Incorporation of a Binuclear Cobalt Complex into MOFs for Photocatalytic CO Reduction with HO as an Electron Donor.

The development of molecular composite photocatalysts for cost-effective, sacrificial-reagent-free CO reduction is desirable but challenging. Herein, we employed an encapsulation strategy to encapsulate the binuclear cobalt complex (CoL) within NH-MIL-125 and synthesized a range of MOF-based composites with varying cobalt content for photocatalytic CO reduction. The photocatalytic results showed that the catalytic performance increased with the increase in CoL content, reaching a rapid CO generation rate of 27.

Falcon Probe: A High-Pressure and Robust Sampling Interface for Coupling Lossless Liquid Chromatography Injection with In Situ Nanoliter-Scale Sample Pretreatment.

With the increasing demand for trace sample analysis, injecting trace samples into liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems with minimal loss has become a major challenge. Herein, we describe an in situ LC-MS analytical probe, the Falcon probe, which integrates multiple functions of high-pressure sample injection without sample loss, high-efficiency LC separation, and electrospray. The main body of the Falcon probe is made of stainless steel and fabricated by the computer numerical control (CNC) technique, which has ultrahigh mechanical strength.

One-Shot Single-Cell Proteome and Metabolome Analysis Strategy for the Same Single Cell.

Characterizing the profiles of proteome and metabolome at the single-cell level is of great significance in single-cell multiomic studies. Herein, we proposed a novel strategy called one-shot single-cell proteome and metabolome analysis (scPMA) to acquire the proteome and metabolome information in a single-cell individual in one injection of LC-MS/MS analysis. Based on the scPMA strategy, a total workflow was developed to achieve the single-cell capture, nanoliter-scale sample pretreatment, one-shot LC injection and separation of the enzyme-digested peptides and metabolites, and dual-zone MS/MS detection for proteome and metabolome profiling.

Pick-up single-cell proteomic analysis for quantifying up to 3000 proteins in a Mammalian cell.

The shotgun proteomic analysis is currently the most promising single-cell protein sequencing technology, however its identification level of ~1000 proteins per cell is still insufficient for practical applications. Here, we develop a pick-up single-cell proteomic analysis (PiSPA) workflow to achieve a deep identification capable of quantifying up to 3000 protein groups in a mammalian cell using the label-free quantitative method. The PiSPA workflow is specially established for single-cell samples mainly based on a nanoliter-scale microfluidic liquid handling robot, capable of achieving single-cell capture, pretreatment and injection under the pick-up operation strategy.

Triptolide inhibits proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by blocking Nrf2 expression.

Triptolide (TPL), the main active ingredient of Tripterygium wilfordii, has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antitumor actions. It can also inhibit cell proliferation and metastasis while promoting apoptosis of several tumors, such as colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the mechanism of TPL against CRC is not clear.

A Floating Capsule Electrochemical System for In Situ and Multichannel Ion-Selective Sensing.

Free-floating electrochemical sensors are promising for in situ bioprocess monitoring with the advantages of movability, a lowered risk of contamination, and a simplified structure of the bioreactor. Although floating sensors were developed for the measurement of physical and chemical indicators such as temperature, velocity of flow, pH, and dissolved oxygen, it is the lack of available electrochemical sensors for the determination of the inorganic ions in bioreactors that has a significant influence on cell culture. In this study, a capsule-shaped electrochemical system (iCapsuleEC) is developed to monitor ions including K, NH, Na, Ca, and Mg based on solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs).

 (Gesneriaceae), a new genus and species from Guangdong, South China.

, a new genus from southern China, is described and colorfully illustrated with a single species, . This new genus is morphologically most similar to and , nevertheless, it can be easily distinguished from the latter two by the following characteristics, such as leaves in whorls of three, all closely clustered at the top; corolla bowl-shaped, 5-lobed, actinomorphic; capsule hard, oblong-ovoid, short, 3-4 mm long, densely appressed villous, wrapped by persistent densely pubescent calyx lobes, style persistent. The new genus and related genera were sequenced using the next-generation sequencing technique.

Micro-electrochemical DO sensor with ultra-micropore matrix fabricated with femtosecond laser processing successfully applied in on-line DO monitoring for yeast culture.

Accurate monitoring of dissolved oxygen (DO) is vital for aerobic fermentation process control. This work presents an autoclavable Micro-Dissolved oxygen Sensor (MDS) that can monitor real time DO. The proposed sensor is much cheaper to be manufactured (< $35) and can be adapted to varying measurement environments.

An automated, fully-integrated nucleic acid analyzer based on microfluidic liquid handling robot technique.

On-site nucleic acid testing (NAT) plays an important role for disease monitoring and pathogen diagnosis. In this work, we developed an automated and fully-integrated nucleic acid analyzer by combining the automated liquid handling robot technique with the microfluidic droplet-based real-time PCR assay technique. The present analyzer could achieve multiple operations including sample introduction, nucleic acid extraction based on magnetic solid-phase extraction, reverse transcription and, sample droplet generation, PCR amplification, real-time and dual fluorescence detection of droplet array.

Lab at home: a promising prospect for on-site chemical and biological analysis.

The continuing pursuit for a healthy life has led to the urgent need for on-site analysis. In response to the urgent needs of on-site analysis, we propose a novel concept, called lab at home (LAH), for building automated and integrated total analysis systems to perform chemical and biological testing at home. It represents an emerging research area with broad prospects that has not yet attracted sufficient attention.

Optimization of Electrode Patterns for an ITO-Based Digital Microfluidic through the Finite Element Simulation.

Indium tin oxide (ITO)-based digital microfluidics (DMF) with unique optical and electrical properties are promising in the development of integrated, automatic and portable analytical systems. The fabrication technique using laser direct etching (LDE) on ITO glass has the advantages of being rapid, low cost and convenient. However, the fabrication resolution of LDE limits the minimum line width for patterns on ITO glasses, leading to a related wider lead wire for the actuating electrodes of DMF compared with photolithography.

Colorimetric Sensing with Gold Nanoparticles on Electrowetting-Based Digital Microfluidics.

Digital microfluidic (DMF) has been a unique tool for manipulating micro-droplets with high flexibility and accuracy. To extend the application of DMF for automatic and in-site detection, it is promising to introduce colorimetric sensing based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which have advantages including high sensitivity, label-free, biocompatibility, and easy surface modification. However, there is still a lack of studies for investigating the movement and stability of AuNPs for in-site detection on the electrowetting-based digital microfluidics.

Efficacy of rhNGF-loaded amniotic membrane transplantation for rabbit corneal epithelial and nerve regeneration.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of recombinant human nerve growth factor-loaded amniotic membrane (rhNGF-AM) on corneal epithelial and nerve regeneration in rabbit model.

Methods: Freshly prepared human amniotic membrane (AM) were immersed into PBS buffer containing 100 or 500 µg/mL rhNGF for 15, 30, and 60min at 4°C. The release kinetics of rhNGF was measured with ELISA.

The complete chloroplast genome of (Ericaceae).

is newly reported and endemic to China. The genome of is 207,311 bp in length, including a large single-copy region of 190,689 bp and a small single-copy region of 2582 bp, a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRA) of 7020 bp each. The genome encodes 110 genes, comprising 77 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes, and 29 transfer RNA genes.

A microfluidic robot for rare cell sorting based on machine vision identification and multi-step sorting strategy.

The identification, sorting and analysis of rare target single cells in human blood has always been a clinically meaningful medical challenge. Here, we developed a microfluidic robot platform for sorting specific rare cells from complex clinical blood samples based on machine vision-based image identification, liquid handling robot and droplet-based microfluidic techniques. The robot integrated a cell capture and droplet generation module, a laser-induced fluorescence imaging module, a target cell identification and data analysis module, and a system control module, which could automatically achieve the scanning imaging of cell array, cell identification, capturing, and droplet generation of rare target cells from blood samples containing large numbers of normal cells.

Nanoliter-scale liquid metering and droplet generation based on a capillary array for high throughput screening.

Herein, we developed a simple approach for quantitative metering of nanoliter-scale liquids in parallel based on a capillary array and applied it in high throughput screening protein crystallization conditions. The quantitative metering of liquids was achieved by using capillary force to spontaneously introduce the liquids into short capillaries with fixed length and inner diameter, and the nanoliter-scale droplets were generated by using a pneumatic pump to deliver liquids out from the capillary channels. We adopted measures of sharpening the capillary tips and performing a hydrophobic treatment on the tip surface to significantly reduce the capillary residues during the liquid aspirating and dispensing process, and thus improved the precision to 0.

Multifunctional Binuclear Ln(III) Complexes Obtained via Tandem Reactions: Multiple Photoresponses to Volatile Organic Solvents and Anticounterfeiting and Magnetic Properties.

The design and synthesis of simple lanthanide complexes with multiple functions have been widely studied and have faced certain challenges. Herein, we successfully synthesized the series of binuclear lanthanide complexes [Ln()(NO)] (H = 2-amino-1,2-bis(pyridin-2-yl)ethanol; Ln = Dy (), Tb (), Ho () Er ()) via the self-condensation of Ln(NO)·6HO-catalyzed 2-aminomethylpyridine (16 steps) under solvothermal conditions. was mixed with different volatile organic solvents, and photoluminescence tests demonstrated that it showed an excellent selective photoresponse to chloroform (CHCl).

Substitution Effects Regulate the Formation of Butterfly-Shaped Tetranuclear Dy(III) Cluster and Dy-Based Hydrogen-Bonded Helix Frameworks: Structure and Magnetic Properties.

The generation of two types of complexes with different topological connections and completely different structural types merely via the substitution effect is extremely rare, especially for -CH and -CH substituents with similar physical and chemical properties. Herein, we used 3-methoxysalicylaldehyde, 1,2-cyclohexanediamine, and Dy(NO)·6HO to react under solvothermal conditions (CHOH:CHCN = 1:1) at 80 °C to obtain the butterfly-shaped tetranuclear Dy cluster [Dy()(μ-O)(NO)] (, H = 6,6'-((1,1')-(cyclohexane-1,3-diylbis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(2-methoxyphenol)). The ligand H was obtained by the Schiff base reaction of 3-methoxysalicylaldehyde and 1,2-cyclohexanediamine.

A minimalist approach for generating picoliter to nanoliter droplets based on an asymmetrical beveled capillary and its application in digital PCR assay.

We developed a simple approach to form picoliter to nanoliter monodisperse droplets by controlling the interface of an asymmetrical beveled capillary (ABC), with minimalist device of a beveled capillary and a liquid driving module without the need of additional equipment or external forces. We observed an evident leap decrease effect in droplet size specially existed in a capillary with a beveled outlet interface instead of a conventional flat capillary within proper bevel angle and flow rate range, by which droplets with diameters of 2-5 times the inner diameter of the capillary could be spontaneously generated by surface tension. A preliminary theoretical explanation is given to the mechanism of droplet formation at the capillary beveled interface.

Intraspecific variation of self-incompatibility in the distylous plant .

Heteromorphic self-incompatibility can prevent self- and intramorph fertilization while favouring intermorph mating and the maintenance of morph-ratio stability in heterostylous populations. However, variation in the expression of self-incompatibility intraspecies has seldom been assessed. Through hand pollinations and microsatellite markers, the variation in the expression of self-incompatibility and genetic diversity were studied in distylous plant .