Mussel-inspired dynamic facet-selective capping approach to highly uniform α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate crystals.

We report herein a dynamic facet-selective capping (dFSC) strategy for α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate crystal growth from dihydrate gypsum in the presence of a catechol-derived PEI capping agent (DPA-PEI) with inspiration by the biomineralization process of mussel. The crystal shape is controllable and varies from long and pyramid-tipped prisms to thin hexagonal plate. The highly uniform truncated crystals have extremely high compression and bending strengths after hydration molding.

One-step synthesis, electronic structure, and photocatalytic activity of earth-abundant visible-light-driven FeAl2O4.

The development of inexpensive visible-light-driven photocatalysts is an important prerequisite for realizing the industrial application of photocatalysis technology. In this paper, an earth-abundant FeAl2O4 photocatalyst is prepared via facile solution combustion synthesis. Density functional theory and the scanning Kelvin probe technique are employed to ascertain the positions of the energy bands and the Fermi level. Phenol is taken as a model pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of FeAl2O4. The scavenger experiment results, ˙OH-trapping fluorescence technique, and electron spin resonance measurements confirm that the superoxide anion radical is the main active species generated in the photocatalytic process, which also further corroborates the proposed electronic structure of FeAl2O4. The degradation experiments and O2 temperature programmed desorption results over various samples verify that the crystallinity degree is a more important factor than the oxygen adsorption ability in determining photocatalytic activity.

[Therapeutic effect of zinc sulfate on lung injury during superior mesenteric artery occlusion(SMAO) shock].

AIM: To study preventive and therapeutic effect of zinc sulfate on lung injury during superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO) shock and their mechanism of action. METHODS: Model of rabbit SMAO shock was made. The effect of zinc sulfate on the malondialdehyde (MDA) in erythrocyte membrane and plasma, oxidase (XOD) in plasma, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocyte and MDA, SOD and pulmonary surfactant (PS) in lung tissues homogenate were observed. RESULTS: The administration of zinc sulfate decreased MDA and XOD, prevented the reduction of SOD and PS, and alleviated lung injury. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that lung is injured during SMAO shock and zinc sulfate possesses preventive and therapeutic effect, through stabilized membrane.

[The effect of NO, ET-1 on brain injury after hind limbs ischemia/reperfusion in rats].

AIM: To study the roles of nitric oxide (NO) and ET-1 in brain injury after hind limbs ischemia/reperfusion in rats and to investigate the effect of NO/ ET-1 balance on brain injury. METHODS: On a model of the hind limbs ischemia/reperfusion (LI/R) of rats, we used L-Arg(L-arginine, L-Arg), one of the substrates in the process of nitric oxide, aminoguanidine (AG) which inhibits nitric oxide synthase(NOS) and ETA receptor antagonist BQ123, to observe the changes of NO, ET-1, MDA, XOD, SOD, LDH in plasma and tNOS, iNOS, cNOS, NO, ET-1, MDA, XOD, MPO, SOD in brain tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the content of MDA, XOD, LDH in plasma and MDA, XOD, MPO in brain tissue increased. The activity of SOD decreased (P < 0.01). The content of tNOS, iNOS in brain tissue increased, cNOS decreased (P < 0.01). The content of NO, ET-1 in I/R group in plasma and brain tissue increased, the ratio of NO/ET-1 decreased. The brain injury was deteriorated. After using L-Arg and BQ123, the ratio of NO/ET-1 in plasma and brain tissue increased, the brain injury lightened. Whereas after using AG, the ratio of NO/ET-1 decreased, brain injury became more serious. CONCLUSION: The NO/ET-1 ratio decreased after LI/R, brain injury became more serious.

[Function of endothelin-1 in neurogenic pulmonary edema].

AIM: To investigate the role of endothelin-1 in the pathogenesis of neurogenetic pulmonary edema. METHODS: The levels of endothelin-1 in plasma and lung were measured in rats which suffered from diffuse brain injury on Marmarous' model. The changes of endothelin-1 in the lungs were also detected using an immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: After heavy diffuse brain injury in rats, the levels of endothelin-1 in plasma and lung began increasing at 1 hour, and peaked at 6 hour. Though a little declining at 24 hour, it maintained a higher level within 48 hours (P < 0.05). Pulmonary pathology showed that after brain injury there were congestion, swelling in pulmonary microvessels with broadened pulmonary interstitial tissue, and leucocyte infiltration was dominated by neutrophils and monocytes from 1 hour on, which peaked at 6 hour. More serious congestion, swelling and protein effusion in pulmonary alveoli were observed at both 24 h and 48 h. Immunohistochemically, endothelin-1 had more significant expression and higher levels of OD in the experimental groups than that in the control's, the most significance of which was at 6 hour. CONCLUSION: The inflammatory injury mechanism caused by endothelin-1 may play an important role in neurogenic pulmonary edema.