Four new norsesquiterpene peroxides, named talaperoxides A-D (1-4), as well as one known analogue, steperoxide B (5, or merulin A), have been isolated from a mangrove endophytic fungus, Talaromyces flavus. Their structures were elucidated mainly by 1D and 2D NMR. Structures of 1, 2, and 5 were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and their absolute configurations were also determined using copper radiation. Cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-5 were evaluated in vitro against human cancer cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-435, HepG2, HeLa, and PC-3. Compounds 2 and 4 showed cytotoxicity against the five human cancer cell lines with IC50 values between 0.70 and 2.78 μg/mL.

A pair of unusual benzannulated 6,6-spiroketal enantiomers [(-)-1 and (+)-1] and three new biogenetically related compounds (2-4), together with two known related analogues (5 and 6), have been isolated from a mangrove fungus, Penicillium dipodomyicola HN4-3A. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR data) and X-ray crystallography. The absolute configurations of enantiomers (-)-1 and (+)-1 were determined using quantum chemical calculations of the electronic circular dichroic (ECD) spectra. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B (MptpB) with IC50 values of 0.16±0.02 and 1.37±0.05 μM, respectively.

Is it possible to achieve molecules with starlike structures by replacing the H atoms in (CH)(n)(q) aromatic hydrocarbons with aluminum atoms in bridging positions? Although D(4h) C(4)Al(4)(2-) and D(2) C(6)Al(6) are not good prospects for experimental realization, a very extensive computational survey of fifty C(5)Al(5)(-) isomers identified the starlike D(5h) global minimum with five planar tetracoordinate carbon atoms to be a promising candidate for detection by photoelectron detachment spectroscopy. BOMD (Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics) simulations and high-level theoretical computations verified this conclusion. The combination of favorable electronic and geometric structural features (including aromaticity and optimum C-Al-C bridge bonding) stabilizes the C(5)Al(5)(-) star preferentially.

Sandwich structures consisting of aluminium skin sheets and polymethacrylimide foam core have been gradually used in the high‐speed trains. The static mechanical properties and fatigue damage of the sandwich structures with polymethacrylimide foam core were experimented in three‐point bending and were discussed. The failure mode is identified as local indentation. The static strength was obtained, and it showed good consistency with the forecasting formula. The fatigue property and damage evolution were also researched under cyclic loading. The fatigue life curve and the fitting formula were submitted. The fatigue damage evolution started from the skin sheet fracture and then the foam core indentation. The displacement at the midpoint as the damage parameter was discussed, and the evolution prediction formula was submitted, which showed great agreement with the experimental results.

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