The kynurenine pathway regulated by intestinal innate lymphoid cells mediates postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a prevalent neurological complication that can impair learning and memory for days, months, or even years after anesthesia/surgery. POCD is strongly associated with an altered composition of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis), but the accompanying metabolic changes and their role in gut-brain communication and POCD pathogenesis remain unclear. Here, the present study reports that anesthesia/surgery in aged mice induces elevated intestinal indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression and activity, which shifts intestinal tryptophan (TRP) metabolism toward more IDO-catalyzed kynurenine (KYN) and less gut bacteria-catabolized indoleacetic acid (IAA).

Poly[[μ-2-(benzotriazol-1-yl)acetato-κ :': ]chlorido-(ethanol-κ)cobalt(II)].

In the title compound, [Co(CHNO)Cl(CHOH)] , the Co atoms adopt octa-hedral -CoNO and tetra-hedral CoClO coordination geometries (site symmetries and , respectively). The bridging μ-:: 2-(benzotriazol-1-yl)acetato ligands connect the octa-hedral cobalt nodes into (010) sheets and the CoCl fragments link the sheets into a tri-periodic network. The structure displays O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding and the ethanol mol-ecule is disordered over two orientations.

Association of different central venous pressure levels with outcome of living-donor liver transplantation in children under 12 years.

Background: Pediatric liver transplantation is an important modality for treating biliary atresia. The overall survival (OS) rate of pediatric liver transplantation has significantly improved compared with that of 20 years ago, but it is still unsatisfactory. The anesthesia strategy of maintaining low central venous pressure (CVP) has shown a positive effect on prognosis in adult liver transplantation.

Discovery of Orally Bioavailable Ligand Efficient Quinazolindiones as Potent and Selective Tankyrases Inhibitors.

We report herein the discovery of quinazolindiones as potent and selective tankyrase inhibitors. Elucidation of the structure-activity relationship of the lead compound led to truncated analogues that have good potency in cells, pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, and excellent selectivity. Compound exhibited excellent potencies in cells and proliferation studies, good selectivity, activities, and an excellent PK profile.

Lactated Ringer's solution versus normal saline in pediatric living-donor liver transplantation: A matched retrospective cohort study.

Background: In pediatric living-donor liver transplantation, lactated Ringer's solution and normal saline are commonly used for intraoperative fluid management, but the comparative clinical outcomes remain uncertain.

Aims: To compare the effect between lactated Ringer's solution and normal saline for intraoperative volume replacement on clinical outcomes among pediatric living-donor liver transplantation patients.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective trial study enrolled children who received either lactated Ringer's solution or normal saline during living-donor liver transplantation between January 2010 and August 2016.

Methanol conversion on borocarbonitride catalysts: Identification and quantification of active sites.

Borocarbonitrides (BCNs) have emerged as highly selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction. However, there is a lack of in-depth understanding of the catalytic mechanism over BCN catalysts due to the complexity of the surface oxygen functional groups. Here, BCN nanotubes with multiple active sites are synthesized for oxygen-assisted methanol conversion reaction.

Discovery of Isoxazole Amides as Potent and Selective SMYD3 Inhibitors.

We report herein the discovery of isoxazole amides as potent and selective SET and MYND Domain-Containing Protein 3 (SMYD3) inhibitors. Elucidation of the structure-activity relationship of the high-throughput screening (HTS) lead compound provided potent and selective SMYD3 inhibitors. The SAR optimization, cocrystal structures of small molecules with SMYD3, and mode of inhibition (MOI) characterization of compounds are described.

Highly Efficient Metal-Free Nitrogen-Doped Nanocarbons with Unexpected Active Sites for Aerobic Catalytic Reactions.

Nitrogen (N)-doped nanocarbons (NDN) as metal-free catalysts have elicited considerable attention toward selective oxidation of alcohols with easily oxidizable groups to aldehydes in the past few years. However, finding a new NDN catalytic material that can meet the requirement of the feasibility on the aerobic catalytics for other complicated alcohols is a big challenge. The real active sites and the corresponding mechanisms on NDN are still unambiguous because of inevitable coexistence of diverse edge sites and N species based on recently reported doping methods.

MoO Nanoparticle Catalysts for d-Glucose Epimerization and Their Electrical Immobilization in a Continuous Flow Reactor.

Activity and immobilization of catalysts in liquid-phase reactions seem not to coexist. We report here the excellent activity of an MoO nanoparticle (NP) catalyst for d-glucose epimerization to d-mannose and the electrical immobilization of NPs in a flow reaction. Prior to that, a green and one-pot method to synthesize the MoO NPs (3.

Ultrasensitive and Selective Gas Sensor Based on a Channel Plasmonic Structure with an Enormous Hot Spot Region.

We present experimental and theoretical studies of a metamaterial-based plasmonic structure to build a plasmonic-molecular coupling detection system. High molecular sensitivity is realized only when molecules are located in the vicinity of the enhanced field (hot spot region); thus, introducing target molecules in the hot spot region to maximize plasmonic-molecular coupling is crucial to developing the sensing technology. We design a metamaterial consisting of a vertically oriented metal insulator metal (MIM) structure with a 25 nm channel sandwiched between two metal films, which enables the delivery of molecules into the large ravinelike hot spot region, offering an ultrasensitive platform for molecular sensing.

Atomic-Scale Observation of Bimetallic Au-CuO Nanoparticles and Their Interfaces for Activation of CO Molecules.

Supported gold nanoparticles with sizes below 5 nm display attractive catalytic activities for heterogeneous reactions, particularly those promoted by secondary metal (e.g., Cu) because of the well-defined synergy between metal compositions.

Disease antigens detection by silicon nanowires with the efficiency optimization of their antibodies on a chip.

Enhancing the efficiency of antibody protein immobilized on a silicon nanowire-based chip for their antigens detection is reported. An external electric field (EEF) is applied to direct the orientation of antibodies during their immobilization on a chip. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to measure the binding forces between immobilized antibody and targeting antigen under the influence of EEF at different angles.

Intestinal dysbacteriosis mediates the reference memory deficit induced by anaesthesia/surgery in aged mice.

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and has become a major concern for patients and caregivers. POCD is most common in older patients. Previous studies demonstrated that the gut microbiome affects cognitive function and behaviour, and perioperative factors, including the operation itself, antibiotics, opioids or acid-inducing drugs, affect the gut microbiome.

Nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) perturb redox-sensitive system via the selective inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activities in zebrafish.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are well-known for its potential applications for bioimaging, biosensor, and drug carrier in biomedicine. GQDs are well characteristic of intrinsic peroxidase-like catalytic activity, which is proven effective in scavenging the free radicals, such assuperoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radical. GQDs are also well praised for its low in vivo and in vitro toxicity.

Wet-Chemistry Strong Metal-Support Interactions in Titania-Supported Au Catalysts.

Classical strong metal-support interactions (SMSI), which play a crucial role in the preparation of supported metal nanoparticle catalysts, is one of the most important concepts in heterogeneous catalysis. The conventional wisdom for construction of classical SMSI involves in redox treatments at high-temperatures by molecular oxygen or hydrogen, sometimes causing sintered metal nanoparticles before SMSI formation. Herein, we report that the aforementioned issue can be effectively avoided by a wet-chemistry methodology.

Visualizing Formation of Intermetallic PdZn in a Palladium/Zinc Oxide Catalyst: Interfacial Fertilization by PdH.

Controllable synthesis of well-defined supported intermetallic catalysts is desirable because of their unique properties in physical chemistry. To accurately pinpoint the evolution of such materials at an atomic-scale, especially clarification of the initial state under a particular chemical environment, will facilitate rational design and optimal synthesis of such catalysts. The dynamic formation of a ZnO-supported PdZn catalyst is presented, whereby detailed analyses of in situ transmission electron microscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and in situ X-ray diffraction are combined to form a nanoscale understanding of PdZn phase transitions under realistic catalytic conditions.

A comparative study of nitrobenzene reduction using model catalysts.

A zigzag-type quinone performs better than an armchair-type quinone in the reduction of nitrobenzene. When different kinds of functionalities co-exist, the reaction is dominated by the most active sites, but the most negative sites should also be taken into consideration if the acitive sites have zigzag structures.

Oxygen Electrocatalysis at Mn-O -C Hybrid Heterojunction: An Electronic Synergy or Cooperative Catalysis?

The interface at the metal oxide-carbon hybrid heterojunction is the source to the well-known "synergistic effect" in catalysis. Understanding the structure-function properties is key for designing more advanced catalyst-support systems. Using a model Mn-O single-layer catalyst on carbon, we herein report a full elucidation to the catalytic synergism at the hybrid heterojunction in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Hydration of phenylacetylene on sulfonated carbon materials: active site and intrinsic catalytic activity.

A series of sulfonated carbon materials (sulfonated glucose-derived carbon, carbon nanotubes, activated carbon and ordered mesoporous carbon, denoted as Sglu, SCNT, SAC and SCMK, respectively) were synthesized and applied as acid catalysts in phenylacetylene (PA) hydration reactions. The sulfonic acid groups (-SOH) were identified to be the only kind of active sites and were quantified with XPS and a cation exchange process. Mechanistic studies revealed that the catalytic PA hydration reaction follows pseudo first order reaction kinetics.

Catalysis by hybrid sp/sp nanodiamonds and their role in the design of advanced nanocarbon materials.

Hybrid sp2/sp3 nanocarbons, in particular sp3-hybridized ultra-dispersed nanodiamonds and derivative materials, such as the sp3/sp2-hybridized bucky nanodiamonds and sp2-hybridized onion-like carbons, represent a rather interesting class of catalysts still under consideration. Their characteristics, properties and catalytic reactivity are presented, with an analysis of the state-of-the-art of their use in gas- and liquid-phase reactions, including photo- and electro-catalysis. It is remarked that intrinsic differences exist between these and other nanostructured carbon catalysts.

Biomass-Derived Graphene-like Carbon: Efficient Metal-Free Carbocatalysts for Epoxidation.

N-doped graphene-like layered carbon (NG) could be synthesized via a metal-free pyrolysis route from glucose, fructose, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), which are cheap and widely available biomass or biomass derivatives. A well-developed thin-layer structure with large lateral dimensions could be obtained when 5-HMF was used as the precursor. More importantly, the 5-HMF-derived NG gave superior performance in epoxidation reactions compared with the conventional carbon catalysts and the performance of 5-HMF derived NG was even similar to that of a cobalt catalyst.