Synthesis and application of moisture-stable methallylsilanated phosphorylcholine as a surface modifier

New methallylsilanated phosphorylcholine (MASPCs) were synthesized via a copper-catalyzed ‘click’ reaction and demonstrated excellent moisture stability. Hydroxylated silicon compounds, silanol, and silica were grafted or modified by MASPCs in the presence of triflic acid (TfOH) and they possessed a good grafting efficiency and high loading rate.     

Anti-corrosion and anti-microbial evaluation of novel water-soluble bis azo pyrazole derivative for carbon steel pipelines in petroleum industries by experimental and theoretical studies

In this research, we investigated the synthesis of a novel water-soluble bis azo pyrazolin-5-one (ABP) which was synthesized efficiently via the regioselective reaction of hydrazine with coumarin hydrazone (CMH). Also, we evaluate their anti-corrosion and anti-bacterial behavior. The inhibition efficiency of ABP in an acidic medium (1.0 M HCl) was evaluated using various electrochemical and surface morphology measurements. The novel bis pyrazole-based azo dye ABP (16 × 10^?6 M) demonstrated a higher protection capacity (93.3 %). Tafel curves revealed that ABP was a mixed-type inhibitor. The adsorption of ABP on the C-steel (CS) surface is proven by the alteration in (R_ct and C_dl) impedance characteristics and obeyed the Langmuir isotherm model. SEM/EDX, AFM, and XPS surface examinations confirmed the enhancement of an adsorbed film protects the CS surface from acid corrosion at the appropriate dose. Furthermore, theoretical calculations using DFT and MC simulations were performed to identify the active sites on ABP molecules in charge of the adsorption and surface protection of the CS. The adsorption of bis pyrazole-based azo dye on the metal surface explained the protection mechanism. Moreover, the ABP screened for its antimicrobial activity against sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), and the calculated inhibition efficiency was 100 %. The current work presents significant results in manufacturing and producing novel water-soluble bis pyrazole-based azo dye derivative with high anti-corrosion and anti-microbial efficiency.     

Improved Stabilities of Labeling Probes for the Selective Modification of Endogenous Proteins in Living Cells and In Vivo

To date, various affinity-based protein labeling probes have been developed and applied in biological research to modify endogenous proteins in cell lysates and on the cell surface. However, the reactive groups on the labeling probes are also the cause of probe instability and nonselective labeling in a more complex environment, e. g., intracellular and in vivo. Here, we show that labeling probes composed of a sterically stabilized difluorophenyl pivalate can achieve efficient and selective labeling of endogenous proteins on the cell surface, inside living cells and in vivo. As compared with the existing protein labeling probes, probes with the difluorophenyl pivalate exhibit several advantages, including long-term stability in stock solutions, resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis and can be customized easily with diverse fluorophores and protein ligands. With this probe design, endogenous hypoxia biomarker in living cells and nude mice were successfully labeled and validated by in vivo, ex vivo, and immunohistochemistry imaging.     

Synergic Enhancement of High-density Polyethylene through Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene and Multi-flow Vibration Injection Molding: A Facile Fabrication with Potential Industrial Prospects

General-purpose plastics with high strength and toughness have been in great demand for structural engineering applications. To achieve the reinforcement and broaden the application scope of high-density polyethylene(HDPE), multi-flow vibration injection molding(MFVIM) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE) are synergistically employed in this work. Herein, the MFVIM has better shear layer control ability and higher fabrication advantage for complex parts than other analogous novel injection molding technologies reported.The reinforcing effect of various filling times and UHMWPE contents as well as the corresponding microstructure evolution are investigated.When 5 wt% UHMWPE is added, MFVIM process with six flow times thickens the shear layer to the whole thickness. The tensile strength and modulus increase to 2.14 and 1.39 times, respectively, compared to neat HDPE on the premise of remaining 70% impact strength. Structural characterizations indicate that the enhancement is attributed to the improvement of shish-kebab content and lamellae compactness, as well as related to the corresponding size distributions of undissolved UHMWPE particles. This novel injection molding technology with great industrial prospects provides a facile and effective strategy to broaden the engineering applications of HDPE materials. Besides, excessive UHMWPE may impair the synergistic enhancement effect, which is also reasonably explained.     

α-Actinin involvement in Z-disk assembly during skeletal muscle C2C12 cells in vitro differentiation

α-Actinin is involved in the assembly and maintenance of muscle fibers. α-Actinin is required to cross-link actin filaments and to connect the actin cytoskeleton to the cell membrane and it is necessary for the attachment of actin filaments to Z-disks in skeletal muscle fibers and to dense bodies in smooth muscle ones. In addition to its mechanical role, sarcomeric α-actinin interacts with proteins involved in a variety of signaling and metabolic pathways.The aim of this work is to monitor Z-disk formation, in order to clear up the role of sarcomeric α-actinin in undifferentiated stage, after 4 days of differentiation (intermediate differentiation stage) and after 7 days of differentiation (fully differentiated stage). For this purpose, C2C12 murine skeletal muscle cells, grown in vitro, were analyzed at three time points of differentiation.Confocal laser scanner microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been utilized for α-actinin immunolocalization.Both techniques reveal that in undifferentiated cells labeling appears uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm with punctate α-actinin Z-bodies. Moreover, we found that when differentiation is induced, α-actinin links at first membrane-associated proteins, then it aligns longitudinally across the cytoplasm and finally binds actin, giving rise to Z-disks. These findings evidence α-actinin involvement in sarcomeric development, suggesting for this protein an important role in stabilizing the muscle contractile apparatus.     

Preparation and characterization of “green” hybrid clay-dye nanopigments

We obtained a low cost and abundant nanopigment material composed of Rhodamine B (Rh-B) organic dye compound and Unye bentonite (UB) clay from Turkey. The characterization of the nanopigment was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal analysis techniques. According to the result of texture analyses, we showed that the particle size distribution (d: 0.5-mean distribution) of Rh-B/UB nanopigment material was around 100 nm diameter. It was also demonstrated that the samples had a particle size around nm diameter in SEM images. As seen in the PXRD and thermal analysis, there is a difference in basal spacing by 1.46° (2θ) and a higher mass loss by 7.80% in the temperature range 200–500 °C compared to the raw bentonite.     

Mild Bioconjugation Through the Oxidative Coupling of ortho‐Aminophenols and Anilines with Ferricyanide

Using a small‐molecule‐based screen, ferricyanide was identified as a mild and efficient oxidant for the coupling of anilines and o‐aminophenols on protein substrates. This reaction is compatible with thiols and 1,2‐diols, allowing its use in the creation of complex bioconjugates for use in biotechnology and materials applications.     

Interaction with the Surrounding Water Plays a Key Role in Determining the Aggregation Propensity of Proteins

Understanding the molecular determinants of the relative propensities of proteins to aggregate in a cellular environment is a central issue for treating protein‐aggregation diseases and developing peptide‐based therapeutics. Despite the expectation that protein aggregation can largely be attributed to direct protein–protein interactions, a crucial role the surrounding water in determining the aggregation propensity of proteins both in vitro and in vivo was identified. The overall protein hydrophobicity, defined solely by the hydration free energy of a protein in its monomeric state sampling its equilibrium structures, was shown to be the predominant determinant of protein aggregation propensity in aqueous solution. Striking discrimination of positively and negatively charged residues by the surrounding water was also found. This effect depends on the protein net charge and plays a crucial role in regulating the solubility of the protein. These results pave the way for the design of aggregation‐resistant proteins as biotherapeutics.     

The (010) Surface of the Al45Cr7 Complex Intermetallic Compound: Insights from Density Functional Theory

The Al₄₅Cr₇ compound is considered to exhibit an approximant structure of the icosahedral Al₄Cr phase. Its (010) surface has been investigated in detail using density functional calculations. Surface energy calculations show that the stable terminations result from a cleavage of the crystal between adjacent atomic planes, in agreement with the layered structure of the compound. The integrity of the icosahedral atomic arrangements (icosahedral clusters) found in the bulk structure, is predicted to be removed at the surface. This result is in contrast to what has been previously concluded for the (010) surface of the Al₁₃Fe₄ quasicrystal approximant. Our findings are discussed in relation to the bonding network in the compound, calculated using the Crystal Orbital Hamiltonian Population approach, as possible reasons for such contrasted behavior.     

面向脑机接口的犹他神经电极技术

A human brain is composed of a large number of interconnected neurons forming a neural network. To study the functional mechanism of the neural network, it is necessary to record the activity of individual neurons over a large area simultaneously. Brain-computer interface (BCI) refers to the connection established between the human/animal brain and computers/other electronic devices, which enables direct interaction between the brain and external devices. It plays an important role in understanding, protecting, and simulating the brain, especially in helping patients with neurological disorders to restore their impaired motor and sensory functions. Neural electrodes are electrophysiological devices that form the core of BCI, which convert neuronal electrical signals (carried by ions) into general electrical signals (carried by electrons). They can record or interfere with the state of neural activity. The Utah Electrode Array (UEA) designed by the University of Utah is a mainstream neural electrode fabricated by bulk micromachining. Its unique three-dimensional needle-like structure enables each electrode to obtain high spatiotemporal resolution and good insulation between each other. After implantation, the tip of each electrode affects only a small group of neurons around it even allowing to record the action potential of a single neuron. The availability of a large number of electrodes, high quality of signals, and long service life has made UEA the first choice for collecting neuronal signals. Moreover, UEA is the only implantable neural electrode that can record signals in the human cerebral cortex. This article mainly serves as an introduction to the construction, manufacturing process, and functioning of UEA, with a focus on the research progress in fabricating high-density electrode arrays, wireless neural interfaces, and optrode arrays using silicon, glass, and metal as that material of construction. We also discuss the surface modification techniques that can be used to reduce the electrode impedance, minimize the rejection by brain tissue, and improve the corrosion resistance of the electrode. In addition, we summarize the clinical applications where patients can control external devices and get sensory feedback by implanting UEA. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges faced by existing electrodes such as the difficulty in increasing electrode density, poor response of integrated wireless neural interface, and the problems of biocompatibility. To achieve stability and durability of the electrode, advancements in both material science and manufacturing technology are required. We hope that this review can broaden the scope of ideas for the development of UEA. The realization of a fully implantable neural microsystem can contribute to an improved understanding of the functional mechanisms of the neural network and treatment of neurological diseases.