In comparison with traditional inorganic electrochromic materials, organic polymers offer advantages such as fast switching speed, flexibility, lightweightness, low cost and nontoxicity, ...solution‐processability, and color tunability. Herein, a series of hyper‐branched copolymers are synthesized from triphenylamine and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene with different feed ratios via iron(III) chloride (FeCl3)‐mediated oxidative polymerization. The resultant organic‐soluble polymers are easily processable and their corresponding electrochromic devices are found to be stable with limited degradation upon 2500 cycles. In addition to their facile synthesis to achieve solution‐processable polymers, studies also show that the polymers exhibit multielectrochromic properties and give rise to five colored states upon oxidative‐doping by applying an external voltage between 0 and 2.0 V, providing an interesting example of polymers with unique electrochromic switching among up to five colors, from yellow at the neutral state, to pale green, pale purple, orange, and finally gray.
A series of hyper‐branched copolymers composed of triphenylamine and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene are readily synthesized via FeCl3‐mediated oxidative polymerization. The polymers exhibit multielectrochromism with five colored states by applying an external voltage between 0 and 2.0 V, and their corresponding electrochromic devices are stable with limited degradation upon 2500 cycles.
Metallic biomaterials are engineered systems designed to provide internal support to biological tissues and they are being used largely in joint replacements, dental implants, orthopaedic fixations ...and stents. Higher biomaterial usage is associated with an increased incidence of implant-related complications due to poor implant integration, inflammation, mechanical instability, necrosis and infections, and associated prolonged patient care, pain and loss of function. In this review, we will briefly explore major representatives of metallic biomaterials along with the key existing and emerging strategies for surface and bulk modification used to improve biointegration, mechanical strength and flexibility of biometals, and discuss their compatibility with the concept of 3D printing.
Injectable hydrogels to deliver therapeutic genes in a minimally invasive manner and to achieve long term sustained release at tumor sites to minimize side effects are attractive for cancer therapy ...and precision medicine, but its rational design remains a challenge. In this report, an injectable supramolecular hydrogel system is designed based on the polypesudorotaxane formation between α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) and cationic methoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐b‐poly(ethylene imine) (MPEG–PCL–PEI) copolymer, with the ability to form polyplexes with anionic plasmid DNA for effective sustained gene delivery. To be mentioned, the MPEG–PCL–PEI copolymers show similar pDNA binding ability, better gene transfection efficiency, lower cytotoxicity than nonviral gene transfection gold standard PEI (25 kDa), due to the formation of micelles and more stable polyplexes. More importantly, this MPEG–PCL–PEI/α‐CD/pDNA supramolecular hydrogel shows a sustained release of pDNA in form of polyplex for up to 7 d. By taking these advantages, this supramolecular hydrogel system is applied as an injectable carrier for sustained Bcl‐2 conversion gene release, in an in vivo rodent model of therapeutic resistant hepatocarcinoma with high expression of antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 protein. This work represents the first time that injectable MPEG–PCL–PEI/α‐CD supramolecular hydrogels possess good controllable release effect of Bcl‐2 conversion genes in the form of polyplex to effectively inhibit in vivo tumor growth and this “enemy to friend” strategy will benefit various applications, including on‐demand gene delivery and personalized medicine.
An injectable supramolecular hydrogel is designed by using a cationic copolymer consisting hydrophilic methoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol), biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone), and cationic poly(ethylene imine) blocks. This minimally invasive hydrogel can achieve localized delivery of Bcl‐2 conversion Nur77 gene in the form of polyplexes and exhibit sustained release of Nur77 gene to effectively inhibit the growth of therapeutic resistant tumor with high expression of Bcl‐2 anti‐apoptotic protein.
The discovery of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon in the early 2000s not only has overcome persistent challenges caused by traditional aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), but also ...has brought about new opportunities for the development of useful functional molecules. Through the years, AIE luminogens (AIEgens) have been widely studied for applications in the areas of biomedical and biological sensing, chemosensing, optoelectronics, and stimuli responsive materials. Particularly in the application of chemosensing, a myriad of novel AIE-based sensors has been developed to detect different neutral molecular, cationic and anionic species, with a rapid detection time, high sensitivity and high selectivity by monitoring fluorescence changes. This review thus summarises the recent development of AIE-based chemosensors for the detection of anionic species, including halides and halide-containing anions, cyanides, and sulphur-, phosphorus- and nitrogen- containing anions, as well as a few other anionic species, such as citrate, lactate and anionic surfactants.
Display omitted
•Spent coffee grounds as a sustainable resource for phase change material.•Extracted coffee oil with a melting point of 4.5 °C and latent heat of 51.1 J/g.•Potential use of coffee oil ...for low-temperature thermal energy storage applications.
Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are waste residues arising from the process of coffee brewing and are usually sent to landfills, causing environmental concerns. SCGs contain a considerable amount of fatty acids and is therefore a promising green alternative bio-based phase change material (PCMs) compared to conventional organic and inorganic PCMs. In this study, the extraction of coffee oil from SCGs was conducted using three different organic solvents-ethanol, acetone, and hexane. The chemical composition, chemical, and thermophysical properties of these coffee oil extracts were studied to evaluate their feasibility as a bio-based PCM. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analysis indicated that coffee oil contains about 60–80 % of fatty acids while the phase transition temperature of the coffee oil extracts is approximately 4.5 ± 0.72 °C, with latent heat values of 51.15 ± 1.46 J/g as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and DSC results of coffee oil extracts after thermal cycling revealed good thermal and chemical stability. An application study to evaluate coffee oil extract as a potential cold therapy modality showed that it can maintain temperatures below normal body temperature for up to 46 min. In conclusion, this work exemplifies the potential of SCGs as a promising green and sustainable resource for bio-based PCMs for low-temperature thermal energy storage applications such as cold-chain transportation and cold therapy.
Persistent infection of the mouse central nervous system (CNS) with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) induces a demyelinating disease pathologically similar to multiple sclerosis and is therefore used as a ...model system. There is little information regarding the host factors that correlate with and contribute to MHV-induced demyelination. Here, we detail the genes and pathways associated with MHV-induced demyelinating disease in the spinal cord. High-throughput sequencing of the host transcriptome revealed that demyelination is accompanied by numerous transcriptional changes indicative of immune infiltration as well as changes in the cytokine milieu and lipid metabolism. We found evidence that a Th1-biased cytokine/chemokine response and eicosanoid-derived inflammation accompany persistent MHV infection and that antigen presentation is ongoing. Interestingly, increased expression of genes involved in lipid transport, processing, and catabolism, including some with known roles in neurodegenerative diseases, coincided with demyelination. Lastly, expression of several genes involved in osteoclast or bone-resident macrophage function, most notably TREM2 and DAP12, was upregulated in persistently infected mouse spinal cord. This study highlights the complexity of the host antiviral response, which accompany MHV-induced demyelination, and further supports previous findings that MHV-induced demyelination is immune-mediated. Interestingly, these data suggest a parallel between bone reabsorption by osteoclasts and myelin debris clearance by microglia in the bone and the CNS, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of using an RNA-seq approach to study the host CNS response to persistent viral infection.
Several cities worldwide have been attempting to adopt “car-lite” policies to reduce traffic congestion and urban pollution. In addition to measures such as re-designing neighbourhoods and ...encouraging active modes, much expectation has been placed on the adoption of new and innovative modes, particularly shared AVs, or Automated Mobility-on-Demand (AMOD). Although the realisation of AMOD appears to be imminent, little is known about its potential effects on current transport systems. In this paper, using SimMobility, an agent-based microsimulation platform, we explored the impact of AMOD on public transport (PT). Two AV adoption scenarios were simulated: (1) “Partial Automation” where AMOD is introduced alongside existing modes, and (2) “Full Automation” where the use of private human-driven vehicles is prohibited upon the implementation of AMOD. We found that, compared to the base case (where there is no AMOD), the share of PT usage decreased significantly in the Partial Automation scenario whereas it increased in the Full Automation scenario. While the overall congestion level was reduced in the Full Automation scenario, road in the Partial Automation scenario tended to suffer from high travel demand. The increased demand for PT also prompts for a revision of current service schedules. The temporal and spatial analyses of PT demand between scenarios have brought some useful implications on the implementation of AMOD for urban and transport planners.
Two stable boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)‐based antiaromatic macrocycles, Mc‐Fur and Mc‐Th, were synthesized through a one‐pot Knoevenagel condensation reaction between a BODIPY precursor and ...furan‐2,5‐dicarboxaldehyde or thiophene‐2,5‐dicarboxaldehyde, respectively. 1H NMR spectroscopic characterization of the two macrocycles supported their highly antiaromatic character. The oxidation properties of the two macrocycles were studied through electron spin resonance spectroscopy and UV/Vis absorption spectrophotometry, which suggested the formation of a stable monoradical cation species on first oxidation followed by an aromatic dicationic species on subsequent oxidation. Both molecules have a nearly planar π‐conjugated backbone and show a strong tendency to aggregate in solution due to efficient stacking of the antiaromatic macrocycles. Transient absorption and two‐photon absorption (TPA) measurements in solution and aggregated states of the macrocycles revealed that aggregation resulted in large enhancement of TPA cross sections and increased excited‐state lifetimes, in accordance with the decrease in the antiaromatic character in the aggregated state.
Coming together: Antiaromatic macrocycles based on boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) were synthesized through a one‐pot Knoevenagel condensation reaction (see figure). These macrocycles exhibit a strong tendency to aggregate in solution and display aggregation‐enhanced two‐photon absorption properties.
In the search for better anticancer drugs, computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques play an indispensable role in facilitating the lengthy and costly drug discovery process especially when ...natural products are involved. Anthraquinone is one of the most widely-recognized natural products with anticancer properties. This review aimed to systematically assess and synthesize evidence on the utilization of CADD techniques centered on the anthraquinone scaffold for cancer treatment.
The conduct and reporting of this review were done in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guideline. The protocol was registered in the "International prospective register of systematic reviews" database (PROSPERO: CRD42023432904) and also published recently. The search strategy was designed based on the combination of concept 1 "CADD or virtual screening", concept 2 "anthraquinone" and concept 3 "cancer". The search was executed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and MedRxiv on 30 June 2023.
Databases searching retrieved a total of 317 records. After deduplication and applying the eligibility criteria, the final review ended up with 32 articles in which 3 articles were found by citation searching. The CADD methods used in the studies were either structure-based alone (69%) or combined with ligand-based methods via parallel (9%) or sequential (22%) approaches. Molecular docking was performed in all studies, with Glide and AutoDock being the most popular commercial and public software used respectively. Protein data bank was used in most studies to retrieve the crystal structure of the targets of interest while the main ligand databases were PubChem and Zinc. The utilization of in-silico techniques has enabled a deeper dive into the structural, biological and pharmacological properties of anthraquinone derivatives, revealing their remarkable anticancer properties in an all-rounded fashion.
By harnessing the power of computational tools and leveraging the natural diversity of anthraquinone compounds, researchers can expedite the development of better drugs to address the unmet medical needs in cancer treatment by improving the treatment outcome for cancer patients.
Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) remains the cornerstone of recanalization therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), albeit with varying degrees of response. The triglyceride-glucose ...(TyG) index is a novel marker of insulin resistance, but association with outcomes among AIS patients who have received tPA has not been well elucidated. We studied 698 patients with AIS who received tPA from 2006 to 2018 in a comprehensive stroke centre. TyG index was calculated using the formula: lnfasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2. TyG index was significantly lower in patients that survived at 90-days than those who died (8.61 Interquartile Range: 8.27-8.99 vs 8.76 interquartile range: 8.39-9.40, p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, TyG index was significantly associated with 90-day mortality (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.39-3.23, p = 0.001), poor functional outcome (OR: 1.41 95% CI: 1.05-1.90, p = 0.022), and negatively associated with early neurological improvement (ENI) (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.52-0.89, p = 0.004). There was no association between TyG index and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. 'High TyG' (defined by TyG index ≥ 9.15) was associated with mortality, poor functional outcomes and no ENI. In conclusion, the TyG index, a measure of insulin resistance, was significantly associated with poorer clinical outcomes in AIS patients who received tPA.
PDF
