Search

The creation of an environmentally friendly synthesis method for silver nanomaterials (AgNPs) is an urgent concern for sustainable nanotechnology development. In the present study, a novel straightforward and green method for the preparation of silver nanoparticle/reduced graphene oxide (AgNP/rGO) composites was successfully developed through the combination of phytosynthesis, continuous flow synthesis and microwave-assistance. Oriental persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) extracts were used as both plant reducing and capping agents for fast online synthesis of AgNP/rGO composites. The experimental parameters were optimized and the morphologies of the prepared materials were investigated. The characterization results reveal that spherical AgNPs were quickly synthesized and uniformly dispersed on rGO sheets using the proposed online system. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed that phenols, flavonoids, and other substances in the plant extracts played a decisive role in the synthesis of AgNP/rGO composites. Using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) degradation of p-nitrophenol (4-NP) as a model, the catalytic activity of the prepared AgNP/rGO materials was evaluated. The complete degradation of 4-NP was achieved within 12 min through the use of AgNP/rGO materials, and the composite had a much better catalytic activity than the bare AgNPs and rGO had. Compared with the conventional chemical method, our online method is facile, fast, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Understanding factors associated with disease severity and mortality from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was critical for effective risk stratification. We aimed to investigate the association between biomarkers of clinical laboratory tests, including serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid protein (SAA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and D-dimer (DD) and poor prognosis of COVID-19. We have searched many studies on COVID-19 on PubMed (Medline), Web of Science and Cochrane until 1 March 2021. The interest of this study was original articles reporting on laboratory testing projects and outcome of patients with COVID-19 that comprises mortality, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), need for care in an intensive care unit (ICU), and severe COVID-19. After synthesizing all data, we performed meta-analysis of random effects, and determined mean difference (MD) and standard mean difference at the biomarker level for different disease severity. A total of 7,739 patients with COVID-19 were pooled from 32 studies. CRP was significantly associated with poor prognosis of COVID-19 (SMD = 0.98, 95% CI = (0.85, 1.11), p < .001). Elevated SAA was associated with an increased composite poor outcome in COVID-19 (SMD = 1.06, 95% CI = (0.39, 1.72), p = .002). An elevated LDH was associated with a composite poor outcome (SMD = 1.18, 95% CI = (1.00, 1.36), p < .001). Patients with a composite poor outcome had a higher DD level (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI = (0.79, 1.02), p < .001). This meta-analysis showed that elevated serum CRP, SAA, LDH, and DD were associated with a poor outcome in COVID-19.

Due to their unique properties, paper-based biosensors have attracted attention as inexpensive devices for on-site analysis. To achieve fast and sensitive detection of analytes, immobilization of enzymes with high apparent activities on paper is highly desirable; however, this is challenging. Herein, we report an improved approach to attach a malathion degrading enzyme, PoOPHM9, on paper via an interlocking network of Pluronic F127 (PF127)–poly(acrylic acid)–enzyme conjugates. The addition of PF127 improved retention of enzymatic activity as the apparent kinetic constant Vmax of the immobilized enzyme increased two-fold compared with the paper prepared without PF127. The PF127–poly(acrylic acid)–PoOPHM9 papers provided rapid colorimetric detection of malathion at 0.1–50 mM. The detection was completed within 5 min using a smartphone and image analysis software. As a proof-of-concept, malathion-contaminated water, plant, and apple samples were analyzed with the papers successfully. This material is promising for on-site rapid analysis of malathion-contaminated samples.

A facile, green and economical preparation technique is critical for the cost-effective scale-up manufacture and optoelectronic device engineering of halide perovskites. Herein, we developed a viable solvent-free mechanochemical synthetic route to systematically prepare organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites. In this work, an enormous halide library comprising 16 zero-dimensional hybrid manganese halides with the formula of AnMnX4 (A = organic cations, X = Cl, Br, n =1, 2) was synthesized through an economically and environmentally friendly mechanical grinding solid-state reaction within a quite fast time of 40 s and 100% yield. Even without any crystallization process, these AnMnX4 display strong green light emissions with the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 79.5%, which reaches up to the top rank of green-light-emitting halide perovskites. Moreover, the enormous structural library facilitates us to build up a direct correlation between intermolecular Mn⋯Mn distances and PLQY, which provides a feasibility of fine-tuning luminescence performance by reasonably managing organic species to tailor the Mn⋯Mn distance. This work not only paves a green assembly way of hybrid perovskite materials but also provides a generalized method to rationally optimize the luminescence performances of hybrid manganese halides, which is potentially extended to all emissive hybrid metal halides.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men worldwide, and metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has shown a poor prognosis. Although chemotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) have improved clinical outcomes, the median survival (MS) of patients with mCRPC is still less than 2 years. With the development of poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi), the treatment strategy for patients with mCRPC has markedly evolved. Olaparib, a type of PARPi that can selectively induce synthetic lethality in cancer cells with homologous recombination (HR) deficiencies, was the first type of PARPi approved for treating patients with mCRPC harboring mutations in HR repair (HRR) genes. This review discusses and summarizes the latest progress on therapeutic mechanisms, monotherapy, combination therapy, and adverse events of Olaparib.

In recent years, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely used as gene silencing agents and therapeutics for treatment of cancers due to their high transfection efficiency and lack of cytotoxicity, but their roles in gene silencing in plants have not yet been reported. Here, we report synthesis of AuNPs-branched polyethylenimine and its integration with the small interfering RNAs (siRNA) of NPR1 to form a AuNPs-siRNANPR1 compound. Our results showed that AuNPs-siRNANPR1 was capable of infiltrating into Arabidopsis cells. AuNPs-siRNANPR1 silenced 80% of the NPR1 gene in Arabidopsis. Bacteriostatic and ion leakage experiments suggest that the NPR1 gene in Arabidopsis leaves was silenced by AuNPs-siRNANPR1. In Columbia-0 plants, compared with the control group treated with buffer solution, the AuNPs-siRNANPR1 treatment significantly increased the number of colonies and cell death, and the leaves turned yellow, similar to the phenotype of the npr1 leaves. These results indicated this AuNPs-siRNANPR1 silencing the NPR1 gene method is simple, effective and quick (3 days), and a powerful tool to study gene functions in plants.

Aroma composition is critical to the quality of distilled spirits while the alcohol concentration could have a great effect on the variety and content of aromatic substances. In order to clarify the effect of alcohol concentration on the formation of the aroma composition, volatile compounds in Crystal distilled grape spirits with different alcohol concentrations were analyzed using the Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) technique combined with GC-MS. Characteristic aromas, principal components and odor profiles were also explored. Eighty-six compounds were identified in Crystal distilled grape spirits and 19 compounds were the same for the 4 samples with different alcohol concentrations. The species and contents of esters increased significantly along with the alcohol concentration increasing, while the acid content decreased. No significant change in the volatile alcohol and carbonyl contents was observed, and no terpene was detected in the spirits of 80%vol alcohol content. Fruity was the strongest aroma in the 6 aromatic series of odor, followed by floral and fatty. The 77%vol alcohol distilled grape spirits showed the most fragrant and balanced aroma.

Liver is the main target organ of cadmium (Cd) toxicity and puerarin (PU) has been shown to prevent Cd-induced hepatic cell damage via its antioxidant activity. Nrf2 acts as a critical regulator of cellular defense against various oxidative insults, but its role in the protection of PU against Cd-induced hepatic damage has not yet been clarified. Hereby, this study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanism using mouse hepatocyte line AML-12. Data firstly showed that Cd-inhibited Nrf2 pathway was markedly restored by PU treatment, assessed by Nrf2 nuclear translocation, protein levels of Keap1 and Nrf2 downstream target genes. Accordingly, Cd-reduced protein levels of antioxidant enzymes were significantly up-regulated by PU. Next, Nrf2 silencing cellular model was established to further elucidate the role of Nrf2 in the protection of PU against Cd-induced hepatic damage. Attenuation of Cd-induced autophagy inhibition and autophagosome accumulation by PU was remarkably countered by Nrf2 silencing. Moreover, alleviation of Cd-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation by PU was distinctly prevented by Nrf2 knockdown, assessed by protein levels of NLRP3 inflammosome complex and downstream IL-18 and IL-1β production. Collectively, our data suggest that PU restores Cd-induced Nrf2 inhibition to prevent autophagy inhibition and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, providing novel insights into the protection of PU against Cd-induced hepatic cell damage.

Oleylamine (hereinafter referred to as OM)-modified CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a one-pot pyrolysis method. The tribological properties of the as-prepared CeO2 nanoparticles as the lubricant additive in poly-alpha olefin (PAO) were investigated with a four-ball machine, and their lubricating mechanism was discussed in relation to worn surface analyses by SEM, EDS, and XPS. Findings indicate that these nanoparticles exhibit good dispersibility as well as excellent anti-wear ability in PAO. This is because OM-modified CeO2 nanoparticles can catalyze the oxidation of metallic Fe to form ferrite oxide-containing tribo-film. Under the condition of ASTM D2266-2001, the same lowest WDS was obtained at the concentration of 0.2 wt% and 1.8 wt%. When the concentration of CeO2 is 0.2 wt%, a compact catalytic oxidation tribo-film is formed, which has more outstanding long-term anti-wear ability. When 1.8 wt% CeO2 is added, the tribo-film formed is the combination of catalytic oxidation film and ceria deposition film, which has more significant bearing capacity.

Sunscreen chemicals, such as benzophenones (BPs), are common environmental contaminants that are posing a growing health concern due to their increasing presence in water, fish, and human systems. Benzoresorcinol (BP1), oxybenzone (BP3), and dioxybenzone (BP8) are the most commonly used BPs for their ability to protect from sunburn by absorbing a broad spectrum of ultraviolet radiation. In this study, zebrafish larvae were used as an in vivo model to investigate the potential risks and molecular mechanisms of the toxic effects of BPs. The effects of these BPs on the gene expression in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway, estrogen receptor pathway, and sex differentiation were detected using quantitative real-time PCR. All BPs were found to function as agonists of the estrogen receptors α and β1, indicating that these BPs likely undergo similar molecular metabolism in vivo, whereby they can activate cytochrome P450 genes and promote the expression of CYP19A and DMRT1. Furthermore, the gene expression profile of larvae after BP3 exposure was evaluated using a whole transcriptome sequencing approach. BP3 affected estradiol biosynthesis and sex differentiation. It also regulated gonadotropin-releasing hormone, thus interfering with the endocrine system. As a xenobiotic toxicant, BP3 upregulated the expression of cytochrome P450 genes (CYP1A and CYP3A65) and glutathione metabolism-related genes (GSTA, GSTM, and GSTP). It also interfered with the nervous system by regulating the calcium signaling pathway. These findings will be useful for understanding the toxicity mechanisms and metabolism of BPs in aquatic organisms and promote the regulation of these chemicals in the environment.

Exploring full solar spectrum from ultraviolet (UV) to visible even the near infrared (NIR) wavelength responsive photocatalysts is one of greatly significant issues. Here we show the composite ZnS/RGO (reduced graphene oxide) prepared via a microwave-assisted method for efficient Cr(VI) reduction over the full solar spectrum for the first time. The ZnS/RGO displays high absorption and catalytic activity in the UV, visible and even NIR light region. The introduction of RGO can increase the light absorption, provide more active sites as well as separate and inhibit the recombination of charge carriers, consequently improving the catalytic activity. Only 1 wt.% RGO amount can reduce 90% of Cr(VI) under the radiation of light over the full spectrum. Findings in this work may provide new strategies for the preparation of novel photocatalytic materials in order to expand the utilization range of solar light from UV to NIR energy.

Exploring visible light active semiconductor photocatalysts is one of greatly significant issues. We show herewith the Bi2MoO6/SnO2 hybrid photocatalysts meet the requirement for degradation of organic contaminant. The Bi2MoO6/SnO2 displays better visible light catalytic activity than that of Bi2MoO6. SnO2 as co-catalyst can provide more active sites as well as transfer and restrain the charge recombination, leading to the enhancement of catalytic activity. 30 wt.% SnO2 emersions can degrade 90% for nitrobenzene and 97% for Rhodamine under visible light irradiation.

It is very necessary to produce bio-activated carbon for special use with easy procedure and low cost. One kind of huge surface area microporous bio-material was successfully prepared from agricultural residues (peanut shell, Arachis hypogaea Linn.) and beneficially applied to control elemental mercury (Hg0) in simulated coal-fired flue gas in this study. The possible effects of experimental factors including activator, reaction temperature, and flue components were investigated. The physicochemical properties of the prepared adsorbents were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the peanut shell activated carbon presented excellent Hg0 removal efficiency near 90% at 150 °C. The characterization analysis indicated that the removal characteristics were governed by both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. The chemisorbed mercury on the activated carbon was mainly distinguished into mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and mercuric oxide (HgO). The presence of C-Cl and O* promoted Hg0 into HgCl2 and HgO. Zinc chloride could not only improve the micropore quantity of activated carbon but also have remarkably positive effects on the elemental mercury removal. This study provided a practical and easy preparation method of bio-activated carbon for Hg0 removal with low cost.

A rapid and easy method was developed for the sensitive determination of six acidic pesticides (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, acifluorfen, methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, fluroxypyr, haloxyfop, and bispyribac-sodium) in pear, apple, cucumber, and rice samples. This method was a full automatic platform using a novel polymeric monolith-based on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith was fabricated as the sorbent, and the morphology, surface area, and extraction performance of the polymers were characterized. With the addition of 10.0 mL of acetonitrile and 1.0 to 5.0 g of anhydrous NaCl, the food samples were homogenized and centrifuged. The extracted samples were directly loaded and cleaned on the polymers using a 5 mmol L−1 ammonium acetate solution and subsequently eluted into the analytical column for next separation with an acetonitrile-1.5% formic acid solution as eluting solvent. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 0.2 to 2.0 μg kg−1 for the analytes, and the intra- and inter-day recoveries in pear, apple, cucumber, and rice samples ranged from 80 to 104%, and 83 to 115% with relative standard deviations of less than 13.5%. The developed on-line SPE LC-MS/MS protocol permits an automated and high-throughput determination in only 15 min. Moreover, the intra-batch (n = 5) and inter-batch precisions (n = 3) for the preparation of the polymers were lower than 11.6% and the sorbent was sufficiently stable for 500 extraction cycles without a significant loss in the extraction efficiency. The developed method was successfully applied to monitor six acidic pesticides in vegetable, fruit, and cereal samples.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction is an effective and useful technique to preconcentrate trace analytes from food samples. In this study, a magnetic trimeric chromium octahedral metal-organic framework (Fe3O4-NH2@MIL-101) was fabricated and characterized. Fe3O4-NH2@MIL-101 was applied as an adsorbent of magnetic solid-phase extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography to effectively isolate and simultaneously determine six Sudan dyes (Para Red, Sudan I–IV, and Sudan Red 7B) from tomato sauce. Potential factors affecting the MSPE were investigated in detail, and adsorption efficiency of Fe3O4-NH2@MIL-101 was compared with those of conventional adsorbents, such as neutral alumina, HLB, and C18. The developed method facilitated the extraction with using only 3 mg of adsorbent in 2 min. In addition, enhancement factors of 50, linear range of 0.01–25 μg/mL, and detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.5–2.5 μg/kg were obtained. The intra-day and inter-day recoveries for spiked Sudan dyes were in the range of 72.6%–92.9% and 69.6%–91.6%, respectively, with relative standard deviations of ≤9.2%.

Fingerprints of two varieties of rice and their mixtures were investigated by a nonlinear chemical reaction system consisting of rice components, sodium bromate, manganese sulfate, sulfuric acid and acetone. The variety of rice was identified by the visual characteristic of fingerprint and system similarity pattern recognition, and the content of each variety of rice in the mixture was determined by the quantitative information of fingerprint. The results show that nonlinear chemical analysis may be used to exactly identify the variety of pure rice and to accurately determine the content of each variety of rice in the mixture, indicating the method is simple and convenient.

NMDA receptor (NMDAR) is known for its ionotropic function. But recent evidence suggests that NMDAR also has a non-ionotropic property. To determine the role of non-ionotropic activity of NMDARs in clinical relevant conditions, we tested the effect of glycine, a co-agonist of NMDARs, in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), an animal model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury after the animals were injected with the NMDAR channel blocker MK-801 and the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine. We show that glycine reduces the infarct volume in the brain of ischemic stroke animals pre-injected with MK-801 and strychnine. The effect of glycine is sensitive to the antagonist of glycine-GluN1 binding site and blocked by Akt inhibition. In the neurobehavioral tests, glycine improves the functional recovery of stroke animals pre-injected with MK-801 and strychnine. This study suggests that glycine-induced neuroprotection is mediated in part by the non-ionotropic activity of NMDARs via Akt activation in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Zinc phenylphosphonate (PPZn), a benign and biocompatible nucleating agent, was prepared and incorporated into the biodegradable poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA) to investigate its effect on the crystallization behavior, crystallization kinetics and spherulite morphology of PEA. Upon addition of PPZn, the crystallization temperature and crystallinity of PEA in the non-isothermal crystallization process increased significantly. Analysis of crystallization kinetics by Avrami equation suggests that the crystallization time shortened greatly and crystallization rate increased markedly after addition of PPZn. In the presence of PPZn, the spherulite size decreased and spherulite density increased significantly. It suggests that PPZn is an efficient nucleating agent for the crystallization of PEA. The accelerated crystallization in the presence of PPZn is mainly attributed to the epitaxial nucleation of PEA crystals on the surface of PPZn crystals, that is, a perfect lattice matching between PEA crystal and PPZn crystal occurs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth of rape ( Brassica napus L.) seedlings under different light intensities to select appropriate conditions for cultivation in an indoor system. Seedlings were grown under different light intensities of red and blue light provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and their self-adjustment ability and changes in leaf microstructure were evaluated. Light was supplied by red LEDs with peak wavelengths of 630 (R 1 ) and 660 nm (R 2 ) and by blue LEDs (B) with a peak wavelength of 445 nm (the light intensity ratio of R 1 :R 2 :B was 3:3:2), at intensities of 400 (R 1 R 2 B400), 300 (R 1 R 2 B300), and 200 μmol m −2 s −1 (R 1 R 2 B200). Natural solar light served as the control (C). Plant height, stem diameter, root length, leaf area, and dry weight of rape seedlings gradually increased with increasing light intensity. The seedlings in the R 1 R 2 B400 treatment grew more vigorously, while those in the R 1 R 2 B200 treatment were weaker. The photosynthetic pigment contents did not differ significantly between the R 1 R 2 B400 treatment and C, but were significantly lower in the R 1 R 2 B300 and R 1 R 2 B200 treatments. The highest intercellular CO 2 concentration, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were in the R 1 R 2 B300 treatment. The highest photosynthetic rate was in the R 1 R 2 B400 treatment, and was related to more compact leaves, thicker and tidier palisade and spongy tissues, and well-developed chloroplasts. In contrast, the seedlings in the R 1 R 2 B200 treatment had disordered mesophyll cells, round chloroplasts, and fractured and fuzzy grana lamellae, all of which inhibited plant growth. In conclusion, the seedlings in the R 1 R 2 B400 treatment had well-developed leaves, which favored photosynthesis. Compared with the light intensities below 300 μmol m −2 s −1 , the light intensity of 400 μmol m −2 s −1 provided by a combination of red and blue LEDs was beneficial for cultivating strong and healthy rape seedlings in an artificial system.

l-lysine is a basic amino acid that has been shown to exert neuroprotective effect. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigate how l-lysine exerts its neuroprotective effect in hemin-insulted mouse cortical neurons in vitro and the mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in vivo. We demonstrate that l-lysine treatment promotes M2 microglial polarization and reduces inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that l-lysine may play a neuroprotective role in ICH injury. Indeed, we show that l-lysine treatment reduces cortical neuronal death after hemin insult in vitro and decrease the number of degenerating neurons after ICH in vivo. l-lysine also improves the functional recovery of ICH animals in neurobehavioral tests. Consistent with the role of PTEN in regulating inflammatory response, we find that PTEN inhibition promotes M2 microglial polarization and suppresses pro-inflammatory response in mouse ICH injury, which contribute to the neuroprotective effect of l-lysine. Moreover, our results reveal that microRNA-575 directly suppressed PTEN to promote M2 microglial polarization and mediate the neuroprotective effect of l-lysine in ICH injury. Together, our results suggest that l-lysine confers neuroprotection after ICH injury through enhancing M2 microglial polarization and reducing inflammatory response, which is mediated by microRNA-575 upregulation and subsequent PTEN downregulation.

Cadmium (Cd) is a common heavy metal contamination that is highly toxic to liver. Puerarin (PU), a potent free radical scavenger, has been shown to exert cytoprotective effect in numerous pathological processes. However, whether PU affords protection against Cd-induced hepatotoxicity remains unclear to be known. Here, we aimed to investigate the protective effect of PU on Cd-induced hepatotoxicity in an immortalized mouse hepatocyte line, AML-12. First, Cd-induced cytotoxicity in AML-12 cells was obviously ameliorated by PU treatment. Also, Cd-induced apoptotic cell death was markedly alleviated by PU treatment, evidenced by two methods. Simultaneously, Cd-elevated malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels were significantly reduced by PU administration, demonstrating the antioxidant effect of PU against Cd exposure. Moreover, Cd-induced blockage of autophagic flux in AML-12 cells was obviously restored by PU treatment, evidenced by immunoblot analysis of autophagy marker proteins and tandem fluorescent-tagged LC3 method. Resultantly, Cd-induced autophagosome accumulation was significantly alleviated by PU treatment. In conclusion, these observations demonstrate that PU treatment alleviates Cd-induced hepatic cell damage by inhibiting apoptosis and restoring autophagy activity, which is intimately related with its antioxidant activity.

A polymeric monolithic solid phase extraction sorbent was fabricated from sole ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in a syringe and applied as a sorbent for the determination of carbamazepine (CBZ) and 10-hydroxy-carbamazepine (MHD) in human serum using high performance liquid chromatography. The effects of reaction temperature and reaction time on the extraction performance of the target compounds were investigated. The parameters, such as washing solvent, and elution solution and its volume, were optimized. Under the optimized condition, the purification and enrichment of CBZ and MHD in human serum were successfully achieved on the proposed poly ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) monolithic column. The linear ranges were 0.02-40 μg/mL for CBZ and 0.05-100 μg/mL for MHD. The results indicated that the method exhibited good linearity in the corresponding ranges with the correlation coefficients (r) of 0.999. The limits of detection (S/N=3) of CBZ and MHD were 0.004 μg/mL and 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. The average recoveries at three spiked levels of CBZ and MHD were 92.7% and 94.2%, respectively, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ≤ 6.1%. Furthermore, the intra column to column (n=3) and inter batch to batch (n=5) RSDs were no more than 5.3%. The RSDs of eight repeated extraction cycles were no more than 5.8%. The developed method is effective and simple, and is suitable for the determination of CBZ and MHD in human serum.

High-efficient and economic sorbents are highly desired for arsenic (As) emission control in flue gas from coal-fired power plant. A series of Fe-Mn binary oxides were prepared by a facile method, and their behaviors for gaseous arsenic removal in flue gas were investigated. The binary oxide exhibited a remarkable synergistic effect for arsenic removal compared with Mn or Fe monometallic oxide. The possible effects of CO2, NO, SO2, and O2 on the removal performance were also studied. The adsorption ability was excellent and stable in simulated flue gas conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-performance liquid chromatography atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (HPLC−AFS) coupling system were applied to analyze the species of surface-adsorbed arsenicals and soluble arsenicals. It was confirmed that the good sorption performance resulted from oxidation of As2O3 (As(III)) to As2O5 (As(V)) by Mn oxide and followed by efficient adsorption of As(V) on Fe oxide. Considering the toxicity of pentavalent arsenicals is lower than trivalent arsenicals, the oxidation of arsenic compounds can not only enhance its removal capacity but also decrease the toxicity of arsenicals after capture.

Previous study has demonstrated that mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway is involved in the nephroprotective effect of puerarin (PU) against lead-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultures of rat proximal tubular (rPT) cells. To further clarify how PU exerts its antiapoptotic effects, this study was designed to investigate the role of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and subsequent apoptotic events in the process of PU against Pb-induced cytotoxicity in rPT cells. The results showed that Pb-mediated mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening together with mitochondrial cytochrome c release, activations of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and subsequent poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage can be effectively blocked by the addition of PU. Simultaneously, upregulation and downregulation of Bcl-2 and Bax with increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio due to PU administration further alleviated Pb-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. Moreover, PU can reverse Pb-induced ATP depletion by restoring mitochondrial fragmentation to affect ATP production and by regulating expression levels of ANT-1 and ANT-2 to improve ATP transport. In summary, PU produced a significant protection against Pb-induced mitochondrial apoptosis in rPT cells by inhibiting MPTP opening to ameliorate the mitochondrial dysfunction.

Protein arginine methylation is a common posttranslational modification resulting in the generation of asymmetric dimethylarginine (aDMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (sDMA). Currently, the regulation of aDMA or sDMA by hypoxia, nutrient stavation or cytokines in the tumor microenvironment remains largely unknown. Here we show that p90aDMA, p70aDMA and p90sDMA, endogenous proteins containing aDMA or sDMA with mass 70 or 90 kDa, were widely and dominantly expressed in breast cancer cell lines. Notably, it was p90aDMA rather than p90sDMA that accumulated in the nucleus upon stimulation of cancer cells with interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6 but not IL-8. In addition, the p90aDMA accumulation could be inhibited after treatment with a global methyltrasferase inhibitor, adenosine-2',3'-dialdehyde (AdOx). It seemed that some endogenous proteins in cancer cells were asymmetrically arginine-methylated upon exposure to some cytokines.. Furthermore, endogenous proteins of aDMA, such as p90aDMA and p70aDMA, were degraded in response to hypoxia, nutrient starvation and rapamycin treatment in breast and cervical cancer cells. IL-2/4/6 slightly increased basal autophagy but slightly decreased the rapamycin‑induced autophagy in cancer cells, suggesting that IL-2/4/6 and autophagy inducers play distinct roles in the regulation of aDMA of proteins. Conversely, rapamycin accumulated p90sDMA in MDA-MB‑231 and MCF-7 cells. Taken together, our results add a new dimension to the complexity of arginine methylated regulation in response to various stimuli and provide the first evidence that aDMA serves as one specific degradation signal of selective autophagy.

The increasing quantities of insecticides that leach into water bodies severely affect the health of the aquatic environment. Juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) insecticides are endocrine disrupters that interfere with hormonal activity in insects by mimicking juvenile hormones (JHs). Because the structure and functions of methyl farnesoate in crustaceans are similar to the insect JHs, exogenous JHA insecticides may cause adverse effects on the growth and reproduction in crustaceans similar to those observed in insects. This study examined the toxic effects of two JHA insecticides, methoprene and fenoxycarb, on the water flea Moina macrocopa. The 24-h and 48-h LC50 values for fenoxycarb and methoprene were 0.53 and 0.32 mg/L and 0.70 and 0.54 mg/L, respectively. Chronic exposure to the two JHAs caused a series of toxic effects in M. macrocopa, including shortening of life expectancy, repression of body growth, reduction in fecundity, and disturbed the expression of genes involved in the JH signaling pathway, in cuticle development, and in the carbohydrate, amino acid, and ATP metabolic processes. Moreover, JHA exposure impaired the growth and reproduction of the offspring of M. macrocopa exposed to JHAs, even when the neonates were not exposed to the chemicals. In addition, changes in the expression of genes related to histone methylation indicate that epigenetic changes may promote transgenerational impairment in M. macrocopa. These results demonstrate the toxic effects of fenoxycarb and methoprene on non-target aquatic organisms. The damages done by these JHA insecticides to the aquatic environment is worthy of our attention and further studies.

The composite particles with litchi-like morphologies attributing to the combination of inorganic silica seed and polymer nodules were synthesized successfully using a modified dispersion polymerization method. Dispersion polymerization of styrene was achieved in the presence of silica particles and the formed polystyrene nanoparticles were absorbed onto the surface of silica particles. The effects of the adding amount of St monomer on the particle morphologies was investigated.

Knot polynomials have been used to detect and classify knots in biomolecules. Computation of knot polynomials in DNA and protein molecules have revealed the existence of knotted structures, and provided important insight into their topological structures. However, conventional knot polynomials are not well suited to study RNA molecules, as RNA structures are determined by stem regions which are not taken into account in conventional knot polynomials. In this study, we develop a new class of knot polynomials specifically designed to study RNA molecules, which considers stem regions. We demonstrate that our knot polynomials have direct structural relation with RNA molecules, and can be used to classify the topology of RNA secondary structures. Furthermore, we point out that these knot polynomials can be used to model the topological effects of disulfide bonds in protein molecules.

Monodisperse silica microspheres have drawn much attention for having important applications in many areas. In this paper, a series of monodisperse silica (SiO2) microspheres was synthesized successfully using a modified Stober method in which tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was continuously supplied into the reaction system by a syringe pump. By changing the supply rate of TEOS, the diameters of the obtained SiO2 microspheres were controlled very well from 1 μm to 3 μm. Detailed characterization of the silica particles was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

A pair of homochiral metal−organic frameworks [Cd((R)-HCIA) (1,4-DMIB)]·xGuest (1-D; (R)-H3CIA=(R)-5-(1-carboxyethoxy)isophthalic acid, 1,4- DMIB=1,1'-(2,5-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)bis(4-methyl-1H-imidazole)) and [Cd((S)- HCIA)(1,4-DMIB)]·xGuest (1-L) were formed from Cd2+, H3CIA and 1,4-DMIB under solvothermal conditions, respectively. X-ray crystallography reveals they are enantiomers and exhibit three-dimensional dia frameworks. Moreover, four types of interesting helical chains based on Cd(Ⅱ) ions, HCIA2− ligands and or 1,4-DMIB ligands are found in their structures. Their thermal stabilities, solid-state circular dichroism (CD), and photoluminescent properties were also investigated. These results demonstrate that selection of chiral ligands is a key factor to gain helical HMOFs.

Over past decades, the farming of mud crab Scylla paramamosain has expanded rapidly in China. In our previous experiments, the results showed that the mud crab S. paramamosain in China could be divided into northern and southern populations and these two populations had differences in the adaptive capacity to cultivation environmental conditions. In order to verify this, the present study measured and compared the mitochondrial function and metabolic enzyme activity of these two populations during seasonal acclimatization. It was shown that the mitochondrial respiration rates in the gill, hepatopancreas and muscle of the northern population were significantly higher than those of the southern population in winter, spring and summer although the differences in summer were less pronounced than in winter and spring. In winter and spring, both state 2 and 3 mitochondrial respiration rates measured using either succinate or pyruvate + malate as the substrate in the gill of the northern population were consistently significantly higher than those of the southern population. The measurement of metabolic enzyme activity during different seasons showed that for the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase in the gill, hepatopancreas and muscle, the differences in activity between the northern and southern populations were in general consistent with those of the mitochondrial function. For example, the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase activities in the gill of the northern population were significantly higher than those of the southern population in winter, spring and summer. However, activity of lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and hexokinase in the muscle were slightly different between the northern and southern populations. Only in summer the lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase activities in the muscle of the southern population were significantly higher than those of the northern population. In summary, the results of the present study showed that compared to the southern population, the northern population had a better compensation mechanism in mitochondrial metabolite level during cooler seasons, which might indicate that the northern population adapts better to low temperature than the southern population. Therefore, the temperature for the farming of the southern population and northern population should be different.

A combined chromatographic method using high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and Sephadex LH-20 chromatography was established for bioassay-guided separation and purification of water-soluble antioxidants from Carthamus tinctorius L florets. The crude sample II obtained by an initial cleanup step on the AB-8 macroporous resin exhibited a potential ABTS radical cation scavenging activity with the SC50 value of 49.28 mu g/mL. The HSCCC separation was performed with a two-phase solvent system composed of n-butanol-0.1 mol/L HCl (1:1, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. After a single run, 3 mg hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) with 98% purity was separated as a major component from 20 mg of crude sample II. In order to increase the yield and investigate the minor components, the sample size of HSCCC separation was enlarged to 1 g. Then, HSCCC fractions were subjected to Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and eluted with distilled water at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min to remove the acid and further separate the components. This separation yielded 184.0 mg of HSYA (1), 10.0 mg of 5,4'-dihydroxyflavone-3,6-di-O-beta-D-glucoside-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide (2), 3.0 mg of 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3), and 3.2 mg of 4-O-beta-D-glucosyl-trans-p-coumaric acid (4) from 1 g crude sample II of C tinctorius L. florets. The purity of the separated compounds were over 95% by HPLC analysis, and their chemical structures were confirmed by MS, H-1 NMR and C-13 NMR. Compounds 3 and 4 were found from this plant for the first time. Antioxidant activities assayed in vitro by ABTS radical cation scavenging showed that the SC50 values of the above four compounds were 44.39 +/- 1.62 mu g/mL, 78.13 +/- 1.00 mu g/mL, 21.85 +/- 1.96 mu g/mL, and 31.44 +/- 2.06 mu g/mL, respectively.

3-(2-Aminoethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane (AAPTS) functionalized silica gel (AAPTS/SiO2) was synthesized by a sol–gel process and was used for the arsenic removal from ammoniacal etching waste liquor which was oxidized by H2O2. The AAPTS/SiO2 sorbent reached absorption saturation at 20 min and had a substantial binding capacity in the range of pH 4.7–10.2. The maximum static adsorption capacity of AAPTS/SiO2 sorbent for arsenic was 16.1 mg g−1. Equilibrium data fitted perfectly with Langmuir isotherm model compared to Freundlich isotherm model. The removal rate of arsenic by AAPTS/SiO2 sorbent was 95.4% at the optimal conditions from ammoniacal etching waste liquor. Results showed that AAPTS/SiO2 sorbent could be used for the arsenic removal from ammoniacal etching waste liquor.

To explore mild and efficient techniques for separation and purification of the active ingredients in natural plants is still ongoing. Ionic liquid (IL) is a new class of molten salts that are liquid at ambient temperature, which has many unique properties is safe and environmentally friendly chemical. Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) based on ILs and salts were applied to isolate and purify anthraquinones (AQs) from aloe leaves. The main affecting parameters on the partitioning behavior and extraction efficiency were investigated through the partitioning process: type and mass of salt, pH, extraction temperature, and equilibrium time of the systems. Aloe AQs preferentially migrated into the IL-rich phase. Under the optimal conditions, the maximal extraction efficiency 92.1% of total AQs was obtained with the [C 4 mim]BF 4 /Na 2 SO 4 system at 25 °C and pH 4.0. The reverse extraction experiments were done by adjusting pH with IL being recycled. Furthermore, the major constituents of aloe-emodin and chrysophanol were analyzed by a HPLC method. Ionic liquid-based ATPSs (ILATPSs) are great candidates for the replacement of volatile organic compounds in typical liquid–liquid extraction. This proposed extraction technique opens up new possibilities in purification of other active ingredients in natural plants or biologic samples.

In this paper, silanol (SiOH) groups on the surface of silica were functionalized by the silylation reactions with bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]tetrasulfide molecules using a hydrothermal-assisted surface grafting method to give a tetrasulfide-functionalized silica sorbent, which was applied to the removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions. The sorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of pH values of solution, the contact time and the initial concentrations of metal ions were investigated by conventional batch equilibrium adsorption test. The characteristics of the adsorption process were investigated by Scatchard plot analysis. The results showed that the maximum static adsorption capacity of tetrasulfide-functionalized silica sorbent by hydrothermal heating method was 1.5 times as much as by the conventional heating method. The experimental values of the saturated adsorption capacities of Cd2+ and Pb2+ could reach to 22.3 and 46.3 mg g−1, respectively. The tetrasulfide-functionalized silica sorbent had a substantial binding capacity in the range of pH 3.7–8.5. Scatchard analysis revealed that two classes of binding sites were formed. The pseudo second-order kinetic model provided excellent kinetic data fitting (r2 > 0.99). Equilibrium data Equilibrium data fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model. Various thermodynamic parameters such as ΔGo, ΔHo and ΔSo revealed that the adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous process. In addition, the adsorption/desorption cycle of tetrasulfide-functionalized silica sorbent could be up to five times. These results confirmed that tetrasulfide-functionalized silica sorbent could be a potential sorbent for the removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+ from aqueous solutions.

A new surface-ion-imprinted amino-functionalized silica gel sorbent was prepared by the surface imprinting technique with As(V) as the template, 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane as the functional monomer, silica gel as the support, and epichlorohydrin as the cross-linking agent and was characterized by FTIR, SEM, nitrogen adsorption, and the static adsorption–desorption experiment method. The results showed that the maximum static adsorption capacity of the imprinted silica gel sorbent was 16.1 mg·g–1, the adsorption equilibrium could be reached in 20 min, there was no influence of pH values on adsorption capacity of the imprinted silica gel sorbent in the range of 3.7–9.2, and the imprinted silica gel sorbent could be used repeatedly and indicated high selectivity even in the presence of the other metal ions. The Langmuir adsorption model was more favorable than the Freundlich adsorption model. Kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption followed a pseudosecond-order model. Various thermodyn...

In this paper, an ionic liquid based aqueous two-phase system (ILATPS) was employed in simultaneous extraction and purification of aloe polysaccharides (APS) and proteins by a single-step procedure. Parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated in detail, such as type and concentration of phase-forming salt, temperature, pH, inorganic electrolyte, etc. Under the optimal extraction conditions, APS can be extracted into salt-rich phase with high extraction efficiency, while majority proteins and other impurities were extracted into IL-rich phase. APS were further purified using a dialysis membrane to remove the salt and IL. In addition, the monosaccharide constitutes of APS were analyzed by a HPLC method. The purity of the final product was demonstrated by a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). IL in IL-rich phase was recycled by a simple solvent extraction method using dichloromethane. Compared with other liquid–liquid extraction, ILATPS is much simpler and “greener”, it will open up new possibilities in the separation of other active ingredients in natural plants.

ABCBA pentablock double-hydrophilic copolymer of poly(diethylene glycol monomethyl ether methacrylate)- block -poly(2-( N,N -dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)- block -poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(2-( N,N -dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)- block -poly(diethylene glycol monomethyl ether methacrylate) (PMEO 2 MA- b -PDMAEMA- b -PEG- b -PDMAEMA- b -PMEO 2 MA) was synthesized by sequential atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The copolymer is hydrophilic at low temperature and pH values (at temperatures lower than 26 °C and acidic pH values), and became amphiphilic when pH and (or) temperature changed. Investigation shows that the copolymer can self-assembly into micelles with various structures under the conditions of temperature higher than 26 °C or basic solutions. The self-assembly behavior and multi-responsive properties of the copolymer in water were investigated by DLS and TEM. The self-assembly behavior of the copolymer can be adjusted by the alteration of pH values or temperature. Therefore, the copolymer will have the potential applications in biomedical field.

The nanocrystalline S doped titanium dioxide films were successfully prepared by the improved sol-gel process. Here TiO(C4H9O)4 and CS(NH2)2 were used as precursors of titania and sulfur, respectively. The as-prepared specimens were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the films were evaluated by degradation of organic dyes in aqueous solution. The results of XRD, FE-SEM, and BET analyses indicated that the TiO2 films were composed of nanoparticles. S doping could obviously not only suppress the formation of brookite phase but also inhibit the transformation of anatase to rutile at high temperature. Compared with pure TiO2 film, S doped TiO2 film exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. It is believed that the surface microstructure of the modified f...

Oxidation behaviors of blank and CeO2 coated T91 steel were investigated at 600 ℃ in water vapor for up to 150 h. Gold marker was used to define the mass transport direction. The oxide scales were studied with X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The oxidation resistance of the steel is improved by CeO2 coating, though the improvement is not remarkable. Ce-rich oxide band is located at the interface of the inner equiaxed layer and the outer columnar layer after oxidation, which is not consistent with the original surface. The results show that outward iron transport is blocked by the Ce-rich band. A new oxide nucleating and growing site (reaction front) is induced at the inner surface of the Ce rich band.

Two new salts, [NO2BrBzPy]2[M(mnt)2] ([NO2BrBzPy]+= 1-(2′-bromo-4′-nitrobenzyl)pyridinium; mnt2−= maleonitriledithiolate; M = Ni(1), Pd(2)) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV, ESI-MS spectra, TG, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results reveal that when the metal ion is changed from Ni(II) to Pd(II), the crystal system, and the dihedral angles between the phenyl and pyridine rings and the C-C-N reference plane of the cation, and the stacking modes of the anions and the cations are evidently different. Some weak interactions such as C–H···Br, C−H···O, C−H···N and C−H···S hydrogen bonds, p or stacking interactions in 1 and 2 play important roles in the molecular stacking and generate a 2D structure.

The contributions of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS), tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), residual sludge (the sludge left after EPS extraction) and functional groups such as amine, carboxyl, phosphate and lipid on aerobic granules on biosorption of four different dyes (Reactive Brilliant Blue KN-R (KN-R), Congo Red (CR), Reactive Brilliant Red K-2G (RBR) and Malachite Green (MG)) were investigated. EPS may be responsible for biosorption of cationic dyes. However, residual sludge always made greater contribution than that of EPS. The biosorption mechanisms were dependent on the functional groups on aerobic granules and dyes' chemical structures. The lipid and phosphate groups might be the main binding sites for KN-R biosorption. Amine, carboxyl, phosphate and lipid were all responsible for the binding of CR. The lipid fractions played an important role for RBR biosorption. For MG, the phosphate groups gave the largest contribution.

Two tetrabromocuprate (II) salts with substituted benzyl pyridinium, [BzPy]2[CuBr4](1) and [4NO2BzPy]2[CuBr4](2) ([BzPy]+ = 1-benzylpyridinium; [4NO2BzPy]+ = 1-(4′-nitrobenzy- lpyridinium), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, MS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The two salts comprise a [CuBr4]2−anion and two cations, and the [CuBr4]2−anion exhibits a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. The weak interactions such as p…π, π…π, C-H…π, C−H…Br or C−H…O hydrogen bonds play important roles in the stacking and stabilization of the two salts, and give rise to a 3D network structure. In addition, the two salts show good antibacterial activities for colibacillus, aurococcus, bacillus subtilus and bacillus thuringiensis.

Two new tetranuclear copper (II) macrocyclic complexes, [Cu4L(OAc)2(OH)2](ClO4)2·2MeCN 1 and [Cu4L (OAc)2(OH)2](PF6)2(H2O)2 2, have been obtained via condensation of 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenolate with N,N′-bis(3-aminopropyl)-2-thiophenoethylamine in the presence of copper (II) ions. The complexes were characterized by IR, ES-MS and X-ray diffraction techniques. It shows the similar chair-shaped Cu4O4 core structure for these two macrocyclic complexes, which is composed of two kinds of crystallographically independent Cu(II) ions. The coordination spheres of the Cu(II) ions are distorted square pyramid and approximate square-planar configuration, respectively. In addition, it was found that the crystal structures are stabilized by abundant hydrogen bonds between perchlorate anions and adjacent macrocyclic units for complex 1. The network structure of 2 was maintained by π–π stacking of thiopheno groups and C H···F hydrogen bond interactions between adjacent macrocycles. The variable temperature magnetic susceptibility of complex 1 was measured in the temperature range of 2–300 K. The best fitting with a quasi-butterfly magneto-structural model gave the magnetic exchange parameters of Jbb = −197.6 cm−1, Jwb1 = −60 cm−1 and Jwb2 = 103.5 cm−1.