Sequence Dependence of Fluorescent Quenching of Chromophores Covalently Bonded to Oligo-DNAs before and after Duplex Formation

The labeling of oligo- and polynucleotides with fluorescent probes is an important technique for the analysis of DNAs and RNAs. The effect of duplex formation with complementary oligo-DNA on the quenching behavior of two fluorescent chromophores (eosin, Eo and tetramethylrhodamine, TMR) attached to the 5′-terminal of various 10mer oligo-DNAs was investigated and the dependence of the quenching on DNA base sequence is discussed. We found that guanine residues played a major role in the quenching of the fluorescence of the chromophores. Guanine residues on the complementary DNA near the chromophores, in particular, had a significant influence on the quenching.     

The application of an in situ karyotyping technique for mesenchymal stromal cells: a validation and comparison study with classical G-banding

The cytogenetic analysis of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is essential for verifying the safety and stability of MSCs. An in situ technique, which uses cells grown on coverslips for karyotyping and minimizes cell manipulation, is the standard protocol for the chromosome analysis of amniotic fluids. Therefore, we applied the in situ karyotyping technique in MSCs and compared the quality of metaphases and karyotyping results with classical G-banding and chromosomal abnormalities with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Human adipose- and umbilical cord-derived MSC cell lines (American Type Culture Collection PCS-500-011, PCS-500-010) were used for evaluation. The quality of metaphases was assessed by analyzing the chromosome numbers in each metaphase, the overlaps of chromosomes and the mean length of chromosome 1. FISH was performed in the interphase nuclei of MSCs for 6q, 7q and 17q abnormalities and for the enumeration of chromosomes via oligo-FISH in adipose-derived MSCs. The number of chromosomes in each metaphase was more variable in classical G-banding. The overlap of chromosomes and the mean length of chromosome 1 as observed via in situ karyotyping were comparable to those of classical G-banding (P=0.218 and 0.674, respectively). Classical G-banding and in situ karyotyping by two personnel showed normal karyotypes for both cell lines in five passages. No numerical or structural chromosomal abnormalities were found by the interphase-FISH. In situ karyotyping showed equivalent karyotype results, and the quality of the metaphases was not inferior to classical G-banding. Thus, in situ karyotyping with minimized cell manipulation and the use of less cells would be useful for karyotyping MSCs.     

A novel kind of dimmer (excimer)-induced-AIE compound 2-phenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-3(2H)-one as high selective bisulfite anion probe

An interesting dimmer (excimer)-induced-AIE characteristic of 2-phenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-3(2H)-one was observed. By using a ring-opening reaction, we developed a novel fluorescent probe based on sub-micron particles of 2-phenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-3(2H)-one in water.     

TinO2和TinO2-(n=1-10)团簇的几何结构、电子和磁性质

基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的B3LYP方法,研究了TinO2和TinO2-(n=1-10)团簇的几何结构、电子结构以及磁性.结果表明,两个氧以分离的原子状态吸附在金属团簇的表面,呈现出以一个钛原子为中心的O-Ti-O的相邻吸附形式.中性团簇和阴离子团簇的能量最低结构相似.稳定性分析表明TinO2具有很高的稳定性,特别是TiO2和Ti7O2.此外,详细讨论了团簇的电离势、电子亲和能、电子解离能和能隙.基于最低能量结构,讨论了团簇的磁性,发现电荷从Ti原子向O原子转移,并且电荷转移主要发生在TinO2的Ti-3d、Ti-4s和O-2p轨道.磁性团簇中反铁磁序占据主导,磁矩主要来源Ti-3d电子的贡献,而两个氧原子的贡献非常小.     

Sn-Al-β分子筛酸性在葡萄糖转化反应中作用的固体NMR研究

制备了一系列具有不同酸性质的β分子筛催化剂, 通过固体核磁共振(NMR)探针分子技术对其酸性质进行了表征, 并考察了其催化葡萄糖转化为乙酰丙酸甲酯的性能. 吸附三甲基磷的³¹P NMR实验结果表明, 含有骨架Sn以及Al原子的Sn-Al-β催化剂同时具有Br?nsted与Lewis酸性. 通过2-¹³C-丙酮探针分子区分出 3种酸强度的Br?nsted酸位, 其中一种酸强度接近“超强酸”, 可能是由于空间邻近的Br?nsted酸位和Lewis酸位发生协同作用产生的. 葡萄糖转化为乙酰丙酸甲酯的催化反应结果表明, 相比于分别只含有Lewis酸位和Br?nsted酸位的Sn-β和Al-β样品以及两者的物理混合样品, Sn-Al-β分子筛催化剂具有高催化活性与产物选择性, 这主要是由于Br?nsted酸位和Lewis酸位的协同作用产生了强Br?nsted酸位, 这种强Br?nsted酸位进一步导致了更高的催化活性.     

Design,Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of a New Series of N-aryl-N′-[4-(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)benzyl]urea Derivatives

The development of cancer treatments requires continuous exploration and improvement, in which the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of cancer is still an important pathway. In this study, based on the molecular hybridization strategy, a new structural framework with an N-aryl-N’-arylmethylurea scaffold was designed, and 16 new target compounds were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against four different cancer cell lines A549, MCF7, HCT116, PC3, and human liver normal cell line HL7702. The results have shown seven compounds with 1-methylpiperidin-4-yl groups having excellent activities against all four cancer cell lines, and they exhibited scarcely any activities against HL7702. Among them, compound 9b and 9d showed greatly excellent activity against the four kinds of cells, and the IC₅₀ for MCF7 and PC3 cell lines were even less than 3 μM.     

Surface engineering of nanoparticles for highly efficient UV‐shielding composites

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) with high energy can not only hurt human skin but also accelerate the degradation of organic matter. Hence, the preparation of polymer‐based UV‐shielding nanocomposites has attracted substantial attention due to the low cost, easy processing and wide applications. Notably, the highly efficient UV‐shielding polymer nanocomposites are still hindered by the agglomeration of inorganic anti‐UV nanoparticles (Nps) in polymer matrix and the narrow absorption range of UV‐shielding agents. To overcome the aforementioned bottlenecks, surface engineering of anti‐UV Nps including organic modification and inorganic hybridization has been extensively employed to enhance the UV‐shielding efficiency of composites. Herein, to deliver the readers a comprehensive understanding of the surface engineering of anti‐UV Nps, we systematically summarize the recent advances in surface organic modification and inorganic hybridization related to anti‐UV Nps. The UV‐shielding mechanism and the factors affecting UV‐shielding efficiency of polymer nanocomposites are also discussed. Finally, perspectives on remaining challenges and future development of highly efficient UV‐shielding composites are outlined.     

含异原子石墨炔基电极材料的研究进展

碳材料具有价格低廉、 易制备、 环境友好、 导电性高、 比表面积大以及适合离子存储和迁移等优点, 已成为目前应用于电化学储能器件电极的重要材料之一. 石墨炔(GDY)是一种新型的二维碳同素异形体, 由sp²碳杂化形式的苯环和sp碳杂化形式的炔键构成. 这种独特的化学结构一方面保持了碳材料良好的导电特性, 另一方面形成了新颖的离子传输通道, 为碳材料带来了不同的离子传输和存储特性. 与此同时, 由于石墨炔的空间结构可调性, 可以通过引入异原子微调石墨炔电子结构, 拓展石墨炔在电极材料领域的应用. 本文重点对近几年异原子杂化石墨炔基电极材料在锂离子电池、 钠离子电池、 金属硫电池、 电容器、 金属空气电池和电极保护等储能领域的研究工作进行总结, 并对未来石墨炔类材料在储能领域的发展进行了展望.