Electrografting of amino-TEMPO on graphene oxide and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide for electrocatalytic applications.

4-Amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperridine N-oxyl (4-amino-TEMPO), an electroactive nitroxide radical, was attached to the surface of graphene oxide (GO) and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) modified glassy carbon electrode by a simple, rapid and green electrografting method. The electroactive interfaces were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The calculated surface coverage for 4-amino-TEMPO is up to 1.55 × 10− 9 mol·cm− 2. The modified electroactive interface exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)

Detection of Triphenylmethane Drugs in Fish Muscle by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Coupled with Au-Ag Core-Shell Nanoparticles

Silver-coated gold bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized and used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in detecting prohibited triphenylmethane drugs (including crystal violet and malachite green) in fish muscle. The optical properties and physical properties of bimetallic nanospheres were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The optimal nanospheres selected had relatively uniform size (diameter: 33 ± 3 nm) with a silver layer coated on the surface of gold seed (diameter: 18 ± 2 nm). For both crystal violet and malachite green, characteristic SERS spectral features could be identified at concentration as low as 0.1 μg/L with these bimetallic nanospheres. Crystal violet and malachite green residues in fish muscle could also be detected at levels as low as 0.1 ng/g, which could meet the most restricted regulatory requirements for the limit of detection in terms of analytical methods for crystal violet or malachite green in fish muscle. This study provides a basis for applying SERS technology with bimetallic nanoparticles to the identification of trace amounts of prohibited substances in aquatic food products, and the methodology could be extended to analyses of other hazardous chemicals in complex food matrices like vegetables and meats

PGC-1alpha dictates endothelial function through regulation of eNOS expression

Endothelial dysfunction is a characteristic of many vascular related diseases such as hypertension. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a unique stress sensor that largely acts to promote adaptive responses. Therefore, we sought to define the role of endothelial PGC-1alpha in vascular function using mice with endothelial specific loss of function (PGC-1alpha EC KO) and endothelial specific gain of function (PGC-1alpha EC TG). Here we report that endothelial PGC-1alpha is suppressed in angiotensin-II (ATII)-induced hypertension. Deletion of endothelial PGC-1alpha sensitized mice to endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in response to ATII, whereas PGC-1alpha EC TG mice were protected. Mechanistically, PGC-1alpha promotes eNOS expression and activity, which is necessary for protection from ATII-induced dysfunction as mice either treated with an eNOS inhibitor (LNAME) or lacking eNOS were no longer responsive to transgenic endothelial PGC-1alpha expression. Finally, we determined that the orphan nuclear receptor, estrogen related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) is required to coordinate the PGC-1alpha -induced eNOS expression. In conclusion, endothelial PGC-1alpha expression protects from vascular dysfunction by promoting NO* bioactivity through ERRalpha induced expression of eNOS

An unusual new centipede subgenus Lithobius (Sinuispineus), with two new species from China (Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae)

The present study describes a new Lithobiomorpha subgenus, Lithobius (Sinuispineus) subgen. nov., and two new species, L. (Sinuispineus) sinuispineus sp. nov. and L. (Sinuispineus) minuticornis sp. nov. from China. The representatives of the new subgenus are characterized by a considerable sexual dimorphism of the ultimate leg pair 15, having the femur and tibia unusually enlarged in males, and the dorsal side of the femur with curved posterior spurs. These features distinguish Lithobius (Sinuispineus) subgen. nov. from all other subgenera of Lithobius. The diagnosis and the main morphological characters of the new subgenus and of the two new species are given for both male and female specimens

Quality of life and associated factors among community‐dwelling adults with multimorbidity in Shanghai, China: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract Aim To compare the quality of life of patients with and without multimorbidity and investigate potential factors related to the quality of life in patients with multimorbidity. Design A descriptive cross‐sectional study. Methods This study included 1778 residents with chronic diseases, including single disease (1255 people, average age: 60.78 ± 9.42) and multimorbidity (523 people, average age: 64.03 ± 8.91) groups, who were recruited from urban residents of Shanghai through a multistage, stratified, probability proportional to size sampling method. The quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire. The socio‐demographic data and psychological states were measured using a self‐made structured questionnaire, Self‐rating Anxiety Scale, and Self‐rating Depression Scale. Differences in demographic characteristics were estimated using Pearson's chi‐squared test, and independent t‐test or one‐way ANOVA followed by S‐N‐K test was used to compare the mean quality of life. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for multimorbidity. Results There were differences in age, education, income, and BMI between single‐disease and multimorbidity groups, but no differences in gender, marriage, and occupation. Multimorbidity had lower quality of life, reflected in all four domains. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that low level of education, low income, number of diseases, depression, and anxiety were negatively related to quality of life in all domains

Mechanochemical synthesis of organoselenium compounds

Abstract We disclose herein a strategy for the rapid synthesis of versatile organoselenium compounds under mild conditions. In this work, magnesium-based selenium nucleophiles are formed in situ from easily available organic halides, magnesium metal, and elemental selenium via mechanical stimulation. This process occurs under liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) conditions, requires no complicated pre-activation procedures, and operates broadly across a diverse range of aryl, heteroaryl, and alkyl substrates. In this work, symmetrical diselenides are efficiently obtained after work-up in the air, while one-pot nucleophilic addition reactions with various electrophiles allow the comprehensive synthesis of unsymmetrical monoselenides with high functional group tolerance. Notably, the method is applied to regioselective selenylation reactions of diiodoarenes and polyaromatic aryl halides that are difficult to operate via solution approaches. Besides selenium, elemental sulfur and tellurium are also competent in this process, which showcases the potential of the methodology for the facile synthesis of organochalcogen compounds

Theoretical Study on the Mechanism and Kinetics for the Self-Reaction of C₂H₅O₂ Radicals

Oxygen-to-oxygen coupling, direct H-abstraction and oxygen-to-(α)­carbon nucleophilic substitution processes have been investigated for both the singlet and triplet self-reaction of C₂H₅O₂ radicals at the CCSD­(T)/cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-311G­(2d,2p) level to evaluate the reaction mechanisms, possible products and rate constants. The calculated results show that the title reaction mainly occurs through the singlet oxygen-to-oxygen coupling mechanism with the formation of entrance tetroxide intermediates, and the most dominant product is C₂H₅O + HO₂ + CH₃CHO (P5) generated in channel R5. Beginning from the radical products of P5 (C₂H₅O, HO₂) and reactant (C₂H₅O₂), five secondary reactions HO₂ + HO₂ (a), HO₂ + C₂H₅O (b), C₂H₅O + C₂H₅O (c), HO₂ + C₂H₅O₂ (d), and C₂H₅O + C₂H₅O₂ (e) mainly proceed on the triplet potential energy surface. Among these reactions, (a), (b), and (d) are kinetically favorable because of lower barrier heights. The calculated rate constants of channel R5 between 200 and 295 K are almost independent of the temperature, which is in agreement with the experimental report. With regard to the final products distribution, CH₃CHO, C₂H₅OH, C₂H₅OOH, H₂O₂, and ³O₂ are predicted to be major, whereas C₂H₅OOC₂H₅ should be in minor amount

Intravenous Administration of Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Protein Extracts Improves Neurological Deficits in a Rat Model of Stroke

Treatment of adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) substantially improves the neurological deficits during stroke by reducing neuronal injury, limiting proinflammatory immune responses, and promoting neuronal repair, which makes ADSC-based therapy an attractive approach for treating stroke. However, the potential risk of tumorigenicity and low survival rate of the implanted cells limit the clinical use of ADSC. Cell-free extracts from ADSC (ADSC-E) may be a feasible approach that could overcome these limitations. Here, we aim to explore the potential usage of ADSC-E in treating rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). We demonstrated that intravenous (IV) injection of ADSC-E remarkably reduces the ischemic lesion and number of apoptotic neurons as compared to other control groups. Although ADSC and ADSC-E treatment results in a similar degree of a long-term clinical beneficial outcome, the dynamics between two ADSC-based therapies are different. While the injection of ADSC leads to a relatively mild but prolonged therapeutic effect, the administration of ADSC-E results in a fast and pronounced clinical improvement which was associated with a unique change in the molecular signature suggesting that potential mechanisms underlying different therapeutic approach may be different. Together these data provide translational evidence for using protein extracts from ADSC for treating stroke