Hierarchical structure observation and nanoindentation size effect characterization for a limnetic shell

In the present research, hierarchical structure observation and mechanical property characterization for a type of biomaterial are carried out. The investigated biomaterial is Hyriopsis cumingii, a typical limnetic shell, which consists of two different structural layers, a prismatic "pillar"structure and a nacreous "brick and mortar" structure. The prismatic layer looks like a "pillar forest" with variationsection pillars sized on the order of several tens of microns.The nacreous material looks like a "brick wall" with bricks sized on the order of several microns. Both pillars and bricks are composed of nanoparticles. The mechanical properties of the hierarchical biomaterial are measured by using the nanoindentation test. Hardness and modulus are measured for both the nacre layer and the prismatic layer, respectively.The nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are investigated experimentally. The results show that the prismatic nanostructured material has a higher stiffness and hardness than the nacre nanostructured material.In addition, the nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are described theoretically, by using the trans-scale mechanics theory considering both strain gradient effect and the surface/interface effect. The modeling results are consistent with experimental ones.     

The Effect of Metal‐Ligand Affinity on Fe3O4_Supported Co–Rh Catalysts for Dicyclopentadiene Hydroformylation

The catalytic performances of Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ catalysts modified with phosphine ligands (PPh₃) and its analogues on dicyclopentadiene hydroformylation were evaluated. Among these catalysts, Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ modified with tris(p‐trifluoromethylphenyl)phosphine was determined to be effective for monoformyltricyclodecanes production, whereas Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ modified with PPh₃ or tri‐p‐tolylphosphine was effective for the diformyltricyclodecanes production. To investigate the ligand effects, the complex catalyst system (Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ and phosphine ligand) was subjected to pretreatment with syngas and then characterized by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA). It was determined that the threshold decomposition temperature reflected the corresponding Rh‐phosphine interaction strength, affecting the catalytic selectivity toward different products. A weak Rh‐phosphine interaction was desirable to produce monoformyltricyclodecanes with fast reaction kinetics, whereas a strong Rh‐phosphine complex was required for the synthesis of diformyltricyclodecanes. In addition to the selectivity rule shown in the PPh₃ series, experiments with other ligands also demonstrated similar selectivity trends.     

Characterization of Lignin Compounds at the Molecular Level: Mass Spectrometry Analysis and Raw Data Processing

Lignin is the second most abundant natural biopolymer, which is a potential alternative to conventional fossil fuels. It is also a promising material for the recovery of valuable chemicals such as aromatic compounds as well as an important biomarker for terrestrial organic matter. Lignin is currently produced in large quantities as a by-product of chemical pulping and cellulosic ethanol processes. Consequently, analytical methods are required to assess the content of valuable chemicals contained in these complex lignin wastes. This review is devoted to the application of mass spectrometry, including data analysis strategies, for the elemental and structural elucidation of lignin products. We describe and critically evaluate how these methods have contributed to progress and trends in the utilization of lignin in chemical synthesis, materials, energy, and geochemistry.     

High-throughput lipidomics analysis to discover lipid biomarkers and profiles as potential targets for evaluating efficacy of Kai-Xin-San against APP/PS1 transgenic mice based on UPLC–Q/TOF–MS

Lipid metabolism has a significant function in the central nervous system and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related senile disease characterized by central nerve degeneration. The pathological development of AD is closely related to lipid metabolism disorders. To reveal the influence of Kai-Xin-San (KXS) on lipid metabolism in APP/PSI transgenic mice and potential therapeutic targets for treating AD, brain tissue samples were collected and analyzed by high-throughput lipidomics based on UPLC–Q/TOF-MS. The collected raw data were processed by multivariate data analysis to discover the potential biomarkers and lipid metabolic profiles. Compared with the control wild-type mouse group, nine potential lipid biomarkers were found in the AD model group, of which seven were up-regulated and two were down-regulated. Orally administrated KXS can reverse the changes in these potential biomarkers. Compared with the model group, a total of six differential metabolites showed a recovery trend and may be potential targets for KXS to treat AD. This study showed that high-throughput lipidomics can be used to discover the perturbed pathways and lipid biomarkers as potential targets to reveal the therapeutic effects of KXS.     

Plasma metabolomics analysis of endogenous and exogenous metabolites in the rat after administration of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) is a typical herbal medicine and is used as a functional food. LJF, which has complex chemical compounds, has various biological effects. The global metabolomics, focusing on both the endogenous and exogenous metabolites, have not yet been investigated for LJF in normal healthy rats using LC–MS. In this study, plasma metabolomics was analyzed after the administration of LJF at different time intervals, and the exogenous metabolites were identified. Partial least squares discriminant analysis showed significant differences in chemical content in the dosed rats. Cholic acid, indoleacrylic acid, indolelactic acid, hippuric acid, N-acetyl-phenylalanine, and N-acetyl-serotonin significantly accumulated in the dosed rats. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylcholine content, including plasmalogen, increased. There were 25 components of LJF, including 15 prototypes and 10 metabolites, that were identified. The 15 prototypes included phenolic acids, flavonoids, and iridoids, and their contents decreased with an increase in the administration time. Glucuronidation and sulfation of polyphenols were found for LJF. The exogenous glucuronide and sulfate metabolites—including dihydrocoumaric acid-sulfate, dihydrocaffeic acid-sulfate, dihydroferulic acid-sulfate, apigenin-glucuronide, apigenin-glucuronide-sulfate, isorhamnetin-glucuronide-sulfate, and others—were identified with a neutral loss of 176 and 80, respectively. The metabolic differences found in the study may serve as biomarkers of LJF consumption and promote the understanding of the mechanism of action of LJF.     

Stimuli-Responsive Purely Organic Room-Temperature Phosphorescence Materials

This Minireview summarizes the recent progress of stimuli-responsive purely organic phosphorescence materials. Organic phosphorescence is closely related to the intermolecular interactions, because such interactions are beneficial to promote spin orbital coupling (SOC) and boost intersystem cross (ISC) efficiency and finally are conducive to satisfactory phosphorescence. It is found that the intermolecular interactions, which are essential for organic phosphorescence, are easily disturbed by external stimuli such as mechanical force, photon, acid, chemical vapor, leading to the luminescence change. According to this principle, various purely organic phosphorescence materials sensitive to external stimuli have been developed. This Minireview categorizes reported stimuli-responsive purely organic phosphorescence materials on the basis of different stimuli, including mechanochromism, mechanoluminescence, photoactivity, acid-responsiveness and other stimuli. Some prospective strategies for constructing stimuli-responsive purely organic phosphorescence molecules are provided.     

Extracellular Matrix Proteins Involved in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and characterized by cognitive and memory impairments. Emerging evidence suggests that the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain plays an important role in the etiology of AD. It has been detected that the levels of ECM proteins have changed in the brains of AD patients and animal models. Some ECM components, for example, elastin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, are considered to promote the upregulation of extracellular amyloid-beta (Aβ) proteins. In addition, collagen VI and laminin are shown to have interactions with Aβ peptides, which might lead to the clearance of those peptides. Thus, ECM proteins are involved in both amyloidosis and neuroprotection in the AD process. However, the molecular mechanism of neuronal ECM proteins on the pathophysiology of AD remains elusive. More investigation of ECM proteins with AD pathogenesis is needed, and this may lead to novel therapeutic strategies and biomarkers for AD.