The emerging role of nitric oxide in the synaptic dysfunction of vascular dementia

With an increase in global aging,the number of people affected by cerebrovascular diseases is also increasing,and the incidence of vascular dementia-closely related to cerebrovascular risk-is increasing at an epidemic rate.However,few therapeutic options exist that can markedly improve the cognitive impairment and prognosis of vascular dementia patients.Similarly in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders,synaptic dysfunction is recognized as the main reason for cognitive decline.Nitric oxide is one of the ubiquitous gaseous cellular messengers involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes of the central nervous system.Recently,nitric oxide has been implicated in regulating synaptic plasticity and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia.This review introduces in detail the emerging role of nitric oxide in physiological and pathological states of vascular dementia and summarizes the diverse effects of nitric oxide on different aspects of synaptic dysfunction,neuroinflammation,oxidative stress,and blood-brain barrier dysfunction that underlie the progress of vascular dementia.Additionally,we propose that targeting the nitric oxide-sGC-cGMP pathway using certain specific approaches may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for vascular dementia.

Role of nitric oxide in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury:A biomolecular overview

Nitric oxide(NO)is a gaseous molecule produced by 3 different NO synthase(NOS)isoforms:Neural/brain NOS(nNOS/bNOS,type 1),endothelial NOS(eNOS,type 3)and inducible NOS(type 2).Type 1 and 3 NOS are constitutively expressed.NO can serve different purposes:As a vasoactive molecule,as a neurotransmitter or as an immunomodulator.It plays a key role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury(CIRI).Hypoxic episodes simulate the production of oxygen free radicals,leading to mitochondrial and phospholipid damage.Upon reperfusion,increased levels of oxygen trigger oxide synthases;whose products are associated with neuronal damage by promoting lipid peroxidation,nitrosylation and excitotoxicity.Molecular pathways in CIRI can be altered by NOS.Neuroprotective effects are observed with eNOS activity.While nNOS interplay is prone to endothelial inflammation,oxidative stress and apoptosis.Therefore,nNOS appears to be detrimental.The interaction between NO and other free radicals develops peroxynitrite;which is a cytotoxic agent.It plays a main role in the likelihood of hemorrhagic events by tissue plasminogen activator(t-PA).Peroxynitrite scavengers are currently being studied as potential targets to prevent hemorrhagic transformation in CIRI.

RING OPENING COPOLYMERIZATION OF SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE-ETHYLENE OXIDE BY Al(Ⅲ) ORGANOMETALLIC CATALYSTS

Ring opening copolymerization of succinic anhydride (SA) with ethylene oxide (EO)was successfully carried out by using a series of aluminum-based catalyst in 1,4-dioxane at62±2℃. The results showed that in-situ AlR_3-H_2O (R=ethyl, iso-butyl) catalysts gavehigher molecular weight (M_w～10~4), while Al(OR)_3 catalysts gave the higher alternatingcopolymer structure with slightly lower molecular weight. The in-situ AlR_3-H_2O systemshave been evaluated in more detail for the reaction which showed the optimum H_2O/Almolar ratio to be 0.5. The copolymers with different composition (F_(SA)/F_(EO)= 36/64to 45/55 mol/mol) were synthesized by using different monomer feed ratio. The melt-ing point (T_m), glass transition temperature (T_g) and enthalpy of fusion (ΔH_f) of thesecopolymers are depended on the copolymer composition and in the range of 87～102℃,-12～-18℃, and 37～66J/g, respectively. The second heating scan of DSC also in-dicated that the higher alternating copolymer was more easily recrystallized. The onsetdecomposition temperature was more than 300℃ under nitrogen and influenced by thecopolymer composition.

INFLUENCE OF DIALKYLZINC IN RARE-EARTH TERNARY CATALYST ONTHE COPOLYMERIZATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND PROPYLENE OXIDE

Rare-earth ternary catalysts Y（CCl3COO）3-ZnR2-glycerin were prepared for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide （PO）, where dialkylzincs （ZnR2） were diethylzinc, di（n-propyl）zinc, di（n-butyl）zinc, di（i-propyl）zinc, di（i-butyl）zinc, di（s-butyl）zinc,respectively. The Y（CCl3COO）3-ZnR2-glycerin catalysts displayed the highest catalytic activity at the molar ratio of Y（CCl3COO）3：ZnR2：glycerin = 1：20：10. In the same copolymerization condition, catalysts containing dialkylzincs with branched alkyl group showed lower catalytic activity than that with primary alkyl group. For those catalysts including dialkylzincs with primary alkyl group, their catalytic activity decreases with increasing number of carbon atom in the alkyl group with the following sequence： Y（CCl3COO）3-ZnEt2-glycerin 〉 Y（CCl3COO）3-Zn（n- Pr）2-glycerin〉Y（CCl3COO）3-Zn（n-Bu）2-glycerin. However, the alkyl group in the dialkylzinc does not influence the insertion of PO into the propagation chain end.

SYNTHESIS OF TRIBLOCK COPOLYMERS OF STYRENE AND ISOPRENE BY A NITROXIDE-MEDIATED LIVING FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

The controlled free radical polymerization of styrene and isoprene initiated with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) in the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO) at 125 'C were performed. The obtained polyisoprene and polystyrene homopolymers served as macroinitiators for block copolymerization of isoprene and styrene to synthesize poly- (styrene-b-isoprene) and poly(isoprene-b-styrene) diblock copolymers. Diblock copolymers with well-defined structures as well as controlled and narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained from the lower-mass polystyrene and polyisoprene homopolymers. These copolymers were found to be active as macroinitiators in the synthesis of the poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) and poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-isoprene) triblock copolymers. 1H-NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were used for the investigation of polymer structure, molecular weight and polydispersity (PD).

Calcium chloride doped zinc-cobalt metal-cyanide complex:Unexpected highly activity towards ring-opening polymerization of propylene oxide

Highly active calcium chloride（CaCl2） doped Zn-Co^Ⅲdouble metal-cyanide（Ca-DMC） catalysts were firstly reported.Ca-DMCs presented a very higher polymer yield（54 kg polymer/g catalyst） at relative low temperature（80-115℃） toward ringopening polymerization（ROP） of propylene oxide（PO） than did DMC catalysts without modification.

DEPOLYMERIZATION AND KINETICS OF DEPOLYMERIZATION OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE USING DIBUTYLTIN OXIDE CATALYST

Depolymerization of poly（ethylene terephthalate） （PET） was performed in the tubular bomb microreactor which contained the solution of PET in methanol and dibutyltin oxide at the temperature ranging from 433 K to 473 K, the reaction time from 5 to 45 min and the catalyst-to-PET ratio of 0.3%-2% by weight. The optimal condition for PET depolymerization catalyzed by dibutyltin oxide is the temperature of 443-453 K, the reaction time of 20-25 min and 0.8% by weight of catalyst. By using differential methods, the activation energy for the depolymerization process was found to be 154.05 kJ/mol in the temperature range from 433-463 K.

SYNTHESIS OF POLY(VINYL ACETATE)-INTERCALATED GRAPHITE OXIDE BY AN IN SITU INTERCALATIVE POLYMERIZATION

Graphite oxide, a pseudo-two-dimensional solid in bulk form, was synthesized from natural graphite powder by oxidization with KMnO4 in concentrated H2SO4. The poly(vinyl acetate)-intercalated graphite oxide nano-composite was prepared by an in situ intercalative polymerization reaction, in which n-octanol-graphite oxide intercalation compounds were first obtained, vinyl acetate monomer was then dispersed into the interlayer of modified graphite oxide, followed by thermal polymerization of the monomer. It was experimentally shown that the c-axis space of poly(vinyl acetate)-intercalated graphite oxide was increased to 0.115 nm, which suggested there existed a monolayer of poly(vinyl acetate) chain between the layers of graphite oxide. The nanocomposite was also characterized with thermal analysis and FT-IR spectrometry.

STUDIES ON THE INITIATION MECHANISM OF ORGANIC PEROXIDE AND N-METHACRYLOYLOXYETHYL-N-METHYL ANILINE IN METHYL METHACRYLATE POLYMERIZATION

The initiation mechanism of methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization by organic peroxide and polymerizable aromatic tertiary amine such as N-methacryloyloxyethyl-N-methyl aniline (MEMA) binary system has been studied. The kinetics of polymerization of MMA and the ESR spectra of organic peroxide/MEMA system were determined. Based on the ESR study and the end-group analysis by UV spectra of the polymer formed, the initiation mechanism is proposed.

Nitroxide-Mediated Photo-Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization of Methacrylic Acid

The photo-controlled/living radical polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) was performed at room temperature by irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp using azo initiators and 4-methoxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl as the mediator in the presence of (4-tert-butylphenyl)diphenylsulfonium triflate (tBuS) as the accelerator. Whereas the bulk polymerization yielded polymers with a bimodal molecular weight distribution in both the absence and presence of tBuS, the solution polymerization in methanol produced unimodal polymers with the molecular weight distribution of 2.0 - 2.3 in the presence of tBuS. The molecular weight distribution of the resulting poly (MAA) decreased with an in- crease in tBuS. The dilution of the monomer concentration also reduced the molecular weight distribution. The use of the initiator with a low 10-h half-life temperature also effectively controlled the molecular weight. The livingness of the polymerization was confirmed by obtaining linear increases in the first-order conversion versus time, the molecular weight versus the conversion, and the molecular weight versus the reciprocal of the initiator concentration.

Photopolymerization of Cyclohexene Oxide Initiated with Iron-arene Complex

Two iron-arene complex photoinitiators with different substituents in arene ligands were synthesized, their activities in initiating photopolymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) were compared with that of IRGACURE 261, a commercialized photoinitiator from Ciba-Geigy. A higher activity was found when the arene ligand was substituted with a stronger electron donating group. For the system initiated by IRGACURE 261 the concentration of active centers in CHO polymerization was determined and it was found that the concentration is maximum at around 35℃. The post (dark) polymerization was significant, the polymerization yield decreased with the increase of irradiation temperature and increased with the increase of post polymerization temperature. The results are interpreted based on the mechanism proposed by Lohse, et al..

In situ polymerization preparation and mechanical properties of nanocomposites based on PA10T/10I-block-PEG copolymer and graphene oxide

Poly(decamethylene terephthalamide/decamethylene isophthalamide)-block-polyvinyl alcoho)(PA10 T/10 IPEG) copolymer/graphene oxide(GO) composites were prepared via in-situ melt polymerization and two different nano-filler addition approaches were compared. The relationship between the micro-structure and performance of the elastomer composites prepared by one-step and two-step methods was explored. The results show that the two-step method significantly promoted the dispersion of the GO in a polymer matrix, and facilitated the grafting of more hard molecular chains. Thus, the elastic modulus and tensile strength of the nanocomposite have been significantly improved by the presence of GO. This was because of the strong interaction between the functional groups on the surface of the GO and the hard molecular chains. This would be also be favorable to load transfer across the interface. Additionally, the elongation at the break of composites increased by 10% with the addition of a small amount of GO(0.2% wt). This is because hard domains tend to be enriched on the surface of GO in composites and act as a lubricating layer at the interface between the GO and matrix, leading to increased deformation ability. This work provides an effective strategy to prepare elastomer composites with high strength and toughness.

Synthesis of Poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene)viaNitroxide-mediated Radical Polymerization by a Novel Alkoxyamine

Bifunctional alkoxyamine bis-TIPNO derived from 2,2,5-trimethyl-4-phenyl-3-azahexane-3-oxyl （TIPNO） and α, ω-alkyl bromide by atom transfer radical addition（ATRA） was employed as “biradical initiator” for nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization（NMRP） of isoprene and styrene. The kinetics study for the polymerization of styrene at different time showed living features. The poly（styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene） （SIS） copolymers have two glass transition temperatures, indicating the immiscibility of the corresponding blocks.

The Magnetic Field Effect on the Polymerization of Styrene in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Styrene was polymerized in supercritical （sc） CO2 with benzoyl peroxide （BPO） as initiator. It was found that the polymerization was accelerated by the external magnetic field.

Layered Potassium Titanium Niobate/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite as a Potassium‑Ion Battery Anode

With graphite currently leading as the most viable anode for potassium-ion batteries(KIBs),other materials have been left relatively underexamined.Transition metal oxides are among these,with many positive attributes such as synthetic maturity,longterm cycling stability and fast redox kinetics.Therefore,to address this research deficiency we report herein a layered potassium titanium niobate KTiNbO5(KTNO)and its rGO nanocomposite(KTNO/rGO)synthesised via solvothermal methods as a high-performance anode for KIBs.Through effective distribution across the electrically conductive rGO,the electrochemical performance of the KTNO nanoparticles was enhanced.The potassium storage performance of the KTNO/rGO was demonstrated by its first charge capacity of 128.1 mAh g^(−1) and reversible capacity of 97.5 mAh g^(−1) after 500 cycles at 20 mA g^(−1),retaining 76.1%of the initial capacity,with an exceptional rate performance of 54.2 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1).Furthermore,to investigate the attributes of KTNO in-situ XRD was performed,indicating a low-strain material.Ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectra further investigated the mechanism of charge storage,with the titanium showing greater redox reversibility than the niobium.This work suggests this lowstrain nature is a highly advantageous property and well worth regarding KTNO as a promising anode for future high-performance KIBs.

Synthesis and Characterization of the Composites of Polyaniline and Graphene Oxide in Situ Polymerization

The novel high-performance nanocomposites of polyaniline (PANI) and graphene oxide sheets (GOs) was synthesized via in situ polymerization in the presence of Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium Bromide intercalated graphite oxide (CGO), basing on PANI and GOs as a matrix respectively. The result showed that ANI monomer was intercalated into the spacing of CGO, and the CGO was well exfoliated into nanosheets while polymerization. Owing to π–π electron stacking effect between the PANI and the GOs, the electrical conductivity of GOs/PANI nanocomposites (0.47 S/cm), which basing on PANI as a matrix, improved in comparison with pure PANI nanowires (0.02 S/cm) and GO (2.5×10-5 S/cm), while the electrical conductivity of PANI/GOs nanocomposites, which basing on GOs as a matrix, was only 6.2×10-3 S/cm. And it also indicated that the mole ratio of APS, the concentration of HCl, other with the polymerization time, are also important influencing factors of the conductivity of nanocomposites.

Poly(Glycidyl Methacrylates)-grafted Zinc Oxide Nanowire by Surface-initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Poly(glycidyl methacrylates)(PGMA) was grafted from zinc oxide(ZnO) nanowires via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization(SI-ATRP) technique.Firstly,the ZnO nanowires were synthesized by the one-pot hydrothermal technique.Subsequently,the ZnO was functionalized with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane,which was converted to macroinitiator by the esterification of them with 2-bromopropionyl bromide.PGMA grafted ZnO nanowires(PGMA-ZnO) were then synthesized in an ATRP of the GMA with CuCl/2,2`-bipyridine as the catalyst system.Kinetics studies revealed an approximate linear increase in weight of polymer with reaction time,indicating that the polymerization process owned some "living" character.The structure and composition of PGMA-ZnO were characterized with scanning electron microscope(SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray(EDX) spectrometer,fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA).

Ring-opening Copolymerization of Adipic Anhydride and Propylene Oxide Catalyzed by Yttrium Triflates

The ring-opening copolymerization of adipic anhydride with propylene oxide was carried out with yttrium triflates as a catalyst. Poly（propylene adipate） could be synthesized by controlling the copolymerization conditions. The copolymerization procedure was tracked by ^1H NMR analyses.

High‑Entropy Layered Oxide Cathode Enabling High‑Rate for Solid‑State Sodium‑Ion Batteries

Na-ion O3-type layered oxides are prospective cathodes for Na-ion batteries due to high energy density and low-cost.Nevertheless,such cathodes usually suffer from phase transitions,sluggish kinetics and air instability,making it difficult to achieve high performance solid-state sodium-ion batteries.Herein,the high-entropy design and Li doping strategy alleviate lattice stress and enhance ionic conductivity,achieving high-rate performance,air stability and electrochemically thermal stability for Na_(0.95)Li_(0.06)Ni_(0.25)Cu_(0.05)Fe_(0.15)Mn_(0.49)O_(2).This cathode delivers a high reversible capacity(141 mAh g^(−1)at 0.2C),excellent rate capability(111 mAh g^(−1)at 8C,85 mAh g^(−1)even at 20C),and long-term stability(over 85%capacity retention after 1000 cycles),which is attributed to a rapid and reversible O3–P3 phase transition in regions of low voltage and suppresses phase transition.Moreover,the compound remains unchanged over seven days and keeps thermal stability until 279℃.Remarkably,the polymer solid-state sodium battery assembled by this cathode provides a capacity of 92 mAh g^(−1)at 5C and keeps retention of 96%after 400 cycles.This strategy inspires more rational designs and could be applied to a series of O3 cathodes to improve the performance of solid-state Na-ion batteries.

PREPARATION OF POLYSULFONAMIDE AND MODIFIED TITANIUM OXIDE NANOCOMPOSITES BY IN-SITU POLYMERIZATION

A kind of new nano composite with ultraviolet （UV） ray resistance and high temperature stability was prepared by in-situ polymerization in low temperature. Polysulfonamide （PSA） was synthesized with 4, 4＇-diaminodiphenyl sulfone （DDS） and terephthaloyl chloride （TPC） in the common solvent N, N-Dimethyl- -acetamide （DMAc）. Nano filler is a certain nano titanium oxide modified by silicon oxide （TMS）, which plays the role of UV resistance additives. Properties of the novel composite materials were characterized by Atomic Force microscopy （AFM）, thermal gravimetric Analysis （TGA） and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy. AFM had showed the sizes and distributions of TMS particles in the nanocomposite. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy for the nanocomposites showed a large absorption in UV band. TGA showed the decomposition temperature was increased over ten degrees with 0.5% wt TMS for this nanocomposite compared with pure PSA.