Agate attracts the attention of gem mineralogists because of its variable colors. The color of agate is closely related to its naming and classification, so it is necessary to study the color and ...mineral origin of agate. In this paper, the mineralogical characteristics and color origin of red, yellow and green Moqi agates from Inner Mongolia were systematically studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, X-ray powder diffractometer, electron probe microanalyzer and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer. It is found that the color of Moqi agate is related to the minerals and trace elements contained in it, and is associated with the electron transition or charge transfer of Fe ions in the contained minerals. Green agate has the highest Fe content, and its color is caused by celadonite inclusions. The red and yellow color in Moqi agate is mainly caused by hematite and goethite, while red agate contains more Fe than yellow agate. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis show that the content of moganite in Moqi agate is 0–30%. It is calculated that the crystallinity of Moqi agate is 1.5–3.5. This work provides a theoretical basis for future research on the identification of Moqi agate.
The multifaceted roles of metabolism in invasion have been investigated across many cancers. The brain tumor glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly invasive and metabolically plastic tumor with an inevitable ...recurrence. The neuronal glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) was previously reported to correlate with poor glioma patient survival and be upregulated in GBM cells to promote therapeutic resistance and survival under restricted glucose conditions. It has been suggested that the increased glucose uptake mediated by GLUT3 elevation promotes survival of circulating tumor cells to facilitate metastasis. Here we suggest a more direct role for GLUT3 in promoting invasion that is not dependent upon changes in cell survival or metabolism. Analysis of glioma datasets demonstrated that GLUT3, but not GLUT1, expression was elevated in invasive disease. In human xenograft derived GBM cells, GLUT3, but not GLUT1, elevation significantly increased invasion in transwell assays, but not growth or migration. Further, there were no changes in glycolytic metabolism that correlated with invasive phenotypes. We identified the GLUT3 C-terminus as mediating invasion: substituting the C-terminus of GLUT1 for that of GLUT3 reduced invasion. RNA-seq analysis indicated changes in extracellular matrix organization in GLUT3 overexpressing cells, including upregulation of osteopontin. Together, our data suggest a role for GLUT3 in increasing tumor cell invasion that is not recapitulated by GLUT1, is separate from its role in metabolism and survival as a glucose transporter, and is likely broadly applicable since GLUT3 expression correlates with metastasis in many solid tumors.
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•A novel Cu2S/g-C3N4 2D/2D van der Waals heterojunctions has been synthesized via the calcination-solvothermal technique.•A satisfactory performance for photocatalytic C-C bonds ...cleavage of lignin model compounds.•The photoexcited charge carriers can be effectively separated by the close electronic interactions of the 2D/2D junction.
Selective cleavage of C-C bonds to liberate aromatic monomers from lignin or its analogs under mild conditions remains a significant challenge. In this study, a novel photocatalytic oxidative approach harnessing the Cu2S/g-C3N4 van der Waals heterojunction and specifically targeting the C-C bonds within lignin β-O-4 structures has been explored. The Cu2S/g-C3N4 nanocomposite showed superior sunlight-driven photocatalytic efficacy in disrupting these C-C bonds. A substrate that emulated the β-O-4 linkages of lignin was transformed into aromatic entities with an impressive selectivity of 93.2 % for C-C cleavage. Additionally, the yield of these aromatic compounds peaked at 1346.71 μmol gcat-1.h−1. The performance has been attributed to close electronic interactions observed at the 2D/2D junction, which was substantiated with rigorous characterization. This investigation provides a promising pathway and highlights the potential of photocatalysis in the intricate process of lignin C-C bond disruptions through strategic engineering of the interfaces.
The solar-driven transformation of lignin into aromatic compounds is a promising approach for biomass utilization. However, selective cleavage of lignin C–C bonds on the solid catalyst surface under ...suitable conditions is a difficult task. Here, a CuO/BiVO4 hybrid was reported for the selective oxidation of C–C bonds under simulated sunlight at room temperature. The synergistic effect of CuO and BiVO4 benefited charge dynamics and transfer from the photoexcitation sites to the active centers. The model substrate representing lignin β-O-4 linkages was converted into aromatic compounds with 86.5% C–C cleavage selectivity, and the aromatic compounds were produced with a yield reaching 665.03 μmol gcat –1·h–1. Mechanistic studies showed that Cα–Cβ bonds were efficiently cleaved mainly through hydrogen abstraction from the β-carbon by photogenerated holes and the generation of •O2 – from adsorbed O2 by photoexcited electrons. The result provided new views into the development of more efficient photocatalysts for the cleavage of lignin C–C bonds through interfacial engineering.
The impact of integrity on organizational and/or interpersonal relationships is well documented in the literature but its influence on customer relationships such as consumer trust and relationship ...commitment has been largely overlooked. The present study attempts to fill this research gap by examining the effect of integrity on consumer relationship commitment in a cross-cultural setting. Survey data from the United States and China were used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results show that integrity has significant impacts on both consumer trust and relationship commitment, and culture significantly moderates the effect of integrity on consumer commitment. Specifically, integrity was found to affect American respondents' relationship commitment both directly and indirectly with the direct effect being greater and the indirect effect being smaller relative to those of Chinese respondents. In contrast, integrity had only indirect effect on relationship commitment with Chinese consumers, highlighting the importance of consumer trust in the integrity-commitment relationship. The implications for research and business practice were discussed.
The brain noradrenergic system is critical for normal cognition and is affected at early stages in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we reveal a previously unappreciated direct role of norepinephrine ...signaling in connecting β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau, two key pathological components of AD pathogenesis. Our results show that Aβ oligomers bind to an allosteric site on α
adrenergic receptor (α
AR) to redirect norepinephrine-elicited signaling to glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) activation and tau hyperphosphorylation. This norepinephrine-dependent mechanism sensitizes pathological GSK3β/tau activation in response to nanomolar accumulations of extracellular Aβ, which is 50- to 100-fold lower than the amount required to activate GSK3β by Aβ alone. The significance of our findings is supported by in vivo evidence in two mouse models, human tissue sample analysis, and longitudinal clinical data. Our study provides translational insights into mechanisms underlying Aβ proteotoxicity, which might have strong implications for the interpretation of Aβ clearance trial results and future drug design and for understanding the selective vulnerability of noradrenergic neurons in AD.
Background
The COVID-19 global pandemic has had profound effects on mental health and wellbeing. The present study examined trends in distress and recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19 in China. ...Predictors that might increase risks or provide protections again distress were explored.
Method
Participants were recruited using social media during the COVID-19 pandemic to complete a baseline and 6-week follow-up survey (
N
= 241). The change patterns of PTSD symptoms from baseline to follow-up were characterized using latent class growth analysis (LCGA). A repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to explore the differences in the depressive symptoms across trajectory groups. Multinominal logistic regression was performed to investigate potential predictors of the outcome trajectories.
Results
Four longitudinal outcome trajectories were identified: chronic (PTSD symptoms remained high; 14.9%), resilient (symptoms remained low; 43.2%), recovered (symptoms decreased from symptomatic levels to asymptomatic; 19.5%), and delayed (symptoms increased from asymptomatic levels to symptomatic; 22.4%). Hopelessness and maladaptive coping strategies were unique predictors of distress and resilience as well as longer-term trajectories.
Conclusion
Individuals evidenced four outcome trajectories of distress in the aftermath of COVID-19 in China. Despite the uncertainty and high levels of stress related to the pandemic, the majority of the sample demonstrated resilience and recovery. It is essential to identify individuals at risk for chronic and delayed distress in order to build resilience.
The delta opioid receptor (DOR) is a crucial receptor system that regulates pain, mood, anxiety, and similar mental states. DOR agonists, such as SNC80, and DOR-neutral antagonists, such as ...naltrindole, were developed to investigate the DOR in vivo and as potential therapeutics for pain and depression. However, few inverse agonists and non-competitive/irreversible antagonists have been developed, and none are widely available. This leaves a gap in our pharmacological toolbox and limits our ability to investigate the biology of this receptor. Thus, we designed and synthesized the novel compounds SRI-9342 as an irreversible antagonist and SRI-45128 as an inverse agonist. These compounds were then evaluated in vitro for their binding affinity by radioligand binding, their functional activity by sup.35S-GTPγS coupling, and their cAMP accumulation in cells expressing the human DOR. Both compounds demonstrated high binding affinity and selectivity at the DOR, and both displayed their hypothesized molecular pharmacology of irreversible antagonism (SRI-9342) or inverse agonism (SRI-45128). Together, these results demonstrate that we have successfully designed new inverse agonists and irreversible antagonists of the DOR based on a novel chemical scaffold. These new compounds will provide new tools to investigate the biology of the DOR or even new potential therapeutics.
Norfloxacin (NOX), a kind of quinolone antibiotic, is widely used in disease treatment and the control of human and livestock products. Due to overuse, norfloxacin has become a common organic ...pollutant in water. We combine the high specific surface area and high stability of metal-organic frameworks with the high selectivity of molecularly imprinted polymers. By grafting a carbon-carbon double bond on the surface of UiO-66-NH
2
, a molecularly imprinted layer is formed on the surface of UiO-66-NH
2
upon free radical polymerization. The saturated adsorption capacity of UiO-66@MIP reaches 58.01 mg g
−1
. UiO-66@MIP exhibits high adsorption performance in real water samples and its recoveries range from 96.7% to 98.3%, which demonstrates a higher adsorption capacity and recovery than other molecularly imprinted materials and has potential applications in the removal of norfloxacin in real life.
In this study, UiO-66@MIP was synthesized to remove NOX. The ability of UiO-66@MIP to adsorb norfloxacin in actual wastewater was also explored.
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