to understanding tissue-resident myeloid cell function in RA.

Two triphenylamine chalcone derivatives 1 and 2 were synthesized through the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction and Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction. Through ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence emission spectroscopy experiments, it was confirmed that these two compounds exhibited good aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior in ethanol/water mixtures. The solvent effect test showed with the increase of the orientation polarizability of the solvent, the Stokes shift in the solvent of compound 1 and compound 2 shows a linear change trend. Through solid state fluorescence test and universal density function theory (DFT), the existence of π-π stacking interaction in the solid state of the compound has been studied, resulting in weak fluorescence emission. pH has no effect on the fluorescence intensity of the aggregate state of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) molecules in an acidic environment, but greatly weakens its fluorescence intensity in an alkaline environment. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) test shows that compound 1 was more prone to oxidation reaction than compound 2. The results of thermal stability test show that the thermal stability of compound 1 was better than that of compound 2, indicating that triphenylamine chalcone derivatives can improve the thermal stability of compounds by increasing the number of branches.

Macrophages fulfill critical functions in maintaining tissue homeostasis in steady-state, as well as in inflammation and immune response. Inflammation is not considered a major driver of osteoarthritis (OA), but macrophages have been implicated in its pathogenesis. Here, we use two mouse models of experiment OA – collagenase-induced osteoarthritis (CIOA) and destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) – to quantify the immune cell infiltration into the knee joint during the early stages of disease. We find that the peak of inflammation occurs at day 3 in CIOA and is characterized by a transitory increase in neutrophils and monocytes and a longer-lived expansion of synovial macrophages. Macrophage sub-populations are disproportionally expanded with CX3CR1+ cells accounting for a larger proportion of the macrophage compartment. Transcriptional profiling demonstrates that synovial macrophages up-regulate inflammatory genes coinciding with peak inflammation and down-regulate genes associated with homeostasis and tissue-residence. Female mice exhibit a similar expansion of macrophages post-CIOA indicating that the inflammatory phase is not sex-specific. Finally, we find day 7 post-DMM is also characterized by increases in neutrophil, monocyte, and macrophage sub-population numbers. These results support a role for macrophages in early stages of OA through driving the inflammatory phase. Further investigation may elucidate potential targets for the prevention or attenuation of OA-associated cartilage damage.

UNC51-like kinase1 (ULK1) recruits its binding partners and initiates the autophagy process in cancer. ULK1 is significantly overexpressed in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and negatively correlated with clinical prognosis in NSCLC patients. Based upon the binding features of ULK1, we explored the pharmacophore modeling to discover the common anchoring features. It was verified by synthesizing 5-bromo-4-phenoxy-N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amine derivatives, as well as subsequently elucidating the structure-activity relationships (SAR). Among all the obtained ULK1 inhibitors, 5-bromo-4-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenoxy)-N-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) pyrimidin-2-amine (3s), was the most active one. The docking analysis was conducted to compare 3s and SBI-0206965, which further elucidated the roles of the H-bond donor. This compound inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells and showed strong inhibitory activity against ULK1 kinase. Moreover, we found that compound 3s could induce apoptosis while simultaneously blocking autophagy. Collectively, these findings shed new light on compound 3s that would be utilized as a promising candidate drug for the future NSCLC therapy.

In the present study, the piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN)/tantalum (Ta) (PAT) thin film was investigated as a biocompatible film and osseointegrated with biomedical devices such as implants. The stress variation on the interaction of cells with the PAT surface was investigated using osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) and fibroblast cells (NIH3T3). A singular behavior was observed on the PAT film with a (002) texture, in which the MG-63 cells were more dispersed and displayed longer and more filopodia than the NIH3T3 cells. Moreover, the MG-63 cells showed ingrowth, adherence, and proliferation on the PAT film surface. The MG-63 cells had more obvious stress variation than the NIH3T3 cells in the differentiation and proliferation. The mechanobiological reaction to cell differentiation and proliferation not only caused osseointegration, but also reduced the surface activation energy, thus enhancing bone remodeling. The formation of a nanopolycrystalline PAT film is believed to enhance the mechanobiological effect, promoting osseointegration.

Background/Aims: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent disease that leads to motor and cognitive disabilities, and oxidative stress (OS) injury was found to be related to the etiology of PD. Increasing evidence has shown that SHC3 is aberrantly expressed in neurons. The current study examines the involvement of SHC3 silencing in OS injury in the nigral dopamine neurons in rats with PD via the PI3K-AKT-FoxO signaling pathway. Methods: To study the mechanisms and functions of SHC3 silencing in PD at the tissue level, 170 rats were selected, and a lentivirus-based packaging system was designed to silence SHC3 expression in rats. Furthermore, PC12 cells were selected for in vitro experimentation. To evaluate the effect of SHC3 silencing in nigral dopamine neuronal growth, an MTT assay, propidium iodide (PI) single staining and Annexin V-PI double staining were performed to detect cell viability, cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis, respectively. Results: SHC3 shRNA led to decreased SOD and MDA levels and enhanced GSH activity, indicating that SHC3 silencing leads to motor retardation. SHC3 silencing repressed the extent of Akt and FoxO phosphorylation, thereby inhibiting the PI3K-AKT-FoxO signaling pathway. Furthermore, in cell experiments, SHC3 silencing suppressed PC12 cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, whereas it enhanced cell apoptosis. Conclusion: The current study provides evidence suggesting that SHC3 silencing may aggravate OS injury in nigral dopamine neurons via downregulation of the PI3K-AKT-FoxO signaling pathway in PD rats.

A new chromene pyrazoline derivatives fluorescent probe L was designed and synthesized. The probe L appears in a 55-fold fluorescence enhancement after 5 equiv. Zn2+ was added, and it also exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity for response to Zn2+ in ethanol-water (V:V = 1:1) solution through “OFF-ON” type process and a possible photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Notably, the probe L distinguishes between Zn2+ and Cd2+. The association constant was considered as 2.38 × 103 M−1 via fluorescence titration experiments. The probe L-Zn2+ complex forms a 1:1 binding stoichiometry which was discussed by Job’s plot. The probe is very highly sensitive with fluorometric detection limit of 1.603 × 10−10 M. It also shows good reversibility upon addition of EDTA. Furthermore, the viability of L to Zn2+ has practical application in live cell imaging.

A novel biphenyl-derived salicylhydrazone Schiff base (BSS) fluorescent probes for highly sensitive and selective identification of Cu2+ has been synthesized. In addition, the recognition has been proved experimentally. The results indicated that the complex forms a 1:1 complex with Cu2+ shows fluorescent quenching. Furthermore, the detection limit of 1.54×10-8M. More interesting, the probe BSS not only have a good biocompatibility in living cells, but also the sense behavior of Cu2+ in the cell nucleus.

The cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP are important second messengers that orchestrate fundamental cellular responses. Here, we present the characterization of the rhodopsin-guanylyl cyclase from Catenaria anguillulae (CaRhGC), which produces cGMP in response to green light with a light to dark activity ratio >1000. After light excitation the putative signaling state forms with τ = 31 ms and decays with τ = 570 ms. Mutations (up to 6) within the nucleotide binding site generate rhodopsin-adenylyl cyclases (CaRhACs) of which the double mutated YFP-CaRhAC (E497K/C566D) is the most suitable for rapid cAMP production in neurons. Furthermore, the crystal structure of the ligand-bound AC domain (2.25 Å) reveals detailed information about the nucleotide binding mode within this recently discovered class of enzyme rhodopsin. Both YFP-CaRhGC and YFP-CaRhAC are favorable optogenetic tools for non-invasive, cell-selective, and spatio-temporally precise modulation of cAMP/cGMP with light., Cyclic AMP and cGMP orchestrate a variety of cellular responses. Here, authors characterize the cGMP producing rhodopsin-guanylyl cyclase from C. anguillulae and derived adenylyl cyclase by a biochemical and structural approach which demonstrates the usability of these cyclases for optogenetic applications.

It is since many years textbook knowledge that the concentration of the second messenger cGMP is regulated in animal rod and cone cells by type II rhodopsins via a G-protein signaling cascade. Microbial rhodopsins with enzymatic activity for regulation of cGMP concentration were only recently discovered: in 2014 light-activated guanylyl-cyclase opsins in fungi and in 2017 a novel rhodopsin phosphodiesterase (RhoPDE) in the protist Salpingoeca rosetta (SrRhoPDE). The light regulation of SrRhoPDE, however, seemed very weak or absent. Here, we present strong evidence for light regulation by studying SrRhoPDE, expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, at different substrate concentrations. Hydrolysis of cGMP shows an ∼100-fold higher turnover than that of cAMP. Light causes a strong decrease in the Km value for cGMP from 80 to 13 µM but increases the maximum turnover only by ∼30%. The PDE activity for cAMP is similarly enhanced by light at low substrate concentrations. Illumination does not affect the cGMP degradation of Lys296 mutants that are not able to form a covalent bond of Schiff base type to the chromophore retinal. We demonstrate that SrRhoPDE shows cytosolic N- and C-termini, most likely via an eight-transmembrane helix structure. SrRhoPDE is a new optogenetic tool for light-regulated cGMP manipulation which might be further improved by genetic engineering.

A fluorescence probe based on cinnamyl pyrazoline was developed and synthesized. The probe detected Zn2+ ion that was mixed with a series of cations in aqueous ethanol with high selectivity and high sensitivity. After adding Zn2+, the fluorescence intensity was significantly enhanced, with a 56-fold increase. The detection limits and binding constants of 2.95 × 10−8 M and 1.468 × 104 M−1 were calculated by a fluorescence titration experiment. The 1 : 1 binding chemometrics of the 1–Zn2+ complex was analyzed by Job's plot. The probe showed good reversibility when adding PPi. Additionally, the “turn-on” fluorescent probe with excellent membrane permeability was satisfactorily applied to microscopic imaging for the detection of Zn2+ in baby hamster kidney (BHK)-21 cells.

Two novel coumarin-based pyrazoline derivatives have been designed and synthesized as organogel factors. Organogelators Z1–2 both have gelation behavior in alcohol solution and DMSO. Gel-tert-butanol Z1–2 (CGC = 1.84%, 1.41%) fluoresce blue and yellow-green under ultraviolet irradiation, respectively. Z1–2 both exhibit selectivity for response to Fe3+ in THF-deionized aqueous (V: V = 9:1) solution, meanwhile display high sensitivity. Notably, introducing diethylamino at 7-position the coumarin unit increases the detection line range in Z2. Furthermore, Z2 not only has a good biocompatibility in living cells but also the sensing behavior of Fe3+ in the cell nucleus. The coordination mechanism of gelators Z1–2 and Fe3+ were performed at the DFT level.

A novel coumarin-based pyrazoline fluorescent probe A was synthesized through a four-step reaction. The structure was characterized by 1H NMR(Nuclear magnetic resonance), 13C NMR and HR-ESI-MS(High resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry). The optical properties of the fluorescent probe was investigated by UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra. The results showed that the addition of Fe3+ makes the fluorescence emission spectra of A quenched and displayed a linear fluorescence response to Fe3+ with a detection limit of 1.01 × 10−7 M. It also shows good reversibility upon addition of EDTA(Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid). The structure of the fluorescent probe was optimized by DFT(Density functional theory) calculations, and the binding mechanism between the fluorescent probe and the recognition ion was explained. Moreover, the probe also has practical application in cell imaging.

A novel multi-response pyrazoline-based fluorescent probe 1 was designed and synthesized with a very simple molecular structure, which exhibited high sensitivity for detecting Zn2+ and Cd2+ in ethanol aqueous solution state based on the dissuasion of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect. The binding modes of the complexes were determined to have 1:1 complexation stoichiometry and the binding constants were calculated to be 1.284 × 104 M−1 for Zn2+ and 4.313 × 103 M−1 for Cd2+ using the nonlinear curve-fitting method. Zn2+ and Cd2+ sensor have high anti-interference ability. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits were determined to be 0.9274 μM for Zn2+ and 0.8158 μM for Cd2+. Notably, the probe was found to have good biological compatibility and was employed to detect Zn2+/ Cd2+ in living Hela cells.

In this study, a new pyrazoline derivate (1-acetyl-3- (2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)-5-(2-phenyl-2H-chromene)-2-pyrazoline, N) is described as fluorescent probe for fluorometric detection of Cu2+. This fluorescence of probe has a high selectivity only toward Cu2+ ion in the other metal ions. It is remarkably observed that the fluorescence intensity of N decreased in the presence of Cu2+ ions with a strong capability to resist perturbations. The Limit of detection (LOD) value is calculated as 8.85 × 10−7 M for Cu2+ while the complexation constant is calculated as 3.14 × 105 M−2 via fluorescence measurements. The interaction between of N and Cu2+ is reversible after adding PPi. The optimized calculation of the probe for Cu2+ is confirmed by TD-DFT calculations. N-Cu2+ is successfully applied in the intracellular imaging in living PK-21cells that will have a great chance for wide application.

Oxygen vacancy induced ferromagnetic coupling in diluted magnetic oxide (DMO) semiconductors have been reported in several studies, but technologically more crucial spin-polarized current (SPC) is still under-developed in DMOs. Few studies have claimed that VRH mechanism can originate the SPC, but, how VRH mechanism associated with percolation path, is not clearly understood. We used Point-contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) technique to probe the SPC in Co-doped ZnO (CZO) films. Since the high resistance samples cause broadening in conductance(G)-voltage(V) curves, which may result in an unreliable evaluation of spin polarization, we include two extra parameters, (i) effective temperature and (ii) spreading resistance, for the simulation to avoid the uncertainty in extracting spin polarization. The effective G-V curves and higher spin polarization can be obtained above a certain oxygen vacancy concentration. The number of completed and fragmentary percolation paths is proportional to the concentration of oxygen vacancies. For low oxygen vacancy samples, the Pb-tip has a higher probability of covering fragmentary percolation paths than the complete ones, due to its small contact size. The completed paths may remain independent of one another and get polarized in different directions, resulting in lower spin-polarization value. High oxygen vacancy samples provide a high density of completed path, most of them link to one another by crossing over, and gives rise to high spin-polarization value.

A new pyrazoline-based probe D was designed and synthesized, which can be used as a highly sensitive, selective and reversible recognizing fluorescent to detect Cu 2 + . The recognition properties of this compound was investigated by UV–vis absorption and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The results showed that the probe D forms a 1:1 complex with Cu 2 + and displayed a linear fluorescence response to Cu 2 + with a detection limit of 1.94 × 10 − 7 M. In addition, the probe have a good biocompatibility in living cells.

Self-cleaning of wool fabric has been of increasing interest due to availability and practicability. In this paper, two kinds of wool fabrics, including raw wool and Kroy-process wool fabric, were successfully modified by TiO2/SiO2 gel stabilized by 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and citric acid (CA), respectively. The optimum concentration of carboxylic acids and TiO2/SiO2 gel was decided by the crease recovery angles and total color difference (ΔE) values, respectively. The results revealed that wool fabrics treated with BTCA and TiO2/SiO2 had better wrinkle resistance in comparison with CA and TiO2/SiO2 treated samples. The decomposition of stains was studied using UV irradiation and the presence of TiO2/SiO2 gel demonstrated obvious self-cleaning property, in which the color of wool fabric was unchangeable. The hydrophilicity of Kroy-process wool fabric increased relative to raw ones. In addition, Scanning Electron Microscope images demonstrated the layer of TiO2/SiO2 nanoparticles ...

Skin integrity is essential for protection from external stress and trauma. Defects in structural proteins such as keratins cause skin fragility, epitomized by epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a life-threatening disorder. Here we show that dominant mutations of KLHL24, encoding a cullin 3-RBX1 ubiquitin ligase substrate receptor, cause EB. We have identified start-codon mutations in the KLHL24 gene in five patients with EB. These mutations lead to truncated KLHL24 protein lacking the initial 28 amino acids (KLHL24-ΔN28). KLHL24-ΔN28 is more stable than its wild-type counterpart owing to abolished autoubiquitination. We have further identified keratin 14 (KRT14) as a KLHL24 substrate and found that KLHL24-ΔN28 induces excessive ubiquitination and degradation of KRT14. Using a knock-in mouse model, we have confirmed that the Klhl24 mutations lead to stabilized Klhl24-ΔN28 and cause Krt14 degradation. Our findings identify a new disease-causing mechanism due to dysregulation of autoubiquitination and open new avenues for the treatment of related disorders.

Dye pollution creates a serious problem for the environment by destroying ecosystems. To protect the environment, three novel coumarin-chalcone derived organogelators Y1-3 were designed and synthesized with different hydrophobic alkyl units. Organogelators Y1-3 exhibit gelation behavior in tert-butanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, ethyl acetate and tert-amyl alcohol. The XRD, FT-IR and SEM studies speculated the presence of π-π stacking, Van der Waals interaction and intermolecular H-bonding in the self-assembly of gels Y1-3. The increase of alkyl chain made the lamellar network structure of the xerogel larger and the gap increase, which was beneficial to the adsorption of dyes in water. Gels Y1-3 reveal irreversible gelation behavior after UV light.

In this Letter, we present the Rhodamine B catalyzed direct C–H arylation of indole with aryl diazonium salts. This method only requires green light and room temperature.

Background Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are the primary targets of silicosis. Blockade of autophagy may aggravate the apoptosis of AMs. Trehalose (Tre), a transcription factor EB (TFEB) activator, may impact the autophagy-lysosomal system in AMs during silicosis. However, the mechanism by which Tre acts upon AMs in silicosis is unknown. Methods We collected AMs from twenty male workers exposed to silica and divided them into observer and silicosis patient groups. AMs from the two groups were then exposed to Tre. Western blot was used to measure the expression of autophagy-associated proteins. Lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) expression was observed using immunofluorescence and western blot. Apoptosis of the AMs was detected by TUNEL assay and western blot. Results Tre induced localization of TFEB to the nucleus in the AMs of both groups. After Tre exposure, LAMP1 levels increased and LC3 levels decreased in the AMs of both groups, suggesting that Tre may increase the function of the autophagy-lysosomal system. The LC3-II/I ratio in the Tre-exposed AMs was lower than in the AMs not exposed to Tre. The LC3-II/I ratio in AMs subjected to Tre plus Bafilomycin (Baf) was higher than the ratio in cells exposed to Tre or Baf individually. Additionally, p62 levels decreased after Tre stimulation in the AMs of both groups. This indicates that Tre may accelerate the process of autophagic degradation. We also found decreased levels of cleaved caspase-3 after Tre treatment in the AMs of both groups. However, p-mTOR (Ser2448) and p-mTOR (Ser2481) levels did not change significantly after Tre treatment, suggesting that the mTOR signaling pathway was not affected by Tre treatment. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the restoration of autophagy-lysosomal function by Tre may be a potential protective strategy against silicosis.

A novel coumarin-derived acylhydrazone Schiff base fluorescent organogel (G1) was designed and synthesized. Gelator G1 can form stable organogels in isopropanol, tert-amyl alcohol, n-butanol and phenylamine. The organogel could be converted to solution by heating and the solution could be restored to gel state by cooling. The self-assemble mechanism of G1 was investigated by XRD, FT-IR and SEM techniques. The results indicated the intermolecular hydrogen bonding, Van der Waals interaction and π-π stacking are the forces for the self-assembly of the gelator to form the organogel. The optical properties of the compound were studied by UV-visible spectroscopy and fluorescence spectra. Further study presented that gelator G1 could selectively and sensitively response to Fe3+ only among tested cations. Beside the above functions, the organic gel factor G1 could also response to irradiation, heating and shaking, thus endowing the organogel with multi stimulus responsive properties.

Nanoparticle Fe3O4 encapsulated CuO, as a heterogeneous catalyst, is a facile system for the synthesis of diaryl ethers by the cross-coupling reaction of various substituted aryl halides with various substituted phenols, which avoids using any type of expensive ligand and can be recovered from the reaction mixture by using a simple magnet. Moreover, this catalyst can be reused three times with high catalytic activity.

Various substituted diarylether derivatives were prepared by using heterogeneous reusable Cu2O- and Cu-coated carbon nanotubes (Cu2O/Cu-CNTs) as catalyst under ligand-free conditions, which provided good to excellent yields. The catalyst was characterized by TEM, XRD, and AAS analysis. The effects of solvent, base, and amount of catalyst for the O-arylation were investigated. The catalyst could be recovered by simple filtration from the reaction mixture without further treatment and reused several times with consistent catalytic activity. In addition, CNTs could also be recovered from the used Cu2O/Cu-CNTs by a simple acid treatment.

Triaxial compression tests have been performed to determine the properties of the rock mass around an unlining underground crude oil storage caverns which is the first one in China. The execution situation of the tunnel project and the seepage law of groundwater are taken into account; the stress and the seepage field around the tunnel in different working states are simulated by applying Comsol around a underground crude oil storage caverns.According to the test results, it was found that the excavation process may arise the local damage,the extension of the excavation induced loose zone ranges from 0 to 15.6 m, depending on the buried depth of the caverns. According to numerical simulation results, the crown settlement and stress concentration is depended on the buried depth and the water pressure distribution after the excavation of the main cavity. This research results can provide the reference for analysis on the stability of the underground cavities under low stress level and on the water sealed underground petroleum storage rock caverns.

In this Letter, we present the Rhodamine B catalyzed direct C–H arylation of indole with aryl diazonium salts. This method only requires green light and room temperature.