Reversible regulation of enzyme-like activity of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots for colorimetric pharmaceutical analysis

Regulating the catalytic activity of nanozymes is significant for their applications in various fields.Here,we demonstrate a new strategy to achieve reversible regulation of the nanozyme’s activity for sensing purpose.This strategy involves the use of zero-dimensional MoS;quantum dots(MQDs)as the building blocks of nanozymes which display very weak peroxidase(POD)-like activity.Interestingly,such POD-like activity of the MQDs largely enhances in the presence of Fe;while diminishes with the addition of captopril thereafter.Further investigations identify the mechanism of Fe;-mediated aggregation-induced enhancement of the POD-like activity and the inhibitory effect of captopril on the enhancement,which is highly dependent on their concentrations.Based on this finding,a colorimetric method for the detection of captopril is developed.This sensing approach exhibits the merits of simplicity,rapidness,reliability,and low cost,which has been successfully applied in quality control of captopril in pharmaceutical products.Moreover,the present sensing platform allows smartphone read-out,which has promising applications in point-of-care testing devices for clinical diagnosis and drug analysis.

CRISPR/Cas9 systems:Delivery technologies and biomedical applications

The emergence of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9(Cas9)genome-editing system has brought about a significant revolution in the realm of managing human diseases,establishing animal models,and so on.To fully harness the potential of this potent gene-editing tool,ensuring efficient and secure delivery to the target site is paramount.Consequently,developing effective delivery methods for the CRISPR/Cas9 system has become a critical area of research.In this review,we present a comprehensive outline of delivery strategies and discuss their biomedical applications in the CRISPR/Cas9 system.We also provide an indepth analysis of physical,viral vector,and non-viral vector delivery strategies,including plasmid-,mRNA-and protein-based approach.In addition,we illustrate the biomedical applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system.This review highlights the key factors affecting the delivery process and the current challenges facing the CRISPR/Cas9 system,while also delineating future directions and prospects that could inspire innovative delivery strategies.This review aims to provide new insights and ideas for advancing CRISPR/Cas9-based delivery strategies and to facilitate breakthroughs in biomedical research and therapeutic applications.

Phase Equilibrium of Isobutanol in Supercritical CO2

Vapor-liquid phase equilibrium data including composition,densities,molar volume and equilibrium constant of isobutanol in supercritical carbon dioxide from 313.2K to 353.2K were measured in a variable-volume visual cell.The properties of critical point were obtained by extrapolation.The results showed that critical temperature,critical pressure and critical compressibility factor of CO2-isobutanol system decreased with the increase of critical CO2 content.The phase equilibrium model was established by Peng-Robinson equation of state and van der Waals-2 mixing regulation,and model parameters were determined by optimization calculation of nonlinear least square method.The correlation between calculated values and the experimental data showed good agreement.

Progress and perspective of high-voltage lithium cobalt oxide in lithium-ion batteries

Lithium cobalt oxide(LiCoO_(2),LCO)dominates in 3C(computer,communication,and consumer)electronics-based batteries with the merits of extraordinary volumetric and gravimetric energy density,high-voltage plateau,and facile synthesis.Currently,the demand for lightweight and longer standby smart portable electronic products drives the development of the upper cut-off voltage of LCO-based batteries to further improve the energy density.However,several challenges,including irreversible structural transformation,surface degradation,cobalt dissolution and oxygen evolution along with detrimental side reactions with the electrolyte remain with charging to a high cut-off voltage(>4.2 V vs.Li/Li+),resulting in rapid capacity decay and safety issues.Based on the degradation mechanisms and latest advances of the high-voltage LCO,this review summarizes modification strategies in view of the LCO structure,artificial interface design and electrolytes optimization.Meanwhile,many advanced characterization and monitoring techniques utilized to clarify the structural and interfacial evolution of LCO during charge/discharge process are critically emphasized.Moreover,the perspectives in terms of integrating multiple modification strategies,applying gel and solid-state electrolytes,optimizing the recovery process and scalable production are presented.

Bile-derived circulating extracellular mi R-30d-5p and mi R-92a-3p as potential biomarkers for cholangiocarcinoma

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is from cholangiocytes, and therefore bile is a potentially rich source of biomarkers for CCA. The aim of the study was to identify and validate microRNAs (miRNAs) in bile samples that are differentially expressed between benign biliary disease (BBD) and CCA. Methods: Bile samples from 106 patients with obstructive biliary disease were allocated consecutively to a discovery set (10 patients with BBD and 11 with CCA) and then a validation set (48 patients with BBD and 37 with CCA). An miRNA microarray platform was used to screen 1209 miRNAs in the discovery set. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the pro ling results in the discovery and validation sets. In addition, the levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were determined from patient serum samples. Results: Microarray pro ling showed that miR-30d-5p and miR-92a-3p were signi cantly upregulated in bile from the CCA group compared with those from the BBD group. qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression levels of miR-30d-5p and of miR-92a-3p were signi cantly upregulated in the CCA group compared to the BBD group, validating the miRNA microarray results. Pathway analysis suggested that putative target genes of miR-30d-5p and of miR-92a-3p were involved in CCA-associated signalling path- ways, such as Hippo, Wnt, p53, MAPK, and EGFR. Receiver operating curve analysis revealed that the areas under the curve for bile miR-30d-5p, miR-92a-3p, serum CA19-9, and CEA were 0.730, 0.652, 0.675, and 0.603, respectively, and bile miR-30d-5p showed the best diagnostic performance with a sensitivity of 81.1% and a speci city of 60.5%. Conclusions: The levels of extracellular miR-30d-5p and miR-92a-3p in bile were signi cantly higher in patients with CCA than those in patients with BBD. Bile-derived circulating extracellular miR-30d-5p and miR-92a-3p are potential biomarkers for discriminating CCA from BBD.

Control Effect of Bacillus cereus CGMCC4348 against Botrytis cinerea and Its Mechanism

[ Objectivel The paper was to study antifungal activity and control mechanism of Bacillus cereus CGMCCA348 against Botrytis cinerea, and further find new methods against the disease. [Method] By quantitative bioassay, in vitro experiment and pot test, the antagonistic protein was extracted with ammonium sul- fate precipitation fractionation to determine the control efficiency. ECso of B. cereus CGMCC4348 was 6. 19 mg/L. Average controlling effect of B. cereus CGM- CC4348 on B. cinerea was 75.8%, equal to the control group which was treated by 50 mg/L pyrimethanil. Bacillus cereus CGMCCA348 had good inhibitory effect against B. cinerea. [ Conclusion] The paper provides scientific basis for green control technology against solanaceous vegetable diseases.

Preparation,Single-crystal Structure and Antibacterial Activity of N-((6-Bromine-2-methoxylquinoline-3-yl)benzyl)-3-morpho-line-N-(naphthalene-1-yl)propionamide

The halogenated hydrocarbon amination reaction between the original raw mate-rial N-（（6-bromine-2-methoxylquinoline-3-yl）benzyl）-3-chlorine-N-（naphthalene-1-yl）propionamide and morpholine produces the target molecule N-（（6-bromine-2-methoxylquinoline-3-yl）benzyl）-3-morpholine-N-（naphthalene-1-yl）propionamide （C34H32BrN3O3,Mr=610.54）,and its structure was characterized by 1H NMR,IR,H RMS and X-ray single-crystal diffraction.This crystal is of triclinic system,space group P1 with a=9.315（2）,b=10.3449（12）,c=15.901（3）,α=80.981（14）,β=76.996（17）,γ=74.917（13）°,V=1433.6（5）3,Z=2,Dc=1.414 g/cm3,F（000）= 632,μ（MoKα）=1.47 mm-1,the final R=0.0735 and wR=0.2457.In total,5585 independent reflections including 3727 observed ones with I 〉 2σ（I） were collected.The dihedral angle between naphthyl and substituted quinolyl and that between phenyl and substituted quinolyl are 61.2（1） and 108.2（1）°,respectively.Through C-H…O and C-H…N hydrogen bonds among molecules,the whole molecule is stacked into a three-dimensional structure.In addition,π-π stacking among adjacent naphthalene rings makes the molecule more stable,and the morpholine ring adopts a chair conformation.The target molecule exhibits good antibacterial activity.

Temporal dynamic changes of connexin 43 expression in C6 cells following lipopolysaccharide stimulation

Connexin 43, a gap junction protein, is expressed mainly in glia in the central nervous system. Neuroinflammation plays an important role in central nervous system injury. Changes to glial connexin 43 levels and neuroinflammation may trigger brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases To illustrate the relationship between connexin 43 and neuroinflammation, this study investigated how connexin 43 expression levels change in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat C6 glioma cells. C6 cells were treated with 0.05, 0.25, 0.5, 1,2.5 and 5 IJg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours. The nitrite estimation-detected nitric oxide release level was elevated substantially after lipopolysaccharide stimulation. To test the transcriptional level changes of inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-a and connexin 43 mRNA, C6 cells were treated with 5 pg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 3 48 hours. Reverse transcription-PCR showed that the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-a mRNA increased over time, but connexin 43 mRNA levels increased in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated C6 cells at 3 and 6 hours, and then decreased from 12 to 48 hours. Connexin 43 protein expression was detected by immunofluorescence staining, and the protein levels matched the mRNA expression levels. These results suggest that connexin 43 expression is biphasic in lipopo^ysacchadde-induced neuroinflammation in C6 cells, which may be correlated with the connexin 43 compensatory mechanism.

Machine learning of materials design and state prediction for lithium ion batteries

With the widespread use of lithium ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles,further improvements in the performance of lithium ion battery materials and accurate prediction of battery state are of increasing interest to battery researchers.Machine learning,one of the core technologies of artificial intelligence,is rapidly changing many fields with its ability to learn from historical data and solve complex tasks,and it has emerged as a new technique for solving current research problems in the field of lithium ion batteries.This review begins with the introduction of the conceptual framework of machine learning and the general process of its application,then reviews some of the progress made by machine learning in both improving battery materials design and accurate prediction of battery state,and finally points out the current application problems of machine learning and future research directions.It is believed that the use of machine learning will further promote the large-scale application and improvement of lithium-ion batteries.

Melatonin combined with exercise cannot alleviate cerebral injury in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Previous studies have demonstrated that melatonin combined with exercise can alleviate secondary damage after spinal cord injury in rats. Therefore, it is hypothesized that melatonin combined with exercise can also alleviate ischemic brain damage. In this study, adult rats were subjected to right middle cerebral artery occlusion after receiving 10 mg/kg melatonin or vehicle subcutaneously twice daily for 14 days. Forced exercise using an animal treadmill was performed at 20 m/min for 30 minutes per day for 6 days prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion. After middle cerebral artery occlusion, each rat received melatonin combined with exercise, melatonin or exercise alone equally for 7 days until sacrifice. Interestingly, rats receiving melatonin combined with exercise exhibited more severe neurological deficits than those receiving melatonin or exercise alone. Hypoxia-inducible factor la mRNA in the brain tissue was upregulated in rats receiving melatonin combined with exercise. Similarly, microtubule associated protein-2 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in rats receiving melatonin alone. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 （NG2） mRNA expression was significantly decreased in rats receiving melatonin combined with exercise as well as in rats receiving exercise alone. Furthermore, neural cell loss in the primary motor cortex was significantly reduced in rats receiving melatonin or exercise alone, but the change was not observed in rats receiving melatonin combined with exercise. These findings suggest that excessive intervention with melatonin, exercise or their combination may lead to negative effects on ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain damage.

Ultrafast battery heat dissipation enabled by highly ordered and interconnected hexagonal boron nitride thermal conductive composites

Heat dissipation involved safety issues are crucial for industrial applications of the high-energy density battery and fast charging technology.While traditional air or liquid cooling methods suffering from space limitation and possible leakage of electricity during charge process,emerging phase change materials as solid cooling media are of growing interest.Among them,paraffin wax(PW)with large latent heat capacity and low cost is desirable for heat dissipation and thermal management which mainly hindered by their relatively low thermal conductivity and susceptibility to leakage.Here,highly ordered and interconnected hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN)networks were established via ice template method and introduced into PW to enhance the thermal conductivity.The composite with 20 wt%loading amount of h-BN can guarantee a highly ordered network and exhibited high thermal conductivity(1.86 W m^(-1) K^(-1))which was 4 times larger compared with that of random dispersed h-BN involved PW and nearly 8 times larger compared with that of bare PW.The optimal thermal conductive composites demonstrated ultrafast heat dissipation as well as leakage resistance for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),heat generated by LIBs can be effectively transferred under the working state and the surface temperature kept 6.9℃ lower at most under 2–5℃ continuous charge-discharge process compared with that of bare one which illustrated great potential for industrial thermal management.

Analysis of Nitrogen Dioxide in Environment

As a severe environmental pollutant, detection and quantitation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have been studied for centuries. In this review, recent progress of NO2 analysis in the atmosphere will be summarized. Four major types of detection technologies, including traditional chemical detection, optical detection, solid-state field effect transistor detection, and other detection technology are covered. The standard method employed by the US EPA, which is based on luminol, is the most reliable and robust method that is used for fully validated monitoring. In the past two decades, accompanying the fast development of electrical engineering and integrated circuit, micro to nanoscale gas sensors have been gaining more and more attention. Application of novel materials including nano wires and graphene also leads to a new era of research and development of sensors.

Sensitive voltammetric determination of xanthinol nicotinate at a carbon nanotubes-ionic liquid gel modified electrode

The electrochemistry of xanthinol nicotinate （Xan） was studied by cyclic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode modified by a gel containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） and room-temperature ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate （BMIMPF6）. The modified electrode exhibited good promotion to the electrochemical oxidation of Xan and an ultrasensitive electrochemical method was proposed for the determination of Xan. This method was successfully applied to the determination of Xan in Xan tablets. C 2009 XiaoYu Bao. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Vapor-liquid Phase Equilibria for CO_2+Tertpentanol Binary System at Elevated Pressures

Vapor-liquid phase equilibrium data of tertpentanol in carbon dioxide were measured at temperatures of 313.4, 323.4, 333.5 and 343.5 K and in the pressure range of 4.56--11.44 MPa. The phase equilibium apparatus used in the work was a variable-volume high-pressure cell. The experimental data were reasonably correlated with Peng-Robinson equation of state（PR-EOS） together with van der Waals-2 two-parameter mixing rules. Henry＇s Law constants and partial molar volumes of CO2 at infinite dilution were estimated with Krichevsky-Kasarnovsky equa- tion, and Henry＇s Law constants increase with increasing temperature, however, partial molar volumes of CO2 at infinite dilution are negative whose magnitudes decrease with temperature. Partial molar volumes of CO2 and tertpentanol in liquid phase at equilibrium were calculated.

Isolation of a genomic DNA for Jatropha curcas ribosome inactivating protein and its tobacco transformation

Genomic DNA for Jatropha curcas ribosome inactivating protein （JRIP） was cloned from total DNA of its leaves by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. The no intron character was confirmed. The plant expression vector pBI121-JRIP was constructed by inserting the JRIP gene into pBI121 plasmid. The recombinant Agrobacterium EHA105 strain harboring pBI121-JRIP was constructed by conducting pBI121-JRIP to strain EHA 105. PCR and Southern blotting were carried out, and the results proved that the JRIP gene was integrated into tobacco genome. It might provide a new material for disease resistance tobacco species breeding.

Characterization of four diol dehydrogenases for enantioselective synthesis of chiral vicinal diols

Enantiopure vicinal diols are important building blocks used in the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds. Diol dehydrogenase(DDH) mediated stereoselective oxidation of racemic vicinal is an efficient way to prepare enantiopure vicinal diols. In this study, four new bacterial DDHs(AnDDH from Anoxybacillus sp. P3 H1 B, HcDDH from Hazenella coriacea, GzDDH from Geobacillus zalihae and LwDDH from Leptotrichia wadei) were mined from the GenBank database and expressed in E. coli T7.The four DDHs were purified and biochemically characterized for oxidation activity toward(R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol, with the optimal reaction condition of pH9.0(AnDDH), 10.0(HcDDH) and 11.0(GzDDH and LwDDH) and the temperatures at 40 ℃(AnDDH), 50 ℃(HcDDH) and 60 ℃(GzDDH and LwDDH), respectively. The four enzymes were stable at the pH from 7.0 to 9.0 and below 40 ℃.Kinetic parameters of four DDHs showed that the HcDDH from Hazenella coriacea had high activity toward a broad range of vicinal diols. A series of racemic vicinal diols were successfully resolved by recombinant E. coli(HcDDH-NOX) resting cells co-expression of an NADH oxidase(NOX), affording(S)-diols and(1 S, 2 S)-trans-diols in ≥99% ee. The synthetic potential of HcDDH was proved by E. coli(HcDDH-NOX) via kinetic resolution of racemic trans-1,2-indandiol on a 100 ml scale reaction,(S, S)-trans-1,2-indandiol was prepared in 46.7% yield and >99% ee. In addition, asymmetric reduction of four α-Hydroxy ketones(10–300 mmol·L^(-1)) by E. coli(HcDDH-GDH) resting cells resulted in >99% ee and69–98% yields of(R)-vicinal diols. The current research expands the toolbox of DDHs to synthesize chiral vicinal diols and demonstrated that the mined Hc DDH is a potential enzyme in the synthesis of a broad range of chiral vicinal diols.

Design, Synthesize and Bio-Evaluate 1,2-Dihydroisoquinolin-3(4H)-One Derivates as Acetylcholinesterase and β-Secretase Dual Inhibitors in Treatment with Alzheimer’s Disease

With the recent research advances in molecular biology and technology, many credible hypothe-ses about the progress of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been proposed, among which the amyloid and cholinergic hypotheses are commonly used to develop reliable therapeutic agents. The multitarget-directed ligand (MTDL) approach was taken in this work to develop multi-functional agents, which can mainly serve as dual BACE 1 and AChE inhibitors. Depending on the scaffolds of (+)-(S)- dihydro-ar-tumerone and (-)-gallocatechin gallate, 3 series of new compounds have been designed, synthesized and evaluated, from which we have identified 2-(2-(3-methylbenzoyl)-3-oxo-1,2,3,4- tetrahydroisoquinolin-6-yl) isoindoline-1,3-dione (3d) as a new cholinesterase and β-secretase dual inhibitor without toxicity. Furthermore, 3d also exhibits hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity which could help to reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain of AD patients.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of medicinal plants used by the Bentian tribe from Indonesia

Some selected medicinal plants used by Bentian tribe from Indonesia were evaluated for potential antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.The leaves stem bark and root of the plants were extracted with n-hexane,ethyl acetate and ethanol to give respective extracts.Antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes and Candida albicans was determined by an agar well diffusion method.Antioxidant activity was assayed by the DPPH radical scavenging activity mechanism.The results showed that n-hexane,ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Cananga odorata,ethanolic extract of Chromolaena odorata,and ethanolic extracts of Hyptis capitata and Ampelocissus cinnamomeae displayed good activity against P.acnes at 25–400μg/well of the extracts tested.The n-hexane and ethanol extracts of Chromolaena odorata and H.capitata,and the n-hexane,ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Cananga odorata displayed more activity against C.albicans than others at 25–400μg/well of the extracts tested.The most antioxidant activities against DPPH were displayed by the ethanol extracts of Ficus variegata stem bark,Leucosyke quadrinerva root and Clausena excavata leaves exhibiting 91%,91%and 86%inhibition,respectively.The present results showed potential of some medicinal plants used by Bentian tribe from Indonesia as natural anti-microbial and anti-oxidant and potentially anti-inflammatory agents.

Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms of Sclareol

This paper first reviewed the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Sclareol in recent years.It discussed anti-inflammatory effects,antibacterial,and anti-photoaging effects of Sclareol.It is expected to lay a theoretical basis for its application in the pharmaceutical field.

Regulation of aqueous electrolyte interface via electrolyte strategies for uniform zinc deposition

Aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs),renowned for their high theoretical energy density,safety,cost-effectiveness and ecofriendliness,offer immense potential in the realm of energy storage and conversion,finding applications in renewable energy and portable devices.However,the development of AZIBs still faces several challenges related to the electrochemical behavior of zinc anodes in aqueous electrolytes,primarily zinc dendrite formation,which emphasize the critical need for a fundamental understanding of the interfacial phenomena between the electrode and electrolyte.This review focuses on the three models:the electric double layer(EDL)model,the solvation structure model,and the Zn/electrolyte interface model.They guide the design of the electrolyte system in AZIBs.These models provide a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between the electrode,electrolyte,and the solvated ions in the system.By optimizing the salt types,salt concentrations,solvents and additives based on these models,it is possible to enhance the performance of AZIBs,including their energy density,cycle life,and safety.The review also highlights recent research progress in electrolyte modification of AZIBs for understanding battery behavior,along with perspectives for the direction of further investigations.