Hierarchical Nanoarchitectonics of Ultrathin 2D Organic Nanosheets for Aqueous Processed Electroluminescent Devices.

Ultrathin 2D organic nanosheets (2DONs) with high mobility have received tremendous attention due to thickness of few molecular layers. However, ultrathin 2DONs with high luminescence efficiency and flexibility simultaneously are rarely reported. Here, the ultrathin 2DONs (thickness: 19 nm) through the modulation of tighter molecular packing (distance: ≈3.31 Å) achievable from the incorporation of methoxyl and dipenylamine (DPA) groups into 3D spirofluorenexanthene (SFX) building blocks is successfully prepared. Even with closer molecular stacking, ultrathin 2DONs still enable the suppression of aggregation quenching to exhibit higher quantum yields of blue emission (ΦF  = 48%) than that on amorphous film (ΦF  = 20%), and show amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) with a mediate threshold (332 mW cm-2 ). Further, through drop-casting method, the ultrathin 2DONs are self-organized into large-scale flexible 2DONs films (1.5 × 1.5 cm) with the low hardness (H: 0.008 Gpa) and low Young's modulus (Er : 0.63 Gpa). Impressively, the large-scale 2DONs film can realize electroluminescence performances with a maximum luminance (445 cd m-2 ) and low turn on voltage (3.7 V). These ultrathin 2DONs provide a new avenue for the realization of flexible electrically pumping lasers and intelligent quantum tunneling systems.

Distinct transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles characterize NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema patients undergoing aspirin desensitization.

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the mechanisms of aspirin desensitization in patients with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced urticaria/angioedema (NIUA). OBJECTIVES: We sought to characterize the transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of patients with NIUA undergoing aspirin desensitization. METHODS: PBMCs and plasma were separated from the blood of patients with NIUA undergoing aspirin desensitization for coronary artery disease and NSAID-tolerant controls. RNA was isolated from PBMCs and subjected to messenger RNA (mRNA)- and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-sequencing. Plasma samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS for metabolite shifts using a semitargeted metabolomics panel. RESULTS: Eleven patients with NIUA and 10 healthy controls were recruited. The mRNA gene profiles of predesensitization versus postdesensitization and healthy control versus postdesensitization did not differ significantly. However, we identified 739 mRNAs and 888 lncRNAs as differentially expressed from preaspirin desensitization patients and controls. A 12-mRNA gene signature was trained using a machine learning algorithm to distinguish between controls, postdose, and predose samples. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified 5 canonical pathways that were significantly enriched in preaspirin desensitization samples. IL-22 was the most upregulated pathway. To investigate the potential regulatory roles of the differentially expressed lncRNA on the mRNAs, 9 lncRNAs and 12 mRNAs showed significantly correlated expression patterns in the IL-22 pathway. To validate the transcriptomics data, IL-22 was measured in the plasma samples of the subjects using ELISA. IL-22 was significantly higher in preaspirin desensitization patients compared with controls. In parallel, metabolomic analysis revealed stark differences in plasma profiles of preaspirin desensitization patients and healthy controls. In particular, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid) was significantly lower in preaspirin desensitization patients compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to combine both transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches in patients with NIUA, which contributes to a deeper understanding about the pathogenesis of NIUA and may potentially pave the way toward a molecular diagnosis of NSAID hypersensitivity.

A Bio-Inspired Molecular Design Strategy toward 2D Organic Semiconductor Crystals with Superior Integrated Optoelectronic Properties.

Inspired by the 2D bilayer lipid membranes in nature, a unique supramolecular "push-pull" synergetic strategy toward self-assembled 2D organic crystals (2DOCs) is proposed in this work, which can effectively suppress the interlayer 3D stacking while maintaining the assembly of the intralayer for 2D growth. For this purpose, a model molecule PF-Py consisting of a planar supramolecular "attractor" and a nonplanar steric "repellor" is designed for the solution self-assembly process. Well-defined 2DOCs including crystal nanosheets and millimeter-sized crystal films with layered amphiphile-like packing are obtained, which is analogical to the cell membranes of living organisms. Thanks to the special packing mode, the 2DOCs have fascinating integrated photoelectric property, with high mobility of 7.8 × 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 , high crystalline state photoluminescence quantum yield of 55%, and superior deep-blue laser characteristics with a low threshold of 5.51 µJ cm-2 . This supramolecular synergetic strategy advances the design of 2D organic semiconductor crystals for high performance optoelectronics.

[Application of Thermogravimetric-Differential Scanning Calorimetry(TG-DSC)in Quality Control of Limonitum].

Objective: To control the quality of Limonitum by investigating the thermoanalysis curves. Methods: Analysis Limonitum samples from different origins by Thermogravimetric-Differential Scanning Calorimetry( TG-DSC),and the processed samples and fake samples were analyzed to compare the difference of them at the same time. Results: Thermal analysis curves showed that most of Limonitum samples had three weight loss steps in 30 ~ 1 000 ℃,and the process of dehydration weight loss of goethite was obviously in about309 ℃. There was a positive correlation between the weight loss rate of the second step and the content of iron. Conclusion: The Thermal analysis method can provide reference to the identification and quality control of Limonitum.

Application of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectra (FTIR) Fingerprint in the Quality Control of Mineral Chinese Medicine Limonitum.

In the present paper, the fingerprint of Limonitum (a mineral Chinese medicine) by FTIR was established, and the spectrograms among crude samples, processed one and the adulterant sample were compared. Eighteen batches of Limonitum samples from different production areas were analyzed and the angle cosine value of transmittance (%) of common peaks was calculated to get the similarity of the FTIR fingerprints. The result showed that the similarities and the coefficients of the samples were all more than 0.90. The processed samples revealed significant differences compared with the crude one. This study analyzed the composition characteristics of Limonitum in FTIR fingerprint, and it was simple and fast to distinguish the crude, processed and the counterfeit samples. The FTIR fingerprints provide a new method for evaluating the quality of Limonitum.

Residue screening and analysis of enrofloxacin and its metabolites in real aquatic products based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry.

The abuse of enrofloxacin (ENR) in aquaculture and the lack of monitoring of other metabolites except ciprofloxacin (CIP) may lead to unknown harmful effects on human health. In this study, ENR metabolites were screened in real fish samples based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry combined with Compound Discoverer software, and another metabolite deethylene-ENR besides CIP was detected and identified for the first time. Correspondingly, a method for the determination of ENR and CIP and the semi-quantitative analysis of deethylene-ENR in aquatic products was established. Method validation illustrated that excellent linearity and satisfactory recoveries of analytes were obtained. Limits of detection of ENR and CIP were both 0.1 µg kg-1, and their limits of quantification both 1 µg kg-1. CIP and deethylene-ENR were detected in 12 of 14 ENR-positive fish samples, so deethylene-ENR should be of concern as a possible risk candidate in aquatic products.

Determination of chlorpromazine and its metabolites in animal-derived foods using QuEChERS-based extraction, EMR-Lipid cleanup, and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS analysis.

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is abused in animal husbandry and can be extensively metabolized in humans and animals. However, the actual monitoring mainly focuses on the parent compound but lacks attention to its metabolites. A method was developed and validated firstly for identification and determination of CPZ and its four major metabolites in animal-derived foods using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry in combination with QuEChERS preparation method. Satisfactory recoveries of analytes spiked in fish and pork samples ranged from 72 to 117 %, and limits of quantification were 2.0 and 1.0 µg kg-1 for fish and pork samples respectively. Moreover, through the hydrolysis experiments of CPZ, its hydrolysates, such as CPZ-sulfoxide, CPZ-N-oxide and CPZ-sulfoxide-N-oxide, were identified as potential risk compounds. The developed method has been successfully applied to the determination of CPZ and its metabolites in actual commercial samples, as well as to the screening of other CPZ-related risk compounds.

Four undescribed triterpenes from the aerial parts of Verbena officinalis.

Verbena officinalis is used as a Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatism and bronchitis. Herein, four undescribed triterpenes, officinalisoids A-D (1-4), together with thirty-three known compounds (5-37) were isolated from the aerial parts of V. officinalis. The chemical structures of the new compounds were determined by spectrometric data interpretation using NMR, HRESIMS, IR and UV spectroscopy. Biological evaluation results revealed that compound 30 exhibited potential anti-inflammatory activity with IC50 value of 6.07 µM (CC50 > 50 µM) and compound 12 showed moderate anti-dengue virus activity with the IC50 value of 24.55 µM (CC50 > 50 µM).

Enhanced emission in organic nanocrystals via asymmetrical design of spirocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Two spirocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivatives were prepared to clarify the molecular geometry effects on the regulation of the crystalline morphologies and photophysical behaviors of organic nanocrystals. Due to the different structural symmetry of a spiro-center, distinguishing nanocrystal morphologies with unique crystallization-enhanced/quenched emission was achieved.

Supramolecular Polymer-Molecule Complexes as Gain Media for Ultraviolet Lasers.

A novel supramolecular system comprising a complex of 9,9'-diphenyl-9H,9'H-2,2'-bifluorene-9,9'-diol (DPFOH) with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is presented as an attractive system for optical gain in the ultraviolet. The analogue compound 9,9'-diphenyl-9H,9'H-2,2'-bifluorene (DPFO8) without an -OH substituent was synthesized alongside DPFOH to confirm the importance of its chemical structure to the thin-film microstructure. A hydrogen-bonding interaction allows the molecule such as DPFOH and a combination of DPFOH and PMMA to have an excellent solution-processed high quality coating film. In stark contrast to the DPFO8 system, we find that the addition of 1 wt % DPFOH to PMMA leads to spontaneous formation of a supramolecular complex via hydrogen bonding interactions, giving rise to a homogeneous film with relatively high photoluminescence quantum efficiency ∼38 (±5)%. The demonstration of ultraviolet laser action with peak wavelength emission at 385 nm provided further evidence of the high optical quality of the DPFOH/PMMA supramolecular complex films. The DPFOH/PMMA supramolecular complex has great potential for use in low-cost solution-processed optoelectronic devices.

rGO quantum dots/ZnO hybrid nanofibers fabricated using electrospun polymer templates and applications in drug screening involving an intracellular H2O2 sensor.

Throughout the years, reported intracellular H2O2 sensors just focused on unrelated measurements of intracellular H2O2 generated from the stimulus of Cd2+, ascorbic acid (AA) etc., leading to difficulty in data interpretation. Here, a novel reduced graphene oxide quantum dots (rGO QDs)/ZnO hybrid nanofibers-based electrochemical biosensor for the detection of intracellular H2O2 released from cancer and normal cells under the stimuli of the corresponding anticancer drugs permits a quantitative study of the interaction between the target drug compound and the cancer cell, which is suitable for candidate drug screening. Nylon 6/6 nanofibers are used as robust templates for the facile fabrication of novel rGO QDs/ZnO hybrid nanofibers via electrospinning followed by a step hydrothermal growth method. The as-made sensor was applied to determine H2O2 released from a prostate cancer cell (PC-3) versus a noncancerous cell (BPH-1) under the stimuli of the corresponding anticancer drugs (apigenin, antisense CK2αetc.). The amount of H2O2 released from the PC-3 cancer cell is about (320 ± 12) amol per cell and about (210 ± 6) amol per cell for the BPH-1 noncancerous cell under the stimuli of specific therapy drug antisense CK2α. These results demonstrate that the rGO QDs/ZnO hybrid nanofibers-based electrochemical biosensor can efficiently detect the distinct amounts of H2O2 released from cancer and noncancer cells.

[Influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and phosphorus level on the lateral root formation of tomato seedlings].

To explore the influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and P level on plant root system architecture, tomato seedlings were inoculated with AMF strain Rhizophagus irregularis BGC JX04B under two P levels, and the influences of AMF and P level on lateral root (LR) formation of tomato seedlings were studied. Results indicated that the promoting effect of AMF on plant biomass was not evident, but significantly decreased the root to shoot ratio of plants. AMF significantly increased the primary root length but decreased the 1st order LR length and interacted with the mycorrhizal colonization period. AMF significantly lowered the 2nd-3rd order LR number and the ratio of 2nd order LR number to 1st order LR number, but did not significantly affect the 1st-2nd order LR density. High P level (50 mg x kg(-1) P) significantly promoted the plant growth and decreased the root to shoot ratio of plants. It had no significant effect on the primary root length and the 1st order root length, but significantly enhanced the 1st-3rd order LR number and the ratio of 2nd order LR number to P order LR number, increased the 1st-2nd order LR density. It suggested that AMF and P level did not share a common mechanism to influence the LR formation of tomato plants. The influence of high P level may depend on its promoting effects on nutrient uptake and plant growth, while the influence of AMF is more complex. Furthermore, the interaction between AMF and mycorrhizal colonization period implies the possible involvement of carbohydrate distribution (sugar signaling) in the regulation of root system architecture by AMF.