Dose-related effects of intraduodenal quinine on plasma glucose, glucoregulatory hormones and gastric emptying of a nutrient drink, and energy intake, in men with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomised, crossover study.

Aims/hypothesis: Quinine, when administered intraduodenally to activate bitter-taste receptors, in a dose of 600 mg, stimulates glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and insulin, slows gastric emptying and lowers postprandial glucose in healthy people, with consequent implications for the management of type 2 diabetes; the effect of quinine on energy intake is uncertain. We have investigated the dose-related effects of quinine on postprandial blood glucose levels and energy intake in people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Male participants with type 2 diabetes (age: 68±5 years; HbA: 49.

A sulfur-templated Ni-Ni' coordination polymer that relies on a polarizable nickel nitrosyl hub.

The templating properties of a diaza-nickel--dithiolate towards triphenylphosphine gold(I), yielding a [Ni(NS)·2Au(PPh)] complex (T. A. Pinder, S.

Structural, Magnetic, and Dielectric Properties of Laser-Ablated CoFeO/BaTiO Bilayers Deposited over Highly Doped Si(100).

Laser ablation was used to successfully fabricate multiferroic bilayer thin films, composed of BaTiO (BTO) and CoFeO (CFO), on highly doped (100) Si substrates. This study investigates the influence of BaTiO layer thickness (50-220 nm) on the films' structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties. The dense, polycrystalline films exhibited a tetragonal BaTiO phase and a cubic spinel CoFeO layer.

Effect of Natural Fiber and Biomass on Acoustic Performance of 3D Hybrid Fabric-Reinforced Composite Panels.

This research investigated the sound insulation performance of 3D woven hybrid fabric-reinforced composites using natural fibers, such as jute, along with E-glass and biomass derived from agro-waste, e.g., coffee husk and waste palm fiber.

Radiographic Inspection of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (Laminates) with Epoxy and PEEK Binders After Impact and Subsequent Compression Loading.

An approach to detecting discontinuities in carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, caused by impact loading followed by compression testing, was developed. An X-ray sensor-based installation was used, while some algorithms were developed to improve the quality of the obtained low-contrast radiographic images with negligible signal-to-noise ratios. For epoxy/AF (#1) composite subjected to a "high-velocity" steel-ball impact with subsequent compression loading, it was not possible to detect discontinuities since the orientation of the extended zone of interlayer delamination was perpendicular to the irradiation axis.

Decoupling Conductivity, Heterogeneous Electron Transfer Rate, and Diffusion in Organic Molecular Electrocatalysis: Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

The electrified production of hydrogen peroxide (HO) by oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is attractive to increase the sustainability of chemical industry. Here the same chains of intrinsically conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) are utilized, as ORR electrocatalyst, while varying polymeric primary dopants (PSS and Nafion) and the level of secondary doping with DMSO. These changes modulate various properties of the film, such as its microscale organization and electronic conductivity.

Synthesis of Single-Crystal Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks and Uncovering Their Hidden Structural Features by Three-Dimensional Electron Diffraction.

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) are formed by the polycondensation of geometrically specific monomers to grow covalently connected 2D polygonal polymers over the - plane and supramolecular polymerization and/or crystallization of 2D sheets along the direction to constitute layer architectures. Despite various efforts, the synthesis of single-crystal 2D COFs remains a challenging goal. Here, we report the synthesis of single-crystal 2D COFs, by taking the representative imine-linked TPB-DMTP-COF as an example, to reveal the key synthetic parameters that control the crystallization of 2D COFs.

Nanographene-Based Polymeric Nanoparticles as Near-Infrared Emissive Neuronal Tracers.

Precise tracking of axonal transport is key to deciphering neuronal functions. To achieve long-term imaging at both ultrastructural and macroscopic resolutions, it is critical to develop fluorescent transport tracers with high photostability and biocompatibility. Herein, we report the investigation of nanographene (NG)-based polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) as near-infrared (NIR)-emissive neuronal tracers.

Blacking any Material Surface by Amyloid-Fortified Carbon Coating Toward High-Performance Large-Scale Solar Steam Generation System.

Enhancing the interfacial adhesion between carbon-based coatings and substrates through a simple method remains a challenge, mainly due to the intrinsic chemical inertness of carbon materials. Herein, a carbon nanosphere-based coating utilizing an amyloid-like protein aggregation strategy is developed, involving only the reaction of protein, reductant, and carbon nanospheres in an aqueous solution at room temperature. The resultant coating, enriched in amyloid-like protein structures, features both robust interfacial adhesion and high light absorption (≈98.

Red Room Temperature Phosphorescence in Non-Aromatic Carbonized Polymer Dots.

Achieving red organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) remains a significant challenge, especially in a non-aromatic system. Herein, red RTP with emission at 605 and 645 nm is achieved through inducing and confining carboxyl dimer association (CDA), a unique hydrogen-bonded coupling red phosphorescence unit, in non-aromatic carbonized polymer dots (CPDs). The CPDs are synthesized via microwave method by using polyacrylic acid (PAA), succinic acid (SA), and traces of phosphoric acid as precursors.

Enhance Photo-Stability of Up-Scalable Organic Solar Cells: Suppressing Radical Generation in Polymer Donors.

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of single-junction organic solar cells (OSCs) has been promoted above 20%. Device up-scaling draws more and more research attentions. Besides the high PCE for devices with up-scalable fabrication methods and conditions, achieving high stability simultaneously is essential for pushing industrialization of this technology.

Ethyl (2,3,4)-1-ethyl-2-(furan-2-yl)-4-hy-droxy-5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxyl-ate.

The title racemic oxopyrrolidine compound, CHNO, contains three stereogenic centres and crystallizes with two mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. The five-membered pyrrolidine rings in both mol-ecules exhibit envelope conformations. The -ethyl group of one of the mol-ecules is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.

Facile preparation of solid gelatin foams by a water-lean batch foaming process.

Existing polystyrenic and polyolefinic packaging foams are non-biodegradable, and persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Gelatin foams are an interesting alternative, given their biodegradability, biocompatibility, solution-based processability, low cost, and non-toxicity. However, current methods for preparing gelatin foams, such as freeze-drying, microfluidic foaming, and batch foaming, are not suitable for high-volume production.

Light-regulated pyro-phototronic effects in a perovskite CsSnI-reinforced ferroelectric polymer hybrid nanostructure.

The 'pyro-phototronic effect' plays a nontrivial role in advancing ferroelectric (FE) devices of light detectors, light-emitting diodes, and other smart technologies. In this work, a premier FE copolymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride--trifluoro ethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)), is reinforced with a lead-free double perovskite, CsSnI, to render profound properties in a hybrid nanostructure. It presents a unique example of the coupling of ferro-, pyro- and piezo-electrics to the 'photoexcitation' of exotic charges that actively empower the synergetic features.

Giant molecule acceptors prepared by metal-free catalyzed reactions towards efficient organic solar cells.

Due to their defined structure and large molecular size, giant molecular acceptors (GMAs) have achieved significant progress in device efficiency and stability for organic solar cells. Unlike the classical synthesis of GMAs by Stille coupling, which still suffers from high cost and lack of environmental sustainability, this work develops three GMAs metal-free catalyzed reactions. By introducing varying quantities of malononitrile groups into the linker, the optoelectric properties of GMAs can be significantly regulated.

Interconnecting EDOT-Based Polymers with Native Lignin toward Enhanced Charge Storage in Conductive Wood.

The 3D micro- and nanostructure of wood has extensively been employed as a template for cost-effective and renewable electronic technologies. However, other electroactive components, in particular native lignin, have been overlooked due to the absence of an approach that allows access of the lignin through the cell wall. In this study, we introduce an approach that focuses on establishing conjugated-polymer-based electrical connections at various length scales within the wood structure, aiming to leverage the charge storage capacity of native lignin in wood-based energy storage electrodes.

Anti-Swelling Polyelectrolyte Hydrogel with Submillimeter Lateral Confinement for Osmotic Energy Conversion.

Harvesting the immense and renewable osmotic energy with reverse electrodialysis (RED) technology shows great promise in dealing with the ever-growing energy crisis. One key challenge is to improve the output power density with improved trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity. Herein, polyelectrolyte hydrogels (channel width, 2.

Precisely Constructing Superlattices of Soft Giant Molecules via Regulating Volume Asymmetry.

Soft matters, particularly giant molecular self-assembly, have successfully replicated complex structures previously exclusive to metal alloys. These superlattices are constructed from mesoatoms─supramolecular spherical motifs of aggregated molecules, and the formation of superlattices critically depends on the volume distributions of these mesoatoms. Herein, we introduce two general methods to control volume asymmetry (i.

Property Prediction of Bio-Derived Block Copolymer Thermoplastic Elastomers Using Graph Kernel Methods.

Increasing the diversity of bio-based polymers is needed to address the combined problems of plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The magnitude of the problems necessitates rapid discovery of new materials; however, identification of appropriate chemistries maybe slow using current iterative methods. Machine learning (ML) methods could significantly expedite new material discovery and property identification.

Benzothiadiazole-Fused Cyanoindone: A Superior Building Block for Designing Ultra-Narrow Bandgap Electron Acceptor with Long-Range Ordered Stacking.

There are great demands of developing ultra-narrow bandgap electron acceptors for multifunctional electronic devices, particularly semi-transparent organic photovoltaics (OPVs) for building-integrated applications. However, current ultra-narrow bandgap materials applied in OPVs, primarily based on electron-rich cores, exhibit defects of high-lying energy levels and inferior performance. We herein proposed a novel strategy by designing the benzothiazole-fused cyanoindone (BTC) unit with ultra-strong electron-withdrawing ability as the terminal to synthesize the acceptor BTC-2.

An In Vivo Assessment of Different Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Tissue Types and Their Differentiation State on a Shape Memory Polymer Scaffold for Bone Regeneration.

A combined biomaterial and cell-based solution to heal critical size bone defects in the craniomaxillofacial area is a promising alternative therapeutic option to improve upon autografting, the current gold standard. A shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffold, composed of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) and coated with bioactive polydopamine, was evaluated with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from adipose (ADSC), bone marrow (BMSC), or umbilical cord (UCSC) tissue in their undifferentiated state or pre-differentiated toward osteoblasts for bone healing in a rat calvarial defect model. Pre-differentiating ADSCs and UCSCs resulted in higher new bone volume fraction (15.

Molecular-Oxygen-Mediated Multicomponent Oxidative Cyclization: Synthesis of Tertiary-Alcohol-Unit-Bearing -Heterocycles via Transforming C-H to C-OH Bonds.

We developed a molecular-oxygen-mediated multicomponent oxidative cyclization strategy to synthesize -heterocycles containing tertiary alcohol units via the formation of key C-OH bonds and quaternary carbon centers. This formal [3 + 2 + 1] annulation offers a green and sustainable alternative for the C-OH bond formation, using O as both the oxidant and oxygen source under metal- and catalyst-free conditions. Notably, continuous [1,5]-hydrogen transfer together with excess alcohols promotes the formation of C-OH-bearing products.

Electro-Epoxidation of Propylene in the Gas Phase with Solid-Polymer-Electrolyte Water Electrolysis.

The development of a reaction system for direct epoxidation of propylene is an essential topic. Gas-phase electro-epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide (PO) with water as the oxidant was successfully accomplished by using solid-polymer-electrolyte (SPE) electrolysis without solvents. The oxidized surface of the PtOx anode was essential for propylene epoxidation and oxidation.