Imaging of Formaldehyde in Live Cells and Daphnia magna via Aza-Cope Reaction Utilizing Fluorescence Probe With Large Stokes Shifts

Formaldehyde (FA), a highly reactive carbonyl species, plays significant role in physiological and pathological functions. However, elevated FA will lead to cognitive impairments, memory loss and various neurodegenerative diseases due to its potent DNA and protein cross-linking mechanisms. In this work, a fluorescence probe, BD-CHO, based on benz-2-oxa-1, 3- diazole (BD) skeleton, was designed and synthesized for detection of FA via Aza-Cope reaction with high selectivity and large Stokes shifts (about 118 nm). BD-CHO was successfully applied to monitor the changes FA level in living cells, and kidney tissues of mice. Importantly it was the first time that BD-CHO was used for visualizing exogenous FA changes in Daphnia magna through fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating its potential application for studies of biological processes associated with FA

Lighting-Up Tumor for Assisting Resection via Spraying NIR Fluorescent Probe of γ-Glutamyltranspeptidas

For the precision resection, development of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe based on specificity identification tumor-associated enzyme for lighting-up the tumor area, is urgent in the field of diagnosis and treatment. Overexpression of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, one of the cell-membrane enzymes, known as a biomarker is concerned with the growth and progression of ovarian, liver, colon and breast cancer compared to normal tissue. In this work, a remarkable enzyme-activated NIR fluorescent probe NIR-SN-GGT was proposed and synthesized including two moieties: a NIR dicyanoisophorone core as signal reporter unit; γ-glutamyl group as the specificity identification site. In the presence of γ-GGT, probe NIR-SN-GGT was transformed into NIR-SN-NH2, the recovery of Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT), liberating the NIR fluorescence signal, which was firstly employed to distinguish tumor tissue and normal tissues via simple “spraying” manner, greatly promoting the possibility of precise excision. Furthermore, combined with magnetic resonance imaging by T2 weight mode, tumor transplanted BABL/c mice could be also lit up for first time by NIR fluorescence probe having a large stokes, which demonstrated that probe NIR-SN-GGT would be a useful tool for assisting surgeon to diagnose and remove tumor in clinical practice

Giant polarization in super-tetragonal ferroelectric thin films through interphase strain

Strain engineering has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance the performance of known functional materials. Here we demonstrate a general and practical method to obtain super-tetragonality and giant polarization using interphase strain. We use this method to create an out-of-plane–to–in-plane lattice parameter ratio of 1.238 in epitaxial composite thin films of tetragonal lead titanate (PbTiO3), compared to 1.065 in bulk. These thin films with super-tetragonal structure possess a giant remanent polarization, 236.3 microcoulombs per square centimeter, which is almost twice the value of known ferroelectrics. The super-tetragonal phase is stable up to 725°C, compared to the bulk transition temperature of 490°C. The interphase-strain approach could enhance the physical properties of other functional materials.PostprintPeer reviewe

A new species of Pseudomegischus van Achterberg from China, with a key to the species (Hymenoptera, Stephanidae)

Volume: 537Start Page: 103End Page: 11

A flotation combined extraction process for improving the whiteness of phosphogypsum

Every year, the production of industrial phosphoric acid generates more than 100 Tg of phosphogypsum (PG), leading to significant environmental damage and the occupation of a vast amount of land space. The urgent need to explore applications for PG has become increasingly apparent. However, impurities such as organic substances, slime, phosphorite, and SiO2 reduce the whiteness of PG, making it difficult to utilize for high-value applications. To address this issue, this study employed a two-stage flotation process to remove the majority of impurities, including SiO2, organic substances, and fine slime adhered to the surface of PG particles. The raw PG sample was first sieved to remove some SiO2 particles. After flotation, sulfuric acid and tributyl phosphate were introduced to decompose the PG particles and remove the impurities wrapped inside. Following this flotation combined extraction process, the whiteness of the PG sample improved from 54.1% to 92.9%, meeting the requirements for building walls and filters

In Situ Colorimetric Recognition of Melamine Based on Thymine Derivative-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticle

A simple, fast, and convenient colorimetric sensing system is presented for melamine recognition in milk samples by thymine-derivative- (<b>NT</b>-) decorated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), based on the complementary hydrogen bond between thymine and melamine, wherein the introduction of melamine causes a rapid and obvious red-to-blue color change. Therefore, the melamine content in milk can be qualitatively recognized by the naked eye and quantitatively measured by measuring absorbance. <b>NT</b>-AuNPs show excellent selectivity to melamine against any other tested molecules, anions, and metal ions, as well as very good sensitivity that can distinguish melamine-contaminated milk from safe milk with a limit of detection of 3.5 nM