Characteristics of water-soluble polythiophene: TiO2 composite and its application in photovoltaics

We have studied the characteristics of composites of an environmentally friendly water-soluble polythiophene sodium poly[2-(3-thienyl)-ethoxy-4-butylsulfonate] (PTEBS) and TiO2. We observed that the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum of low molecular weight PTEBS is redshifted possibly due to the formation of aggregates. Cyclic voltammetry reveals the values of highest occupied molecular orbitals and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals for PTEBS. A factor of 7 in photoluminescence quenching indicates that the exciton dissociation and charge separation occur successfully at the PTEBS: TiO2 (1:1 by weight) interface. This enhances the possibility that the separated charges will reach the electrodes before recombining. Scanning electron micrograph images show how the PTEBS and TiO2 are interconnected and form paths to the electrodes to improve charge transport. Photovoltaic devices with TiO2:PTEBS composite achieved an energy conversion efficiency of η=0.015%, a short circuit current of JSC=0.22mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage of VOC=0.72V, and a fill factor of FF=0.29 under ∼300mW/cm2 white light illumination

RNA binding protein HuR protects against NAFLD by suppressing long noncoding RNA H19 expression

Background NAFLD has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Human antigen R (HuR), an RNA-binding protein, is an important post-transcriptional regulator. HuR has been reported as a key player in regulating lipid homeostasis in the liver and adipose tissues by using tissue-specific HuR knockout mice. However, the underlying mechanism by which hepatocyte-specific HuR regulates hepatic lipid metabolism under metabolic stress remains unclear and is the focus of this study. Methods Hepatocyte-specific HuR deficient mice (HuRhKO) and age-/gender-matched control mice, as well as long-noncoding RNA H19 knockout mice (H19−/−), were fed a Western Diet plus sugar water (WDSW). Hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis were examined by histology, RNA transcriptome analysis, qRT–PCR, and Western blot analysis. Bile acid composition was measured using LC–MS/MS. Results Hepatocyte-specific deletion of HuR not only significantly increased hepatic lipid accumulation by modulating fatty acid synthesis and metabolism but also markedly induced inflammation by increasing immune cell infiltration and neutrophil activation under metabolic stress. In addition, hepatic deficiency of HuR disrupted bile acid homeostasis and enhanced liver fibrosis. Mechanistically, HuR is a repressor of H19 expression. Analysis of a recently published dataset (GSE143358) identified H19 as the top-upregulated gene in liver-specific HuR knockout mice. Similarly, hepatocyte-specific deficiency of HuR dramatically induced the expression of H19 and sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2), but reduced the expression of sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2). WDSW-induced hepatic lipid accumulation was alleviated in H19−/− mice. Furthermore, the downregulation of H19 alleviated WDSW-induced NAFLD in HuRhKO mice. Conclusions HuR not only functions as an RNA binding protein to modulate post-transcriptional gene expression but also regulates H19 promoter activity. Hepatic HuR is an important regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism via modulating H19 expression

Research on influencing factors of fatigue performance of cruciform welded joints on offshore platforms

In this study, the fatigue life of load-carrying cruciform welded joints under various plate thicknesses and degrees of penetration was performed. The fatigue assessment results showed a significant “thickness effect.” The fatigue limit of the 25 mm-thick sample was 13.4% lower than that of the 16 mm-thick fatigue sample. Essentially, the fatigue life of the weld toe does not change with the degree of penetration. Plate thickness is the key factor affecting the fatigue life. The thickness effect is determined by both the stress gradient along the plate thickness and the degree of surface stress concentration. The correction result based on the effective notch stress approach is more accurate than the thickness correction formula in the ABS standard, which underestimates the thickness effect of load-carrying cruciform welded joints and may lead to danger. The penetration ratio a/t affects the fatigue failure position of load-carrying cruciform welded joints. The fatigue design of load-carrying cruciform welded joints can be performed by appropriately increasing the degree of penetration while achieving the damage at the weld toe

Investigation of corrosion behavior, tensile and cyclic fracture mechanism of EH36 steel welded joints

This work systematically revealed the static-dynamic corrosion failure behavior of EH36 joints under air, simulated seawater and cathodic protection in seawater. The result indicated that the seawater environment affected tensile performance slightly but acted a critical role in the fatigue behavior. Specifically, the corrosion pit and cyclic stress would respectively induce high-stress concentration and corrosion current density, significantly decreasing the fatigue strength of joints. The application of cathodic protection on joints in seawater would decrease the tensile behavior, but would continuously provide electrons for the surface and crack tip to prevent corrosion damage, improving fatigue performance of EH36 joints

How Do Verified Emissions Announcements Affect the Comoves between Trading Behaviors and Carbon Prices? Evidence from EU ETS

Verified emissions announcements are the most influential events in the European Union emissions trading scheme (EU ETS); they reveal demand information and have a significant impact on the carbon market. The extant literature tends to focus on examining the impacts of these verification events on the prices of carbon allowances, while scholars barely discuss how trading behaviors react to the announcements. Moreover, most of the studies are carried out from a macroeconomic perspective. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the impacts of the verified emissions announcements on the comoves of trading behaviors and carbon prices in Phase I (2005–2007) and Phase II (2008–2012). Specifically, we construct GARCH models to investigate the events’ heterogeneous influences in different periods, i.e., the complete periods, the announcement periods, the pre- and post-announcement periods. We observe that the verified emissions announcements boost the volume of compliance trading, particularly in Phase I. Furthermore, we show that the over-allocation of carbon allowances can be even more influential in disturbing the comoves than the verification events. Our microeconomic findings confirm the maturity of EU ETS in Phase II, exhibiting good agreement with the extant macroeconomic literature

The Determination of the Reaction Rate Constant of As(Ⅲ)Scavenging Etchant

采用约束刻蚀剂层技术（ＣＥＬＴ）有可能实现纳米级的超微加工目的￣［１，２］。约束刻蚀层形成的方法之一是：通过电化学反应在模板表面上产生刻蚀剂，其在向外扩散过程中即与其它未有刻蚀作用的溶液组分发生快速均相化学反应，从而使刻蚀剂失去活性，刻蚀剂的扩散层厚度可约束在紧靠模板的范围内。而ＣＥＬＴ技术则取决于产生能对特定材料具有高度腐蚀性的腐蚀剂和具有合理的清除反应体系；象强氧化剂溴，邻菲绕啉铁（Ⅲ）和过氧化氢等均可作为刻蚀剂，Ｂａｒｄｅｔａｌ￣［３］等研究者借助扫描电化学显微镜（ＳＥＣＭ）通过电化学产生的溴和邻菲绕啉铁（Ⅲ）直接来刻蚀进行微加工，但未采用约束刻蚀层技术，所刻的线条较宽。本文研究溴和邻菲绕啉铁（Ⅲ）的均相捕捉反应速率常数，为利用约束刻蚀层技术进行微加工打下必要的基础。The mechanisms of the arsenite acid scavenging bromine and[Fe(Phen_3)]￣(3+)reaction were studied by the electrochemical methods. The arsenite acid scavenging bromine and[Fe(Phen_3)]￣(3+) reaction rate constants in sulfuric acid in the range of 23℃ to 69℃ and in the range of19℃ to 69℃ were determined by measuring the steady state limiting current,respectively.Theactivation energy of the arsenite acid scavenging bromine reaction in sulfuric acid is 33 kJ·mol￣(-1).作者联系地址：厦门大学化学系，固体表面物理化学国家重点实验室Author's Address: State Key Laboratory Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface,Chemistry Department,Xiamen University,Xiamen 36100

Towards the development of an in vivo chemical probe for cyclin G associated kinase (GAK)

SGC-GAK-1 (1) is a potent, selective, cell-active chemical probe for cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK). However, 1 was rapidly metabolized in mouse liver microsomes by cytochrome P450-mediated oxidation, displaying rapid clearance in liver microsomes and in mice, which limited its utility in in vivo studies. Chemical modifications of 1 that improved metabolic stability, generally resulted in decreased GAK potency. The best analog in terms of GAK activity in cells was 6-bromo-N-(1H-indazol-6-yl)quinolin-4-amine (35) (IC50 = 1.4 mu M), showing improved stability in liver microsomes while still maintaining a narrow spectrum activity across the kinome. As an alternative to scaffold modifications we also explored the use of the broad-spectrum cytochrome P450 inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) to decrease intrinsic clearance of aminoquinoline GAK inhibitors. Taken together, these approaches point towards the development of an in vivo chemical probe for the dark kinase GAK2422FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP106169/ZZ14/ZAbbVie [1097737]; Bayer Pharma AG; Boehringer IngelheimBoehringer Ingelheim; Canada Foundation for InnovationCanada Foundation for Innovation; Eshelman Institute for Innovation; Genome CanadaGenome Canada; Innovative Medicines Initiative (EU/EFPIA) [ULTRA-DD] [115766]; JanssenJohnson & Johnson USAJanssen Biotech Inc; Merck KGaA Darmstadt Germany; MSD; Novartis Pharma AG; Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation; PfizerPfizer; Sao Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESPFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP); TakedaTakeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd; Wellcome [106169/ZZ14/Z

Therapeutic potential of berberine in attenuating cholestatic liver injury: insights from a PSC mouse model

Abstract Background and aims Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic liver disease characterized by progressive biliary inflammation and bile duct injury. Berberine (BBR) is a bioactive isoquinoline alkaloid found in various herbs and has multiple beneficial effects on metabolic and inflammatory diseases, including liver diseases. This study aimed to examine the therapeutic effect of BBR on cholestatic liver injury in a PSC mouse model (Mdr2−/− mice) and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods Mdr2−/−mice (12–14 weeks old, both sexes) received either BBR (50 mg/kg) or control solution daily for eight weeks via oral gavage. Histological and serum biochemical analyses were used to assess fibrotic liver injury severity. Total RNAseq and pathway analyses were used to identify the potential signaling pathways modulated by BBR in the liver. The expression levels of key genes involved in regulating hepatic fibrosis, bile duct proliferation, inflammation, and bile acid metabolism were validated by qRT-PCR or Western blot analysis. The bile acid composition and levels in the serum, liver, small intestine, and feces and tissue distribution of BBR were measured by LC–MS/MS. Intestinal inflammation and injury were assessed by gene expression profiling and histological analysis. The impact on the gut microbiome was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results BBR treatment significantly ameliorated cholestatic liver injury, evidenced by decreased serum levels of AST, ALT, and ALP, and reduced bile duct proliferation and hepatic fibrosis, as shown by H&E, Picro-Sirius Red, and CK19 IHC staining. RNAseq and qRT-PCR analyses indicated a substantial inhibition of fibrotic and inflammatory gene expression. BBR also mitigated ER stress by downregulating Chop, Atf4 and Xbp-1 expression. In addition, BBR modulated bile acid metabolism by altering key gene expressions in the liver and small intestine, resulting in restored bile acid homeostasis characterized by reduced total bile acids in serum, liver, and small intestine and increased fecal excretion. Furthermore, BBR significantly improved intestinal barrier function and reduced bacterial translocation by modulating the gut microbiota. Conclusion BBR effectively attenuates cholestatic liver injury, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for PSC and other cholestatic liver diseases