circ-TFRC downregulation suppresses ovarian cancer progression via miR-615-3p/IGF2 axis regulation.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a malignancy among female globally. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a family of circular endogenous RNAs generated from selective splicing, which take part in many traits. Former investigation suggested that circ-TFRC was abnormally expressed in breast cancer (BC). Further, the role of circ-TFRC to the progress of OC remains unclear. So, the aim of this study was to reveal the regulatory mechanism of circ-TFRC. METHODS: Our team made the luciferase reporter assay to validate circ-TFRC downstream target. Transwell migration assay, 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine, and cell counting kit-8 were applied to investigate both proliferation and migration. In vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis assays were performed to investigate the circ-TFRC role in OC. RESULTS: The outputs elucidated that circ-TFRC expression incremented in OC cells and tissues. circ-TFRC downregulation inhibited OC cell proliferation as well as migration in in vivo and in vitro experiments. The luciferase results validated that miR-615-3p and IGF2 were circ-TFRC downstream targets. IGF2 overexpression or miR-615-3p inhibition reversed OC cell migration after circ-TFRC silencing. Also, IGF2 overexpression reversed OC cell migration and proliferation post miR-615-3p upregulation. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate that circ-TFRC downregulation inhibits OC progression and metastasis via IGF2 expression regulation and miR-615-3psponging.

Estrogen-induced FOS-like 1 regulates matrix metalloproteinase expression and the motility of human endometrial and decidual stromal cells.

The regulation mechanisms involved in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and the motility of human endometrial and decidual stromal cells (ESCs and DSCs, respectively) during decidualization remain unclear. DSCs show significant increased cell motility and expression of FOS-like 1 (FOSL1) and MMP1, MMP2, and MMP9 compared with ESCs, whereas lack of decidualization inducers leads to a rapid decrease in FOSL1 and MMP1 and MMP9 expression in DSCs in vitro Therefore, we hypothesized that a link exists between decidualization inducers and FOSL1 in up-regulation of motility during decidualization. Based on the response of ESCs/DSCs to different decidualization systems in vitro, we found that progesterone (P4) alone had no significant effect and that 17ß-estradiol (E2) significantly increased cell motility and FOSL1 and MMP1 and MMP9 expression at the mRNA and protein levels, whereas 8-bromo-cAMP significantly decreased cell motility and FOSL1 and MMP9 expression in the presence of P4. In addition, we showed that E2 triggered phosphorylation of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), which could directly bind to the promoter of FOSL1 in ESCs/DSCs. Additionally, we also revealed silencing of ESR1 expression by siRNA abrogated E2-induced FOSL1 expression at the transcript and protein levels. Moreover, silencing of FOSL1 expression by siRNA was able to block E2-induced MMP1 and MMP9 expression and cell motility in ESCs/DSCs. Taken together, our data suggest that, in addition to its enhancement of secretory function, the change in MMP expression and cell motility is another component of the decidualization of ESCs/DSCs, including estrogen-dependent MMP1 and MMP9 expression mediated by E2-ESR1-FOSL1 signaling.

Ovarian teratoma-associated anti-NMDAR encephalitis: a single-institute series of six patients from China.

PURPOSE: Ovarian teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis is a rare disease with uncertain etiology and pathogenesis. The disorder is severe and rare with a great impact on young adults. This study aimed to improve the awareness of the disease from experience in our single center. METHODS: Between July 2012 and December 2019, six patients with ovarian teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis were enrolled in Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. All patients' data like manifestations, laboratory and radiological data, treatment, and follow-up were reviewed. RESULTS: Typical psychotic symptoms, memory, and consciousness disorders accompanied by seizures were observed in all patients from this study. All six patients showed positive signals in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples for N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and received immunotherapy. Three patients underwent unilateral oophorocystectomy and the other three underwent unilateral oophorectomy through minimally invasive surgeries, including laparoscopic and single-port laparoscopic surgeries. The median follow-up time 24.5 months (range from 6 to 93 months). No death occurred. Two patients had recurrent psychotic symptoms while the left four patients had no mental symptoms or tumor recurrence during postoperative follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with clinical manifestations of unexplained acute psychiatric symptoms accompanied by seizures, memory, and consciousness disorders, the possibility of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis should be considered. To confirm the diagnosis, examinations of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies need to be completed as early as possible. Immunotherapy and tumor location should be given in time once the diagnosis is defined. We recommended removing the tumor as soon as possible without concerning whether the patient is in the acute phase or not. The surgical procedure should be decided based on pathology, age, fertility desire, and patients' requirements and it should be ensured that tumors are completely removed during operation. Postoperative follow-up is particularly important.

Synthesis and evaluation of the HIF-1α inhibitory activity of 3(5)-substituted-4-(quinolin-4-yl)- and 4-(2-phenylpyridin-4-yl)pyrazoles as inhibitors of ALK5.

The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays an important role in apoptosis, metastasis, and proliferation and is recognized as an important potential therapeutic target for cancer. Six series of 3(5)-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(quinolin-4-yl)pyrazoles (11a-d, 12a-d, and 18a-d) and 3(5)-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(2-phenyl-pyridin-4-yl)pyrazoles (19a-d, 20a-d, and 21a-d) were synthesized and evaluated for activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK5) and HIF-1α inhibitory activity at the enzyme and cell levels. The effect of the lead compound 20d (J-1012) on HIF-1α activation in HCT116 cells was investigated. J-1012 markedly decreased the hypoxia-induced or TNF-induced accumulation of HIF-1α protein dose-dependently. Analysis revealed that J-1012 inhibited HIF-1α protein synthesis, without affecting the degradation of HIF-1α protein. Furthermore, by inhibiting the activation of HIF-1α, J-1012 suppressed the metastasis and proliferation and promoted apoptosis of HCT116 cells. These results suggest that J-1012 may be a potential therapeutic agent against human colon cancer.

Synthesis and properties of blue luminescent bipolar materials constructed with carbazole and anthracene units with 4-cyanophenyl substitute at the 9-position of the carbazole unit.

With carbazole and p-cyanobromobenzene as raw materials, 4-(3,6-di (anthracen-9-yl)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzonitrile (DACB) and 4-(3,6-bis(anthracene -9-ylethynyl)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzonitrile (BACB) were synthesized through the Suzuki coupling reaction and the Sonogashira coupling reaction, respectively. These structures were characterized using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Their thermal properties, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, fluorescence emission, fluorescence quantum yields and electrochemical properties were also investigated systematically. In addition, a electroluminescence (EL) device was made with BACB as the emitting layer and performance of the EL device was studied. Results showed that: (1) the temperature points with 5% and 10% of DACB weight loss were 443°C and 461°C, respectively, and were 475°C and 506°C with BACB weight loss of 5% and 10%, respectively. When the temperature was 50-300°C, no significantly thermal transition was observed which suggested that they had excellent thermal stability. (2) DACB and BACB had single emission peaks at 415 nm, and 479 nm with fluorescence quantum yields of 0.61 and 0.87, respectively, indicating that both compounds could emit strong blue light. (3) According to electrochemical measurement on BACB and DACB, their gaps were 3.07 eV and 2.76 eV, respectively, which further showed that these two compounds were very stable and acted as efficient blue light materials. (4) The turn-on voltage of the device was 5 V, and the device emitted dark blue light with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.157, 0.079).

Organocatalytic Direct α-Selective N-Glycosylation of Amide with Glycosyl Trichloroacetimidate.

Through the synergistic catalytic effect of the halogen bond (XB) donor and thiourea catalyst, a direct α-selective N-glycosylation of the amide residue of asparagine derivative was achieved using readily accessible glycosyl trichloroacetimidate. n-Butyl methyl ether was found to be the most suitable solvent for the α-selectivity.

Direct N-Glycofunctionalization of Amides with Glycosyl Trichloroacetimidate by Thiourea/Halogen Bond Donor Co-Catalysis.

Using a halogen bond (XB) donor and Schreiner's thiourea as cooperative catalysts, various amides, including the asparagine residues of several peptides, were directly coupled with glycosyl trichloroacetimidates to give unique N-acylorthoamides in good yields. Synthetic applications of N-acylorthoamides, including rearrangement to the corresponding ß-N-glycoside, were also demonstrated.

[Effect of exogenous calcium on seed germination and seedling physiological characteristics of Lycium ruthenium].

OBJECTIVE: In order to get the method for improving the salt resistance of Lycium ruthenium seeds and seedlings under NaCl stress, the seed germination and physiological characteristics of L. ruthenium seedlings was studied. METHOD: Several physiological indexes of L. ruthenium seeds under NaCl stress, such as the germination rate (Gr), germination vigor (Gv), germination index (Gi), vigor index (Vi), and relative salt damage rate were measured. Other indexes of the seedlings like relative water contents (RWC) , chlorophyll contents, soluble protein contents, electrolyte leakage, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), and peroxidase (POD) were also measured. RESULT: NaCl at lower concentration could promote the seed germination but inhibit the seed germination at higher concentration. After the treatment by CaCl2 at the different concentrations, all germination indexes were increased. With the increase of salt concentration, the relative water contents and the contents of chlorophyll were decreased, the content of MDA and electrolyte leakage were increased. The change trend of POD activity showed the first increase and then decrease with the increase of salt concentration, which was similar to that of the soluble protein. After the treatment by CaCl2, relative water contents, chlorophyll and POD activities were decreased more slowly, and also electrolyte leakage and MDA contents increased slowly. CONCLUSION: The CaCl2 could significantly alleviate the damages to the seeds and seedlings of L. ruthenium under NaCl stress, and promote the salt resistance to the seeds and seedlings of L. ruthenium.

Fumarate hydratase mutation associated uterine leiomyomas: A case report and literature review.

The patient was found to have multiple uterine myomas at the age of 19, underwent laparoscopic myomectomy at the age of 20, and underwent laparotomic myomectomy again at the age of 23 due to the recurrence of uterine myoma. At the age of 25, the patient reappeared with symptoms and recurrence, and was diagnosed with uterine leiomyomas (ULMs) of FH mutation and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL/CIN III) with gland involvement, after complete examination. Fumarate hydratase (FH) mutation screening is important when gynecologists encounter patients with early onset and multiple ULMs, it can give early diagnosis and treatment and fertility guidance. The patient had their uterus removed at the age of 26. FH mutation screening is important when gynecologists encounter patients with early onset and multiple ULMs, it can give early diagnosis and treatment and fertility guidance. It is also helpful for early diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.

Synthesis and properties of a new red luminescence europium complex containing a 2-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-8-octyloxyquinoline as the second ligand.

A new Eu(III) complex, Eu(III)(DBM)(3) BIOQ, has been synthesized with dibenzoylmethane (DBM) as the first ligand and 2-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-8-octyloxyquinoline (BIOQ) as the second ligand. The stability of the complex was analysed by DSC-TG. The results show that the Eu(III) complex has a relatively high thermal stability with a melting point of 235 °C and a decomposition temperature (onset) of 252 °C. The fluorescence properties of the compound were also investigated. The fluorescence results reveal that the as-prepared complex shows the characteristic maximum emission spectra of Eu(III) at 611 nm (λ(ex) = 350 nm). In addition, the photoluminescence spectrum of the complex in the solid state exhibits a single and symmetrical emission band at 611 nm, with a full width at half-maximum of 4.7 nm, showing high colour purity. This finding indicates the possibility for the development of brighter red luminescent materials.

Ovarian teratoma related anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis: A case series and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare but important complication of ovarian teratoma. Between July 2012 and December 2019, six patients with ovarian teratoma-associated anti-NMDAR encephalitis were enrolled in our hospital and their clinical characteristics, treatment, and follow-up were reviewed. We also conducted a systematic literature review of ovarian teratoma related anti-NMDAR encephalitis reports between January 2014 and December 2019. AIM: To better understand anti-NMDAR encephalitis through literature review and patients enrolled in our hospital. METHODS: The six patients enrolled in the study were those diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Their history, clinical manifestations, and medications were recorded and optimum treatment provided in addition to maintaining a record of the follow-ups. In addition, we also extensively surveyed the literature and provide summarized data from 155 published cases of anti-NMDAR encephalitis from 130 case reports. PubMed and Scopus were the sources of these publications and the time period covered was 6 years ranging from January 2014 through December 2019. RESULTS: The six patients enrolled for this study presented with typical symptoms resulting in a diagnosis of ovarian teratoma induced anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Appropriate interventions led to a positive outcome in all the patients, with five of six patients reporting full recovery and the sixth patient recovering with a few deficits. No death was recorded. The literature survey comprising of 155 patients cases across 130 case reports of anti-NMDAR encephalitis clearly indicated an upward trend in the reports/diagnosis in China, particularly in the surveyed time from 2014 through 2019. The majority of patients (150/155) underwent surgical intervention resulting in positive outcome. No treatment intervention was mentioned for one case while the four patients who were not surgically operated succumbed to the disease. CONCLUSION: Suspected anti-NMDAR encephalitis should be quickly evaluated for anti-NMDAR antibodies since early diagnosis is important. In case of a tumor, its earliest and complete removal is recommended. Finally, early use of corticosteroids and IgG-depleting strategies (intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange) may improve outcome.

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. CASE SUMMARY: A 27-year-old patient with no sexual activity presented to the Emergency Department of our hospital complaining of heavy vaginal bleeding. She had a history of uterine fibroids and menorrhagia. Pelvic examination showed a regularly enlarged uterus, similar in size to that associated with a 4-mo pregnancy. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed numerous multiple uterine fibroids, and a transabdominal myomectomy (TM) was performed. Intraoperative exploration revealed that the myometrium was full of myoma nodules of variable sizes. Over 50 leiomyomas were removed. The pathology report confirmed leiomyoma. The patient was discharged and received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (3.75 mg) for 6 mo. Ten months after surgery, the patient presented to the hospital again for abnormal uterine bleeding. MRI showed an irregular mass with a diameter of 5.2 cm without sharp demarcation in the uterine cavity. Submucosal leiomyoma was considered first, and the patient underwent a hysteroscopic myomectomy plus hymen repair. Intraoperative exploration showed that there were several leiomyomatosis masses in the cavity. Postoperative pathological examination confirmed submucosal leiomyoma and necrotic and generative tissue. Although the menstrual cycle was still irregular, the patient did not have symptoms of menorrhagia for a period of 28 mo after the second surgery. CONCLUSION: Individuals with DUL are easily misdiagnosed due to the lack of specific manifestations of this disease. MRI is helpful for early identification and preoperative evaluation. There is currently no unified method of diagnosis. For women who want to preserve fertility, conservative surgery should be made an option. When TM is chosen, a modified new myomectomy should be considered to avoid the drawbacks of traditional TM.

Long-term follow-up of 46 cases of primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a single institute study.

BACKGROUND: Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is a rare malignancy. In recent years the incidence of PFTC has been rising. This study retrospectively analyzed 46 cases of PFTC to identify prognostic factors that may impact the survival of patients with PFTC and explored the clinical characteristics. METHODS: The clinical data of patients who had undergone surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University from 1995 to 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. We analyzed clinical data. Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate survival analysis. RESULTS: The level of CA125 increased in almost all patients with advanced-stage (stage III-IV) carcinoma and about half the patients with early stage (stage I-II) carcinoma. On ultrasound examination, 41 cases had pelvic mass, and five cases had intrauterine space-occupying lesion. Nine patients underwent curettage (19.6%). By the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetricians (FIGO) staging system, the distribution of patients was 18 at stage I, 16 at stage II, 10 at stage III, and 2 at stage IV. The mainstay of treatment was surgical cytoreduction and platinum-based chemotherapy. Four patients had residual tumors diameter ≤1 cm (R1), 10 had residual tumors diameter >1 cm, and 32 had no macroscopic residual tumor (R0). Forty patients received postoperative intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. The five-year overall survival (OS) was 94.7% in stage I, 80.0% in stage II, 44.4% in stage III, and 0% in stage IV. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that residual tumor was independent prognostic variable for OS. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that ascites tumor cells and residual tumor were independent prognostic variables for progression free survival (PFS). CONCLUSIONS: Any postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, or lower abdominal pain should be alert to PFTC. Complete tumor markers and imaging examination should be conducted as soon as possible to improve the early diagnosis rate of the disease. Regardless of whether the operation is a comprehensive staging operation or cytoreductive surgery (CRS), achieving satisfactory R0 can improve OS and PFS. It is important the ascitic fluid is tested for tumor markers in order to predict PFS.

Synergistic effects of black ginseng and aged garlic extracts for the amelioration of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease that can lead to carcinoma, cirrhosis, and death. Since no approved medications are available, dietary interventions that include bioactive compounds have been recommended. This study investigated the effects of black ginseng extracts (BGE) and aged black garlic extracts (AGE) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Micrograph of liver tissues of mice fed with BGE and AGE showed less lipid droplets. The BGE and AGE supplements individually and in combination lowered the marker enzymes, aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels indicating their hepatoprotective effects. Compared to the plants extracts alone, the combination of the extracts resulted in lower total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), which are risk markers for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Diets with the combination of BGE and AGE supplements had higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, and lower malondialdehyde indicating the synergistic effects of the extracts. Irrespective of the diet type, all treated groups showed lower tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) values as compared to HFD, which indicated overall immunomodulatory effect of both extracts. Therefore, the innovative formulation formed by the combination of BGE and AGE can provide hepatoprotective effects via modulating glycometabolism, lipometabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation in mice.

Overnight urinary excretion of isoflavones as an indicator for dietary isoflavone intake in Korean girls of pubertal age.

Little is known about the bioavailability of isoflavones in children. Previous studies have shown that children excrete more isoflavone in urine compared with adults. Thus we examined the relationship between usual dietary isoflavone intake and the urinary excretion of isoflavonoids in Korean girls of pubertal age. Twelve girls each were selected from the lowest and the highest quartiles of isoflavone intake among 252 Korean girls aged 8-11 years. Age, BMI and sexual maturation stage were matched between the two groups. Dietary intakes for 3 d by diet record and overnight urine samples were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Total and individual isoflavone (daidzein, genistein and glycitein) intakes were calculated from diet records. The parent isoflavone compounds (daidzein, genistein and glycitein) and their metabolites (equol, O-desmethylangolensin (O-DMA), dihydrodaidzein and dihydrogenistein) present in the urine samples were analysed using liquid chromatography-MS. Intake levels of total and individual isoflavone compounds were significantly higher in the high isoflavone (HI) group than the levels in the low isoflavone (LI) group (P < 0.05). Urinary excretion of all isoflavone parent compounds was significantly higher in the HI group than in the LI group (P < 0.0001). Among isoflavone metabolites, only O-DMA and total metabolites were significantly different (P < 0.05). Total isoflavone intake was highly correlated with the urinary excretion of total parent compounds (r 0.68; P < 0.01), parent compounds plus their metabolites (r 0.66-0.69; P < 0.01) and total isoflavonoids (r 0.72; P < 0.0001). In conclusion, overnight urinary excretion of total isoflavonoids is a reliable biomarker of usual isoflavone intake in Korean girls of pubertal age.

Synthesis, characterization and computational studies of Zn complex based on the 8-hydroxyquinoline group containing benzimidazole.

A novel fluorescent zinc complex with 8-hydroxyquinoline containing benzimidazole ligands has been designed and synthesized. Its emission, IR spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis as well as electrochemical properties have been studied. The solid-state structures were determined via single crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction. It was found that the ligands around the Zn atoms are distorted by the constrained coordination environment. Computational studies have also been performed to provide insights into the electronic transitions, excited state origins and electrochemical properties of the complex. Based on the observed luminescence phenomena and the quantum chemical calculated results, it was also investigated that the energy transfer mechanism for the luminescence of the complex, which indicated that the ligand structural distortion could cause the blue shift in the emission profile of the complex.

A Prognostic Model to Predict Recovery of COVID-19 Patients Based on Longitudinal Laboratory Findings.

The temporal change patterns of laboratory data may provide insightful clues into the whole course of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal change patterns of key laboratory tests in patients with COVID-19, and identify independent prognostic factors by examining the associations between laboratory findings and outcomes of patients. This multicenter study included 56 patients with COVID-19 treated in Jilin Province, China, from January 21, 2020 to March 5, 2020. The laboratory findings, epidemiological characteristics and demographic data were extracted from electronic medical records. The average value of eosinophils and carbon dioxide combining power continued to significantly increase, while the average value of cardiac troponin I and mean platelet volume decreased throughout the course of the disease. The average value of lymphocytes approached the lower limit of the reference interval for the first 5 days and then rose slowly thereafter. The average value of thrombocytocrit peaked on day 7 and slowly declined thereafter. The average value of mean corpuscular volume and serum sodium showed an upward trend from day 8 and day 15, respectively. Age, sex, lactate dehydrogenase, platelet count and globulin level were included in the final model to predict the probability of recovery. The above parameters were verified in 24 patients with COVID-19 in another area of Jilin Province. The risk stratification and management of patients with COVID-19 could be improved according to the temporal trajectories of laboratory tests.

Neurosurgical brain tumor detection based on intraoperative optical intrinsic signal imaging technique: A case report of glioblastoma.

The delineation of brain tumor margins has been a challenging objective in neurosurgery for decades. Despite the development of various preoperative imaging techniques, the current methodology is still insufficient for clinical practice. We present an intraoperative optical intrinsic signal imaging system for brain tumor surgery and establish a data processing procedure model to localize tumors. From the experimental result of a glioblastoma patient, we observe a relative small oscillation of ΔHbD in tumor region and speculate that vessels in tumor region have poor ability to provide oxygen. We applied the same data processing procedure on the second time data and proclaimed a successful surgery. Figure: Merged ΔHbD image captured prior and posterior to tumor removal.

Adamantane-Based Micro- and Ultra-Microporous Frameworks for Efficient Small Gas and Toxic Organic Vapor Adsorption.

Microporous organic polymers and related porous materials have been applied in a wide range of practical applications such as adsorption, catalysis, adsorption, and sensing fields. However, some limitations, like wide pore size distribution, may limit their further applications, especially for adsorption. Here, micro- and ultra-microporous frameworks (HBPBA-D and TBBPA-D) were designed and synthesized via Sonogashira⁻Hagihara coupling of six/eight-arm bromophenyl adamantane-based "knots" and alkynes-type "rod" monomers. The BET surface area and pore size distribution of these frameworks were in the region of 395⁻488 m² g-1, 0.9⁻1.1 and 0.42 nm, respectively. The as-made prepared frameworks also showed good chemical ability and high thermal stability up to 350 °C, and at 800 °C only 30% mass loss was observed. Their adsorption capacities for small gas molecules such as CO2 and CH4 was 8.9⁻9.0 wt % and 1.43⁻1.63 wt % at 273 K/1 bar, and for the toxic organic vapors n-hexane and benzene, 104⁻172 mg g-1 and 144⁻272 mg g-1 at 298 K/0.8 bar, respectively. These are comparable to many porous polymers with higher BET specific surface areas or after functionalization. These properties make the resulting frameworks efficient absorbent alternatives for small gas or toxic vapor capture, especially in harsh environments.

Preparation and in vivo investigation of oligomeric proanthocyanidins cross-linked collagen serving as synthesized tissue regeneration membrane.

In this study, type I collagen membranes were prepared using oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) as the cross-linking agent. The fabricated materials were evaluated to be applied as guided tissue regeneration membranes for periodontal defects. The mechanical strength of the cross-linked collagen membranes, namely OPCs-Col films, using different concentrations of OPCs ranged from 30 to 60 kPa. The cross-linked collagen membranes had better thermal stability than non-cross-linked one and could effectively resist the decomposition in collagenase solution as long as fifty days. The results of material characterization showed that 10% OPCs-Col film was ideal for our purpose. In vitro study using L929 and MG-63 cells revealed that 10% OPCs-Col film had great biocompatibility while OPC was demonstrated to be not cytotoxic as glutaraldehyde and genipin but even promote L929 cells. The material was further studied for in vivo studies with two models, subcutaneous and cranium defects in rat. The subcutaneous test showed that the regeneration membrane degraded till one month and the inflammatory response also reduced with implantation time. When implanted into the cranium defect, no lesions of the brain were caused and new bone tissue was observed inside the material. The results of in vivo studies showed that the synthesized membrane was helpful for tissue regeneration with long degradation time. The tissue regeneration membranes can barrier the rapid growing soft tissue, in order to save the capacity for the growth of neo bone.