Synthesis and insecticidal activities of 4-(propargyloxy) benzenesulfonamide derivatives.

A series of 4-(propargyloxy) benzenesulfonamide derivatives with different substituents on the benzene ring were synthesized and evaluated for their insecticidal activity. Some of the compounds showed good insecticidal activity against Mythimna separata, and the LC50 value of the most active compound B2.5 was 0.235 mg/ml. Ultrastructural changes in the midgut epithelial cells of Mythimna separata were observed using transmission electron microscopy, and severe structural damage was found in microvilli, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum. It indicates that the possible site of action of these benzenesulfonamides is the cytoplasmic membrane and endomembrane system of the midgut epithelial cells. The above provides a basis for the development of novel insecticidal active compounds with a novel mechanism of action.

[Effects of different drying methods on ginsenosides based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS technique].

The present study quickly identified the ginsenosides in fresh Panax ginseng and specified the effects of different drying methods(50 ℃-drying, 80 ℃-drying, and-70 ℃ freeze-drying) on ginsenosides.Three P.ginseng products by different drying methods were prepared, and the UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap high-resolution liquid mass spectrometry(MS) technique was applied to perform gradient elution using water-acetonitrile as the mobile phase, and the data collected in the negative ion mode were analyzed using X Calibur 2.2.The results showed that 57 saponins were identified from fresh P.ginseng.As revealed by the comparison with the fresh P.ginseng, in terms of the loss of ginsenosides, the dried products were ranked as the dried product at 50 ℃, freeze-dried products at-70 ℃, and the dried product at 80 ℃ in the ascending order.This study elucidated the effects of different drying methods on the types and relative content of ginsenosides, which can provide references for the processing of P.ginseng in the producing areas.

Fluorescence detection of malachite green and cations (Cr3+, Fe3+ and Cu2+) by a europium-based coordination polymer.

Due to remarkable fluorescence characteristics, lanthanide coordination polymers (CP) have been widely employed in fluorescence detection, but it is rarely reported that they act as multifunctional luminescent probes dedicated to detecting malachite green (MG) and various metal ions. A europium-based CP fluorescent probe, Eu(PDCA)2(H2O)6 (PDCA = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), has been synthesized and exhibited excellent recognition ability for malachite green and metal cations (Cr3+, Fe3+ and Cu2+) among 11 metal cations, 13 anions and six other compounds. The recognition was achieved by fluorescence quenching when MG, Cr3+, Fe3+ and Cu2+ were added to a suspension of Eu(PDCA)2(H2O)6 respectively. Eu(PDCA)2(H2O)6 is a multifunctional luminescent probe, and displayed high quenching efficiencies K sv (2.10 × 106 M-1 for MG; 1.46 × 105 M-1 for Cr3+; 7.26 × 105 M-1 for Fe3+; 3.64 × 105 M-1 for Cu2+), and low detection limits (MG: 0.039 µM; Cr3+: 0.539 µM; Fe3+: 0.490 µM; Cu2+: 0.654 µM), presenting excellent selectivity and sensitivity, especially for MG. In addition, Eu(PDCA)2(H2O)6 was also made into fluorescent test strips, which can rapidly and effectively examine trace amounts of MG, Cr3+, Fe3+ and Cu2+ in aqueous solutions. This work provides a new perspective for detecting malachite green in fish ponds and heavy metal ions in waste water.

Design, synthesis, and insecticidal activities of propargyloxy-naphthalene-sulfonamide derivatives.

In our previous studies, a kind of novel benzenesulfonamides was found to be a candidate insecticidal compounds. It was shown that propargyloxy and sulfonamide groups are pharmacodynamic groups. One hundred and twenty-six (126) naphthalenesulfonamides derivatives with propargyloxy functionality were designed and synthesized, and their insecticidal activities were determined. Some of them showed outstanding activity, with LC50 values as low as 0.202 mg ml-1, much lower than that of the positive control celangulin V (23.9 mg ml-1). In addition, the structure-activity relationships were discussed, and molecular docking was used to verify the binding mode of the compound and the target receptor.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and male infertility risk: An updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: 18 previous meta-analyses have been published on the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with male infertility risk. However, results of the previous meta-analyses were still inconsistent. Moreover, their meta-analyses did not assess false-positive report probabilities except one study. Furthermore, many new studies have been published, and therefore an updated meta-analysis and re-analysis of systematic previous meta-analyses were performed to further explore these issues. OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and male infertility risk. METHODS: Crude odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the association between MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and male infertility risk. We used the Bayesian false discovery probability (BFDP) to assess the credibility of statistically significant associations. RESULTS: Fifty-nine studies were included concerning the MTHFR C677T and 28 studies were found on the MTHFR A1298C with male infertility risk. Overall, the MTHFR C677T was associated with increased male infertility risk in overall populations, Africans, East Asians, West Asians, South Asians, azoospermia, and Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT). In further sensitivity analysis and BFDP test, the positive results were only considered as "noteworthy" in the overall population (TT vs CC: BFDP = 0.294, CT + TT vs CC: BFDP = 0.300, T vs C: BFDP = 0.336), East Asians (TT vs CC: BFDP = 0.089, TT vs CT + CC: BFDP = 0.020, T vs C: BFDP < 0.001), West Asians (TT vs CC: BFDP = 0.584), hospital-based studies (TT vs CC: BFDP = 0.726, TT vs CT + CC: BFDP = 0.126), and OAT (TT vs CT + CC: BFDP = 0.494) for MTHFR C677T. In addition, a significantly increased male infertility risk was found in East Asians and population-based studies for MTHFR A1298C. However, we did not find that the positive results were considered as "noteworthy" in the overall and all subgroup analyses for MTHFR A1298C. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study indicates that the MTHFR C677T is associated with increased male infertility risk in East Asians, West Asians, and OAT. No significant association was observed on the MTHFR A1298C with male infertility risk.

Photocatalytic Activity Investigation of α-Zirconium Phosphate Nanoparticles Compositing with C3N4 under Ultraviolet Light.

In order to further develop efficient ultraviolet light-driven photocatalysts for environmental application, α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) and carbon nitride (C3N4) were synthesized, respectively. Then, C3N4-ZrP compositing nanomaterials were prepared by compositing α-ZrP nanocrystals and C3N4 with different mass ratios. C3N4-ZrP compositing nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results illustrated that α-ZrP and C3N4 were successfully composited, and the polarization of the compositing nanomaterials was reduced compared with raw materials. The photocatalytic performances of C3N4-ZrP compositing nanomaterials with different mass ratios were studied by photodegradation of RhB under ultraviolet irradiation. All of the degradation rates of the C3N4-ZrP compositing nanomaterials system were achieved more than 90% after 18 min. When the mass ratio of C3N4-ZrP compositing nanomaterials is 2:1, the degradation efficiency achieved 99.95%, which is more efficient than other tested mass ratios. The result indicated the possibility of utilizing C3N4-ZrP compositing nanomaterials for environmental pollutants degradation.

A Europium-based MOF Fluorescent Probe for Efficiently Detecting Malachite Green and Uric Acid.

Lanthanide (such as Tb and Eu) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely used in fluorescent probes because of their multiple coordination modes and brilliant fluorescence characteristic. Many lanthanide MOFs were applied in detecting metal ions, inorganic anions, and small molecules. However, it's rarely reported that Ln-MOF was devoted to detecting malachite green (MG) and uric acid (UA). We prepared a europium-based metal-organic framework (Eu-TDA) (TDA = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid group). Luminescence studies demonstrated that Eu-TDA can rapidly detect MG and UA with excellent selectivity and sensitivity, where individual quenching efficiency Ksv (MG: 5.8 × 105 M-1; UA: 4.15 × 104 M-1) and detection limit (MG: 0.0221 µM; UA: 0.689 µM) were regarded as the excellent MOF sensors for detecting MG and UA. The quenching of Eu-TDA's fluorescence emission by MG and UA was likely due to the spectral overlap, energy transfer, and competition. Among 11 metal cations and 14 anions, Eu-TDA can quickly and effectively recognize MG and UA with highly selective and sensitive properties. Our method possesses potential application in detecting UA in human blood and MG in the fishpond.

dl-3-n-butylphthalide preserves white matter integrity and alleviates cognitive impairment in mice with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

AIMS: Effects of dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) on white matter damage and cognitive impairment in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) have not been well studied. This study aimed to investigate the effects of NBP treatment on chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced white matter lesions and cognitive dysfunction in mice. METHODS: Mice were subjected to bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) for over 30 days. The cerebral blood flow was detected using a laser Doppler flowmetry. Cognitive functions were assessed by several behavioral tests. We also evaluated the effects of NBP on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and reactive astrogliosis, using Evans Blue extravasation, Western blot, CBA, and immunofluorescence in BCAS mice and cultured astrocytes. RESULTS: The results indicated that NBP treatment attenuated spatial memory dysfunction while promoted cerebral perfusion and white matter integrity in BCAS mice. Moreover, NBP treatment prevented BBB leakage and damage of endothelial cells, as well as disruption of endothelial tight junctions. Furthermore, NBP administration effectively decreased the number of activated astrocytes and pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as the production of MMPs, in BCAS-induced mice and LPS-stimulated astrocytes. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that NBP represents a promising therapy for chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced white matter damage and cognitive impairment.

Effective adsorption of Congo red by a MOF-based magnetic material.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an exciting class of porous crystallized materials, which have attracted great interest in sustainable energy and environmental remediation. Magnetite (Fe3O4) is one of the best-known magnetic materials and has been extensively studied with respect to properties involving high saturation magnetization, biocompatibility and low toxicity. The combination of MOFs and Fe3O4 has shown its potential applications in drug delivery, catalysis and wastewater treatment. However, only classical porous MOFs are used to encapsulate magnetic nanoparticles, such as MIL-100(Fe), ZIF-8, UiO-66 and so on. Herein, we firstly synthesized a new MOF ZTB-1 and surveyed its applications in magnetic materials. As a result, a highly water-stable MOF-based magnetic material Fe3O4@ZTB-1 has been obtained, and it was for the first time used as an excellent adsorbent for the fast adsorption of Congo red (CR) from aqueous solutions, exhibiting an adsorption capacity of 458 mg CR per gram. The electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bond are responsible for binding of CR with Fe3O4@ZTB-1. The magnetic material Fe3O4@ZTB-1 shows a potential application in dyeing wastewater treatment.

Experimental Investigation of Hydrophobically Modified α-ZrP Nanosheets for Enhancing Oil Recovery in Low-Permeability Sandstone Cores.

Highly crystalline α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) nanoparticles were synthesized and exfoliated into nanosheets, and then the hydrophilic nanosheets were modified into hydrophobic nanosheets with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to confirm the morphology and chemical structure of the nanosheets. Contact angle measurement was conducted to explore the wettability alteration of the hydrophobically modified α-ZrP nanosheets, and the result showed that the wettability of the core was changed into hydrophobicity. When ZrP-OTS nanosheets were injected during water-flooding, a Pickering emulsion will be formed. The droplet diameters and viscosities of the Pickering emulsions were measured. The hydrophobically modified α-ZrP nanosheets were applied in low-permeability sandstone cores and various concentrations were tested. The injectivity of the hydrophobically modified α-ZrP nanosheets was also studied and the result indicated that the nanosheets exhibit good injectivity. The mechanisms for enhancing oil recovery by utilizing hydrophobic α-ZrP nanosheets were analyzed: forming Pickering emulsions and increasing the viscosity of the displacing phase. Forming emulsions and increasing the viscosity of the flooding phase can enhance the microdisplacement efficiency, while good injectivity can also enhance the macrodisplacement efficiency. The result indicated the possibility of using hydrophobically modified α-ZrP nanosheets for enhancing oil recovery in a low-permeability reservoir.

Three Cd(II) MOFs with Different Functional Groups: Selective CO2 Capture and Metal Ions Detection.

Three Cd(II) iso-frameworks {[Cd(BIPA)(IPA)]·DMF} n (1), {[Cd(BIPA)(HIPA)]·DMF} n (2), and {[Cd(BIPA)(NIPA)]·2H2O} n (3) were synthesized from the self-assembly of the BIPA ligand (BIPA = bis(4-(1 H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)amine) and different carboxylic ligands (H2IPA = isophthalic acid, H2HIPA = 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid, H2NIPA = 5-nitroisophthalic acid) with Cd(II), which have amino groups, amino and phenolic hydroxyl groups, and amino and nitro groups, respectively. Both 1 and 2 exhibit CO2 uptakes of more than 20 wt %, indicating that amino and phenolic hydroxyl functionalized groups are beneficial to CO2 adsorption. Their applications and mechanisms in detecting metal ions were researched. The results exhibit that 1 and 2 are dual-responsive photoluminescent sensors for Hg2+ and Pb2+ ions with low detection concentration and high quenching constant. Besides, like most MOFs, 3 can detect a trace quantity of Fe3+ and Cu2+.

A Highly Solvent-Stable Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheet: Morphology Control, Exfoliation, and Luminescent Property.

Compared to bulk metal-organic framework (MOF), 2D MOF nanosheets have gained intensive research attention due to their ultrathin thickness and large surface area with highly accessible active sites. However, structural deterioration and morphological damage have impeded producing high-quality MOF nanosheets during exfoliation. Here, first a new layered bulk MOF ZSB-1 is synthesized and several solvents such as isopropanol, methanol, n-hexyl alcohol, and N,N-dimethylformamide are surveyed to examine their performance for the exfoliation of layered ZSB-1. As a result, a highly solvent-stable metal-organic framework rectangular nanosheet retaining undamaged morphology is obtained by the soft-physical method in n-hexyl alcohol. Theoretical simulations reveal that the strong interaction energy between n-hexyl alcohol and MOF layers is responsible for the best exfoliation performance of making the bulk MOF into nanosheets. In addition, ZSB-1 shows a tunable fluorescence peak position, fluorescent lifetime, and quantum yield by simply changing the solvent and morphology. Besides, the ZSB-1 was selected as a fluorescence sensor to detect metal ions, and ZSB-1 nanosheet exhibits excellent sensing ability for Fe3+ . It is worth noting that the ZSB-1 nanosheet has better detection limit performance of 0.054 × 10-6 m than that of its bulk counterpart.

Three Zn(ii)-based MOFs for luminescence sensing of Fe3+ and Cr2O72- ions.

Three zinc metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), {ZnL(chd)}n (1), {[Zn(L)0.5(oba)]·DMF·H2O}n (2) and {[Zn(L)0.5(sdb)]·H2O}n (3) [L = E,E-2,5-dihexyloxy-1,4-bis-(2-pyridin-vinyl)-benzene; H2chd = 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, H2oba = 4,4'-oxybisbenzoic acid, H2sdb = 4,4'-sulfonyldibenzoic acid], have been hydrothermally synthesized. We explored their applications in detecting ions, and the result shows that they all show highly selective sensing for Fe3+ and Cr2O72- ions.

Two cadmium(II) fluorous coordination compounds tuned by different bipyridines.

Fluorine is the most electronegative element and can be used as an excellent hydrogen-bond acceptor. Fluorous coordination compounds exhibit several advantageous properties, such as enhanced high thermal and oxidative stability, low polarity, weak intermolecular interactions and a small surface tension compared to hydrocarbons. C-H...F-C interactions, although weak, play a significant role in regulating the arrangement of the organic molecules in the crystalline state and stabilizing the secondary structure. Two cadmium(II) fluorous coordination compounds formed from 2,2'-bipyridine, 4,4'-bipyridine and pentafluorobenzoate ligands, namely catena-poly[[aqua(2,2'-bipyridine-κ2N,N')(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzoato-κO)cadmium(II)]-µ-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzoato-κ2O:O'], [Cd(C7F5O2)2(C10H8N2)(H2O)]n, (1), and catena-poly[[diaquabis(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzoato-κO)cadmium(II)]-µ-4,4'-bipyridine-κ2N:N'], [Cd(C7F5O2)2(C10H8N2)(H2O)2]n, (2), have been synthesized solvothermally and structurally characterized. Compound (1) shows a one-dimensional chain structure composed of Cd-O coordination bonds and is stabilized by π-π stacking and O-H...O hydrogen-bond interactions. Compound (2) displays a one-dimensional linear chain structure formed by Cd-N coordination interactions involving the 4,4'-bipyridine ligand. Adjacent one-dimensional chains are extended into two-dimensional sheets by O-H...O hydrogen bonds between the coordinated water molecules and adjacent carboxylate groups. Moreover, the chains are further linked by C-H...F-C interactions to afford a three-dimensional network. In both structures, hydrogen bonding involving the coordinated water molecules is a primary driving force in the formation of the supramolecular structures.

Exploring the Detection of Metal Ions by Tailoring the Coordination Mode of V-Shaped Thienylpyridyl Ligand in Three MOFs.

By employing a rational design approach, we synthesized three luminescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) 1-3 affording different coordination modes of V-shaped thienylpyridyl ligand. Their application in detecting metal ions was explored, and the mechanism was inferred. And the result exhibits that MOF 3 is a dual-responsive luminescent probe for Fe3+ and Al3+ ions.

A new five-coordinated copper compound for efficient degradation of methyl orange and Congo red in the absence of UV-visible radiation.

A new copper-based coordination compound Cu2(2,2'-bipy)2(pfbz)4 (1) (where 2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine; pfbz = pentafluorobenzoate), was hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 having a binuclear structure consists of two copper cations and two oxygen atoms alternately in a plane square arrangement. In the presence of very small amounts of H2O2, the catalytic properties of compound 1 for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) are excellent in the absence of UV-visible radiation. Moreover, compound 1 presents suitable properties for degradation of Congo red (CR). Our results indicated that the five-coordinated copper compound, 1, will be a promising candidate for efficient degradation of organic dyes.

Three Highly Stable Cobalt MOFs Based on "Y"-Shaped Carboxylic Acid: Synthesis and Absorption of Anionic Dyes.

Three Co(II) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized employing a rational design approach. On the basis of the different structures of three complexes, we tested their absorption properties toward two anionic dyes. The absorption results indicate that not only uncoordinated functional groups in the structure play an important role in adsorbing capacity but also physical forces can affect absorbing ability. Water stability testing shows that three crystals display high stability in aqueous solutions with different pH values. To our delight, the framework integrity of three complexes can be well-retained even after absorbing dyes.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Astatotilapia burtoni.

Astatotilapia burtoni is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. Astatotilapia burtoni has been used as a model organism to research the behaviors and physical systems of cichlids. Here, we reported the complete mitogenome sequence of A. burtoni, which was 16,583 bp and composed of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 1 control region, with a base composition of lower G + C content (45.5%). Similar to Astatotilapia calliptera, all genes were located on H-strand except for eight tRNAs and ND6 genes. Most protein-coding genes started with an ATG codon except for COX1, ATP6 and ND3, which initiated with GTG or ATC instead, and terminated with the typical stop condon (TAA/TAG)or a single T. In this article, 12 protein-coding genes of other 10 closely species were used to construct the species phylogenetic tree to convince the mitogenome sequences. These results provided basic information for researching A. burtoni on genetics, phylogeny and adaptive evolution.

Malibatol A regulates microglia M1/M2 polarization in experimental stroke in a PPARγ-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Activation of microglia plays a crucial role in immune and inflammatory processes after ischemic stroke. Microglia is reported with two opposing activated phenotypes, namely, classic phenotype (M1) and the alternative phenotype (M2). Inhibiting M1 while stimulating M2 has been suggested as a potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of stroke. FINDINGS: In this study, we indicated that a novel natural anti-oxidant extracted from the Chinese plant Hopea hainanensis, malibatol A (MA), decreased the infarct size and alleviated the brain injury after mice middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). MA inhibited expression inflammatory cytokines in not only MCAO mice but also lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia. Moreover, treatment of MA decreased M1 markers (CD16, CD32, and CD86) and increased M2 markers (CD206, YM-1) while promoting the activation of nuclear receptor PPARγ. CONCLUSIONS: MA has anti-inflammatory effects in MCAO mice in a PPARγ-dependent manner, making it a potential candidate for stroke treatment.

Poly[(µ-pentafluorobenzoato-κ²O:O')(pentafluorobenzoato-κO)(µ-pyrazine-κ²N:N')copper(II)]: a coordination polymer linked into a three-dimensional network by intermolecular C-H···F-C interactions.

In the title compound, [Cu(C6F5COO)2(C4H4N2)]n, (I), the asymmetric unit contains one Cu(II) cation, two anionic pentafluorobenzoate ligands and one pyrazine ligand. Each Cu(II) centre is five-coordinated by three O atoms from three independent pentafluorobenzoate anions, as well as by two N atoms from two pyrazine ligands, giving rise to an approximately square-pyramidal coordination geometry. Adjacent Cu(II) cations are bridged by a pyrazine ligand and two pentafluorobenzoate anions to give a two-dimensional layer. The layers are stacked to generate a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture via strong intermolecular C-H···F-C interactions, as indicated by the F···H distance of 2.38 Å.