Metal-Phthalocyanine-Based Two-Dimensional Conjugated Metal-Organic Frameworks for Electrochemical Glycerol Oxidation Reaction.

Electrochemical glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) is a promising candidate to couple with cathodic reaction, like hydrogen evolution reaction, to produce high-value product with less energy consumption. Two dimensional conjugated metal-organic frameworks (2D c-MOFs), comprising square-planar metal-coordination motifs (e.g.

A General Synthesis of Nanostructured Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks from Insulating MOF Precursors for Supercapacitors and Chemiresistive Sensors.

Two-dimensional conjugated metal-organic frameworks (2D c-MOFs) are emerging as a unique subclass of layer-stacked crystalline coordination polymers that simultaneously possess porous and conductive properties, and have broad application potential in energy and electronic devices. However, to make the best use of the intrinsic electronic properties and structural features of 2D c-MOFs, the controlled synthesis of hierarchically nanostructured 2D c-MOFs with high crystallinity and customized morphologies is essential, which remains a great challenge. Herein, we present a template strategy to synthesize a library of 2D c-MOFs with controlled morphologies and dimensions via insulating MOFs-to-c-MOFs transformations.

Blocking RAGE expression after injury reduces inflammation in mouse model of acute lung injury.

Background: Receptor for Advanced Glycated Endproducts (RAGE) plays a major role in the inflammatory response to infectious and toxin induced acute lung injury. We tested the hypothesis that a RAGE blocking antibody when administered after the onset of injury can reduce lung inflammation compared to control antibody.

Methods: Male and female C57BL/6 (WT) mice were used.

Artificial Light-Harvesting System with White-Light Emission in a Bicontinuous Ionic Medium.

Artificial light-harvesting systems (ALHSs), which are closely related to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), are among the most attractive scientific topics during the past few decades. Specifically, binary ALHSs that are composed of a fluid donor and acceptor have a simplified composition and high number density of the donor units. However, largely due to the difficulty in obtaining a fluid donor, investigation of these systems is still quite limited, especially for the ionic systems.

Blocking RAGE improves wound healing in diabetic pigs.

Receptor for Advanced Glycated End-products (RAGE) is highly expressed in diabetes and impairs wound healing. We proposed that administering an antibody that blocks RAGE will hasten the healing of dorsal wounds in diabetic pigs compared with a non-immune IgG. Two purpose-bred diabetic (D) Yucatan minipigs (Sinclair, Auxvasse MO) each underwent 12 2 × 2 cm full thickness dorsal wounds: four wounds received decellularized porcine skin patches (Xylyx Bio, Bklyn NY): four anti-RAGE Ab (CR-3) infused patches, four saline infused patches and four wounds were left open.

Cardiomyocyte death in sepsis: Mechanisms and regulation (Review).

Sepsis‑induced cardiac dysfunction is one of the most common types of organ dysfunction in sepsis; its pathogenesis is highly complex and not yet fully understood. Cardiomyocytes serve a key role in the pathophysiology of cardiac function; due to the limited ability of cardiomyocytes to regenerate, their loss contributes to decreased cardiac function. The activation of inflammatory signalling pathways affects cardiomyocyte function and modes of cardiomyocyte death in sepsis.

Molecular Pathophysiology of Cardiac Injury and Cardiac Microthrombi in Fatal COVID-19: Insights from Clinico-histopathologic and Single Nuclei RNA Sequencing Analyses.

Cardiac injury is associated with critical COVID-19, yet its etiology remains debated. To elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of COVID-19-associated cardiac injury, we conducted a single-center prospective cohort study of 69 COVID-19 decedents. Of six cardiac histopathologic features, microthrombi was the most commonly detected (n=48, 70%).

Novel Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products-Blocking Antibody to Treat Diabetic Peripheral Artery Disease.

Background Expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays an important role in diabetic peripheral artery disease. We proposed to show that treatment with an antibody blocking RAGE would improve hind limb perfusion and muscle viability in diabetic pig with femoral artery (FA) ligation. Methods and Results Purpose-bred diabetic Yucatan minipigs with average fasting blood sugar of 357 mg/dL on insulin to maintain a glucose range of 300 to 500 mg/dL were treated with either a humanized monoclonal anti-RAGE antibody (CR-3) or nonimmune IgG.

VEGF receptor targeted imaging of angiogenic response to limb ischemia in diabetic vs. non-diabetic Yucatan minipigs.

Background: New therapies to treat diabetic peripheral artery disease (PAD) require target-specific non-invasive imaging modalities to follow efficacy. As a translational study, we performed targeted imaging of receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in response to anterior femoral artery occlusion (FAO) in Yucatan minipigs and compare the normal response to response in diabetic Yucatan minipigs.

Methods: Eleven Yucatan minipigs, 6 non-diabetic (non-D) and 5 purpose bred diabetic (D) (Sinclair, Auxvasse MO), underwent intravascular total occlusion of the anterior femoral artery (FA).

Self-Stabilized Giant Aggregates in Water from Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with an Asymmetric Polar-Apolar-Polar Architecture.

We report the assembly of four imidazolium bromides, each of which bears a naphthyl on one side of the imidazolium cation and a branched alkyl chain on the other. This design creates a new type of amphiphilic ionic liquid with an apolar-polar-apolar structure and a low melting point (, <-20 °C), which has not been achieved by reported counterparts bearing linear alkyl chains. In solvent-free states, microphase segregation occurs where polar and apolar domains arrange bicontinuously as proved by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Cubic Liquid Crystals of Polyoxometalate-Based Ionic Liquids.

Thermotropic ionic liquid crystals of polyoxometalate (POM)-based ionic liquids (POM-based ILs), which are formed by a POM, KPWO, and cationic surfactants, tetra--alkylammonium bromide ((CH)NBr, = 6 and 7), are first proposed. As a model system, the cubic phase structure of a POM-based IL, {(CH)N}PWO, was determined to form in a wide range of temperatures, exhibiting good thermostability, excellent mechanical strength, and high viscosity. Furthermore, the lyotropic ionic liquid crystals formed by {(CH)N}PWO in solvents such as chloroform or toluene still maintained a cubic structure.

Magnetic and Biocompatible Fullerenol/Fe(III) Microcapsules with Antioxidant Activities.

Fullerene C (refers to C hereafter) has a unique three-dimensional architecture and intriguing physicochemical properties. It has great potential applications in materials chemistry and life science. However, a big obstacle for the widespread application of C lies in the limited strategies to make supramolecular structures with diverse morphologies and functions.

Fullerene-Directed Synthesis of Flowerlike Cu(PO) Crystals for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes.

Biomineralization is a typical methodology developed by nature to produce calcium-based materials. A method mimicking this process has nowadays become popular for the preparation of artificial organic-inorganic hybrids. Here, Cu(PO) crystals with a flowerlike morphology have been prepared using water-soluble derivatives of fullerene C as templates.

Photoluminescent sensing vesicle platform self-assembled by polyoxometalate and ionic-liquid-type imidazolium gemini surfactants for the detection of Cr and MnO ions.

In this paper, in order to successfully achieve a fluorescent polyoxometalate (POM) probe with high luminescence, aggregation enhanced emission of POM is achieved by a self-assembly strategy. In detail, Eu-polyoxometalate (Na[EuWO]·32HO (EuW)) and ionic-liquid-type imidazolium gemini surfactants ([C-n-Cim]Br, n = 2, 4, 6) constructed a vesicle with aggregation enhanced emission phenomenon. With the introduction of [C-n-Cim]Br, the luminescence intensity increased sharply and compared the effect of the different space length of [C-n-Cim]Br, the introduction of [C-2-Cim]Br had the best luminescence effect and the strongest luminescence of EuW/[C-2-Cim]Br was 32 times that of pure EuW.

Aggregation-Induced Emission of Eu Complexes Balanced with Bulky and Amphiphilic Imidazolium Cations in Ethanol/Water Binary Mixtures.

A series of Eu complexes with thenoyltrifluoroacetone (tta) as the ligands were synthesized, which are balanced with imidazolium cations bearing naphthyl and branched alkyl chains. The complex with the longest alkyl chain (1Eu(tta) ) shows aggregation behavior in ethanol and water mixtures. It exists as individuals at low water percentages (V ), and form particles with solid interiors at V ≥50 % the sizes of which decrease with the increase of V .

Imaging VEGF Receptors and αβ Integrins in a Mouse Hindlimb Ischemia Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Purpose: To compare targeted imaging of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors vs. αβ integrins in a mouse hindlimb ischemia model of peripheral artery disease.

Procedures: Male wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice (8- to 10-week old) (n = 24) underwent left femoral artery ligation.

Versatile Self-Assembly and Biosensing Applications of DNA and Carbon Quantum Dots Coordinated Cerium Ions.

Self-assembly exploits noncovalent interactions to offer a facile and effective method for the construction of soft materials with multifunctionalities and diversity. In this work, fluorescence carbon quantum dots coordinated by Ce ions (CQDCe) have been synthesized and exploited as building blocks to generate a series of hierarchical structures through the ionic self-assembly of CQDCe and biomolecules, namely DNA, myoglobin (Mb), and hyaluronic acid (HA). In particular, vesicles can be constructed by the simple mixing of oppositely charged CQDCe and DNA in water.

Improving the Power Conversion Efficiency of Carbon Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells by Growing the Dots on a TiO₂ Photoanode In Situ.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are highly promising since they can potentially solve global energy issues. The development of new photosensitizers is the key to fully realizing perspectives proposed to DSSCs. Being cheap and nontoxic, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as attractive candidates for this purpose.

Photoluminescent Honeycomb Structures from Polyoxometalates and an Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid Bearing a π-Conjugated Moiety and a Branched Aliphatic Chain.

Honeycomb-structured films represent an intriguing class of two-dimensional porous materials. Specifically, polyoxometalate (POM) macroanions can be introduced into these films by complexing with oppositely charged, double-tailed surfactants. Here highly-ordered honeycomb structures are reported that can be constructed by the complexes between POMs and a room temperature ionic liquid (IL1) having an imidazolium moiety in the middle and a naphthyl unit and a branched aliphatic chain at the ends.

Naphthalene-Functionalized, Photoluminescent Room Temperature Ionic Liquids Bearing Small Counterions.

Obtaining π-conjugated room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) is difficult because of the relatively strong π-π interaction among the π-moieties. Existing strategies by using bulky counterions greatly hindered further property optimization and potential applications of these intriguing functional fluids through simple ion exchange. Herein, four naphthalene-functionalized, π-conjugated RTILs with small counterions (Br(-) ) have been facilely synthesized with high yields.

Imaging VEGF receptor expression to identify accelerated atherosclerosis.

Background: The biology of the vulnerable plaque includes increased inflammation and rapid growth of vasa vasorum, processes that are associated with enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/ imaging receptors for VEGF (VEGFR) signaling and are accelerated in diabetes. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that VEGFRs in atherosclerotic plaques with a SPECT tracer scVEGF-PEG-DOTA/(99m)Tc (scV/Tc) can identify accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes.

Methods: Male apolipoprotein E null (ApoE(-/-)) mice (6 weeks of age) were made diabetic (n = 10) or left as non-diabetic (n = 13).

Treatment effect with anti-RAGE F(ab')2 antibody improves hind limb angiogenesis and blood flow in Type 1 diabetic mice with left femoral artery ligation.

We investigated treatment with a receptor for advanced glycation endproduct (RAGE) blocking antibody on angiogenic response to hind limb ischemia in diabetic mice. Streptozotocin treated C57BL/6 mice received either murine monoclonal anti-RAGE F(ab')2 intraperitoneally (n=10) or saline (n=9) for 9 weeks. Diabetic plus 10 non-diabetic C57BL/6 mice underwent left femoral artery ligation and 5 days later angiogenesis imaging with (99m)Tc-Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) nanoSPECT/CT.

Beneficial Effect of Glucose Control on Atherosclerosis Progression in Diabetic ApoE(-/-) Mice: Shown by Rage Directed Imaging.

Objective. Receptor for advanced glycated endproducts (RAGE) plays an important role in atherogenesis in diabetes. We imaged RAGE to investigate the effect of glucose control to suppress RAGE and reduce atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E null (apoE(-/-)) diabetic mice.

Imaging receptor for advanced glycation end product expression in mouse model of hind limb ischemia.

Background: The purpose of this study is to image the effect of diabetes on expression of receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) in limb ischemia in live animals.

Methods: Male wild-type C57BL/6 mice were either made diabetic or left as control. Two months later, diabetic and non-diabetic mice underwent left femoral artery ligation.