Study on the Effect of Quinoa Saponins on Human Colon Cancer HT-29 Cells.

Quinoa saponins can inhibit the survival of specific cancer cells. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on the effects of quinoa saponins on colon cancer cells. This experiment confirmed that quinoa saponins prevented human colon cancer HT-29 cells from growing in vitro.

Preparation and characterization of novel PMMA bone cement containing 3,4-dichloro-5-hydroxyfuran-2(5)-one.

: to address the issue of burst drug release in antibiotic-loaded poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement (ALBC), this study involved preparation of novel PMMA bone cement and determination of its antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, compressive properties, maximum temperature, and setting time. : a novel acrylic monomer, which contains the 3,4-dichloro-5-hydroxyfuran-2(5)-one (DHF), was synthesized and utilized to develop non-leaching antibacterial PMMA bone cement (NLBC), designated as DHF-methacrylic acid (DHF-MAA) bone cement. In the preparation of this bone cement, DHF-MAA served as a key component of the liquid phase.

Tungsten oxide nanowire clusters anchored on porous carbon fibers as a sulfur redox mediator for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Addressing the sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur electrodes and mitigating the shuttle effect of intermediate lithium polysulfides (LiPS) are crucial for the advancement of high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries. Here, we introduce a pioneering flexible self-supporting composite scaffold that incorporates tungsten oxide nanowire clusters anchored on core-shell porous carbon fibers (WO/PCF) for sulfur accommodation. The core of PCF serves as a robust electrode supporting scaffold, whereas the porous shell of PCF provides a 3D interconnected conductive network to accommodate sulfur, restrain polysulfide diffusion and buffer electrode expansion.

Sperm quality analyzer: A portable LED array microscope with dark-field imaging.

Sperm quality analysis plays an important role in diagnosing infertility, which is widely implemented by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) of sperm-swimming imaging from commercial phase-contrast microscopy. A well-equipped microscope comes with a high cost, increasing the burden of assessment, and it also occupies a large volume. For point-of-care testing (POCT) of sperm quality, these factors are confronted with the challenges of low-cost and portable instruments.

Evolution of a bispecific G-quadruplex-forming circular aptamer to block IL-6/sIL-6R interaction for inflammation inhibition.

IL-6 (interleukin-6) is an essential cytokine that participates in many inflammatory and immune responses, and disrupting the interaction between IL-6 and its receptor sIL-6R (soluble form of IL-6 receptor) represents a promising treatment strategy for inflammation and related diseases. Herein we report the first-ever effort of evolving a bispecific circular aptamer, named CIL-6A6-1, that is capable of binding both IL-6 and sIL-6R with nanomolar affinities and is stable in serum for more than 48 hours. CIL-6A6-1 can effectively block the IL-6/sIL-6R interaction and significantly inhibit cell inflammation.

How specific ion effects influence the mechanical behaviors of amide macromolecules? A cross-scale study.

The mechanisms of specific ion effects on the properties of amide macromolecules is essential to understanding the evolution of life. Because most biological macromolecules contain both complex hydrophilic and hydrophobic structures, it is challenging to accurately identify the contributions of molecular structure to macroscopic behaviors. Herein, we investigated the influence of specific ion effects on the mechanical behaviors of poly(-isopropylacrylamide) and neutral polyacrylamide (, PNIPAM and NPAM), through a cross-scale study that includes single-molecule force spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulation and macro mechanical method.

Helical polyisocyanide-based macroporous organic catalysts for asymmetric Michael addition with high efficiency and stereoselectivity.

Porous materials have attracted interest due to their high specific surface area and rich functionality. Immobilizing organocatalysts onto porous polymers not only boosts enantioselectivity but also improves the reaction rates. In this work, a series of porous polymers C-poly-3s with rigid polyisocyanide-carrying secondary amine pendants as building blocks were successfully prepared.

Tailoring Auger Recombination Dynamics in CsPbI Perovskite Nanocrystals via Transition Metal Doping.

Auger recombination is a pivotal process for semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), significantly affecting charge carrier generation and collection in optoelectronic devices. This process depends mainly on the NCs' electronic structures. In our study, we investigated Auger recombination dynamics in manganese (Mn)-doped CsPbI NCs using transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy combined with theoretical and experimental structural characterization.

Formation of compounds with diverse polyelectrolyte morphologies and nonlinear ion conductance in a two-dimensional nanofluidic channel.

Aqueous electrolytes subjected to angstrom-scale confinement have recently attracted increasing interest because of their distinctive structural and transport properties, as well as their promising applicability in bioinspired nanofluidic iontronics and ion batteries. Here, we performed microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations, which provided evidence of nonlinear ionic conductance under an external lateral electric field due to the self-assembly of cations and anions with diverse polyelectrolyte morphologies (, extremely large ion clusters) in aqueous solutions within angstrom-scale slits. Specifically, we found that the cations and anions of LiSO and CaSO formed chain-like polyelectrolyte structures, whereas those of NaSO and MgSO predominantly formed a monolayer of hydrated salt.

Sodium halide solid state electrolyte of NaYBr with low activation energy.

Halide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are considered promising candidates for practical applications in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), due to their outstanding high voltage stability and compatibility with electrode materials. However, Na halide SSEs suffer from low ionic conductivity and high activation energy, which limit their applications in sodium all-solid-state batteries. Here, sodium yttrium bromide solid-state electrolytes (NaYBr) with a low activation energy of 0.

Electrochemical oxidative decarboxylative of α-oxocarboxylic acids towards the synthesis of quinazolines and quinazolinones.

A mild and environmentally electrochemical method for the synthesis of quinazolines and quinazolinones has been developed through anodic oxidation decarboxylative of α-oxocarboxylic acids. The present reaction was efficiently conducted by using simple and cheap NHI as the N-source and electrolyte in an undivided cell. The desired products, quinazolines and quinazolinones, were isolated in high yield under chemical oxidant free conditions.

One-pot asymmetric living copolymerization-induced chiral self-assemblies and circularly polarized luminescence.

Controlled synthesis of conjugated block polymers enables the optimization of their self-assembly and may lead to distinct optical properties and functionalities. Herein, we report a direct chain extension of one-handed helical poly(acyl methane) with 1-ethynyl-4-iodo-2,5-bis(octyloxy)benzene, affording well-defined π-conjugated poly(acyl methane)--poly(phenylene ethynylene) copolymers. Although the distinct monomers are polymerized different mechanisms, the one-pot copolymerization follows a living polymerization manner, giving the desired optically active block copolymers with controllable molar mass and low distribution.

SiO@AuAg/PDA hybrid nanospheres with photo-thermally enhanced synergistic antibacterial and catalytic activity.

Wastewater discharged from industrial, agricultural and livestock production contains a large number of harmful bacteria and organic pollutants, which usually cause serious harm to human health. Therefore, it is urgent to find a "one-stone-two-birds" strategy with good antimicrobial and pollutant degradation activity for treating waste water. In this paper, SiO@AuAg/Polydopamine (SiO@AuAg/PDA) core/shell nanospheres, which possessed synergistic "Ag-release-photothermal" antibacterial and catalytic behaviors, have been successfully prepared a simple redox polymerization method.

Virtual differential phase-contrast and dark-field imaging of x-ray absorption images via deep learning.

Weak absorption contrast in biological tissues has hindered x-ray computed tomography from accessing biological structures. Recently, grating-based imaging has emerged as a promising solution to biological low-contrast imaging, providing complementary and previously unavailable structural information of the specimen. Although it has been successfully applied to work with conventional x-ray sources, grating-based imaging is time-consuming and requires a sophisticated experimental setup.

Effect of preserved eggs on the health of SD rats, and anti-tumor action of HT-29 cells.

Preserved eggs are traditional alkali-pickled food in China and have been enjoyed by consumers and extensively studied by researchers for their nutritional tastes and their anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and blood pressure-lowering properties. To study the anti-tumor effects of preserved eggs, this project observed the health on rats, and anti-tumor effects and separated anti-tumor active components on HT-29 cells. SD rats fed for 80 days showed that preserved eggs had no significant effect on weight, food intake, blood pH, liver tissues, or organ indices.

Single-nucleobase resolution of a surface energy transfer nanoruler for measurement of aptamer binding at the receptor subunit level in living cells.

identification of aptamer-binding targets on living cell membrane surfaces is of considerable interest, but a major challenge, specifically, when advancing recognition to the level of membrane receptor subunits. Here we propose a novel nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) based nanoruler with a single-nucleobase resolution (SN-nanoruler), in which FAM-labeled aptamers and single-sized gold nanoparticle (GNP) antibody conjugates act as a donor and an acceptor. A single nucleobase resolution of the SN-nanoruler was experimentally illustrated by molecular size, orientation, quenching nature, and other dye-GNP pairs.

Identification of circulating T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 4 as a potential biomarker for coronary heart disease.

Efferocytosis, the process of engulfing and removing apoptotic cells, is attenuated in vulnerable plaques of advanced atherosclerosis. T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 4 (TIMD4) is a recognition receptor protein for efferocytosis that has been implicated in atherosclerosis mouse models. However, the role of serum-soluble TIMD4 (sTIMD4) in coronary heart disease (CHD) remains unknown.

Denitrification activity test of a V modified Mn-based ceramic filter.

In view of the characteristics of high temperature denitrification and low water and sulfur resistance of single manganese-based catalysts, a vanadium-manganese-based ceramic filter (VMA(14)-CCF) was prepared by the impregnation method modified with V. The results showed that the NO conversion of VMA(14)-CCF was more than 80% at 175-400 °C. At 225-300 °C, the conversion of NO can reach 100%.

Flavor profile of "Dao Ban Xiang" (a traditional dry-cured meat product in Chinese Huizhou cuisine) at different processing stages in winter and summer.

"Dao Ban Xiang" is a famous traditional Chinese dry-cured meat product. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the difference in the volatile flavor information of "Dao Ban Xiang" produced in winter and summer. In this study, we determine the physical and chemical properties, free amino acids (FAAs), free fatty acids (FFAs), and volatile compounds in the four processing stages of samples in winter and summer.

Chemically functionalized manufactured sand as the novel additive for enhancing the properties of cement-based composites.

The extensive applications of manufactured sand (AS) in cement-based composites were restricted because of its coarse surface texture, poor gradation and inevitable agglomeration. In this paper, a specifically designed polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE) decorated manufactured sand (AS-PCE) composite was synthesized radical polymerization. The AS-PCE composite was characterized by FTIR, TGA, XPS and SEM.

Low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH over an FeO /β-MnO composite.

A series of Fe-modified β-MnO (FeO /β-MnO) composite catalysts were prepared by an impregnation method with β-MnO and ferro nitrate as raw materials. The structures and properties of the composites were systematically characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, N adsorption-desorption, high-resolution electron microscopy, temperature-programmed reduction of H, temperature-programmed desorption of NH, and FTIR infrared spectroscopy. The deNO activity, water resistance, and sulfur resistance of the composite catalysts were evaluated in a thermally fixed catalytic reaction system.

Study of the denitration performance of a ceramic filter using a manganese-based catalyst.

A MnO /γ-AlO catalyst was prepared by impregnation of manganese acetate and alumina. After optimizing the composition, it was loaded into a ceramic filter (CF) by a one-step coating method. The results show that MnO /γ-AlO had the best denitration activity when the Mn loading was 4 wt% with a calcination temperature of 400 °C.

grown hierarchical NiO nanosheet@nanowire arrays for high-performance electrochromic energy storage applications.

Electrodes with hierarchical nanoarchitectures could promote electrochemical properties due to their largely exposed active sites and quick charge transfer. Herein, grown hierarchical NiO nanosheet@nanowire films are reported by a one-step hydrothermal process followed by heat treatment. The unique NiO hierarchical nanostructures, which are composed of NiO nanowires grown on the surface of a nanosheet array, show improved electrochromic properties such as large optical modulation in different light regions (95% at 550 nm and 50.

Deformable and Disintegrable Multifunctional Integrated Polyprodrug Amphiphiles for Synergistic Phototherapy and Chemotherapy.

Multimodal collaborative therapy has been recognized as one of the more effective means to eliminate tumors in the current biomedicine research field as compared with monotherapy. Among them, by taking advantage of its high-precision and controllability, phototherapy has become a mainstay of treatment. However, physical encapsulation of free photosensitive units within nanocarriers was one of the main implementations, which might inevitably result in the photosensitizer leakage and side effect.