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Three new cadmium compounds, [Cd(2,4'-bpdc)(bib)(0.5)] (1; 2,4'-bpdc = biphenyl-2,4'-dicarboxylate and bib = 1,4-bis(2-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)butane), {[Cd(2)(3,4'-bpdc)(2)(bib)(1.5)(H(2)O)](n)·H(2)O}(n) (2; 3,4'-bpdc = biphenyl-3,4'-dicarboxylate), and [Cd (4,4'-bpdc)(bib)] (3; 4,4'-bpdc = biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate), have been successfully synthesized by the assembly of Cd(2+) ions, bib ligands, and isomeric bpdc ligands, respectively. This paper presents a comparative study on the tuning of structural topologies using three isomers of biphenyldicarboxylates as bridging ligands. Compound 1 based on 2,4'-bpdc features a three-dimensional (3D) framework with 6-connected mab topology. Compound 2 based on 3,4'-bpdc is another 3D framework, but it possesses a rare 3-fold interpenetrating 4,6-connected fsh net, while compound 3 based on linear 4,4'-bpdc shows unusual 2D → 3D parallel polycatenation of (4,4) layers. Furthermore, the luminescent properties of three compounds are investigated in the solid state.

Previous studies have suggested that the Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria strain could be effective in ulcerative colitis (UC) management. However, its effects are strain-specific and the related mechanisms for its attenuating effects on UC remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for the protective effect of L. plantarum on UC. Firstly, 15 L. plantarum strains were screened for potential probiotic characteristics with good tolerance to simulated human gastrointestinal transit and adhesion. Secondly, the inflammatory response of selected strains to the Caco-2 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was measured. Finally, an in vivo mouse model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to assess the beneficial effects and likely action mechanisms the successfully screened in vitro strain, L. plantarum L15. In vitro results showed that L. plantarum L15 possessed the highest gastrointestinal transit tolerance, adhesion and reduction of pro-inflammatory abilities compared to the other screened strains. In vivo , high dose of L. plantarum L15 supplementation increased the body weight, colon length and anti-inflammatory cytokine production. Pro-inflammatory cytokine production, disease activity index (DAI) levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) parameters decreased using this strain. In addition, L. plantarum L15 alleviated the histopathological changes in colon, modulated the gut microbiota, and decreased LPS secretion. The activities of this strain down-regulated the expression of TLR4 and MyD88 genes as well as genes associated with NF-κB signaling pathway. Our findings present L. plantarum L15 as a new probiotic, with promising application for UC management.

The discovery of efficient electromagnetic wave absorbing materials for solving serious electromagnetic wave pollution is an urgent task. By rational design and assembly, a new three-dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF, CPT-1-Co) with the Co ions was constructed and employed as the precursor for the fabrication of Co/C composites via pyrolysis at high temperatures. The resultant Co/C composite pyrolyzed at 700 °C can absorb more than 90% of an EM wave at 2–18 GHz by the alternation of fabrication thickness. The effective absorption bandwidth can reach as high as 5.4 GHz at a thin thickness of 1.7 mm, which is superior to that of most EM wave absorbers. The bottom-up protocol in this report represents the first attempt to pyrolyze a new MOF for microwave absorber fabrication, which will provide valuable insight for designing more advanced MOFs and their applications in efficient electromagnetic wave absorption.

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Effects of hydrocolloids such as Sodium polyacrylate, xanthan gum and sodium alginate on the energy consumption and quality of frozen cooked noodles were investigated. Results showed that gelatinization temperature (GT) shortened significantly and texture properties (hardness, firmness, break strength) of frozen cooked noodle were significantly improved by adding different hydrocolloid additives (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences of glass-transition temperature between hydrocolloid fortified and non fortified frozen cooked noodles. Moreover, the hydrocolloids improved quality of cooked noodle and increased energy consumption, however, xanthan gum showed the best results. The optimized constituents were: sodium polyacrylate 0.13 %, xanthan gum 0.86 %, sodium alginate 0.18 % with predicted sensory scores of 90.30. The study showed that hydrocolloids could be used as modifying agents in frozen cooked noodle process.

The purpose of this study was to optimize the total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of acidified water extract from blue honeysuckle berries by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized conditions were HCl concentration of 0.35%, liquid–solid ratio of 49.42 ml/g, and extraction temperature of 41.56°C for total anthocyanin content (24.01 ± 0.37 mg/g), total phenolic content (207.03 ± 3.31 mg/g), DPPH radical scavenging activity (68.24 ± 1.13%), and ABTS radical scavenging activity (70.05 ± 0.84%). The experimental results are consistent with the predicted values. The results showed that acidified water extraction was an effective, simple, and green technique for the extraction of total anthocyanins, total phenol, and antioxidant activity from blue honeysuckle berries.