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After harvesting multiple costal cartilages, the local defect disrupts the integrity of the chest wall and may lead to obvious thoracic complications, such as local depression and asymmetry of the bilateral thoracic height. Decellularized materials have been used for tissue reconstruction in clinical surgeries. To apply xenogenic decellularized cartilage in costal cartilage defects, porcine-derived auricular and costal cartilage was tested for characterization, cytotoxicity, macrophage response, and tissue regeneration. Most of the DNA and α-Gal were effectively removed, and the collagen was well preserved after the decellularization process. The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content decreased significantly compared to that in untreated cartilage. The decellularized auricular cartilage had a larger pore size, more pores, and a higher degradation rate than the decellularized costal cartilage. No apparent nuclei or structural damage was observed in the extracellular matrix. The decellularized auricular cartilage had a higher cell proliferation rate and more prominent immunomodulatory effect than the other groups. Two types of decellularized cartilage, particularly decellularized auricular cartilage, promoted the tissue regeneration in the cartilage defect area, combined with noticeable cartilage morphology and increased chondrogenic gene expression. In our research, the functional components and structure of the extracellular matrix were well preserved after the decellularization process. The decellularized cartilage had better biocompatibility and suitable microenvironment for tissue regeneration in the defect area, suggesting its potential application in cartilage repair during the surgery. Statement of significance Autologous costal cartilage has been widely used in various surgeries, while the cartilage defects after the harvesting of multiple costal cartilages may cause localized chest wall deformities. Decellularized cartilage is an ideal material that could be produced in the factory and applied in surgeries. In this study, both decellularized costal cartilage and auricular cartilage preserved original structure, functional biocompatibility, immunosuppressive effects, and promoted tissue regeneration in the cartilage defect area.

In this work, we have developed a novel potential approach for large-scale preparation of self-lubricating thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites, based on melt processing of TPU with polyurea...

The synthesis and structural, electrochemical, spectroscopic, and magnetic characterizations of CrIII(HMC) catecholate and semiquinonate complexes are reported herein, where HMC is 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane. cis-[Cr(HMC)(Cat)]+ complexes (Cat = catecholate, [1]+; tetrachlorocatecholate, [2]+; and 3,5-di-tert-butylcatecholate, [3]+) were prepared from the reaction between appropriate catechol and [CrIII(HMC)Cl2]Cl reduced in situ by zinc. Chemical oxidation of [3]+ by FcPF6 resulted in cis-[Cr(HMC)(SQ)]2+ ([3]2+, SQ = 3,5-di-tert-butylsemiquinonate). Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed the cis-chelation of the Cat/SQ ligand around the Cr metal center and confirmed the Cat/SQ nature of the ligands. Reversible oxidations of Cat to SQ were observed in the cyclic voltammograms of [1]+-[3]+, while the CrIII center remains redox inactive. The absorption spectrum of the SQ complex [3]2+ exhibits an intense spin-forbidden transition in solution. Time-delayed phosphorescence spectra recorded at 77 K revealed that all catecholate complexes emit from the 2E state, while [2]+ also emits from the 2T1 state. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the Cat complexes exist as S = 3/2 systems, while the SQ complex behaves as an S = 1 system, resulting from strong antiferromagnetic coupling of the S = 3/2 Cr center with the S = 1/2 SQ radical. Density functional theory (DFT) shows the similarities between the SOMOs of [1]+ and [2]+ and differences in their LUMOs in the ground state.

Manganese(II) acetate was reacted with indane-1,2,3-trione-1,2-dioxime (H2L), producing three new MnIII complexes containing a MnIII3O unit. Complex 1 is a zero-dimensional (0D) trinuclear manganese(III) cluster. Complexes 2 and 3 show different two-dimensional (2D) structures with their trinuclear manganese(III) units bridged through Na(I) ions. A study of the magnetic properties manifests that antiferromagnetic coupling is clearly dominant in complexes 1 and 2. In contrast, complex 3 is a single-molecule magnet with dominant ferromagnetic couplings between its metal ions. The Na(I) ions adjust the topologies of these complexes, which thus tunes the magnetic-related parameters such as the Mn–O–N–Mn dihedral angle and finally leads to the achievement of single-molecule magnets.

A novel [DyIIINaI] complex, [DyNa(L)2(MeOH)]·MeOH (1, H2L = N,N′-bis(2-oxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine), and a zigzag 1D chain based on the [DyIIINaI2] subunit, [DyNa2(L)2(NO3)]n·MeOH (2), were obtained by employing a multidentate Schiff base ligand H2L reacting with Dy(NO3)3·5H2O, NaN3 and NMe4OH·5H2O in MeOH or reacting with Dy(NO3)3·5H2O and NaOH in methanol. Structural analyses revealed that the DyIII in 1 and 2 is sandwiched between two L2− ligands, namely, the DyIII ion was coordinated by four phenoxido O and four amine N atoms from two L2− ligands. SHAPE software calculations and structural analysis indicated that the coordination geometry of DyIII in 1 and 2 is a distorted square antiprism (D4d), but the distortion degree of DyIII in 1 was smaller than that in 2. Additionally, in 1, one NaI is located on one of the N2O2 planes, and the NaI is coordinated by three phenoxido O and three methoxy O atoms from two L2− ligands and one coordinated MeOH molecule. However, in 2, two NaI ions are located on each of the N2O2 planes, in which the coordination environment of each NaI is completed by three phenoxido O atoms, three methoxy O atoms and two O atoms from one NO3− ion. Moreover, the [DyIIINaI2] units are linked into a zigzag 1D chain by nitrate anions. ac magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed that both complexes 1 and 2 exhibit field-induced single ion magnet behavior under a 1000 Oe dc field, with values of the effective energy barrier (Ueff) of 65.33(1) K for 1 and 84.23(1) K for 2. Interestingly, the Ueff values of 1 and 2 are both higher than the corresponding value of 40.1 K for a reported complex with the coordination geometry of a bicapped triangular prism. The moderate SIM performance of 1 and 2 in the Dy(III)-based SIMs with a SAP coordination geometry could be ascribed to the compressed SAP coordination environment of DyIII ions, dipole–dipole interactions and the deviation of the anisotropic axes from the S8 axis.

The effects of cations stress of magnesium ion and sodium ion on the low-grade nickel sulfide ore oxidative leaching in simulated sulfuric acid solutions were investigated. This study was performed in two courses, including the effect of the cations on the valuable metals leaching efficiencies of the nickel ore and its influences on the electrochemical oxidation behavior of the nickel ore. The leaching results present that parts of magnesium-containing gangues and ferrous sulfide are preferentially dissolved into lixivium, and the leaching efficiencies of Ni and Cu decreased much related to the leached concentrations of Mg2+ increased. The results of electrochemical measurements show that the oxidation leaching of the low-grade nickel sulfide ore is controlled by the intermediates oxidative diffusion. Mg2+, as well as Na+, affects the transformations of the Fe3+/Fe2+ couple and sulfur-containing species, and those cations are apt to be attracted by the anions and directionally adhere to the negative active site of the metal sulfide surface, causing an increase in the electrochemical activities, which facilitates the electron transfer between the ore and leaching mediums. By comparative study of the role of Mg2+ and Na+, it is found that Mg2+ negatively affects the oxidative diffusion of the intermediates through promoting the generation of a compact film, which lowers the metals leached efficiencies, and the unfavorable effect of Na+ tends to be the coupled effect of the leached Mg2+ and Fe3+.

17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic hormone that derives from the natural hormone estradiol, has been reported to alter the sex determination, sexual maturity and secondary sexual characteristics of exposed organisms. However, the adverse effects of EE2 on the oocyte quality have not fully determined. Here, we found that EE2 exposure compromised the fertilization capacity of mouse oocytes, while treatment of melatonin remarkably elevated the fertilization rate. Specifically, we observed that EE2 exposure led to the abnormal distribution and premature exocytosis of ovastacin, leading to the reduced number of sperm binding to the EE2-exposed oocytes. In addition, we found that the abundance of Juno, the sperm receptor on the oocyte membrane, was also diminished, which might be another potential cause leading to the fertilization failure of EE2-exposed oocytes. Finally, we demonstrated that melatonin improved the fertilization ability of EE2-exposed oocytes through eliminating the excessive ROS and inhibiting apoptosis.

The lanthanide complexes [Cp*2Ln][N,N′-bpyB] (1: Ln = Dy; 3: Ln = Gd; Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) and [222-cryptand-K][(Cp*2Ln)(N,N′-bpyB)] (2: Ln = Dy; 4: Ln = Gd) bearing the redox-noninno...

Due to the intriguing chemical variability and structure-property flexibility, molecular materials with striking multifunctional characteristics, including tunable physical, chemical, optical, and electronic properties, have aroused wide attention. Recently, great advances have also been made in designing molecular ferroelastics with optoelectronic properties. However, the band gaps of the most typical ferroelastics are far in excess of 2.0 eV, which severely hinder their further applications. And this corresponds to the inherent incompatibility of ferroelastics. Herein we report an organometallic compound, ferrocenium tetrachloroferrate (

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has been widely used as a probiotic in the field of biological control,and its antibacterial compounds plays an important role in the prevention and control of plant, livestock and poultry diseases. It has the advantages of green, safe and efficiency. This study aims to separate and purify active ingredient from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GN59 and study its antibacterial activity. A novel compound was isolated from GN59 by column chromatography on silica gel and HPLC purification. The chemical structure was identified as α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 1′)-3′-amino-3′-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranoside (a,β-3-trehalosamine) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. This is the first report about a,β-3-trehalosamine isolated from biological resources on an antibiotic activity against pathogenic bacterium. The 3′-neotrehalosamine displayed antibacterial activity across a broad spectrum of microorganisms, including different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 mg/mL. The results indicated that the 3′-neotrehalosamine from GN59 might be a potential candidate for bactericide.

A pentanuclear heterometallic complex [MnIII4DyIII(HL)4{(py)2CO2}2Cl2](OH) (1, H3L = 2-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)propane-1,3-diol, (py)2C(OH)2 = the gem-diol form of 2,2′-dipyridyl ketone) and a one-dimensional (1D) chain [Mn2Dy(HL)2(hmp)2(CH3COO)2N3]n·H2O (2, Hhmp = 2-pyridinemethanol) were obtained by the assemblies of the H3L ligand and Dy(NO3)3·5H2O with MnCl2·4H2O and 2,2′-dipyridyl ketone or with manganese acetate and 2-pyridinemethanol under different alkaline solutions. In 1, four MnIII ions formed an irregular tetrahedron, in which four MnIII ions were linked with the central DyIII by eight O atoms from HL2− or from (py)2CO22− ligands. In 2, one DyIII and two MnIII formed a [Mn2Dy] unit, in which the metal ions were bridged by one N3− ion and by four O atoms of two HL2− and two hmp− ligands, and then these [Mn2Dy] units were further linked by the O atoms from HL2− ligands and formed a 1D zigzag chain. Magnetic studies indicated that both complexes exhibit slow relaxation behavior, with the effective energy barriers of 7.9 K and 9.6(0) K for 1 and 2, respectively, which might represent new members for the rarely polynuclear Mn–Dy single molecule magnets. The orientations of the easy magnetization axes of DyIII ions in 1 and 2 were estimated by the Magellan program, indicating that the easy axes of DyIII in 1 are nearly directed to C16 and C47 from (py)2CO22− ligands, while the axis in 2 is almost directed to O5 (from the acetate ligand).

In this work, we first synthesized a Zn-Dy complex, [Zn6Dy2(L)6(tea)2(CH3OH)2]·6CH3OH·8H2O (H2L = N-3-methoxysalicylidene-2-amino-3-hydroxypyridine, teaH3 = triethanolamine, 1), by employing H2L, anhydrous ZnCl2, and Dy(NO3)3·5H2O reacting with auxiliary ligand teaH3 in the mixture of CH3OH and DMF. When teaH3 and the solvent CH3OH in the reaction system of 1 were replaced by the auxiliary ligand 2,6-pyridinedimethanol (pdmH2) and the solvent MeCN, another Zn-Dy complex, [Zn4Dy4(L)6(pdm)2(pdmH)4]·10CH3CN·5H2O (2), was obtained. For 1, its crystal structure can be viewed as a dimer of two Zn3DyIII units. However, for 2, four DyIII form a zigzag arrangement, and each of its terminals linked two ZnII ions. Interestingly, although the structural topologies of 1 and 2 are different, the coordination geometries of DyIII in 1 and 2 are all triangular dodecahedron (TDD-8). The difference is that the continuous shape measure (CShM) values of DyIII in 1 are larger than the corresponding values in 2. Magnetic investigation revealed that the diluted sample 1@Y exhibits two magnetic relaxation processes, while 2 only exhibits a single relaxation process. Ab initio calculations indicated that, in the crystal lattice of 1, two complexes exhibiting slightly different CShM values of DyIII result in the double relaxation behavior of 1@Y. However, for 2, one of two DyIII fragments possesses a fast quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM), resulting in its magnetic process presented at T < 1.8 K, so 2 exhibits single relaxation behavior. More importantly, the theoretical calculations also clearly indicated that the weak ligation at equatorial sites of DyIII in 1 and 2 ensure 1@Y and 2 possess SMM behavior, although the coordination geometry of DyIII (TDD-8) in 1 and 2 severely deviates from the ideal polyhedron and its axial symmetry is low.

Because of the emergence of antibiotic resistance, we must investigate new antibiotical agents. The present study was designed to find new compounds with antibacterial activity from metabolites of Bacillus pumilus. We found that the concentrated fermentation broth of Bacillus pumilus has antibacterial property. By high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), three compounds with antibacterial activity were first isolated from the ethyl acetate layer of fermentation broth of Bacillus pumilus. And then their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. According to the data, the compound 1, compound 2, and compound 3 were determined to be 3,4-dipentylhexane-2,5-diol, 1,1'-(4,5-dibutylcyclohexane-1,2-diyl)bis(ethan-1-ol), and 1,1'-(4,5-dibutyl-3,6-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diyl)bis(ethan-1-one). And all of them exhibited potent inhibitory effects against a panel of pathogenic bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, Micrococcus luteus CMCC28001, Variant Salmonella gallinarum CVCC79207, Pasteurella multocida CVCC474, Swine Salmonella, Salmonella enterica ATCC13076, Swine Escherichia coli K88, Chicken Escherichia coli O78. Given its antibacterial activity, 3,4-dipentylhexane-2,5-diol, 1,1'-(4,5-dibutylcyclohexane-1,2-diyl)bis(ethan-1-ol), 1,1'-(4,5-dibutyl-3,6-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diyl)bis(ethan-1-one) are assumed to be promising agents for further development as antibacterial agents.

Polyoxovanadates (III) are important class of polyoxometalates in molecular magnetism field, and particularly the systems which contain vanadium(III) centers. To date, only very few highly reduced vanadium polynuclear complexes were reported, which remains a significant challenge to synthesize novel polyoxovanadates, owing to the characteristics of easily oxidized vanadium(III). Herein, two unprecedented petaloid chiral octanuclear polyoxovanadates, l- and d-[H2N(CH3)2]12.5(H3N(CH2)2NH3)(H3O)1.5(VIIIμ2-OH)8(SO4)16·2H2O (L-, D-V8), have been successfully obtained by solvothermal method without any chiral auxiliary. Both L- and D-V8 compounds contain the motif eight-membered ring (Vμ2-O)8(SO4)16 constituted of three different chiral entangled loops with the V atoms as nodes. Bond valence calculation (BVC) analysis indicates that all the V ions existed in L, D-V8 are +3 value. The magnetic behavior of compounds indicated ferromagnetic coupling between vanadium(III) ions. To our knowledge, it is the first chi...

A brand new europium(iii) β-diketonate complex undergoes a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation via [2+2] cycloaddition after UV irradiation, triggering strong Eu(iii) red emission turn-on, which is highly photostable even after 50 hours of irradiation. A photo-patterning process is successfully conducted for security printing application in materials science.

Four chair-like hexanuclear Fe-Ln complexes containing mixed organic ligands, namely, [Fe4Ln2{(py)2CO2}4(pdm)2(NO3)2(H2O)2Cl4]·xCH3CN·yH2O (Ln = GdIII (1, x = 1, y = 0), DyIII (2, x = 1, y = 1), HoIII (3, x = 0, y = 2), and ErIII (4, x = 1, y = 3); (py)2CO2H2 = the gem-diol form of di-2-pyridyl ketone and pdmH2 = 2,6-pyridinedimethanol) have been obtained by employing di-2-pyridyl ketone and 2,6-pyridinedimethanol reacting with FeCl3 and Ln(NO3)3 in MeCN. The structures of 1-4 are similar to each other except for the number of lattice solvent molecules. Four FeIII and two LnIII in these complexes comprise a chair-like core with the "body" constructed by four FeIII ions and the "end" constructed by two LnIII ions. Among the four compounds, 2 shows field-induced single molecule magnet behavior as revealed by ac magnetic susceptibility studies, with the effective energy barrier and the pre-exponential factor of 22.07 K and 8.44 × 10-7 s, respectively. Ab initio calculations indicated that, among 2_Dy, 3_Ho and 4_Er fragments, the energy gap between the lowest two spin-orbit states for 2_Dy is the largest, while the tunneling gap for 2 is the smallest. These might be the reasons for complex 2 exhibiting SMM behavior. Additionally, the orientations of the magnetic anisotropy of DyIII in 2 were obtained by electrostatic calculations and ab initio calculations, both indicating that the directions of the main magnetic axis of Dy1 ions are almost aligned along Dy1-O5 (O5 from the pdm2- ligand).

In this work, we report the syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties of three novel Zn–Ln mixed metal complexes, namely [Zn4Dy2(L1)2(L2)2(N3)2]Cl2·2H2O (1), [Zn4Tb2(L1)2(L2)2(Cl)2][ZnN3Cl3]·2H2O (2), and [Zn4Gd2(L1)2(L2)2(Cl)2][ZnN3Cl3]·2H2O (3), in which L12− and L23− were formed from the ligand L [L = N1,N3-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)diethylenetriamine] through in situ reactions. Interestingly, carbon dioxide in air was absorbed in the process of forming carbamate ligand L23−; this can be ascribed to the insertion of CO2 into M–N amide bonds. Moreover, 1 and 2 represent the first series of 3d–4f SMMs containing carbamate ligands by fixation of CO2 in air. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the crystal structures of 1 and 2 are anion-dependent, i.e., the apical positions of the two ZnII ions in 1 and 2 are occupied by an N atom of N3− and by Cl−, respectively. However, the topologies of 2 and 3 are similar. Two ZnII ions and one LnIII (Ln = Dy (1), Tb (2) and Gd (3)) form nearly linear trinuclear [Zn2Ln] units which are double-bridged by two L23− ligands. Magnetic studies reveal that two complexes show single molecule magnet behavior under a direct current (dc) field, with effective energy barriers (Ueff) of 30.66(5) K for 1 and 8.87(3) K for 2. Ab initio calculations reveal that the DyIII ions in 1 and the TbIII ions in 2 are axial in nature; however, a difference in the tunnel splitting of 1 and 2 leads to variation in the magnetization blockades of the two complexes. Theoretical calculations also indicate that the directions of the main magnetic axes severely deviate from the coordination atoms of the first spheres of DyIII and TbIII in 1 and 2; thus further results in poor SMM behavior of the two complexes.

To modulate the molecular symmetry of tetrahedral Dy4 complexes, in this paper, we reported two complexes based on a Dy4 or Dy2Fe2 tetrahedral unit, namely, [Dy4(NO3)(HL)4{(py)2C(OH)O}2](OH)·6CH3CN·0.5H2O (1, H3L = 2-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino) propane-1,3-diol, (py)2C(OH)2 = the gem-diol form of di-2-pyridyl ketone) and [Fe4Dy2(μ4-O)(HL)3{(py)2CO2}{(py)2C(OH)O}{(py)2C(OCH3)O}(L′)Cl3]Cl·6CH3CN·3.5H2O (2, H2L′ = 2-amino-1,3-propanediol). In 1, each of the four sides of the Dy4 tetrahedron was constructed from one O atom of one (py)2C(OH)O− ligand and one O atom of one HL12− ligand, one side was constructed from two O atoms of two (py)2C(OH)O− ligands, and the remaining side was not constructed from organic ligands. Consequently, NO3− in 1 adopts an unprecedented η4, η1, η1, μ4 coordination mode, in which one O atom (O17) linked with four DyIII and each of another two O atoms further coordinated with a DyIII ion. For 2, the tetrahedral unit was composed of two DyIII ions and two FeIII ions, and each of the two DyIII ions is further linked with an FeIII ion. Slow relaxation behavior was observed for both complexes, with an energy barrier of 8.73 K for 1 under a zero dc field and 13.80 K for 2 under a 1500 Oe dc field, respectively. The orientations of the magnetic anisotropy of DyIII in 1 and 2 were calculated by the Magellan program, indicating that the easy magnetization axes of the four DyIII ions in 1 were not directed to O17, while the axes in 2 are nearly parallel to each other.

In this paper, we present the synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties of three complexes with formulae [Cu3Ln2(L)2(teaH)2(N3)2Cl2]·xCH3CN (H2L = N1,N3-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)diethylenetriamine, teaH3 = triethanolamine; Ln = Ho, x = 3 for 1, Ln = Dy, x = 2 for 2 and Ln = Gd, x = 3 for 3), and the structural topologies of 1–3 are unprecedented. The structural analyses revealed that the metal ions in 1–3 formed a kite-like topology with Ln1, Ln2 and Cu1 located on the body, while Cu2 and Cu3 located on both wings. The dc data of 3 were fitted, which showed that the magnetic couplings are antiferromagnetic between CuII and between GdIII ions, while they are ferromagnetic between CuII and GdIII ions. AC magnetic susceptibility studies for 1 and 2 indicated that both complexes exhibit frequency dependent χ′′ signals at low temperature, but no χ′′ peaks were observed, which may be due to the deviation from ideal geometry for HoIII in 1 and DyIII in 2 and the presence of weak magnetic couplings between paramagnetic ions within the two complexes. For 3, the ac magnetic susceptibilities with zero dc fields show no frequency dependent χ′′ signals because of the isotropy of GdIII. The orientation of the easy magnetization axes of two DyIII in 2 was estimated using the Magellan program, indicating that the magnetic anisotropy axes for Dy1 and Dy2 are almost perpendicular with the angle of 86.630°.

To determine the effects of Se-chitosan on the growth performance and intestinal health of the loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus, 450 fish (initial mean weight: 5.0 ± 0.2 g) were randomly allocated to 15 PVC tanks and fed diets containing 0 (group C), 0.6 (group T1), 1.2 (group T2), 1.8 (group T3), or 2.4 (group T4) mg/kg Se-chitosan for 60 days. No statistically significant differences were found in growth parameters, including final average weight, specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG), and survival rate between the control and experimental groups. Acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lysozyme (LZM) activity levels were significantly affected (increasing to ~1389 U/mL, 96I U/L, and 744 U/mL, respectively) when >1.2 mg/kg Se-chitosan was added to the loach diet. The immunoglobulin M (IgM) content increased with increasing levels of Se-chitosan, and was significantly higher in the T4 group than in the control group. Following 16S rRNA sequencing, 296 operational taxonomic units were identified across the control and T3 groups. Alpha diversity analysis showed that species richness and diversity increased with increasing levels of Se-chitosan. Se-chitosan supplementation increased the abundance of Bactroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes, while decreasing the abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria. Thus, Se-chitosan supplementation might enhance the intestinal health of the loach, and it might therefore be useful as an immunostimulator in loach aquaculture.

Four tetranuclear 3d–4f complexes, namely [Fe2Ln2(L)2(teaH)2(Cl)2](NO3)2·4CH3CN (H2L = N1,N3-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)diethylenetriamine, teaH3 = triethanolamine, Ln = Dy for 1 and Ln = Gd for 1′) and [Co2Ln2(L)2(pdm)2(CH3COO)2(CH3OH)2](NO3)2·xCH3OH·yH2O (pdmH2 = 2,6-pyridinedimethanol, Ln = Dy, x = 5 and y = 2.5 for 2 and Ln = Gd, x = 6 and y = 1.5 for 2′), have been reported. Two FeIII and two DyIII in 1 formed a zigzag Fe1–Dy1–Dy1a–Fe1a arrangement with a Fe1–Dy1–Dy1a angle of 105.328(3)°. However, in contrast to 1, two CoIII and two DyIII ions in 2 formed a more linear Co1–Dy1–Dy1a–Co1a arrangement with a Co1–Dy1–Dy1a angle of 141.86(2)°. Additionally, two DyIII ions in 1 are eight-coordinated with a triangular dodecahedron geometry, while two DyIII ions in 2 adopt nine-coordination with a muffin geometry. Magnetic studies revealed slow magnetic relaxation behavior for 1, with an energy barrier Ea of 6.9 K. For 2, single molecule magnet behavior was presented under a zero dc field with an effective energy barrier Ueff of 64.0(9) K. Ab initio calculations for 1 and 2 indicate that compared to 2, complex 1 has a larger transversal magnetic moment of its ground Kramers doublets (KD) and a larger value of the tunnelling parameter (Δt) for the exchanged coupled ground state, which may result in poor single molecule magnet behavior for 1.

Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry has been used as metabolomics profiling tool to discover and identify the metabolites in metabolic diseases. Osteoporosis (OP) syndrome is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by bone mass reduction and changes in bone microstructure. Psoralea corylifolia Linn. seeds (PCS) have a therapeutic effect on osteoporosis, but their action mechanism and therapeutic target are still unclear. This study aims to explore the metabolic changes of the urine profile in glucocorticoid-induced OP model rats and the therapeutic effect of PCS. High-throughput metabolomics based on the liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and multivariate data analysis were used to analyze the urine metabolites. The results showed that has an obvious separation between model and control groups. OPLS-DA was used to further analyze and discover substances that contributed to the separation. 42 potential biomarkers and 12 related metabolic pathways were identified in combination with network databases. After the intervention of PCS, 24 biomarkers were significantly regulated, mainly with glycone, serine and threonine metabolism, glutathione metabolism and purine metabolism and other metabolic pathways are related and discovered. This study has proved that PCS has therapeutic effect against OP by regulating that metabolic pathways disturbed in the OP. It provided a basis for the research and future development of new drugs for OP treatment.

A novel DyIII-NaI one-dimensional chain, namely [DyIIINaI(L)(CH3CO2)2]n·2CH3CN (1, H2L = N1,N3‑bis(3‑methoxysalicylidene)diethylenetriamine), was synthesized by treating H2L, di-2-pyridyl ketone (dpk), and NaHCO3 with Dy(CH3CO2)2·6H2O in acetonitrile. Complex 1 was characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and magnetic properties. Structural analyses revealed that 1 consists of a neutral one-dimensional (1D) chain. In each [DyNa] unit, one DyIII and one NaI ions are bridged by two phenoxido O atoms from one L2− ligand and one carboxyl O atom from one CH3CO2−. Moreover, the [DyNa] units were further connected by two carboxyl O atoms from another CH3CO2−. The magnetic studies revealed that 1 exhibits the field-induced single molecule magnet behavior with an effective energy of 13.21 K. The orientation of the anisotropy axes for the DyIII in 1 was estimated by Magellan program, indicating that the directionality of the anisotropic axes is almost collinear to the Dy1-O8 bond, with an angle of 3.085°.

Myostatin (MSTN) is primarily expressed in skeletal muscle and plays an important role in the regulation of muscle growth and development as well as fat deposition; however, little is known about the molecular mechanism through which MSTN regulates body fat deposition. Therefore, in this study, we sought to identify the signaling pathways through which MSTN regulates fat accumulation in pigs. MSTN knockout (MSTN-/-) pigs showed increased muscle mass, decreased fat mass, and a leaner body composition. In this study, we found that the adipose tissue of MSTN-/- pigs exhibits the characteristics of beige adipose tissue, and the mRNA expression levels of beige adipose marker genes, including UCP3, Cidea, and CD137, were significantly increased. Remarkably, the observed beige phenotype was not adipocyte autonomous but rather caused by muscle-secreted myokine interleukin (IL)-6. This occurrence results in increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in adipose tissue, which subsequently activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α and the conversion of white adipocytes to beige in pigs. Therefore, we concluded that MSTN deficiency leads to increased IL-6 secretion in skeletal muscle and activates AMPK in adipocytes, thereby increasing the beige adipose tissue in MSTN-/- pigs.

Excessive pesticide residues are a serious problem faced by food regulatory authorities, suppliers, and consumers. To assist with this challenge, this work aimed to develop a method of detecting and classifying pesticide residue on fruit samples using an electronic nose, through the application of three different data-recognition algorithms. The apple samples carried various concentrations of two known pesticides, namely cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. Data collection was performed using a PEN3 electronic nose equipped with 10 metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors. In order to classify and analyze these pesticide residues on the apple samples, principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and support vector machine (SVM) results were combined with sensor output responses to realize MOS sensor array data visualization. The results indicated that all three data-recognition algorithms accurately identified the pesticide residues in the apple samples, with the PCA algorithm exhibiting the best classification and discrimination ability. Consequently, this work has shown that the MOS electronic nose, in combination with data-recognition algorithms, can provide support for the rapid and non-destructive identification of pesticide residues in fruits and can provide an effective tool for the detection of pesticide residues in agricultural products.

Triplet diradicals have attracted tremendous attention due to their promising application in organic spintronics, organic magnets and spin filters. However, very few examples of triplet diradicals with singlet–triplet energy gaps (ΔEST) over 0.59 kcal mol−1 (298 K) have been reported to date. In this work, we first proved that the dianion of 2,7-di-tert-butyl-pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone (2,7-tBu2-PTO) was a triplet ground state diradical in the magnesium complex 1 with a singlet–triplet energy gap ΔEST = 0.94 kcal mol−1 (473 K). This is a rare example of stable diradicals with singlet–triplet energy gaps exceeding the thermal energy at room temperature (298 K). Moreover, the iron analog 2 containing the 2,7-tBu2-PTO diradical dianion was isolated, which was the first single-molecule magnet bridged by a diradical dianion. When 2 was doubly reduced to the dianion salt 2K2, single-molecule magnetism was switched off, highlighting the importance of diradicals in single-molecule magnetism., We report a triplet diradical dianion in magnesium complex with ΔEST = 0.94 kcal mol−1 (473 K). Its iron analog is the first single-molecule magnet bridged by a diradical dianion, and the SMM property is switched off through two-electron reduction.

Panax ginseng, a functional food, has been widely used as an edible nourishment and medicinal supplement. Ginsenoside Rb1 is a major bioactive ingredient of ginseng, which shows very specific anti-apoptosis and anti-oxidant activities. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is one of intermediate products of glucose metabolism, which is absorbed easily from high sugar foods or carbonated beverages. It may involve in a variety of detrimental processes in vivo. However, it has not been fully explored the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on MGO-induced oocytes damage. This study found that MGO-induced DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction result in the failure of porcine oocytes maturation and low in vitro development capacity of parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. Conversely, Rb1 supplementation recovered the rate of maturation, and improved in vitro development capacity of PA and IVF embryos. Rb1 also provided porcine oocytes a lower level of reactive oxygen species production, higher level of ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential, and stimulated pluripotency gene expression in blastocysts. The findings of this study reveal ginsenoside Rb1 protects porcine oocyte from the cytotoxicity effects of methylglyoxal and provides novel perspectives for the protection of reproduction system by functional food of ginseng.

Five β-diketone based Dy(iii) single-ion magnets (SIMs), [DyIII(TTA)3(AIP)]·0.5CH3CH2OH·0.5H2O (1), [DyIII(TTA)3(APIP)]·2CH3OH·H2O (2), [DyIII(TTA)3(DPP)] (3), [DyIII(TTA)3(BPP)]·0.5CH3CH2OH (4) and [DyIII(TTA)3(AIP)]·1.5H2O (5), were fully synthesized through alteration of their phenanthroline derivates (AIP = 2-(anthracen-9-yl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, APIP = 2-(4-(anthracen-9-yl)phenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, DPP = 2,3-diphenylpyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline and BPP = 2,3-bis(2,5-dimethylthiophen-3-yl)pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline). Magnetic investigations reveal that all the complexes perform as SIMs, with notably different effective barriers of 69.4 K (1), 147.3 K (2), 122.1 K (3) and 234.2 K (4) in zero direct current (dc) field. Complexes of 2 and 4 possess almost twofold higher effective barriers compared to 1 and 3. By analyzing the crystal structures, the distinct magnetic dynamics was found to stem from the variation in intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions and charge delocalization of auxiliary ligands. With the help of ab initio calculations, a change of auxiliary ligand brings about varying intensities of quantum tunnelling magnetization (QTM), which account for the distinguishable magnetic dynamics. With a combination of experimental and theoretical analyses, this work provides a visual and instructive perspective to the understanding of fine tuning auxiliary ligands to design structurally modulated SIMs of mononuclear β-diketone dysprosium(iii) complexes.

The recent GGTA1 and CMAH DKO pigs have made it possible to resolve the immune barriers which are duo to xenoantigens on RBC such as αGal and Neu5Gc. Nevertheless, it still requires the detection of glycosylation alternation on the pig RBCs because even the minor changes would be unexpected xenoantigens.DKO RBC immune reactivity with human serum was assessed by hemagglutination assay. Glycosylation alteration of RBC membranes was characterized by NanoLC-Q-TOF-MS system and lectin blotting assay.Twelve GGTA1/CMAH DKO piglets were successfully produced. The immunoreactivity with human serum was remarkably reduced in DKO (less than 1:2 dilution), whereas wild type(WT) pigs showed agglutination (the least 1:256 dilution). The MS results showed that DKO increased neutral N-glycans as well as decreased total sialylated N-glycans, especially suggesting significant decrease of di-sialylated N-glycans (P < 0.05). Moreover, lectin blotting assay revealed that DKO pigs reduced the binding signals with AAL, AOL, LCA and SNA and increased the binding signal with MAL.DKO pigs decreased the expression of total fucosylation and sialylated N-glycans on the erythrocyte membrane. Our findings will support further investigation into DKO pig RBC glycosylation and contribute to uncover the roles of glycan changes for xenotransfusion.Summary statementTo detect glycosylation changes in red blood cells(RBC) of GGTA1/CMAH double knockout(DKO) pigs, comparative analysis of the glycan profiling was done.

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a pollutant and carcinogen derived from air pollution. It causes serious damage to reproductive system, especially ovary. Ginseng is always used in food and traditional medicine as a nutraceuticals or herbal medicine. Ginsenoside compound K (CK) is a major bioactive ingredient of ginseng, that shows very specific anti-apoptosis, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities and thus, it protects cells from damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CK on the BaP-induced inhibition of the in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes and their subsequent embryonic development capacity. We found that supplementation with 10 μg mL−1 CK during in vitro maturation significantly increased maturation rate (P

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fulvic acid (0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2%) as feed additive on growth, feed utilization, antioxidant ability, and HSP70 in hemolymph and hepatopancreas of juvenile white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (average weight 2.5 g) reared under experiment conditions. Shrimp were stocked at a density of 625 shrimps m−3 for 60 days in net cages submerged in recirculating tanks. At the end of the experiment, specific growth rates and survival rates of shrimp in treatment groups fed with 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2% fulvic acid were higher compared to that of the control group. Shrimp fed 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2% fulvic acid had significantly lower feed conversion rates than those fed control diet. The optimum dietary fulvic acid requirement for juvenile shrimp based on weight gain was 0.897%. Furthermore, superoxide dismutase activity and peroxidase activity increased significantly, while malonaldehyde content decreased in the hemolymph and hepatopancreas of shrimp fed 0.9 and 1.2% dietary fulvic acid. Glutathione content increased obviously in hemolymph of shrimp fed 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2% fulvic acid. In hepatopancreas, glutathione content was significantly higher in shrimp supplemented with 1.2% fulvic acid. HSP70 decreased obviously in hemolymph of shrimp fed 0.9 and 1.2% fulvic acid, while shrimp fed with 0.6 and 0.9% fulvic acid showed lower HSP70 level in hepatopancreas. The results of this study demonstrated that dietary fulvic acid could improve survival rates, growth, feed utilization, antioxidant capability, and stress resistance of juvenile L. vannamei reared under intensive stocking conditions.

Fermentation has attracted increasing attention in pig industry, because of low costs and numerous benefits on pig growth and health as well as environmental improvement, although the mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, fermented corn-soybean meal significantly improved average daily gain and gain:food ratio (P < 0.05). Fermented feed (FF) significantly increased insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) transcription in liver (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, fermented meal significantly enhanced the binding of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) to IGF1 promoter and C/EBPβ expression in liver (both P < 0.05). FF tended to increase IGF1 proteins in liver and serum too (both 0.05 < P < 0.10). Meanwhile, FF slightly but significantly increased hepatic and circulating triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, as well as serum ratio of high-density to low-density cholesterol (all P < 0.05). Our data indicated that FF could significantly augment the binding of C/EBPβ to IGF1 promoter and promote hepatic IGF1 expression and production, thus boost pig growth.

We have synthesized a series of transition metal compounds [M(L)2(H2O)2] (M = Co (1), Ni (2), and Cu (3)) by using the 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole Schiff-base ligand via the hydrothermal methods. They are all mononuclear compounds with the octahedral geometry. Direct-current magnetic and HF-EPR measurements were combined to reveal the negative D values (–28.78 cm−1, –10.79 cm−1) of complexes 1 and 2, showing the easy-axis magnetic anisotropies of compounds 1 and 2. Applying a dc field of 800 Oe at 2.0 K, the slow magnetic relaxation effects were observed in compound 1, which is a remarkable feature of single-ion magnets.

Despite wide potential applications of Gd-clusters in magnetocaloric effect (MCE) owing to f7 electron configuration of Gd(III), the structural improvement in order to enhance MCE remains difficult. A new approach of the situ hydrolysis of acetonitrile is reported, and the slow release of small ligand CH3COO– is realized in the design and synthesis of high-nuclearity lanthanide clusters. A large lanthanide-exclusive cluster complex, [Gd60(CO3)8(CH3COO)12(μ2-OH)24(μ3-OH)96(H2O)56](NO3)15Br12(dmp)5·30CH3OH·20Hdmp (1-Gd60), was isolated under solvothermal conditions. To the best our knowledge, cluster 1 possesses the high metal/ligand ratio (magnetic density) and the largest magnetic entropy change (−ΔSmmax = 48.0 J kg–1 K–1 at 2 K for ΔH = 7 T) among previously reported high-nuclearity lanthanide clusters.

DyIII(depma)3(NO3)3 (1) and DyIII(depma)4(NO3)2(CF3SO3) (2) differ structurally by the number of depma ligands and the supramolecular interactions (π-π and C-Hπ, respectively) between anthracene moieties. They exhibit single-ion-magnetism which is coupled to photo- and mechanochromism that are partially reversible by thermal annealing. The changes are associated with the formation and destruction of excimers.

C18H20ON4F12P2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 9.393(8) Å, b = 10.894(10) Å, c = 13.716(12) Å, α = 107.741(14)°, β = 100.379(15)°, γ = 92.869(14)°, V = 1306.7(19) Å3, Z = 2, R gt(F) = 0.0916, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1970, T = 296(2) K.

C24H27N5F12P2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 12.395(4) Å, b = 16.630(6) Å, c = 26.899(10) Å, β = 90.395(7)°, V = 5545(4) Å3, Z = 8, R gt(F) = 0.0650, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1651, T = 113(2) K.

Exploring the micro structure is of great benefit to the manufacture and application of polymers. Small angle X-ray scattering computed tomography (SAXS-CT), a novel method with ability of nondestructive spatial-resolved, is used to characterize injection molded Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). The three-dimensional distribution of long period, lamella thickness, amorphous layer thickness and orientation in PBAT made by injection molding have been successfully extracted using the reconstructed voxel scattering. According to the uncovered structure, the bulk PBAT can be clearly divided into three parts as skin, interlayer and core. The lamella thickness shares a distribution in “U" shape while long period, amorphous layer thickness and orientation share a “Swing” shape. More interestingly, a vortex ring inside the PBAT caused by the secondary flow during packing stage in injection molding can be observed via the reconstructed orientation distribution. Here, the internal microstructure and morphology revealed by SAXS-CT can shed a light on the relationship between processing and structure of PBAT.

The tribological properties of monomer casting nylon-6 (MC PA6) play an important role in ensuring energy consumption, component integrity and reliability in construction machinery. In this work, MC PA6 coatings containing different amount of lube base oil-loaded poly(urea-formaldehyde) microcapsules are prepared, and the tribological properties of the composite coatings are investigated. Compared with the pure coating, the friction coefficient and specific wear rate of the composite coating containing 20 wt% of oil-loaded microcapsules are 0.16 and 0.47 × 10−5 mm3/Nm, which correspond to decreases of 56.7% and 91.8% respectively. Moreover, by introducing the oil-loaded microcapsules, the heat produced during friction is greatly reduced and the friction temperature of all composite coatings (~40–50 °C) decreases more than 40 °C, as compared with that of pure coating (93.7 °C). Self-lubricating mechanism is investigated through microscopy and EDS analysis, which indicate that the improvement of tribological properties is attributed to the formation of uniform, continuous and thin lubricating film on the worn surface. This study would provide significant guidance for the design and preparation of MC PA6 composite coatings with high self-lubricating properties.

Long term thermal stability and temperature induced ageing mechanisms of different solar absorber coatings are investigated in this study. These coatings are chromium, chromium nitride and chromium oxynitride based coatings on aluminium substrate. The coatings were annealed at 278 °C for 600 h during the first round test. The second round test was performed at 308 °C for 342 h. An additional test at 400 °C for 200 h is designed for the sake of obtaining more degradation information. Thermal stability, microstructure, composition distribution, element diffusion and oxidation were studied using UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometer, FTIR spectrometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) respectively. The result shows that the main ageing mechanism is diffusion and oxidation of Cr, Al, N and O. And the microstructure defects, such as enlarged grain boundaries, micro cracks and holes, act as a facilitating role during the ageing process because they provide fast diffusion paths for short-circuit diffusion.

SummaryWe examined the in vitro developmental competence of parthenogenetic activation (PA) oocytes activated by an electric pulse (EP) and treated with various concentrations of AZD5438 for 4 h. Treatment with 10 µM AZD5438 for 4 h significantly improved the blastocyst formation rate of PA oocytes in comparison with 0, 20, or 50 µM AZD5438 treatment (46.4% vs. 34.5%, 32.3%, and 24.0%, respectively; P < 0.05). The blastocyst formation rate was higher in the group treated with AZD5438 for 4 h than in the groups treated with AZD5438 for 2 or 6 h (42.8% vs. 38.6% and 37.2%, respectively; P > 0.05). Furthermore, 66.67% of blastocysts derived from these AZD5438-treated PA oocytes had a diploid karyotype. The blastocyst formation rate of PA and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos was similar between oocytes activated by an EP and treated with 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine for 4 h and those activated by an EP and treated with 10 µM AZD5438 for 4 h (11.11% vs. 13.40%, P > 0.05). In addition, the level of maturation-promoting factor (MPF) was significantly decreased in oocytes activated by an EP and treated with 10 µM AZD5438 for 4 h. Finally, the mRNA expression levels of apoptosis-related genes (Bax and Bcl-2) and pluripotency-related genes (Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2) were checked by RT-PCR; however, there were no differences between the AZD5438-treated and non-treated control groups. Our results demonstrate that porcine oocyte activation via an EP in combination with AZD5438 treatment can lead to a high blastocyst formation rate in PA and SCNT experiments.

C27H24N3OF6P, monoclinic, Cc (no. 9), a = 18.0589(18) Å, b = 12.5100(9) Å, c = 13.3659(12) Å, β = 124.522(7)°, V = 2487.9(4) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0437, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1141, T = 113(2) K.

Reaction of the diazafluorenylidene-substituted phosphaalkene 1 with [Cp*2Ln][BPh4] (Ln = Dy, Tb, and Gd), followed by subsequent reduction with KC8, afforded complexes Cp*2Dy(N,N′-1) (2), Cp*2Tb(N...

ObjectiveDietary fibre has beneficial effects on energy metabolism, and the majority of studies have focused on short-chain fatty acids produced by gut microbiota. Ginseng has been reported to aid in body weight management, however, its mechanism of action is not yet clear. In this study, we focused on the potential modulating effect of ginseng on gut microbiota, aiming to identify specific strains and their metabolites, especially long-chain fatty acids (LCFA), which mediate the anti-obesity effects of ginseng.DesignDb/db mice were gavaged with ginseng extract (GE) and the effects of GE on gut microbiota were evaluated using 16S rDNA-based high throughput sequencing. To confirm the candidate fatty acids, untargeted metabolomics analyses of the serum and medium samples were performed.ResultsWe demonstrated that GE can induce Enterococcus faecalis, which can produce an unsaturated LCFA, myristoleic acid (MA). Our results indicate that E. faecalis and its metabolite MA can reduce adiposity by brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation and beige fat formation. In addition, the gene of E. faecalis encoding Acyl-CoA thioesterases (ACOTs) exhibited the biosynthetic potential to synthesise MA, as knockdown (KD) of the ACOT gene by CRISPR-dCas9 significantly reduced MA production. Furthermore, exogenous treatment with KD E. faecalis could not reproduce the beneficial effects of wild type E. faecalis, which work by augmenting the circulating MA levels.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that the gut microbiota-LCFA-BAT axis plays an important role in host metabolism, which may provide a strategic advantage for the next generation of anti-obesity drug development.

Baicalin, a traditional Chinese medicinal monomer whose chemical structure is known, can be used to treat female infertility. However, the effect of baicalin on embryonic development is unknown. This study investigated the effects of baicalin on in vitro development of parthenogenetically activated (PA) and in vitro fertilized (IVF) pig embryos and the underlying mechanisms involved. Treatment with 0.1 μg/ml baicalin significantly improved (P