Enzymatic Extraction of Bioactive and Self‐Assembling Wool Keratin for Biomedical Applications

Keratin is widely recognized as a high‐quality renewable protein resource for biomedical applications. Despite their extensive existence, keratin resources such as feathers, wool, and hair exhibit high stability and mechanical properties because of their high disulfide bond content. Consequently, keratin extraction is challenging and its application is greatly hindered. In this work, a biological extraction strategy is proposed for the preparation of bioactive keratin and the fabrication of self‐assembled keratin hydrogels (KHs). Based on moderate and controlled hydrolysis by keratinase, keratin with a high molecular weight of approximately 45 and 28 kDa that retain its intrinsic bioactivities is obtained. The keratin products show excellent ability to promote cell growth and migration and are conferred with significant antioxidant ability because of their intrinsically high cysteine content. In addition, without the presence of any cross‐linking agent, the extracted keratin can self‐assemble into injectable hydrogels. The KHs exhibit a porous network structure and 3D culture ability, showing potential in promoting wound healing. This enzyme‐driven keratin extraction strategy opens up a new approach for the preparation of keratin that can self‐assemble into injectable hydrogels for biomedical engineering.     

Two novel d10 transition metal complexes based on 1H‐benzimidazole‐5,6‐dicarboxylic acid: Synthesis,structure and multifunctional luminescence detection

Two new coordination complexes based on benzimidazole dicarboxylic acid, Zn(Hbidc)?H₂O ( 1 ) and Cd(Hbidc)(H₂O) ( 2 ), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The complexes were characterized using elemental analysis, infrared and UV–visible spectroscopies, powder X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Structural analyses showed that the crystal structures of 1 and 2 are different, due to the various modes of linking of the benzimidazole dicarboxylic acid. Complex 1 has a two‐dimensional network structure and 2 has a three‐dimensional network structure. In addition, we studied the performance of the fluorescence response of two complexes. Results showed that the complexes can be used as chemical sensors for multifunctional testing, such as for UO₂²⁺, xanthine and Fe³⁺ ions. Even if the concentration is very low, they could also be detected, showing that coordination complexes 1 and 2 have very high fluorescence sensitivity. The detection limit for UO₂²⁺ is 5.42 nM ( 1 ) and 0.02 nM ( 2 ), that for xanthine is 1.37 nM ( 1 ) and 0.28 nM ( 2 ), and that for Fe³⁺ ions is 0.76 nM ( 1 ) and 0.62 nM ( 2 ).     

Pharmacokinetic analysis of plasma bicyclol by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Bicyclol is a synthetic drug widely used to treat chronic hepatitis B. This study aimed to develop a selective, sensitive and high‐throughput liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method for the detection of bicyclol in human plasma. Bicyclol was detected using a multiple reaction monitoring mode, with ammonium adduct ions (m/z 408.2) as the precursor ion and the [M‐CH₃]⁺ ion (m/z 373.1) subjected to demethylation as the product ion. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Zobax Eclipse XDB‐C₁₈ column with a gradient elution and a mobile phase of 2 mm ammonium formate and acetonitrile. Bicyclol was extracted from plasma matrix by precipitation. A linear detection response was obtained for bicyclol ranging from 0.500 to 240 ng/mL, and the lower limit of quantification was 0.500 ng/mL. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were all ≤7.4%, and the accuracies were within ±6.0%. The extraction recovery was >95.9%, and the matrix effects were between 96.0% and 108%. Bicyclol was found to be unstable in human plasma at room temperature, but the degradation was minimized by conducting sample collection and preparation in an ice bath. The validated method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of bicyclol tablets in six healthy Chinese volunteers.     

Screening gas-phase chemical kinetic models: Collision limit compliance and ultrafast timescales

Detailed gas-phase chemical kinetic models are widely used in combustion research, and many new mechanisms for different fuels and reacting conditions are developed each year. Recent works have highlighted the need for error checking when preparing such models, but a useful community tool to perform such analysis is missing. In this work, we present a simple online tool to screen chemical kinetic mechanisms for bimolecular reactions exceeding collision limits. The tool is implemented on a user-friendly website, cloudflame.kaust.edu.sa, and checks three different classes of bimolecular reactions; (ie, pressure independent, pressure-dependent falloff, and pressure-dependent PLOG). In addition, two other online modules are provided to check thermodynamic properties and transport parameters to help kinetic model developers determine the sources of errors for reactions that are not collision limit compliant. Furthermore, issues related to unphysically fast timescales can remain an issue even if all bimolecular reactions are within collision limits. Therefore, we also present a procedure to screen ultrafast reaction timescales using computational singular perturbation. For demonstration purposes only, three versions of the rigorously developed AramcoMech are screened for collision limit compliance and ultrafast timescales, and recommendations are made for improving the models. Larger models for biodiesel surrogates, tetrahydropyran, and gasoline surrogates are also analyzed for exemplary purposes. Numerical simulations with updated kinetic parameters are presented to show improvements in wall-clock time when resolving ultrafast timescales.     

Nanosized Carbon Macrocycles Based on a Planar Chiral Pseudo Meta-[2.2]Paracyclophane

Structural designs combining cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) backbone with planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane ([2.2]PCP) lead to optical-active chiral macrocycles with intriguing properties. X-ray crystal analysis revealed aesthetic necklace-shaped structures and size-dependent packages with long-range channels. The macrocycles exhibit unique photophysical properties with high fluorescence quantum yield of up to 82 %, and the fluorescent color varies with ring size. In addition, size-dependent chiroptical properties with moderately large CPL dissymmetry factor of 10⁻³ and CPL brightness in the range of 30–40 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ were observed.     

Synthesis of a highly active amino‐functionalized Fe3O4@SiO2/APTS/Ru magnetic nanocomposite catalyst for hydrogenation reactions

An amino‐functionalized silica‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS) was synthesized. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ microspheres possessed a well‐defined core–shell structure, uniform sizes and high magnetization. An immobilized ruthenium nanoparticle catalyst (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS/Ru) was obtained after coordination and reduction of Ru³⁺ on the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS nanocomposite. The Ru nanoparticles were not only ultra‐small with nearly monodisperse sizes but also had strong affinity with the surface of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS. The obtained catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the hydrogenation of a variety of aromatic nitro compounds, even at room temperature. Moreover, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/APTS/Ru was easily recovered using a magnetic field and directly reused for at least five cycles without significant loss of its activity.     

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Qualitative Properties of Infinite Dimensional Linear Programming Problems

Necessary and sufficient conditions for qualitative properties of infinite dimensional linear programing problems such as solvability, duality, and complementary slackness conditions are studied in this article. As illustrations for the results, we investigate the parametric version of Gale’s example.     

An Inexact Modified Newton Method for Viscc and Application in Grasping Force

Acta Mathematicae Applicatae Sinica, English Series - For the variational inequality with symmetric cone constraints problem, we consider using the inexact modified Newton method to efficiently...     

High Performance of PVA Nanocomposite Reinforced by Janus-like Asymmetrically Oxidized Graphene: Synergetic Effect of H-bonding Interaction and Interfacial Crystallization

Chinese Journal of Polymer Science - Macromolecule nanocrystal network and strong interfacial interaction are always beneficial to enhance the mechanical property of polymer-based nanocomposites....     

Metal-Free,Visible-Light-Induced Selective C−C Bond Cleavage of Cycloalkanones with Molecular Oxygen

A metal-free, visible-light-induced oxidative C−C bond cleavage of cycloketones with molecular oxygen is described. Cooperative Brønsted-acid catalysis and photocatalysis enabled selective C−C bond cleavage of cycloketones to generate an array of γ-, δ- and ϵ-keto esters under very mild conditions. Mechanistic studies indicate that singlet molecular oxygen (¹O₂) is responsible for this transformation.