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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the clinical detection and prognosis of coagulation function in patients with liver failure and sepsis. METHODS: The plasma fibrinogen (FIB), factor II, factor VII, factor V, factor IV, antithrombin III (ATIII), platelet (PLT), mean PLT volume (MPV), D-dimer, prothrombin activity (PTA), and fibrin degradation product (FDP) levels and thromboelastogram values were detected in patients with liver failure complicated with sepsis and compared with those in the liver failure and liver cirrhosis groups. The patients with liver failure complicated with sepsis were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression, and the regression equation was established. RESULTS: The levels of FIB, factor II, factor VII, factor V, ATIII, PLT, MPV, D-dimer, and FDP in the patients with liver failure complicated with sepsis were compared with those in the control group patients, and the differences were statistically significant (p

Fifteen new labdane-type diterpenoids, sublyratins A-O (1-15), along with four known analogues (16-19) were isolated from the aerial parts of Croton sublyratus. Their structural assignments were challenging due to the stereoisomeric features evident and were achieved by analyzing comprehensively the spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism spectra and using X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compounds 9 and 16-18 displayed cytotoxic activity against the HL-60 cell line with IC50 values of 1.5-2.8 μM.

An enantioselective three-component propargyloxylation reaction of propargyl alcohols, pyridotriazoles, and imines has been realized by cooperative catalysis with dirhodium complex and chiral phosp...

Cancer is a major threat to human health worldwide, yet the clinical therapies remain unsatisfactory. In this study, we found that a Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaves flavone (TLF) intervention could achieve tumor inhibition. Besides, neochlorogenic acid (NA), which had the highest absorbance peak in the HPLC profile of TLF, showed superior anti-proliferation ability over TLF, and could effectively trigger apoptosis, restrain migration, and facilitate cytoskeleton collapse, suggesting its key role in TLF's anticancer property. Molecular docking analysis suggested that NA was capable of binding with mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), and further experiments confirmed that NA upregulated the MCU level to permit excess calcium ion influx, leading to mitochondrial calcium imbalance, dysfunction, structure alteration, and ROS elevation. Moreover, tumor-bearing mice were applied to further confirm the excellent tumor inhibition ability of NA under Ca2+-abundant conditions. Therefore, this study uncovered that NA could effectively trigger robust MCU-mediated calcium overload cancer therapy, which could be utilized in novel strategies for future cancer treatment.

Four new lindenane sesquiterpenoid trimers, designated as trichloranoids A–D (1–4), along with a known analogue (5) were isolated from Chloranthus spicatus. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of diverse methods, including DP4+ probability and TDDFT-ECD calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 incorporated one unprecedented skeletal unit respectively in their western hemisphere, and each of them was likely formed biogenetically via a biradical rearrangement of the vinylcyclopropane. Compounds 1, 4, and 5 exhibited moderate antimalarial activities.

An efficient and practical method for the synthesis of 2-indolyl indolone N-oxides via gold(I)-catalyzed cascade reaction of o-nitroalkynes with indoles has been reported. The generated product could be readily converted into the 2-indolylbenzoxazinone, which emits strong blue fluorescence. We also investigated the antitumor activity of these synthesized compounds in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and the results show that compounds 3d and 4s exhibit high anticancer potency against SCLC cells.

An efficient gold and chiral phosphoric acid cooperatively catalyzed enantioselective oxidative cyclization/Mannich-type addition reaction of homopropargyl amides with nitrones has been developed, which provides chiral pyrrolidin-3-ones in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities under mild conditions. This reaction employed stable and readily available alkynes as non-diazo carbene precursors, which provides a 100% atom economy method with high bond formation efficiency.

A Rh2(esp)2 catalyzed nitrene/alkyne metathesis (NAM) cascade reaction of alkyne-tethered sulfamates has been developed, which provides facile access to the tricyclic 3-iminoindolines in good to excellent yields with broad substrate scope. The reaction is initiated by a Rh-promoted nitrene/alkyne metathesis (NAM) under oxidative conditions to form the key α-imino metal carbene intermediate, followed by a formal carbene insertion reaction of the amide C–N bond via a Stevens [1,2]-acyl shift.

Potassic alkaline rocks are instrumental in unveiling the composition and geodynamic evolution of mantle lithosphere. The Zhuopan alkaline complex, located in the western Simao block, SW China, exhibits features of high potassium, enrichment in LILEs, and depletion in HFSEs. These same elemental features and Sr Nd isotopic compositions are also evident in the coeval clinopyroxenitic and syenitic rocks, indicating a comagmatic origin. In this paper, we present new data and discuss the petrogenesis of these rocks. We show that magmas parental to the Zhuopan alkaline complex are derived from highly enriched clinopyroxene-rich lithospheric mantle. These alkaline magmas emplaced in shallow crustal level and experienced crustal assimilation during ascent and through magma chamber processes. Pyroxenite is of cumulitic origin dominated by clinopyroxene and apatite. It formed at an early stage and received more effective crustal contamination. Pyroxene syenite, syenite and nepheline syenite are compositional mixture of variably evolved melt with incompletely segregated liquidus phases (e.g., clinopyroxene, biotite, alkali-feldspar, apatite, nepheline). An important observation is that the Dy/Yb ratio, LILE and LREE abundances of the Zhuopan complex are significantly higher than those of the contemporaneous mafic volcanic rocks in the western Yangtze block, reflecting different sources and source histories. The lithospheric mantle beneath Simao and western Yangtze blocks must have been heterogeneously metasomatized by oceanic subduction-related fluids and melts. Particularly, the mantle source for the Zhuopan alkaline rocks exhibits feature of carbonatite metasomatism. This is further supported by our modeling where melts derived from marine carbonate play a crucial role.

Chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage and fertility loss have negative impacts on the quality of life for female cancer patients worldwide. Thus, we aimed to explore the feasibility and safety of gene therapy for prevention of such damage. First, we validated doxorubicin-induced ovarian damage in human and mouse ovarian tissues and identified two key genes (Sirt1 and Tgfbr2). Next, we generated AdV-Sirt1 and AdV-Tgfbr2 after vectors screening (AdV,AAV and LV) for their ability to transduce mouse ovaries. Finally, we conducted in situ ovarian injection of AdV-Sirt1 and AdV-Tgfbr2 in doxorubicin-treated mice and assessed their ovarian functions and reserves. The interventions dramatically alleviated doxorubicin-induced ovarian damage without apparently influencing the health status of their offspring. Together, our results indicate that AdV-Sirt1 and AdV-Tgfbr2 can serve as effective and safe agents for reducing doxorubicin-induced ovarian damage and also suggest that they may be potentially applicable for post-chemotherapy protection in female cancer patients.

Catalytic oxidative functionalization of alkynes has emerged as an effective method in synthetic chemistry in recent decades. However, enantioselective transformations via metal carbene intermediates are quite rare due to the lack of robust chiral catalysts, especially in the intermolecular versions. Herein, we report the first asymmetric three-component reaction of commercially available alkynes with nitrones and alcohols, which affords α-alkoxy-β-amino-ketones in good yields with high to excellent enantioselectivity using combined catalysis by an achiral gold complex and a chiral spiro phosphoric acid (CPA). Mechanistically, this atom-economic reaction involves a catalytic alkyne oxidation/ylide formation/Mannich-type addition sequence that uses nitrone as the oxidant and the leaving fragment imine as the electrophile, providing a novel method for multi-functionalization of commercially available terminal alkynes.

As a fundamental aging mechanism, cellular senescence causes chronic inflammation via the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Theca-interstitial cells are an essential but little-studied component of follicle development in the ovarian microenvironment. In the present study, we observed significant cellular senescence in theca-interstitial cells and secretion of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5) by these cells during aging. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate whether and how senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)-associated CCL5 may be involved in follicle development. Increased levels of CCL5 in the microenvironment of follicles attenuated preantral follicle growth, survival, and estradiol secretion. Oocyte maturation and the expression of zona pellucida 3 and differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) were also inhibited by CCL5. Granulosa cell apoptosis in follicles was promoted by CCL5, accompanied by the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB by CCL5 and inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway. These results suggest that SASP-associated CCL5 produced by senescent theca-interstitial cells may impair follicle development and maturation during ovarian aging by promoting granulosa cell apoptosis.

Oxidative hair dyes consist of two components (I and II) that are mixed before use. Aromatic amines in component I and their reaction with hydrogen peroxide after mixing them with component II have been of primary concern. In addition, two in vitro genotoxicity assays are still required for the approval of the final products of oxidative hair dyes in China, and the substance in the oxidative hair dye that causes the high rate of positive results in genotoxicity tests, especially the Ames test, has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the formulation of 55 different oxidative hair dyes from 7 color series and performed Ames tests in the strain TA98 with the S9 mix (oxidative hair dyes No. 1–30) and in strain TA97a without the S9 mix (oxidative hair dyes No. 31–55). We found that toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate (2,5-diaminotoluene sulfate, DATS) in component I may be the cause of mutagenicity in TA98, and hydrogen peroxide in component II may be the cause of mutagenicity in TA97a, and their positive concentrations were consistent with those that we calculated from Ames tests. The results suggest that the positive results for the oxidative hair dye in the Ames test were inevitable because of the existence of DATS in component I and of hydrogen peroxide in component II. Therefore, we should carry out safety assessments on each raw material and carry out risk assessments on the final products of oxidative hair dyes instead of genotoxicity tests in China.

Metal carbene is an active synthetic intermediate, which has shown versatile applications in synthetic chemistry. Although a variety of catalytic methods have been disclosed for the generation of carbene species from different precursors, there is an increasing demand for the development of efficient and practical approaches for the in-situ formation of metal carbene intermediates with structural diversity and unrevealed reactivity. Herein we report a gold-catalyzed cascade protocol for the assembly of polycarbocyclic frameworks in high yields under mild reaction conditions. Mechanistic studies indicate that the unique β-aryl gold-carbene species, generated via gold-promoted 6-endo-dig diazo-yne cyclization, is the key intermediate in this reaction, followed by a [4 + 2]-cycloaddition with external alkenes. In comparison to the well-documented metal carbene cycloadditions, this carbene intermediate serves as a 4-C synthon in a cycloaddition reaction. A variety of elusive π-conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbons (CPHs) with multiple substituents are readily accessible from the initially generated products by a mild oxidation procedure., Metal carbene is usually employed as a 1-carbon synthon or 3-carbon synthon in a variety of cycloaddition reactions. Here, the authors report a gold-catalyzed cascade protocol for the assembly of polycarbocyclic frameworks via a β-aryl gold-carbene intermediate which reacts as a 4-carbon synthon with alkenes in [4 + 2]-cycloadditions.

An enantioselective cyclization of diazoindolinones with o-hydroxymethyl chalcones has been established by a cooperative dirhodium complex and chiral phosphonic acid catalysis under mild conditions. This reaction is the first example of catalytic asymmetric intramolecular Michael-type trapping of oxonium ylide enabled by phosphoric acid through a dual H-bonding activation model, which provides an efficient access to the chiral spirochroman-3,3-oxindoles, with vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters, in good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities.

During the study of oil and gas geochemistry, analysis of big data must be experienced, and there are some abnormal values in tremendous amount data, which will affect the analysis results of oil and gas migration. On the basis of geochemical big data of YM32 buried hill reservoirs in Tarim Basin, the mean value and standard deviation of hydrocarbon compound parameters reflecting the direction of hydrocarbon migration in the samples are analyzed, and the outliers, which less than \( {\bar{\text{X}}} \)−2D and great than \( {\bar{\text{X}}} \)+2D, are excluded. According to the content of saturated hydrocarbon and aromatics, the hydrocar bon migration factors are calculated and analyzed, and a three-step method of hydrocarbon migration tracer is formed. It is inferred that there are two oil and gas filling points of YM342-YM343 and YM50 in the YM32 buried hill reservoir, as well as four migration paths of YM342-YM343 to YM34, YM342-YM343 to YM37 to YM35, YM342-YM343 to YM33, and YM50 to YM321. The method can be used for reference in the evaluation of oil and gas reservoirs and in the search of remaining oil enrichment areas.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disease related to glucose metabolism disorders. Increasing evidences indicate that flavonoids obtained from plants have beneficial effects on T2D. Apios americana Medik, originally cultivated in North America, is rich in flavonoids. In this study, A. americana flower extract (AFE) was purified and flavonoids were identified. The beneficial effects of AFE on glucose metabolism disorders were investigated. Results showed that AFE protected hepatic cells from oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia and increased glucose consumption and glucose uptake. The AKT pathway was involved in AFE-mediated hypoglycemic action in LO2 cells, accompanied by phosphorylation of FoxO1, Gsk-3β and AMPK. In vivo, AFE protected Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) from oxidative stress under hyperglycemia and restored the expressions of PMK-1 and SKN-1. Furthermore, AFE decreased excessive glucose and lipid accumulation and extended the lifespans of high glucose (HG) treated C. elegans. AFE might be beneficial to decrease glucose metabolism disorders and T2D.

Background Cyclophosphamide (CTX), which has been used to treat common female cancers for several years, often causes ovarian damage, early menopause and infertility. However, strategies for the effective prevention and treatment of CTX-induced ovarian damage are still lacking. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and theaflavins (TFs), key molecules derived from green tea or black tea, have been shown to exert preventive effects on many ageing-related diseases. Purpose We aimed to explore the potential preventive and protective effects of EGCG and TFs on CTX-induced ovarian damage and compare the two compounds. Study Design Six-week-old female mice were administered a low or high dose of EGCG or TFs. The low dose was equivalent to the average daily amount of tea consumed by a drinker. Methods We determined the oestrous cycle and serum hormone levels to evaluate ovarian endocrine function, and we performed mating tests for reproductivity. We also assessed the follicle count and AMH level to evaluate ovarian reserve, and we performed Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining to evaluate ovarian fibrosis. We conducted γ-H2AX and TUNEL analyses to evaluate DNA damage, and we also measured the relevant indicators of oxidative stress and follicular activation, including NRF2, HO-1, SOD2, AKT, mTOR and RPS6. Results EGCG and TFs treatment independently improved the ovarian endocrine function and reproductivity of mice that were administered CTX. EGCG and TFs also increased the ovarian reserve of these animals. Furthermore, EGCG and TFs alleviated oxidation-induced damage to ovarian DNA in mice by activating the NRF2/HO-1 and SOD2 pathways and reducing the apoptosis of growing follicles. At the same time, EGCG and TFs reduced the overactivation of primordial follicles by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR/RPS6 pathway. Conclusion The present study showed that EGCG and TFs independently improved ovarian function in mice with CTX-induced ovarian damage, thereby providing useful information for designing a potential clinical strategy that will protect against chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage.

Calcium overload therapy has attracted widespread attention in oncological field, whereas its efficacy has been limited due to insufficient calcium ions in tumor site and poor efficiency of calcium entering tumor, resulting in dissatisfied therapeutic effect. Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (KAE), a biosafe flavone with excellent anti-cancer ability, can effectively disrupt calcium homeostasis regulation and facilitate calcium influx, while calcium carbonate (CaCO3) serves as an ideal calcium ions supplier. Inspired by these concepts, KAE loaded into CaCO3 nanoparticles and incorporated with the cancer cell membrane (M) for synergistic tumor therapy. In this therapeutic platform (M@CaCO3@KAE), membrane coating ensures targeted delivery of CaCO3@KAE. Upon reaching tumor, CaCO3@KAE specifically responds to tumor microenvironment, consequently releases KAE and calcium ions. KAE effectively breaks the calcium balance, while calcium ions remarkably aggravate and magnify KAE-mediated calcium overload. Accordingly, mitochondrial structure and functions are destructed, causing cytoskeleton collapse and oxidative stress, leading to cancerous cellular apoptosis. With the combined and cascaded efficacy, considerable in vitro and in vivo tumor inhibition was achieved by M@CaCO3@KAE. This study provides an alternative nano-system, acting as a biomimetic calcium bomb, to ensure targeted, synergistic, efficient and biosafe calcium overload tumor therapy.

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is an agricultural practice that can enhance grapevine berry and wine quality. However, the effects of water deficit on concentration and composition of proanthocyanidins (PAs) and wine astringency are often limited and contrasting. Therefore, the profiles of PAs were investigated in Cabernet Sauvignon grown at 60% (RDI-1), 70% (RDI-2), 80% (RDI-3), and 100% (conventional irrigation, CI) of estimated evapotranspiration in 2016 and 2017. The treatments, replicated three times, were laid out in a randomized block design where any border effects were avoided. Our results showed that compared with CI, grapes grown under RDI had greater total concentrations of phenolic compounds. Skin PAs content increased in response to the RDI, especially in RDI-1 and RDI-2, while the seed PAs content was relatively insensitive to RDI. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that higher percentage of galloylation, molecular mass, mean degree of polymerization and the special extension subunits, such as percentage of (–)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate (%ECG) and percentage of (–)-epicatechin (%EC), led to greater astringency intensity in the wine. However, RDI-1 decreased perceived astringency due to the decreased %ECG and %EC of PAs extension subunits, and increased %ECG of PAs terminal subunits. Our study suggests that the irrigation levels at RDI-2 and RDI-3 can significantly influence the PAs compositions and improve wine astringency perception.

The primordial follicle assembly, activation and the subsequent development are critical processes for female reproduction. A limited number of primordial follicles are activated to enter the growing follicle pool each wave, and the primordial follicle pool progressively diminishes over a woman's life‐time. The number of remaining primordial follicles represents the ovarian reserve. Identification and functional investigation of the factors involved in follicular initial recruitment will be of great significance to the understanding of the female reproduction process and ovarian ageing. In this study, we aimed to study whether and how semaphorin 6C (Sema6c) regulated the primordial follicle activation in the neonatal mouse ovary. The attenuation of SEMA6C expression by SiRNA accelerated the primordial follicle activation in the in vitro ovary culture system. PI3K‐AKT‐rpS6 pathway was activated when SEMA6C expression was down‐regulated. And the LY294002 could reverse the effect of low SEMA6C expression on primordial follicle activation. Our findings revealed that Sema6c was involved in the activation of primordial follicles, and the down‐regulation of SEMA6C led to massive primordial follicle activation by interacting with the PI3K‐AKT‐rpS6 pathway, which might also provide valuable information for understanding premature ovarian failure and ovarian ageing.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a pivotal role in the cutaneous healing process and a topical supplement of NO is beneficial for wound repair. In this work, a novel polyethylenimine (PEI) based diazeniumdiolate nitric oxide donor was prepared. The obtained polymer (PEI-PO-NONOate) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectra, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The PEI-PO-NONOate polymer was stable under anhydrous conditions at different temperatures. A total of 0.57 μmol gaseous NO was released from 1.0 mg of the PEI-PO-NONOate polymer in PBS of pH 7.4 and it presented a proton-driven release pattern. Furthermore, the PEI-PO-NONOate polymer exhibited a controlled release profile sustained for over 30 hours within the polyethylene glycol (PEG) mixture system. Cytotoxicity evaluation was performed on L929 cells. Full-thickness excisional cutaneous wound models of mice were prepared and the PEI-PO-NONOate polymer was applied to investigate its effects on wound healing. The results revealed that the PEI-PO-NONOates exhibited good biocompatibility. It was also found that the PEI-PO-NONOate polymer promoted cutaneous wound healing and closure with enhanced granulation tissue formation, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis, as compared to the control. In summary, a novel nitric oxide releasing polymer with high loading efficiency and a controlled release profile was developed which presented the potential for application in the acceleration of cutaneous wound healing.

Follicular atresia is the main process responsible for the loss of follicles and oocytes from the ovary, and it is the root cause of ovarian aging. Apoptosis of granulosa cells (GCs) is the cellular mechanism responsible for follicular atresia in mammals. Recent advances have highlighted fundamental roles for EGR1 in age-related diseases via the induction of apoptosis. In the present study, we found that the expression of EGR1 was significantly increased in aged mouse ovaries compared with young ovaries. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed strongly positive EGR1 staining in atretic follicles, especially in apoptotic granulosa cells. We further showed that EGR1 up-regulation in mouse primary granulosa cells inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. In addition, the promotion of apoptosis in GCs by EGR1 increases over time and with reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulation. Our mechanistic study suggested that EGR1 regulates GC apoptosis in a mitochondria-dependent manner and that this mainly occurs through the NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results suggested that age-related up-regulation of EGR1 promotes GC apoptosis in follicle atresia during ovarian aging.

A thin SiOyNx film was inserted below a conventional SiNx antireflection coating used in c-Si solar cells in order to improve the surface passivation and the solar cell's resistance to potential-induced degradation (PID). The effect of varying the flow ratio of the N2O and SiH4 precursors and the deposition temperature for the SiOyNx thin film upon material properties were systematically investigated. An excellent surface passivation was obtained on FZ p-type polished silicon wafers, with the best results obtained with a SiOyNx film deposited at a very low temperature of 130 °C and with an optical refractive index of 1.8. In the SiOyNx/SiNx stack structure, a SiOyNx film with ~6 nm thickness is sufficient to provide excellent surface passivation with an effective surface recombination velocity Seff

Dead-ended anode (DEA) mode is commonly applied in fuel cell vehicles for the hydrogen purge at the anode side, to reduce fuel waste and enhance fuel cell efficiency. Anode purge is necessary and is definitely important with respect to removing liquid water and accumulated nitrogen in the gas diffusion layer and the flow field of the DEA-mode fuel cell. In this paper, the effect of different purge strategies on the stack performance and system efficiency is investigated experimentally using fast data acquisition and advanced tools, such as the fast cell voltage measurement (CVM) system and the mass spectrum. From the fast data acquisition, the voltage stability, liquid water and nitrogen concentration measurement in the anode exhaust are compared and analyzed under different purge strategy designs and using different purge valves. The results show that under the optimal purge strategy, the DEA fuel cell stack can achieve the desired stability and system efficiency based on the analysis of the cell voltage and purge volume. Moreover, the diameter of the purge valve has a great impact on the voltage stability because a diameter change will result in a different pressure drop and purge volume when the purge valve is open.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution arouses public health concerns over the world. Increasing epidemiologic evidence suggests that exposure to ambient airborne PM2.5 increases the risk of female infertility. However, relatively few studies have systematically explored the harmful effect of chronic PM2.5 exposure on ovarian function and the underlying mechanisms. In this study, female C57BL/6J mice are exposed to filtered air or urban airborne PM2.5 for 4 months through a whole-body exposure system. It is found that PM2.5 exposure significantly caused the alteration of estrus cycles, reproductivity, hormone levels, and ovarian reserve. The granulosa cell apoptosis via the mitochondria dependent pathway contributes to the follicle atresia. With RNA-sequencing technique, the differentially expressed genes induced by PM2.5 exposure are mainly enriched in ovarian steroidogenesis, reactive oxygen species and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Furthermore, it is found that increased PM2.5 profoundly exacerbated ovarian oxidative stress and inflammation in mice through the NF-κB/IL-6 signaling pathway. Notably, dietary polydatin (PD) supplement has protective effect in mice against PM2.5-induced ovarian dysfunction.These striking findings demonstrate that PM2.5 and/or air pollution is a critical factor for ovarian dysfunction through mitochondria-dependent and NF-κB/IL-6-mediated pathway, and PD may serve as a pharmaceutic candidate for air pollution-associated ovarian dysfunction.

MicroRNA-based therapies that target cardiomyocyte proliferation have great potential for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). In previous work, we showed that the miR-302/367 cluster regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation in the prenatal and postnatal heart. Here, we describe the development and application of an injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel for the local and sustained delivery of miR-302 mimics to the heart. We show that the miR-302 mimics released in vitro promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation over one week, and that a single injection of the hydrogel in the mouse heart led to local and sustained cardiomyocyte proliferation for two weeks. After MI, gel/miR-302 injection caused local clonal proliferation and increased cardiomyocyte numbers in the border zone of a Confetti mouse model. Gel/miR-302 further decreased cardiac end-diastolic (39%) and end-systolic (50%) volumes, and improved ejection fraction (32%) and fractional shortening (64%) four weeks after MI and injection, compared to controls. Our findings suggest that biomaterial-based miRNA delivery systems can lead to improved outcomes in cardiac regeneration.

This article reviews recent progress in the catalyst layer modeling of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Theoretical modeling is important to understand the basic chemical, and physical phenomena at the atomistic level in materials and relating these fundamentals to the properties and performance of the catalyst layer. Two fundamentally important theoretical methods have been chosen to represent atomistic models, namely density functional theory (DFT) and classical molecular dynamics. In addition, some reactive force field models are highlighted, and the mathematical framework is sufficiently described. The literature review includes important contributions that help to understand the oxygen reduction reaction including gas-phase reaction trends, and the solvation effects are also presented. Moreover, the electric field effect is discussed along with the recently established double reference method in the DFT framework. Using two atomistic simulations based on different axiomatic theories, the production of current density in the molecular junctions is considered with respect to voltage, elucidating applications to simple systems. The models of water transportation via polymer electrolyte membrane, as well as the catalyst and support oxidation are described. Epoxidized carbon support, oxidizable metal-oxide support and electron localization function analysis have provided insights for improving catalyst support material and enable characterization of the bonding between the catalyst and support. Conclusions and future outlook are outlined at the end. Thus the present work enlightens the future of the catalyst modeling towards more realistic models.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the major catechins found in green tea, was suggested to play a role as a chemopreventive agent in various human cancer models. In this study, we reported that EGCG has a profound antitumor effect on human tongue carcinoma cells by directly regulating glycolysis. EGCG dose-dependently inhibited anchorage-independent growth and short-term EGCG exposure substantially decreased EGF-induced EGF receptor (EGFR), Akt and ERK1/2 activation, as well as the downregulation of hexokinase 2 (HK2). Furthermore, inhibition of EGCG‑mediated HK2 expression was involved in Akt, but not in ERK1/2 signaling pathway suppression. Overexpression of constitutively activated Akt1 rescued inhibition of EGCG‑induced glycolysis. Moreover, EGCG inhibited HK2 expression on mitochondrial outer membrane and induced apoptosis. In summary, the results suggested that EGCG or a related analogue, may have a role in the management of human tongue carcinoma.

The combined pollution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals in electronic waste dismantling areas has received increasing concern in recent years. The distribution and partition of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209, a major constituent in the PBDE family) in a water–sediment system in the presence of Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+ at different concentrations were systematically investigated in this study, with the goal of revealing the adsorption behavior of BDE209 co-existent with heavy metals in sediment. The experimental results revealed that all the metals increased the sorption capacity of BDE209 of the sediment (p Cd2+ > Cu2+, and the concentration effects of Pb2+ and Cd2+ were obvious compared with Cu2+. A linear equation fitted well with the adsorption process, and the partition coefficient Kd increased with increasing concentrations of the heavy metals in the range of 0–10 mg L−1. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) played a vital role in BDE209 sorption. When co-existent with heavy metals, DOC, particularly larger-sized DOC molecules in liquid phase decreased significantly and tended to migrate to the sediment. This modification led to a significant increase in the capacity of BDE209 sorption by the sediment. In addition, heavy metals decreased the stability of the water–sediment system, and the stability of the system decreased gradually with the increase of heavy metal concentration, as a result of combination with DOC. These combined to increase the BDE209 sorption by the sediment.

Background The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a potential molecular target for cancer chemoprevention. Si–Wu–Tang (SWT), a popular traditional Chinese medicine for women's health, was reported with a novel activity of cancer prevention. Purpose The present study was aimed to identify the bioactive constituents in SWT responsible for the Nrf2 activating and cancer preventive activity and explore the pharmacological mechanisms. Methods Nine compounds detectable from various batches of SWT were ranked using in silico molecular docking based on their ability to interfere the forming of Nrf2-Keap1 complex. The predicted Nrf2 activating effect was validated using the antioxidant response element (ARE) luciferase reporter assay and quantitative RT-PCR analysis for select Nrf2 regulated genes Hmox1, Nqo1 and Slc7a11. The antimutagenic activity of the compounds were determined by the Ames test. The chemopreventive activity of these compounds were assessed on EGF-induced neoplastic transformation of JB6 P+ cells, an established non-cancerous murine epidermal model for studying tumor promotion and identifying cancer preventive agents. These compounds were further characterized using luciferase reporter assay on EGF-induced activation of AP-1, a known transcription factor mediating carcinogenesis. Results Three of the nine compounds predicted as Nrf2 activators by molecular docking, gallic acid (GA), Z-liguistilide (LIG), and senkyunolide A (SA), were confirmed with highest potency of increasing the Nrf2/ARE promoter activity and upregulating the expression of Hmox1, Nqo1 and Slc7a11. In addition, GA, LIG and SA exhibited an antimutagenic activity against the direct mutagen 2-nitrofluorene while no mutagenic effects were observed at the same time in Ames test. At nontoxic concentrations, GA, LIG, and SA inhibited EGF-induced neoplastic transformation of JB6 P+ cells. Combined treatment of GA, LIG and SA, in the same ratio as detected in SWT, showed enhanced effect against JB6 transformation compared with that of the single compound alone. GA, LIG and SA, alone or in combination, suppressed EGF-induced activation of AP-1. Conclusion We identified three bioactive constituents in SWT responsible for the Nrf2 activating and cancer preventive activity. This study provides evidence supporting novel molecular basis of SWT in cancer prevention.

The high cost of platinum-based catalysts has hampered the commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Hence, the electronic structure and oxygen reduction ability of [Ti(IV)Pc]2+, Ti(II)Pc titanyl-phthalocyanines, and their tailored peripheral and axial ligand complexes were theoretically investigated to determine non-precious cathode catalysts. Our results revealed that the peripherally substituted and unsubstituted Ti(II)Pc triplet complexes can spontaneously reduce peroxide. The singlet [Ti(IV)Pc]2+ parent complex has a 6.45 eV barrier. However, fluorine substitution at peripheral positions reduced the energy barrier up to 0.45 eV. In addition, chlorine substitution has shown spontaneous peroxide reduction as in the case of triplets. The high catalytic activity of Ti(II)Pc complexes and singlet chlorine substituted complex is attributed to the optimal charge transfer between dioxygen molecule and the novel catalyst complexes. As a result, Ti(II)Pcs and chlorine substituted singlet complexes are considered as potential substitutions for the noble Pt-based catalyst for the PEMFCs., Comment: 41 pages, 7 figures and 5 tables

A novel coordination compound sodium pyruvate C 3 H 3 O 3 Na(s) is synthesised by a liquid phase reaction. The compound has an obvious bioactivity and can be used as the biological carbon source and the chemical identification of primary and secondary alcohols. It can be also used to determinate transaminase. Elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography are used to characterise the composition and crystal structure of the compound. Single crystal X-ray analysis reveals that the compound is formed by one CH 3 COCOO − anion and one Na + cation. An obvious feature of the crystal structure is the formation of the five-membered chelate ring by the coordination of O1 of carboxylate and O3 of keto form with Na + cation, and it is good for the stability of the compound in structure. The lattice potential energy and ionic volume of the anion are obtained from crystallographic data. In accordance with Hess’ law, a reasonable thermochemical cycle is designed according to the practical synthesis reaction of the compound and the standard molar enthalpy of formation of the compound is calculated as an important physical quantity in chemical thermodynamics by use of an isoperibol solution-reaction calorimeter. Molar enthalpies of dissolution of the compound at various molalities are measured at T = 298.15 K in the double-distilled water. According to Pitzer’s electrolyte solution theory, molar enthalpy of dissolution of the title compound at infinite dilution is calculated to be Δ s H m ∞ = (19.81 ± 0.69) kJ · mol −1 . The values of relative apparent molar enthalpies ( Φ L ) and relative partial molar enthalpies of the solvent ( L ¯ 1 ) and the compound ( L ¯ 2 ) at different concentrations m /(mol · kg −1 ) are derived from the experimental values of the enthalpies of dissolution of the compound.

Polyfluorene derivative with amine side groups, namely, P1 was synthesized by the palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of 2,5-dibromoaniline with 2,7-bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)-9,9′-dioctylfluorene. Cross-linked polyazomethine P1-TPD (cross-linked polymer, P1/ terephthalic aldehyde) was obtained by the reaction of P1 with terephthalic aldehyde. Given that replacement of the phenylene ring by a thiophene ring can improve π-electron delocalization, we also synthesized P1-TPCD (cross-linked polymer, P1/ 2,5-thiophenedicarboxaldehyde) whose cross-linking bridge was a thiophene ring. The ultraviolet–visible spectra of P1-TPD showed that there was a little hypsochromic shift to its pristine polymer P1, however, the maximum emission wavelength was changed to the second peak in the photoluminescence spectra. Besides, the band gap energy ( Eg) of P1-TPD was a little narrower than that of P1. The maximum absorption wavelength and the maximum emission wavelength of P1-TPCD was almost the same with P1, but its Eg was narrower than P1 and P1-TPD. Most notably, azomethine-linked P1-TPD and P1-TPCD were fluorescent with measured fluorescent quantum yields of 22% and 44%.

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is widely used as an additive to enhance the alkaline texturing process of mono-crystalline silicon solar cells currently. However, due to its low boiling point and high volatilization, some negative effects are brought into large scale production especially in stability, cost and environment. In this paper, an IPA-free texturing process was studied by using other additive instead of IPA. The influences of concentration of KOH and additive on etching rate, surface morphology and weighted reflectance were investigated. It is found that the additive has an opposite effect on etching rate and pyramid size compared to KOH. The etching rate and average pyramid size decrease with the concentration of additive increased. The best weight reflectance of 10.8% and lowest average pyramid size of 1.1 um were obtained on mono-crystalline silicon surface by an optimized solution of 1.5 wt% KOH and 1.5 wt% additive at 80oC for 20 minutes. Finally, the effects of KOH and IPA-free additive on the texturing process were also discussed in detail.

Phosphorous diffusion is typically derived from three sources: phosphorus oxychloride (POCl 3 ), sprayable phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), and printable dopant phosphorous paste. Aside from being costly, these sources tend to be harmful and can facilitate bulk contamination. Ammonium Dihydrogen Phosphate (NH 4 H 2 PO 4 :ADP) can be used in the application of doping substrate for phosphorous diffusion, which is originally introduced in this paper. ADP doping, supported by the spin-on technique, has sufficient potential to mitigate the disadvantages of other phosphorous sources. The applicability and compatibility of ADP as a phosphorous doping source in the production of silicon solar cells were demonstrated in this paper. Sheet resistance mapping shows that ADP doping generated a uniform N + emitter. The ADP solution concentration and diffusion temperature influenced the phosphorous dopant profile and sheet resistance. The adjustment of the concentration and temperature enables the control of the phosphorous dopant profile and sheet resistance. Full aluminum back-surface field silicon solar cells with an ADP-diffused N + emitter were realized in this paper through screen-printed front and back contacts on 154.8 cm 2 , 180 μm thick, and 1.5–3 Ω cm p-type Cz–Si wafers. The highest confirmed efficiency of the investigated cells was 17.97% with an open circuit voltage of 628.40 mV, short circuit current density of 36.43 mA/cm 2 , and fill factor of 78.47%. The average efficiency (10 cells) was 17.70%, which also verified the uniformity of the ADP-diffused N + emitter. Selective emitter solar cells with the best efficiency of 18.41% were thus fabricated.

Pyramidal surface is commonly used as an antireflection structure. The weighted reflectance averaged by the AM 1.5 G spectrum is about 14%. In the photovoltaic field, lowering the surface reflectivity is an important approach to improve the conversion efficiency. Black silicon surface with low reflectivity is benefit of solar cells. But conversion efficiency of black silicon solar cell is still low due to the severe surface recombination. In this paper, shallower black silicon layer was formed on the pyramidal surface. For the sample etched 1 min, the weighted reflectance is only 13.20%, and the pyramidal one is 14.10%. The layer would not deteriorate the material. Lifetime of the substrates after high temperature phosphorous diffusion is 13.35 μs higher than the pyramidal one. The mean sheet resistance is nearly the same between the pyramidal surface and the etched pyramidal surface.

Currently, a conventional two‐step method has been used to generate black silicon (BS) surfaces on silicon substrates for solar cell manufacturing. However, the performances of the solar cell made with such surface generation method are poor, because of the high surface recombination caused by deep etching in the conventional surface generation method for BS. In this work, a modified wet chemical etching solution with additives was developed. A homogeneous BS layer with random porous structure was obtained from the modified solution in only one step at room temperature. The BS layer had low reflectivity and shallow etching depth. The additive in the etch solution performs the function of pH‐modulation. After 16‐min etching, the etching depth in the samples was approximately 200 nm, and the spectrum‐weighted‐reflectivity in the range from 300 nm to 1200 nm was below 5%. BS solar cells were fabricated in the production line. The decreased etching depth can improve the electrical performance of solar cells because of the decrease in surface recombination. An efficiency of 15.63% for the modified etching BS solar cells was achieved on a large area, p‐type single crystalline silicon substrate with a 624.32‐mV open circuit voltage and a 77.88% fill factor.

The effective minority carrier lifetime (τeff) depends upon the quality of surface passivation, which by means of the microwave photoconductance decays (μPCD) method. The effective minority carrier lifetime (τeff) cannot reveal the real bulk lifetime of minority carriers (τb) . We have applied iodine-ethanol (I-E) treatment to silicon surface at different molar concentrations and shown that the effective concentrations ranges was 0.08mol/L~0.16 mol/L, the maximum The effective minority carrier lifetime (τeff) of n-type monocrystalline and p-type monocrystalline was 973.71μs and 362.6μs, respectively. We also accurately evaluate the bulk lifetime of minority carriers by measured with different thickness of silicon substrate.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) aggravates hepatic fibrosis by inducing NADPH oxidase (NOX)-dependent oxidative stress. Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], which counter-regulates Ang II, has been evidenced to protect against hepatic fibrosis. The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, being activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), is identified as a novel mechanism of liver fibrosis. However, whether the NLRP3 inflammasome involves in regulation of Ang II-induced hepatic fibrosis remains unclear. This study investigates the different effects of the Ang II and Ang-(1-7) on collagen synthesis by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome/Smad pathway via redox balance modulation.In vivo, Ang-(1-7) improved bile duct ligation-induced hepatic fibrosis, reduced H2O2 content, protein levels of NOX4, and the NLRP3 inflammasome, whereas it increased glutathione (GSH) and nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant response element (ARE). In vitro, Ang II treatment elevated NOX4 protein expression and ROS production in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), whereas it inhibited GSH and Nrf2-ARE, resulting in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the mitochondria of HSCs. NLRP3 depletion inhibited Ang II-induced collagen synthesis. Furthermore, Ang II increased NLRP3 and pro-IL-1β levels by activating the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Treatment with antioxidants, NOX4 small interference RNA (siRNA), or Nrf2 activator inhibited Ang II-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and collagen synthesis. In contrast, the action of Ang-(1-7) opposed the effects of Ang II.Ang-(1-7) improved liver fibrosis by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by Ang II-mediated ROS via redox balance modulation. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 24, 795-812.

Pyramidal texture is one traditional method to realize antireflection for c-Si solar cells, due to its low cost and simplicity. As one high efficiency silicon solar cell, amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell has attracted much attention all over the world. The heterojunction interface with very low defects and interface states is critical to the SHJ solar cell performance. In order to obtain high quality interface passivation by depositing a very thin intrinsic amorphous silicon layer on the textured Si conformally, large size pyramidal texture with no metal ion contamination is required. In this work, we utilized tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) instead of NaOH in the alkaline etching to prepare pyramidal texture on N-type monocrystalline silicon to avoid the possible Na+ contamination. By optimizing the etching conditions, uniform large size pyramidal texture with pyramid size of about 10 μm was fabricated successfully. Furthermore, excellent antireflection performance was demonstrated on such textured Si surface. The average reflectance was lower than 10% in the visible and near infrared spectrum range. Such pyramidally textured Si wafers will be very suitable for SHJ solar cells.

Isopropyl alcohol(IPA) is widely used as additive to enhance surface structure and reduce the reflectivity of silicon wafers in alkaline texturing process of mono-crystalline silicon solar cells currently. However, due to its low boiling point and high volatilization, some negative effects are brought into large scale production especially in stability, cost and environment. In this paper, Dipropylene glycol(DPG) which has relative high boiling point was tried to substitute IPA as texturing solution additive. The influences of concentration of DPG and NaOH on etching rate, surface morphology and reflectance spectrum were investigated. It is obviously observed that the silicon is prevented from etching reaction by the existence of DPG. The best weight reflectance of 13.6% is obtained on mono-crystalline silicon surface by an optimized solution of 1 wt% NaOH and 1 wt% DPG at 80°C for 20 minutes. Finally, the influencing mechanism of DPG was also discussed in detail.

Light-induced plating (LIP), in which the current driving the metal reduction process is derived from illuminated solar cells, is an attractive technique for solar cell metallization because of its potential simplicity. However, applying the LIP techniques on standard acidic-textured multicrystalline silicon wafers with a silicon nitride-coated surface presents a challenge. The use of a spray-on carbon-doped non-stoichiometric silicon oxide [SiO x (C)] dielectric film before nickel and silver plating can greatly reduce background plating while helping decrease the reflectance on the front of silicon solar cells. The sprayed dielectric films have low refractive indices of 1.3–1.4, depending on the annealing temperature. Simulation studies show that the SiO x (C)/SiN x dual-layer anti-reflective coating has a lower weighted reflectance against an AM 1.5 G spectrum compared with the SiN x single coating. Finally, the performance of the laser-doped solar cells with a standard SiN x as an anti-reflectance coating were compared with those with the SiO x (C)/SiN x double-layer stack. An efficiency of 16.74% on a large, commercial-grade, p-type, multicrystalline silicon substrate was achieved.

Chemotherapy is undertaken perioperatively to improve the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for solid tumors. HIFU at a sufficient intensity for tissue ablation has recently been applied for drug delivery; ultrasonic cavitation plays an important part in HIFU and drug delivery. Hematoporphyrin and microbubbles are adjuncts because they aid cavitation. The effect of HIFU (1.0 MHz; 12,999 W/cm(2) in continuous waves), in the presence of hematoporphyrin and/or microbubbles, on the anticancer potency of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, paclitaxel, mitomycin C or adriamycin, was investigated. Insonated adriamycin resulted in a lower death rate of human cancer cells HO-8910 (45.85 ± 2.65% vs 34.84 ± 1.21%, p0.05), which was exacerbated when employing hematoporphyrin (34.84 ± 1.21% vs 23.09 ± 7.82%, p0.05) or hematoporphyrin combined with microbubbles (34.84 ± 1.21% vs. 8.79 ± 3.69%, p0.05); the therapeutic activity was not affected when adding microbubbles alone. High-performance liquid chromatography detected a smaller peak area after subjecting adriamycin to HIFU with the use of hematoporphyrin alone or combined with microbubbles. The other drugs were not affected. Hematoporphyrin, microbubbles and adriamycin increased the throughput of hydroxyl radicals resulting from cavitation as determined by iodine and methylene blue assays. These data suggested that the anticancer activity of a drug may be decreased by HIFU exposure (particularly in the presence of hematoporphyrin and microbubbles). Cavitation produced reactive species that attacked drug molecules, thereby decreasing their antitumor potency; this process was enhanced if the drug itself generated free radicals under insonation.

Ceria-based electrolytes have been widely researched in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which might be operated at 500~600 °C. Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95(GDC10) powders were prepared by a modified chemical co-precipitation process with Gd(NO3)3 and Ce(NO3)3 as precursors, and ammonia and hydrogen peroxide as precipitants. The precursors of GDC10 were fired at 350 °C for 2 h, then the fluorite structure cerias were identified by X-ray diffraction. The powders are well crystallized, with the size about 5 nm and surface area of 148.3 m2/g. Loading 1mol% cobalt oxide as additive, the GDC10 were succeeded to densify at 950 °C by liquid phase sintering mechanism. The grain size of 1CoGDC10 is small, about 100 nm. The electrical conductivity of samples sintered at 950 °C is about 0.01S/cm at 600 °C. The existence of cobalt oxide and smaller grain size of 1CoGDC10 don't affect the electrical conductivity.

Ceria-based electrolytes have been widely researched in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which might be operated at 500–600°C. Sintering behavior with lithium oxide as sintering additive and electrical conductivity of gadolinia doped ceria (Gd 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2-δ , GDC10) electrolyte was studied in this paper by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). As the results, the fully dense GDC10 electrolytes are obtained at a low temperature of 800°C with 2.5 mol% Li 2 O as sintering additive (called 5UGDC800). During sintering process, lithium oxides adsorbed by around GDC10 surface help to sinter at 800°C and are kept at the grain boundary of GDC10 in the end. The fine grains of 100–400 nm and high electrical conductivity of 0.014 S/cm at 600°C in 5LiGDC800 were achieved, which contributed to the lower sintering temperature and enhanced grain boundary conductivity, respectively. Lithium, staying at grain boundary, reduces the depletion of oxygen vacancies in the space charge layers and increases the oxygen vacancy concentration in the grain boundary, which leads to improve the total electrical conductivity of 5LiGDC800.