Facile Synthesis and Versatilities of Polyanthraquinoylamine Nanofibril Bundles with Self Stability and High Carbon Yield

A facile synthesis for nanosized conducting polymers with inherent self-stability and multi-functionalities is a main challenge. Here we simply synthesize intrinsically self-stabilized nanofibril bundles of poly(1-anthraquinoylamine) (PAQ) by a template-free method. The critical polymerization parameters were studied to significantly optimize the synthesis, size, properties, and functionalities of the resulted fine nanofibrils with a diameter of ca. 30 nm and length of ~6 μm. The PAQ obtained with ammonium persulfate possesses higher polymerization yield, purer composition, higher conductivity, better melting behaviour, higher thermostability, lower burning enthalpy, and slower degradation than that with other oxidants. Furthermore, the polymer nanofibrils exhibit high self-stability, powerful redispersibility, high purity, and clean surface because of a complete avoidance of the contamination from external stabilizer. The PAQ exhibits widely controllable conductivity moving across ten orders of magnitudes from 10^-9^ to 50 S/cm, photoluminescence, lead-ion adsorbability, very high thermostability in air and extremely high char yield in nitrogen at 1000˚C. These materials would be useful as advanced materials including photoluminescent materials, highly cost-effective carbon precursors, sorbents of toxic metal ions, and cost-efficient conductive nanocomposite with low percolation threshold

Interfacial chemical oxidative synthesis of multifunctional polyfluoranthene.

A novel polyfluoranthene (PFA) exhibiting strong visual fluorescence emission, a highly amplified quenching effect, and widely controllable electrical conductivity is synthesized by the direct cationic oxidative polymerization of fluoranthene in a dynamic interface between n-hexane and nitromethane containing fluoranthene and FeCl3, respectively. A full characterization of the molecular structure signifies that the PFAs have a degree of polymerization from 22-50 depending on the polymerization conditions. A polymerization mechanism at the interface of the hexane/nitromethane biphasic system is proposed. The conductivity of the PFA is tunable from 6.4 × 10-6 to 0.074 S cm-1 by doping with HCl or iodine. The conductivity can be significantly enhanced to 150 S cm-1 by heat treatment at 1100 °C in argon. A PFA-based chemosensor shows a highly selective sensitivity for Fe3+ detection which is unaffected by other common metal ions. The detection of Fe3+ likely involves the synergistic effect of well-distributed π-conjugated electrons throughout the PFA helical chains that function as both the fluorophore and the receptor units

Effect of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bunge extract on streptozocin-induced diabetic in rats

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. extract (AMBE) on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Methods: The aqueous extract of AMB was obtained by steeping the dried  Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. in water at 60 oC three times, each for 1 h, before first drying in an oven at 100 oC and then freeze-drying the last extract thus obtained. Diabete model rats was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of a freshly prepared solution of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of ten rats each: negative control group, normal control group, reference group (glibenclamide1 mg/kgbody weight) as well as AMB extract groups, namely, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg body weight. Antihyperglycemic effect was measured by blood glucose and plasma insulin levels. Oxidative stress was evaluated in liver and kidney by antioxidant markers, viz, lipidperoxidation (LPO), superoxide  dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), while blood serum levels of creatinine and urea were also determined in both diabetic control and treated rats.Results: Compared with diabetic rats, oral administration of AMBE at a  concentration of 160 mg/kg daily for 30 days showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose (109.438 ± 3.52, p < 0.05) and increased insulin level (13.96 ± 0.74, p < 0.05). Furthermore, it significantly reduced biochemical parameters (serum creatinine, 0.86 ± 0.29, p < 0.05) and serum urea (45.14 ± 1.79, p < 0.05). The treatment also resulted in significant increase in GSH (49.21 ± 2.59, p < 0.05), GPx (11.96 ± 1.16, p < 0.05), SOD (14.13 ± 0.49, p < 0.05), CAT (83.25 ± 3.14, p < 0.05) level in the liver and kidney of diabetic rats.Conclusion: The results suggest that AMBE may effectively normalize impaired  antioxidant status in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in a dose-dependent manner. AMBE has a protective effect against lipid peroxidation by scavenging free radicals and is thus capable of reducing the risk of diabetic complications.Keywords: Astragalus membranaceus, Diabetic, Antihyperglycemic, Antioxidant Oxidative stress, Fasting blood glucos

Mtmr8 is essential for vasculature development in zebrafish embryos

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Embryonic morphogenesis of vascular and muscular systems is tightly coordinated, and a functional cooperation of Mtmr8 with PI3K in actin filament modeling and muscle development has been revealed in zebrafish. Here, we attempt to explore the function of Mtmr8 in vasculature development parallel to its function in muscle development.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During early stage of somitogenesis, <it>mtmr8 </it>expression was detected in both somitic mesodem and ventral mesoderm. Knockdown of <it>mtmr8 </it>by morpholino impairs arterial endothelial marker expression, and results in endothelial cell reduction and vasculogenesis defects, such as retardation in intersegmental vessel development and interruption of trunk dorsal aorta. Moreover, <it>mtmr8 </it>morphants show loss of arterial endothelial cell identity in dorsal aorta, which is effectively rescued by low concentration of PI3K inhibitor, and by over-expression of <it>dnPKA </it>mRNA or <it>vegf </it>mRNA. Interestingly, <it>mtmr8 </it>expression is up-regulated when zebrafish embryos are treated with specific inhibitor of Hedgehog pathway that abolishes arterial marker expression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data indicate that Mtmr8 is essential for vasculature development in zebrafish embryos, and may play a role in arterial specification through repressing PI3K activity. It is suggested that Mtmr8 should represent a novel element of the Hedgehog/PI3K/VEGF signaling cascade that controls arterial specification.</p

Could protein tertiary structure influence mammary transgene expression more than tissue specific codon usage?

Animal mammary glands have been successfully employed to produce therapeutic recombinant human proteins. However, considerable variation in animal mammary transgene expression efficiency has been reported. We now consider whether aspects of codon usage and/or protein tertiary structure underlie this variation in mammary transgene expression

hnRNP A1 interacts with the genomic and subgenomic RNA promoters of Sindbis virus and is required for the synthesis of G and SG RNA

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sindbis virus (SV) is the prototype of alphaviruses which are a group of widely distributed human and animal pathogens. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A1 is an RNA-binding protein that shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Our recent studies found that hnRNP A1 relocates from nucleus to cytoplasm in Sindbis virus (SV)-infected cells. hnRNP A1 binds to the 5' UTR of SV RNA and facilitates the viral RNA replication and translation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Making use of standard molecular techniques, virology methods and an in <it>vitro </it>system developed by our lab to assess the role of hnRNP A1 in SV positive strand RNA synthesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>hnRNP A1 interacted with the genomic (G) and subgenomic (SG) RNA promoters. Knockdown of hnRNP A1 resulted in markedly decrease in the synthesis of G and SG RNA both in infected cells and <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study provides the first direct evidence that hnRNP A1 actively participates in viral RNA replication and is required for the synthesis of G and SG RNA.</p

Study of Periplaneta Americana Microbial Community Structure and Diversity by 16S rRNA High-Throughput Sequencing

Objective: The present study probes into the microbial community structure in Periplaneta americana under different breeding conditions, using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technique, in the hope of finding the microbial community structure in Periplaneta americana and their diversity under different breeding conditions. Methods: In this study, we extract the microbial metagenomic DNA of 5 groups of Periplaneta americana which under different breeding conditions. Using lllumina Miseq sequencing platform, two-terminal sequencing of V3-V4 regions of 16S rRNA were sequenced; diversity of community structure was analyzed using the softwares such as fastqc, QIIME, PyNAST, fasttree and R language.Results: Shannon index of samples in SG group was lower than that of the other four groups, significantly lower than that of DB group (P<0.05), but not significantly different from other groups. This suggested that the intake of a mixed fodder with high sugar, high fat and high protein by Periplaneta americana can reduce the diversity of microbial communities. Our findings showed that breeding intervention with different fodders may cause differences in the contents of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in Periplaneta americana. Results showed that long-term intake of lots of sucrose and fat may increase the proportion of Bacteroidetes in Periplaneta americana; and long-term intake of lots of sucrose may reduce the proportion of Proteobacteria in Periplaneta americana; and long-term intake of lots of fat may reduce the proportion of Firmicutes in Periplaneta americana. Two major dominant bacterial genera in all samples were Blattabacterium and Rickettsiella. But different feeding interventions can change the proportions of Blattabacterium and Rickettsiella.Conclusion: Periplaneta americana has a complex microbial community structure. Different feeding conditions may change the microbial community structure of Periplaneta americana. An important bacterial genus in Periplaneta americana, Blattabacterium is positively correlated with the intake of sucrose- and fat-rich fodder. In the breeding process of Periplaneta americana, adding sucrose and fat to fodder may increase the content and proportion of Blattabacterium in microbial communities

Structure and high-resolution thermogravimetry of liquid-crystalline copoly(p-oxybenzoate- ethylene terephthalate-p-benzamide)

Abstract: Thermotropic liquid-crystalline copoly(ester-amide)s consisting of three units of poxybenzoate (B), ethylene terephthalate (E) and p-benzamide (A) were studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance at 200 and 400 MHz, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution thermogravimetry to ascertain their molecular and supermolecular structures, thermostability and kinetics parameters of thermal decomposition in both nitrogen and air. The assignments of all resonance peaks of [ 1 H]NMR spectra for the copoly(ester-amide)s are given and the characteristics of X-ray equatorial and meridional scans are discussed. Overall activation energy data of the ®rst major decomposition have been evaluated through three calculating techniques. The thermal degradation occurs in three steps in nitrogen and air. The degradation temperatures are higher than 447°C in nitrogen and 440°C in air and increase with increasing B-unit content at a ®xed A-unit content of 5 mol%. The temperatures at the ®rst maximum weight-loss rate are higher than 455°C in nitrogen and 445°C in air and also increase with an increase in B-unit content. The ®rst maximum weight-loss rates range between 11.1 and 14.5%min À1 in nitrogen and between 11.9 and 13.5%min À1 in air. The char yields at 500°C in both nitrogen and air range from 45.8 to 54.3 wt% and increase with increasing B-unit content. But the char yields at 800°C in nitrogen and air are quite irregular with the variation of copolymer composition and testing atmosphere. The activation energy and Ln (pre-exponential factor) for the ®rst major decomposition are usually higher in nitrogen than in air and increase slightly with an increase in B-unit content at a given A-unit content of 5 mol%. The activation energy, decomposition order, and Ln (pre-exponential factor) of the thermal degradation for the copoly(esteramide)s in two testing atmospheres, are situated in the ranges of 210±292 kJmol À1 , 2.0±2.8, 33±46 min À1 , respectively. The three kinetic parameters of the thermal degradation for the aromatic copoly(esteramide)s obtained by high-resolution thermogravimetry at a variable heating rate are almost the same as those by traditional thermogravimetry at constant heating rate, suggesting good applicability of kinetic methods developed for constant heating rate to the variable heating-rate method. These results indicate that the copoly(ester-amide)s exhibit high thermostability. The isothermal decomposition kinetics of the copoly(ester-amide)s at 450 and 420°C are also discussed and compared with the results obtained based on non-isothermal high-resolution thermogravimetry