Henan Normal University

About: Henan Normal University is a education organization based out in Xinxiang, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Ionic liquid. The organization has 10863 authors who have published 11077 publications receiving 166773 citations.

Why Only Ionic Liquids with Unsaturated Heterocyclic Cations Can Dissolve Cellulose: A Simulation Study

Abstract: In recent years, ionic liquids (ILs) have become a promising solvent for cellulose pretreatment in biorefinery. However, almost all the ILs that can dissolve cellulose have an unsaturated heterocyclic cationic structure, while the ILs with cations of a saturated ring can hardly dissolve cellulose. To reveal the underlying mechanism, four kinds of ILs composed of unsaturated and saturated cations (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-butylpyridinium, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium, and 1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium) and the acetate anion were explored as the solvents for a cellulose bunch by molecular dynamics simulation. It was shown that the cellulose bunch only dissolved in the ILs containing cations with an unsaturated heterocyclic ring. The reason lies in two aspects. One is the structure factor: the π electron delocalization of the unsaturated heterocyclic ring makes the cation more active to interact with cellulose and provides more space for acetate anions to form hydrogen bonds with cellulose. The other i...

Comprehensive CircRNA expression profile and selection of key CircRNAs during priming phase of rat liver regeneration

Abstract: Rat liver regeneration (LR) proceeds along a process of highly organized and ordered tissue growth in response to the loss or injury of liver tissue, during which many physiological processes may play important roles. The molecular mechanism of hepatocyte proliferation, energy metabolism and substance metabolism during rat LR had been elucidated. Further, the correlation of circular RNA (circRNA) abundance with proliferation has recently been clarified. However, the regulatory capacity of circRNA in rat LR remains a fascinating topic. To investigate the regulatory mechanism of circRNA during priming phase of rat LR, high-throughput RNA sequencing technology was performed to unbiasedly profile the expression of circRNA during priming phase of rat LR. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biological pathway analysis was conducted to predict the functions of differentially expressed circRNAs and their host linear transcripts. Co-expression networks of circRNA-miRNA were constructed based on the correlation analysis between the differentially expressed LR-related circRNAs and the condition of their miRNA binding sites. To excavate the key circRNAs in the early phase of rat LR, we comprehensively evaluated and integrated the relationship of expression level between the circRNAs and the linear transcripts as well as the distribution of miRNA binding sites in circRNA sequences. This paper is the first to employ the comprehensive circRNA expression profile and to investigate circRNA-miRNA interactions during priming phase of rat LR. Two thousand four hundred twelve circRNAs were detected, and 159 circRNAs deriving from 116 host linear transcripts differentially expressed (p < 0.05). Six significantly changed circRNAs during priming phase of rat LR were screened as key circle molecules, and then were validated by qRT-PCR. This study will lay the foundation for revealing the functional roles of circRNAs during rat LR and help solve the remaining clinical problems.

Bioinspired Graphene Oxide Membranes with Dual Transport Mechanisms for Precise Molecular Separation

Abstract: The implementation of membrane technology to replace or combine with energy-intensive cryogenic distillation for precise separation of ethylene/ ethane mixture proves an extremely important yet highly challenging task. Inspired by the hierarchical structure and facilitated gas transport of biological membranes, a highly selective ethylene/ethane separation membrane is explored through the fixation of a silver ion carrier and the impregnation of ionic liquid within 2D nanochannels of graphene oxide laminate, where plenty of ethylene-permeating in-plane nano-wrinkles and ethylene-facilitated plane-to-plane nanochannels are constructed. By virtue of synergistic effects of molecular sieving and carrier-facilitated transport, an unprecedented combination of high ethylene permeance (72.5 GPU) and superhigh ethylene/ethane selectivity (215) is achieved, out-performing currently reported advanced membranes. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations verify a favorable membrane nanostructure for fast and selective transport of ethylene molecules. This bioinspired approach with dual transport mechanisms may open novel avenues to the design of high-performance membranes for precise molecular separation.