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Although membrane separation technology has been widely used in the treatment of oily wastewater, the complexity and high cost of the membrane preparation, as well as its poor stability, limit its further development. In this study, via the vacuum-assisted suction filtration method, polydopamine (PDA)-coated TiO2 nanoparticles were tightly attached and embedded on both sides of laboratory filter paper (FP). The resultant FP possessed the typical wettability of high hydrophilicity in the air with the water contact angle (WCA) of 28°, superoleophilicity with the oil contact angle (OCA) close to 0°, underwater superoleophobicity with the underwater OCA greater than 150°, and superhydrophobicity under the water with the underoil WCA over 150° for five kinds of organic solvents (carbon tetrachloride, toluene, n-hexane, n-octane, and iso-octane). The separation efficiency of immiscible oil/water, oil-in-water, and water-in-oil emulsions using the modified FP is higher than 99%. After 17 cycles of emulsion separation, a high separation efficiency of 99% was still maintained for the FP, along with good chemical and mechanical stability. In addition, successful separation and purification were also realized for the oil-in-water emulsion that contained the methylene blue (MB) dye, along with the complete degradation of MB in an aqueous solution under UV irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation is a very promising and economical method for gravitational oil/water separation and the collection of oil spills. Both superhydrophilicity/underwater superhydrophobicity (SHL&UWSOB) and superhydrophobicity/superlipophilicity (SHB&SOL) are suitable materials for the solution. In this work, an ingenious design strategy of "two birds with one stone" to modify Ni foams (NFs) was developed, in which SHL&UWSOB was initially fabricated by the in situ growth of a bimetallic Fe/Ni-MOF on an NF surface by solvothermal synthesis. Further modification based on the resultant SHL&UWSOB-NF led to the construction of a SHB&SOL surface by simple immersion of stearic acid. The micro/nano structure beneficial to underwater superoleophobicity was tailored by optimizing the solvothermal reaction time in the range of 10–24 h. The results showed that SHL&UWSOB-NF was obtained with a high oil contact angle (OCA) of 165.9° under water when the time of the solvothermal reaction was kept at about 18 h. Likewise, the further modified NF exhibited an obvious SHB&SOL property with a water contact angle (WCA) of 156.3° and a water rolling angle (SCA) of 9°. The light oil (n-hexane) floating on the water's surface and heavy oil of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) at the bottom of the water, as well as the mini-separation of oil/water, demonstrated its facile and versatile application as a separation medium. The strategy may offer new approaches for the fabrication of superwetting/superantiwetting separation materials for oil/water separation and oil collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust membrane materials with high efficiency have attracted extensive attention in oil/water separation. In this work, carbon particles via candle combustion were firstly adsorbed on the surface of stainless steel meshes (SSMs), which formed a thin hydrophobic coating, and a rough structure was then constructed through chemical vapor deposition and high temperature calcination, with the resultant SSM surface wrapped with uniform silica coating possessing the characteristic of superoleophobicity underwater. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the modified SSMs. The prepared SSMs were superhydrophilic in air, and they had superoleophobicity underwater (157.4°). The separation efficiency of five oil/water mixtures was above 98.8%, and the separation flux was 46,300 L·m−2·h−1. After it was immersed in 1 mol/L NaOH, 1 mol/L HCl and 3.5 wt% NaCl for 24 h, respectively, the efficiency was still above 97.3%. Further immersion in the solution of dopamine and octadecylamine resulted in the transformation of superhydrophililc/superoleophobicity-underwater SSMs to superhydrophobic SSMs, and the resultant SSMs with reverse surface wettability was also used for the oil/water separation with good separation efficiency and separation flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust superhydrophobic brass mesh was fabricated based on a low-energy surface and a roughness on the nano/micro-meter scale. It was carried out by the forming of hydroxyapatite (HP) coatings on its surface through a constant current electro-deposition process, followed by immersion in fluoroalkylsilane solution. Surface morphology, composition and wetting behavior were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high speed camera, and contact angle goniometer. Under optimal conditions, the resulting brass mesh exhibited superhydrophobicity, excellent anti-corrosion (η = 91.2%), and anti-scaling properties. While the surfactant liquid droplets of tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (TTAB) with different concentration were dropped on the superhydrophobic surface, maximum droplet rebounding heights and different contact angles (CAs) were observed and measured from side-view imaging. The plots of surfactant-concentration−maximum bounding height/CA were constructed to determine its critical-micelle-concentration (CMC) value. Close CMC results of 1.91 and 2.32 mM based on the determination of maximum rebounding height and CAs were obtained. Compared with its theoretical value of 2.1 mM, the relative errors are 9% and 10%, respectively. This indicated that the novel application based on the maximum rebounding height could be an alternative approach for the CMC determination of other surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and fabrication of Janus interface materials as diodes for both liquids and gases are a great challenge in the field of materials science. Here, a Janus titanium mesh with superhydrophobicity and high oleophobicity was fabricated using economical and environmentally friendly electrochemical etching and wet-chemistry methods. Switchable, spontaneous, and unidirectional transport ability for both water and oil fluids was realized in the smart mesh by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Unidirectional fluid transport only occurred for fluids with specific surface tension values, and the fluid selectivity was dependent on the UV irradiation time. Underwater bubble unidirectional permeation through the mesh was also achieved using a mesh irradiated for approximately 7 h. More importantly, the mechanism is proposed and elucidated in detail, and the proposed mechanism can more reasonably explain the antigravity unidirectional transport of liquid droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the profiles of anti-RPLP0, anti-galectin3 antibodies, interferon-α (IFN-α), interferon-λ1(IFN-λ1) and interleukin-17A/F(IL-17A/F) in the subtypes of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) including acute CLE (ACLE), subacute CLE (SCLE) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). Methods: Serum levels of autoantibodies and cytokines were determined by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Lupus lesions were evaluated by cutaneous lupus erythematosus disease area and severity index (CLASI). Results: Serum anti-RPLP0, anti-galectin3 antibodies and IFN-λ1 were higher in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with skin lesions than those without skin lesions, compared to healthy controls. IFN-α, IL-17A and IL-17F was elevated in all patients regardless of skin lesions. The two antibodies, IFN-α and IL-17A were positively correlated with the CLASI score in all patients with CLE. In addition, serum IL-17A was positively correlated to the CLASI score of ACLE, SCLE and DLE, while anti-RPLP0 and anti-galectin3 antibodies were only correlated to the score of SCLE and IL-17F to DLE. Conclusion: Serum anti-RPLP0, anti-galectin3 antibodies, IFN-α, IFN-λ1 and IL-17A/F are associated with the occurrence of lupus skin lesions regardless of the systemic complications, whereas the profiles of these inflammatory mediators vary with the subtypes of lupus skin lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between an aMOC and miRNA/DNA is studied and the use of a signal probe DNA (spDNA)@aMOC complex as an effective amplifier in a QCM sensor to detect miRNA is developed. The signal can be significantly enhanced, which leads to improved performance when detecting and distinguishing miRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synovial fibroblasts (SFs) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are phenotypically aggressive, typically progressing into arthritic cartilage degradation. Throughout our study, we made explorations into the effects of microRNA‐135a (miR‐135a) on the SFs involved in RA by mediating the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway via regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase regulatory subunit 2 (PIK3R2). The expression of PI3K was higher, the expression of PIK3R2 was lower, and AKT was phosphorylated in the RA synovial tissues, relative to the levels found in the normal synovial tissues. We predicted miR‐135a to be a candidate miR targeting PIK3R2 using an online website, microRNA.org, which was verified with a dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay. Subsequently, high miR‐135a expression was observed in RA synovial tissues. To study the effect of the interaction between miR‐135a and PIK3R2 in RA, the SFs isolated from RA samples were cultured and transfected with mimic, inhibitor, and small interfering RNA. The proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of the SFs were detected after the transfection. The cells transfected with miR‐135a inhibitor showed inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while also displaying promoted cell apoptosis, G0/G1 cell ratio, and decreased S cell ratio, through upregulation of PIK3R2 and inactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These findings provided evidence that downregulation of miR‐135a inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion and promotes apoptosis of SFs in RA by upregulating the PIK3R2 coupled with inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The downregulation of miR‐135a might be a potential target in the treatment of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the effects on hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in gouty patients receiving uric acid‐lowering therapy (UALT). Methods: A retrospective study was performed from January 2015 to December 2017 in gouty patients receiving UALT. A total of 124 gouty patients with hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia who were administered UALT were monitored. Of the 124 patients with gout, 52 were treated with febuxostat, 29 were treated with allopurinol, and 43 were treated with benzbromarone. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were recorded and analyzed following treatment for 8‐10 weeks. Results: We compared the efficacy of febuxostat, allopurinol, and benzbromarone. All therapies mildly influenced serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Febuxostat significantly decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients who did not receive lipid‐lowering therapy. Allopurinol and benzbromarone modestly decreased triglyceride levels, but cholesterol levels were unaffected. Conclusion: Uric acid‐lowering therapy benefits hyperlipidemia in gouty patients. Febuxostat effectively improved serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to allopurinol and benzbromarone in patients with gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stainless steel wires were modified by chemical etching and immersion for SPME. • Supherhydrophobic wire exhibited excellent extraction capacity to six non-polar PAHs. • High extraction capacity was obtained for polar estrogens using the hydrophilic wire. • Hydrophobic/hydrophilic interaction was intimately related to the enrichment factor. Construction of different surface wettability is meaningful for the interaction between the sorbent surface and target components. In the current study, four kinds of stainless-steel wires (SSWs) with different hydrophobic/hydrophilic property were prepared and used as the absorbents to enrich the target compounds with different polarity. Comparative extraction of six non-polar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and six polar estrogens was carried out by in-tube solid phase microextraction (IT-SPME). The results showed that two SSWs with the superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited high extraction capacity to the non-polar PAHs with the superior enrichment factor (EF) in the range of 29–672 and 57–744, respectively. In contrast, the superhydrophilic SSWs demonstrated higher enrichment efficiency for the polar estrogens than other hydrophobic SSWs. On the basis of optimized conditions, a validated analysis method was established using six PAHs as model analytes for IT-SPME-HPLC. Acceptable linear ranges (0.5–10 μg L−1) and low detection limits (0.0056–0.32 μg L−1) were achieved using the superhydrophobic wire modified by perfluorooctyl trichlorosilane (FOTS). The relative recoveries spiked at 2, 5 and 10 μg L−1 in the lake water samples were in the range of 81.5%–113.7%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intraday (≤0.8%, n = 3) and interday (≤5.3%, n = 3) tests demonstrated the good extraction repeatability for the same extraction tube. Satisfactory repeatability for the preparation of extraction tubes (n = 3) was also obtained with the RSD values in the range of 3.6%–8.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under investigation with symbolic computation in this paper, is a variable-coefficient Sasa-Satsuma equation (SSE) which can describe the ultra short pulses in optical fiber communications and propagation of deep ocean waves. By virtue of the extended Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur system, Lax pair for the model is directly constructed. Based on the obtained Lax pair, an auto-Bäcklund transformation is provided, then the explicit one-soliton solution is obtained. Meanwhile, an infinite number of conservation laws in explicit recursion forms are derived to indicate its integrability in the Liouville sense. Furthermore, exact explicit rogue wave (RW) solution is presented by use of a Darboux transformation. In addition to the double-peak structure and an analog of the Peregrine soliton, the RW can exhibit graphically an intriguing twisted rogue-wave (TRW) pair that involve four well-defined zero-amplitude points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) can be an individual disease only involving skin, or presents as part of the manifestations of SLE. A small proportion of CLE may progress into SLE, however, the underlying pathogenic mediators remain elusive. By only including researches that clearly described if the subtypes of CLE presented by enrolled subjects was associated with or without SLE, we provided an overview of antibodies, inflammatory cells and inflammatory molecular mediators identified in blood and skin that were possibly involved in lupus skin damages. IgG autoantibodies are crucial for the development of CLE associated with SLE, but the circulating inflammatory cells and molecular mediators require further studies to provide definitive proof for their association with skin damages. Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common subtype of CLE. For DLE without associated with SLE (CDLE), it is lack of evidences if autoantibodies and circulating inflammatory cells are involved in the pathogenesis or not, but is clear that the cutaneous inflammatory infiltrates are dominated by Th1, but not Th17 cells in contrast to the various complex profile in SLE. As the major target cells in skin, keratinocytes may participate the pathophysiological process by increase cell apoptosis and the production of proinflammatory cytokines in SLE and CDLE. Insights into the similarities and differences of the pathogenesis of CLE and CLE associated with SLE will also improve our therapeutic strategies for CLE that is currently adopted from SLE, and prevent the progression of CLE to SLE by providing interventions within an appropriate window of disease development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biomarkers for the early prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) are urgently needed for clinical management of the disease. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), one of the autocrine peptides that reduce endothelial permeability, has been found to be associated with various diseases, including inflammatory disorders.Aims: This study aimed to determine whether serum Ang-2 could serve as a noninvasive biomarker for the early prediction of persistent organ failure (POF) in acute pancreatitis.Methods: A total of 120 AP patients were prospectively enrolled at Jinling Hospital. Serum samples were collected on admission. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Ang-2 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: A total of 37 patients developed POF and were classified as having severe AP (SAP). Ang-2 was significantly higher on admission in patients who developed POF than in those who did not (p < 0.001 for all). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that Ang-2 could distinguish patients who developed POF from mild AP (MAP, area under ROC curve [AUC] = 0.88, 95 % CI 0.78-0.94) and moderately severe AP patients (MSAP, AUC = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.63-0.83). In addition, multivariate logistic regression showed that increased Ang-2 was an independent predictor of developing POF between subgroups with MSAP and SAP (OR 7.2, 95 % CI 2.7-19.4) and among all AP patients (OR 12.1, 95 % CI 4.8-30.3).Conclusions: Elevated serum Ang-2 levels on admission may be a promising biomarker for the prediction of POF in AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Anti-galectin-3 antibodies dysregulate the function of vascular endothelial cells with higher expression of IL-1β. • Skin inflammation induced by anti-galectin-3 antibodies is dependant on IL-1β. • Systemic induction of anti-galectin-3 antibodies lead to an SLE-like phenotype. • IL-1β and NLRP3 is greatly upregulated in SLE skin lesions. Vascular inflammation could occur in all organs and tissues in patients with systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE), of which skin is the most frequent one. Our previous research identified anti-galectin-3 (Gal3) antibodies (Abs) as an important mediator of lupus cutaneous vasculopathy. Herein, we showed that anti-Gal3 Abs dysregulated the function of vascular endothelial cells with higher transcript levels of IL-1β and increased expression of mature IL-1β. The enhanced production of IL-1β secreted by endothelial cells was dependent on NLRP3 inflammasome. Intradermal injection of anti-Gal3 Abs in mice induced local inflammation with perivascular infiltration of T cells and neutrophils, which was inhibited by IL-1β blockade. Induction of anti-Gal3 Abs in circulation by immunization of Gal3 antigen not only led to histopathologic changes in the skin, including focal keratinocytes vacuolization and thickening of blood vessels, but also a systemic autoimmune phenotype that involves autoantibody production and kidney damage. Intriguingly, local overexpression of IL-1β was primarily associated with skin lesions but not with other internal organs in mice. Finally, we showed that the serum levels of IL-1β were comparable between SLE patients and healthy donors. Whilst the expression of IL-1β was enriched in local area with perivascular inflammation in lupus skin lesion compared to healthy normal skin. The results strongly suggest that IL-1β plays an important role in mediating anti-Gal3 Ab-induced skin vascular inflammation and raised the prospect for using IL-1β blocking therapies to treat lupus cutaneous damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some highly polar compounds are quality control makers for medicinal herbs. However, investigation of them has been hampered because the existing fractionation steps are difficult and laborious to purify them. Similar situations happen toRhizoma Polygonatum Odorati, a widely used food supplement and medicinal herb with strong antioxidant activity, and up to date, only ethyl acetate fraction ofRhizoma Polygonatum Odoratihas been comprehensively investigated. Here, HSCCC using a hydrophilic solvent system composed ofn-butanol–ethanol–2 M ammonium sulfate (1:1:2, v/v/v) was performed to isolate highly polar antioxidants inn–butanol fraction ofRhizoma Polygonatum Odorati, guided by DPPH–HPLC experiment. Afterward, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography eluted by methanol was selected to eliminate ammonium sulfate and purify co-eluted compounds in HSCCC collected fractions. Finally, nine compounds, including four nucleosides, cytidine (1), uridine (4), guanosine (5), and adenosine (8); two nucleobases, guanine (3), and adenine (6); and three amino acids, tyrosine (2), phenylalanine (7), and tryptophan (9) with purities over 98% were achieved and identified by UV, MS, and1H NMR data. Notably, compounds1–9were first reported in genusPolygonatum. The results indicated that the proposed method was an efficient approach to isolate and purify highly polar compounds from complex extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Brass wires with different surface wettabilities were fabricated for in-tube SPME. • The brass wire modified with 2-naphthalenethiol exhibited superhydrophobicity. • π-π interactions played a major role, rather than hydrophobic interactions. • High extraction capacity of estrogens was obtained with the EFs of 36–350. Metal wires have been widely used as substrates for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers instead of commonly fragile silica fibers, but complicated coating modification of their surface is required. Herein, a series of brass wires were soaked in an acidic iron trichloride solution with ultrasonication, which etched the brass surface through a redox reaction. The surface wettability of the pristine brass wire was transformed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic owing to the formation of micro/nanoscale hierarchical structures. After modification with n -octadecanethiol (ODT) and 2-naphthalenethiol (NT), respectively, both wires exhibited superhydrophobicity. Characterization of the resulting wires was conducted using SEM and EDS, and the surface wettability was measured by a contact angle goniometer using identical brass meshes. To build an in-tube SPME–high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) online system, the extraction tube was connected with HPLC equipment by replacing the sample loop of a six-port valve. Four types of wires, including the pristine hydrophobic brass wire, the hydrophilic wire after chemical etching, and both superhydrophobic wires, were comparatively applied to the extraction of six estrogens. The optimized extraction conditions were a sample volume of 60 mL, an injection rate of 2 mL/min, and a desorption time of 2 min at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The results showed that the highest estrogen extraction efficiency was obtained using the superhydrophobic wire modified by NT, with the enrichment factors in the range of 36–350. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic NT wire exhibited a higher extraction efficiency than the ODT wire with identical superhydrophobicity. This demonstrated that the higher extraction efficiency was mainly dependent on π–π interactions between the sorbent containing naphthalene rings and the target compounds containing benzene rings, rather than surface wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many comprehensive evaluation methods for various comprehensive evaluation problems. The measure of medium truth scale based on the fuzzy mathematics is one of the methods that can be used to evaluate objects with multiple indicators, and it can deal with fuzzy phenomenon effectively. In order to make the evaluation results more objective, we propose a method based on entropy theory and the measure of medium truth scale. We first calculate the weight of primary indexes with entropy theory, and use the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to calculate the weight of the secondary indexes. Consequently the errors caused by the subjectivity of the measure of medium truth scale in the process of evaluation are effectively reduced. Finally the method is applied to the quality assessment of residential projects. Compared with the measure of truth scale and the entropy weight method, the proposed method in this paper is more feasible and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiking neuron has precise timing characteristics of multi-spiking coding information. According to this feature, a new supervised learning algorithm based on convolution calculation for multilayer spiking neural networks is proposed. The algorithm uses the convolution calculation of the kernel functions to convert the discrete spiking sequence to a continuous function;in the network architecture consisting of a multilayer feedforward network of spiking neurons, the gradient method based on kernel function convolution is adopted to obtain learning rules and adjust the synaptic weights of neuron connections. In the experiment, effectiveness of the algorithm for learning spiking sequence is verified, and then the algorithm is applied to classify the Iris data set. The results show that the algorithm enables the learning of complex spatio-temporal patterns of spiking sequence, and it has high classification accuracy for nonlinear pattern classification problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A valid method is used to extend the omnidirectional electronic gap (OEG) of Gaussian gapped graphene superlattices (GSLs) heterostructure. The heterostructure consists of two superlattices with different width ratios of potentials. Each superlattice comprises a periodic repetition of a unit cell consisting of 21 layers with the potential voltages varying according to a Gaussian function and another layer with a fixed potential voltage. The potential width ratios of constituent Gaussian gapped GSL are established utilizing the lower and upper energy edges of omnidirectional electronic gap depending on the width ratio of potentials. Moreover, it is shown that the width of OEG of the heterostructure is sensitive to lattice constant, which can be applicable to the development of graphene-based electronics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Isobaric VLE data for 1-methyl-3-ethylbenzene (1M3EB) or 1-methyl-4-ethylbenzene (1M4EB)+1, 2, 4-trimethylbenzene (124TMB) at 20kPa were determined with a modified Rose–Williams type recirculation still. Herington area test method was used to test the thermodynamic consistency, showing good quality. The thermodynamic models of Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC were used to correlate the measured data. All the three models represented the measurements well. Positive deviation behavior was observed for the 1M3EB+124TMB system, while negative deviation behavior was observed for the 1M4EB+124TMB system. The information presented in the paper is essential for the design and operation of distillation columns for the separation of the mixtures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a new approach to prepare monolithic molecularly imprinted polymer ( MIP) fibers for solid-phase microextraction is proposed with the help of microwave irradiation. Imprinting polymerization was carried out within silica capillaries in 4.5 min, using dimethyl phthalate ( DMP) as a template molecular, α-methacrylic acid as a functional monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate as a crosslinker, acetonitrile as the porogenic solvent. The synthesis was optimized by varying the ratio of template/monomer and different volume of porogen. The resulted MIP fibers were obtained after silica being etched away with a controlled length of 1 cm, and subsequently characterized by SEM. In order to increase the selective extraction of DMP, factors affecting the extraction including extraction time, salt concentration, desorption time, and desorption solvents were investigated for solid-phase microextraction procedures in detail. The selectivity coefficients, defined as the extraction amount ratio of MIP to its nonimprinting fiber, were 5.6, 2.6, and 1.4 for DMP and its counterpart including dibutyl phthalate and di- n-octylo-phthalate, respectively. The resulted fibers were also applied to detect DMP, dibutyl phthalate, and di- n-octylo-phthalate in bottled beverage samples coupled to HPLC and resulted in relative recoveries of up to 73.8-98.5%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Iridescence is an example of structured color that is widespread in the biosphere, exhibited by multilayer inorganic thin films for optical filters, photonic crystals and other materials in which the periodic patterning of matter interacts with an electromagnetic field. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) can be cast in the form of thick iridescent films whose color originates in the multi-domain chiral nematic texture created by self-assembly of the rigid rod crystallites. Scanning electron microscopy confirms the periodic layer structure that arises from the helical twist axis of the chiral nematic mesophase film. In effect, the film comprises multi-domain Bragg reflectors. On exposure to liquid water, and high relative humidity (RH), a reversible shift in the film iridescence from dry state blue-green to wet state red-orange is observed. This color change, which requires no pigment, is quantified by reflectance spectroscopy. The color transition is attributed to sorption of water that causes the pitch of the Bragg reflector to enlarge, and this leads to a red shift in the iridescence. The subsequent expansion of the film thickness was observed using polarized optical microscopy. The effect resembles molecular dopant and electric field induced pitch tuning along the helicoid axis in one-dimensional photonic crystal-like chiral nematic molecular systems. The color shift for a 40μm thick NCC film is slow, occurring on timescale of 1–3min. Thinner films change color in less than 2s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Traditional activity-guided fractionation of natural products is a time-consuming, labor intensive, and expensive strategy, which cannot compete with high-throughput and rapid screening of natural products. Therefore, more efficient approaches are necessary for searching active compounds from natural products. Three main methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis combined with 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, DPPH spiking HPLC analysis, on-line post-column HPLC-DPPH analysis, and HPLC-based DPPH activity profiling, were then developed for the rapid screening of antioxidants from complex mixtures. In the present study, a comparative study of these three methods has been conducted to identify antioxidants from an ethyl acetate fraction of Pueraria lobata flowers. The parameters in HPLC analysis and DPPH assay were optimized. The results indicated that all three methods could achieve similar information with regard to antioxidants, without the need for preparative isolation techniques. However, there were differences in instrumental set-up, sensitivity, and efficiency. DPPH spiking HPLC analysis seemed to be more sensitive and effective with simpler instrumental set-up and easier operation, which could also detect the total antioxidant capacity of color complexes. Eighteen antioxidants were tentatively screened and identified from P. lobata flowers by DPPH spiking HPLC-MS/MS. Among them, ten compounds including one new compound were first isolated from P. lobata flowers, and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the new compound was reported for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent modulation of defect modes in one-dimensional fractal potential patterned graphene superlattices with multiple defect layers is performed theoretically. It is found that the fractal structure with defect layers possesses an unusual tunnelling state existing inside the forbidden gap, and the defect modes are compatible with the corresponding defect layer. As a result, the same kind of tunnelling modes corresponding to a certain defect layer could be tuned independently by changing the width of the defect layer. Moreover, altering the period number of self-similar defects could result in a change in the energy interval of the corresponding defect modes. This interesting phenomenon may be beneficial to further experimental studies on graphene-based electronic devices [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate derivative of cellulose immobilized onto the aminopropyl-modified silica gel was used as a chiral stationary phase and separation of five enantiomers was successfully performed by a home-made chiral capillary liquid chromatography system. Different chromatographic parameters such as resolution, column efficiency, and retention time were comparatively investigated using three chiral stationary phases with different coatings. The key factors which may influence the performance of the chiral stationary phases were evaluated by varying the composition of the mobile phase and its flow rate. It was illustrated that the self-installed chiral separation system was characterized by simplicity, high resolution, ease for practical usage, and could be handily applied for enantioseparation at the conventional laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel fritting technology was introduced for the fused-silica capillary. The technique involved sintering of stainless steel (SS) particles at the tip of capillary through flame heating. A simple butane gas based welding torch was used for sintering the SS particles. The new fritting technique, flame induced sintering of SS particles (FIS/SSP), was applied for making frits with different inlet diameters (75μm, 100μm, 250μm and 530μm). The changes in morphologies of SS particles during sintering process were identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Frits with the length of 0.5–1mm and capillaries with inner diameter about 50–100μm were fabricated through suitable selection of experimental conditions (size of SS particles and heating mode). The frits prepared by FIS/SSP technique exhibited adequate separation properties and mechanical strength. Columns packed with C18 particles were stable with these frits in a few important chromatographic operations. Frits prepared by FIS/SSP technique was used in three typical separation modes namely, capillary electrochromatography (CEC), p-assisted CEC (p-CEC) and low pressure liquid chromatography (LPLC). Importantly, no bubble formation was noticed with the frit over a period of one week. A good peak symmetry and high efficiency for separation were obtained using pressure-assisted CEC, p-CEC and low pressure-driven separation modes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is challenging to screen and identify bioactive compounds from complex mixtures. We review a recently developed technique that couples high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to on-line, post-column (bio)chemical assays and parallel chemical analysis to screen and identify bioactive compounds from complex mixtures without the need for cumbersome purification and subsequent screening. In this system, HPLC separates complex mixtures and a post-column (bio)chemical assay determines the activity of the individual compounds present in the mixtures. Parallel chemical-detection methods (e.g., diode-array detection, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance) identify and quantify the active compounds simultaneously. We focus on relatively widely used on-line, post-column assays for antioxidant screening and less widely used hyphenated systems involving assays based on enzymes and receptors. These strategies have proved to be very useful for rapid profiling and identification of individual active components in mixtures to provide a powerful method for natural product-based drug discovery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new approach of immobilized particle separation media for capillary HPLC and CEC has been developed. A mixture of porogenic solvents and methacrylate based monomers is pumped through a single tapered packing column, following a polymerization step by microwave irradiation. Furthermore, the chromatographic behaviors of the prepared column were thoroughly evaluated by changing the flow rate and the percentage of mobile phase by the developed capillary HPLC system. With the optimal experimental conditions, baseline separation of the model analytes including thiourea, benzene, methylbenzene, ethylbenzene, was obtained with a column efficiency of theoretical plate height less than 100 µm for the last eluted analyte of ethylbenzene in capillary HPLC and CEC. The developed capillary column was found to be stable and could easily be operated continuously up to a pressure of 30 MPa without column damage and the capillary can be cut to any desired length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Microwave irradiation can provide a viable alternative to the traditional means such as ultraviolet light and thermal initiation for the preparation of monolithic capillary columns. Polystyrene-based monolithic stationary phases were prepared in situ in fused-silica capillaries and simultaneously in vials. The column permeability, electrophoretic and chromatographic behavior were evaluated using pressure-assisted capillary electrochromatography (pCEC), capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and low pressure liquid chromatography (LPLC). With an optimal monolithic material, the largest theoretical plates for preparing the column could be close to 18,000 plates/m for thiourea in the mode of pCEC. Furthermore, the influence of the composition of the porogenic solvents (toluene/isooctane) on the morphology of organic-based monoliths [poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-methacrylic acid)] was systematically studied with mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The monoliths which were prepared with a high content of isooctane had a bigger pore size and better permeability, and hence resulted in a faster separation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thrombopoietin receptor (Mpl) belongs to the cytokine receptor surperfamily with a large extracellular N-terminal portion responsible for cytokine recognition and binding. Thrombopoietin (TPO) has so far been the only widely studied cytokine for Mpl. However we have recently identified human NUDC (hNUDC), previously described as a human homolog of a fungal nuclear migration protein, as another putative binding partner of Mpl. The purpose of this study is to test the extent of the functioning of hNUDC by identifying protein–protein interactions with Mpl in mammalian cells. The full-length cDNAs encoding Mpl and hNUDC were cloned into pEGFP-N1 and pDsRed2-N1 respectively which were subsequently expressed as Mpl-EGFP (green) and hNUDC-DsRed (red) fusion proteins. Using ELISA and immunofluorescence studies, we have demonstrated the direct binding of hNUDC to cell surface-captured Mpl. We also observed that hNUDC induced significant changes in cellular morphology in NIH 3T3 cells stably transfected with pMpl-EGFP. Interestingly, these morphological changes were characteristic of cells undergoing megakaryocyte differentiation. Extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) have been shown to mediate such megakaryocyte-like differentiation. In addition, co-expression of Mpl-EGFP and hNUDC-DsRed led to the release of hNUDC-DsRed into the culture medium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A method of quickly determining tamsulosin enantiomers by capillary zone electrophoresis with a photodiode array detector was developed. Response surface methodologies based on three‐level, three‐variable designs such as Box‐Behnken design, central composite face‐centered, and central composite circumscribed design, were comparatively used for the optimization with respect to selector concentration, applied voltage, and column temperature. Statistical interpretation of the variables on different responses, such as resolution and migration time of the last isomer were performed. The optimum conditions of these variables were predicted by using a second‐order polynomial model, fitted to the results obtained by applying three designs. The response surface plots using three experimental designs revealed a separation optimum with 100 mM tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane buffered with phosphoric acid to pH=2.5, concentration of sulfated‐β‐cyclodextrin, 0.15% (W/V), column temperature 25°C, and applied voltage of 25 kV. The significance of the statistical designs was confirmed by the generally good agreement obtained between predicted responses and actual experimental data. We have concluded that experimental designs offer a rapid means of optimizing several variables, and provide an efficient test for the robustness of the analytical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast method of determining ascorbic acid and isoascorbic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis with a photodiode array detector was developed. Response surface methodologies based on three-level, three-variable designs, such as the Box-Behnken design, central composite face-centered and full fractional design, were used comparatively for optimization of buffer pH, buffer concentration and operation voltage. Statistical interpretation of the variables concerning different responses, such as resolution and migration time of the last migrated analyte, were performed. The optimum conditions of these variables were predicted using a second-order polynomial model fitted to the results obtained by applying three designs. The response surface plots using three experimental designs revealed a separation optimum with Tris–HCl buffer of pH 8.5, a concentration of 50 mM, and an operation voltage of 30 kV. The significance of the statistical designs were confirmed by the generally good agreement obtained between predicted responses and actual experimental data. We concluded that experimental designs offer a rapid means of optimizing several variables and provide an efficient test for the robustness of the analytical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Central composite design (CCD) was effectively employed to decide optimum conditions for the rapid separation of Sudan dyes using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Twenty experiments, taking the minimum resolution and retention time of the last eluted peak as the responses with three important factors, mobile phase composition, flow rate and column temperature, were used to design a mathematical model. The experimental responses were fitted into a second order polynomial and used to predict the optimum conditions for the effective separation of the studied compounds. Further, chromatographic separation efficiency was tested through generation of Pareto-optimal points. The validity of using modified central composite design in predicting the optimization conditions was experimentally verified. The optimum conditions were: acetonitrile/0.1% aqueous formic acid (90/10, %v/v) as the mobile phase, at a flow rate of 1.2mL/min and column temperature of 15°C, respectively. While using this optimum condition, baseline separation with a minimum resolution more than 1.5 and a separation time of less than 6min were achieved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polymer (polyvinylpyrrodione, PVP)-protected Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt colloids were prepared in water and organic solvents (acetone/2-propanol = 1/1, vol.%) by γ-irradiation. UV–visible spectrum of the colloidal solution shows the characteristic bands of surface resonance and gives evidence for the formation of nanoparticles. Nanopowders of precious metals (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt) were obtained by self-assembling the thiol group of mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) with the surface of the metal particles. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used for characterizing the nanopowders. Results from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) give evidence that Pd and Ag colloids in aqueous solution and organic solvents can be effectively used for the hydrogenation of cis,cis-1,3-cyclooctadiene (COD). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An appropriate optimization strategy should be used to find a desired resolution or selectivity with a minimum number of experiments in a limited time, which could assure the baseline separation of all target compounds. It was usually realized by means of a specialized computer program. In this paper, mapping optimization method and overlapping resolution mapping were compared for the optimization of a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) isocratic separation of neutral compounds. The calculated resolutions and separation time of 7 to 10 experiments are fitted by different equations, which were used to build a contour plot with a minimum effective resolution and maximum retention time as a function of a mobile phase composition. The balance between resolution and analysis time could be easily realized by the overlapping of the final overlapping resolution mapping and analysis time mapping. The validity of the two methods was confirmed by some typical experiments. The models are simple, visual, and common without theoretical arithmetic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The foregut, located at the front of the digestive tract, serves a vital role in insects by storing and grinding food into small particles. The innermost layer of the foregut known as the chitinous intima, comes into direct contact with the food and acts as a protective barrier against abrasive particles. Knickkopf (Knk) is required for chitin organization in the chitinous exoskeleton, tracheae and wings. Despite its significance, little is known about the biological function of Knk in the foregut. In this study, we found that LmKnk was stably expressed in the foregut, and highly expressed before molting in Locusta migratoria. To ascertain the biological function of LmKnk in the foregut, we synthesized specific double‐stranded LmKnk (dsLmKnk) and injected it into locusts. Our findings showed a significant decrease in the foregut size, along with reduced food intake and accumulation of residues in the foregut after dsLmKnk injection. Morphological observations revealed that newly formed intima became thinner and lacked chitin lamella. Furthermore, fluorescence immunohistochemistry revealed that LmKnk was located in the apical region of new intima and epithelial cells. Taken together, this study provides insights into the biological function of LmKnk in the foregut, and identifies the potential target gene for exploring biological pest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-layer complementary strip Dirac semimetal polarizer is proposed to achieve polarization rotation, perfect polarization conversion, and asymmetric transmission. This device can realize broadband polarization operation of linear polarized waves in the terahertz frequency domain. By changing the Fermi level of the Dirac semimetal, the polarization angle of linearly polarized light in the frequency range of 1.3 to 1.63 THz can be rotated from 0°to 90°, and the device has good robustness for linearly polarized light with different incident angles. When used as an asymmetric transmission device, its polarization conversion efficiency reaches more than 98% and the asymmetric transmission parameter reaches more than 50% in the range of 1.3–1.63 THz. The asymmetric transmission parameters, polarization conversion ratio, polarization rotation angle, and ellipticity are used to describe the performance of the converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any solid surface with homogenous or varying surface energy can spontaneously show variable wettability to liquid droplets with different or identical surface tensions. Here, we studied a glass slide sprayed with a quasi-superamphiphobic coating consisting of a hexane suspension of perfluorosilane-coated nanoparticles. Four areas on the glass slide with a total length of 7.5 cm were precisely tuned via ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and droplets with surface tensions of 72.1–33.9 mN m−1 were categorized at a tilting angle of 3°. Then, we fabricated a U-shaped device sprayed with the same coating and used it to sort the droplets more finely by rolling them in the guide groove of the device to measure their total rolling time and distance. We found a correlation between ethanol content/surface tension and rolling time/distance, so we used the same device to estimate the alcoholic strength of Chinese liquors and to predict the surface tension of ethanol aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SITSH (syndrome of inappropriate secretion of thyrotropin) is a rare clinical state defined as uninhibited serum thyroid stimulating hormone in the presence of elevated thyroid hormone. This state is complicated and mainly caused by the abnormal feedback of hypothalamus–pituitary thyroid axis. The TSH adenoma (TSH‐oma) and resistance to thyroid hormones (RTH) are the main etiologies of SITSH. As is well known that the treatment strategies of RTH and TSH‐oma are apparently different, thus identifying the difference between RTH and TSH‐oma is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of SITSH. Case description: A 62‐year‐old man with a state of elevated thyroid hormones and inappropriate elevated serum TSH level was hospitalized in 2016. Results of the pituitary enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and the somatostatin test respectively demonstrated a space‐occupying lesion of pituitary and an elevated serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and inhibited TSH secretion, which indicated the occurrence of TSH‐oma. In 2019, a 23‐year‐old girl with a state of elevated thyroid hormones and inappropriate normal serum TSH was hospitalized. Interestingly, whole exome sequencing detection suggested a pathogenic mutation in thyroid hormone receptor β (THRB) gene, which has been shown to be associated with RTH. Conclusions: The difference between TSH‐oma and RTH ought to be clarified for their accurate diagnose and treatment. The clinical experiences of the two cases reported here suggest that more detail information such as family medical history, serum SHBG level, and THRB gene test is helpful for the diagnose and treatment of TSH‐oma and RTH. Additionally, we also summarized the identification points, diagnosis process, and treatment strategies for these two rare diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerization-induced phase separation is comparatively applied to fabricating a superhydrophobic micro/nano surface by microwave and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The monolithic coatings can be tailored easily on different substrates with excellent chemical and mechanical stability in rigid conditions. Importantly, the patterned filter paper is successfully used for the colorimetric detection of nitrite handily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-based metal substrates with special surface wettability have been applied widely for oil/water separation. In this work, a series of copper foams with superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity were chemically etched using 10 mg mL−1 FeCl3/HCl solution with consequent ultrasonication, followed by the subsequent modification of four sulfhydryl compounds. A water contact angle of 158° and a sliding angle lower than 5° were achieved for the copper foam modified using 10 mM n-octadecanethiol solution in ethanol. In addition, the interaction mechanism was initially investigated, indicating the coordination between copper atoms with vacant orbital and sulfur atoms with lone pair electrons. In addition, the polymeric fibers were electrospun through the dissolution of polystyrene in a good solvent of chlorobenzene, and a nonsolvent of dimethyl sulfoxide. Oil absorption and collection over the water surface were carried out by the miniature boat made out of copper foam, a string bag of as-spun PS fibers with high oil absorption capacity, or the porous boat embedded with the as-spun fibers, respectively. The findings might provide a simple and practical combinational method for the solution of oil spill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the searching ability of avermectin-resistant and susceptible strains of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans), the responses of the two strains to stimuli from Tetranychus urticae Koch on sweet potato leaves were examined in the laboratory. The results showed that avermectin-resistant and susceptible adult N. cucumeris females responded to different stages and intact webs (spider mite, egg, feces, and leaf damage) of T. urticae, but not to the destroyed webs and feces of and feeding damage by T. urticae. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in the responses of the avermectin-resistant and susceptible strains of N. cucumeris. Both strains of N. cucumeris were often observed inside the intact webs of T. urticae. These results show that the avermectin-resistant and susceptible strains of N. cucumeris have the ability to search actively for T. urticae on sweet potato leaves. This behavior clearly increases the searching efficiency of N. cucumeris and may help its use in the biocontrol of T. urticae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic one-dimensional particles are fascinating nanomaterials for sustainable future industries. Nanorods of γ-Al 2 O 3 with single crystallinity and 10 nm diameter regime were newly developed through solvothermal procedure between AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O, NaOH, and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate at 200 °C for 24 h. Controlling the pH values, reaction time, temperature, and effect of surfactant during the solvothermal reaction was studied to control the morphology and structure of nanorods. The solvothermal procedure for preparing γ-AlOOH nanorods followed lamellar growth, assembly, and ripening routes. The γ-AlOOH nanorods were converted to γ-Al 2 O 3 through calcination reaction at 500 °C for 3 h. The produced γ-Al 2 O 3 nanorods were 10 nm average width, 100–200 nm average length, and exposed with [101] orientation and a linear structure. FTIR, HRTEM, FESEM, XRD, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy methods were used for characterizing the prepared nanomaterials. New features and applied fields are predictable for the designed γ-AlOOH and γ-Al 2 O 3 nanorods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute hemorrhage-induced excessive excitation of sympathetic–adrenal–medullary system (SAS) leads to gut hypoperfusion and barrier dysfunction, which is a critical event during hemorrhagic shock–induced multiple organ injury. Stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) has been widely used for suppression of sympathetic–adrenal–medullary system in the clinical practice. However, whether SGB improves intestinal barrier function after hemorrhagic shock remains unclear. Here, we hypothesized that the implementation of SGB restores intestinal barrier function and reduces gut injury. Male rats received the SGB pretreatment and underwent hemorrhagic shock followed by resuscitation. The 96-h survival rate, intestinal permeability and morphology, D-lactic acid concentration and diamine oxidase activity in plasma, and expressions of F-actin, Claudin-1, and E-cadherin in intestinal tissues were observed. Pretreatment with SGB significantly enhances the 96-h survival rate in rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock (from 8.3% to 66.7%). Hemorrhagic shock reduced the coverage scale of intestinal mucus and intestinal villus width and height, enhanced the intestinal permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran 4 and D-lactic acid concentration in plasma, and decreased the expressions of F-actin, Claudin-1, and E-Cadherin in intestinal tissue. These hemorrhagic shock–induced adverse effects were abolished by SGB treatment. SGB treatment has a beneficial effect during hemorrhagic shock, which is associated with the improvement of intestine barrier function. SGB may be considered as a new therapeutic strategy for treatment of hemorrhagic shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts Twisted C 96 H 36 , a newly synthesized nanographene, may have distinct properties from those of planar graphene. The adsorption behaviors of H 2 , CO, NO, NH 3 , SO 2 , and HCHO on the surface of C 96 H 36 derivative, which was labelled as C96 , were systematically investigated by computational methods. The adsorption behaviors of 1–20 formaldehyde molecules on C96 were calculated to reveal potential uses of C96. The results indicate that these molecules could be physically absorbed on the surface of C96 with absorption energies in the range 0.5–5.5 kcal mol−1. The calculated HOMO-LUMO energy gap also showed that C96 could act as a potential gas sensor for O 2 and SO 2. When one formaldehyde molecule is absorbed, it prefers to locate at the edge of the distorted moiety of C96. A second formaldehyde also prefers to be absorbed at another edge position of the distorted moiety of C96. The results show that the absorption energies for the third to twelfth formaldehyde molecules are concentrated at 5 kcal mol−1, which indicates that more formaldehyde molecules could be absorbed onto C96 , but a limit of 20 formaldehyde molecules was calculated. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA replication alteration is a hallmark of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and is frequently observed in LUAD progression. Origin recognition complex (ORC) 1, ORC2, ORC3, ORC4, ORC5, and ORC6 form a replication–initiator complex to mediate DNA replication, which plays a key role in carcinogenesis, while their roles in LUAD remain poorly understood. Methods: The mRNA and protein expression of ORCs was confirmed by the GEPIA, HPA, CPTAC, and TCGA databases. The protein–protein interaction network was analyzed by the GeneMANIA database. Functional enrichment was confirmed by the Metascape database. The effects of ORCs on immune infiltration were validated by the TIMER database. The prognostic significance of ORCs in LUAD was confirmed by the KM‐plot and GENT2 databases. DNA alteration and protein structure were determined in the cBioProtal and PDB databases. Moreover, the protein expression and prognostic value of ORCs were confirmed in our LUAD data sets by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results: ORC mRNA and protein were significantly increased in patients with LUAD compared with corresponding normal tissue samples. The results of IHC staining analysis were similar result to those of the above bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, ORC1 and ORC6 had significant prognostic values for LUAD patients. Furthermore, the ORC cooperatively promoted LUAD development by driving DNA replication, cellular senescence, and metabolic processes. Conclusion: The ORC, especially ORC1/6, has important prognostic and expression significance for LUAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Organocatalysis has emerged as an effective strategy for chemical synthesis. Within this area, phosphine‐catalyzed coupling reactions have attracted considerable attention because of their versatility and wide range of applications in the construction of new C−C bonds. Recently, various experimental studies on the phosphine‐catalyzed coupling reaction of allenes have been reported, and mechanistic and computational studies have also progressed considerably. As a nucleophile, phosphine can react with an allene to form a zwitterionic phosphoniopropenide intermediate. After stepwise cycloaddition and proton transfer, the phosphine catalyst can be regenerated by C−P bond cleavage. Alternatively, the zwitterionic phosphoniopropenide intermediate could also be protonated by a Brønsted acid to generate a phosphonium intermediate, which can be used to construct new C−C bonds by electrophilic addition. In this review, we have summarized details of mechanistic studies of phosphine‐catalyzed allene coupling reactions that follow these two reaction modes. In addition to detailing the reaction pathway, the regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity of the phosphine‐catalyzed allene coupling reaction are also discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]