Search Results (1,554)

Glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide as it is the primary unit of cellulose and starch, which are the more relevant feedstocks for biorefineries. Dehydration of glucose can lead to anhydroglucoses, whose interest has been increasing due to its potential industrial use. Commercial sulfonic polymer resins and a synthesized organic–inorganic mesoporous material were taken as Brønsted acid catalysts. High hexose conversion (up to 98%) and selectivity to anhydroglucoses (~80%) could be reached, turning this process into an alternative route to carbohydrate pyrolysis that presents an energy-intensive downstream. Hexose conversion to anhydroglucoses was related to the amount of acid sites, and the removal of one molecule of water from hexoses to produce anhydroglucoses was found as the preferential dehydration route over a bare Brønsted acid catalyst in anhydrous polar aprotic solvent (DMF) at mild conditions. Product distribution changed dramatically upon catalyst deactivation with HMF and fructose emerging as relevant products. It was suggested that an additional Lewis surface is produced during the deactivation process, probably arising from the formation of insoluble high molecular weight compounds in acidic media. Full article

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly prevalent systemic autoimmune disease. Recently, natural small molecules have been explored as alternative therapeutic agents. Iris halophila Pall is the traditional herbal medicine, and it is rich in active ingredients with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In our previous study, LC-MS analysis revealed that piceatannol (PIC) is one of the primary active ingredients in the root of Iris tectorum. The purpose of this study was to explore the immunomodulatory effects of PIC on the maturation and function of dendritic cells, as well as on experimental arthritis induced by complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) and incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA). Additionally, we aimed to probe into the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of PIC. We first verified the immunosuppressive effect of PIC using flow cytometry and an ELISA. The immunosuppressive mechanism of PIC on dendritic cells (DCs) was investigated through a joint analysis of network pharmacology and Western blotting. Our findings revealed that under Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory conditions, PIC could restrain the maturation and function of DCs (p < 0.001) and decrease the secretion of inflammatory cytokines (p < 0.001) compared to the LPS group. Furthermore, PIC suppressed the activation and polarization of CD4⁺ T cells, resulting in a decreased proportion of Th1 and Th17 cells (p < 0.001), ultimately improving the symptoms of CFA-induced arthritis in comparison to the model group. The PIC-induced shift in the T helper cell differentiation correlated with the secretion of polarizing cytokines from DCs in the AIA model. Mechanistically, PIC exerted its immunosuppressive function mainly by down-regulating the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) and Nuclear Factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathways. Collectively, these data unveil the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of a traditional medicine via the inhibition of the immune activation function of DCs in vivo and open up a therapeutic approach for autoinflammatory diseases. Full article

The efficient liquefaction of cellulose is a critical technological pathway for the energy utilization of biomass. This study constructed a plasma electrolytic liquefaction experimental system based on the principle of liquid phase surface arc discharge, systematically investigating the effects of operational parameters, including working voltage, catalyst dosage, solid–liquid ratio, and micro-arc polarity, on the liquefaction characteristics of microcrystalline cellulose. Experimental results demonstrated that under optimized conditions—anode micro-arc configuration, working voltage of 750 V, catalyst dosage of 1.44 g, and solid–liquid ratio of 6:38—the cellulose conversion rate reached 79.2%, with a liquefied product mass of 4.75 g. Mechanistic analysis revealed that high-energy electrons and hydrogen ions generated by plasma discharge synergistically act on the cleavage of cellulose molecular chains. Under the combined effects of the catalyst and plasma, cellulose molecules are depolymerized into small molecular compounds. Compared with traditional liquefaction processes, this technology exhibits significant advantages in reaction rate and energy efficiency, providing a novel technical route for the efficient conversion of biomass resources. Full article

Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt, a widely utilised binder in pavement engineering, is susceptible to ageing due to the coupling effects of thermo-oxidation, ultraviolet radiation, and humidness. Due to the limited availability of high-quality asphalt resources, recycling aged asphalt has emerged as a vital strategy for addressing resource shortages and reducing environmental pollution. This study investigated the effects of thermal-ultraviolet-humidness coupled ageing on the pavement performance of SBS-modified asphalt, with a specific focus on the hot–wet climates of Guangzhou and Chengdu. Beijing’s standard climate serves as a reference for this study. Additionally, industrial animal oil was chosen as a rejuvenator for aged SBS-modified asphalt. The mechanisms underlying hot–wet coupling ageing and regeneration of SBS-modified asphalt were analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Fluorescence Microscopy (FM). The findings indicate that thermal-oxidation and humidness accelerate sulphide formation, resulting in a marked increase in sulfoxide groups and facilitating the migration of lighter components, ultimately leading to asphalt hardening. Under high-temperature and humidness conditions, the butadiene index (BI) of asphalt decreased by 5.96% in Chengdu and 15.78% in Guangzhou compared to Beijing. The sulfoxide index (SI) and aromaticity index (CI) increased by 3.74% and 3.89% in Chengdu, and by 9.39% and 8.54% in Guangzhou, respectively, confirming the exacerbating effect of humidness on ageing. During the regeneration process, industrial animal oil effectively diluted polar molecules in aged asphalt, resulting in reductions in SI by 38.88%, 36.74%, and 37.74%, and in CI by 63.77%, 62.54%, and 63.11% under ageing conditions in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, respectively. Rejuvenation is achieved by replenishing lighter components, thereby promoting the aggregation and swelling of the degraded SBS chains. Full article

Metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), osteoporosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), constitute a major global health burden associated with chronic morbidity and mortality. Lactate, once considered as a metabolic byproduct, has emerged as a key regulator of cellular reprogramming through lactylation, a novel post-translational modification (PTM) that dynamically couples metabolic flux to chromatin remodeling. Lactylation exerts dual regulatory roles as a signaling molecule via GPR81/GPR4-mediated pathways and as a substrate for the covalent modification of histones and metabolic enzymes. Pathologically, chronic hyperlactatemia suppresses mitochondrial biogenesis, driving metabolic cardiomyopathy through the epigenetic silencing of oxidative metabolism genes. Conversely, exercise-induced lactate surges transiently enhance insulin sensitivity via AMPK/PGC-1α/GLUT4 signaling, resolve inflammation through GPR81-mediated M2 macrophage polarization, and restore mitochondrial function via lactylation-dependent pathways. This review delineates lactylation as a spatiotemporal rheostat: chronic dysregulation perpetuates metabolic disorders, whereas acute exercise-mediated lactylation remodels transcriptional networks to restore metabolic homeostasis. Future research should integrate multiomics to clarify lactylation’s spatiotemporal dynamics, tissue-specific thresholds, metabolism–immunity interactions, and metabolic–epigenetic crosstalk for the precision management of metabolic diseases. Full article

New therapeutic molecules for farm animals are needed to address worldwide problems in the food industry, like the rise of resistance among ruminant parasites and pathogenic microbes. Since in vivo testing would involve an excessive number of animals, with consequent ethical and economic issues, the generation of sheep intestinal organoids represents a promising close-to-reality in vitro model for veterinary drug development; however, the characterization and application of such organoids remain limited. In this study, ovine intestinal organoids were generated from adult LGR5+ stem cells from the intestinal crypts of freshly slaughtered lambs, and developed in an in vitro culture system. Morphological analysis via brightfield microscopy and immunocytochemical staining revealed a pseudostratified epithelium with multiple cell types, and distinct apical–basal polarity, while RNA sequencing validated the preservation of the physiological characteristics of the original organ. The development and characterization of a robust and reproducible protocol for culturing sheep duodenum intestinal organoids in a high-throughput screening (HTS) compatible format demonstrated reliability in HTS applications, with Z’-factor tests indicating robust assay performance. Dose–response studies using pre-identified compounds showed comparable pharmacodynamic profiles between mouse and sheep organoids. These findings establish sheep intestinal organoids as an innovative tool for veterinary pharmacology and toxicology, offering a cost-effective and sustainable platform to address challenges such as drug resistance and improve livestock health. Full article

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have shown promise as a medium for extracting polar volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and in situ esterification of the extracted molecules using lipases. This solvent enhanced biocatalysis process can potentially streamline VFA separation from fermentation broth by integrating conversion and extraction steps. Two commercial lipases from Aspergillus oryzae (AoL) and Candida rugosa (CrL) were evaluated in reaction systems containing hydrophilic or hydrophobic DESs using a newly optimized lipase assay. The optimal pH for both lipases was around 5.0, with a slight reduction in activity at pH 8.0 and a significant inhibition at pH 2.0. The impact of DES concentration on lipase activity varied depending on the specific DES–lipase pairs. Most hydrophilic DESs show good compatibility with the tested lipases. Specifically for choline chloride/ethylene glycol (1:2) and choline chloride/levulinic acid (1:2), taking into account the influence of pH, CrL activity increased with DES concentration. However, the hydrophobic DES thymol/2,6-dimethoxyphenol (1:2) demonstrated enhanced inhibitory effects on both lipases. Docking simulation helped explain the ligand–protein interactions but showed limited capability in predicting the compatibility of specific DES–lipase pairs due to its constraints in simulating flexible protein structures and the complex interactions between DES components and water. Full article

The presence of abundant water vapor in industrial organic waste gases greatly reduces the selective adsorption of volatile organic pollutants (VOCs). The polarity of the adsorbent and VOC molecules plays an important role in the adsorption process, especially in the presence of water vapor. In this paper, commercial coconut shell activated carbon (CSC) was modified by a thermal reduction treatment to obtain heat-treated coconut shell activated carbon (HCSC). CSC and HCSC exhibited similar pore structure characteristics but differed significantly in surface oxygen content (10.97% and 7.55%, respectively). Dynamic adsorption breakthrough experiments were conducted to determine the dynamic adsorption capacities of toluene on both adsorbents under varying relative humidity levels. HCSC demonstrated superior toluene/water vapor adsorption selectivity. Further analyses of toluene adsorption kinetics, activation energy, and water vapor adsorption isotherms revealed that the lower surface oxygen functional group content of HCSC resulted in a weaker surface polarity, facilitating the adsorption of weakly polar toluene. This was attributed to stronger toluene–HCSC interactions and weaker water–HCSC interactions. The dynamic adsorption capacities of three VOCs with varying polarities were also tested on HCSC. The observed VOC/water vapor adsorption selectivity had the following order: toluene > n-heptane > 1,2-dichloroethane. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations were employed to quantify the relationship between the adsorption selectivity of eight VOCs with varying polarities and their molecular polarity. The results indicated a decrease in adsorption selectivity with increasing VOC polarity. A mechanistic analysis suggests that more polar VOCs prefer to adsorb polar oxygen-containing functional groups, competing with water molecules for adsorption sites. Under high humidity, hydrogen bonding leads to the formation of water clusters, exacerbating this competition. This research holds significant implications for the efficient selective adsorption of VOCs with varying polarities in humid industrial conditions. Full article

Background: The neuropeptide oxytocin has been identified as a potential therapeutic molecule. However, the therapeutic potential of this molecule is limited due to the challenges faced in oxytocin delivery to the brain. Scientific innovation has led to the breakthrough discovery of many modalities to encapsulate molecules for targeted drug delivery, which can enhance oxytocin delivery to the brain. This research aimed to explore a microfluidics-based system that optimizes the formulation of cross-linked bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles encapsulating oxytocin. Methods: First, the formulation parameters were optimized using a design of experiments (DOE) by evaluating the effect of flow rate, polymer concentration, and the binary solvent mixture polarity on the nanoparticle size. Drug encapsulation efficiency, release, and kinetics profile were characterized. These oxytocin nanoparticles were conjugated to rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG), a brain-targeting ligand, and the conjugation efficiency was determined. Results: The sizes of the nanoparticles were between 50 nm and 75 nm with a <0.4 polydispersity index. The encapsulation efficiency was >80%. Approximately 58% of oxytocin was released from the nanoparticles within the first six hours, showing an initial burst that is ideal for seizure control and thereafter exhibiting the Korsmeyer–Peppas release kinetics. Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrated the microfluidics method of formulating nanoparticles with particle size of less than 100 nm, with improved encapsulation efficiency and optimal release profile for oxytocin brain delivery. Full article

Various electron impact scattering cross sections of Sevoflurane are reported up to 5 keV. The elastic cross sections (differential and integral) are computed using the single-centre-expansion formalism within a molecular framework. The ground state target wavefunction is determined at the Hartree–Fock (HF) level. Post-HF corrections are incorporated to make a scattering realistic model. The total interacting potential is defined as the sum of static, correlation–polarization and exchange potentials. These potentials are numerically computed using their local forms. The long-range effects affecting the scattering due to the polar nature of the molecule are incorporated using the Born Top-up approach. The ionization cross sections are obtained from the semi-empirical binary-encounter-Bethe model. The total cross sections are estimated from the incoherent sum of Born-corrected elastic integral and ionization cross sections. The computed results show fairly good agreement with the experimental reported cross sections. Full article

This research investigates the production of galactomannan from Adenanthera pavonina L. in its crude form and its subsequent crosslinking with glutaraldehyde under various pH conditions. The study involved the creation of films and sponges from these materials, followed by a comprehensive analysis of their structural, thermal, swelling, and electrical properties. Galactomannan was crosslinked with a fixed concentration of 0.2 mol/L of glutaraldehyde, with pH levels ranging from 3 to 7. These films and sponges were prepared through a slow solvent evaporation process. The research encompassed multiple analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, swelling profile assessments, and impedance spectroscopy. The findings from structural analysis indicated that variations in pH did not alter the amorphous nature of the samples but did influence the interactions between galactomannan molecules and restricted the mobility of polymeric chains, which resulted in different dielectric responses. Crosslinked samples exhibited reduced water solubility compared to unprocessed galactomannan. Crosslinking also decreases the ability of the material to polarize and align in response to the electric field, which justifies why crosslinked samples present a lower dielectric constant than the crude sample. Full article

Various theoretical methods were applied and evaluated to determine the dipole moment of polar protic (methanol, ethanol) and aprotic (acetonitrile, pyridine, acetone) dipoles in the crystal phase. In mono-alcohols, the dipole moment is influenced by the hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) environment, similarly to earlier findings with liquid water. Using localization techniques without considering the effect of neighboring molecules gives similar results for the dipole moment of mono-alcohols than those obtained from the polarized continuum model (PCM). However, the PCM for polar aprotic molecules provides significantly different dipole moment values compared to localization methods. Our results clearly show that the magnitude of the dipole moment in the condensed phase cannot be unambiguously determined. Full article

Follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) covering the lymphoid follicles of Peyer’s patches (PPs) plays a central role in mucosal immunity. Here, we investigated FAE-derived intrafollicular epithelial bodies (IFEBs) that apparently detach from the FAE and sink deep into the lymphoid tissue of the PPs. Analysis of rabbit PP FAE was carried out by a variety of microscopy and immunohistochemistry techniques using a panel of specific antibodies to determine the nature of the IFEBs. IFEBs displayed the typical features of the FAE, with cytokeratin (CK)+ epithelial cells and CK+/vimentin+ M-cell-like cells. Serial sections of PP tissues showed that the IFEBs are formations frequently separated by the overlying FAE that maintains its integrity. Further, IFEBs showed the presence of junction-associated molecules like zonulin-1 and desmoplakins. Also, IFEBs apparently disaggregate within the lymphoid tissue, as demonstrated by basement membrane disappearance and the finding of isolated epithelial cells that acquire the features of non-polarized epithelial cells. Segments of the FAE in rabbit PPs can detach, forming IFEBs that migrate inside the lymphoid tissue. Although the biological relevance of the newly described IFEBs remains to be determined, we interpreted these data as showing the highly dynamic nature of the PP-associated FAE. Full article

A fixed ratio amount, i.e., L-arginine (LA) and trisodium phosphate dodecahydrate (TSP) at 2:0.25, is considered as a hybrid inhibitor. This research aims to extensively investigate the impact of utilizing the hybrid corrosion inhibitor on the corrosion resistance properties in accelerated condition, mechanical characteristics, and predictive estimation of the lifespan of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Various experiments, such as setting time, slump, air content, porosity, compressive strength, and chloride diffusion coefficient, were conducted to elucidate the influence of the hybrid corrosion inhibitor on the mechanical properties of the concrete matrix. Meanwhile, linear polarization resistance (LPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 10 wt. % NaCl under wet–dry cycles are utilized to assess the corrosion resistance property, corrosion initiation time, and kinetics of the passive film formation on the steel rebar. Alternatively, both deterministic and probabilistic-based predictions of service life by Life 365 software are utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of the hybrid corrosion inhibitor in protecting the steel rebar in RC structures. All the results confirm that the HI-4 mix (LA:TSP = 3.56:0.44) exhibits excellence in preventing the corrosion and extending the service life of RC structures, due to the adsorption of inhibitor molecules and formation of P-Zwitterions-(Cl)-Fe, Zwitterions-(Cl)-Fe, and FePO₄ complexes onto the steel rebar surface. However, HI-3 shows the optimal mechanical and electrochemical properties for RC structures. Full article

Based on first-principles calculations, the stability of three adsorption configurations of glycine on the (100) surface of diamonds was studied, leading to an investigation into the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect of the diamond substrate. The results showed that the carboxyl-terminated adsorption configuration (CAR) was the most stable and shortest interface distance compared to other configurations. This stability was primarily attributed to the formation of strong polar covalent bonds between the carboxyl O atoms and the surface C atoms of the (100) surface of diamonds. These results were further corroborated by first-principles molecular dynamics simulations. Within the temperature range of 300 to 500 K, the glycine molecules in the carboxyl-terminated adjacent-dimer phenyl-like (CAR) configuration exhibited only simple thermal vibrations with varying amplitudes. In contrast, the metastable ATO and carboxyl-terminated trans-dimer phenyl-like ring (CTR) configurations were observed to gradually transform into benzene-ring-like structures akin to the CAR configuration. After adsorption, the intensity of glycine’s characteristic peaks increased substantially, accompanied by a blue shift phenomenon. Notably, the characteristic peaks related to the carboxyl and amino groups exhibited the highest enhancement amplitude, exceeding 200 times, with an average enhancement amplitude exceeding 50 times. The diamond substrate, with its excellent adsorption properties and strong surface Raman spectroscopy characteristics, represents a highly promising candidate in the field of biomedicine. Full article