Inherent Ultrahigh Proton Conductivity of Two Highly Stable COOH-Functionalized Hafnium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Although there has been some recent interest in the proton conductivity (σ) of highly stable carboxyl metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) made of tetravalent metal ions, given their potential applications in fuel cells and electrochemical sensing, research on MOFs constructed by hafnium(IV) ions needs to be expanded significantly. Based on this, we used two common and easily prepared phenylpoly(carboxylic acid) ligands, 1,2,4-phenyltricarboxylic acid and 1,2,4,5-phenyltetracarboxylic acid, to react with hafnium tetrachloride, respectively, creating two porous hafnium(IV)-based MOFs, () and UiO-66-(COOH)-Hf (), with the same structure as UiO-66-Hf but with different numbers of free carboxylic groups. A series of stability assays revealed that the two MOFs had excellent structural rigidity, including thermal and water stability.

Icing on the Cake: Imidazole-Anchored Strategy To Enhance the Proton Conductivity of Two Isostructural Ce(IV)/Hf(IV) Metal-Organic Frameworks.

In the field of proton conduction, the acquisition of crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high stability and ultrahigh proton conductivity has been of great research value and is worth continuous exploration. Here, we greenly synthesized a three-dimensional porous MOF () by using [(NH)Ce(NO) and fumaric acid as starting materials and solvothermally synthesized by using HfCl and 2-nitroterephthalic acid as starting materials. A series of measurements have shown that both MOFs exhibit good water stability, acid-base stability, and thermal stability and demonstrate outstanding proton conductivity.

Infection-responsive long-term antibacterial bone plates for open fracture therapy.

The infections in open fracture induce high morbidity worldwide. Thus, developing efficient anti-infective orthopedic devices is of great significance. In this work, we designed a kind of infection-responsive long-term antibacterial bone plates.

Diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis: A case report and review of literature.

Background: Diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis (DUL) is a benign uterine smooth muscle neoplasm with unknown etiology. Since DUL is rarely reported, knowledge regarding it is limited. The rate of early diagnosis is low, and DUL is often misdiagnosed as common multiple uterine leiomyomas before surgery.

Comparative Studies on the Proton Conductivities of Hafnium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks and Related Chitosan or Nafion Composite Membranes.

Hafnium (Hf)-based UiO-66 series metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely studied on gas storage, gas separation, reduction reaction, and other aspects since they were first prepared in 2012, but there are few studies on proton conductivity. In this work, one Hf-based MOF, Hf-UiO-66-fum showing UiO-66 structure, also known as , was synthesized at room temperature using cheap fumaric acid as the bridging ligand, and then imidazole units were successfully introduced into to obatin a doped product, . Note that both and demonstrate excellent thermal, water, and acid-base stabilities.

Proton Conductive Lanthanide-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis Strategies, Structural Features, and Recent Progress.

In the fields of proton exchange membrane fuel cells as well as impedance recognition, molecular sieve, and biochemistry, the development of proton conductive materials is essential. The design and preparation of the next generation of proton conductive materials-crystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) materials with high proton conductivity and excellent water stability-are facing great challenges. Due to the large radius and high positive charge of lanthanides, they often interact with organic ligands to exhibit high coordination numbers and flexible coordination configurations, resulting in the higher stability of lanthanide-based MOFs (Ln-MOFs) than their transition metal analogues, especially regarding water stability.

The S-Type Anion Channel ZmSLAC1 Plays Essential Roles in Stomatal Closure by Mediating Nitrate Efflux in Maize.

Diverse stimuli induce stomatal closure by triggering the efflux of osmotic anions, which is mainly mediated by the main anion channel SLAC1 in plants, and the anion permeability and selectivity of SLAC1 channels from several plant species have been reported to be variable. However, the genetic identity as well as the anion permeability and selectivity of the main S-type anion channel ZmSLAC1 in maize are still unknown. In this study, we identified GRMZM2G106921 as the gene encoding ZmSLAC1 in maize, and the maize mutants zmslac1-1 and zmslac1-2 harboring a mutator (Mu) transposon in ZmSLAC1 exhibited strong insensitive phenotypes of stomatal closure in response to diverse stimuli.

S-type Anion Channels SLAC1 and SLAH3 Function as Essential Negative Regulators of Inward K+ Channels and Stomatal Opening in Arabidopsis.

Drought stress induces stomatal closure and inhibits stomatal opening simultaneously. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still largely unknown. Here we show that S-type anion channels SLAC1 and SLAH3 mainly inhibit inward K+ (K+in) channel KAT1 by protein-protein interaction, and consequently prevent stomatal opening in Arabidopsis.

Detection of the phosphatase activity of carbonic anhydrase III on a nitrocellulose membrane following 2D gel electrophoresis.

Carbonic anhydrase isozyme III (CAIII) is unique among the carbonic anhydrases because it exhibits phosphatase activity. CAIII is relatively specific to skeletal muscles, and may therefore be a useful diagnostic marker for muscular diseases. In the muscles of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), CAIII is deficient and previous studies have demonstrated that changes in the phosphatase activity of CAIII is a fundamental mechanism underlying the weakness and fatigability of MG.

Identification of cyclic GMP-activated nonselective Ca2+-permeable cation channels and associated CNGC5 and CNGC6 genes in Arabidopsis guard cells.

Cytosolic Ca(2+) in guard cells plays an important role in stomatal movement responses to environmental stimuli. These cytosolic Ca(2+) increases result from Ca(2+) influx through Ca(2+)-permeable channels in the plasma membrane and Ca(2+) release from intracellular organelles in guard cells. However, the genes encoding defined plasma membrane Ca(2+)-permeable channel activity remain unknown in guard cells and, with some exceptions, largely unknown in higher plant cells.

[Cardiac protection from myocardial ischemic postconditioning and remote postconditioning during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbits].

Objective: To observe whether there are some differences between myocardial postconditioning and remote postconditioning, and whether there is additional cardiac protection when they are used combined during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbits.

Methods: Thirty healthy New Zealand rabbits which were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 5): ischemic control group (CON), sham operation group (Sham), myocardial postconditioning group (MPostC), remote postconditioning group (RPostC), myocardial postconditioning plus remote postconditioning group (MPostC + RPostC). Acute myocardial infarction was induced by 45 minutes occlusion on left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) and 2 hours reperfusion in all anesthetized open-chest rabbits except the Sham, the coronary occlusion and reperfusion were determined by changes of ECG and cardiac color.

[Effects of rabbit limbs ischemia/ reperfusion on myocardial necrosis and apoptosis].

Objective: To investigate the effects of rabbit limbs ischemia/reperfusion on myocardial necrosis and apoptosis in vivo.

Methods: Thirty-six healthy new zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) Sham group; (2) I/R(Ischemia/reperfusion) group; (3) RPostC (remote postconditioning) group. The activity of blood serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured at baseline, the end of ischemia after 60 min and 120 min of reperfusion respectively.

A protein kinase, calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein Kinase9, interacts with calcium sensor calcineurin B-like Protein3 and regulates potassium homeostasis under low-potassium stress in Arabidopsis.

Potassium (K⁺) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Previous studies have demonstrated that Calcineurin B-Like Protein1 (CBL1) or CBL9 and CBL-Interacting Protein Kinase23 (CIPK23) regulate K⁺ uptake in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots by modulating K⁺ channel Arabidopsis K⁺ Transporter1. In this study, we show that the protein kinase CIPK9 interacts with the calcium sensor CBL3 and plays crucial roles in K⁺ homeostasis under low-K⁺ stress in Arabidopsis.

Effect of trehalose on PC12 cells overexpressing wild-type or A53T mutant α-synuclein.

Accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is a common pathology for both familiar and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD), enhancing its clearance might be a promising strategy for treating PD. To assess the potential of trehalose in this regard, we investigated its effect on the PC12 cells overexpressing wild type (WT) or A53T mutant α-Syn and the implicated pathway it might mediated. We observed that trehalose promoted the clearance of A53T α-Syn but not WT α-Syn in PC12 cells, and confirmed the increased LC3 and Lysotracker RED positive autolysosomes by using lysotracker and LC3 staining, the enhanced expression of LC3-II in Western blot, and more autophagosomes under Transmission Electron Microscope in a dose dependent manner after the trehalose treatment.

Clinical and pathological features in 15 Chinese patients with calpainopathy.

Background: Calpainopathy is comprised of a group of myopathies caused by deficiency in calcium-activated, neutral protease (calpain-3). In this study we identify calpainopathy in a cohort of Chinese patients with unclassified myopathy and analyze its clinical and pathological features.

Methods: Sixty-six muscle biopsies were selected for combined Western blotting of dysferlin and calpain-3 after immunohistochemical staining.

Carbonic anhydrase III is insufficient in muscles of myasthenia gravis patients.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is considered as an autoimmune disease mainly mediated by antibodies against acetylcholine receptor. In recent years, other targets related to MG have been the subject of interest. Our previous research found that protein P25 was lower in muscles of MG patients using two-dimensional electrophoresis.

The bradykinin B2 receptor mediates hypoxia/reoxygenation induced neuronal cell apoptosis through the ERK1/2 pathway.

The bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) mediates many physiological processes such as hypotension, inflammation and blood-vessel permeability. Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) induces neuronal cell apoptosis. It was found that B2R expression was enhanced in primary cultured cortical neurons after H/R treatment.

Localization of alpha-synuclein to mitochondria within midbrain of mice.

The interrelationship between alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) and mitochondria is not clearly understood. Owing to the lack of the signal peptide and its predominant localization in the cytosol, alpha-syn is generally considered to affect mitochondrial function through some secondary effects. Contrary to this assumption, here, we show that a portion of alpha-syn is present in the membrane of mitochondria in normal dopaminergic neurons.

[Effect of dizocilpine on P-glycoprotein expression in hippocampus in limbic seizure: experiment with rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of dizocilpine (MK801), a noncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor, on P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression after limbic seizure, and to explore whether NMDA receptor play a role in the regulation of P-gp expression during limbic seizure.

Methods: 120 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 equal sets. 50 rats in Set 1 underwent intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride, scopolamine, and pilocarpine so as to cause status epilepticus (SE) for 90 min.

Therapeutic effect of microencapsulated porcine retinal pigmented epithelial cells transplantation on rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Object: To investigate the therapeutic effect of microencapsulated porcine retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPE-M) transplantation on rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Primary porcine RPE cells were harvested by enzyme digestion and expanded in culture medium. Determine the levels of dopamine (DA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) by high performance liquid chromatography electrochemical (HPLC) assay, and the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were detected by ELISA.

[Phytoavailable lead in rhizosphere of lettuce].

A greenhouse experiment was performed to investigate the influence of pH TOC, and fractionation of Pb on phytoavailability of Pb in the rhizosphere of lettuce. And the Low molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) were used to evaluate the phytoavailability of soil Pb to lettuce. The results show that the pH is lower in the rhizosphere compared to the bulk soil, and the rhizosphere becomes more acidic with increasing Pb (NO3)2 applied.

Triosephosphate isomerase- and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-reactive autoantibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Our previous results revealed that Igs in lesions and single chain variable fragment Abs (scFv-Abs) generated from clonal B cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) bind to axons in MS brains. To study the axonal Ags involved in MS, we identified the glycolytic enzymes, triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) and GAPDH, using Igs from the CSF and scFv-Abs generated from clonal B cells in the CSF and in lesions from MS patients. Elevated levels of CSF-Abs to TPI were observed in patients with MS (46%), clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of MS (40%), other inflammatory neurological diseases (OIND; 29%), and other noninflammatory neurological diseases (ONIND; 31%).

[Neurodegenerative conformational disease and its molecular bases].

In recent years, the term "conformational disease" has been used to describe a range of disorders which are linked to misfolding and aberrant structural change in proteins. The molecular bases underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases are gradually being disclosed, and almost all of the diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and prion disease are increasingly being realized to have common molecular mechanisms including the accumulation of misfolded or aggregation-prone proteins, thus, they can be termed "neurodegenerative conformational disease". There is now increased understanding of the molecular pathways involved in protein misfolding and aggregation and cellular toxicity in neurodegenerative conformational diseases.