Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Hazard Mater 2021 Apr 3;416:125785. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China. Electronic address:

Two major obstacles that need to be addressed for environmental application of biochar include its environmental risk and remediation performance for target pollutants. In this study, kitchen waste was taken as an example to optimize the pyrolysis temperature for biochar production based on its heavy metal risk and Cd(II) remediation performance. The results showed that the pH and ash content of kitchen waste biochar (KWB) increased; however, the yield, H/C, and N/C decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2021 Mar 26;235:105816. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

INRAE, UR RiverLy, Ecotoxicology Team. Centre de Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, 5 rue de la Doua CS 20244, 69625 Villeurbanne, France. Electronic address:

Omics approaches are continuously providing new clues on the mechanisms of action of contaminants in species of environmental relevance, contributing to the emergence of molecular ecotoxicology. Co-expression network approaches represent a suitable methodological framework for studying the rich content of omics datasets. This study aimed to find evidence of key pathways and proteins related to the testicular toxicity in the sentinel crustacean species Gammarus fossarum exposed to endocrine disruptors using a weighted protein co-expression network analysis. Read More

Biomaterials 2021 Apr 1;272:120793. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address:

Therapeutic application of CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases remains a challenge due to the lack of efficient in vivo delivery carriers. Here, we examine the ability of lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with hepatitis C virus (HCV)/E1E2 envelope glycoproteins to systemically deliver CRISPR/Cas9 to hepatic tumors in vivo. We demonstrated that systemic administration of E1E2-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors can selectively deliver Cas9 and sgRNA specific for kinesin spindle protein (KSP) to Huh7 tumors in the orthotopic Huh7 mice due to the specific interactions between E1E2 and their cellular receptors. Read More

Chemistry 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Kralovopolska 135, CZ-61265, Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC.

A cyclometalated IrIII complex conjugated to a far-red-emitting coumarin, IrIII-COUPY (3), was recently shown as a very promising photosensitizer suitable for photodynamic therapy of cancer. Conventional anticancer chemotherapies exhibit several disadvantages, such as limited efficiency to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are considered the main reason for chemotherapy resistance, relapse, and metastasis. Herein, we show, using DU145 tumor cells, taken as the model of hormone-refractory and aggressive prostate cancer cells resistant to conventional antineoplastic drugs, that the photoactivated 3 very efficiently eliminates both prostate bulk, differentiated and prostate, hardly treatable CSCs simultaneously and with a similar efficiency. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2021 ;2284:43-50

Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

RNA primary and secondary motif discovery is an important step in the annotation and characterization of unknown interaction dynamics between RNAs and RNA-Binding Proteins, and several methods have been developed to meet the need of fast and efficient discovery of interaction motifs. Recent advances have increased the amount of data produced by experimental assays and there is no available method suitable for the analysis of all type of results. Here we present a simple workflow to help choosing the more appropriate method, depending on the starting situation, among the three algorithms that best cover the landscape of approaches. Read More

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Biotechnology, Kazimierz Wielki University, ul. K. J. Poniatowskiego 12, 85-671, Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Aim of the study was to assess the suitability of the combined use of microwave radiation and sodium cumene sulfonate under optimized process conditions for the preparation of maize stillage biomass as a raw material for the production of cellulosic ethanol. The key parameter guaranteeing a high level of lignin removal from biomass (ca. 44%) was concentration of hydrotrope. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Indian Institute of Science, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, INDIA.

Fullerene extracts obtained from fullerene shoot lack their real application due to poor solubility in common solvents and difficulty in purification. Their encapsulation in a suitable host is an important approach to address these issues. We present a new Pd 6 barrel ( 1) , which is composed of three 1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole panels, clipped through six cis -Pd(II) acceptors. Read More

J Phycol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, Korea.

A rapid, simple, and cost-effective total DNA extraction method referred to as a direct boiling method for PCR-based algal species determination was validated using representative species of green, brown and red algae. Each sample was briefly minced in two buffers, Tris-EDTA (TE) or PCR buffer, and transferred to a heat block for boiling at 98°C for 5 min. No detergent was used in this experiment. Read More

Mikrochim Acta 2021 Apr 9;188(5):161. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Key Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry & Environmental Analysis of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, People's Republic of China.

A new kind of NiFeO-based magnetic covalent organic framework nanocomposites (NiFeO@COFs) was fabricated through facile synthesis approach under room temperature. The NiFeO@COFs exhibited higher adsorption capacity for brominated flame retardants than carbon nanotube material based on hydrophobic interactions, π-π stacking interaction, and van der Waals forces. In addition, the adsorption isotherm and the kinetic model were more suitable for Langmuir and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. Read More

J Chem Phys 2021 Apr;154(13):131102

Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physico-Chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX, F-75005 Paris, France.

Liquid state theories have emerged as a numerically efficient alternative to costly molecular dynamics simulations of electron transfer reactions in solution. In a recent paper [Jeanmairet et al., Chem. Read More

Chemosphere 2021 Mar 29;278:130364. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av. Mestre José Veiga, Braga, 4715-330, Portugal. Electronic address:

Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, that covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can be efficient adsorbents for the screening of pharmaceuticals in real water samples, obtaining highly representative data on their occurrence and avoiding the cost of carrying high volume samples and tedious and costly clean-up and preconcentration steps. Of the 23 pharmaceuticals found present in the water samples from the Tagus river estuary using state-of-the-art solid-phase extraction (SPE), 22 were also detected (adsorbed and recovered for analysis) using a COF as the adsorbent material with adsorption efficiency of over 80% for nearly all compounds. In specific cases, acidification of the water samples was identified to lead to a dramatic loss of adsorption efficiency, underlining the effect of sample pre-treatment on the results. Read More

JMIR Med Inform 2021 Apr 8;9(4):e19055. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Key Laboratory of Obstetric and Gynecologic and Pediatric Disease and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Background: Big data technology provides unlimited potential for efficient storage, processing, querying, and analysis of medical data. Technologies such as deep learning and machine learning simulate human thinking, assist physicians in diagnosis and treatment, provide personalized health care services, and promote the use of intelligent processes in health care applications.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to analyze health care data and develop an intelligent application to predict the number of hospital outpatient visits for mass health impact and analyze the characteristics of health care big data. Read More

Acc Chem Res 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610064, P. R. China.

ConspectusTransition-metal catalysis has traditionally been dominated by precious metals because of their high reactivity toward chemical transformations. As a cost-effective alternative, catalysis by earth-abundant group 6 metal chromium is underdeveloped, and its reactivity remains largely unexplored, although the industrially important Phillips catalyst, which is composed of Cr as the active metal, is currently used to supply almost 40% of the total world demand for high-density polyethylene. Cr has traditionally served in organoreagents with high-valent states (≥2+), which are typified by reactions involving Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) and Takai-Utimoto one-electron transfer processes. Read More

Mol Biol Rep 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China.

Selection of suitable promoters is crucial for the efficient expression of exogenous genes in transgenic animals. Although one of the most effective promoters, the β-actin promoter, has been widely studied in fish species, it still remains unknown in the economical important African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). In this study, the β-actin promoter of African catfish (cgβ-actinP) was cloned and characterized. Read More

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Plant Biology and Systematics, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Research Centre, Bengaluru, 560065, India.

Decalepis salicifolia (Bedd. ex. Hook. Read More

Beilstein J Org Chem 2021 31;17:762-770. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400 076, India.

Desulfonylative alkylation of -tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles under metal-free conditions leading to β-triazolylenones is reported here. The present study encompasses the synthesis of triazoles with a new substitution pattern in a single step from cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and -tosyl triazole in moderate to high yields. Our synthesis takes place with complete regioselectivity as confirmed by crystallographic analysis which is rationalized by a suitable mechanistic proposal. Read More

Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021 Apr 7;9(1):62. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.

Definitive diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) relies on postmortem finding of disease-associated alpha-synuclein (αSyn) as misfolded protein aggregates in the central nervous system (CNS). The recent development of the real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for ultrasensitive detection of αSyn aggregates has revitalized the diagnostic values of clinically accessible biospecimens, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral tissues. However, the current αSyn RT-QuIC assay platforms vary widely and are thus challenging to implement and standardize the measurements of αSyn across a wide range of biospecimens and in different laboratories. Read More

J Colloid Interface Sci 2021 Mar 24;596:22-33. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Guangxi Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Resource Processing and Process Intensification Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China. Electronic address:

Photocatalytic degradation of multiple organic contaminants has received extensive research attention and rational design of visible-light driven photocatalyst has been considered as an efficient approach. In this study, a visible-light AgO/BiWO heterostructure incorporated reduced graphene oxide (ABW-RGO) composite photocatalyst was prepared through a facile hydrothermal method for the first time and exhibited synergetic degradation behavior for contaminants in aqueous solutions. Under visible light, Tetracycline antibiotics has degraded 95. Read More

GMS J Med Educ 2021 15;38(3):Doc52. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Prüfungsfragen (IMPP), Mainz, Germany.

The German national longitudinal communication curriculum provides medical faculties with orientation for the content of their communication teaching. But its implementation also requires changes in the organization of teaching. However, due to a lack of reports and studies on experiences with the development and implementation of communication curricula, recommendations on the procedure and the use of suitable instruments cannot be provided. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Apr 6;11(1):7552. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Chemistry, PERL-Photonic and Energy Research Laboratory, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 West University Dr, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA.

Due to unique photovoltaic properties, the nanostructured morphologies of TiO on flexible substrate have been studied extensively in the recent years for applications in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Microstructured electrode materials with high surface area can facilitate rapid charge transport and thus improve the light-to-current conversion efficiency. Herein we present an improved photoanode with forest like photoactive TiO hierarchical microstructure using a simple and facile hydrothermal route. Read More

Anal Chem 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Systematic Proteome Research & Bioanalytics, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel 24105, Germany.

Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a technology suitable for bioanalytical applications requiring miniaturized, automated, and multiplexed liquid handling. Its use in LC-MS-based proteomics, however, has so far been limited to qualitative proteome analyses. This is mainly due to the need for detergents that enable facile, reproducible droplet movement, which are compatible with organic solvents commonly used in targeted chemical modifications of peptides. Read More

Chemosphere 2021 Mar 17;278:130318. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China. Electronic address:

Nitrogen (N) application is efficient to enhance phosphorus (P)-phytoextraction efficiency of P-accumulating plants. However, there is little available information on growth, P uptake and physiological changes of P-accumulating plants in high P media with different N application, and that whether the improved growth or P uptake is related with changes of phytohormones and phenols. This study investigated growth, P-accumulating capability, phytohormones and phenols of a mining ecotype (ME) and a non-mining ecotype (NME) of Polygonum hydropiper in high P media (400 mg L) with sufficient N (SN, 50 mg L) and low N (LN, 12. Read More

IEEE Trans Neural Netw Learn Syst 2021 Apr 6;PP. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Efficient modeling of feature interactions underpins supervised learning for nonsequential tasks, characterized by a lack of inherent ordering of features (variables). The brute force approach of learning a parameter for each interaction of every order comes at an exponential computational and memory cost (curse of dimensionality). To alleviate this issue, it has been proposed to implicitly represent the model parameters as a tensor, the order of which is equal to the number of features; for efficiency, it can be further factorized into a compact tensor train (TT) format. Read More

Langmuir 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Catalysts and Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran.

Here, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with numerous hydroxyl groups has been applied as a suitable substrate for efficient formation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with a flower shape (confirmed by electron-scanning microscopy), silver iodide (AgI) nanoparticles, and chlorophyll (Chl), as a natural-based photocatalyst (PVA/ZnO/AgI/Chl). First, an efficient preparation route for the PVA/ZnO/AgI/Chl nanophotocatalyst is presented starting from the extraction of Chl from fresh spinach. Then, the catalytic role of the prepared composite is precisely investigated in degradation of methylene blue (MB). Read More

Clin Oral Investig 2021 Apr 5. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Institute for Biochemistry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany.

Objectives: Topical drug administration is commonly applied to control oral inflammation. However, it requires sufficient drug adherence and a high degree of bioavailability. Here, we tested the hypothesis whether an ester-based core-multishell (CMS) nanocarrier is a suitable nontoxic drug-delivery system that penetrates efficiently to oral mucosal tissues, and thereby, increase the bioavailability of topically applied drugs. Read More

BMC Chem 2021 Apr 5;15(1):24. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Centro de Investigación Y Asistencia en Tecnología Y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco. Av. Normalistas 800 Colinas de La Normal, C.P. 4227, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Phycocyanin is a blue natural food colorant with multiple health benefits. Here we propose an efficient phycocyanin extraction method from Arthrospira platensis from Mexico. Three extraction methods were applied to optimize the extraction process, using water and buffer as solvents, with three pH values at two agitation times. Read More

Opt Express 2021 Mar;29(6):9324-9331

Vanadium dioxide (VO) emerges as an attractive plasmonic material due to its unique reversible thermal-responsive phase transition and the promising application in energy-saving smart windows. Here, by optimizing the geometry of VO nano-cylinder arrays, we demonstrate a significant performance enhancement for energy-efficient thermochromic windows. Such a performance enhancement relies on the on-off behavior of plasmonic resonance in the extremely high packing density of VO nano-cylinder arrays. Read More

J Colloid Interface Sci 2021 Mar 26;595:98-106. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address:

Exploring high performance photocatalysts is of great importance to relieve the environment pollution issues. In this paper, we introduce a facile antisolvent solvothermal method to synthesize methylammonium lead tribromide perovskite (MAPbBr) nanocrystals and successfully employ them as efficient photocatalysts. Compared to the room temperature synthesized MAPbBr (RT-MAPbBr), the antisolvent solvothermal synthesized MAPbBr (AS-MAPbBr) has multiple outstanding properties, such as improved crystallinity with lower grain boundary density, enhanced light absorption in visible range, suitable band gap of 2. Read More

Environ Pollut 2021 Mar 17;281:116950. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan. Electronic address:

Disinfection is considered as a vital step to ensure the supply of clean and safe drinking water. Various approaches are adopted for this purpose; however, chlorination is highly preferred all over the world. This method is opted owing to its several advantages. Read More

Stat Methods Med Res 2021 Apr 5:962280220988570. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Department of Biostatistics, Tesaro, Waltham, MA, USA.

Log-rank tests have been widely used to compare two survival curves in biomedical research. We describe a unified approach to power and sample size calculation for the unweighted and weighted log-rank tests in superiority, noninferiority and equivalence trials. It is suitable for both time-driven and event-driven trials. Read More