Sulfonamide modified chitosan oligosaccharide with high nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita.

Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) modification is a feasible way to develop novel green nematicides. This study involved the synthesis of various COS sulfonamide derivatives via hydroxylated protection and deprotection, which were then characterized using NMR, FTIR, MS, elemental analysis, XRD, and TG/DTG. In vitro experiments found that COS-alkyl sulfonamide derivatives (S6 and S11-S13) exhibited high mortality (>98 % at 1 mg/mL) against Meloidogyne incognita second-instar larvaes (J2s) among the derivatives. S6 can cause vacuole-like structures in the middle and tail regions of the nematode body and effectively inhibit egg hatching. In vivo tests have found that S6 has well control effects and low plant toxicity. Additionally, the structure-activity studies revealed that S6 with a high degree of substitution, a low molecular weight, and a sulfonyl bond on the amino group of the COS backbone exhibited increased nematicidal activity. The sulfonamide group is a potential active group for developing COS-based nematicides.

Intermediate molecular weight-fucosylated chondroitin sulfate from sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa is a promising anticoagulant targeting intrinsic factor IXa.

Thromboembolic diseases pose a serious risk to human health worldwide. Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FCS) is reported to have good anticoagulant activity with a low bleeding risk. Molecular weight plays a significant role in the anticoagulant activity of FCS, and FCS smaller than octasaccharide in size has no anticoagulant activity. Therefore, identifying the best candidate for developing novel anticoagulant FCS drugs is crucial. Herein, native FCS was isolated from sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa (FCScf) and depolymerized into a series of lower molecular weights (FCScfs). A comprehensive assessment of the in vitro anticoagulant activity and in vivo bleeding risk of FCScfs with different molecule weights demonstrated that 10 kDa FCScf (FCScf-10 K) had a greater intrinsic anticoagulant activity than low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) without any bleeding risk. Using molecular modeling combined with experimental validation, we revealed that FCScf-10 K can specifically inhibit the formation of the Xase complex by binding the negatively charged sulfate group of FCScf-10 K to the positively charged side chain of arginine residues on the specific surface of factor IXa. Thus, these data demonstrate that the intermediate molecular weight FCScf-10 K is a promising candidate for the development of novel anticoagulant drugs.

Revolutionizing Diabetic Foot Ulcer Care: The Senotherapeutic Approach.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a prevalent and profoundly debilitating complication that afflicts individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). These ulcers are associated with substantial morbidity, recurrence rates, disability, and mortality, imposing substantial economic, psychological, and medical burdens. Timely detection and intervention can mitigate the morbidity and disparities linked to DFU. Nevertheless, current therapeutic approaches for DFU continue to grapple with multifaceted limitations. A growing body of evidence emphasizes the crucial role of cellular senescence in the pathogenesis of chronic wounds. Interventions that try to delay cellular senescence, eliminate senescent cells (SnCs), or suppress the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) have shown promise for helping chronic wounds to heal. In this context, targeting cellular senescence emerges as a novel therapeutic strategy for DFU. In this comprehensive review, we look at the pathology and treatment of DFU in a systematic way. We also explain the growing importance of investigating SnCs in DFU and highlight the great potential of senotherapeutics that target SnCs in DFU treatment. The development of efficacious and safe senotherapeutics represents a pioneering therapeutic approach aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by DFU.

Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Its Potential Application in the Paper Coating Industry as an Alternative for PFAS-Coated Paper and Single-Use Plastics.

Polyethylene-, polyvinylidene chloride-, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance-coated paper generate microplastics or fluorochemicals in the environment. Here, we report an approach for the development of oil-resistant papers using an environmentally friendly, fluorine-free, water-dispersible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating on kraft paper. Carboxylic-functionalized PDMS (PDMS-COOH) was synthesized and subsequently neutralized with ammonium bicarbonate to obtain a waterborne emulsion, which was then coated onto kraft paper. The water resistance of the coated paper was determined via Cobb60 measurements. The Cobb60 value was reduced to 2.70 ± 0.14 g/m2 as compared to 87.6 ± 5.1 g/m2 for uncoated paper, suggesting a remarkable improvement in water resistance. Similarly, oil resistance was found to be 12/12 on the kit test scale versus 0/12 for uncoated paper. In addition, the coated paper retained 70-90% of its inherent mechanical properties, and more importantly, the coated paper was recycled via pulp recovery using a standard protocol with a 91.1% yield.

Association between weekend catch-up sleep and depression of the United States population from 2017 to 2018: A cross-sectional study.

Insufficient sleep on weekdays has become a societal norm, and studies have shown that sleep deprivation increases the risk of depression. Although individuals often resort to weekend catch-up sleep (CUS) as a compensatory measure, the present evidence supporting its efficacy in mitigating the risk of depression is limited. This article attempts to explore the relationship between CUS and depression. In this study, a total of 5510 participants were included, characterized into two groups: nondepressed (n = 5051) and depressed (n = 459), with data extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Compared with people without CUS, those practicing CUS exhibited a significantly lower risk of depression (OR = 0.81, P = 0.048). In subgroup analysis, this reduction effect was only observed in males (OR = 0.70, 95 % CI 0.05 to 0.99, P = 0.04), middle-aged (>40, ≤60) (OR: 0.57, 95 % CI: 0.40 to 0.81, P = 0.002), married or living with parents (OR: 0.61, 95 % CI: 0.44 to 0.86, P = 0.004), groups with three or more family members (OR: 0.69, 95 % CI: 0.52 to 0.93, P = 0.01), and individuals without alcohol intake (OR: 0.24,95 % CI: 0.09 to 0.67, P = 0.006). Therefore, in the realm of depression treatment, doctors may consider advising patients to get adequate sleep on weekends as part of their overall treatment plan. At the same time, individuals can also choose weekend sleep as a proactive strategy for regulating their psychological status.

Performance of ChatGPT on Chinese Master's Degree Entrance Examination in Clinical Medicine.

BACKGROUND: ChatGPT is a large language model designed to generate responses based on a contextual understanding of user queries and requests. This study utilised the entrance examination for the Master of Clinical Medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine to assesses the reliability and practicality of ChatGPT within the domain of medical education. METHODS: We selected 330 single and multiple-choice questions from the 2021 and 2022 Chinese Master of Clinical Medicine comprehensive examinations, which did not include any images or tables. To ensure the test's accuracy and authenticity, we preserved the original format of the query and alternative test texts, without any modifications or explanations. RESULTS: Both ChatGPT3.5 and GPT-4 attained average scores surpassing the admission threshold. Noteworthy is that ChatGPT achieved the highest score in the Medical Humanities section, boasting a correct rate of 93.75%. However, it is worth noting that ChatGPT3.5 exhibited the lowest accuracy percentage of 37.5% in the Pathology division, while GPT-4 also displayed a relatively lower correctness percentage of 60.23% in the Biochemistry section. An analysis of sub-questions revealed that ChatGPT demonstrates superior performance in handling single-choice questions but performs poorly in multiple-choice questions. CONCLUSION: ChatGPT exhibits a degree of medical knowledge and the capacity to aid in diagnosing and treating diseases. Nevertheless, enhancements are warranted to address its accuracy and reliability limitations. Imperatively, rigorous evaluation and oversight must accompany its utilization, accompanied by proactive measures to surmount prevailing constraints.

In vivo immunological activity of chitosan-derived nanoparticles.

Chitosan has been studied as an immunomodulator, but few studies have used chitosan derivatives as adjuvants alone. After a preliminary study, we found that nanoparticles prepared from chitosan derivatives had better cellular immune activity when used as an adjuvant. Therefore, animal experiments were conducted to further investigate the performance and mechanism of these nanoparticles as immune adjuvants. We injected mice with the chitosan nanoparticle vaccine and measured the expression levels of immunoglobulins, immune factors, and immune genes in tissues and tissue sections. The results showed that C236-HACC-OVA (C2,3,6-chitosan sulfate-chitosan quaternary ammonium salt-ovalbumin) and NO-HACC-OVA (NO-carboxymethyl chitosan-chitosan quaternary ammonium salt-ovalbumin) nanoparticles can significantly improve the secretion of the immune factors IL-6, TNF, and IL-1ß. The level of IgG1 was highly significant after administering both nanoparticles, but IgG2 was not significant in mice. Three immune factors (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-17) were secreted at high levels in mouse serum at a nanoparticle dose of 0.3 mg/mouse. These nanoparticles also have high safety in the liver, kidney, and spleen of mice. This study proves the possibility of using chitosan derivative nanoparticles as vaccine adjuvants. These data further indicate that chitosan derivative nanoparticles have potential for use as vaccine adjuvants and demonstrate that polysaccharides have a unique position in green vaccine research.

Serum amyloid beta 42 levels correlated with metabolic syndrome and its components.

Introduction: Beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain appears to be a key initiating event in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and factors associated with increased deposition of beta-amyloid are of great interest. Enhanced deposition of amyloid-ß peptides is due to an imbalance between their production and elimination. Previous studies show that diminished levels of CSF amyloid beta 42 (Aß42) is a biomarker in AD; however, the role of serum Aß42 in AD is contradictory. BMI and obesity have been reported to be related to increased serum Aß42 levels. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relation between metabolic syndrome (MetS), its clinical measures (abdominal obesity, high glucose, high triglyceride, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and hypertension), and serum Aß42 levels. Methods: A total of 1261 subjects, aged 18-89 years in Chengdu, China, were enrolled from January 2020 to January 2021 to explore the correlation of serum Aß42 levels with body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, and blood pressure. Furthermore, as the risk of MetS is closely related to age, 1,212 participants (N = 49 with age ≥ 80 years old were excluded) were analyzed for the correlation of serum Aß42 level and MetS clinical measures. Results: The results showed that log-transformed serum Aß42 level was positively correlated with BMI (R = 0.29; p < 0.001), log-transformed triglyceride (R = 0.14; p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (R = 0.12; p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c) (R = -0.18; p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, and other covariates, elevated serum Aß42 level was correlated with higher values of BMI (ßmodel1 = 2.694, ßmodel2 = 2.703) and DBP (ßmodel1 = 0.541, ßmodel2 = 0.546) but a lower level of HDL-c (ßmodel2 = -1.741). Furthermore, serum Aß42 level was positively correlated with MetS and its clinical measures, including BMI and DBP, and negatively correlated with HDL-c level in the Han Chinese population. However, the level of serum Aß42 did not show a significant correlation with high glucose or high triglyceride. Discussion: These observations indicate that MetS and its components are associated with higher levels of serum Aß42 and hence limit the potential of serum Aß42 as a suitable diagnostic biomarker for AD. As such, we recommend serum Aß42 serve as a direct risk biomarker for MetS rather than for AD.

Highly Sensitive and Wide Detection Range Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Graphene Nanoplatelets Multifunctional Strain Sensor with a Porous and Crimped Network Structure.

High-performance flexible strain sensors have tremendous potential applications in wearable devices and health monitoring. However, developing a flexible strain sensor with high sensitivity over a wide strain range remains a significant challenge. In this study, a fibrous membrane with a porous and crimped structure was designed as the substrate material for TPU/GNPs flexible strain sensors. This structural design effectively balances sensitivity with the strain range. The TPU-PEO fibrous membrane prepared using electrospinning with water washing, resulted in a porous fibrous membrane with a TPU framework. Subsequently, the fibrous membrane was subjected to anhydrous ethanol stimulation to obtain a porous and crimped network structure. GNPs were modified on the TPU fibrous membrane through ultrasonic treatment. The produced flexible strain sensor exhibited high sensitivity (GF = 4047.5) within a large strain range (350%) and demonstrated excellent sensing performance, stability, and durability (>10,000 cycles). It not only captured basic movements but also efficiently recognized and measured bending angles, enabling a more sophisticated human-machine interaction experience. This advancement opens up possibilities for future intelligent wearable technology and human-machine interaction, contributing to the evolution of these fields.

Bio-Inspired Microreactors Continuously Synthesize Glucose Precursor from CO2 with an Energy Conversion Efficiency 3.3 Times of Rice.

Excessive CO2 and food shortage are two grand challenges of human society. Directly converting CO2 into food materials can simultaneously alleviate both, like what green crops do in nature. Nevertheless, natural photosynthesis has a limited energy efficiency due to low activity and specificity of key enzyme D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO). To enhance the efficiency, many prior studies focused on engineering the enzymes, but this study chooses to learn from the nature to design more efficient reactors. This work is original in mimicking the stacked structure of thylakoids in chloroplasts to immobilize RuBisCO in a microreactor using the layer-by-layer strategy, obtaining the continuous conversion of CO2 into glucose precursor at 1.9 nmol min-1 with enhanced activity (1.5 times), stability (≈8 times), and reusability (96% after 10 reuses) relative to the free RuBisCO. The microreactors are further scaled out from one to six in parallel and achieve the production at 15.8 nmol min-1 with an energy conversion efficiency of 3.3 times of rice, showing better performance of this artificial synthesis than NPS in terms of energy conversion efficiency. The exploration of the potential of mass production would benefit both food supply and carbon neutralization.

Prognostic value of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) is associated with cardiovascular outcomes in the general population, but the prognostic value of hs-cTn in the diabetic population remains inconclusive. This study aimed to systematically review current evidence regarding the association between hs-cTn and the prognosis of diabetic patients. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Database were searched from inception to May, 2023. Observational studies that investigated the prognostic value of hs-cTn in diabetic patients were included in this meta-analysis. Studies were excluded if they did not report outcomes of interest, or urine hs-cTn were measured. Two independent investigators extracted and analyzed the data according to the PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcome was long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: We included 30 cohort studies of 62,419 diabetic patients. After a median follow-up of 5 (4.1-9.5) years, the pooled results suggested elevation of hs-cTn was associated with a significantly increased risk of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation (SD) change 1.15, 95% CI [1.06-1.25], I2 = 0%) and heart failure (adjusted HR per SD change 1.33, 95% CI [1.08-1.63], I2 = 0%) in patients with diabetes. No significant association was found regarding the association between elevation of hs-cTn and risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR per SD change 1.24, 95% CI [0.98-1.57], I2 = 0%). The results of sensitivity analyses were similar in prospective cohort studies, high-quality studies, or population without major cardiovascular comorbidities at baseline. hs-cTn may represent a strong and independent predictor of MACE and heart failure in diabetic patients. Future research is warranted to determine the appropriate cutoff value for hs-cTn with different comorbidities, for instance, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral artery diseases, etc.

Effects of Scallop Visceral Mass and Mantle as Dietary Supplements on the Growth, Immune Response and Intestinal Microflora of Juvenile Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

Scallop visceral mass and mantle are aquatic byproducts and waste, but they have high contents of protein. In this study, scallop visceral mass and mantle were used as supplements in the diet of juvenile sea cucumber (A. japonicus) and their effects on the growth, fatty acid and amino acid compositions, the non-specific immune responses and the intestinal microflora of A. japonicus were investigated through a 40 d feeding experiment. The results showed that dietary supplementation of scallop visceral mass significantly accelerated the specific growth rate (SGR) of juvenile A. japonicus by 3 times within 20 days, and also raised the contents of ω-3 fatty acids including EPA and DHA and the ω-3/ω-6 ratio of the sea cucumber tissue, which is favorable to the health and commercial value of the sea cucumber. Furthermore, it was found that the supplementation of scallop visceral mass and mantle stimulated the expression of immune-related genes and enhanced the immune defense in A. japonicus. Scallop visceral mass and mantle supplementation also increased the microbial diversity and the abundance of beneficial microbes including Bifidobacteriaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Clostridiaceae and Rhizobiales in the gut of A. japonicus. This study reveals the beneficial effects of dietary supplementation of scallop visceral mass and mantle on the growth of juvenile A. japonicus, which might be a promising way to reutilize this scallop waste and raise its economic value.

Production, structural and functional characteristics of soluble dietary fiber from fermented okara by Penicillium expansum.

Soluble dietary fiber (SDF), an important prebiotic, has attracted growing attention, due to its great health effects and wide application. This study focused on the preparation of SDF from fermented okara. The yield of SDF obtained through Penicillium expansum fermentation (FSDF) reached 45.63 % (w/w) under the optimal conditions (pH 6.7, inoculum size 9.5 %, and time 29 h) by response surface methodology, which were 1.92 and 4.43 times higher than those of phosphate-citric acid treatment and untreated okara. Infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction indicated that three SDFs had similar spectral distribution and crystalline region. Moreover, FSDF displayed looser and more porous microstructures. Meanwhile, the composition ratio of monosaccharides has changed. FSDF exhibited higher water solubility (97.46 %), glucose adsorption capacity (203.73 mg/g), sodium cholate adsorption capacity (13.07 mg/g), cholesterol adsorption capacity (6.69- 7.62 mg/g) and radical (ABTS+, hydroxyl and DPPH) scavenging capacity. Additionally, three SDFs didn't degrade by upper gastrointestinal tract and could improve the proportion of beneficial intestinal flora in vitro, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Overall, the FSDF prepared in this study was a functional ingredient with great potential in foods.

Insights into antibiotic resistance gene abundances and regulatory mechanisms induced by ionic liquids during composting.

This study investigated the regulatory mechanism of the evolution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during the composting process with sawdust and cow manure as raw materials using ionic liquids (ILs) pretreatment. The results showed that genes of MLS, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, beta - lactam as composting gradually decreased. From day0 to day3, MLS in control group (CK) and experimental group (T) decreased by 25.62% and 26.66%, respectively. Tetracycline decreased by 7.21% in CK and by 7.86% in T. Chloramphenicol decreased by 2.85% in CK and 3.34% in T. Beta-lactam decreased by 1.95% in Ck and by 3.69% in T. Mechanism studies have shown that ILs can effectively decompose extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and enhance lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) release, resulting in ARGs release and elimination. Meanwhile, ILs pretreatment can inhibit growth of some ARGs hosts, especially Firmicutes, resulting in decreased ARGs. Moreover, metabolic pathways and related genes take part in ARGs transmission were down regulated, leading to decreased ARGs.

The removal performances and evaluation of heavy metals, antibiotics, and resistomes driven by peroxydisulfate amendment during composting.

This study aimed to explore the effect of peroxydisulfate on the removal of heavy metals, antibiotics, heavy metal resistance genes (HMRGs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during composting. The results showed that peroxydisulfate achieved the passivation of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu by promoting their speciation variations, thus reducing their bioavailability. And the residual antibiotics were better degraded by peroxydisulfate. In addition, metagenomics analysis indicated that the relative abundance of most HMRGs, ARGs, and MGEs was more effectively down-regulated by peroxydisulfate. Network analysis confirmed Thermobifida and Streptomyces were dominant potential host bacteria of HMRGs and ARGs, whose relative abundance was also effectively down-regulated by peroxydisulfate. Finally, mantel test showed the significant effect of the evolution of microbial communities and strong oxidation of peroxydisulfate on the removal of pollutants. These results suggested that heavy metals, antibiotics, HMRGs, and ARGs shared a joint fate of being removed driven by peroxydisulfate during composting.

Maleic anhydride promotes humus formation via inducing functional enzymes response in composting.

The purpose of this paper was to explore the promotion of maleic anhydride on the polymerization of precursors into humus in composting, and analyze the changes of key functional enzymes. The results showed that the content of humus in the treatment group added maleic anhydride (MAH) was higher than that in the control check (CK). The decrease rate of humus precursor concentration of MAH was also higher than that of CK. In MAH, the activities of laccase and tyrosinase were improved, thus enhanced the catalytic conversion of humus precursors. The analysis of bacterial community showed that maleic anhydride optimized the community structure of humification functional enzymes producing bacteria, with the most obvious increase of Firmicutes. In conclusion, this study provided theoretical supports for the introduction of maleic anhydride into the compost system to promote the polymerization of precursors to form humus.

Bioinspired PLCL/Elastin Nanofibrous Vascular Tissue Engineering Scaffold Enhances Endothelial Cells and Inhibits Smooth Muscle Cells.

In vascular tissue engineering, a scaffold that can enhance the proliferation of endothelial cells (ECs) while inhibiting the synthetic differentiation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is crucial to prevent thrombus and restenosis after graft implantation. However, it is always challenging to incorporate both properties simultaneously in a vascular tissue engineering scaffold. In this study, a novel composite material was developed by combining a synthetic biopolymer of poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) and a natural biopolymer of elastin through electrospinning. Cross-linking of the PLCL/elastin composite fibers using EDC/NHS was performed to stabilize the elastin component. The incorporation of elastin into PLCL was found to enhance the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of the resulting PLCL/elastin composite fibers, as well as the mechanical properties. Additionally, as a natural component of the extracellular matrix, elastin displayed antithrombotic properties reducing platelet adhesion and improving blood compatibility. Results of cell culture experiments with human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) and human umbilical artery SMCs (HUASMCs) showed that the composite fiber membrane had high cell viability, promoting the proliferation and adhesion of HUVECs and inducing a contractile phenotype in HUASMCs. These results indicate that the PLCL/elastin composite material has great potential for use in vascular graft applications due to its favorable properties and rapid endothelialization and contractile phenotypes of cells.

A Computational Biology Study on the Structure and Dynamics Determinants of Thermal Stability of the Chitosanase from Aspergillus fumigatus.

Environmentally friendly and efficient biodegradation with chitosanase for degrading chitosan to oligosaccharide has been gaining more importance. Here, we studied a chitosanase from Aspergillus fumigatus with potential for production, but does not have the ideal thermal stability. The structure predicted by the Alphafold2 model, especially the binding site and two catalytic residues, has been found to have a high similarity with the experimental structure of the chitosanase V-CSN from the same family. The effects of temperature on structure and function were studied by dynamic simulation and the results showed that the binding site had high flexibility. After heating up from 300 K to 350 K, the RMSD and RMSF of the binding site increased significantly, in particular, the downward shift of loop6 closed the binding site, resulting in the spatial hindrance of binding. The time proportions of important hydrogen bonds at the binding site decreased sharply, indicating that serious disruption of hydrogen bonds should be the main interaction factor for conformational changes. The residues contributing energetically to binding were also revealed to be in the highly flexible region, which inevitably leads to the decrease in the activity stability at high temperature. These findings provide directions for the modification of thermal stability and perspectives on the research of proteins without experimental structures.

Pleiotropic Modulation of Chitooligosaccharides on Inflammatory Signaling in LPS-Induced Macrophages.

Chitooligosaccharide (COS) is a green and non-toxic cationic carbohydrate that has attracted wide attention in recent years due to its anti-inflammatory activity. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of COS remains unclear. In this study, RNA-seq was used to investigate the integrated response of COS to LPS-induced damage in macrophages. The results showed that the experimental group with COS had 2570 genes with significant differences compared to the model group, and that these genes were more enriched in inflammatory and immune pathways. The KEGG results showed that COS induces the pleiotropic modulation of classical inflammatory pathways, such as the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κB, MAPK, etc. Based on the RNA-seq data and the RT-qPCR, as well as the WB validation, COS can significantly upregulate the expression of membrane receptors, such as Tlr4, Tlr5, and MR, and significantly inhibits the phosphorylation of several important proteins, such as IκB and JNK. Overall, this study offers deep insights into the anti-inflammatory mechanism and lays the foundation for the early application of COS as an anti-inflammatory drug.

Molecular dynamics simulation of mechanical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced cellulose.

Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are the major chemical components in wood paper. Various types of wet and dry strength additives are used to enhance the optical and mechanical properties of recycled paper. One of the possible materials is the carbon nanotube. In order to explore the probability of the use of carbon nanotubes as reinforcing materials and to understand how carbon nanotubes affect the mechanical properties of paper, a single-walled carbon nanotube is inserted into a [Formula: see text] cellulose nanocrystal, and its mechanical properties are studied by using energy minimization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. During simulations, the crystals are stretched in the axial direction at a constant speed, and stress and strain are computed and recorded at the atomic level. Our results indicate that carbon nanotube can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of paper.