In Situ-Generated Hollow CoFe-LDH/Co-MOF Heterostructure Nanorod Arrays for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Assembling a heterostructure is an effective strategy for enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of hybrid materials. Herein, CoFe-layered double hydroxide and Co-metal-organic framework (CoFe-LDH/Co-MOF) hollow heterostructure nanorod arrays are synthesized. First, [Co(DIPL)(H3BTC)(H2O)2]n [named as Co-MOF, DIPL = 2,6-di(pyrid-4-yl)-4-phenylpyridine, H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid] crystalline materials with a uniform hollow structure were prepared on the nickel foam. The CoFe-LDH/Co-MOF composite perfectly inherits the original hollow nanorod array morphology after the subsequent electrodeposition process. Optimized CoFe-LDH/Co-MOF hollow heterostructure nanorod arrays display excellent performance in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with ultralow overpotentials of 215 mV to deliver current densities of 10 mA cm-2 and maintain the electrocatalytic activity for a duration as long as 220 h, ranking it one of the non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for OER. Density functional theory calculations validate the reduction in free energy for the rate-determining step by the synergistic effect of Co-MOF and CoFe-LDH, with the increased charge density and noticeable electron transfer at the Co-O site, which highlights the capability of Co-MOF to finely adjust the electronic structure and facilitate the creation of active sites. This work establishes an experimental and theoretical basis for promoting efficient water splitting through the design of heterostructures in catalysts.

Multicolor Phosphorescence Modulated by Excitation and Temperature in Zn-Based Coordination Polymers

Color-tunable room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) with potential in many fields is of great importance but extremely challenging. It is necessary to comprehend the correlation between the molecular structure and property to design and synthesize such materials. Metal-organic coordination polymers (CPs) with good predesignability and precise structure have become a platform to construct RTP materials. Herein, three zinc-based CPs containing halogen and a flexible tetradentate ligand are synthesized. All of these CPs present two constant emission regions and an excitation-dependent emission region. Structure-property analysis shows that these emissions originate from isolated chromophores and dimerized chromophores as well as various charge transfers. The phosphorescence colors of these CPs can be modulated by excitation and temperature. This study provides a novel strategy to construct multicolor and multiresponsive RTP materials based on metal-organic coordination polymers.

BiOI/Bi2MoO6 p-n Junction to Enhance Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity toward Environmental Remediation

Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants via semiconductors with high visible light response and effective carrier separation is an economical and green route to greatly achieve environmental remediation. Herein, an efficient BiOI/Bi₂MoO₆ p-n heterojunction was in situ fabricated through hydrothermal method by substituting Mo₇O₂₄^6- species for I ions. The characteristic p-n heterojunction exhibited a strongly enhanced visible light responsive absorption from 500 to 700 nm owing to the narrow band gap of BiOI and a greatly effective separation of photoexcited carriers because of the built-in electric field on the interface between BiOI and Bi₂MoO₆. Moreover, the flower-like microstructure also promoted the adsorption of organic pollutants owing to the large surface area (about 10.36 m²/g), good for further photocatalytic degradation. As a result, BiOI/Bi₂MoO₆ p-n heterojunction showed an excellent photocatalytic activity of RhB of almost 95% in a short time of 90 min under wavelength longer than 420 nm, 2.3 and 2.7 times higher compared with single BiOI and Bi₂MoO₆, respectively. This work offers a promising approach to purify the environment through the utilization of solar energy by constructing efficient p-n junction photocatalysts.

[Chemical components of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex of different origins and with different tree ages before and after being processed with ginger juice:a qualitative and quantitative analysis]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of ginger juice on chemical profile of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(MOC) when they were processed together. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was used for qualitative analysis of the chemical component of MOC samples before and after being processed with ginger juice. UPLC was performed to observe the content variation of eight main components in processed MOC. A total of 174 compounds were identified or tentatively deduced from processed and unprocessed MOC samples according to MS data obtained in positive and negative ion mode. After MOC was processed with ginger juice, the peak areas of most phenolics increased, while the peak areas of most phenylethanoid glycosides decreased; as for neolignans, oxyneolignans, other lignans and alkaloids, changes in the peak area were variable, and the peak areas of terpenoid-lignans varied little. Additionally, gingerols and diarylheptanoids were only detected in the processed MOC sample. The contents of syringin, magnoloside A, and magnoloside B decreased significantly in the processed MOC sample while no significant difference was observed in the contents of magnoflorine, magnocurarine, honokiol, obovatol, and magnolol. This study comprehensively explored the content variation of chemical components in processed and unprocessed MOC samples derived from different regions and with different tree ages using UPLC and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, and summarized the variation characteristics of various compounds. The results provide a data foundation for further research on pharmacodynamic substances of MOC processed with ginger juice.

The solvent-controlled Al12-Oxo molecular ring and Al24-Oxo truncated metallo-cube

Highly symmetrical molecules with beautiful geometry are ubiquitous in nature. It has inspired a creative idea of the perfect combination of geometry and molecular structural chemistry. Some metal clusters with...

Automated classification of protein expression levels in immunohistochemistry images to improve the detection of cancer biomarkers

Background

The expression changes of some proteins are associated with cancer progression, and can be used as biomarkers in cancer diagnosis. Automated systems have been frequently applied in the large-scale detection of protein biomarkers and have provided a valuable complement for wet-laboratory experiments. For example, our previous work used an immunohistochemical image-based machine learning classifier of protein subcellular locations to screen biomarker proteins that change locations in colon cancer tissues. The tool could recognize the location of biomarkers but did not consider the effect of protein expression level changes on the screening process.

Results

In this study, we built an automated classification model that recognizes protein expression levels in immunohistochemical images, and used the protein expression levels in combination with subcellular locations to screen cancer biomarkers. To minimize the effect of non-informative sections on the immunohistochemical images, we employed the representative image patches as input and applied a Wasserstein distance method to determine the number of patches. For the patches and the whole images, we compared the ability of color features, characteristic curve features, and deep convolutional neural network features to distinguish different levels of protein expression and employed deep learning and conventional classification models. Experimental results showed that the best classifier can achieve an accuracy of 73.72% and an F1-score of 0.6343. In the screening of protein biomarkers, the detection accuracy improved from 63.64 to 95.45% upon the incorporation of the protein expression changes.

Conclusions

Machine learning can distinguish different protein expression levels and speed up their annotation in the future. Combining information on the expression patterns and subcellular locations of protein can improve the accuracy of automatic cancer biomarker screening. This work could be useful in discovering new cancer biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and research.

Dual-Ligand-Oriented Design of Noncentrosymmetric Complexes with Nonlinear-Optical Activity

When the N- and O-donor ligands are combined as coligands, two noncentrosymmetric (NCS) complexes of [Ni(p-bdc)(tipa)(H₂O)₂]₂·H₂O (1) and Ni(npdc)(tipa)H₂O (2) [tipa = tris[4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl]amine, p-H₂bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, and H₂npdc = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid] were achieved under solvothermal conditions. For both structures, N-donor ligands are responsible for the generation of a layered structure, while the O-donor ligands are hung on the layers and are responsible for enhancing the polarity, giving rise to the NCS structures. Because of the different connection modes between the metal centers and different carboxylate ligands (p-bdc^2- in 1 and npdc^2- in 2), 1 and 2 show some structural differences. The p-bdc^2- ligands in 1 are suspended on the upper and lower sides of the [Ni(tipa)]_n layers, while all of the npdc^2- ligands in 2 hang on one side of the [Ni(tipa)]_n layers and point in the same direction, which makes the two NCS complexes show phase-matchable behavior with different second-harmonic-generation (SHG) responses of about 0.9 and 1.5 times that of KH₂PO₄ (KDP), respectively. Theoretical studies reveal that charge transfers between Ni²⁺ and carboxylate ligands make the dominant contribution to the optical properties. It is expected that a dual-ligand strategy may guide the design of novel superior-performing NCS complexes.

Construction of Cu(I)-Organic Frameworks with Effective Sorption Behavior for Iodine and Congo Red

The assembly of a tetradentate pyridine-derived ligand with CuX has afforded two isostructural Cu(I)-organic frameworks [Cu₂X₂(TBD)·DMF]_n (X = Cl for 1 and Br for 2) in this work. Structural analysis indicates that the compounds feature hybrid layered architectures, and the three-dimensional supramolecular frameworks are finally fabricated through the alternative stacking of adjacent layers wherein large open channels are simultaneously constructed. The chemical stability has been studied showing the excellent skeleton maintenance of the prepared solids in various solvents and even in water. Moreover, the iodine and dye sorption performance for compound 1 has been further tested. The Cu(I)-based metal-organic framework exhibits outstanding sorption and separation abilities on the targeted species, which could be considered as a promising adsorbent with high efficiency and selectivity.

Enabling Dual Phosphorescence by Locating a Flexible Ligand in Zn-Based Hybrid Frameworks

Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials with recognizable afterglow property have gained widespread attraction. Multicolor RTP has added benefits in multiplexed biological labeling, a zero background ratiometric sensor, a multicolor display, and other fields. However, it is a great challenge to prepare multicolor RTP from a single-component compound according to Kasha's rule. Herein, we propose a strategy to design multicolor RTP in a metal-organic hybrid framework through constructing chromophores in both isolated state and dimer state using a flexible tetradentate ligand. Two compounds were synthesized that presented blue and green dual phosphorescence with different lifetimes at ambient conditions. The photoluminescence mechanism has been thoroughly studied by structure-property analysis. This study provides various possibilities to prepare high-performing RTP materials by the rational design and synthesis of similar compounds.

Photoactive Anthracene-9,10-dicarboxylic Acid for Tuning of Photochromism in the Cd/Zn Coordination Polymers

Electron transfer photochromic materials with photo-triggered radicals have received huge interest from chemists due to their potentialities in anticounterfeiting, displays, energy conversion, and information storage. However, utilizing the sole carboxylic acid to synthesize novel electron transfer photochromic species is still confronted with huge challenges. Herein, an acentric three-dimensional network Cd₂(ADC)₂(DMF)₂(H₂O) (1; ADC = anthracene-9,10-dicarboxylate; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) and a two-dimensional layer Zn(ADC)(H₂O)·DMA·H₂O (2; DMA = N,N-dimethylacetamide) were synthesized and characterized via a photoactive H₂ADC ligand. Both compounds exhibited electron transfer photochromism with the formation of radical photoproducts at the solid state, which was revealed by IR, UV-Vis absorption, photoluminescence and electron spin resonance spectra, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Density functional theory calculations for 1 showed that the coloration process is a metal-assisted ligand-to-ligand electron transfer process between adjacent ADC molecules, and photogenerated stable radicals are delocalized over the ADC components. Compared with 1, the shorter distances between ADC components via coordination bonds promoted 2 to exhibit a higher coloration efficiency and larger quantity of photogenerated radicals. Furthermore, both compounds showed unexpected radical-actuated photochromism in aqueous solution. This work showed that the carboxylic acid ligands, without viologen acceptors, could construct the electron transfer photochromic complexes, showing a novel kind of ligand for the design of hybrid photochromic materials.

Improving Protein Subcellular Location Classification by Incorporating Three-Dimensional Structure Information

The subcellular locations of proteins are closely related to their functions. In the past few decades, the application of machine learning algorithms to predict protein subcellular locations has been an important topic in proteomics. However, most studies in this field used only amino acid sequences as the data source. Only a few works focused on other protein data types. For example, three-dimensional structures, which contain far more functional protein information than sequences, remain to be explored. In this work, we extracted various handcrafted features to describe the protein structures from physical, chemical, and topological aspects, as well as the learned features obtained by deep neural networks. We then used these features to classify the protein subcellular locations. Our experimental results demonstrated that some of these structural features have a certain effect on the protein location classification, and can help improve the performance of sequence-based location predictors. Our method provides a new view for the analysis of protein spatial distribution, and is anticipated to be used in revealing the relationships between protein structures and functions.

Artemether Attenuates Aβ25-35-Induced Cognitive Impairments by Downregulating Aβ, BACE1, mTOR and Tau Proteins

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is clinically characterized as a progressive cognitive impairment and behavioral disorder. Pathological hallmarks of AD include extracellular senile plaques (SPs), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and massive neuronal loss. Although the exact cause of AD is not well understood, a mounting body of evidence has demonstrated that the pathogenesis of AD is associated with oxidative stress, neu-roinflammation, and amyloid beta (Aβ) induced neural apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of β-secretase 1 (BACE1), Aβ, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and Tau proteins are closely related to cognitive symptoms in AD. Studies have demonstrated that artemether, an antimalarial drug with acceptable side effects, possesses protective effects against neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Importantly, artemether can easily penetrate the blood brain barrier, thereby representing an ideal drug candidate for AD treatment.

METHODS

The effect of artemether on memory protection and the associated molecular mechanisms were investigated in an Aβ25-35 induced cognitive impairments rat model.

RESULTS

Results of the in vivo study showed that oral administration of artemether significantly attenuated Aβ25-35-induced cognitive impairment in rats. Results of the in vitro study revealed that artemether significantly downregulated the endogenous expression of Aβ, BACE1, mTOR, and Tau proteins in N2a cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The beneficial effect of artemether against Aβ 25-35-induced cognitive impairments was attributable to the downregulation of the expression of Aβ, BACE1, mTOR, and Tau proteins, suggesting the potential of artemether as an effective, neuronal protective, and multi-targeted drug candidate for AD treatment.

Novel silver(i) cluster-based coordination polymers as efficient luminescent thermometers

Two original Ag-based clusters with a multidentate N-containing organic linker have been constructed featuring temperature-dependent luminescence behavior.

Metal-dependent photochromic performance in two isostructural supramolecular chains

The introduction of nonphotochromic coplanar 1,10-phenanthroline into a metal carboxylate system produces two isostructural supramolecular chains with metal-dependent photochromic performance.

Template syntheses of diverse haloargentates with reversible photochromism behaviors and efficient photocatalytic properties

A series of haloargentates have been prepared exhibiting a reversible photochromic phenomenon and efficient photocatalytic properties.

Effects and mechanism of microRNA‑218 against lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most prevalent and observed type of cancer in Xuanwei County, Yunnan, South China. Lung cancer in this area is called Xuanwei lung cancer. However, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. To date, a number of studies have shown that microRNA (miR)‑218 functions as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer. However, the role of miR‑218 and its regulatory gene network in Xuanwei lung cancer have yet to be investigated. The current study identified that the expression levels of miR‑218 in XWLC‑05 cells were markedly lower compared with those in immortalized lung epithelial BEAS‑2B cells. The present study also demonstrated that overexpression of miR‑218 could decrease cell proliferation, invasion, viability and migration in Xuanwei lung cancer cell line XWLC‑05 and NSCLC cell line NCI‑H157. Additionally, the results revealed that overexpression of miR‑218 could induce XWLC‑05 and NCI‑H157 cell apoptosis by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Finally, the present study demonstrated that overexpression of miR‑218 could lead to a significant increase in phosphatase and tensin homolog (<em>PTEN</em>) and YY1 transcription factor (<em>YY1</em>), and a decrease in B‑cell lymphoma 2 (<em>BCL‑2</em>) and BMI1 proto‑oncogene, polycomb ring finger (<em>BMI‑1</em>) at the mRNA and protein level in XWLC‑05 and NCI‑H157 cell lines. However, we did not observe any remarkable difference in the roles of miR‑218 and miR‑218‑mediated regulation of <em>BCL‑2</em>, <em>BMI‑1</em>, <em>PTEN</em> and <em>YY1</em> expression in the progression of Xuanwei lung cancer. In conclusion, miR‑218 could simultaneously suppress cell proliferation and tumor invasiveness and induce cell apoptosis by increasing <em>PTEN</em> and <em>YY1</em> expression, while decreasing <em>BCL‑2</em> and <em>BMI‑1</em> in Xuanwei lung cancer. The results demonstrated that miR‑218 might serve a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of Xuanwei lung cancer and overexpression of miR‑218 may be a novel approach for the treatment of Xuanwei lung cancer.

[Geo-herbalism study of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex]

Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex( MOC),the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis( MO) and M. officinalis var. biloba( MOB),is a main ingredient in more than 200 types of Chinese formulae commonly used in clinics. MO and MOB are widely distributed in China,from Sichuan of the west to Zhejiang province of the east and from Shannxi province in the north to Guangxi province in the south. This review summarizes new findings on geo-heralism of MOC concerning textual research,plants taxonomy,genetic study,chemical study,and pharmacological activity,resulting in the following views. ①The original plants of MOC are suggested to be divided into three geographic clans according to the form of leave and the result of genetic research; ②Concentrations of magnolol,honokiol,magnoloside A,magnoloside B,magnoflorine,and β-eudesmol in samples collected from different geographic areas are varied;③Samples of MOC produced in Hubei and Sichuan were traditionally regarded as Dao-di herbs,which were called Chuanpo,and the pure haplotype of MOC produced in Hubei may become a genetic index.

A pillared-layer strategy to construct water-stable Zn–organic frameworks for iodine capture and luminescence sensing of Fe3+

Two water-stable pillared-layer MOFs exhibiting sorption behavior towards iodine and luminescence sensing of Fe³⁺ have been successfully constructed.

HMGB1, TGF-β and NF-κB are associated with chronic allograft nephropathy

The present study aimed to investigate the association between high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) and to identify the clinical significance of HMGB1, TGF-β1, NF-κB on patients with CAN. Between September 2012 and November 2014, 27 patients with CAN diagnosed by biopsy were enrolled in the present study and a further 30 patients that underwent nephrectomy following trauma were selected as the control group. Immunohistochemical staining with HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB expression in the renal tissues, and western blot analysis were used to measure the relative expression of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to estimate the relative expression of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB mRNA. Statistical analysis was used to calculate the association between HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB expression and CAN grade. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB had markedly positive expression rates in renal tubular epithelial cell cytoplasm and membranes in CAN renal tissues, and the positive rates of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB increased with the aggravation of CAN pathological grade (I, II and III). The results of western blot analysis indicated that the expression levels of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB were significantly higher in the CAN group, compared with the normal group (P<0.05), and the expression levels increased with the progression of CAN grade. A positive association among HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB expression was identified. RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that the expression of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB mRNA in the CAN group was significantly higher than in the normal group (P<0.05), and the relative expression level of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB mRNA not only increased with the aggravation of CAN grade, but was also positively associated with the expression of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB, respectively. The abnormal expression of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB is therefore, an important manifestation of CAN and the expression of HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB mRNA in the renal tissues are significantly associated with CAN pathological progression. HMGB1, TGF-β1 and NF-κB may form a signaling pathway that leads to the occurrence of CAN, which induces renal interstitial fibrosis.

Two hybrid transition metal triphosphonates decorated with a tripodal imidazole ligand: synthesis, structures and properties

Two transition-metal triphosphonates with pillar-layered structures were synthesized and characterized. The luminescence, magnetic and proton conductive properties were investigated.

A porous copper–organic framework with intersecting channels and gas adsorption properties

Integration of [CuI2I₂] and [CuII2(COO)₄(H₂O)₂] clusters produces a porous copper–organic framework, exhibiting high H₂ uptake capacity and excellent adsorption selectivity for CO₂ over N₂ and CH₄.

Syntheses, structures, and properties of a series of novel high-nuclear 3d–4f clusters with mixed amino acids as ligands: {Ln6Cu24}(Ln = Gd, Tb, Pr and Sm)

The first examples of high-nuclear 3d–4f heterometallic clusters {Ln₆Cu₂₄}(Ln = Gd, Tb, Pr and Sm) with mixed amino acid ligands are reported.

[Research of the relation between the type of asthenia of the spleen and kidney and platelet associated antibodies and T-lymphocyte subsets in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a kind of disease associated with immunity. At present a great quantity of study on ITP has been made on humoral and cellular immunity. But there are few reports about the relationship between the types based on the differential diagnosis of TCM and immune rationale of ITP. In order to deeply explore the relationship between the types based on differential diagnosis of TCM and immune rationale of ITP., the authors measured PAIg and T lymphocyte subsets of 34 ITP patients of asthenia of both Spleen and Kidney. The value of PAIgG increased in both types of Spleen failing to control blood (SFCB) and deficiency of Spleen-yin and Kidney -yin (DSYKY), and the value of PAIgG of the type of DSYKY was significantly higher than that of SFCB (P less than 0.01). OKT3, OKT4/OKT8 of the type of SFCB remarkably decreased (P less than 0.05), OKT4, OKT4/OKT8 of DSYKY also remarkably decreased (P less than 0.001), while OKT8 significantly increased (P less than 0.001). The above results suggested that the type of DSYKY has more serious immune dysfunction than the type of SFCB, and the types of SFCB and DSYKY has close relationship with PAIg T lymphocyte subsets.

[In vitro effect of shen-xue-ling on megakaryocytopoiesis in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]

This paper, used an improved methylcellulose-agar double layer method in vitro to culture megakaryocyte progenitors (CFU-meg) of 15 normal bone marrow donors and 20 idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients bone marrow cells in order to observe the action of Shen-Xue-Ling (SXL). The results showed that the colony efficiency of CFU-meg of ITP group (13.75 +/- 6.93/10(5) MNC) was obviously lower than that of the control group (21.22 +/- 9.06/10(3) MNC, P less than 0.01). The serum of the patients whose PAIgG was markedly higher than normal value inhibited growth of CFU.meg derived from normal bone marrow cells (P less than 0.01). SXL could increase the colony efficiency of CFU-meg for ITP patients at several doses. The average colonies were 15.77 +/- 6.31/10(5) MNC (at 100 mg/ml, P greater than 0.05), 18.72 +/- 5.54/10(5) MNC (at 200 mg/ml, P less than 0.05), 21.60 +/- 7.35/10(5) MNC (at 300 mg/ml, P less than 0.01) and 21.84 +/- 7.15/10(5) MNC (at 500 mg/ml, P less than 0.01) as compared with the group of ITP patients. Incubated with patient's serum (1%) and SXL (at 300 mg/ml), the number of CFU-meg extracted from normal bone marrow cells was significantly higher than that from patients (P less than 0.01) and was close to normal group (P greater than 0.05). The results suggested that SXL might inhibit the antiplatelet antibodies, facilitate reproduction, division and maturity of CFU-meg.