The built‐in electric field of the polymer semiconductors could be regulated by the dipole moment of its building blocks, thereby promoting the separation of photogenerated carriers and achieving ...efficient solar‐driven water splitting. Herein, three perylene diimide (PDI) polymers, namely oPDI, mPDI and pPDI, are synthesized with different phenylenediamine linkers. Notably, the energy level structure, light‐harvesting efficiency, and photogenerated carrier separation and migration of polymers are regulated by the orientation of PDI unit. Among them, oPDI enables a large dipole moment and robust built‐in electric field, resulting in enhanced solar‐driven water splitting performance. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, oPDI exhibits the highest photocurrent of 115.1 μA cm−2 for photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution, which is 11.5 times that of mPDI, 26.8 times that of pPDI and 104.6 times that of its counterparts PDI monomer at the same conditions. This work provides a strategy for designing polymers by regulating the orientation of structural units to construct efficient solar energy conversion systems.
Three perylene diimide (PDI) polymers were designed and synthesized such that the molecular orientation of the PDI units was regulated to create and modulate their built‐in electric fields. Due to the large dipole moment and interfacial electric field, oPDI enables an extraordinary photocurrent density of 115.1 μA ⋅ cm−2, which is 11.5 and 26.8 times that of mPDI and pPDI, respectively.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The molecule‐electrode coupling plays an essential role in photoresponsive devices with photochromic molecules, and the strong coupling between the molecule and the conventional electrodes leads to/ ...the quenching effect and limits the reversibility of molecular photoswitches. In this work, we developed a strategy of using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) electrodes to fabricate the thiol azobenzene (TAB) self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) junctions with the eutectic gallium‐indium (EGaIn) technique. The current‐voltage characteristics of the EGaIn/GaOx//TAB/TMDCs photoswitches showed an almost 100% reversible photoswitching behavior, which increased by ∼28% compared to EGaIn/GaOx//TAB/AuTS photoswitches. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed the coupling strength of the TAB‐TMDCs electrode decreased by 42% compared to that of the TAB‐AuTS electrode, giving rise to improved reversibility. our work demonstrated the feasibility of 2D TMDCs for fabricating SAMs‐based photoswitches with unprecedentedly high reversibility.
A strategy for fabricating molecular photoswitch devices with the combined self‐assembled monolayers and eutectic gallium‐indium techniques is reported. The current‐voltage characteristics of EGaIn/GaOx//molecule/TMDCs photoswitches exhibit reversibility as excellent as almost 100%. This work demonstrates the promise of transition metal dichalcogenides electrodes (TMDCs) to express the intrinsic molecular properties and opens a new path for the design and fabrication nanoelectronic devices.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The severe anticancer situation as well as the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells has created an urgent need for the development of novel anticancer drugs with different mechanisms ...of action. A large number of natural alkaloids, such as paclitaxel, vinblastine and camptothecin have already been successfully developed into chemotherapy agents. Following the success of these natural products, in this review, twenty-six types of isoquinoline alkaloids (a total of 379 alkaloids), including benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline, aporphine, oxoaporphine, isooxoaporphine, dimeric aporphine, bisbenzylisoquinoline, tetrahydroprotoberberine, protoberberine, protopine, dihydrobenzophenanthridine, benzophenanthridine, benzophenanthridine dimer, ipecac, simple isoquinoline, pavine, montanine, erythrina, chelidonine, tropoloisoquinoline, azafluoranthene, phthalideisoquinoline, naphthylisoquinoline, lycorine, crinane, narciclasine, and phenanthridone, were summarized based on their cytotoxic and MDR reversing activities against various cancer cells. Additionally, the structure-activity relationships of different types of isoquinoline alkaloid were also discussed. Interestingly, some aporphine, oxoaporphine, isooxoaporphine, bisbenzylisoquinoline, and protoberberine alkaloids display more potent anticancer activities or anti-MDR effects than positive control against the tested cancer cells and are regarded as attractive targets for discovery new anticancer drugs or lead compounds.
In the genus Macleaya, Macleaya cordata and Macleaya microcarpa have been recognized as traditional herbs that are primarily distributed in China, North America, and Europe and have a long history of ...medicinal usage. These herbs have been long valued and studied for detumescence, detoxification, and insecticidal effect. This review aims to provide comprehensive information on botanical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological studies on plants in the genus Macleaya. Plants from the genus of Macleaya provide a source of bioactive compounds, primarily alkaloids, with remarkable diversity and complex architectures, thereby having attracted attention from researchers. To date, 291 constituents have been identified and/or isolated from this group. These purified compounds and/or crude extract possess antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, insecticidal, and antibacterial activities in addition to certain potential toxicities. Macleaya species hold potential for medicinal applications. However, despite the pharmacological studies on these plants, the mechanisms underlying the biological activities of active ingredients derived from Macleaya have not been thoroughly elucidated to date. Additionally, there is a need for research focusing on in vivo medical effects of Macleaya compounds and, eventually, for clinical trials.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no absolute cure. The evidence of the involvement of gut microbiota in PD pathogenesis suggests the need to identify certain molecule(s) ...derived from the gut microbiota, which has the potential to manage PD. Osteocalcin (OCN), an osteoblast-secreted protein, has been shown to modulate brain function. Thus, it is of interest to investigate whether OCN could exert protective effect on PD and, if yes, whether the underlying mechanism lies in the subsequent changes in gut microbiota.
The intraperitoneal injection of OCN can effectively ameliorate the motor deficits and dopaminergic neuronal loss in a 6-hydroxydopamine-induced PD mouse model. The further antibiotics treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation experiments confirmed that the gut microbiota was required for OCN-induced protection in PD mice. OCN elevated Bacteroidetes and depleted Firmicutes phyla in the gut microbiota of PD mice with elevated potential of microbial propionate production and was confirmed by fecal propionate levels. Two months of orally administered propionate successfully rescued motor deficits and dopaminergic neuronal loss in PD mice. Furthermore, AR420626, the agonist of FFAR3, which is the receptor of propionate, mimicked the neuroprotective effects of propionate and the ablation of enteric neurons blocked the prevention of dopaminergic neuronal loss by propionate in PD mice.
Together, our results demonstrate that OCN ameliorates motor deficits and dopaminergic neuronal loss in PD mice, modulating gut microbiome and increasing propionate level might be an underlying mechanism responsible for the neuroprotective effects of OCN on PD, and the FFAR3, expressed in enteric nervous system, might be the main action site of propionate. Video abstract.
Rationale
Macleaya microcarpa (Maxim.) Fedde belongs to the genus Macleaya of the Papaveraceae family. Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are considered the main bioactive constituents of M. ...microcarpa.
Methods
Using high‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/QTOFMS/MS) we identified BIAs in the aerial parts of M. microcarpa in the early flowering stage. Target profiling and identification of BIAs in the extracted samples from the fresh aerial parts of M. microcarpa were exclusively based on a personal, accurate, mass database of known compounds and the mass spectral fragmentation behavior of Macleaya alkaloids.
Results
A total of 97 alkaloids, comprising 7 benzyltetrahydroisoquinolines, 1aporphine, 9 tetraprotoberberines, 3 protoberberines, 2 N‐methyltetrahydroprotoberberines, 4 protopines, 47 dihydrobenzophenanthridines, and 24 benzophenanthridines, were identified from the fresh aerial parts of M. microcarpa, and 77 of these were detected for the first time in M. microcarpa. In addition, some of the screened alkaloids were related to the biosynthetic pathways of sanguinarine and chelerythrine.
Conclusions
The integrated method is sensitive and reliable for screening and identifying trace or ultra‐trace isoquinoline alkaloids and has contributed to a better understanding of BIAs in the fresh aerial parts of M. microcarpa.
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The Warburg effect is a promising target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, referring to the ability of cancer cells to generate energy through high levels of glycolysis even in the presence ...of oxygen, allowing them to grow and proliferate rapidly. The antipsychotic Pimozide has strong anti-breast cancer effects both in vivo and in vitro, whether Pimozide has an inhibitory effect on aerobic glycolysis has not been elucidated. In this study, Pimozide inhibited the Warburg effect of breast cancer cells by hindering glucose uptake, ATP level and lactate production; reducing the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR); suppressing the expression of PKM2, a rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis. Intriguingly, Pimozide was significantly involved in reprogramming glucose metabolism in breast cancer cells through a p53-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies demonstrated Pimozide increased the expression of p53 through inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/MDM2 signaling pathway, which in turn downregulated the expression of PKM2. In sum, our results suggest that Pimozide mediates the p53 signaling pathway through PI3K/AKT/MDM2 to inhibit the Warburg effect and breast cancer growth, and it may be a potential aerobic glycolysis inhibitor for the treatment of breast cancer.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
All together: A concise strategy for the first diastereoselective total synthesis of (±)‐schindilactone A is reported. The synthesis features a ring‐closing metathesis, a thiourea/cobalt‐catalyzed ...Pauson–Khand reaction, and a thiourea/palladium‐catalyzed carbonylative annulation reaction. The chemistry can be applied to the synthesis of structures related to schindilactone A.
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The thermoelectric properties of Ag-doped SnS samples synthesized by mechanical alloying followed by spark plasma sintering were studied. We report that SnS possesses a high Seebeck coefficient of ...>+400 μV K −1 and Ag doping increases the carrier concentration by more than four orders of magnitude giving significantly improving electrical conductivity. The thermal conductivity falls below 0.5 W m −1 K −1 at 873 K and leads to a high ZT of 0.6. The data indicate that earth-abundant and environmentally friendly SnS is a promising candidate for thermoelectric applications despite its relatively wide bandgap of 1.2 eV.
As intracellular fatty acid (FA) carriers, FA-binding proteins (FABPs) widely participate in the absorption, transport, and metabolism of FAs. It is a key protein in insect lipid metabolism and plays ...an important role in various physiological activities of insects. An FABP gene (HvFABP) was cloned from the transcriptional library of Heortia vitessoides Moore (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), and its expression patterns were determined using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Stage- and tissue-specific expression profiles indicated that HvFABP highly expressed from prepupal to adult stages and in larval midgut and adult wings. HvFABP expression may be induced through starvation, mRNA expression was downregulated at 24 and 48 h and upregulated at 72 h after starvation. Furthermore, 20-hydroxyecdysone can induce the upregulation of its expression. RNA interference-mediated silencing of HvFABP significantly inhibited HvFABP expression, resulting in delayed development, abnormal molting or lethal phenotypes, and a significantly reduced survival rate. These results indicate that HvFABP plays a key role in the molting of H. vitessoides.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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