Cathepsin B-responsive nanodrug delivery systems for precise diagnosis and targeted therapy of malignant tumors

The tumor microenvironment (TME) significantly influences cancer evolution and therapeutic efficacy. Targeting biofunctional molecules to the TME has long been appreciated as a means of raising local drug concentrations and reducing systemic toxicities. The booming nanotechnology field has realized the importance of cathepsin B to derive a variety of intelligent enzyme-responsive nanosized drug delivery systems (nanoDDS) to improve treatment responses and clinical outcomes. In this tutorial review, after introducing the molecular structure and physiological/pathological functions of cathepsin B, the outstanding achievements of cathepsin B-responsive nanoplatforms in the precise diagnosis, targeted therapy, and synergistic theranostics of malignant tumors are systematically described. Finally, the challenges of enzyme-substrate incompatibility, low diagnostic sensitivity, mass production and biocompatibility of multifunctional nanoDDS are considered in order to successfully promote them to clinical applications     

The dielectric relaxation of binary mixtures of propanediamine and propanediol

Dielectric spectra of binary mixtures of propanediamine (PDA) and propanediol (PDO) are measured by TDR (time domain reflectometry). The KWW (Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts) function is used to obtain relaxation parameters. The observed relaxation time has a maximum at around 0.7 mole fraction of PDO. The concentration dependence of the relaxation time suggests that the intermolecular interaction between PDA and PDO is stronger than that of pure amines and of pure alcohols.     

The enhancement of photoluminescence of n-type porous silicon by Hall-effect assistance during electrochemical anodization

In this study, n-type porous silicon (n-PS) films with high-aspect-ratio Si-tips are formed with the assistance of Hall-effect during the electrochemical anodization. Lorentz force sweeps down the majority carriers (electrons) in n-type Si to enhance the anodization etching. Surface layers are inverted from n-type to p-type, so sufficient holes can continuously appear on the surface to participate in chemical reaction during the etching process. Illumination is not necessary in this process, so the problem of illumination-depth limitation is solved. The etching current, morphology, and photoluminescence of the n-PS prepared in this way are investigated. Strong visible photoluminescence emissions at room temperature are demonstrated on n-PS.     

晶体学与准晶体学点群的母子群关系

依据群论，得出了准晶体学点群的直积或半直积推导算式；依据结晶学理论，绘出了五角、八角、十角和十二角晶系各点群的极赤投影图.据此推导出了每一个准晶体学点群的全部最大子群，从而推导并绘制出了三维晶体学和准晶体学点群之间的母子群关系(60个点群的“家谱”).该“家谱”以最大子群链的图解形式直观地给出了每个点群的最小母群和最大子群. 关键词： 准晶体 晶体 点群 最大子群 最小母群 群链     

First linear alignment of five C-Se...O...Se-C atoms in anthraquinone and 9-(methoxy)anthracene bearing phenylselanyl groups at 1,8-positions

Five Ci-Se...O...Se-Ci atoms in anthraquinone and 9-(methoxy)anthracene bearing phenylselanyl groups at 1,8-positions align linearly, the origin of which is shown to be a nonbonded 5c-6e interaction of the five atoms.     

Surface plasmon resonance and electrochemistry for detection of small molecules using catalyzed deposition of metal ions on gold substrate

Small molecules are difficult to detect by conventional surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy due to the fact that the changes in the refractive index resulted from the binding process of small biomolecules are quite small. Here, we report a simple and effective method to detect small biomolecule using SPR spectroscopy and electrochemistry by catalyzed deposition of metal ions on SPR gold film. As an example, the ascorbic acid-mediated deposition of Ag on gold film was monitored by in situ SPR spectrum. The deposition of Ag atom on gold film resulted in an obvious decrease of depth in SPR angular scan curves of reflectance intensity and minimum reflectivity angle. The depth change of the SPR reflectance intensity and minimum reflectivity angle curves mainly relied on the amount of Ag atom deposited on gold film that can be controlled by the concentration of ascorbic acid. By monitoring the deposition of Ag atom on gold film, ascorbic acid was detected in the concentration range of 2 × 10⁻⁵ M to 1 ×  10⁻³ M. After each of detections, the SPR sensor surface was completely regenerated by a potential step that stripped off the Ag atom. Furthermore, the regeneration process of the sensor surface provides the feasibility for detecting the concentration of ascorbic acid by electrochemical method.     

Practical synthesis of blepharismone,a mating inducing pheromone of Blepharisma japonicum

Both enantiomers of blepharismone, a mating inducing pheromone produced by type II cells of Blepharisma japonicum, were synthesized via the Stille cross-coupling reaction of [4-(tert-butyl-dimethyl-silanyloxy)-2-trimethylstannanyl-phenyl]-carbamic acid tert-butyl ester with an acid chloride derived from (S)- and (R)-malic acid as a key reaction. The mating inducing activity of synthetic (S)-blepharismone was as effective as that of the natural one. The enantiomer (R)-blepharismone showed no mating inducing activity.     

聚合物支载合成杂环化合物的研究进展

聚合物支载的反应与传统的经典液相反应相比，具有独特的优点，广泛应用于 杂环化合物的合成。综述了近年来杂环化合物的固相和液相合成研究。     

Double Pore Silica Gel Monolith Applied to Liquid Chromatography

Silica gels retaining double pore structure in the size ranges of micrometer and nanometer have been applied to the rod-shaped monolithic column for liquid chromatography. The macropore structure was designed by controlling the phase separation process induced by the hydrolysis and polycondensation of alkoxysilane, whereas the mesopore structure was tailored by the solvent exchange treatments on wet gels. The size exclusion chromatograms on polystyrene standards exhibited almost similar features for octadecyl-modified rod and conventional packed beads columns. The dependence of plate height on the velocity of mobile phase determined for amylbenzene was by far weaker in the rod column than in the packed beads column, suggesting that additional geometrical factors should be considered in describing the separation mechanism in the rod column.     

Ligand properties of N-heterocyclic and Bertrand carbenes: A density functional study

In order to probe the ligand properties we have examined a series of Cr(CO)₅L and Ni(CO)₃L complexes using density functional theory (DFT). The ligands included in our study are N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and Bertrand-type carbenes. Our study shows that the carbene–metal bonds of imidazol-2-ylidenes (1), imidazolin-2-ylidenes (2), thiazo-2-ylidenes (3), and triazo-5-ylidenes (4) are significantly stronger than those of Bertrand-type carbenes (5–7). The force constants of C–O in complexes are related to the property of isolated carbenes such as proton affinity (PA), electronegativity (χ), and charge transfer (ΔN). NHCs and Bertrand-type carbenes are identified as nucleophilic, soft ligands. Carbene stabilization energy (CSE) computations indicate that carbenes 1 and 4 are the most stable species, while 2 and 3 are less stable. In contrast to NHCs, CSE of carbenes 5–7 are much smaller, and their relative stabilities are in the order (amino)(aryl) carbenes 7e–7g > (amino)(alkyl) carbenes 7a–7d > (phosphino)(aryl) 6d–6e, and (phosphino)(silyl) carbenes 5a–5c > (phosphino)(alkyl) carbenes 6a–6c.