This paper shows how oxygen plasma treatment affects the structural, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectral, and spatial orientation changes in single gold nanorods coated with a mesoporous silica shell (AuNRs@SiO2) in comparison with bare AuNRs with the same aspect ratio (AR). Single AuNRs@SiO2 subjected to different plasma treatment times were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and total internal reflection scattering (TIRS) microscopy and spectroscopy. The AR of the single AuNRs without a silica shell was decreased by structural deformation, while their LSPR linewidth was increased with increasing plasma treatment time. In contrast, single AuNRs@SiO2 showed much higher structural and spectral stability due to the silica shell under the energetic plasma treatment. Furthermore, there was no noticeable variation in the three-dimensional (3D) orientations of single AuNR cores in the silica shell before and after the plasma treatment. The results support that no significant structural and spectral changes occur in single AuNRs@SiO2 and that the silica coating enhances the stability of AuNR cores against oxygen plasma treatment. Therefore, fundamental information on the relationship among plasma treatment time, structural change, LSPR damping, and defocused orientation patterns is provided at the single-particle level.A washable perovskite solar cell with high efficiency (over 11%) and outstanding crumpling durability (maintaining 81.2% after 100 cycles crumpling) is demonstrated herein by combining the flexible self-encapsulation method with a waterproof glue coated substrate.The ability to spatiotemporally control the presentation of relevant biomolecules in synthetic culture systems has gained significant attention as researchers strive to recapitulate the endogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro. With the biochemical composition of the ECM constantly in flux, the development of platforms that allow for user-defined control of bioactivity is desired. Here, we reversibly conjugate bioactive molecules to hydrogel-based substrates through supramolecular coiled coil complexes that form between complementary peptides. Our system employs a thiolated peptide for tethering to hydrogel surfaces (T-peptide) through a spatially-controlled photomediated click reaction. The complementary association peptide (A-peptide), containing the bioactive domain, forms a heterodimeric coiled coil complex with the T-peptide. Addition of a disruptor peptide (D-peptide) engineered specifically to target the A-peptide outcompetes the T-peptide for binding, and removes the A-peptide and the attached bioactive motif from the scaffold. We use this platform to demonstrate spatiotemporal control of biomolecule presentation within hydrogel systems in a repeatable process that can be extended to adhesive motifs for cell culture. NIH 3T3 fibroblasts seeded on hyaluronic acid hydrogels and polyethylene glycol-based fibrous substrates supramolecularly functionalized with an RGD motif demonstrated significant cell spreading over their nonfunctionalized counterparts. Upon displacement of the RGD motif, fibroblasts occupied less area and clustured on the substrates. Taken together, this platform enables facile user-defined incorporation and removal of biomolecules in a repeatable process for controlled presentation of bioactivity in engineered culture systems.This study evaluated the anti-obesity effect and intestinal health of obese rats treated with Mucuna pruriens (MP), focusing on food consumption and somatic, biochemical, and histological parameters. A total of 32 adult male Wistar rats were initially randomized into a healthy group (HG, n = 16) which consumed a control diet and an obese group (OG, n = 16) which consumed a cafeteria diet for eight weeks. They were then subdivided into four groups healthy (HG, n = 8); healthy treated with MP (HGMP, n = 8); obese (OG, n = 8); obese treated with MP (OGMP, n = 8), with consumption of their respective diets continuing for another eight weeks; the treated groups received 750 mg kg-1 of MP extract via gavage. Food consumption and body weight were monitored weekly. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed, and feces were collected for bacterial count and quantification of organic acids. The rats were euthanized, their blood was collected for biochemical analysis, organs and adipose tissue for histological analysis and carcasses for body composition. The obsese rats showed a preference for processed meat, stuffed biscuits, popcorn, hot dog sausages, Bologna and ham. The OGMP exhibited lower caloric intake (17%), body weight (14%), fat mass (44%), triglycerides (68%), insulin (58%), leptin (40%), C-reactive protein (75%) and alpha1-glycoprotein acid (62%) and increased HDL (45%) compared to the OG. Moreover, MP reversed changes in liver and adipose tissues induced by obesity and increased counts of lactic acid bacteria and organic acids in feces. The MP treatment demonstrated an anti-obesity effect with improvement in body composition, biochemical profile, and intestinal health of obese rats.The catalytic conversion of crude glycerol to biopropene was investigated.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/pf-04620110.html  A bifunctional Ru-ionic liquid system showed a high tolerance for common crude glycerol impurities like water, salts and methanol. After optimizing both dehydration and olefin selectivity, a 82% biopropene yield (94% selectivity) was obtained directly from industrial waste glycerol.A trinuclear strontium hydride [(Me4TACD)3Sr3(μ2-H)4(thf)][B(C6H3-3,5-Me2)4]2 (Me4TACD = 1,4,7,10-tetramethyltetraazacyclododecane) and a mixed calcium strontium hydride [(Me4TACD)2CaSr(μ-H)2(thf)][B(C6H3-3,5-Me2)4]2 were isolated by hydrogenolysis of cationic benzyl precursors. A solution of [(Me4TACD)2CaSr(μ-H)2(thf)][B(C6H3-3,5-Me2)4]2 shows hydride ligand exchange between calcium and strontium centers and higher affinity of the hydride ligand toward calcium.Metal chloride-intercalated graphite intercalation compounds (MC-GICs) show a perfect sandwich structure with high electronic conductivity and chemical stability, but there are few applications for MC-GICs in anode materials of sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, we selected a splendid host microcrystalline graphite (MG) to synthesize an AlCl3 intercalated MG intercalation compound (AlCl3-MGIC) anode material and demonstrated that it is suitable for SIBs via electrolyte optimization. The AlCl3-MGIC electrode is primarily compared in four electrolytes. Sodium storage is proposed for co-intercalation and conversion reactions by simultaneously selecting a compatible NaPF6/diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DEGDME) electrolyte. As a result, the AlCl3-MGIC anode delivers a specific capacity of 202 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.2 A g-1 after 100 cycles and still exhibits a satisfactory capacity of 198 mA h g-1 after 900 cycles. Density functional theory calculations further illustrate that DEGDME solvent molecules offer moderate adsorption energy to sodium ions that guarantees structure stabilization of GICs during repeated cycling.