Production and Evaluation of Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1 Immunogenicity as an Fc Fusion Recombinant Multi-Stage Vaccine Candidate Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

An urgent need is to introduce an effective vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. In the present study, a multi-stage M.tb immunodominant Fcγ1 fusion protein (Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1) was designed and produced, and the immunogenicity of purified protein was evaluated. This recombinant fusion protein was produced in the Pichia pastoris expression system. The HiTrap-rPA column affinity chromatography purified and confirmed the fusion protein using ELISA and Western blotting methods. The co-localisation assay was used to confirm its proper folding and function. IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-4, and TGF-ß expression in C57BL/6 mice then evaluated the immunogenicity of the construct in the presence and absence of BCG. After expression optimisation, medium-scale production and the Western blotting test confirmed suitable production of Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1. The co-localisation results on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) showed that Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1 properly folded and bound to hFcγRI. This strong co-localisation with its receptor can confirm inducing proper Th1 responses. The in vivo immunisation assay showed no difference in the expression of IL-4 but a substantial increase in the expression of IFN-γ and IL-12 (P ≤ 0.02) and a moderate increase in TGF-ß (P = 0.05). In vivo immunisation assay revealed that Th1-inducing pathways have been stimulated, as IFN-γ and IL-12 strongly, and TGF-ß expression moderately increased in Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1 group and Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1+BCG. Furthermore, the production of IFN-γ from splenocytes in the Ag85B:HspX:hFcγ1 group was enormously higher than in other treatments. Therefore, this Fc fusion protein can make a selective multi-stage delivery system for inducing appropriate Th1 responses and is used as a subunit vaccine alone or in combination with others.

CTLA-4 Blockade of Natural Killer Cells Increases Cytotoxicity against Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia Cells Neda.

OBJECTIVE: There is interest in using cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) immunotherapy to treat blood cancers. Unfortunately, patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) frequently exhibit resistance to treatment and natural killer (NK) cell exhaustion. This study aims to increase the cytotoxic potency of natural killer cells by using CTLA-4 to block the Nalm-6 leukaemia cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, NK cells were purified from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 healthy people and assessed by flow cytometry for purity and viability. The purified cells were activated overnight at 37°C and 5% CO2 with interleukin-15 (IL-15, 10 ng/ml) followed by evaluation of expressions of CTLA-4, activating and inhibitory receptors, and the release of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and granzyme B (GZM B). CTLA-4 expression on NK cells from recurrent ALL patients was also evaluated. Finally, the cytotoxic activity of NK cells was assessed after the CTLA-4 blockade. RESULTS: The purity of the isolated cells was 96.58 ± 2.57%. Isolated NK cells activated with IL-15 resulted in significantly higher CTLA-4 expression (8.75%, P<0.05). Similarly, CTLA-4 expression on the surface of NK cells from patients with ALL was higher (7.46%) compared to healthy individuals (1.46%, P<0.05). IL-15 reduced NKG2A expression (P<0.01), and increased expressions of NKP30 (P<0.05) and NKP46 (P<0.01). The activated NK cells released more IFN-γ (P<0.5) and GZM B (P<0.01) compared to unactivated NK cells. Blockade of CTLA-4 enhanced the NK cell killing potential against Nalm-6 cells (56.3%, P<0.05); however, IFN-γ and GZM B levels were not statistically different between the blocked and non-blocked groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that CTLA-4 blockage of Nalm-6 cells causes an increase in antitumour activity of NK cells against these cells. Our study also provides evidence for the potential of cancer immunotherapy treatment using blocking anti-CTLA-4 mAbs.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogel based on natural polymers for breast cancer.

Aims: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in both high- and low-resource settings. Conventional breast cancer therapies were inefficient and had low patient compliance. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels possessing similar physicochemical features as soft tissue facilitate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for breast cancer subtypes. Scope: Polysaccharides and polypeptides are major natural polymers with unique biocompatibility, biodegradability, and feasible modification approaches utilized frequently for hydrogel fabrication. Alternating the natural polymer-based hydrogel properties in response to external stimuli such as pH, temperature, light, ultrasonic, enzyme, glucose, magnetic, redox, and electric have provided great potential for the evolution of novel drug delivery systems (DDSs) and various advanced technologies in medical applications. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are triggered by specific cancer tissue features, promote target delivery techniques, and modify release therapeutic agents at localized sites. This narrative review presented innovation in preparing and characterizing the most common stimuli-responsive natural polymer-based hydrogels for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the breast cancer area. Conclusion: Stimuli-responsive hydrogels display bioinspiration products as DDSs for breast cancer subtypes, protect the shape of breast tissue, provide modified drug release, enhance therapeutic efficacy, and minimize chemotherapy agents' side effects. The potential benefits of smart natural polymer-based hydrogels make them an exciting area of practice for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Biosynthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Chlorella vulgaris Biomass against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens.

The rampant increase in antibiotic resistance has created a global barrier to the treatment of multidrug-resistant infections. Biogenic synthesis of nanomaterials is a novel approach to producing nanostructures with biological resources. Algae are known to be clean, nontoxic, cost-beneficial, and environmentally acceptable. Chlorella vulgaris is a popular microalga for its broad applications in food, supplements, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In this study, we used Chlorella vulgaris biomass lyophilized powder as our green resource for the biosynthesis ZnONPs. Chlorella vulgaris culture was harvested at the end of the logarithmic phase, and the biomass was lyophilized. ZnONPs were synthesized using lyophilized biomass and 20 mM zinc acetate dihydrate at a temperature of 70 °C and continuous stirring in a water bath overnight. At the end of the reaction, UV-Vis absorption of colloidal suspension proved the synthesis of ZnONPs. The physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles were analyzed using FTIR, DLS, TEM, and XRD. Based on FTIR spectra. The antibacterial activity of green synthesized nanostructures was evaluated against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The synthesized ZnONPs have oxygen-containing groups on the surface that show the synthesized nanoparticles' stabilization. The Zeta potential was -27.4 mV, and the mean particle size was measured as 33.4 nanometers. Biogenic ZnONPs produced in this method have a notable size distribution and excellent surface energy, which can have vast applications like antimicrobial potential in pharmaceuticals as topical forms. Additionally, in order to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles, we used MRSA and VRE strains and the results showed the anti-MRSA activity at 400 and 625 µg mL-1, respectively. Thus, these biogenic ZnO nanoparticles revealed a substantial antibacterial effect against multidrug-resistant pathogens, associated with several serious systemic infections, and have the potential as an antimicrobial agent for further study.

The negative relationship of dietary inflammatory index and sleeping quality in obese and overweight women.

Background and aims: Substantial evidence have linked low grade inflammation with the pathophysiology of chronic diseases and psychological impairment. An integral component underlying the link is pro-inflammatory diet. While sleeping is another significant contributor, few studies have addressed the relationship between the sleep quality and inflammatory cascade with the dietary quality as a moderator. The current study assesses the relation between inflammatory potential of the diet and sleep quality in Iranian obese and overweight women. Method: A total of 219 obese and overweight adult women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A standard 147-item food-frequency-questionnaire was used to record the dietary intakes; then, the dietary inflammatosry index (DII) was derived from the result-consolidated questionnaires. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was utilized to withdraw the sleep quality and quantity. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) age, body mass index, and PSQI of individuals were 36.49 (8.38) years, 31.04 (4.31) kg/m2, and 5.78(3.55), respectively. Patients in the highest DII quartile were the ones with the higher consumption of pro-inflammatory food, and, ~58% of participants who were in the higher quartile had a sleep disturbance status. Results revealed an inverse relationship between sleep quality and DII in the crude model (ß=-0.17, p=0.01) as well as full-adjusted model (ß=0.24, p<0.001), such that women with higher DII had the poorest sleep quality. Conclusion: Based on the present observational study, obese and overweight females with higher adherence of the anti-inflammatory diet may have better sleeping status.

Modified Spatially Confined Strategy Enabled Mild Growth Kinetics for Facile Growth Management of Atomically-Thin Tungsten Disulfides.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been widely used to produce high quality 2D transitional metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs). However, violent evaporation and large diffusivity discrepancy of metal and chalcogen precursors at elevated temperatures often result in poor regulation on X:M molar ratio (M = Mo, W etc.; X = S, Se, and Te), and thus it is rather challenging to achieve the desired products of 2D TMDCs. Here, a modified spatially confined strategy (MSCS) is utilized to suppress the rising S vapor concentration between two aspectant substrates, upon which the lateral/vertical growth of 2D WS2 can be selectively regulated via proper S:W zones correspond to greatly broadened time/growth windows. An S:W-time (SW-T) growth diagram was thus proposed as a mapping guide for the general understanding of CVD growth of 2D WS2 and the design of growth routes for the desired 2D WS2 . Consequently, a comprehensive growth management of atomically thin WS2 is achieved, including the versatile controls of domain size, layer number, and lateral/vertical heterostructures (MoS2 -WS2 ). The lateral heterostructures show an enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction performance. This study advances the substantial understanding to the growth kinetics and provides an effective MSCS protocol for growth design and management of 2D TMDCs.

Intuitionistic fuzzy set of Γ -submodules and its application in modeling spread of viral diseases, mutated COVID-n, via flights.

In this study, we generalize fuzzy Γ -module, as intuitionistic fuzzy Γ -submodule of Γ -module (IF Γ M), and utilize it for modeling the spread of coronavirus in air travels. Certain fundamental features of intuitionistic fuzzy Γ -submodule are provided, and it is proved that IF Γ M can be considered as a complete lattice. Some elucidatory examples are demonstrated to explain the properties of IF Γ M. The relevance between the upper and lower α -level cut and intuitionistic fuzzy Γ -submodules are presented and the characteristics of upper and lower under image and inverse image of IF Γ M are acquired. It is verified that the image and inverse image of intuitionistic fuzzy Γ -submodule are preserved under the module homomorphism. The obtained IF Γ M is used to model the aerial transition of viral diseases, that is, COVID-n, via flights.

TAX and HBZ: hFc Ɣ 1 proteins as targets for passive immunotherapy.

Objectives: Human T leukemia virus type one (HTLV-1) causes two life-threatening diseases in around five percent of infected subjects, a T cell malignancy and a neurodegenerative disease. TAX and HBZ are the main virulence agents implicated in the manifestation of HTLV-1-associated diseases. Therefore, this study aims to produce these HTLV-1 factors as recombinant Fc fusion proteins to study the structures, their immunogenic properties as vaccines, and their capability to produce specific neutralization antibodies. Materials and Methods: TAX and HBZ sequences were chosen from the NCBI-nucleotide database, then designed as human Fc chimers and cloned into Pichia pastoris. Produced proteins were purified by HiTrap affinity chromatography and subcutaneously injected into rabbits. Rabbit Abs were purified by batch chromatography, and their neutralization activities for the HTLV-1-infected MT-2 cell line were assessed. Furthermore, the protective abilities of recombinant proteins were evaluated in Tax or HBZ immunized rabbits by MT-2 cell line inoculation and measurement of HTLV-1-proviral load. Results: Specific Abs against Tax and HBZ can eliminate 2 million MT-2 cells in 1/1000 dilution in vitro. In challenging assays, the immunization of the animals using Tax or HBZ had no protective activity as HTLV-1 PVL was still positive. Conclusion: The result suggests that recombinant TAX and HBZ: hFcγ1 proteins can produce a proper humoral immune response. Therefore, they could be considered a passive immunotherapy source for HTLV-1-associated diseases, while total TAX and HBZ proteins are unsuitable as HTLV-1 vaccine candidates.

Thermal-Radiation-Driven Ultrafast Crystallization of Perovskite Films Under Heavy Humidity for Efficient Inverted Solar Cells.

Fabricating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in air is conducive to low-cost commercial production; nevertheless, it is rather difficult to achieve comparable device performance as that in an inert atmosphere because of the poor moisture toleration of perovskite materials. Here, the perovskite crystallization process is systematically studied using two-step sequential solution deposition in an inert atmosphere (glovebox) and air. It is found that moisture can stabilize solvation intermediates and prevent their conversion into perovskite crystals. To address this issue, thermal radiation is used to accelerate perovskite crystallization for integrated perovskite films within 10 s in air. The as-formed perovskite films are compact, highly oriented with giant grain size, superior photoelectric properties, and low trap density. When the films are applied to PSC devices, a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.8% is obtained, one of the best results for air-processed inverted PSCs under high relative humidity (60 ± 10%). This work substantially assists understanding and modulation to perovskite crystallization kinetics under heavy humidity. Also, the ultrafast conversion strategy by thermal radiation provides unprecedented opportunities to manufacture high-quality perovskite films for low-temperature, eco-friendly, and air-processed efficient inverted PSCs.

Strategies for Designing High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalysts at Large Current Densities above 1000 mA cm-2.

The depletion of fossil fuels and rapidly increasing environmental concerns have urgently called for the utilization of clean and sustainable sources for future energy supplies. Hydrogen (H2) is recognized as a prioritized green resource with little environmental impact to replace traditional fossil fuels. Electrochemical water splitting has become an important method for large-scale green production of hydrogen. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the cathodic half-reaction of water splitting that can be promoted to produce pure H2 in large quantities by active electrocatalysts. However, the unsatisfactory performance of HER electrocatalysts cannot follow the extensive requirements of industrial-scale applications, including working efficiently and stably over long periods of time at high current densities (⩾1000 mA cm-2). In this review, we study the crucial issues when electrocatalysts work at high current densities and summarize several categories of strategies for the design of high-performance HER electrocatalysts. We also discuss the future challenges and opportunities for the development of HER catalysts.

In Situ Reconstructed Zn doped Fex Ni(1- x ) OOH Catalyst for Efficient and Ultrastable Oxygen Evolution Reaction at High Current Densities.

Developing FeOOH as a robust electrocatalyst for high output oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains challenging due to its low conductivity and dissolvability in alkaline conditions. Herein, it is demonstrated that the robust and high output Zn doped NiOOH-FeOOH (Zn-Fex Ni(1-x) )OOH catalyst can be derived by electro-oxidation-induced reconstruction from the pre-electrocatalyst of Zn modified Ni metal/FeOOH film supported by nickel foam (NF). In situ Raman and ex situ characterizations elucidate that the pre-electrocatalyst undergoes dynamic reconstruction occurring on both the catalyst surface and underneath metal support during the OER process. That involves the Fe dissolution-redeposition and the merge of Zn doped FeOOH with in situ generated NiOOH from NF support and NiZn alloy nanoparticles. Benefiting from the Zn doping and the covalence interaction of FeOOH-NiOOH, the reconstructed electrode shows superior corrosion resistance, and enhanced catalytic activity as well as bonding force at the catalyst-support interface. Together with the feature of superaerophobic surface, the reconstructed electrode only requires an overpotential of 330 mV at a high-current-density of 1000 mA cm-2 and maintains 97% of its initial activity after 1000 h. This work provides an in-depth understanding of electrocatalyst reconstruction during the OER process, which facilitates the design of high-performance OER catalysts.

Bridging the Interfacial Contact for Improved Stability and Efficiency of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have received widespread attention due to their facile fabrication and wide applications. However, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) is reported lower than that of regular PSCs because of the undesirable interfacial contact between perovskite and the hydrophobic hole transport layer (HTL). Here, an interface regulation strategy is proposed to overcome this limitation. A small molecule ([2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl) ethyl] phosphonic acid, abbreviated as 2P), composed of carbazole and phosphonic acid groups, is inserted between perovskite and HTL. Morphological characterization and theoretical calculation reveal that perovskite bonds stronger on 2P-modified HTL than on pristine HTL. The improved interfacial contact facilitates hole extraction and retards degradation. Upon the incorporation of 2P, inverted PSCs deliver a high PCE of over 22% with superior stability, keeping 84.6% of initial efficiency after 7200 h storage under an ambient atmosphere with a relative humidity of ≈30-40%. This strategy provides a simple and efficient way to boost the performance of inverted PSCs.

Doping Free and Amorphous NiOx Film via UV Irradiation for Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

High crystallization and conductivity are always required for inorganic carrier transport materials for cheap and high-performance inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). High temperature and external doping are inevitably introduced and thus greatly hamper the applications of inorganic materials for mass production of flexible and tandem devices. Here, an amorphous and dopant-free inorganic material, Ni3+ -rich NiOx , is reported to be fabricated by a novel UV irradiation strategy, which is facile, easily scaled-up, and energy-saving because all the processing temperatures are below 82 â„ƒ. The as-prepared NiOx film shows highly improved conductivity and hole extraction ability. The rigid and flexible PSCs present the champion efficiencies of 22.45% and 19.7%, respectively. This work fills the gap of preparing metal oxide films at the temperature below 150 °C for inverted PSCs with the high efficiency of >22%. More importantly, this work upgrades the substantial understanding about inorganic materials to function well as efficient carrier transport layers without external doping and high crystallization.

The potential of surface nano-engineering in characteristics of cobalt-based nanoparticles and biointerface interaction with prokaryotic and human cells.

Cobalt-based nanoparticles (CBNPs) have recently received great attention in biomedical studies; however, the possible biotoxicity of these nanoparticles (NPs) has remained a foremost concern that should be addressed. As surface functionalization is one of the helpful proposed solutions, we aimed to apply Lipoamino acids (LAAs) as a coating agent to improve biocompatibility. To this purpose, cobalt oxide, cobalt ferrite, and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) were synthesized with and without 2-amino-hexadecanoic acid coating to assess the impacts of LAA coating on characteristics and biocompatibility of CBNPs in human cells and compare with IONs, a widely used magnetic NPs in biomedicine. Antibacterial activities of NPs were evaluated against four Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria species to assess their biointerface interaction with prokaryotic cells. In addition, the antibacterial activities of synthesized NPs were compared to silver NPs, one of the widely used antimicrobial NPs and standard antibiotics (ampicillin). The structural characteristics properties of NPs were analyzed using TEM, FE-SEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD, and VSM. These NPs exhibited sphere-like to polygon-like morphology with desirable mean size. CBNPs displayed dose-dependent cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities against human cell lines and all tested microbial species, as well as more cytotoxicity and bacterial inhibition compared to IONs. Besides, the results revealed that LAA coating could significantly improve the biocompatibility and antibacterial activity of NPs while impacting magnetic properties. To sum up, it seems that surface functionalization could provide more potent tools for bioapplications with improving biocompatibility and bacterial inhibition of CBNPs, though; further studies are needed in this regard.

Hyper IgE syndromes: A clinical approach.

Hyper IgE syndromes (HIESs) are a group of rare inborn errors of immunity with a triad of eczema, increase susceptibility to sinopulmonary and skin infections with high level of IgE serum. Although most of HIESs are sporadic, hereditary types of these disorders have been studied well. There are several distinct immunodeficiency disorders which are phenotypically similar to HIES, and thus make the diagnosis of HIES challenging. In fact, the diagnosis of HIES is typically based on the clinical suspicion and immunological assessments. There is yet no specific curative treatment for most of HIESs at present, and the treatments are mostly standing on early diagnosis and preventive therapies. For instance, the genetic diagnosis is an important module, while, due to DOCK8 mutations, the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is necessary for patients with autosomal recessive form of HIESs. Herein, we overview HIESs, highlight their peculiar clinical and laboratory features, and finally suggest a practical forthright diagnostic chart for clinical purposes.

Hydrocortisone Long-term Treatment Effect on Immunomodulatory Properties of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells.

Cortisol is secreted in prolonged stress and has therapeutic effects in inflammatory diseases. Considering the immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells, here we investigated the effect of hydrocortisone (HC) long-term treatment on immunomodulatory properties of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (ASCs). Isolated ASCs from healthy subjects were treated with different HC concentrations for 14 days. The effect of HC-treated ASCs on the proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was evaluated in ASCs/2-way mixed leukocyte reaction coculture using 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT)-assay. HC-treated ASCs were further divided into interferon gamma (IFN-γ) stimulated and unstimulated groups. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were measured in culture supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Relative expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), hepatocyte growth factor, indoleamine dioxygenase, and programmed death-ligand 1 genes was assessed by real-time PCR. Levels of TGF-ß1 and COX-2 expression were elevated in unstimulated ASCs, while exposure to high concentration of HC significantly increased TGF-ß1 levels and reduced COX-2 expression. Unstimulated HC-5-µM-treated ASCs increased PBMC proliferation ratio on day 2 of coculture compared to the control group (P = 0.05). In IFN-γ stimulated condition, pretreatment with HC-5 µM resulted in a significantly increased IL-6 and significantly decreased COX-2 expression compared to the HC untreated control group. In conclusion, our results showed various alterations of ASC immunomodulatory related features as a result of long-term exposure of different concentrations of HC. It seems that HC at low concentration pushed the balance toward extended immune response in ASCs, while this observation wasn't persistent in ASCs treated with higher concentrations of HC.

MXene-based cytosensor for the detection of HER2-positive cancer cells using CoFe2O4@Ag magnetic nanohybrids conjugated to the HB5 aptamer.

MXenes are a new class of conductive two-dimensional material which have received growing attention in biosensing for their significant surface area and unique surface chemistry. Here, gold electrodes were modified with MXene nanosheets of about 2 nm thickness and 1.5 µm lateral size for the electrochemical detection of tumor cells. An HB5 aptamer with high selectivity for HER-2 positive cells was immobilized on the MXene layers via electrostatic interactions. To minimize electrode biofouling with blood matrix, magnetic separation of HER-2 positive circulating tumor cells was carried out using CoFe2O4@Ag magnetic nanohybrids bonded to the HB5. The formation of sandwich-like structures between the magnetically captured cells and the functionalized MXene electrodes effectively shields the electron transfer of a redox probe, enabling quantitative cell detection using the change in current. This label-free MXene-based cytosensor platform yielded a wide linear range of 102-106 cells/mL, low detection limit of 47 cells/mL, and good sensitivity and selectivity in the detection of HER2-posetive cells in blood samples. The presented aptacytosensor demonstrates the great potential of using CoFe2O4@Ag magnetic nanohybrids and MXenes to monitor cancer progression via circulating tumor cells in blood at low cost.

Natural vs. Synthetic Phosphate as Efficient Heterogeneous Compounds for Synthesis of Quinoxalines.

Natural phosphate (NP) and synthetic fluorapatite phosphate (SFAP) were proposed as stable, inexpensive, readily available and recyclable catalysts for the condensation of 1,2-diamines with 1,2-dicarbonyls in methanol to afford quinoxaline at room temperature. NP provided as high as 92-99% yield for quinoxalines in short reaction times (i.e., 1-45 min), while SFAP created quinoxalines with 87-97% yield in 60-120 min. From the chemical analyses, X-ray fluoresecency, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy methods, two main phases (CaO, P2O5) appeared in NP together with other low content phases (SiO2, Fe2O3). Compared to other phases, apatite (CaO and P2O5 as Ca10(PO4)6) played a major role in the catalytic activity of NP. SFAP with similar Ca/P atomic ratio showed a relatively lower catalytic activity than NP for the condensation of 1,2-diamine with 1,2-dicarbonyl in methanol at ambient temperature. To investigate the recyclability of catalysts, the surface properties of NP and 6-recycled NP were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda methods. Some differences were observed in NP and 6-recycled NP's particle size, surface area, the volume and size of pores, and the content of elements; nevertheless, the use-reuse process did not noticeably change the catalytic property of NP.

Elevated Plasma Concentrations of Vitamin D-Binding Protein Are Associated with Lower High-Density Lipoprotein and Higher Fat Mass Index in Overweight and Obese Women.

(1) Background: Observational studies have established that vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) concentrations are the major factors affecting the bioavailability of 25(OH)D. It has also been shown that poor 25(OH)D bioavailability elevates the risk of obesity and its related cardio-metabolic disorders. However, the relationship between 25(OH)D and DBP concentrations with cardio-metabolic risk factors in overweight and obese cohorts has not been established. Consequently, we evaluated the association between DBP and 25(OH)D concentrations with lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), and body composition in overweight and obese women. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 236 overweight and obese women, DBP and 25(OH)D concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Body composition was assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis. Lipid profile and BP were assessed by an auto-analyzer and digital BP monitor, respectively. The associations were examined by multivariate logistic regression. (3) Results: The indicated showed an inverse relationship between DBP and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (p = 0.010) concentrations (where individuals with higher DBP had lower HDL) which, after adjusting for possible cofounders, remained significant (p = 0.006). Moreover, DBP concentration was positively associated with fat mass index (FMI) after adjustment (p = 0.022). No significant relationships were observed among 25(OH)D and target variables. (4) Conclusions: In conclusion, lower concentrations of HDL and higher values of FMI are associated with higher concentrations of DBP in overweight and obese women. These findings present novel awareness regarding the association of DBP with some metabolic and body composition variables in overweight and obese women. However, a two-way causal relationship between DBP and target variables should be considered.

Antisolvent Engineering to Optimize Grain Crystallinity and Hole-Blocking Capability of Perovskite Films for High-Performance Photovoltaics.

With potential commercial applications, inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have received wide-spread attentions as they are compatible with tandem devices and processed at low-temperature. Nevertheless, their efficiencies remain unsatisfactory due to insufficient film quality on hydrophobic hole transport layer and limited hole-blocking capability of the electron transport layer. Herein, 1,3,5-Tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)benzene (TPBi), an n-type semiconductor, is incorporated into the antisolvent to simultaneously regulate the grain growth and charge transport of perovskite films. TPBi facilitates the crystallization of perovskites along (100) orientation. Besides, TPBi is mainly distributed near the top surface of perovskite film and enhances the hole-blocking capability of the area adjacent to the surface. The superior properties of this film lead to a remarkable improvement in the open-circuit voltage of inverted PSCs. The champion device achieves a high power conversion efficiency of 21.79% while keeping ≈92% of its initial value after 1000 h storage in the ambient atmosphere. This work provides an effective way to evidently promote the performance of inverted PSCs and illustrates its underlaying mechanism.