A direct-write method for preparing a bimetal sulfide/graphene composite as a free-standing electrode for high-performance microsupercapacitors.

It is a great challenge to ideally integrate graphene with its unique two-dimensional (2D) and porous structure into the pseudocapacitive materials. In this paper, a simple technique, i.e. direct-laser-writing (DLW), was developed to fabricate microsupercapacitors (MSCs) with excellent electrochemical performance, marked as Ni-Co-S/laser induced graphene (LIG) that exhibit a high areal specific capacitance of 680 mF cm-2 at the current density of 1 mA cm-2. A symmetric MSC device was assembled using Ni-Co-S/LIG as a positive electrode and active carbon (AC) as the negative electrode, and exhibited a high areal energy density of 56.9 µW h cm-2 at the power density of 800 µW cm-2, and excellent cycling stability maintaining 89.6% of the areal specific capacitance after 8000 cycles. The synergistic effect of bimetallic Ni-Co-S and the LIG with the 2D structure results in the excellent electrochemical performance. This work demonstrates a method to integrate Ni-Co-S pseudocapacitive materials into porous graphene with a direct-laser-writing technique. The produced integrated materials possess high energy density that can be used in MSCs.

Hexafluoroisopropanol-Mediated Redox-Neutral α-C(sp3)-H Functionalization of Cyclic Amines via Hydride Transfer.

Hexafluoroisopropanol has been demonstrated as the versatile promoter for redox-neutral α-C(sp3)-H functionalization of cyclic amines via the cascade [1,5]-hydride transfer/cyclization strategy. A wide range of cyclic amines are functionalized into bioactive tetrahydroquinolines, quinazolines, benzoxazines, and benzotriazepines in moderate to excellent yields. This protocol features additive-free conditions, operational simplicity, and wide substrate scope.

Effects of cultural medium on the formation and antitumor activity of polysaccharides by Cordyceps gunnii.

The effects of culture medium composition (i.e., carbon and nitrogen sources) on the growth of mycelia, molecular weight distribution and antitumor activity of intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) from Cordyceps gunnii were investigated. Sucrose and peptone were proved to be the best carbon and nitrogen sources for mycelia growth and remarkably improved IPS production. When the sucrose concentration was 2.0%, the mycelium yield reached up to 15.94±1.26 g/L, but with lower IPS yield; whereas the sucrose concentration was 4.5%, IPS yield reached to a maximum of 138.78±3.89 mg/100 mL. The effects of different carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios with equal amounts of carbon source matter on the mycelia and IPS formation were optimized. It found that the yield of mycelia and IPS were both reached to the highest at a C/N ratio of 10:3. In addition, the IPS had the highest macro molecular polysaccharide content and antitumor activity when sucrose concentration was 3.5% and the C/N ratio was 10:1.5. Thus, there was a positive correlation between molecular weight distribution and antitumor activity of IPS by C. gunnii.

Efficient synthesis and activity of beneficial intestinal flora of two lactulose-derived oligosaccharides.

Lactulose is considered as a prebiotic because it promotes the intestinal proliferation of Lactobacillus acidophilus which is added to various milk products. Moreover, lactulose is used in pharmaceuticals as a gentle laxative and to treat hyperammonemia. This study was aimed at the total synthesis of two Lactulose-derived oligosaccharides: one is 3-O-ß-d-galactopyranosyl-d-fructose, d-fructose and ß-d-galactose bounded together with ß-1,3-glycosidic bound, the other is 1-O-ß-d-galactopyranosyl-d-fructose, d-fructose and ß-d-galactose bounded together with ß-1,1-glycosidic bound, which were accomplished in seven steps from d-fructose and ß-d-galactose and every step of yield above 75%. This synthetic route provided a practical and effective synthetic strategy for galactooligosaccharides, starting from commercially available monosaccharides. Then we evaluated on their prebiotic properties in the search for potential agents of regulating and improving the intestinal flora of human. The result showed that the prebiotic properties of Lactulose-derived oligosaccharides was much better than Lactulose. Among them, 3-O-ß-d-galactopyranosyl-d-fructose displayed the most potent activity of proliferation of L. acidophilus.

Influence of fermentation conditions on polysaccharide production and the activities of enzymes involved in the polysaccharide synthesis of Cordyceps militaris.

The influence of different fermentation conditions on intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) production and activities of the phosphoglucomutase (PGM), UDPG-pyrophosphorylase (UGP), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), UDPG-dehydrogenase (UGD), and glucokinase (GK) implicated in metabolite synthesis in Cordyceps militaris was evaluated. The highest IPS production (327.57 ± 6.27 mg/100 mL) was obtained when the strain was grown in the optimal medium containing glucose (40 g · L(-1)), beef extract (10 g · L(-1)), and CaCO3 (0.5 g · L(-1)), and the initial pH and temperature were 7 and 25 °C, respectively. The activities of PGM, UGP, and PGI were proved to be influenced by the fermentation conditions. A strong correlation between the activities of these enzymes and the production of IPS was found. The transcription level of the pgm gene (encoding PGM) was 1.049 times and 1.467 times compared to the ugp gene and pgi gene (encoding UGP and PGI), respectively, in the optimal culture medium. This result indicated that PGM might be the highly key enzyme to regulate the biosynthesis of IPS of C. militaris in a liquid-submerged culture. Our study might be helpful for further research on the pathway of polysaccharide biosynthesis aimed to improve the IPS production of C. militaris.

[Association between multi-noninvasive indexes and mild coronary stenosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of multi-noninvasive indexes including endothelial function, arterial flexibility, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and serum inflammatory cytokines in patients with mild coronary stenosis. METHODS: One hundred and five patients were divided into three groups according to the result of coronary angiography: coronary heart disease (stenosis > or = 50% in at least one coronary segment), mild coronary stenosis (stenosis < 50% in at least one coronary segment) and control group (normal coronary). Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI), reflecting arterial flexibility and the lower extremity vascular disease respectively, were measured by a Colin system, carotid artery IMT was detected echocardiographically. Serum levels of NO, vWF, hs-CRP were measured before coronary angiography in all patients. RESULTS: baPWV [(1482 +/- 155) cm/s vs. (1249 +/- 158) cm/s] and carotid IMT [(0.88 +/- 0.18) mm vs. (0.72 +/- 0.20) mm] were significantly higher while serum levels of NO [(64 +/- 17) micromol/L vs. (83 +/- 17) micromol/L] was significantly lower in mild coronary stenosis group than those in control group (all P < 0.05). vWF, ABI and hs-CRP were similar between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that NO, baPWV, smoking are independent predicting factors for mild coronary stenosis (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial dysfunction, reduction of the arterial flexibility as well as increased serum inflammation were associated with mild coronary stenosis.

(2-Formyl-6-methoxy-phenolato-κO,O)(perchlorato-κO)(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')copper(II).

In the title mol-ecule, [Cu(C(8)H(7)O(3))(ClO(4))(C(12)H(8)N(2))], the Cu(II) ion is five-coordinated by two N atoms [Cu-N = 1.995 (3) and 2.022 (3) Å] from a 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, two O atoms [Cu-O = 1.908 (2) and 1.927 (2) Å] from an o-vanillin ligand and one O atom [Cu-O = 2.510 (3) Å] from a perchlorate anion in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. Three O atoms of the perchlorate anion are rotationally disordered between two orientations, with occupancies of 0.525 (13) and 0.475 (13). In the crystal structure, two mol-ecules related by a centre of symmetry are paired in such a way that the phenolate O atom from one mol-ecule completes the distorted octa-hedral Cu coordination in another mol-ecule [Cu⋯O = 2.704 (2) Å].