Amphiphilically Modified Porous Polymeric Nanosandwich-Based Membranes for Rapid and Efficient Water Treatment.

Low removal efficiency, long treatment time, and high energy consumption hinder advanced and eco-friendly use of traditional adsorbents and separation membranes. Here, a class of amphiphilically modified 2D porous polymeric nanosandwich is designed and is subsequently assembled into adsorptive membranes. The 2D nanosandwich is gifted with high porosity and excellent pore accessibility, demonstrating rapid adsorption kinetics. The as-assembled membrane integrates unimpeded interlayer channels and well-developed, amphiphilic, and highly accessible intralayer nanopores, leading to ultrafast water permeation (1.2 × 104  L m-2  h-1  bar-1 ), high removal efficiency, and easy regeneration. The family of the membrane can be expanded by changing amphiphilic functional groups, further providing treatment of a wide-spectrum of pollutants, including aromatic compounds, pesticide, and pharmaceuticals. It is believed that the novel amphiphilically modified adsorptive membrane offers a distinct water treatment strategy with ultrahigh water permeation and efficient pollutants removal performances, and provides a multiple-in-one solution to the detection and elimination of pollutants.

Using Polymers as Crystal Inhibitors to Prevent the Crystallization of the Rotigotine Patch.

This study aimed to enhance the stability of the Rotigotine (ROT) patch using polymers as crystal inhibitors. Three polymers (Poloxamer 188, Soluplus, TPGS) were selected as crystal inhibitors to formulate ROT patches with varying drug loadings (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%, w/w). SEM and XRD analysis revealed that the Soluplus and Soluplus-TPGS groups with a high concentration (80%, w/w) of ROT could be stored at room temperature for at least 90 days without crystallization. Moreover, the crystallization nucleation time and growth rate were utilized to assess the ability of Poloxamer 188, Soluplus, and TPGS to hinder the formation of ROT crystals and slow down its crystallization rate. Molecular docking results elucidated the intermolecular forces between ROT and different polymers, revealing their mechanisms for crystal inhibition. The ROT-Soluplus-TPGS combination exhibited the lowest binding free energy (-5.3 kcal/mol), indicating the highest binding stability, thereby effectively reducing crystal precipitation. In vitro skin permeation studies demonstrated that ROT patches containing crystal inhibitors exhibited promising transdermal effects. With increasing ROT concentration, the cumulative drug permeation substantially increased, while the lag time was notably reduced. This study offers novel insights for the development of ROT patches.

Mastering textural control in multi-polysaccharide gels: Effect of κ-carrageenan, konjac glucomannan, locust bean gum, low-acyl gellan gum, and sodium alginate.

To comprehend the intricate interplay of five common food polysaccharides, κ-Carrageenan (KC), konjac glucomannan (KGM), locust bean gum (LBG), low-acyl gellan gum (LAG), and sodium alginate (SA), within composite polysaccharide gels, widely employed for textural modulation and flavor enhancement. This study systematically modulates the quantities of these five polysaccharides to yield six distinct multi-polysaccharide gels. The unique impact of each polysaccharide on the overall quality of composite gels were studied by thermostability, microstructure, water-holding capacity (WHC), texture, and sensory attributes. The findings unequivocally manifest the phenomenon of thermoreversible gelation in all composite gels, except for the KC-devoid sample, which displayed an inability to solidify. Notably, KGM, LBG, and LAG emerged as pivotal enhancers of the network structure in these composite gels, while SA was identified as a promotor of layered structure, resulting in a reduction of surface hardness. Leveraging principal component analysis (PCA) to analyzed 14 critical evaluation parameters of the five multi-polysaccharide gels, revealing the order as follows: KC > KGM > SA > LAG > LBG. These findings would imparts valuable insights into the pragmatic utilization of multi-polysaccharide gels for the development of food products (e.g. Bobo balls in milk tea) with tailored textural and sensory attributes.

Expanding horizons of iminosugars as broad-spectrum anti-virals: mechanism, efficacy and novel developments.

Iminosugars, a class of polyhydroxylated cyclic alkaloids with intriguing properties, hold promising therapeutic potentials against a broad spectrum of enveloped viruses, including DENV, HCV, HIV, and influenza viruses. Mechanistically, iminosugars act as the competitive inhibitors of host endoplasmic reticular α-glucosidases I and II to  disrupt the proper folding of viral nascent glycoproteins, which thereby exerts antiviral effects. Remarkably, the glycoproteins of many enveloped viruses are significantly more dependent on the calnexin pathway of the protein folding than most host glycoproteins. Therefore, extensive interests and efforts have been devoted to exploit iminosugars as broad-spectrum antiviral agents. This review provides the summary and insights into the recent advancements in the development of novel iminosugars as effective and selective antiviral agents against a variety of enveloped viruses, as well as the understandings of their antiviral mechanisms.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Maize Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Synthetases and Their Expression Profiles in Different Tissues and in Response to Multiple Abiotic Stresses.

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (LACSs) are essential enzymes that activate free fatty acids to fatty acyl-CoA thioesters, playing key roles in fatty acid (FA) catabolism, lipid synthesis and storage, epidermal wax synthesis, and stress tolerance. Despite their importance, comprehensive information about LACS genes in maize, a primary food crop, remains scarce. In the present work, eleven maize LACS genes were identified and mapped across five chromosomes. Three pairs of segmentally duplicated genes were detected in the maize LACS gene family, which underwent significant purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1). Subsequently, phylogenetic analysis indicated that ZmLACS genes were divided into four subclasses, as supported by highly conserved motifs and gene structures. On the basis of the PlantCARE database, analysis of the ZmLACS promoter regions revealed various cis-regulatory elements related to tissue-specific expression, hormonal regulation, and abiotic stress response. RT-qPCR analysis showed that ZmLACS genes exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns and respond to diverse abiotic stresses including drought and salt, as well as phytohormone abscisic acid. Furthermore, using the STRING database, several proteins involved in fatty acid and complex lipid synthesis were identified to be the potential interaction partners of ZmLACS proteins, which was also confirmed by the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay, enhancing our understanding of wax biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms in response to abiotic stresses in maize. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of ZmLACS genes and offer a theoretical foundation for future research on the biological functions of LACS genes in maize environmental adaptability.

Research Advances in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease with Polysaccharides of Danggui-Shaoyao-San.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative disease. In recent years, the research on the treatment of AD with Chinese medicine is increasing and the results are optimistic, which may provide some new options for the treatment of AD. Existing animal and clinical studies have found that Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS), which has been used in gynecological diseases, is effective in the treatment of AD. As the main component of DSS, macromolecular polysaccharide plays an indispensable role in the treatment of AD. In addition to anti-inflammatory, anti-neuronal injury, and immune regulation, polysaccharides extracted from Danggui Shaoyao San (p-DSS) also have good activities in hypoglycemia, and participate in the physiological regulation of ubiquitination, iron metabolism, intestinal flora, estrogen, and autophagy. Given that there is little systematic analysis of p-DSS, this paper reviews the possible mechanism of p-DSS in the treatment of AD, so as to provide reference for further research.

Dendrite-Free and Long-Cycling Lithium Metal Battery Enabled by Ultrathin, 2D Shield-Defensive, and Single Lithium-Ion Conducting Polymeric Membrane.

Polymeric membranes are considered as promising materials to realize safe and long-life lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, they are usually based on soft 1D linear polymers and thus cannot effectively inhibit piercing of lithium dendrites at high current density. Herein, single lithium-ion conducting molecular brushes (GO-g-PSSLi) are successfully designed and fabricated with a new 2D "soft-hard-soft" hierarchical structure by grafting hairy lithium polystyrenesulfonate (PSSLi) chains on both sides of graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The ultrathin GO-g-PSSLi membrane is further constructed by evaporation-induced layer-by-layer self-assembly of GO-g-PSSLi molecular brushes. Unlike conventional soft 1D linear polymeric structure, the rigid 2D extended aromatic structure of intralayer GO backbones can bear the shield effect of preventing the dendrites possibly generated at high current density from piercing. More importantly, such a shield effect can be significantly strengthened by layer-by-layer stacking of 2D molecular brushes. On the other hand, the 3D interconnected interlayer channels and the soft single lithium-ion conducting PSSLi side-chains on the surface of channels provide rapid lithium-ion transportation pathways and homogenize lithium-ion flux. As a result, LMBs with GO-g-PSSLi membrane possess long-term reversible lithium plating/striping (6 months) at high current density.

Ultrathin Yet Robust Single Lithium-Ion Conducting Quasi-Solid-State Polymer-Brush Electrolytes Enable Ultralong-Life and Dendrite-Free Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Quasi-solid-state polymer electrolytes are one of the most promising candidates for long-life lithium-metal batteries. However, introduction of plasticizers for high ion conductivity at room temperature inevitably gives rise to poor mechanical strength and requires a very thick electrolyte membrane, which is detrimental to safety and energy density of the batteries. Herein, inspired by tube brushes coupling hardness with softness, a novel superstructured polymer bottlebrush BC-g-PLiSTFSI-b-PEGM (BC = bacterial cellulose; PLiSTFSI = poly(lithium 4-styrenesulfonyl-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide); PEGM = poly(diethylene glycol monomethyl ether methacrylate)) with a hard nanofibril backbone and soft functional polymer side-chains is reported as an effective strategy to well balance the mechanical strength and ion conductivity of quasi-solid-state polymer electrolytes. The resulting single lithium-ion conducting quasi-solid-state polymer-brush electrolytes (SLIC-QSPBEs) integrate the features of the ultrathin membrane thickness (10 µm), the nanofibril backbone-strengthened porous nanonetwork (Young's modulus = 1.9 GPa), and the high-rate single lithium-ion conducting diblock copolymer brushes. As a result, the ultrathin yet robust SLIC-QSPBEs enable ultralong-term (over 3300 h) reversible and stable lithium plating/stripping in Li/Li symmetrical cell at a current density of 1 mA cm-2 for lithium anode. This work affords a promising strategy to develop advanced electrolytes for solid-state lithium-metal batteries.

All-in-One Porous Polymer Adsorbents with Excellent Environmental Chemosensory Responsivity, Visual Detectivity, Superfast Adsorption, and Easy Regeneration.

It remains a formidable challenge to construct advanced adsorbents with superb adsorption, environmental stimuli response, and real-time detection capability for efficiently treating contaminants from complex environmental systems. A novel class of an all-in-one microporous adsorbent that simultaneously has excellent environmental chemosensory responsivity, visual detectivity, superfast micropollutant adsorption, as well as easy regeneration is reported herein. The advanced microporous adsorbent discussed in this study presents a hairy nanospherical morphology composed of a hairy stimuli-responsive polymeric shell and a shell-assisted superadsorptive microporous core. The adsorbent not only exhibits a valuable capability of pollutant detection by visible fluorescence quenching, but can also remove organic micropollutants from polluted water with super-rapid speed (79%, 98%, and 100% of its equilibrium uptake in 7 s, 10 s, and 2 min, respectively) and excellent recyclability (>96%). More importantly, the adsorbent still shows unimpeded adsorption performance in the flow-through adsorption tests (15 mL min-1 ), indicating a very appealing application prospect.

A stepwise crosslinking strategy toward lamellar carbon frameworks with covalently connected alternate layers of porous carbon nanosheets and porous carbon spacers.

Lamellar carbon frameworks with covalently connected alternate layers of porous carbon nanosheets (PCNs) and porous carbon spacers (PCSs) were successfully fabricated based on the stepwise crosslinking of self-assembled lamellar block copolymers. The intrinsic porous structure of PCSs can maximize the utilization of well-developed surfaces/interfaces of the PCNs.

Involvement of 5-HT1A Receptors in the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Quercitrin and Evidence of the Involvement of the Monoaminergic System.

Quercitrin is a well-known flavonoid that is contained in Flos Albiziae, which has been used for the treatment of anxiety. The present study investigated the anxiolytic-like effects of quercitrin in experimental models of anxiety. Compared with the control group, repeated treatment with quercitrin (5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for seven days significantly increased the percentage of entries into and time spent on the open arms of the elevated plus maze. In the light/dark box test, quercitrin exerted an anxiolytic-like effect at 5 and 10 mg/kg. In the marble-burying test, quercitrin (5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) also exerted an anxiolytic-like effect. Furthermore, quercitrin did not affect spontaneous locomotor activity. The anxiolytic-like effects of quercitrin in the elevated plus maze and light/dark box test were blocked by the serotonin-1A (5-hydroxytryptamine-1A (5-HT1A)) receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) but not by the γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor antagonist flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.). The levels of brain monoamines (5-HT and dopamine) and their metabolites (5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanillic acid) were decreased after quercitrin treatment. These data suggest that the anxiolytic-like effects of quercitrin might be mediated by 5-HT1A receptors but not by benzodiazepine site of GABAA receptors. The results of the neurochemical studies suggest that these effects are mediated by modulation of the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters.

GABA and 5-HT systems are implicated in the anxiolytic-like effect of spinosin in mice.

The present study investigated the anxiolytic-like effects of spinosin, one of the major flavonoids in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), in experimental models of anxiety compared with a known anxiolytic, diazepam. Repeated treatment with spinosin (2.5 and 5mg/kg/day, p.o.) significantly increased the percentage of entries into and time spent on the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared with the control group. In the light/dark box test, spinosin exerted an anxiolytic-like effect at 5mg/kg. In the open-field test, 5mg/kg spinosin increased the number of central entries. Spinosin did not affect spontaneous activity. The anxiolytic-like effects of spinosin in the elevated plus maze, light/dark box test, and open field test were blocked by the γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor antagonist flumazenil (3mg/kg, i.p.) and 5-hydroxytryptamine-1A (5-HT1A) receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (1mg/kg, i.p.). These results suggest that spinosin exerts anxiolytic-like effects, and its mechanism of action appears to be modulated by GABAA and 5-HT1A receptors.