Highly robust supramolecular polymer networks crosslinked by a tiny amount of metallacycles.

Supramolecular polymeric materials have exhibited attractive features such as self-healing, reversibility, and stimuli-responsiveness. However, on account of the weak bonding nature of most noncovalent interactions, it remains a great challenge to construct supramolecular polymeric materials with high robustness. Moreover, high usage of supramolecular units is usually necessary to promote the formation of robust supramolecular polymeric materials, which restrains their applications. Herein, we describe the construction of highly robust supramolecular polymer networks by using only a tiny amount of metallacycles as the supramolecular crosslinkers. A norbornene ring-opening metathesis copolymer with a 120° dipyridine ligand is prepared and self-assembled with a 60° or 120° Pt(II) acceptor to fabricate the metallacycle-crosslinked polymer networks. With only 0.28 mol% or less pendant dipyridine units to form the metallacycle crosslinkers, the mechanical properties of the polymers are significantly enhanced. The tensile strengths, Young's moduli, and toughness of the reinforced polymers reach up to more than 20 MPa, 600 MPa, and 150 MJ/m3, respectively. Controllable destruction and reconstruction of the metallacycle-crosslinked polymer networks are further demonstrated by the sequential addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide and silver triflate, indicative of good stimuli-responsiveness of the networks. These remarkable performances are attributed to the thermodynamically stable, but dynamic metallacycle-based supramolecular coordination complexes that offer strong linkages with good adaptive characteristics.

Long-term immunogenicity and safety of heterologous boosting with a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine (SYS6006) in Chinese participants who had received two or three doses of inactivated vaccine.

The emerging new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) needs booster vaccination. We evaluated the long-term safety and immunogenicity of heterologous boosting with a SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccine SYS6006. A total of 1000 participants aged 18 years or more who had received two (Group A) or three (Group B) doses of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine were enrolled and vaccinated with one dose of SYS6006 which was designed based on the prototype spike protein and introduced mutation sites. Adverse events (AEs) through 30 days and serious AEs during the study were collected. Live-virus and pseudovirus neutralizing antibody (Nab), binding antibody (immunoglobulin G [IgG]) and cellular immunity were tested through 180 days. Solicited all, injection-site and systemic AEs were reported by 618 (61.8%), 498 (49.8%), and 386 (38.6%) participants, respectively. Most AEs were grade 1. The two groups had similar safety profile. No vaccination-related SAEs were reported. Robust wild-type (WT) live-virus Nab response was elicited with peak geometric mean titers (GMTs) of 3769.5 (Group A) and 5994.7 (Group B) on day 14, corresponding to 1602.5- and 290.8-fold increase versus baseline, respectively. The BA.5 live-virus Nab GMTs were 87.7 (Group A) and 93.2 (Group B) on day 14. All participants seroconverted for WT live-virus Nab. Robust pseudovirus Nab and IgG responses to wild type and BA.5 were also elicited. ELISpot assay showed robust cellular immune response, which was not obviously affected by virus variation. In conclusion, SYS6006 heterologous boosting demonstrated long-term good safety and immunogenicity in participants who had received two or three doses of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine.

Nav1.8 in small dorsal root ganglion neurons contributes to vincristine-induced mechanical allodynia.

Vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN) is a common side effect of vincristine treatment, which is accompanied by pain and can be dose-limiting. The molecular mechanisms that underlie vincristine-induced pain are not well understood. We have established an animal model to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms of vincristine induced pain. Our previous studies have shown that the tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.6 in medium-diameter dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons contributes to the maintenance of vincristine-induced allodynia. In this study, we investigated the effects of vincristine administration on excitability in small-diameter DRG neurons and whether the tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) NaV1.8 channels contribute to mechanical allodynia. Current-clamp recordings demonstrated that small DRG neurons become hyper-excitable following vincristine treatment, with both reduced current threshold and increased firing frequency. Using voltage-clamp recordings in small DRG neurons we now show an increase in TTX-R current density and a -7.3 mV hyperpolarizing shift in V1/2 of activation of NaV1.8 channels in vincristine-treated animals, which likely contributes to the hyperexcitability that we observed in these neurons. Notably, vincristine treatment did not enhance excitability of small DRG neurons from NaV1.8 knockout mice, and the development of mechanical allodynia was delayed but not abrogated in these mice. Together, our data suggest that sodium channel NaV1.8 in small DRG neurons contributes to the development of vincristine-induced mechanical allodynia.

Ultrathin, ultralight dual-scale fibrous networks with high-infrared transmittance for high-performance, comfortable and sustainable PM0.3 filter.

Highly permeable particulate matter (PM) can carry various bacteria, viruses and toxics and pose a serious threat to public health. Nevertheless, current respirators typically sacrifice their thickness and base weight for high-performance filtration, which inevitably causes wearing discomfort and significant consumption of raw materials. Here, we show a facile yet massive splitting eletrospinning strategy to prepare an ultrathin, ultralight and radiative cooling dual-scale fiber membrane with about 80% infrared transmittance for high-protective, comfortable and sustainable air filter. By tailoring antibacterial surfactant-triggered splitting of charged jets, the dual-scale fibrous filter consisting of continuous nanofibers (44 ± 12 nm) and submicron-fibers (159 ± 32 nm) is formed. It presents ultralow thickness (1.49 µm) and base weight (0.57 g m-2) but superior protective performances (about 99.95% PM0.3 removal, durable antibacterial ability) and wearing comfort of low air resistance, high heat dissipation and moisture permeability. Moreover, the ultralight filter can save over 97% polymers than commercial N95 respirator, enabling itself to be sustainable and economical. This work paves the way for designing advanced and sustainable protective materials.

A Robust Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Coating with Superior Mechanical Durability and Chemical Stability for Inner Pipeline Protection.

Durable superhydrophobic anti-erosion/anticorrosion coatings are highly demanded across various applications. However, achieving coatings with exceptional superhydrophobicity, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance remains a grand challenge. Herein, a robust microstructure coating, inspired by the cylindrical structures situated on the surface of conch shell, for mitigating erosion and corrosion damages in gas transportation pipelines is reported. Specifically, citric acid monohydrate as a pore-forming agent is leveraged to create a porous structure between layers, effectively buffering the impact on the surface. As a result, the coating demonstrates remarkable wear resistance and water repellency. Importantly, even after abrasion by sandpaper and an erosion loop test, the resulting superhydrophobic surfaces retain the water repellency. The design strategy offers a promising route to manufacturing multifunctional materials with desired features and structural complexities, thereby enabling effective self-cleaning and antifouling abilities in harsh operating environments for an array of applications, including self-cleaning windows, antifouling coatings for medical devices, and anti-erosion/anticorrosion protection, among other areas.

Effect of food and polymorphisms in SLCO2B1, CYP3A4 and UGT1A4 on pharmacokinetics of abiraterone and its metabolites in Chinese volunteers.

AIMS: Abiraterone acetate, a prodrug of abiraterone (ABI), provides an efficient therapeutic option for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. ABI undergoes extensive metabolism in vivo and is transformed into active metabolites Δ4 -abiraterone and 3-keto-5α-abiraterone as well as inactive metabolites abiraterone sulfate and abiraterone N-oxide sulfate. We aimed to examine the effect of polymorphisms in SLCO2B1, CYP3A4 and UGT1A4 on the pharmacokinetics of ABI and its metabolites. METHODS: In this study, 81 healthy Chinese subjects were enrolled and divided into 2 groups for fasted (n = 45) and fed (n = 36) studies. Plasma samples were collected after administering a 250 mg abiraterone acetate tablet followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Genotyping was performed on a MassARRAY system. The association between SLCO2B1, CYP3A4, UGT1A4 genotype and pharmacokinetic parameters of ABI and its metabolites was assessed. RESULTS: Food effect study demonstrated high fat meal remarkedly increased systemic exposure of ABI and its metabolites. The geometric mean ratio and 90% confidence interval of area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-t ) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax ) of ABI in fed state vs. fasted state were 351.64% (286.86%-431.04%) and 478.45% (390.01%-586.94%), respectively, while the corresponding results were ranging from 145.11% to 269.42% and 150.10% to 478.45% for AUC0-t and Cmax of ABI metabolites in fed state vs. fasted state, respectively. The SLCO2B1 rs1077858 had a significant influence on AUC0-t and Cmax , while 7 other SLCO2B1 variants prolonged half-life of ABI under both fasted and fed conditions. As for ABI metabolites, the systemic exposure of Δ4 -abiraterone, abiraterone sulfate and abiraterone N-oxide sulfate as well as the elimination of 3-keto-5α-abiraterone were significantly affected by SLCO2B1 polymorphisms. Polymorphisms in CYP3A4 and UGT1A4 did not significantly affect pharmacokinetics of ABI and its metabolites. CONCLUSION: Polymorphisms in SLCO2B1 were significantly related to the pharmacokinetic variability of ABI and its metabolites under both fasted and fed conditions.

Iron-optimized oxygen vacancy concentration to strengthen the electrocatalytic ability of the urea oxidation reaction.

Iron-modified Ni(OH)2/NiSe2 enhances oxygen vacancies, expanding the electrochemically active surface area, which exhibiting superior selectivity and stability in urea oxidation reaction, outperforming pristine Ni(OH)2@NiSe2. It also demonstrates superior catalytic performance in the oxidation reactions of other small molecules.

[Advances in microchip electrophoresis for the separation and analysis of biological samples].

Microchip electrophoresis is a separation technology that involves fluid manipulation in a microchip; the advantages of this technique include high separation efficiency, low sample consumption, and fast and easy multistep integration. Microchip electrophoresis has been widely used to rapidly separate and analyze complex samples in biology and medicine. In this paper, we review the research progress on microchip electrophoresis, explore the fabrication and separation modes of microchip materials, and discuss their applications in the detection and analysis of biological samples. Research on microchip materials can be mainly categorized into chip materials, channel modifications, electrode materials, and electrode integration methods. Microchip materials research involves the development of silicon, glass, polydimethylsiloxane and polymethyl methacrylate-based, and paper electrophoretic materials. Microchannel modification research primarily focuses on the dynamic and static modification methods of microchannels. Although chip materials and fabrication technologies have improved over the years, problems such as high manufacturing costs, long processing time, and short service lives continue to persist. These problems hinder the industrialization of microchip electrophoresis. At present, few static methods for the surface modification of polymer channels are available, and most of them involve a combination of physical adsorption and polymers. Therefore, developing efficient surface modification methods for polymer channels remains a necessary undertaking. In addition, both dynamic and static modifications require the introduction of other chemicals, which may not be conducive to the expansion of subsequent experiments. The materials commonly used in the development of electrodes and processing methods for electrode-microchip integration include gold, platinum, and silver. Microchip electrophoresis can be divided into two modes according to the uniformity of the electric field: uniform and non-uniform. The uniform electric field electrophoresis mode mainly involves micro free-flow electrophoresis and micro zone electrophoresis, including micro isoelectric focusing electrophoresis, micro isovelocity electrophoresis, and micro density gradient electrophoresis. The non-uniform electric field electrophoresis mode involves micro dielectric electrophoresis. Microchip electrophoresis is typically used in conjunction with conventional laboratory methods, such as optical, electrochemical, and mass spectrometry, to achieve the rapid and efficient separation and analysis of complex samples. However, the labeling required for most widely used laser-induced fluorescence technologies often involves a cumbersome organic synthesis process, and not all samples can be labeled, which limits the application scenarios of laser-induced fluorescence. The applications of unlabeled microchip electrophoresis-chemiluminescence/dielectrophoresis are also limited, and simplification of the experimental process to achieve simple and rapid microchip electrophoresis remains challenging. Several new models and strategies for high throughput in situ detection based on these detection methods have been developed for microchip electrophoretic systems. However, high throughput analysis by microchip electrophoresis is often dependent on complex chip structures and relatively complicated detection methods; thus, simple high throughput analytical technologies must be further explored. This paper also reviews the progress on microchip electrophoresis for the separation and analysis of complex biological samples, such as biomacromolecules, biological small molecules, and bioparticles, and forecasts the development trend of microchip electrophoresis in the separation and analysis of biomolecules. Over 250 research papers on this field are published annually, and it is gradually becoming a research focus. Most previous research has focused on biomacromolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids; biological small molecules, including amino acids, metabolites, and ions; and bioparticles, including cells and pathogens. However, several problems remain unsolved in the field of microchip electrophoresis. Overall, microchip electrophoresis requires further study to increase its suitability for the separation and analysis of complex biological samples.

Effect of SHR0302 on the pharmacokinetics of CYP3A4, CYP2C8, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 probe substrates in healthy volunteers: A cocktail analysis.

AIMS: This study evaluated the effects of SHR0302 on the pharmacokinetics of cytochrome P450 (CYP) probe substrates. METHODS: We performed a single-centre, open-label, three-period drug-drug interaction (DDI) study in 24 healthy subjects (NCT05392127). Subjects received a single oral dose of 5 mg warfarin (CYP2C9), 20 mg omeprazole (CYP2C19) and 15 mg midazolam (CYP3A4) on Days 1, 8 and 22, and received 0.5 mg repaglinide (CYP2C8) on Days 7, 14 and 28. Multiple oral doses of 8 mg SHR0302 were administered once daily from Day 8 to Day 28. RESULTS: The exposure of S-warfarin and repaglinide were comparable before and after SHR0302 administration. AUC of midazolam was not affected by SHR0302, whereas the administration of SHR0302 slightly decreased the Cmax of midazolam by 7.6% (single dose) and 15.7% (once daily for 14 days). The AUC0-t , AUC0-inf , and Cmax of omeprazole were slightly decreased after a single dose of SHR0302 by 19.2%, 21.8% and 23.5%, respectively. In the presence of SHR0302 for 14 days, the AUC0-t , AUC0-inf , and Cmax of omeprazole were marginally reduced by 3.0%, 16.4% and 8.3%, respectively. According to the induction mechanism of the CYP enzyme, for the investigation of the induction effect, the results of multiple administrations of the perpetrator were more reliable than those of the single dose. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that co-administration of SHR0302 8 mg once daily is unlikely to have a clinically meaningful effect on the exposure of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, CYP2C8, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in healthy subjects.

Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibrous Membranes for Sustainable Face Mask Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator with High Air Filtration Efficiency.

Abstract: Air pollution caused by the rapid development of industry has always been a great issue to the environment and human being's health. However, the efficient and persistent filtration to PM0.3 remains a great challenge. Herein, a self-powered filter with micro-nano composite structure composed of polybutanediol succinate (PBS) nanofiber membrane and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber/polystyrene (PS) microfiber hybrid mats was prepared by electrospinning. The balance between pressure drop and filtration efficiency was achieved through the combination of PAN and PS. In addition, an arched TENG structure was created using the PAN nanofiber/PS microfiber composite mat and PBS fiber membrane. Driven by respiration, the two fiber membranes with large difference in electronegativity achieved contact friction charging cycles. The open-circuit voltage of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can reach to about 8 V, and thus the high filtration efficiency for particles was achieved by the electrostatic capturing. After contact charging, the filtration efficiency of the fiber membrane for PM0.3 can reach more than 98% in harsh environments with a PM2.5 mass concentration of 23,000 µg/m3, and the pressure drop is about 50 Pa, which doesn't affect people's normal breathing. Meanwhile, the TENG can realize self-powered supply by continuously contacting and separating the fiber membrane driven by respiration, which can ensure the long-term stability of filtration efficiency. The filter mask can maintain a high filtration efficiency (99.4%) of PM0.3 for 48 consecutive hours in daily environments. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42765-023-00299-z.

Structure engineering of CeO2 for boosting the Au/CeO2 nanocatalyst in the green and selective hydrogenation of nitrobenzene.

Exploring eco-friendly and cost-effective strategies for structure engineering at the nanoscale is important for boosting heterogeneous catalysis but still under a long-standing challenge. Herein, multifunctional polyphenol tannic acid, a low-cost natural biomass containing catechol and galloyl species, was employed as a green reducing agent, chelating agent, and stabilizer to prepare Au nanoparticles, which were dispersed on different-shaped CeO2 supports (e.g., rod, flower, cube, and octahedral). Systematic characterizations revealed that Au/CeO2-rod had the highest oxygen vacancy density and Ce(III) proportion, favoring the dispersion and stabilization of the metal active sites. Using isopropanol as a hydrogen-transfer reagent, deep insights into the structure-activity relationship of the Au/CeO2 catalysts with various morphologies of CeO2 in the catalytic nitrobenzene transfer hydrogenation reaction were gained. Notably, the catalytic performance followed the order: Au/CeO2-rod (110), (100), (111) > Au/CeO2-flower (100), (111) > Au/CeO2-cube (100) > Au/CeO2-octa (111). Au/CeO2-rod displayed the highest conversion of 100% nitrobenzene and excellent stability under optimal conditions. Moreover, DFT calculations indicated that nitrobenzene molecules had a suitable adsorption energy and better isopropanol dehydrogenation capacity on the Au/CeO2 (110) surface. A reaction pathway and the synergistic catalytic mechanism for catalytic nitrobenzene transfer hydrogenation are proposed based on the results. This work demonstrates that CeO2 structure engineering is an efficient strategy for fabricating advanced and environmentally benign materials for nitrobenzene hydrogenation.

Global prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cryptosporidium spp. are significant opportunistic pathogens causing diarrhoea in humans and animals. Pigs are one of the most important potential hosts for Cryptosporidium. We evaluated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs globally using published information and a random-effects model. In total, 131 datasets from 36 countries were included in the final quantitative analysis. The global prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs was 16.3% (8560/64 809; 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.0­17.6%). The highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs was 40.8% (478/1271) in Africa. Post-weaned pigs had a significantly higher prevalence (25.8%; 2739/11 824) than pre-weaned, fattening and adult pigs. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium was higher in pigs with no diarrhoea (12.2%; 371/3501) than in pigs that had diarrhoea (8.0%; 348/4874). Seven Cryptosporidium species (Cryptosporidium scrofarum, Cryptosporidium suis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium muris, Cryptosporidium tyzzeri, Cryptosporidium andersoni and Cryptosporidium struthioni) were detected in pigs globally. The proportion of C. scrofarum was 34.3% (1491/4351); the proportion of C. suis was 31.8% (1385/4351) and the proportion of C. parvum was 2.3% (98/4351). The influence of different geographic factors (latitude, longitude, mean yearly temperature, mean yearly relative humidity and mean yearly precipitation) on the infection rate of Cryptosporidium in pigs was also analysed. The results indicate that C. suis is the dominant species in pre-weaned pigs, while C. scrofarum is the dominant species in fattening and adult pigs. The findings highlight the role of pigs as possible potential hosts of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis and the need for additional studies on the prevalence, transmission and control of Cryptosporidium in pigs.

Multifunctional MOF-Based Microneedle Patch With Synergistic Chemo-Photodynamic Antibacterial Effect and Sustained Release of Growth Factor for Chronic Wound Healing.

Chronic wound healing is a major challenge in biomedicine. Conventional therapies are usually associated with poor drug permeability, low bioavailability, risk of antimicrobial resistance, and require frequent administration. Therefore, a novel formulation with reduced antibiotic dosage, improved drug delivery efficiency, and low application frequency is of remarkable interest for chronic wound healing. Herein, a multifunctional microneedle (MN) patch is presented to achieve rapid wound healing via efficient chemo-photodynamic antibacterial effect and sustained release of growth factors at the wound bed. When the MN patch pierces the skin, MN tips carrying both low dosage of antibiotics and bioactive small molecule-encapsulated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) rapidly dissolve and subsequently deliver the payloads to the wound. Upon light irradiation, MOF-based nanoparticles robustly convert O2 into 1 O2 , which acts synergistically with chemotherapy to remove pathogenic bacteria from the wound, exhibiting excellent chemo-photodynamic antibacterial performance with a tenfold reduction in the required antibiotic amount. The nanoparticles can achieve a continuous release of growth factors in the wound tissue, promoting the formation of epithelial tissue and neovascularization, thereby further accelerating chronic wound healing. Collectively, the designed multifunctional MOF-based MN patches offer a simple, safe, and effective alternative for chronic wound management.

Cryptosporidium parvum and gp60 genotype prevalence in dairy calves worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cryptosporidium is a significant zoonotic pathogen that often occurs in dairy cattle. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in dairy calves worldwide to help improve global animal husbandry and public policy implementation. Published articles were obtained from PubMed and Web of Science from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2021. The prevalence of C. parvum infection in dairy calves was estimated using a random effects model, and the sources of heterogeneity were explored using meta-regression. In total, 118 datasets were included in the final quantitative analysis. The results showed that the global prevalence of C. parvum in dairy calves was 21.9% (7755/42,890; 95% confidence interval: 19.9-23.9%). C. parvum infection was high in pre-weaned dairy calves (24.9%, 6706/29,753) and diarrhea dairy calves (33.6%, 1637/6077). In countries with low dairy stocking density (<10 cows/farm), the prevalence of C. parvum in dairy calves was also relatively low (15.2%, 1960/16,584). Three subtype families [IIa (72.2%, 2293/3177), IId (27.4%, 872/3177), and IIl (0.4%, 12/3177)] were detected in dairy calves globally from selected studies. C. parvum IIa was the dominant zoonotic subtype. In the IIa subtype family of C. parvum, the proportions of subtypes from high to low (top nine) were IIaA15G2R1 (32.4%, 742/2293), IIaA18G3R1 (11.8%, 271/2293), IIaA13G2R1 (8.2%, 187/2293), IIaA16G1R1 (6.4%, 147/2293), IIaA20G1R1 (3.5%, 81/2293), IIaA16G3R1 (3.4%, 78/2293), IIaA17G2R1 (2.7%, 62/2293), IIaA18G1R1 (2.5%, 58/2293), and IIaA15G1R1 (2.4%, 56/2293). In the IId subtype family of C. parvum, the proportions of subtypes (top four) were IIdA19G1 (36.0%, 314/872), IIdA15G1 (27.3%, 238/872), IIdA20G1 (16.2%, 141/872), and IIdA14G1 (13.0%, 113/872). Furthermore, IId is commonly found in China (771/872). The study results indicated that the IIa subtype family is globally prevalent, while IId is found in Asia, Europe, and Africa and IIl is only found in Europe. Diarrhea in dairy calves is associated with C. parvum infection and a significantly higher prevalence is observed in diarrheic calves. Age and stock density are two significant risk factors in the prevalence of C. parvum in dairy calves. The prevention and control of this zoonosis in dairy calves should receive greater attention, especially in regions with a high degree of intensive dairy farming.

Carbon capture technology exploitation for vanadium tailings and assessment of CO2 sequestration potential.

In recent years, the global warming trend is still increasing due to CO2 emissions from various sources, such as electricity, heat production, industry, and transportation. In the vanadium industry, the vanadium bearing shale is of low grade, and the extraction of the required elemental vanadium produces large quantities of vanadium tailings (VTs). Both the roasting pretreatment of vanadium shale during vanadium extraction and the high-temperature calcination process for the preparation of vanadium products generate large amounts of CO2 gas. Therefore, it is particularly important to find an effective and environmentally friendly method for the treatment of vanadium tailings and CO2 generated by the vanadium industry. In this study, a potential method for the indirect carbonation of low calcium VTs under atmospheric pressure conditions was investigated. The carbonation reaction was investigated for different ammonia addition factors and different introduced CO2 concentrations and temperatures. The carbonation experiments showed that under the conditions of coefficient of ammonia addition of 1.4, reaction time of 60 min and reaction temperature of 60 °C, the utilization rate of calcium in VTs reached 97.9% and the CO2 uptake of VTs at 0.073 g-CO2/g, indicating that the carbonation of vanadium with low-calcium VTs was effective. The carbonation product was analyzed and measured using TG, XRD, and SEM-EDS, and it was discovered to be CaCO3, confirming the feasibility of carbonation reaction with vanadium tailings. Furthermore, the characterization of the carbonation product confirmed the mechanism and safety of the carbonation reaction, laying the groundwork for future applications.

Preparation, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of cryptate copper(II)/sulfonate chitosan complexes.

In this work, we synthesized cryptate copper(II) followed by complexed with sulfonate chitosan (SCS). After characterization, the evaluation of the antioxidant properties of resulting complexes were carried out by 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+), while the antibacterial and biofilm inhibitory activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (P. aeruginosa PAO1) were also investigated. According to the results, cryptate copper(II) exhibited the best antioxidant activity followed by cryptate copper(II)/SCS complexes, and SCS. Significant antibacterial activity of cryptate copper(II) against P. aeruginosa PAO1 was observed with the minimum inhibitory concentration of MIC value 12.50 µg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration of MBC value 100.00 µg/mL, followed by cryptate copper(II)/SCS complexes and SCS. Cryptate copper(II) and cryptate copper(II)/SCS exhibited antibacterial activity which copper ions might enter the interior of cells, and the intracellular ions made the killed bacteria serve as an antibacterial agent showing a zombie effect. The copper ions complexed with cryptate and SCS rendering potential unlimited biological activities, might become one of the most popular research areas because of their unique coordination chemistry and their long-term biological activities.

A study on the antibacterial activity and antimicrobial resistance of pyridinium cationic pillar[5]arene against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli / Un estudio sobre la actividad antibacteriana y la resistencia antimicrobiana del pilar catiónico de piridinio[5]areno contra Staphylococcus aureus y Escherichia coli

An increasing number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus） and Escherichia coli （E. coli） have severely affected human society. Thus, it is essential to develop an alternative type of antibacterial agents that has a different bacterial resistance mechanism from that of traditional antibiotics. After the synthesis and structural characterization of a cationic pillar[5]arene with pyridinium groups (PP5), the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities as well as its microbial resistance were systematically investigated. In-depth evaluation of biological studies revealed that PP5 was an active antibacterial agent, with surprising antibiofilm formation ability against E. coli and S. aureus. From the results of differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy, it was concluded that the microbicidal activity of PP5 was due to the physical disruption of the pathogen’s membrane and the subsequent leakage of cytoplasmic components, which could greatly reduce the rapid generation of resistance. It was presented that the easily available PP5 has high activity to inhibit Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and/or their biofilms with low cytotoxicity. This pillar[5]arene derivative can be used as a good candidate for controlling drug-resistant pathogenic bacterial infections and treating MDR bacteria.(AU)

A study on the antibacterial activity and antimicrobial resistance of pyridinium cationic pillar[5]arene against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

An increasing number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus） and Escherichia coli （E. coli） have severely affected human society. Thus, it is essential to develop an alternative type of antibacterial agents that has a different bacterial resistance mechanism from that of traditional antibiotics. After the synthesis and structural characterization of a cationic pillar[5]arene with pyridinium groups (PP5), the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities as well as its microbial resistance were systematically investigated. In-depth evaluation of biological studies revealed that PP5 was an active antibacterial agent, with surprising antibiofilm formation ability against E. coli and S. aureus. From the results of differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy, it was concluded that the microbicidal activity of PP5 was due to the physical disruption of the pathogen's membrane and the subsequent leakage of cytoplasmic components, which could greatly reduce the rapid generation of resistance. It was presented that the easily available PP5 has high activity to inhibit Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and/or their biofilms with low cytotoxicity. This pillar[5]arene derivative can be used as a good candidate for controlling drug-resistant pathogenic bacterial infections and treating MDR bacteria.

Tea polyphenols mediated biogenic synthesis of chitosan-coated cerium oxide (CS/CeO2) nanocomposites and their potent antimicrobial capabilities.

In the present study, we hypothesized that novel nanocomposites of chitosan-coated cerium oxide (CS/CeO2 NCs) derived from aqueous extracts of tea polyphenols would be stabilized and reduced by using green chemistry. The UV-visible spectrum of the synthesized material revealed an SPR peak at 279 nm, and the morphological characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) as a uniformly distributed spherical shape with a size range of 20 nm were confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum illustrated the amino groups of chitosan-coated with CeO2 NPs on the surface. While, the hydrodynamic size (376 nm) and surface charge (+ 25.0 mV) of particles were assessed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and the existence of oxidation state elements Ce 3d, O 1 s, and C 1 s was identified by employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A cubic fluorite polycrystalline structure with a crystallite size of (5.24 nm) NPs was determined using an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). The developed CS/CeO2 NCs demonstrated excellent antibacterial and antifungal efficacy against foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Botrytis cinerea with zone of inhibition of 13.5 ± 0.2 and 11.7 ± 0.2 mm, respectively. The results elucidated the potential of biosynthesized CS/CeO2 NCs could be utilized as potent antimicrobial agents in the food and agriculture industries.

Size-resolved counting of circulating tumor cells on pinched flow-based microfluidic cytometry.

Precise cell detecting and counting is meaningful in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) analysis. In this work, a simple cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) microflow cytometer device was developed for size-resolved CTCs counting. The proposed device is constructed by a counting channel and a pinched injection unit having three channels. Through injection flow rate control, microspheres/cells can be focused into the centerline of the counting channel. Polystyrene microspheres of 3, 9, 15, and 20 µm were used for the microspheres focusing characterization. After coupling to laser-induced fluorescence detection technique, the proposed device was used for polystyrene microspheres counting and sizing. A count accuracy up to 97.6% was obtained for microspheres. Moreover, the proposed microflow cytometer was applied to CTCs detecting and counting. To mimic blood sample containing CTCs and CTCs mixture with different subtypes, an MDA-MB-231 (human breast cell line) spiked red blood cells sample and a mixture of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 (human breast cell line) sample were prepared, respectively, and then analyzed by the developed pinched flow-based microfluidic cytometry. The simple fabricated and easy operating COC microflow cytometer exhibits the potential in the point-of-care clinical application.