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Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are soaring due to the continued use of fossil fuels in energy production, an anthropogenic activity that is playing a leading role in global warming. Thus, research aimed at the capture and conversion of CO2 into value-added products, such as cyclic carbonates, is booming. While CO2 is an abundant, cheap, non-toxic, and readily accessible C1 feedstock, its thermodynamic stability necessitates the development of highly efficient catalysts that are able to promote chemical reactions under mild conditions. In this work, a novel mesoporous poly(ionic liquid) with dual active sites was synthesized through a facile method that involves co-polymerization, post-synthetic metalation, and supercritical CO2 drying. Due to a high density of nucleophilic and electrophilic sites, the as-prepared poly(ionic liquid), denoted as P2D-4BrBQA-Zn, offers excellent performance in a CO2 cycloaddition reaction using epichlorohydrin as the substrate (98.9% conversion and 96.9% selectivity). Moreover the reaction is carried out under mild, solvent-free, and additive-free conditions. Notably, P2D-4BrBQA-Zn also efficiently promotes the conversion of various other epoxide substrates into cyclic carbonates. Overall, the catalyst is found to have excellent substrate compatibility, stability, and recyclability.

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene/toluene diisocyanate (HTPB/TDI) system is widely used in composite solid propellants. The migrations of plasticizers and water molecules from solid propellants and surrounding environment to the inhibitor have always been the important issues. This study focuses on the preparation, characterization and anti-migration behavior of graphene oxide (GO)/HTPB nanocomposite liner. The GO/HTPB (GH) composite liners affect the migration of small molecules through a tighter cross-linked structure and weakening function of small molecule adsorption. The anti-migration performance of the liner at different temperatures was analyzed, and the influence of the added amount of GO on the anti-migration performance and adhesion performance was also systematically studied. The overall performance of the liner is optimized when the amount of GO filler is 0.3 wt%. After adding 0.3 wt% GO, the concentration of dioctyl sebacate (DOS) migrated into the liner is decreased by 23.28%, and the concentration of water molecules is decreased by 51.89%, indicating that the introduction of GO can significantly improve the anti-migration performance of the liner. In addition, the bond strength is greatly increased from 0.25 MPa to 0.95 MPa, which meets the application requirements of the current propellant system. This research provides an important way for the preparation of structure-function synergistic anti-migration composite liners.

In this study, biochar (BC) derived from pomelo was prepared via a high-temperature calcination method to modify the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to synthesize the BC/g-C3N4 composite for the degradation of the tetracycline (TC) antibiotic under visible light irradiation. The experimental results exhibit that the optimal feeding weight ratio of biochar/urea is 0.03:1 in BC/g-C3N4 composite could show the best photocatalytic activity with the degradation rate of tetracycline is 83% in 100 min irradiation. The improvement of photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the following two points: (i) the strong bonding with π-π stacking between BC and g-C3N4 make the photogenerated electrons of light-excited g-C3N4 transfer to BC, quickly and improve the separation efficiency of carriers; (ii) the introduction of BC reduces the distance for photogenerated electrons to migrate to the surface and increases the specific surface area for providing more active sites. This study provides a sustainable, economical and promising method for the synthesis of photocatalytic materials their application to wastewater treatment.

Objective. The study focused on the separation effects of ultrasound blood flow signal detection, based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm, and the clinical efficacy of Compound Danshen injection and magnesium sulfate in the treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) syndrome. Methods. The empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm was optimized first and compared with other algorithms for the accuracy and stability in separation of blood flow signals. 80 patients with PIH syndrome undergoing ultrasound examination were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into control group and observation group according to the actual treatment methods. 40 cases in the observation group were treated with Compound Danshen injection + magnesium sulfate, and 40 cases in the control group were treated with magnesium sulfate. After the treatment, the clinical indicators of the two groups of patients were analyzed. Results. The accuracy and stability in separating blood flow signal of the optimized EMD algorithm were better than those of other algorithms. After treatment, the total effective rate and blood pressure control of the observation group were significantly better than those of the control group, and the incidence of adverse maternal and infant outcomes was significantly lower than that of the control group. After treatment, the endothelin-1 (ET-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine (Hcy) indexes of the two groups of patients decreased significantly, and the decrease level of the observation group was significantly greater than that of the control group ( P P

Three imidazole-modified Ag-polyoxovanadates frameworks (APFs) with a controllable molar ratio of Ag+ to polyoxovanadates (POVs) [Ag(IM)2]2V4O12∙2Ag(IM)2 (APF-1), [Ag2(1-eIM)4]2[Ag(1-eIM)2]3∙2Ag(1-eIM)2∙3(1-HeIM)[V10O28]2 (APF-2) and [Ag(1-pIM)2]3[HV10O28]∙2Ag(1-pIM)2∙2H2O (APF-3) (IM = imidazole; 1-eIM = 1-ethylimidazole and 1-pIM = 1-propylimidazole) have been successfully achieved by self-assembly of POVs, Ag+ cations, and three different imidazole derivatives. Interestingly, the molar ratios of Ag+ to POVs vary from 4:1, 4.5:1 to 5:1 by changing the vanadium resources and imidazole derivatives. Notably, the coordination environment of Ag+ cations and the structure of POVs in the APFs are also different. Specifically, for APF-1, the four Ag atoms adopt three-coordinated and four-coordinated geometries, respectively, and Ag-imidazole complexes and [V4O12]4− cluster form the one-dimensional polymeric chains. While Ag atoms in APF-2 and APF-3 exhibit two-, four- and five-coordinated geometries for APF-2, four-, five- and six-coordinated geometries for APF-3, respectively. These Ag+ cations and decavanadate clusters are assembled into the 2D supramolecular structure through the Ag-O bonds and Ag…Ag argentophilic interaction. Remarkably, thus-obtained APF-2 can serve as powerful efficient heterogeneous catalyst for construction of C-N bond and detoxification of simulant sulfur mustard (yields up to 99%), which enable successful recycling for three cycles with remained catalytic activities and structure stability.

Precise diagnostic approaches have great potential in cancer intervention and prognosis. Although diverse DNA nanoprobes have been reported for tumor diagnosis, precise tumor imaging in vivo still ...

The performance of lignin depolymerization is basically determined by the interunit C–O and C–C bonds. Numerous C–O bond cleavage strategies have been developed, while the cleavage of C–C bond between the primary aromatic units remains a challenging task due to the high dissociation energy of C–C bond. Herein, a multifunctional RuRe alloy catalyst was designed, which exhibited exceptional catalytic activity for the cleavage of both C–O and C–C linkages in a broad range of lignin model compounds (β-1, α-5, 5-5, β-O-4, 4-O-5) and two stubborn lignins (kraft lignin and alkaline lignin), affording 97.5% overall yield of monocyclic compounds from model compounds and up to 129% of the maximum theoretical yield of monocyclic products based on C–O bonds cleavage from realistic lignin. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) characterization showed that RuRe (1:1) alloy particles with hexagonal close-packed structure were homogeneously dispersed on the support. Quasi-in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicate that Ru species were predominantly metallic state, whereas Re species were partially oxidized; meanwhile, there was a strong interaction between Ru and Re, where the electron transfer from Re to Ru was occurred, resulting in great improvement on the capability of C–O and C–C bonds cleavage in lignin conversion.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), as a key platform compound for the conversion of biomass to various biomass-derived chemicals and biofuels, has been attracted extensive attention. In this research, using Pickering high internal phase emulsions (Pickering HIPEs) as template and functional metal-organic frameworks (UiO-66-SO3H and UiO-66-NH2)/Tween 85 as co-stabilizers to synthesis the dual acid-base bifunctional macroporous polymer catalyst by one-pot process, which has excellent catalytic activity in the cascade reaction of converting cellulose to 5-HMF. The effects of the emulsion parameters including the amount of surfactant (ranging from 0.5 %(mass) to 2.0 %(mass)), the internal phase volume fraction (ranging from 75% to 90%) and the acid/base Pickering particles mass ratio (ranging from 0:6 to 6:0) on the morphology and catalytic performance of solid catalyst were systematically researched. The results of catalytic experiments suggested that the connected large pore size of catalyst can effectively improve the cellulose conversion, and the synergistic effect of acid and base active sites can effectively improve the 5-HMF yield. The highest 5-HMF yield, about 40.5%, can be obtained by using polymer/MOFs composite as catalyst (Poly-P12, the pore size of (53.3 ± 11.3)μm, the acid density of 1.99 mmol·g-1 and the base density of 1.13 mol·g-1) under the optimal reaction conditions (130 ℃, 3 h). Herein, the polymer/MOFs composite with open-cell structure was prepared by the Pickering HIPEs templating method, which provided a favorable experimental basis and theoretical reference for achieving efficient production of high added-value product from abundant biomass.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), an important anticancer compound found in broccoli, has attracted considerable attention. The rapid extraction and accurate analysis of I3C in the pharmaceutical industry in broccoli is challenging as I3C is unstable at low pH and high temperature. In this study, a rapid, accurate, and low-cost ultrasound-assisted dispersive-filter extraction (UADFE) technique based on poly(deep eutectic solvent)-graphene oxide (PDES-GO) adsorbent was developed for the isolation and analysis of I3C in broccoli for the first time. PDES-GO with multiple adsorption interactions and a fast mass transfer rate was synthesized to accelerate adsorption and desorption. UADFE was developed by combining dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) and filter solid-phase extraction (FSPE) to realize rapid extraction and separation. Based on the above two strategies, the proposed PDES-GO-UADFE method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowed the rapid (15–16 min), accurate (84.3–96.4%), and low-cost (adsorbent: 3.00 mg) analysis of I3C in broccoli and was superior to solid-phase extraction, DSPE, and FSPE methods. The proposed method showed remarkable linearity (r=0.9998; region: 0.0840–48.0 μg/g), low limit of quantification (0.0840 μg/g), and high precision (relative standard deviation ≤ 5.6%). Therefore, the PDES-GO-UADFE-HPLC method shows significant potential in the field of pharmaceutical analysis for the separation and analysis of anti-cancer compounds in complex plant samples.

The rapid recombination of photoinduced charge carriers and low selectivity are still challenges for the CO2 photoreduction. Herein, we proposed that ZIF-67-derived Co3O4 hollow polyhedrons (CoHP) were embedded into NaCl-template-assisted synthesized 3D graphitic carbon nitride (NCN), subsequently, loading Ag by photo-deposition as efficient composites (CoHP@NCN@Ag) for CO2 photoreduction. This integration simultaneously constructs two heterojunctions: p-n junction between Co3O4 and g-C3N4 and metal-semiconductor junction between Ag and g-C3N4, in which Co3O4 and Ag serve as hole (h+) trapping sites and electron (e-) sinks, respectively, achieving spatial separation of charge carriers. The donor-acceptor structure design of NCN realize a good photogenerated e--h+ separation efficiency. The mesoporous structure of hollow Co3O4 facilitate gas-diffusion efficiency, light scattering and harvesting. And the introduction of plasmonic Ag further strengthens the light-harvesting and charge migration. Benefiting from the rational design, the optimized ternary heterostructures exhibit a high CO2-CO yield (562 μmol g-1), which is about 4-fold as high as that of the NCN (151 μmol g-1). Moreover, the conjectural mechanism was systematically summarized. We hope this study provides a promising strategy for designing efficient g-C3N4 systems for the CO2 photoreduction.

The use of semiconductors to construct heterojunctions to suppress the rapid recombination of photogenerated charges and holes is considered to be an effective way to improve the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Herein, cobalt sulfide (CoSx) nanoparticles are cultivated in situ in the folds of three-dimensional flower-like nickel-aluminium layered double hydroxides (NiAl-LDHs) using a facile solvothermal method. The hydrogen production rate of the binary CoSx/NiAl-LDH heterojunction reaches 3678.59 μmol/g/h, which is 83.74 and 22 times the rates of CoSx and NiAl-LDH, respectively. The unique three-dimensional structure of NiAl-LDH facilitates the growth of CoSx and shortens the transfer pathway of photogenerated electrons. More importantly, the built-in electric field formed at the interface and the S-type charge transport mechanism caused by the bending of the energy band enhance not only charge separation but also maintain the strong oxidation ability of the holes. In this study, the newly designed S-scheme heterojunction offers a new strategy for enhancing photocatalytic water splitting.

Introduction Gut microbiota has been implicated in the pharmacological activities of many natural products. As an effective hypolipidemic agent, berberine (BBR)’s clinical application is greatly impeded by the obvious inter-individual response variation. To date, little evidence exists on the causality between gut microbes and its therapeutic effects, and the linkage of bacteria alterations to the inter-individual response variation. Objectives This study aims to confirm the causal role of the gut microbiota in BBR’s anti-hyperlipidemic effect and identify key bacteria that can predict its effectiveness. Methods The correlation between gut microbiota and BBR’s inter-individual response variation was studied in hyperlipidemic patients. The causal role of gut microbes in BBR’s anti-hyperlipidemic effects was subsequently assessed by altered administration routes, co-treatment with antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and metagenomic analysis. Results Three-month clinical study showed that BBR was effectively to decrease serum lipids but displayed an obvious response variation. The cholesterol-lowering but not triglyceride-decreasing effect of BBR was closely related to its modulation on gut microbiota. Interestingly, the baseline levels of Alistipes and Blautia could accurately predict its anti-hypercholesterolemic efficiency in the following treatment. Causality experiments in mice further confirmed that the gut microbiome is both necessary and sufficient to mediate the lipid-lowering effect of BBR. The absence of Blautia substantially abolished BBR's cholesterol-decreasing efficacy. Conclusion The gut microbiota is necessary and sufficient for BBR’s hyperlipidemia-ameliorating effect. The baseline composition of gut microbes can be an effective predictor for its pharmacotherapeutic efficacy, providing a novel way to achieve personalized therapy.

Herein, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as a template to control the synthesis of Ca0.5Pr0.5FeO3. Its microstructure, composition, and morphology were detected via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The properties of catalyzing bagasse lignin (BL) pyrolysis were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) test and evaluation of a fixed bed alumina microreactor. The results show that the sample Ca0.5Pr0.5FeO3 regulated by SDBS has a cubic crystal phase, and the addition of SDBS does not cause phase transition. Moreover, when the SDBS concentration is 0.10 mol/L, the particle size is 200–500 nm and the specific surface area is 11.26 m2/g. The yields of gas, liquid, and solid products in the BL catalytic pyrolysis are 39.58 wt%, 26.76 wt% and 32.36 wt%, respectively. The contents of CO2 and CO decrease from 54.07% and 4.98% to 45.29% and 3.23%, respectively. The liquid products are mainly guaiacol, syringol, and phenol, and the total selectivity of phenols is 83.67%, accompanied by a small amount of non-aromatic oxygen-containing compounds (five-membered ring (furan) or ester). Compared with the BL pyrolysis and Ca0.5Pr0.5FeO3 catalytic pyrolysis products, the selectivity of guaiacol compounds increases by 43.26%, while those of syringol compounds and phenylketones decrease by 30.08% and 3.39%, respectively. The selectivity of 2,6-dimethoxyphenol is 28.37%. After five catalytic pyrolysis-regeneration cycles, the characteristic peaks of the catalyst do not change significantly and the particles are uniform, suggesting that the catalyst has good crystal phase stability and regeneration stability.

Constructing ordered hierarchical porous electrocatalysts while maintaining their high efficiency and stability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is highly desirable but still remains challenging. Herein, hierarchical tri-metal-based hollow nano/micro rod-on-rod array structures, including hydroxides and phosphates, are vertically grown on Cu foam by the cation-exchanging and anion exchanging approaches. Such ordered porous architecture, providing multi metal center, regular interconnection of macropore channel, large electrochemical surface area, small charge-transfer resistance, efficient mass transport and electron transfer for overall water splitting in alkaline media. These obtained hydroxide OER catalysts (CoMn LDH@Cu(OH)2/CF) and phosphide HER catalysts (CoMnP@Cu3P/CF) exhibited low onset potential, low Tafel slope, and prominent durability. Such excellent performance, ordered porous structure and simple preparation methods indicate that this study provides a new strategy for assembling promising catalysts for water splitting and other applications.

Rational tuning the surface charge state for catalysts is an attractive strategy to promote their catalytic activity toward catalyzing diverse chemical and electrochemical reactions. In this work, we modified the surface of a pure tungsten carbide (WC) material with an ultra-thin nitrogen doped carbon (NC) layer (WC@NC) for catalyzing alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The XPS studies revealed an increased electron density on WC when the NC layer was introduced on its surface. Thus, a significant decrease of 282 mV in overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 was observed on WC@NC electrode in comparison with the pristine WC electrode. The higher electrochemical active surface area, lower activation energy barrier, and excellent durability were identified by various electrochemical measurements. The three-dimensional charge density difference was also calculated and the results indicated that an electron-transfer process occurred from the NC layer (donor) to the WC layer (acceptor) through the interface of WC@NC composite material. The analysis explained the underlying mechanism for the promotion of the HER activity. Such a comprehensive study is expected to provide useful guidance for promoting the catalytic performance of diverse catalysts toward different reactions.

A series of Beta zeolite catalysts with controllable particle sizes and similar Si/Al ratios were prepared by introducing imidazole (IMD) into the synthesis system and used for a liquid-phase transalkylation of diethylbenzene (DEB) with benzene (Bz). Beta zeolite catalyst prepared with IMD/SiO2 molar ratio of 0.5 possessed the smallest particle size (mean particle size of 119 nm) and the highest DEB conversion of 79.16%, under the reaction conditions: 260 oC, 4.0 MPa, WHSV (diethylbenzene) of 2.0 h-1, W(benzene)/W(diethylbenzene) of 3/1, time on stream of 5 h. Then, for the purpose of elucidating the catalytic roles of the acid sites with different strength, types and positions in Beta zeolite in the transalkylation reaction, we carried out Na+ loading on the prepared Beta zeolite to eliminate strong acid sites, and poisoned Bronsted acid sites and external acid sites by using 2,4-dimethylquinoline (2,4-DMQ) and triphenylphosphorus (TPP) as toxic reagents, respectively. The results suggested that the moderate and strong Bronsted acid sites of Beta-IMD0.5 were the active sites for the liquid-phase transalkylation of DEB with Bz and their utilization rate showed a trend of increased first and then decreased. Significantly, 31% of the external Bronsted acid sites of Beta-IMD0.5 contributed 81% of DEB conversion. The external acid sites had more contribution to the reaction, due to the short diffusion path and fine accessibility.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria-induced infection is becoming a huge challenge for clinical treatment, especially for non-healing diabetic wound infections, which increase patient mortality. MRSA infections and delayed wound healing (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) accounted for a higher proportion. Although surgical debridement and continuous use of antibiotics are still the main clinical treatments, new multifunctional therapeutic nanoplatform are attractive for MIDW. Thus, in the present study, black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) encapsulated in hydrogel (BPQDs@NH) were utilized as nanoplatforms for MIDW treatment to achieve the multifunctional properties of NIR (near infrared) responsiveness, ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation and antibacterial activity. Upon NIR irradiation, the temperature of the BPQDs@NH-treated MIDW area rapidly increased up to 55 °C for sterilization. In vitro experiments showed that BPQDs@NH exerted a synergistic effect on inhibiting MRSA by producing of ROS, lipid peroxidation, glutathione, adenosine triphosphate accumulation and bacterial membrane destruction upon NIR irradiation. The resulting BPQDs@NH achieved an effective sterilization rate of approximately 90% for MRSA. Furthermore, animal experiments revealed that BPQDs@NH achieved an effective closure rate of 95% for MIDW after 12 days by reducing the inflammatory response and regulating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Meanwhile, intravenous circulation experiments showed good biocompatibility of BPQDs, and no obvious damage to rat major organs was observed. The obtained results indicated that BPQDs@NH achieved the synergistic functions of NIR-responsiveness, ROS generation, and antibacterial activity and promoted wound healing, suggesting that they are promising multifunctional nanoplatforms for MIDW healing. Statement of significance 1. NIR-triggered ROS-generating and antibacterial nanoplatforms are attractive in the wound healing field. 2. In this work, black phosphorus quantum dots encapsulated in a hydrogel were used as a nanoplatform for treating MRSA infected wounds. 3. The obtained materials have achieved an effective sterilization rate for MRSA and effective wound closure rate.

Background Tibetan pigs have exhibited unique characteristics from low‐altitudes pigs and adapted well to the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Objectives The current study was undertaken to investigate the hypoxic adaptation of heart in Tibetan pigs. Methods The hearts of Tibetan pigs and Landrace pigs raised at high or low altitudes were compared using 3D casting technology, scanning electron microscopy and real‐time quantitative PCR (qRT‐PCR). Results We found that the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis and the density of the heart were significantly higher in Tibetan pigs than in Landrace pigs (p, Tibetan pigs have exhibited unique characteristics from low‐altitudes pigs and have adapted well to the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, but how this occurs is incompletely understood. We found that Tibetan pigs had larger diameters and higher densities of arterioles than Landrace pigs (p

As a sustainable and eco-friendly technology, the benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC) has been emerged as alternative and potential approach to recover electrical energy by microorganisms, but lower power density and poor long-term life hinder their practical application. Modification of anodic materials is an efficient strategy to solve this problem. Here, a conductive and biocompatible hydrogel electrode, polyaniline-polypyrole-CNTs-Fe3O4 (PANI-PPy-CNTs-Fe3O4) is prepared and applied as anode in a simulated BMFC. The maximum power density of the BMFC with PANI-PPy-CNTs-Fe3O4 hydrogel anode (5901.49 mW/m3) is 1.33, 2.15 and 2.06 times higher than that of PANI-PPy (4413.03 mW/m3), PANI and PPy anodes (2737.12 and 2859.53 mW/m3), respectively. The charge transfer resistance of quaternary hydrogel bioanode in BMFC (3.922 Ω) is much lower than that of the PANI (8.682 Ω), PPy (8.262 Ω) and PANI-PPy (5.772 Ω) hydrogel bioanodes. Moreover, the extracellular electron transfer ability is also enhanced on the composite hydrogel anode, which also exhibits the high biomass. High-throughput sequencing technology indicates that the synergistic effect of bacteria on the quaternary hydrogel made full use of organic matter as available fuel to enable a high electricity-generation anode. Such foregoing mainly ascribed to the composite hydrogel keep the high biocompatibility from components, while the addition of CNTs and Fe3O4 dramatically decreases the internal resistance and provides more electrochemical active surface area on basis of macroporous 3D hydrogel structure. This work explores the composite hydrogel used as anodes to construct high-performance BMFC and provides significant information for the applications of actual BMFCs in the future.

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is a p-type semiconductor with excellent catalytic activity and stability that has gained much attention because it is non-toxic, abundant, and inexpensive. Porous carbon materials have large specific surface areas, which offer abundant electroactive sites, enhance the electrical conductivity of materials, and prevent the aggregation of Cu2O nanocubes. In this study, a composite with high electrocatalytic activity was prepared based on Cu2O nanocubes anchored onto three-dimensional macroporous carbon (MPC) by a simple, eco-friendly, and cheap method for hydrazine detection. Due to the synergistic effect of MPC and Cu2O, the sensor exhibited high electrocatalytic activity, sensitivity, better selectivity, and low limit of detection. The resulting sensor could be a sensitive and effective platform for detecting hydrazine and promising practical applications.

The development of highly-efficient photocatalyst for H2 production integrated with microplastic degradation is significant to meet the demand for clean energy and resolve “white pollution”. Herein, a series of MXene/ZnxCd1-xS photocatalysts were successfully fabricated for H2 evolution integrated with degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The resultant photocatalysts exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance, and the best photocatalytic H2 evolution rate can reach 14.17 mmol·g−1·h−1 in alkaline PET alkaline solution. What’s more, the PET was also converted to the useful organic micromolecule, including glycolate, acetate, ethanol, etc. The highly-efficient photocatalytic performance of MXene/ZnxCd1-xS photocatalysts can be attributed to the enhanced separation ability of photocarriers and optimum band structure with enhanced oxidation capacity of valence band. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism was investigated in detail. Overall, this work supplied a new useful guidance for solving the energy problem and microplastic pollution issues, simultaneously.

The energy levels and crystallinity of the polymer donor greatly affect the active layer morphology and device performance in non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, a new series of polymer donors consisting of dithieno[2,3-d:2′,3′-d′]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (DTBDT) and 2,2′-bithiophene-3,3′-dicarboximide (BTI) units were synthesized and named PDTBDT, PDTBDT-T, and PDTBDT-T-Cl. The BTI unit shows a strong electron withdrawing ability to reduce the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level and a good planarity to reduce the steric hindrance effectively. The combination of BTI and DTBDT units with high planarity and rigidity magnificently maintains the crystallinity of the polymer, improves that of the acceptor, and obtains a preferred face-on orientation, thereby greatly improving the charge transfer efficiency. The introduced thiophene π-bridges and chlorine atoms in the conjugated structure further optimized light absorption and the energy level of the polymers. With the small molecule Y6 as the acceptor, the optimized OSCs based on PDTBDT-T-Cl:Y6 achieved a power conversion efficiency of 15.63%, which is remarkably higher than those of PDTBDT-T:Y6 (12.71%) and PDTBDT:Y6 (8.22%). These results show that BTI-based polymer donors can achieve comparable performance to the classic polymer donor of PM6 by designing their molecular structure to enhance the crystallinity, promote the stacking of the acceptor, optimize the phase separation morphology, and improve the performance of the device.

BACKGROUND Cooking oil is an indispensable component of the human diet. However, oils usually undergo thermal oxidation. Oxidized soybean oil (OSO) has been shown to have detrimental effects on humans and has emerged as a root cause of many chronic diseases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of puerpera exposure to OSO on kidney damage in the mother and offspring using lactating rats as an experimental model. RESULTS Pathological sections and ultrastructure showed that OSO exposure resulted in various levels of damage to lactating rats and their offspring. OSO induced oxidative stress in the kidneys of lactating rats, as evidenced by increased levels of hydrogen peroxide, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-8. OSO increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. OSO upregulated the expression of apoptosis-related genes, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor κB-related inflammatory factor genes. In the offspring of the OSO-exposed mothers, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha contents were increased. Furthermore, OSO enhanced the levels of Nrf2, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase 1, and p65 and decreased B-cell lymphoma 2. CONCLUSION These findings indicated that the kidneys of two generations of rats were compromised by oxidative damage when fed OSO during lactation. This study provides evidence for increasing the genes expression of the Nrf2/heme oxygenase 1 pathway to alleviate the kidney damage caused by OSO in the mother and offspring. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Common solvatochromic fluorophores exhibit a bathochromic fluorescence emission wavelength shift accompanied by intensity attenuation due to the presence of nonradiative decay pathways at the excited state. Such intrinsic but inevitable fluorescence quenching of solvatochromism impedes its applications to faithfully quantify local polarity, especially in a polar environment. Herein, we report a new donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) type solvatochromic fluorophore scaffold containing a perfluorophenyl group that exhibits both a solvatochromic emission wavelength shift and a controllable emission intensity upon polarity fluctuation. The regulation of fluorescence solvatochromism and colors was achieved by tuning the aryl donors. We exploited such desired solvatochromism of these probes to monitor protein misfolding and aggregation via wavelength shift. Finally, the polarity of pathogenic aggregated proteins was quantified by HaloTag bioorthogonal labeling technology in live cells. While much effort has been devoted to resolving the morphology of pathogenic aggregated proteins, this work provides quantitative hints regarding the chemical information at this disease-related protein interphase.

BACKGROUND: Long-term survivals of patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma are limited by the high incidence of tumor recurrence after radiofrequency ablation (RFA), identification of the risk factors and understanding the patterns of recurrence can help to improve the comprehensive management of patients after RFA. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to explore the prognostic value of the age-male-albumin-bilirubin-platelets (aMAP) score in patients with early-stage HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving RFA; investigate the risk factors and patterns of late recurrence (LR); and develop a nomogram to predict recurrence-free survival (RFS). METHODS: A retrospective review of HBV-related HCC patients who underwent primary RFA from March 2012 to December 2020 was conducted. The prognostic value of the aMAP score was evaluated in a primary cohort (n=302) and then further validated in an independent validation cohort (n=143). The optimal threshold of aMAP scores was calculated by X-tile 3.6.1 software. A prognostic nomogram was constructed from multivariate analysis and validated in an external validation cohort. RESULTS: Patients with aMAP scores ≤63.8, 63.8–67.8, and >67.8 were classified into low-, medium-, and high-recurrence risk groups, respectively. The C-index to predict LR was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.700–0.810). The high-risk group was associated with the worst RFS (HR: 5.298; 95% CI, 2.697–10.408; P

Oxidative stress inflicts mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been recognized as a key driver of intestinal diseases. Resveratrol (RSV) and its derivative pterostilbene (PTS) are natural antioxidants and exert a protective influence on intestinal health. However, the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of RSV and PTS on oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and intestinal injury remain unclear. The present study used porcine and cellular settings to compare the effects of RSV and PTS on mitochondrial redox homeostasis and function to alleviate oxidative stress-induced intestinal injury. Our results indicated that PTS was more potent than RSV in reducing oxidative stress, maintaining intestinal integrity, and preserving the mitochondrial function of diquat-challenged piglets. In the in vitro study, RSV and PTS protected against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in intestinal porcine enterocyte cell line (IPEC-J2) by facilitating mitochondrial biogenesis and increasing the activities of mitochondrial complexes. In addition, both RSV and PTS efficiently mitigated mitochondrial oxidative stress by increasing sirtuin 3 protein expression and the deacetylation of superoxide dismutase 2 and peroxiredoxin 3 in H2O2-exposed IPEC-J2 cells. Furthermore, RSV and PTS preserved mitochondrial membrane potential, which restrained the release of cytochrome C from mitochondria to the cytoplasm and caspase-3 activation and further reduced apoptotic rates in H2O2-exposed IPEC-J2 cells. Mechanistically, depletion of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) abrogated RSV's and PTS's benefits against mitochondrial reactive oxygen species overproduction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis in H2O2-exposed IPEC-J2 cells, suggesting that SIRT1 was required for RSV and PTS to protect against oxidative stress-induced intestinal injury. In conclusion, RSV and PTS improve oxidative stress-induced intestinal injury by regulating mitochondrial redox homeostasis and function via SIRT1 signaling pathway. In offering this protection, PTS is superior to RSV.

Protein glycosylation is one of the ubiquitous post-translational modifications in eukaryotic cells, which play important roles in plant growth and adverse response. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive wheat plasma membrane N-glycoproteome analysis under drought stress via glycopeptide HILIC enrichment and LC-MS/MS identification. In total, 414 glycosylated sites corresponding to 407 glycopeptides and 312 unique glycoproteins were identified, of which 173 plasma membrane glycoproteins with 215 N-glycosylation sites were significantly regulated by drought stress. Functional enrichment analysis reveals that the significantly regulated N-glycosylation proteins were particularly related to protein kinase activity involved in the reception and transduction of extracellular signal and plant cell wall remolding. The motifs and sequence structures analysis showed that the significantly regulated N-glycosylation sites were concentrated within [NxT] motif, and 79.5% of them were located on the random coil that is always on the protein surface and flexible regions, which could facilitate protein glycosylated modification and enhance protein structural stability via reducing protein flexibility. PNGase F enzyme digestion and glycosylation site mutation further indicated that N-glycosylated modification could increase protein stability. Therefore, N-glycosylated modification is involved in plant adaptation to drought stress by improving the stability of cell wall remodeling related plasma membrane proteins.

Antibiotic resistanceand biofilm formation are the main challenges of bacterial infectious diseases, and enhancing the permeability of drugs to biofilms may be a promising strategy. Herein, we constructed a cationic chitosan coated ruthenium dioxide nanozyme (QCS-RuO2@RBT, SRT NSs)。RuO2 nanosheets (RuO2 NSs) are modified with positively charged Quaternary ammonium-chitosan (QCS) to improve biocompatibility, and enhance the interaction between RuO2 nanozymes and bacterial membranes. An antibacterial drug, [Ru(bpy)2(tip)]2+ (RBT) can be loaded onto QCS-RuO2 by π-π stacking and hydrophobic interaction. SRT NSs exhibit NIR light enhanced peroxidase-like catalytic activity, thereby effectively fighting against planktonic bacteria and damaging biofilms. In the biofilm, extracellular DNA (eDNA) was cleaved by high levels of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) catalyzed by SRT NSs, thereby disrupting the rigid biofilm. In addition, in vivo studies demonstrate that SRT NSs can significantly rescue skin wound infections and the chronic lung infection in mice caused by P. aeruginosa, and hold the same therapeutic efficacy as first-line clinically anchored anti P. aeruginosa drug ciprofloxacin. Accordingly, the research work has realized the efficient production of ·OH, and the permeability of drugs to biofilms.it provides a promising response strategy for the management of biofilm-associated infections, including chronic lung infection.

Lithium sulfur batteries have been paid much attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity of 1675 mAh·g−1. However, the low conductivity and shuttle efficiency hinder commercial application. Acetylene black (AB) and multi-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) interlayer coating on polyethylene glycol (PEG)–coated sulfur composite cathode (S/AB/CNT@PEG) can improve the electrochemical performance of the composite cathode. Comparing the electrochemical performance of these two interlayers, the S/AB/CNT@PEG cathode with CNT interlayer could more effectively improve electrochemical performance of the composite cathode. Moreover, it delivers an initial discharge specific capacity of 1660.4 mAh/g at 0.1 C and a discharge specific capacity of 803.3 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 1 C.

The human Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-Sodium Trial has shown that β-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA) may prevent the development of salt-sensitive hypertension (SSHT). However, the specific antihypertensive mechanism remains unclear in the renal tissues of salt-sensitive (SS) rats. In this study, BAIBA (100 mg/kg/day) significantly attenuated SSHT via increased nitric oxide (NO) content in the renal medulla, and it induced a significant increase in NO synthesis substrates (L-arginine and malic acid) in the renal medulla. BAIBA enhanced the activity levels of total NO synthase (NOS), inducible NOS, and constitutive NOS. BAIBA resulted in increased fumarase activity and decreased fumaric acid content in the renal medulla. The high-salt diet (HSD) decreased fumarase expression in the renal cortex, and BAIBA increased fumarase expression in the renal medulla and renal cortex. Furthermore, in the renal medulla, BAIBA increased the levels of ATP, ADP, AMP, and ADP/ATP ratio, thus further activating AMPK phosphorylation. BAIBA prevented the decrease in renal medullary antioxidative defenses induced by the HSD. In conclusion, BAIBA's antihypertensive effect was underlined by the phosphorylation of AMPK, the prevention of fumarase's activity reduction caused by the HSD, and the enhancement of NO content, which in concert attenuated SSHT in SS rats.

Background. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes, and the levels of chemerin were associated with the severity of DR. However, there is no research on chemerin in the development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Therefore, our study aimed to explore the relationship between chemerin and PDR. Methods. The levels of chemerin/chemokine-like receptor (CMKLR1), proinflammatory cytokines, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 90 cases of PDR and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) patients and in high glucose (HG) stimulated human retinal pigment epithelium cells (ARPE-19) were evaluated by ELISA. Moreover, chemerin was added into HG-induced ARPE-19 cells to assess its effect on proinflammatory cytokines and VEGF. Results. The levels of chemerin/CMKLR1 were higher in PDR patients than NPDR ones, and chemerin was positively correlated with CMKLR1 in PDR patients. Compared to NPDR, the secretions of proinflammatory cytokines and VEGF were increased in PDR patients and positively correlated with chemerin/CMKLR1. Additionally, chemerin activated CMKLR1 and aggravated HG-induced cell injury, inflammatory responses, and VEGF expressions in ARPE-19 cells. Conclusion. Our study demonstrated that chemerin/CMKLR1 axis aggravated the progression of PDR, which suggested that inhibition of chemerin might serve as a new therapeutic approach to treat PDR.

Background Studies on the anti-wrinkle effects of retinol have been widely reported, but there are few reports on the infraorbital dark circles reducing effects. Objective To evaluate the efficiency and tolerance of one novel formulation containing supramolecular retinol plus acmella oleracea extract in Chinese urban eye skin. Methods Thirty-three women with dark circles and visible fine wrinkles around the eyes, aged 20-45 years, were enrolled and instructed to use the formula for 6 weeks. Instrumental measures and subject assessment were obtained at baseline and at 3-week intervals. Results After 6 weeks, Mexameter MX18 results demonstrated a statistically significant 13.8% decrease in MI (melanin index) value, and Colorimeter CL400 results demonstrated a statistically significant 0.5% increase in L* (lightness) value, which proved the efficacy of reducing dark circles. Primos-Lite data showed that the wrinkles parameters of Ra, the wrinkle area %, and number of the wrinkles under the eyes and crow's feet revealed significant reduction to varying degrees. Cutometer results showed that R2 value increased significantly by 13.0%, indicating the benefits of firmer skin. In addition, subject assessment revealed that at the end of 6 weeks, the eye skin was noticeably improved. Conclusions By clinical evaluation and subject assessment, the novel formulation containing supramolecular retinol plus acmella oleracea extract can effectively diminish the collective signs of stressed urban eye skin for Chinese female in terms of dark circles, fine wrinkles, and sagging skin with good tolerance.

Four biomass-based catalyst carriers with different pore structures were prepared by using a carbonization-activation method, followed by employment in the copyrolysis of Walnut Shell/Polypropylene (WNS/PP) to produce Benzene, Toluene and Xylene (BTX). Ten cycles were performed in each copyrolysis test in a bench-scaled tube furnace to determine the suitable pore size of the catalyst and excellent cycling performance for BTX production. In addition, Zn, Ni, and Ce were loaded with the selected catalyst carriers to synthesize the most suitable biomass-based catalyst. Results showed that the pore size and active center of the catalyst were the key factors affecting the WNS/PP catalytic copyrolysis. Biomass-based carrier with a pore size in the range of 0.55-1.2 nm was the most suitable to produce BTX in the optimal 10 cycle performance; it realized a relative BTX content of 9-20 area%, and a BTX mass yield of 23-67 mg/(graw) in the liquid-phase products from the WNS/PP copyrolysis. A catalyst loaded with 10 wt% Zn possessed the best catalytic effect with a relative BTX content of 39.49 area%, and a BTX yield of 111.13 mg/(graw).

Obese subjects have a high baseline of genotoxic stress, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Given that obesity is associated with high bile acids (BA) and low folate, we aimed to determine the interactive effect of folate deficient or supplementation to the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of BA in human colon and liver cells. NCM460 and L-02 cells were cultured in folate-deficient (22.6 nM) and replete (2260 nM) Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI)-1640 medium with or without 50 μM deoxycholic acid (DCA) or lithocholic acid (LCA) for 7 days. Moreover, these cells were cultured in folate supplemented (5.65, 11.3 and 22.6 μM) and standard (2.26 μM) medium with 200 μM DCA or LCA for 7 days. Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were measured using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay. Our results showed that under folate-replete condition, 50 μM DCA or LCA significantly increased the rate of micronuclei (MN) in NCM460 and L-02 cells. Significantly, the MN-inducing effect of 50 μM DCA or LCA was further enhanced by folate deficiency. Interestingly, folate supplementation exerted a dose-dependent manner to significantly decrease the rates of MN, nucleoplasmic bridges, nuclear buds, apoptosis, and necrosis induced by 200 μM DCA or LCA in NCM460 and L-02 cells. In conclusion, the genotoxicity of moderate BA (50 μM) was exacerbated by folate deficiency and folate supplementation could efficiently protect cells against the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of high BA (200 μM).

The present study revealed the phylactic effects of l-theanine on a DSS-induced colitis mice model. The results showed that 3% DSS treatment significantly induced intestinal damage as reflected by DAI, histopathological feature, and colon length, while l-theanine pretreatment markedly prevented these trends to exert protective effects. Meanwhile, l-theanine pretreatment decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, and COX2 on DSS-induced colitis. Notably, DSS inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, thereby damaging the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier, whereas l-theanine also played a protective role by attenuating these deteriorated effects. It was also observed that l-theanine treatment downregulated the levels of p-p65, p65, p-p53, p53, and p-AKT protein expression in acute DSS-induced colitis, which showed the protective function of l-theanine, mainly via the NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, the results of lipid analysis and transcriptome analysis show that l-theanine reversed transcriptional profiles and lipid profiles of colitis models, mainly via the inflammatory reactivity-related pathway. Interestingly, the correlation analysis between transcriptional profiles and lipid profiles showed that inflammatory response-related genes were almost significantly correlated with differential lipid metabolites. In summary, l-theanine plays a protective role in DSS-induced colitis via downregulating the NF-κB signaling pathway and regulating lipid metabolism disorders.

Efficient destruction of perfluoroalkyl compounds in contaminated waters remains a challenge because of highly stable C-F bonds. In this study, mineralization of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) with high concentration (∼30 mg/L) was realized in a needle-plate pulsed discharge reactor integrated with a water jet (NPDW) to which microbubbles (MBs) with different carrier gases (air, N2, and Ar) were introduced to enhance interfacial reactions. MBs effectively enrich dispersed PFOA from a bulk solution to a liquid surface to allow enhancing contact with reactive species and also expanding the plasma discharge area and channels. The PFOA removal efficiency in air and Ar discharge reached 81.5 and 95.3% in 2 h, respectively, with a defluorination ratio of no less than 50%. Energy requirements (EE/O) ranged from 216.49 to 331.95 kWh/m3. Aside from fluoride, PFOA was degraded to a range of short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids and, to a minor extent, at least 20 other fluorinated transformation products. PFOA degradation mechanisms were proposed, including decarboxylation, hydroxylation, hydrogenation reduction, and defluorination reactions. Real water matrices (groundwater, tap water, wastewater effluent, and surface water) showed moderate impact on treatment outcomes, demonstrating the robustness of the treatment process. The study demonstrated an environmentally friendly nonthermal plasma technology for effective PFOA degradation.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) based on the intracellular Fenton reaction has become increasingly explored in cancer treatment. However, the mildly acidic tumor microenvironment and the limited amount of intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) will create issues for CDT to perform a sustained and high-efficiency treatment. Therefore, how to selectively reduce the pH value and augment the amount of H2O2 in tumor tissues has become the key factor for realizing excellent CDT. Besides, the majority of the reported CDT systems have been constructed from iron-based inorganic or metal-organic framework nanomaterials due to the decisive role of metals in CDT, which restricts the development of CDT. In this study, inspired by the host-guest interactions between pillar[6]arene and ferrocene, a ternary pillar[6]arene-based supramolecular nanocatalyst (GOx@T-NPs) for CDT is reported for the first time. GOx@T-NPs not only exhibited a high-efficiency catalytic ability to convert glucose into hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and to reduce the pH value inside cancer cells for significant enhancement of the CDT effect, but they also showed sensitive glutathione-induced camptothecin (CPT) prodrug release capacity for further improving the efficiency of CDT. Hence, GOx@NPs possessed excellent ability to synergistically enhance the CDT. Additionally, an antitumor mechanism study showed that the prominent tumor inhibition capacity of GOx@T-NPs was derived from trimodal synergistic interactions of CDT, starvation therapy, and chemotherapy. Moreover, GOx@T-NPs manifested good biocompatibility and tumor selectivity with few side effects in major organs. This work broadens the range of materials available for CDT and demonstrates new developments in pillar[n]arene-based multimodal synergistic treatment systems.

Physicochemical details at the interphase of protein aggregation have been less explored especially in live cells. Herein, we reported a crystallization induced emission fluorophore to quantitatively interrogate the polarity of aggregated proteins. This solvatochromic probe, namely "AggRetina" probe, inherently binds to aggregated proteins and exhibits both polarity-dependent fluorescence emission wavelength shift and viscosity-dependent fluorescence intensity increase. Regulation of its polarity sensitivity was achieved by extending the conjugation length. Empowered by this probe, we observed that different proteins bear diverse polarity upon aggregation, leading to different resistance to proteolysis. We further showed that polarity primarily decreases during protein misfolding but viscosity mainly increases upon the formation of insoluble aggregates. Finally, we quantified the polarity of aggregated protein-of-interest in live cells via HaloTag bioorthogonal labeling, revealing polarity heterogeneity within cellular aggregates. This work highlights the enriched micro-environment details inside misfolded and aggregated proteins that may correlate to their bio-chemical properties and pathogenicity.

Sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) inhibitors are developed for tumor therapy as considering its anti-tumor effect. Many studies also explored SphK2 modulated glucose and lipid homeostasis, which extended its potential function for metabolic diseases therapy. In this study, we discovered a significant reduction of hepatic lipid accumulation as well as recovery of liver function in ob/ob mice with intraperitoneal injection of K145. Also, db/db mice received K145 showed improvement of both NALFD and hyperglycemia. We furtherly analyzed the genes associated with lipid metabolism and found a remarkable decreased expression of lipogenic genes including FAS, ACC1 and SREBP1c whereas elevated mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) related genes expression including CPT1A, MCAD, LCAD, PPAR-α, UCP2. Consistent to in vivo study, in vitro study also confirmed the role of K145 in decreasing lipid accumulation in human HL7702 cells, while inhibiting FAS, ACC1 and SREBP1c mRNA expression. It indicated a possible mechanism of K145 induced improvement of hepatic lipid accumulation partly via inhibition of lipigenesis. Our study suggested a promising role of K145 in drug development for NAFLD and diabetes therapy.

Series and parallel two-stage evaporative strategy for vapor compression refrigeration cycles characterized by temperature and humidity independent control were presented. The theoretical model was established to analyze the performance of parallel two-stage evaporative strategy regarding the coefficient of performance (COP), exergy loss, exergy efficiency in comparisons with series system. And refrigerants R290 and R600 with low global warming potential (GWP) and no ozone depletion potential (ODP) are proposed as alternative refrigerants for R134a in two systems. The results show that compared with R134a, the proposed R600 has better performance with higher specific refrigerating capacity and coefficient of performance, of which specific refrigerating capacity increase 102.72% than that of R134a on average. Series two-stage evaporative strategy for vapor compression refrigeration cycle with R600 had the optimal techno-economic performance, which COP and exergy efficiency are 7.8% and 11% higher than that of parallel two-stage evaporative strategy, respectively.

The catalytic upgrading of phenolic derivatives is vital for the efficient utilization of biomass resources. Herein, we construct a reductive layered double oxide material (CoAlCe-LDO) with the Ce–...

The zinc-air battery (ZAB) is a promising candidate for powering wearable electronic devices. Unfortunately, traditional ZAB hydrogel electrolytes dehydrate at room temperature and freeze at extreme cold temperatures, limiting their working life and ability to adapt to the extreme cold polar environment. Herein, the fabrication of alkaline double-network hydrogel electrolytes is made simple using in-situ polymerization of acrylamide (AM) and cellulose nanofibers (CNF), followed by immersion in a solution containing KOH and KI reaction modifier. The anti-dehydration and anti-freezing properties of the prepared hydrogel electrolyte are greatly improved. Furthermore, by altering the conventional discharge/charge reaction paths, the addition of KI significantly improves the energy efficiency of ZABs. The ZAB based on the hydrogel electrolyte not only has excellent discharge/charge performance and cycling life at room temperature, but it can also operate in extremely cold temperatures (-40 °C). The ZABs are connected to power a variety of electronic devices, indicating that they could be used as wearable energy storage devices.

The atomically thin nanosheets of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with mesopores have been successfully exfoliated with supercritical CO2 (scCO2). The thickness of the as-synthesized samples could be directly tailored by simply regulating the scCO2 pressure. The obtained bilayer mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheets doped with monatomic Co through a microwave-assisted approach havve been employed as single-atom catalysts to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. The as-prepared Co/P/CN-sc sample exhibited a boosted H2 production performance due to its unique structural advantages by exposing more active sites and facilitating the separation of charge carriers. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure measurement, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, a possible mechanism has been proposed. The work shows a new perspective for designing an inexpensive photocatalyst with a unique structure through a facile and green approach for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Nine new dolabrane-type diterpenoids, notoscarins A-I (1-9), including an unprecedented 6,18-cyclo-dolabrane-type diterpenoid (1) obtained through intramolecular cyclization, two rare 19-nor-2-chloro-dolabrane diterpenoids (2 and 3), six new related dolabrane-type diterpenoids (4-9), and one new butyrolactone derivative (10), were isolated from the Chinese liverwort Notoscyphus lutescens. The 6,18-cyclo-dolabrane and 19-nor-dolabrane carbon skeletons are reported for the first time. The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of MS and NMR spectroscopic data, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Preliminary bioassays showed that compounds 1-10 exhibited moderate to weak quinone reductase-inducing activity in Hepa-1c1c7 cells.

In recent years, several approaches have been applied to modify metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) owing to their excellent structural tunability such as higher extraction efficiency than that of primitive crystals. Herein, Zr-based MOFs (UiO-66-NH2) with a suitable size modulated by acetic acid were successfully synthesized for effective DNA extraction. The bonding conformations and adsorption mechanism indicated a high affinity between UiO-66-NH2 and the DNA molecules. Furthermore, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were immobilized on the UiO-66-NH2 surface to allow MOFs with magnetism. The magnetic zirconium-organic framework (MZMOF) retained the intact structure of MOFs and simplified subsequent extraction operations. In the DNA recovery investigation, MZMOF showed high recovery efficiency for both short-stranded DNA (90.4%) and pseudovirus DNA (95.1%). In addition, it showed superior DNA extraction efficiency from plasma (57.6%) and swab preservation solution (86.5%). The prepared MZMOF was employed for highly specific extraction of viral DNA and cfDNA from samples. To further simplify the extraction process, MZMOF was applied to immiscible phase filtration assisted by a surface tension (IFAST) chip for facilitating rapid DNA extraction with sensitive point-of-care testing. The developed MZMOF-based extraction method has significant potential for increasing the demand for rapid and efficient nucleic acid extraction.

Energy crisis and environmental pollution have become two major problems facing mankind. Photocatalytic hydrogen production and degradation of organic pollutants using solar light is a promising solution. Thus, the study of efficient, environmentally friendly and stable photocatalysts has been an important research topic for many researchers over the years. In this study, lignin-based biomass carbon was first used as a carbon source and compounded with CdS nanoparticles to prepare CdS/LC composite. The resulting CdS/LC photocatalyst not only solves the high agglomeration of CdS nanoparticles, but also presents excellent photocatalytic activity and high stability. The optimal CdS/LC-3 exhibits high photocatalytic degradation rate and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate, which are about 2.3 and 3.73 times higher than those of pure CdS, respectively. This research work provides a new and effective way for the utilization of lignin, which makes the high-quality utilization of lignin possible.

Two pairs of diastereoisomeric isoindoline alkaloids, xylarins A-D (1-4), were isolated from the endolichenic fungus Xylaria sp. Xylarins A and B (1 and 2) possess a previously undescribed 5/6/5-5/6 polycyclic scaffold, featuring a combination of a novel dihydrobenzofurone unit and an isoindoline unit, while xylarins C and D (3 and 4) contain an additional N,N-dimethylaniline at the C-3' position. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses combined with single-crystal X-ray diffraction and electronic circular dichroism calculations. The plausible biosynthetic pathways and gene clusters for 1-4 were proposed. Compound 1 exhibited significant antithrombotic activity.

Objective To evaluate antihypertensive and antioxidant activities of Allium hookeri root (AHR) fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Weissella cibaria. Methods The novel fermented AHR products using L. plantarum, L. mesenteroides, and W. cibaria were developed and ACE inhibitory activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, and total thiosulfinate content were determined. The antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of fermented AHR were further investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Results Administration of fermented AHR to SHRs had an attenuating effect on both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. The SHRs treated with fermented AHR showed lower plasma ACE activity and higher plasma NO levels. Furthermore, fermented AHR administration led to parallel improvements in plasma oxidative stress biomarkers in SHRs. Conclusion Our results highlight the potential usefulness of fermented AHR for the prevention of hypertension.

Understanding the acidic characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) and the relating deprotonation and proton transfer behaviors of oxygen-containing functional groups in the water environment is of great significance for the application of GO nanoscale materials. In this study, firstly, the density functional theory (DFT) method was applied to compute the explicit acidity constant (pKa) of the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on GOs. The good consistency of our results with experiments approves the applicability of the designed thermodynamic cycles for computing the pKa of GOs. Secondly, the thermodynamics and kinetics of the deprotonation reactions of GOs in the presence of hydroxyl anions were investigated, quantitatively revealing that it is the carboxyl groups that mainly contribute to the surface charge acquisition of GO. Lastly, specific intramolecular proton transfer pathways were studied energetically, demonstrating that the proton is easily transferred between the adjacent hydroxyl group and the epoxy group on GO basal plane. This process could cause a change in the distribution of surface charge on GO surface, which will be very critical in understanding the surface properties of GOs.