The syntheses of fluorescein-based conjugated microporous polymers by direct arylation polymerization and fluorescence sensing Fe3+ in aqueous solutions.

Determination of ferri ions in environment and human bodies is very important for environmental protection and disease diagnosis. Recently, conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) used for fluorescence sensing metal ions have attracted much attention, but this technique is done in organic solvents. In this study, the two new fluorescein-based CMPs named FLEDOT and FLBTh were synthesized by "greener method", direct arylation polymerization, with tetraiodofluorescein sodium salt (TIFS) and 3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene or 2,2'-bithiophene. Pleasely, the prepared fluorescein-based CMPs can fluorescently sense for Fe3+ in water with high sensitivity and selectivity. The quenching constants (KSV) of FLEDOT and FLBTh are 1.51 × 104 and 1.09 × 104 L mol-1, and the limits of detection (LODs) as low as 1.99 × 10-10 and 2.75 × 10-10 mol L-1, which are comparable to the sensitivity found in organic solvents' dispersions such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)' dispersions. UV-Vis absorption spectra show that the fluorescence quenching mechanisms of Fe3+ are absorption competition quenching process and energy transfer process.

Co-transport behavior and Trojan-horse effect of colloidal microplastics with different functional groups and heavy metals in porous media.

The emerging global problems of microplastics pollution and their co-occurrence with other pollutants have presented major new challenges for environmental health and protection. This study used column experiments to investigate the co-transport behavior and Trojan-horse effect of colloidal microplastics (non-functional polystyrene microspheres (MS), carboxyl-modified polystyrene microspheres (CMS) and sulfonate-modified polystyrene microspheres (SMS)) and lead (Pb) in porous media. Results showed that a Trojan-horse effect occurred during the co-transport of colloidal microplastics and Pb. In the process of co-transport, colloidal microplastics and Pb mutually inhibited each other's transport at an ionic strength of 1 mM, which may be due to Pb absorption by microplastics, resulting in the destabilization of agglomerates and a reduction in the electronegativity of microplastics. At an ionic strength of 100 mM, colloidal microplastics and Pb promoted each other's transport, potentially due to their competition for adsorption in porous media. The functional groups present on colloidal microplastics inhibited the transport of Pb at low ionic strengths, while at high ionic strengths Pb transport was promoted. Furthermore, deposition experiments verified that quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring could effectively account for and predict the transport and deposition behavior of microplastics in the presence or absence of Pb.

Accelerated biological aging and risk of depression and anxiety: evidence from 424,299 UK Biobank participants.

Theory predicts that biological processes of aging may contribute to poor mental health in late life. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated prospective associations between biological age and incident depression and anxiety in 424,299 UK Biobank participants. We measured biological age from clinical traits using the KDM-BA and PhenoAge algorithms. At baseline, participants who were biologically older more often experienced depression/anxiety. During a median of 8.7 years of follow-up, participants with older biological age were at increased risk of incident depression/anxiety (5.9% increase per standard deviation [SD] of KDM-BA acceleration, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.3%-8.5%; 11.3% increase per SD of PhenoAge acceleration, 95% CI: 9.%-13.0%). Biological-aging-associated risk of depression/anxiety was independent of and additive to genetic risk measured by genome-wide-association-study-based polygenic scores. Advanced biological aging may represent a potential risk factor for incident depression/anxiety in midlife and older adults and a potential target for risk assessment and intervention.

Fully Flexible Covalent Organic Frameworks for Fluorescence Sensing 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol and p-Nitrophenol.

Nitrophenols are important nitroaromatic compounds, both important environmental pollutants and dangerous explosives, posing a devastating danger and pollution threat to humans. It is vital to detect efficiently trace nitrophenols in the environment. In this contribution, a series of fully flexible cyclotriphosphazene-based COFs (FFCP COFs: HDADE, HBAPB, and HBPDA), prepared with both a flexible knot and flexible linkers of different lengths, were used for sensing 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) and p-nitrophenol (p-NP) in real time with excellent sensitivity and selectivity. The quenching constants of HDADE by TNP, HBAPB, and HBPDA by p-NP are 6.29 × 104, 2.17 × 105, and 2.48 × 105 L·mol-1, respectively. The LODs of TNP and p-NP are 1.19 × 10-11, 6.91 × 10-12, and 6.05 × 10-12 mol·L-1. Their sensitivities increase with the linker length, which is better than the corresponding COFs composed of rigid linkers. There is only a photoinduced electron transfer mechanism in the fluorescence quenching of HBPDA by p-NP. Meanwhile, the mechanisms of photoinduced charge transfer and resonance energy transfer exist in the fluorescence quenching of HDADE by TNP and the fluorescence quenching of HBAPB by p-NP.

Transport of E. coli colloids and surrogate microspheres in the filtration process: Effects of flow rate, media size, and media species.

Drinking water safety risks caused by bacterial contamination from Escherichia coli (E. coli) have aroused widespread concern. Filtration is crucial to drinking water treatment and can effectively capture and remove E. coli colloids without producing toxic by-products. This work systematically simulated the operating conditions of filtration by determining the transport behavior of E. coli colloids in lab-scale columns. Microspheres were used as surrogates of bio-colloids and breakthrough curves were drawn and analyzed at different flow rates, media sizes, and media species. The impact of media species on colloidal retention might be underestimated in the filtration process, and the removal efficiency of E. coli colloids varied by more than 59% between different media. From the point of interface interaction, excellent removal efficiency may be due to the strong attractive force caused by more positive zeta potential on the media surface. The results indicated that there were differences in transport behavior and environmental sensitivity between the E. coli colloids and surrogates. The DLVO theory cannot analyze the transport behavior between different colloids in media with opposite charges, and it is not easy to quantify the contribution of media species accurately. The study focuses on the adjustable parameters of the filtration process and provides new insights for ensuring the safety of drinking water.

Effects of ionic strength and particle size on transport of microplastic and humic acid in porous media.

As an emerging pollutant, the transport behavior of colloidal microplastic particles (CMPs) in saturated porous media may be affected by the simultaneous presence of other substances in the natural environment. In this study, colloidal polystyrene microplastic particles (PSMPs) were selected as the representative of CMPs to investigate the cotransport behaviors of CMPs in the presence of humic acid (HA) under varied environmental conditions (ionic strength: 1, 100 mM KCl; HA concentration: 0, 5, 10, 20 mg⋅L-1) in porous media. The presence of HA with different concentrations was found to increase the mobility of 1.0-µm and 0.2-µm CMPs in porous media in a non-linear and non-monotonic manner. Furthermore, the HA-facilitated transport of CMPs occurred under both electrostatically unfavorable and favorable attachment conditions (limited to the conditions examined in this study, corresponding to 1 and 100 mM KCl, respectively). The transport behavior of the smaller-sized CMPs (0.2-µm CMPs) was more sensitive to the change of ionic strength and the presence of HA than that of the larger-sized CMPs (1.0-µm CMPs). The cotransport process of CMPs and HA was affected by many factors. Modeling results showed that a small amount of competitive blocking occurred during the cotransport process. Moreover, both the presence of HA and change in ionic strength could affect the surface properties of CMPs. Thus, the cotransport behavior of CMPs with HA was different from the transport of individual CMPs in porous media. Experimental results revealed that HA induced complexity in the transport behavior of CMPs in the aqueous environment. Therefore, undeniably, a lot more systematic explorations are further demanded to better comprehend the CMPs cotransport mechanism in the presence of other substances.

Construction of dual-functional nitrogen-enriched fluorescent porous organic polymers for detecting m-dinitrobenzene, picric acid and capturing iodine.

Two novel nitrogen-enriched porous organic polymers (POPs), HBP and TBP, were constructed via nucleophilic substitution reactions with high nitrogen contents up to 24.91% and 32.92% for sensing to nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and adsorbing iodine. They were all systematically characterized by solid-state 13C NMR, FT-IR, elemental analysis, solid-state UV-Vis, and other material analysis methods. The experimental data proved that both POPs possess high chemical and thermal stability, excellent fluorescence performance, and porous properties with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas of 32.88 and 68.00 m2 g-1. The two POPs have dual functions of fluorescence sensing and adsorption. On the one hand, due to their excellent conjugated properties and nitrogen-enriched structures, HBP and TBP exhibited incredibly high sensitivity to m-dinitrobenzene (m-DNB) and picric acid (PA) with KSV values of 2.57 × 105 and 4.93 × 104 L mol-1 and limits of detection of 1.17 × 10-11 and 6.08 × 10-11 mol L-1, respectively. On the other hand, owing to the plenty of nitrogen affinity sites, they exhibited excellent volatile iodine adsorption with 2.23 and 2.66 g g-1, respectively.

Tongmai Yangxin pill reduces myocardial No-reflow via endothelium-dependent NO-cGMP signaling by activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The Tongmai Yangxin pill (TMYX) is derived from the Zhigancao decoction recorded in Shang han lun by Zhang Zhongjing during the Han dynasty. TMYX is used for the clinical treatment of chest pain, heartache, and qi-yin-deficiency coronary heart disease. Previous studies have confirmed that TMYX can improve vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease by upregulating nitric oxide activity and then regulating vascular tension. Whether TMYX can further improve myocardial NR by upregulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to reveal whether TMYX can further improve myocardial NR by upregulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels. The underlying cAMP/PKA and NO-cGMP signaling pathway-dependent mechanism is also explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The left anterior descending coronary arteries of healthy adult male SD rats were ligated to establish the NR model. TMYX (4.0 g/kg) was orally administered throughout the experiment. Cardiac function was measured through echocardiography. Thioflavin S, Evans Blue, and TTC staining were used to evaluate the NR and ischemic areas. Pathological changes in the myocardium were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. An automated biochemical analyzer and kit were used to detect the activities of myocardial enzymes and myocardial oxidants, including CK, CK-MB, LDH, reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, malonaldehyde, and NO. The expression levels of genes and proteins related to the cAMP/PKA and NO/cGMP signaling pathways were detected via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. A microvascular tension sensor was used to detect coronary artery diastolic function in vitro. RESULTS: TMYX elevated the EF, FS, LVOT peak, LVPWd and LVPWs values, decreased the LVIDd, LVIDs, LV-mass, IVSd, and LV Vols values, demonstrating cardio-protective effects, and reduced the NR and ischemic areas. Pathological staining showed that TMYX could significantly reduce inflammatory cell number and interstitial edema. The activities of CK, LDH, and MDA were reduced, NO activity was increased, and oxidative stress was suppressed after treatment with TMYX. TMYX not only enhanced the expression of Gs-α, AC, PKA, and eNOS but also increased the expression of sGC and PKG. Furthermore, TMYX treatment significantly decreased ROCK expression. We further showed that TMYX (25-200 mg/mL) relaxed isolated coronary microvessels. CONCLUSIONS: TMYX attenuates myocardial NR after ischemia and reperfusion by activating the cAMP/PKA and NO/cGMP signaling pathways, further upregulating NO activity and relaxing coronary microvessels.

A Carbon Catalyst Co-Doped with P and N for Efficient and Selective Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-Diformylfuran.

A newly designed N and P co-doped carbon material has been developed to catalyze the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandialdehyde (DFF) with unprecedented yield and selectivity and demonstrating a synergistic effect between the heteroatoms. The desired catalyst was first synthesized via a pyrolysis method using urea as the nitrogen and carbon source followed by calcination with phytic acid solution as the phosphorus source. The mass ratio of phytic acid to C3 N4 and calcination temperature were varied to investigate their effects on catalyst synthesis and microstructure as well as subsequent catalytic activity in simple reaction systems under oxygen. The effect of reaction conditions on the final HMF conversion and DFF selectivity were also investigated systematically. The P-C-N-5-800 catalyst obtained with the optimized annealing temperature of 800 °C and mass ratio of phytic acid/C3 N4 of 5 enabled a 99.5 % DFF yield at 120 °C for 9 h under 10 bar oxygen pressure, being the highest among any reported metal-free heterogeneous catalyst to date. The excellent performance of P-C-N-5-800 could be ascribed to the synergy between N and P heteroatoms as well as the high content of graphitic-N and the P-C species within the carbon structure. Reusability studies show that the P-C-N-5-800 catalyst was stable and reusable without deactivation. These results strongly suggest that P-C-N-5-800 is a promising catalyst for large-scale production of DFF in a green manner.

Estimating Arctic Sea Ice Thickness with CryoSat-2 Altimetry Data Using the Least Squares Adjustment Method.

Satellite altimeters can be used to derive long-term and large-scale sea ice thickness changes. Sea ice thickness retrieval is based on measurements of freeboard, and the conversion of freeboard to thickness requires knowledge of the snow depth and snow, sea ice, and sea water densities. However, these parameters are difficult to be observed concurrently with altimeter measurements. The uncertainties in these parameters inevitably cause uncertainties in sea ice thickness estimations. This paper introduces a new method based on least squares adjustment (LSA) to estimate Arctic sea ice thickness with CryoSat-2 measurements. A model between the sea ice freeboard and thickness is established within a 5 km × 5 km grid, and the model coefficients and sea ice thickness are calculated using the LSA method. Based on the newly developed method, we are able to derive estimates of the Arctic sea ice thickness for 2010 through 2019 using CryoSat-2 altimetry data. Spatial and temporal variations of the Arctic sea ice thickness are analyzed, and comparisons between sea ice thickness estimates using the LSA method and three CryoSat-2 sea ice thickness products (Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM), and NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre (GSFC)) are performed for the 2018-2019 Arctic sea ice growth season. The overall differences of sea ice thickness estimated in this study between AWI, CPOM, and GSFC are 0.025 ± 0.640 m, 0.143 ± 0.640 m, and -0.274 ± 0.628 m, respectively. Large differences between the LSA and three products tend to appear in areas covered with thin ice due to the limited accuracy of CryoSat-2 over thin ice. Spatiotemporally coincident Operation IceBridge (OIB) thickness values are also used for validation. Good agreement with a difference of 0.065 ± 0.187 m is found between our estimates and the OIB results.

Tongmai Yangxin pill reduces myocardial no-reflow by regulating apoptosis and activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tongmai Yangxin pill (TMYX) is derived from the Zhigancao decoction recorded in Shang han lun by Zhang Zhongjing during the Han dynasty and was further improved by Professor Ruan Shiyi, a cardiovascular expert at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. TMYX is used for the clinical treatment of chest pain, heartache, and qi-yin-deficiency coronary heart disease and can improve vascular endothelial function in patients with angina pectoris or coronary heart disease by up-regulating nitric oxide activity and then regulating vascular tension. Whether TMYX can further improve myocardial no-reflow by up-regulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to reveal whether TMYX can further improve myocardial NR by up-regulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels. The mechanism underlying PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway activation and apoptosis regulation is also explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The left anterior descending coronary arteries of healthy adult male SD rats were ligated to establish a NR model. The rats were assigned to 14 groups: control, sham, NR, TMYX (4.0 g/kg), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), Tongxinluo capsule (TXL), PI3K blocker (LY), TMYX + LY, SNP + LY, TXL + LY, eNOS blocker (L-NAME), TMYX + L-NAME, SNP + L-NAME, and TXL + L-NAME groups. Cardiac function was measured through echocardiography. Thioflavin S, Evans Blue, and TTC staining were adopted to evaluate NR and ischemic areas. Cell inflammation degree and edema were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Automated biochemical analyzer and kit were used to detect the activities of myocardial oxidants, including reactive oxygen species, super oxide dismutase, malonaldehyde, and NO. The expression levels of genes and proteins in the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway and apoptosis were detected via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. A microvascular tension sensor was adopted to detect coronary artery diastolic function in vitro. RESULTS: TMYX reduced NR and ischemic areas; suppressed LV-mass; enhanced EF, FS, LVOT peak, and LVSV; and improved cardiac structure and function. Moreover, it decreased creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB, and lactic dehydrogenase activities. TMYX increased NO and super oxide dismutase activities; inhibited malonaldehyde activity; reduced muscle fiber swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration; and improved vasodilation in vitro. In the NR myocardium, TMYX stimulated myocardial PI3K activities and PI3K (Tyr458) phosphorylation and enhanced Akt activities and Akt phosphorylation at Tyr315. TMYX increased the activities of eNOS and the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1177 in the NR myocardium and attenuated cardiomyocyte apoptosis by increasing the expression of Bcl-2 and decreasing that of caspase-3 and Bax. All these effects of TMYX were abolished by the specific inhibitors of PI3K (LY) and eNOS (L-NAME). CONCLUSIONS: TMYX attenuates myocardial NR after ischemia and reperfusion by activating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway and regulating apoptosis, further up-regulating NO activity and relaxing coronary microvessels.

The effects of the crosslinking position and degree of conjugation in perylene tetraanhydride bisimide microporous polymers on fluorescence sensing performance.

In this study, two fluorescence conjugated microporous polymers based on perylene tetraanhydride bisimide (DP4A0 and DP4A2) were prepared via Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling polymerization for the efficient detection of o-nitrophenol (o-NP). They were well characterized via FT-IR, solid state 13C NMR, elemental analysis, and other material characterization techniques. The experiments proved that both CMPs possess high thermal and chemical stability and a porous nature with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas of 41.3 and 402.1 m2 g-1. Importantly, owing to signal amplification by the conjugated skeleton, DP4A0 and DP4A2 exhibit extremely high sensitivity to o-NP with K sv values of 1.83 × 104 and 1.69 × 104 L mol-1 and limits of detection of 5.73 × 10-9 and 7.36 × 10-9 mol L-1, respectively. The sensing performance of DP4A0 and DP4A2 was dependent on the position of crosslinking points and crosslinking density. Finally, super amplified quenching was considered the electron transfer mechanism and hydrogen bond interactions were also present.

Fluorescent conjugated microporous polymer based on perylene tetraanhydride bisimide for sensing o-nitrophenol.

A novel conjugated microporous polymer based on perylene tetraanhydride bisimide (DP2A2) has been synthesized through Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling polymerization of tetrabromo-substituted perylene tetraanhydride bisimide derivative (DPBr2ABr2) with 1,4-diethynylbenzene, whose Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area is about 378 m2 g-1. The fluorescence quenching behaviors of the DP2A2 were investigated. It is found that the DP2A2 shows high sensitivity and selectivity to tracing o-nitrophenol (o-NP) in THF with KsV constant of 2.00 × 104 L mol-1. The detection limit (LOD) is 1.50 × 10-9 mol L-1. The possible sensing mechanism for the luminescent quenching of DP2A2 towards o-NP exciting at 365 nm was considered the donor-acceptor electron transfer mechanism, which is a combined result from both dynamic (collisional) and static quenching. Moreover, the static quenching process is dominant for DP2A2.

Conjugated microporous polymers-based fluorescein for fluorescence detection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol.

2,4,6-Trinitrophenol (TNP, also called picric acid, PA) pose a large threat to environmental health, public safety and military security. Conjugated microporous polymers are emerging new fluorescence sensing materials for TNP. In this paper, we report the synthesis of two fluorescein containing conjugated microporous polymers (DTF and TTF) through the palladium catalyzed Sonogashira-Hagihara polycondensation reactions of tetraiodofluorescein sodium salt (TIFA) with 1,4-diethynylbenzene (DEB) or 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene (TEB). DTF and TTF are porous with the BET surface areas of 705 and 712m2g-1 and exhibit high chemical and thermal stabilities. The formation of conjugated polymers with the incorporation of ethynyl groups leads to the fluorescent properties. The fluorescence quenching behaviors of DTF by nitroaromatic analytes in THF suspension are investigated. It is found that the fluorescence of DTF can be effectively quenched by 2,4,6-trinitrophenol over 2-nitrophenol (NP), 4-nitrotoluene (NT), nitrobenzene (NB), phenol (PhOH), p-dichlorobenzene (DClB) and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) with an SV constant of 2.08×103Lmol-1 and a detection limit of 7.22×10-7molL-1 (0.165mgL-1). In short, the DTF may be a new kind of fluorescence sensing material for detecting TNP.

Fluorescent Polyamide-Based Rhodamine Hydrazide Moieties with Oxethyl as Spacer for Detection of Cr(3+), Fe(3+), and Hg(2+) Ions in Water.

An acrylic monomer bearing xanthene group, N-oxethyl acrylate-N'-rhodamine B hydrazide (ARBHE) was synthesized from N-hydroxyl ethyl-N'-rhodamine hydrazide (RBHE) and acryloyl chloride (Ac) in the presence of triethylamine in dry dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) at room temperature. The synthesized ARBHE was identified by FTIR, (1)H NMR spectra and elementary analysis. Copolymer poly(AM-ARBHE) of ARBHE and AM was synthesized with thermal initiator by free radical precipitation polymerization and it was characterized by the method of FTIR and (1)H NMR. Its molecular weights (Mη) was 7.03 × 10(3) g mol(-1) and the content of rhodamine units in the polymer chains was 1.44 % in mole fraction. The ability of the poly(AM-ARBHE) to detect different metal cations (Ag(+), Ba(2+), Cd(2+) Co(2+), Cr(3+), Cu(2+), Co(2+) K(+), La(3+), Mg(2+), Na(+), Ni(2+), Pb(2+), Fe(2+), Fe(3+), Hg(2+) and Zn(2+)) in water was investigated. Upon addition of Cr(3+), Fe(3+) or Hg(2+) ions to the aqueous solution, visual color change and fluorescence enhancement were observed. Moreover, other metal ions did not induce obvious changes to the fluorescence spectra except to Fe(2+). The detection limit of poly(AM-ARBHE) was less than 1 × 10(-11) M. The results suggest that this copolymer may offer potential as a polymeric sensor for Cr(3+), Fe(3+) and Hg(2+) ions in water.

[Effect of Morinda officinalis Root and Its Salt-Processing Product on Energy Metabolism in Rats with Yang Deficiency].

Objective: To compare the effects of Morinda officinalis root and its salt-processing prodduct on rats with kidney yang deficiency from the viewpoint of energetic metabolism. Methods: The rat models for the kidney yang deficiency were established through the perfusion of methimazole. The models were treated with different dosages of Morinda officinalis root without woods and its salt-processing products extracts. The activity of liver glycogen,muscle glycogen,free fatty acid( NEFA),lipoprotein lipase( LPL),hepatic lipase( HL),liver and skeletal muscle Na+,K+ATPase,Ca2 +,Mg2 +ATPase,succinodehydrogenase( SDH) were measured by colormetric methods,and the coefficient of body fat were observed by weighing method. Results: Morinda officinalis root without woods and its saltprocessing products could improve the energetic metabolism of kidney yang deficiency of rats. The effects of salt-processing products were better than Morinda officinalis root without woods in the same dosage. Conclusion: The effect of invigorating the kidney and strengthening yang of Morinda officinalis were correlated with energetic metabolism. The correct processing-products of Morinda officinalis root should be chosen with the suitable measurements in clinic.

Water-soluble polymeric chemosensor for selective detection of Hg(2+) in aqueous solution using rhodamine-based modified poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid).

We report the fabrication of a novel easily available turn-on fluorescent water-soluble polymeric chemosensor for Hg(2+) ions that was simply prepared by micellar free radical polymerization of a water-insoluble organic rhodamine-based Hg(2+)-recognizing monomer (GR6GH), with hydrophilic monomers acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA). The chemical structure of the polymeric sensor was characterized by FT-IR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The apparent viscosity average molecular weight Mη of poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid) [poly(AM-NaAA)] and the water-soluble polymeric chemosensor poly(AM-NaAA-GR6GH) were 1.76 × 10(6) and 6.84 × 10(4) g/mol, respectively. Because of its amphiphilic property, the water-soluble polymeric chemosensor can be used as a chemosensor in aqueous media. Upon addition of Hg(2+) ions to an aqueous solution of poly(AM-NaAA-GR6GH), fluorescence enhancements were observed instantly. Moreover, other metal ions did not induce obvious changes to the fluorescence spectra. This approach may provide an easily measurable and inherently sensitive method for Hg(2+) ion detection in environmental and biological applications.

Effects of single and double bonds in linkers on colorimetric and fluorescent sensing properties of polyving akohol grafting rhodamine hydrazides.

Two rhodamine derivatives, N-mono-maleic acid amide-N'-rhodamine B hydrazide (MRBH) and N-mono-succinic acid amide-N'-rhodamine 6G hydrazide (SR6GH), were synthesized by amidation with maleic anhydride (MAH), succinic anhydride (SAH) and rhodamine B hydrazide, rhodamine 6G hydrazide, which were identified by FTIR, (1)H NMR and elemental analysis. Two water-soluble fluorescent materials (PVA-MRBH and PVA-SR6GH) were prepared via esterification reaction with N-mono-maleic acyl chloride amide-N'-rhodamine B hydrazide (MRBHCl) or N-mono-maleic acyl chloride amide-N'-rhodamine 6G hydrazide (SR6GHCl) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in DMSO solution. The sensing behaviors of PVA-MRBH and PVA-SR6GH were explored by recording the fluorescence spectra in completely aqueous solution. Upon the addition of Cu(2+) and Fe(3+) ions to the aqueous solution of PVA-MRBH, visual color change from rose pink to amaranth and orange for Cu(2+) and Fe(3+) ions, respectively, and fluorescence quenching were observed. Titration of Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Cr(3+) or Hg(2+) into the aqueous solution of PVA-SR6GH, although they induced fluorescence enhancement, only Fe(3+) made the color changing from colorless to yellow. Moreover, other metal ions did not induce obvious changes to color and the fluorescence spectra.

A two-year follow-up study of cotransplantation with neural stem/progenitor cells and mesenchymal stromal cells in ischemic stroke patients.

Stem cell therapy is an emerging therapeutic modality in the treatment of stroke. We assessed the safety and feasibility of the cotransplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in patients with ischemic stroke. Eight patients were enrolled in this study. All patients had a hemisphere with infarct lesions located on one side of the territories of the cerebral middle or anterior arteries as revealed with cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patients received one of the following two types of treatment: the first treatment involved four intravenous injections of MSCs at 0.5 × 10(6)/kg body weight; the second treatment involved one intravenous injection of MSCs at 0.5 × 10(6)/kg weight followed by three injections of MSCs at 5 × 10(6)/patient and NSPCs at 6 × 10(6)/patient through the cerebellomedullary cistern. The patients' clinical statuses were evaluated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Barthel index (BI). Six patients were given four cell transplantations. The most common side effect of stem cell transplantation in these six cases was low fever that usually lasted 2-4 days after each therapy. One patient exhibited minor dizziness. All side effects appeared within the first 2-24 h of cell transplantation, and they resolved without special treatment. There was no evidence of neurological deterioration or neurological infection. Most importantly, no tumorigenesis was found at a 2-year follow-up. The neurological functions, disability levels, and daily living abilities of the patients in this study were improved. While these observations support the use of the combination transplantation of NSPCs and MSCs as a safe and feasible method of improving neurological function, further studies that include larger samples, longer follow-ups, and control groups are still needed. This manuscript is published as part of the International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) special issue of Cell Transplantation.