Search

Background: The preservation of autophagosome formation presents a promising strategy for tackling neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAM) serve not only as a focal point linked to various neurological disorders but also play a crucial role in supporting the biogenesis of autophagosomes., Purpose: This investigation aimed to elucidate the neuroprotective properties of phillyrin against PD and its underlying mechanisms in promoting autophagosome formation., Methods: ER and mitochondria co-localization was assessed via fluorescent staining. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) fluorescence was employed to quantify accessible cardiolipin (CL) on mitochondrial surfaces. The levels of CL within the MAM fraction of SH-SY5Y cells were evaluated using a CL probe assay kit. Monodansylcadaverine staining was utilized to detect autophagosome formation in SH-SY5Y cells. In an A53T-alpha-synuclein (αSyn)-induced PD mouse model, the anti-PD properties of phillyrin were assessed using open field, pole climbing, and rotarod tests, as well as immunohistochemistry staining of TH + neurons in the brain sections., Results: In A53T-αSyn-treated SH-SY5Y cells, phillyrin facilitated autophagosome formation by suppressing CL externalization and restoring MAM integrity. Phillyrin enhanced the localization of receptor expression-enhancing protein 1 (REEP1) within MAM and mitochondria, bolstering MAM formation. Increased REEP1 levels in mitochondria, attributed to phillyrin, enhanced the interaction between REEP1 and NDPK-D, thereby reducing CL externalization. Furthermore, phillyrin exhibited a dose-dependent enhancement of motor function in mice, accompanied by an increase in the abundance of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra., Conclusions: These findings illuminate phillyrin's ability to enhance MAM formation through upregulation of REEP1 expression within MAM, while concurrently attenuating CL externalization via the REEP1-NDPK-D interaction. These mechanisms bolster autophagosome biogenesis, offering resilience against A53T-αSyn-induced PD. Thus, our study advances the understanding of phillyrin's complex mechanisms and underscores its potential as a therapeutic approach for PD, opening new avenues in natural product pharmacology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Alcohol liver disease has become a worldwide critical health problem. The ingested alcohol could be converted into acetaldehyde or combined with free fatty acids to induce the endoplasmic reticulum oxidative stress in the liver. Coincidentally, AKR7A5 has both aldehyde detoxification and antioxidant effects. Therefore, we discuss the possible role and mechanism of AKR7A5 in the acute alcohol injury of mice liver. There were four experiment groups, the C57BL/6 mice of wild-type mice (WT) or AKR7A5-/- mice (KO) were intragastrically administrated with saline or 50% ethanol at 14 mL/kg, respectively. Compared to the WT + alcohol group, abnormal liver function, disordered hepatic cord, severe congestion in the hepatic sinus and the space of the hepatic cord, occurrence of oxidative stress, DNA damage and different expressions of apoptosis-related proteins were detected in the KO + alcohol group. Meanwhile, the biological process enrichment analysis showed that the down-regulated proteins were related to the metabolism of fatty acid, the up-regulated proteins positive regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolic process, negative regulation of coagulation and haemostasis. In conclusion, single ethanol binge combined with the absence of AKR7A5 caused more severe inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis of endogenous pathways, abnormal lipids metabolism and disordered coagulation in mice liver., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies. Currently, chemoradiotherapy is the primary clinical treatment approach for OC; however, it has severe side effects and a high rate of recurrence. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop innovative therapeutic options. Paeoniflorigenone (PFG) is a monoterpene compound isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Paeoniae Radix Rubra. PFG can inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells; however, its anticancer activity against OC has yet to be elucidated. Mucin 1 (MUC1) is highly expressed in various malignant tumors, and is associated with tumor proliferation, metastasis and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, MUC1 affects numerous signaling pathways in tumor cells. In order to develop a possible treatment approach for metastatic OC, the antitumor activity of PFG in OC cells was investigated using Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, Edu assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay and western blot analysis. In addition, it was assessed how PFG affects MUC1 expression and function. The experiments revealed that PFG significantly inhibited OC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. PFG also induced S‑phase cell cycle arrest in OC cells. Furthermore, PFG inhibited MUC1 promoter activity, which led to a decrease in MUC1 protein expression. By contrast, MUC1 promoted OC progression, including cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and cell migration. Stable knockdown of MUC1 in OC cells improved the ability of PFG to block the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway, and to limit tumor cell invasion and migration, whereas MUC1 overexpression partially counteracted the antitumor effects of PFG. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that PFG may inhibit the MUC1/Wnt/β‑catenin pathway to induce anti‑metastatic, anti‑invasive and anti‑EMT effects on OC. Notably, MUC1 may be a direct target of PFG. Thus, PFG holds promise as a specific antitumor agent for the treatment of OC.

Cu-SSZ-13 has been commercialized for selective catalytic reduction with ammonia (NH 3 -SCR) to remove NO x from diesel exhaust. As its synthesis usually requires toxic and costly organic templates, the discovery of alternative Cu-based zeolite catalysts with organotemplate-free synthesis and comparable or even superior NH 3 -SCR activity to that of Cu-SSZ-13 is of great academic and industrial significance. Herein, we demonstrated that Cu-T with an intergrowth structure of offretite ( OFF ) and erionite ( ERI ) synthesized by an organotemplate-free method showed better catalytic performance than Cu-ERI and Cu-OFF as well as Cu-SSZ-13. Structure characterizations and density functional theory calculations indicated that the intergrowth structure promoted more isolated Cu 2+ located at the 6MR of the intergrowth interface, resulting in a better hydrothermal stability of Cu-T than Cu-ERI and Cu-OFF. Strikingly, the low-temperature activity of Cu-T significantly increased after hydrothermal aging, while that of Cu-ERI and Cu-OFF substantially decreased. Based on in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra analysis and density functional theory calculations, the reason can be attributed to the fact that NH 4 NO 3 formed on the Cu x O y species within ERI polymorph of Cu-T underwent a fast SCR reaction pathway with the assistance of Brønsted acid sites at the intergrowth interfaces under standard SCR reaction conditions. Significantly, Cu-T exhibited a wider temperature window at a catalytic activity of over 90% than Cu-SSZ-13 (175-550 vs 175-500 °C for fresh and 225-500 vs 250-400 °C for hydrothermal treatment). This work provides a new direction for the design of high-performance NH 3 -SCR catalysts in terms of the interplay of the intergrowth structure of zeolites.

Inner ear hair cells are characterized by the F-actin-based stereocilia that are arranged into a staircase-like pattern on the apical surface of each hair cell. The tips of shorter-row stereocilia are connected with the shafts of their neighboring taller-row stereocilia through extracellular links named tip links, which gate mechano-electrical transduction (MET) channels in hair cells. Cadherin 23 (CDH23) forms the upper part of tip links, and its cytoplasmic tail is inserted into the so-called upper tip-link density (UTLD) that contains other proteins such as harmonin. The Cdh23 gene is composed of 69 exons, and we show here that exon 68 is subjected to hair cell-specific alternative splicing. Tip-link formation is not affected in genetically modified mutant mice lacking Cdh23 exon 68. Instead, the stability of tip links is compromised in the mutants, which also suffer from progressive and noise-induced hearing loss. Moreover, we show that the cytoplasmic tail of CDH23(+68) but not CDH23(-68) cooperates with harmonin in phase separation-mediated condensate formation. In conclusion, our work provides evidence that inclusion of Cdh23 exon 68 is critical for the stability of tip links through regulating condensate formation of UTLD components., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:Author U.M. and Editor J.N. are at the same institution but have not collaborated directly.

In this work, to promote the separation of photogenerated carriers, prevent the catalyst from photo-corrosion, and improve the photo-Fenton synergistic degradation of organic pollutants, the coating structure of FeOOH/BiO 2-x rich in oxygen vacancies was successfully synthesized by a facile and environmentally friendly two-step process of hydrothermal and chemical deposition. Through a series of degradation activity tests of synthesized materials under different conditions, it was found that FeOOH/BiO 2-x demonstrated outstanding organic pollutant degradation activity under visible and near-infrared light when hydrogen peroxide was added. After 90 min of reaction under photo-Fenton conditions, the degradation rate of Methylene Blue by FeOOH/BiO 2-x was 87.4%, significantly higher than the degradation efficiency under photocatalysis (60.3%) and Fenton (49.0%) conditions. The apparent rate constants of FeOOH/BiO 2-x under photo-Fenton conditions were 2.33 times and 3.32 times higher than photocatalysis and Fenton catalysis, respectively. The amorphous FeOOH was tightly coated on the layered BiO 2-x , which significantly increased the specific surface area and the number of active sites of the composites, and facilitated the improvement of the separation efficiency of the photogenerated carriers and the prevention of photo-corrosion of BiO 2-x . The analysis of the mechanism of photo-Fenton synergistic degradation clarified that ·OH, h + , and ·O 2 - are the main active substances involved in the degradation of pollutants. The optimal degradation conditions were the addition of the FeOOH/BiO 2-x composite catalyst loaded with 20% Fe at a concentration of 0.5 g/L, the addition of hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 8 mM, and an initial pH of 4. This outstanding catalytic system offers a fresh approach to the creation and processing of iron-based photo-Fenton catalysts by quickly and efficiently degrading various organic contaminants.

Introduction: Lower limb venous anomalies, including duplicated veins, are common and have significant impacts on the outcomes and efficacy of venous surgery. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) guided venography, serving as the tertiary diagnostic option for venous disorders, offers valuable informations to clinical practitioners., Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 195 patients with suspected venous disease, evaluating 259 limbs with venography imaging. Two experienced interventional vascularists evaluated the images to determine the incidence and characteristics of variances in the femoral, popliteal, great saphenous, and small saphenous veins. Moreover, blood samples were collected to assess the safety of the venography procedure by monitoring changes in renal function., Result: Duplication variations were found in the lower limb veins, with the highest prevalence in the femoral vein (11.28%, 22/195), followed by the great saphenous vein (4.1%, 8/195), and the popliteal vein (1.54%, 3/195). No severe contrast agent allergies or postoperative complications were reported. No statistically significant differences were found in creatinine and urea levels pre- and post-operation for patients without duplication variations, those with duplication of the great saphenous, femoral, or popliteal vein ( P < .05)., Conclusion: DSA-guided venography is effective in identifying venous variations in lower limb disease. DFV is the most common recurrent vein, while DPV is the least. Adequate preparation ensures safety, high spatial resolution, dynamic imaging, and low tissue interference., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

A triterpenoid isolated from the plant Hedera helix, hederagenin was discovered to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and anti-fibrosis properties both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, the relationship between mitochondrial fission and hederagenin-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer (OC) was investigated and the underlying mechanisms were deciphered. Hederagenin's cytotoxicity on OC cells was analyzed using colony formation and CCK-8 assays. The effect of hederagenin on OC cells was also verified by a mouse xenograft tumor model. Flow cytometric analysis was conducted to examine hederagenin's effects on mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, and cell cycle OC cells. MitoTracker Red (CMXRos) staining was performed to observe the mitochondrial morphology. The protein levels of Bak, Bcl-2, Caspase 3, Caspase 9, Cyclin D1 and Bax were measured by Western blot. This study found that hederagenin could suppress the in vivo and in vitro SKOV3 and A2780 cell proliferation in an effective manner. Besides, hederagenin altered the mitochondrial membrane potential, induced S-phase and G0/G1-phase arrest, mitochondrial morphology changes, and apoptosis in OC cells. Additionally, our findings further demonstrated that hederagenin changed the mitochondrial morphology by suppressing dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a crucial mitochondrial division factor. Moreover, Drp1 overexpression could reverse hederagenin-induced apoptosis, whereas the Drp1 knockdown had the opposite effect. Furthermore, hederagenin may trigger BAX mitochondrial translocation and apoptosis in OC cells. These results provided a novel perspective on the relationship between the modulation of mitochondrial morphology and the suppression of ovarian cancer by hederagenin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

N 2 O is a common byproduct in the selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia, and its generation often needs to be inhibited due to its strong greenhouse effect. In this paper, using Ag/ZSO-Y as a model catalyst, the N 2 O selectivity was reduced by 30% through modulation of the electron metal-support interaction. The results demonstrate that the work function of the support can be regulated by the content of the doping element. As the Zr content increases in SnO 2 , the work function of the support decreases. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between the charge transfer amount and the work function of the support. A series of in situ DRIFTS and density functional theory calculations revealed that the -NO and -N reactions are the primary pathways for N 2 O formation. By adjustment of the work function of the support through varying the Zr doping level, the electronic structure of Ag NPs was further tuned, resulting in an increased reaction energy barrier for -NO and -N reactions, effectively suppressing N 2 O formation.

Chromium (Cr) is released into the environment through anthropogenic activities and has gained significant attention in the recent decade as environmental pollution. Its contamination has adverse effects on human health and the environment e.g. decreases soil fertility, alters microbial activity, and reduces plant growth. It can occur in different oxidation states, with Cr(VI) being the most toxic form. Cr contamination is a significant environmental and health issue, and phytoremediation offers a promising technology for remediating Cr-contaminated soils. Globally, over 400 hyperaccumulator plant species from 45 families have been identified which have the potential to remediate Cr-contaminated soils through phytoremediation. Phytoremediation can be achieved through various mechanisms, such as phytoextraction, phytovolatilization, phytodegradation, phytostabilization, phytostimulation, and rhizofiltration. Understanding the sources and impacts of Cr contamination, as well as the factors affecting Cr uptake in plants and remediation techniques such as phytoremediation and mechanisms behind it, is crucial for the development of effective phytoremediation strategies. Overall, phytoremediation offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to the problem of Cr pollution. Further research is needed to identify plant species that are more efficient at accumulating Cr and to optimize phytoremediation methods for specific environmental conditions. With continued research and development, phytoremediation has the potential to become a widely adopted technique for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microalgae are emerging as a promising source for augmenting the supply of essential products to meet global demands in an environmentally sustainable manner. Despite the potential benefits of microalgae in industry, the high energy consumption for harvesting remains a significant obstacle. This review offers a comprehensive overview of microalgae harvesting technologies and their industrial applications, with particular emphasis on the latest advances in flocculation techniques. These cutting-edge methods have been applied to biodiesel production, food and nutraceutical processing, and wastewater treatment. Large-scale harvesting is still severely impeded by the high cost despite progress has been made in laboratory studies. In the future, cost-effective microalgal harvesting will rely on efficient resource utilization, including the use of waste materials and the reuse of media and flocculants. Additionally, precise regulation of biological metabolism will be necessary to overcome algal species-related limitations through the development of extracellular polymeric substance-induced flocculation technology., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microporous zeolites that can act as heterogeneous catalysts have continued to attract a great deal of academic and industrial interest, but current progress in their synthesis and application is restricted to single-phase zeolites, severely underestimating the potential of intergrowth frameworks. Compared with single-phase zeolites, intergrowth zeolites possess unique properties, such as different diffusion pathways and molecular confinement, or special crystalline pore environments for binding metal active sites. This review first focuses on the structural features and synthetic details of all the intergrowth zeolites, especially providing some insightful discussion of several potential frameworks. Subsequently, characterization methods for intergrowth zeolites are introduced, and highlighting fundamental features of these crystals. Then, the applications of intergrowth zeolites in several of the most active areas of catalysis are presented, including selective catalytic reduction of NOx by ammonia (NH 3 -SCR), methanol to olefins (MTO), petrochemicals and refining, fine chemicals production, and biomass conversion on Beta, and the relationship between structure and catalytic activity was profiled from the perspective of intergrowth grain boundary structure. Finally, the synthesis, characterization, and catalysis of intergrowth zeolites are summarized in a comprehensive discussion, and a brief outlook on the current challenges and future directions of intergrowth zeolites is indicated.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the main subtype of lung cancer. The role of hPCL3 isoforms, hPCL3S and hPCL3L, remains ambiguous. This study examines the functional implications of these isoforms in NSCLC, using lung cancer cell lines A549 and NCI-H226c for in vivo and in vitro analyses. The results indicate that elevated expression of both hPCL3S and hPCL3L correlates with diminished overall survival, although only hPCL3S levels are augmented in clinical NSCLC specimens. Inhibition of either isoform leads to reduced cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, with hPCL3S knockdown displaying superior effectiveness. Moreover, the findings reveal that TRIM21 interacts with both isoforms and mediates hPCL3S degradation through K48-linked ubiquitination in NSCLC cells. Conversely, TRIM21 does not facilitate hPCL3L degradation, despite forming K63-linked polyubiquitin chains. These observations highlight the divergent roles of hPCL3 isoforms in NSCLC and underscore the potential therapeutic value of targeting hPCL3S., (© 2023 Xu et al.)

Exercise has profound but variable effects on the immune system. However, only limited information exists about the changes of exercise-induced gene expression in whole immune cells. The aim of this study is to unravel the potential molecular changes of genes which are related to immunity after exercise. The raw expression data and corresponding clinical of GSE18966 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed genes between control group and treat groups were performed by in-house developed perl scripts. A total of 83 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (|log2 FC|> 1, FDR < 0.05) were identified between control and treat group 1 (0 h after exercise), 128 DEGs (|log2 FC|> 1, FDR < 0.05) between control and treat group 2 (4 h after exercise), and there was no significant difference between control and treat group 3 (20 h after exercise). Next, we identified 51 overlapping genes between treat group 1 (0 h after exercise) and treat group 2 (4 h after exercise) using Venn analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.2, and nine hub genes (S100A12, FCGR3B, FPR1, VNN2, AQP9, MMP9, OSM, NCF4, HP) were identified. Finally, 9 hub genes were identified as the potential biomarkers of exercise using validation set (GSE83578) verification analysis. These hub genes might serve as potential molecular targets of monitoring exercise and training processes in the further., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) harm the environment and human health and have been of wide concern and purified efficiently by catalytic oxidation. Spinel oxides, mainly composed of transition metal elements with low price and extensive sources, have been widely investigated as efficient and stable catalysts for VOCs oxidation due to their adjustable element composition, flexible structure, and high thermal/chemical stability. However, it is necessary to dissect the design of the spinel in a targeted way to satisfy the removal of different types of VOCs. This article systematically summarizes the recent advances regarding the application of spinel oxides for VOCs catalytic oxidation. Specifically, the design strategies of spinel oxides were first introduced to clarify their effect on the structure and properties of the catalyst. Then the reaction mechanism and degradation pathway of different kinds of VOCs on the spinel oxides were in detail summarized, and the characteristic requirements of the spinel oxides for various VOCs purification were analyzed. Furthermore, the practice applications were also discussed. Finally, the prospects were proposed to guide the rational design of spinel-based catalysts for VOCs purification and intensify the understanding of reaction mechanisms.

Background: Herbal tea drinks, different from classical Camellia beverages, are a wide variety of herbal drinks consumed for therapeutic purposes or health promotion. Herbal tea is widely consumed in Guangxi. However, the documentation on the plants for herbal tea and their related health benefits is still limited., Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 52 villages and 21 traditional markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires were applied to obtain ethnobotanical information of herbal tea, in which 463 informants had participated. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were used to evaluate the most culturally significant herbal tea plants, and informant consensus factor (ICF) was applied to assess the agreement among informants., Results: This study recorded 155 herbal tea species belonging to 49 families. The most commonly used parts included leaf (27.61%), whole plant (22.09%), branch and leaf (19.02%), and flower (13.50%). The most frequent preparation method of herbal tea was decoction. Herbal tea was very popular in Guangxi, attributing to its therapeutic value, special odor, and good taste. There are 41 health benefits classified into eight categories. Among them, clearing heat was the most medicinal effects. Local people had high consistency in tonic, removing cold and cough, improving blood circulation, and clearing heat away. Based on CFSI values of each species, the most culturally significant herbal tea species were Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A. M. Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang, Plantago asiatica L., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Pholidota chinensis Lindl., and Morus alba L., Conclusion: Herbal tea is a valuable heritage that carries the local people's traditional knowledge, like health care and religious belief. The recorded herbal tea species in this study possess tremendous potential for local economic development in the future. Further research on efficacy evaluation and product development of herbal tea species is necessary., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Physical inactivity has evidently been a hazard factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. Rising evidence indicates that RNA, as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), plays an important role in adaptive changes in skeletal muscle in response to exercise training. Although the effects of exercise-induced fitness on skeletal muscle have been well established, the mechanisms underlying are not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to construct a novel ceRNA network in skeletal muscle in response to exercise training. Skeletal muscle gene expression profiles were downloaded from the GEO database. Then, we identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs between the pre-exercise and post-exercise samples. Subsequently, we constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks based on the ceRNA theory. 1153 mRNAs (687 upregulated and 466 downregulated), 7 miRNAs (3 upregulated and 4 downregulated), and 5 lncRNAs (3 upregulated and 2 downregulated) were identified as differentially expressed genes. 3 lncRNAs, 5 miRNAs and 227 mRNAs were obtained to build miRNA-mediated ceRNA networks. We constructed a novel ceRNA regulatory network in muscle in response to exercise training, which provides insights into molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits brought by physical activity.

The stem of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. (Orchidaceae), called " Shihu " in traditional Chinese medicine, is a well-known medicinal and edible plant material in China. It is used as an antipyretic, analgesic, and tonic to nourish the stomach and Yin (i.e., to improve the production of body fluids). These therapeutic properties are attributed to its alkaloids, sesquiterpenoids, bibenzyls, fluorenones, and phenanthrenes. However, a comprehensive understanding of these metabolites and their spatial distribution in stems is lacking. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was performed to obtain detailed metabolites information about D. nobile stems. Then, the spatial distributions of diverse metabolites, including alkaloids and sesquiterpenoids, were characterized and visualized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-TOF-MSI). Based on the spatial and metabolic profiling data, sesquiterpene alkaloid dendrobine was chosen for the exhaustive study of a biosynthetic pathway in D. nobile . This is the first report on mass spectrometry imaging for Dendrobium species. As a result, critical bioactive metabolites such as 11 alkaloids, 10 sesquiterpenes, and 13 other metabolites were putatively identified and relatively quantified. The identified alkaloids were distributed in the parenchyma or vascular bundle, and sesquiterpenes were present in all regions of the stem with higher abundance in the vascular bundle and cuticle, or in the cuticle and epidermis. The biosynthetic pathway and accumulation pattern of dendrobine in D. nobile stem were also proposed. Our findings not only provided a critical methodology for the thorough understanding of physiological changes in metabolites and precise utilization of D. nobile stem, but also displayed an effective strategy for insight into the biosynthesis of bioactive metabolites in plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liu, Huang, Linghu, Xiao and Gu.)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are considered the culprit of secondary air pollution such as ozone, secondary organic aerosols, and photochemical smog. Among various technologies, catalytic oxidation is considered a promising method for the post-treatment of VOCs. Researchers are sparing no effort to develop novel catalysts to meet the requirements of the catalytic process. Compared with the powdered or granular catalysts, the monolithic catalysts have the advantages of low pressure drop, high utilization of active phases, and excellent mechanical properties. This review summarized the new design of monolithic catalysts (including new preparation methods, new supports, and new energy supply methods) for the post-treatment of VOCs. It addressed the advantages of the new designs in detail, and the scope of applicability for each new monolithic catalyst was also highlighted. Finally, the highly required future development trends of monolithic catalysts for VOCs catalytic oxidation are recommended. We expect this work can inspire and guide researchers from both academic and industrial communities, and help pave the way for breakthroughs in fundamental research and industrial applications in this field., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: It is observed that circular RNA (circRNA) PTTG1 interacting protein (circPTTG1IP) level is notably up-regulated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by previous study. However, its precise role and working mechanism in RA pathology remain to be clarified., Methods and Results: Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot assay were carried out to examine RNA and protein expression. Cell proliferation was analyzed by colony formation assay and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Cell motility was assessed by transwell assays and wound healing assay. Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis was performed to assess cell apoptosis rate. Dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA-pull down assays were conducted to confirm the interaction between microRNA-431-5p (miR-431-5p) and circPTTG1IP or follistatin like 1 (FSTL1). CircPTTG1IP expression was up-regulated in the synovial tissues of RA patients and RA patients-derived fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS). CircPTTG1IP absence suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced the apoptosis of RA-FLS. CircPTTG1IP negatively regulated the expression of miR-431-5p by directly binding to it in RA-FLS. CircPTTG1IP interference-mediated effects in RA-FLS were largely counteracted by the silence of miR-431-5p. miR-431-5p directly interacted with the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of FSTL1. FSTL1 overexpression largely overturned miR-431-5p accumulation-mediated effects in RA-FLS. CircPTTG1IP positively regulated FSTL1 expression by sponging miR-431-5p in RA-FLS., Conclusion: CircPTTG1IP absence suppressed RA progression through mediating miR-431-5p/FSTL1 signaling cascade., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The current study investigated the in-situ aquaculture nutrient removal from fish tanks using mixotrophic Scenedesmus in a floating permeable nutrient uptake system (FPNUS) and compared with nutrient concentration in control, autotrophy, and bacterial nitrogen removal (BNR) treatments. In the first run, results were not as expected due to the missing PO 4 - -P as the mixotrophic growth in flasks with PO 4 - -P was 55.86% more than growth in aquaculture wastewater. With PO 4 - -P addition in FPNUS, average and maximum removal rates under mixotrophy reached 2.53 and 10.96 mg/(L·d), respectively. The average mixotrophic removal rate was 40.31 and 81.42% higher than removal rates under autotrophy and BNR. Daily nutrient loading and removal were matched only in mixotrophy after fourth day of culture. These results show the great potential for nutrient removal using mixotrophic microalgae-based FPNUS due to its high efficiency, capability of in-situ treatment and nutrient recycling through biomass utilization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Compound fuling granule (CFG) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that is used for more than twenty years to treat ovarian cancer (OC) in China. However, the underlying processes have yet to be completely understood. This research is aimed at uncovering its molecular mechanism and identifying possible therapeutic targets., Methods: Significant genes were collected from Therapeutic Target Database and Database of Gene-Disease Associations. The components of CFG were analyzed by LC-MS/MS, and the active components of CFG were screened according to their oral bioavailability and drug-likeness index. The validated targets were extracted from PharmMapper and PubChem databases. Venn diagram and STRING website diagrams were used to identify intersection targets, and a protein-protein interaction network was prepared using STRING. The ingredient-target network was established using Cytoscape. Molecular docking was performed to visualize the molecule-protein interactions using PyMOL 2.3. Enrichment and pathway analyses were performed using FunRich software and Reactome pathway, respectively. Experimental validations, including CCK-8 assay, wound-scratch assay, flow cytometry, western blot assay, histopathological examination, and immunohistochemistry, were conducted to verify the effects of CFG on OC cells., Results: A total of 56 bioactive ingredients of CFG and 185 CFG-OC-related targets were screened by network pharmacology analysis. The potential therapeutic targets included moesin, glutathione S-transferase kappa 1, ribonuclease III (DICER1), mucin1 (MUC1), cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), E1A binding protein p300, and transcription activator BRG1. Reactome analysis showed 51 signaling pathways ( P < 0.05), and FunRich revealed 44 signaling pathways that might play an important role in CFG against OC. Molecular docking of CDK2 and five active compounds (baicalin, ignavine, lactiflorin, neokadsuranic acid B, and deoxyaconitine) showed that baicalin had the highest affinity to CDK2. Experimental approaches confirmed that CFG could apparently inhibit OC cell proliferation and migration in vitro ; increase apoptosis; decrease the protein expression of MUC1, DICER1, and CDK2; and suppress the progression and distant metastasis of OC in vivo . DICER1, a tumor suppressor, is essential for microRNA synthesis. Our findings suggest that CFG may impair the production of miRNAs in OC cells., Conclusion: Based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation, the potential mechanism underlying the function of CFG in OC was explored, which supplies the theoretical groundwork for additional pharmacological investigation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhaoyi Li et al.)

Constructing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption capacity and excellent water resistance remain challenging. Herein, a monocarboxylic acid-assisted mixed ligands strategy was designed to synthesize a novel fluorinated MOFs, MIL-53 (Al). The monocarboxylic acid promoted crystallization and produced abundant crystal defects, which increased pore volume. Moreover, the competitive coordination between tetrafluoroterephthalic acid and 1,4-dicarboxybenzene was moderated by monocarboxylic modulators, significantly improving the hydrophobicity. The toluene uptake of the optimal sample reached 254.85 mg g -1 under humid conditions, increased by 33.56 % of MIL-53(Al), and the Q Wet /Q Dry (the ratio of adsorption quality under wet to adsorption quality under dry) was 0.92, remarkably surpassing that of origin MIL-53 (0.72). The recycle experiment showed superior reusability with no performance degradation after 10 recycle under RH=50 % (relative humidity). The adsorptive kinetic and thermodynamic analysis proves that the adsorption process is controlled by surface mono-layer adsorption and pore diffusion. The fluorine group affects the internal diffusion, which weakens the transfer rate. This strategy opens a new prospect of obtaining hierarchical functional MOFs for meeting the VOCs uptake under the practical application., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The severe hazard of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) to human health and the natural environment makes their abatement technology a key topic of global environmental research. Due to the existence of Cl, the byproducts of CVOCs in the catalytic combustion process are complex and toxic, and the possible generation of dioxin becomes a potential risk to the environment. Well-qualified CVOC catalysts should process favorable low-temperature catalytic oxidation ability, excellent selectivity, and good resistance to poisoning, which are governed by the reasonable adjustment of acidity and redox properties. This review overviews the application of different types of multicomponent catalysts, that is, supported noble metal catalysts, transition metal oxide/zeolite catalysts, composite transition metal oxide catalysts, and acid-modified catalysts, for CVOC degradation from the perspective of balance between acidity and redox properties. This review also highlights the synergistic degradation of CVOCs and NO x from the perspective of acidity and redox properties. We expect this work to inspire and guide researchers from both the academic and industrial communities and help pave the way for breakthroughs in fundamental research and industrial applications in this field.

Surface lattice oxygen is crucial to the degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over transition metal oxides according to the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. Herein, λ-MnO 2 in situ grown on the surface of CoMn spinel was prepared by acid etching of corresponding spinel catalysts (CoMn-H x -T y ) for VOC oxidation. Experimental and relevant theoretical exploration revealed that acid etching on the CoMn spinel surface could decrease the electron cloud density around the O atom and weaken the adjacent Mn-O bond due to the fracture of the surface Co-O bond, facilitating electron transfer and subsequently the activation of surface lattice oxygen. The obtained CoMn-H1-T1 exhibited an excellent catalytic performance with a 90% acetone conversion at 149 °C, which is 42 °C lower than that of CoMn spinel. Furthermore, the partially maintained spinel structure led to better stability than pure λ-MnO 2 . In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy confirmed a possible degradation pathway where adsorptive acetone converted into formate and acetate species and into CO 2 , in which the consumption of acetate was identified as the rate-limiting step. This strategy can improve the catalytic performance of metal oxides by activating surface lattice oxygen, to broaden their application in VOC oxidation.

Background: Acute sprint exercise is a time-efficient physical activity that improves cardiorespiratory fitness in younger and middle-aged adults. Growing evidence has demonstrated that acute sprint exercise provides equal to or superior health benefits compared with moderate-intensity continuous training, which will dramatically increase aerobic capacity, insulin sensitivity, and muscle capillarization. Although the beneficial effects of acute sprint exercise are well documented, the mechanisms behind how acute sprint exercise prevents disease and benefits health are less understood. Method: We obtained differentially expressed genes in muscle (vastus lateralis) from men and women before and after an acute sprint exercise. Then, we identified hub genes from the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and key transcription factors in men and women related to acute sprint exercise. Finally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses are performed on DEGs and sex-biased genes, respectively. Results: First, we identified 127 sexually dimorphic genes in men (90 upregulated and 37 downregulated) and 75 genes in women (90 upregulated and 37 downregulated) in response to acute sprint exercise. Second, CEBPB, SMAD3, and CDKN1A are identified as the top three hub genes related to men-biased genes. Accordingly, the top three hub genes related to women-biased genes are JUN, ACTB, and SMAD7. In addition, CLOCK, ZNF217, and KDM2B are the top three enriched transcriptional factors in men-biased genes, while XLR, SOX2, JUND, and KLF4 are transcription factors enriched most in women-biased genes. Furthermore, based on GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, we identified potential key pathways in regulating the exercise-related response in men and women, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, we found the difference in gene expression and enrichment pathways in muscle in men and women in response to acute sprint exercise. These results will shed new light on the mechanism underlying sex-based differences in skeletal muscle remodeling and metabolism related to acute sprint exercise, which may illustrate the mechanisms behind how acute sprint exercise prevents disease and benefits health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Nie, Liu and Yan.)

Background: Macrophages are implicated in atherosclerotic plaque instability by inflammation and degradation of extracellular matrix. However, the regulatory mechanisms driving these macrophage-associated processes are not well understood. Here, we aimed to identify the plaque destabilization-associated cytokines and signaling pathways in macrophages., Methods: The atherosclerotic models of myeloid-specific MVP (major vault protein) knockout mice and control mice were generated. Atherosclerotic instability, macrophage inflammatory signaling, and active cytokines released by macrophages were examined in vivo and in vitro by using cellular and molecular biological approaches., Results: MVP deficiency in myeloid cells exacerbated murine plaque instability by increasing production of both MMP (matrix metallopeptidase)-9 and proinflammatory cytokines in artery wall. Mechanistically, expression of MMP-9 was mediated via ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1)-MKK-4 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4)-JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) signaling in macrophages. MVP and its α-helical domain could bind with ASK1 and inhibit its dimerization and phosphorylation. A 62 amino acid peptide (MVP-[686-747]) in the α-helical domain of MVP showed a crucial role in preventing macrophage MMP-9 production and plaque instability., Conclusions: MVP may act as an inhibitor for ASK1-JNK signaling-mediated MMP-9 production in macrophages and, thereby, attenuate unstable plaque formation. Our findings suggest that suppression of macrophage ASK1-JNK signaling may be a useful strategy antagonizing atherosclerotic diseases.

Background: Breast cancer remains one of most lethal illnesses and the most common malignancies among women, making it important to discover novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the disease. Immunotherapy has become a promising therapeutic tool for breast cancer. The role of TRIM8 in breast cancer has rarely been reported. Method: Here we identified TRIM8 expression and its potential function on survival in patients with breast cancer using TCGA (The cancer genome atlas), GEO (Gene expression omnibus) database and METABRIC (Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium). Then, TIMER and TISIDB databases were used to investigate the correlations between TRIM8 mRNA levels and immune characteristics. Using stepwise cox regression, we established an immune prognostic signature based on five differentially expression immune-related genes (DE-IRGs). Finally, a nomogram, accompanied by a calibration curve was proposed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival for breast cancer patients. Results: We found that TRIM8 expression was dramatically lower in breast cancer tissues in comparison with normal tissues. Lower TRIM8 expression was related with worse prognosis in breast cancer. TIMER and TISIDB analysis showed that there were strong correlations between TRIM8 expression and immune characteristics. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve confirmed the good performance in survival prediction and showed good accuracy of the immune prognostic signature. We demonstrated the model usefulness of predictions by nomogram and calibration curves. Our findings indicated that TRIM8 might be a potential link between progression and prognosis survival of breast cancer. Conclusion: This is a comprehensive study to reveal that tripartite motif 8 (TRIM8) may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker associating with immune characteristics and provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yan, Liu, Nie, Hu and Jia.)

Background: Autophagy plays an important role in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the prognostic value of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in TNBC remains unknown. In this study, we established a survival model to evaluate the prognosis of TNBC patients using ARGs signature., Methods: A total of 222 autophagy-related genes were downloaded from The Human Autophagy Database. The RNA-sequencing data and corresponding clinical data of TNBC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DE-ARGs) between normal samples and TNBC samples were determined by the DESeq2 package. Then, univariate Cox, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. According to the LASSO regression results based on univariate Cox, we identified a prognostic signature for overall survival (OS), which was further validated by using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort. We also found an independent prognostic marker that can predict the clinicopathological features of TNBC. Furthermore, a nomogram was drawn to predict the survival probability of TNBC patients, which could help in clinical decision for TNBC treatment. Finally, we validated the requirement of an ARG in our model for TNBC cell survival and metastasis., Results: There are 43 DE-ARGs identified between normal and tumor samples. A risk model for OS using CDKN1A, CTSD, CTSL, EIF4EBP1, TMEM74, and VAMP3 was established based on univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analysis. Overall survival of TNBC patients was significantly shorter in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group for both the training and validation cohorts. Using the Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, we demonstrated the accuracy of the prognostic model. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to verify risk score as an independent predictor. Subsequently, a nomogram was proposed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival for TNBC patients. The calibration curves showed great accuracy of the model for survival prediction. Finally, we found that depletion of EIF4EBP1, one of the ARGs in our model, significantly reduced cell proliferation and metastasis of TNBC cells., Conclusion: Based on six ARGs (CDKN1A, CTSD, CTSL, EIF4EBP1, TMEM74, and VAMP3), we developed a risk prediction model that can help clinical doctors effectively predict the survival status of TNBC patients. Our data suggested that EIF4EBP1 might promote the proliferation and migration in TNBC cell lines. These findings provided a novel insight into the vital role of the autophagy-related genes in TNBC and may provide new therapeutic targets for TNBC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yan, Liu and Jia.)

The development of highly efficient and stable monolithic catalysts is essential for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Copper foam (CF) is a potential ideal carrier for monolithic catalysts, but its low surface area is not conducive to dispersion of active species, thus reducing the interface interaction with active species. Herein, a vertically oriented Cu(OH) 2 nanorod was in situ grown on the CF, which acted as the template and precursor to synthesize CoCu-MOF. The optimized catalyst (12CoCu-R) delivers excellent performance for acetone oxidation with a T 90 of 195 °C. Impressively, the catalyst demonstrated satisfactory stability in long-term, cycle, water resistance, and high airspeed tests. Therefore, the present study provides a novel strategy for rationally designing efficient monolithic catalysts for VOC oxidation and other environmental applications.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the progression of various cancers, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). This study aimed to investigate the expression and prognostic value of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA (LINC) 01232 in ccRCC and preliminary explore the molecular mechanism underlying the role of LINC01232 in ccRCC progression., Methods: Tumour tissues and adjacent normal tissues of 122 patients with ccRCC were collected in this study. The levels of LINC01232 , microRNA (miR)-204-5p and RAB22A were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay and Transwell assay, respectively. The interaction among LINC01232 , miR-204-5p and RAB22A was confirmed by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and Pearson correlation analysis. The association of LINC01232 and miR-204-5p with ccRCC patient survival was verified by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The prognostic value of LINC01232 in ccRCC was confirmed by Cox regression analysis., Results: LINC01232 expression was increased in ccRCC tumour tissues and ccRCC cells and independently predicted the prognosis of ccRCC patients. In addition, LINC01232 silencing inhibited ccRCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, LINC01232 served as a sponge for miR-204-5p, and miR-204-5p reduction reversed the inhibitory effect of LINC01232 silencing on ccRCC cell function. Furthermore, LINC01232 could sponge miR-204-5p, causing the elevation of RAB22A in ccRCC, thereby promoting ccRCC cell function., Conclusion: LINC01232 may be an independent prognostic biomarker in ccRCC and plays an oncogenic role in ccRCC progression by sponging miR-204-5p and upregulating RAB22A.

A series of highly-hydrophobic MIL-53-Al (MIL = Materials of Institut Lavoisier) frameworks synthesized via decoration of the Al-OH groups by alkyl phosphonic acid were developed as adsorbents for removing acetone from humid gas streams. The newly prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), N 2 adsorption-desorption and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their adsorption behaviors toward acetone vapor under dry and wet conditions were studied subsequently. Results showed that alkyl phosphonic acid was successfully grafted into MIL-53-Al skeleton through coordinating interaction with Al 3+ generating MIL-53-Al@C x (x = 12, 14, 18). The MIL-53-Al@C x exhibited similar crystal structure and thermal stability to parent MIL-53-Al. Furthermore, the modified materials showed significantly enhanced hydrophobicity. The water vapor uptake of MIL-53-Al@C 14 decreased by 72.55% at 75% relative humidity (RH). Dynamic adsorption experiments demonstrated that water vapor had almost no effect on the acetone adsorption performance of MIL-53-Al@C 14 . Under the condition of 90% RH, the acetone adsorption capacity of MIL-53-Al@C 14 was 102.98% higher than that of MIL-53-Al. Notably, MIL-53-Al@C 14 presented excellent adsorption reversibility and regeneration performance in 10 adsorption-desorption cycles. Taken together, the strategy of metal-OH group modification is an attractive way to improve the acetone adsorption performance over metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under humid conditions. Besides, MIL-53-Al@C 14 would be deemed as a promising candidate for capturing acetone in high moisture environment., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with high toxicity and carcinogenicity are emitted from kinds of industries, which endanger human health and the environment. Adsorption is a promising method for the treatment of VOCs due to its low cost and high efficiency. In recent years, activated carbons, zeolites, and mesoporous materials are widely used to remove VOCs because of their high specific surface area and abundant porosity. However, the hydrophilic nature and low desorption rate of those materials limit their commercial application. Furthermore, the adsorption capacities of VOCs still need to be improved. Porous organic polymers (POPs) with extremely high porosity, structural diversity, and hydrophobic have been considered as one of the most promising candidates for VOCs adsorption. This review generalized the superiority of POPs for VOCs adsorption compared to other porous materials and summarized the studies of VOCs adsorption on different types of POPs. Moreover, the mechanism of competitive adsorption between water and VOCs on the POPs was discussed. Finally, a concise outlook for utilizing POPs for VOCs adsorption was discussed, noting areas in which further work is needed to develop the next-generation POPs for practical applications., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The development of catalysts for volatile organic compound (VOC) treatment by catalytic oxidation is of great significance to improve the atmospheric environment. Size-effect and oxygen vacancy engineering are effective strategies for designing high-efficiency heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we explored the in situ carbon-confinement-oxidation method to synthesize ultrafine MnO x nanoparticles with adequately exposed defects. They exhibited an outstanding catalytic performance with a T 90 of 167 °C for acetone oxidation, which is 73 °C lower than that of bulk MnO x (240 °C). This excellent catalytic activity was primarily ascribed to their high surface area, rich oxygen vacancies, abundant active oxygen species, and good reducibility at low temperatures. Importantly, the synthesized ultrafine MnO x exhibited impressive stability in long-term, cycling and water-resistance tests. Moreover, the possible mechanism for acetone oxidation over MnO x -NA was revealed. In this work, we not only prepared a promising material for removing VOCs but also provided a new strategy for the rational design of ultrafine nanoparticles with abundant defects.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with an increasing incidence rate. Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in AD progression. This study aimed to investigate the expression and diagnostic value of microRNA-331-3p (miR-331-3p) in AD patients and to explore the effects of miR-331-3p on neuronal viability and neuroinflammation., Methods: This study recruited AD patients and used Aβ 1 - 40 treated SH-SY5Y cells mimicking AD characteristics. The expression of miR-331-3p was estimated using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-331-3p, and the correlation of miR-331-3p with patients' Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and serum proinflammatory cytokines were analyzed. The effects of miR-331-3p on neuronal viability and inflammatory response were explored in SH-SY5Y cells by in vitro analysis., Results: In AD patients and Aβ 1 - 40 treated SH-SY5Y cells, the expression of miR-331-3p was significantly downregulated. Serum miR-331-3p had certain diagnostic potential and was correlated with the MMSE scores and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels of AD patients. In Aβ 1 - 40 -treated SH-SY5Y cells, the overexpression of miR-331-3p enhanced cell viability and inhibited inflammatory responses., Conclusion: The data of this study indicated that serum expression of miR-331-3p is decreased in AD patients, and is correlated with the MMSE scores and proinflammatory cytokine levels of AD patients. In addition, miR-331-3p can regulate the cell viability and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines of Aβ 1 - 40 treated SH-SY5Y cells, indicating the potential neuroprotective role of miR-331-3p., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

CO 2 capture and utilization (CCU) is an effective strategy to mitigate global warming. Absorption, adsorption and membranes are methods used for CO 2 separation and capture, and various catalytic pathways have also been developed for CO 2 utilization. Although widely researched and used in industry, these processes are energy-intensive and this challenge needs to be overcome. To realize further optimization, novel materials and processes are continuously being developed. New generation materials such as ionic liquids (ILs) have shown promising potential for cost-effective CO 2 capture and utilization. This study reviews the current status of ILs-based solvents, adsorbents, membranes, catalysts and their hybrid processes for CO 2 capture and utilization. The special properties of ILs are integrated into new materials through hybridization, which significantly improves the performance in the process of CCU., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Algogenic organic matter (AOM) produced by Microcystis cells inhibits coagulation harvesting; however, the harvesting inhibitory mechanisms at the functional groups level remain to be determined. This study fractionated extracellular organic matter (EOM) and intercellular organic matter (IOM) from Microcystis flos-aquae into five different hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions and investigated their inhibition of chitosan coagulation harvesting. The proton-active functional groups in the inhibitory fractions were further analysed by potentiometric titration, and the interaction between these functional groups and chitosan was elucidated. The results showed that the harvesting inhibition of M. flos-aquae cells was dominated by HPI in AOM due to its high charge density, which resulted in greater consumption of coagulant. Potentiometric titration results suggested that the proton-active functional groups of both HPI EOM and HPI IOM consist mainly of phosphodiester, carboxylic, phosphoryl and amine/hydroxyl functional groups, and the harvesting inhibition of HPI on M. flos-aquae cells at pH 6.5 was mainly due to the deprotonation of phosphodiester and carboxylic functional groups. Moreover, carboxylic functional groups with stronger polarity could enhance the intermolecular interaction between HPI and chitosan more effectively than phosphodiester at pH 6.5. Preventing the deprotonation of carboxylic functional groups by adjusting the pH to 4.3 could effectively alleviate the harvesting inhibition caused by HPI. These findings revealed the inhibition mechanism of AOM on the coagulation harvesting of M. flos-aquae cells from the perspective of deprotonation of proton-active functional groups, which may provide important insights for assessing the role of AOM in the coagulation harvesting of Microcystis cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mesoporous silica MCM-48 with rich silanol was prepared using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as mixed templates, and the dynamic adsorption performance of acetone was evaluated by testing breakthrough curves. The mixed micelle formed by CTAB and PVP, as well as the hydrogen bond between the carbonyl group of PVP and silanol group affected the condensation process of Si-OH group during the formation of mesoporous structure, resulting in the increase of Si-OH group number on the surface of MCM-48. Compared with MCM-48 synthesized by single template (CTAB), the acetone adsorption capacity of MCM-48 (1:3) synthesized by mixed templates (PVP:CTAB = 1:3) improved by 23.86%, which was attributed to the increase of silanol group amount and the decrease of pore size. In addition, Bangham model had the highest goodness of fit to describe the adsorption process among four kinetic models for the adsorbents, conforming to the mechanism of pore diffusion. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were used to fit the adsorption isotherm data, and the Freundlich model could better describe the adsorption of acetone. Freundlich model fitting results showed that MCM-48 with rich silanol had a strong affinity for acetone, and the adsorption of acetone on MCM-48 belonged to multilayer adsorption. The thermodynamic results showed that the adsorption of MCM-48 for acetone was physical adsorption, and the adsorption behavior was exothermic. This work provided insight into how the inherent properties of an adsorbent and environmental factors (including initial concentration and adsorption temperature) affected the adsorption performance of ketones, thus more ideas could be provided for the accurate design of adsorbents. Furthermore, silanol-rich MCM-48 synthesized by mixed templates is expected to be a promising adsorbent for acetone removal.

A novel CeO 2 /Co 3 O 4 catalyst with a high catalytic activity has been designed and prepared by pyrolysis of metal-organic frameworks, and its catalytic performance was evaluated by the acetone catalytic oxidation reaction. The Co 3 O 4 -M catalyst with T 90 at 194 °C was prepared by pyrolysis of the MOF-71 precursor, which was 56 °C lower than that of commercial Co 3 O 4 (250 °C). By the addition of cerium to the MOF-71 precursor, an enhanced CeO 2 /Co 3 O 4 catalyst with T 90 at 180 °C was prepared. Importantly, the CeO 2 /Co 3 O 4 catalyst exhibited superior stability for acetone oxidation. After 10 cycle tests, the conversion could also be maintained at 97% for at least 100 h with slight activity loss. Characterization studies were used to investigate the influence of cerium doping on the property of the catalyst. The results showed that addition of cerium could facilitate the expansion of the surface area and enhance the porous structure and reducibility at low temperature. Furthermore, the surface ratio of Co 3+ /Co 2+ and mobile oxygen obviously improved with the addition of cerium. Therefore, the metal oxides prepared by this method have potential for the elimination of acetone.

Hierarchical Co 3 O 4 @MnOx material has been synthesized by in-suit growth of MnOx on the Co 3 O 4 and applied in catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Results revealed that T 90 of acetone on the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx was 195 °C, which was 36 °C and 32 °C lower than that on the Co 3 O 4 and MnOx/Co 3 O 4 , respectively. The universality experiments demonstrated that T 90 of ethyl acetate and toluene on the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx were 200 °C and 222 °C, respectively. The above results indicated that Co 3 O 4 @MnOx catalyst presented a robust catalytic performance. Characterization results showed that high catalytic activity of the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx catalyst could be attributed to the improvement of low temperature reducibility, the enhancement of Co 3+ and adsorbed oxygen species resulted from the sufficient reaction between MnO 4 - and Co 2+ during secondary hydrothermal process. Furthermore, stability and water-resistance experiments showed the Co 3 O 4 @MnOx catalyst with high cycle and long-term stability, satisfied endurability to 5.5-10 vol. % water vapor at 210 °C., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

SSZ-13 zeolite has been widely used in catalysis and adsorption because of good hydrothermal stability and pore structure. However, long crystallization time is the main challenge limiting its industry application. As increased emissions and ineffective treatment, coal gangue not only occupies land, but also pollutes the waterbody and farmland. Using coal gangue as raw material to synthetize zeolite has been considered as an environmentally friendly and effective alternative to solve the issues of accumulation and pollution, which also improves the added value of coal gangue. The ultrasonic assistance has been proven to be one of the potential pretreatment methods to promote the dissolution of crystalline silicon aluminum and reduce the crystallization time of molecular sieve. In this work, SSZ-13 was synthesized by coal gangue via ultrasonic pretreatment combined with hydrothermal growth method. The ultrasonic frequency and power were 20 kHz and 120 W, respectively. The synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, BET. The results showed that the crystallization time was shorten to 18 h, which was about 12 h lower than the same conditions of conventional chemicals synthesis. Furthermore, the specific surface area of the synthesized sample was more than 620 m 2 /g, which also indicated over 95% NO x conversion across a broad range from 180 to 400 °C and over 94% NO x conversion at 200-400 °C after hydrothermal treatment 6 h. This study provides a reference for the environmentally friendly utilization of coal gangue and the low-cost rapid synthesis and application of SSZ-13., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Insufficient nutrients supply will greatly affect the function of cardiac myocytes. The adaptive responses of cardiac myocytes to nutritional stress are not fully known. Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the most pharmacologically active components in Panax Ginseng and possesses protective effects on cardiomyocyte. Here, we investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on H9c2 cells which were subjected to nutritional stress. Nutritional stress-induced by glucose deprivation strongly induced cell death and this response was inhibited by ginsenoside Rg1. Importantly, glucose deprivation decreased intracellular ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential. Ginsenoside Rg1 rescued ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential in nutrient-starved cells. For molecular mechanisms, ginsenoside Rg1 increased the expressions of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and p-AMPK in glucose deprivation treated H9c2 cells. Reducing the expression of aldolase in H9c2 cells inhibited ginsenoside Rg1's actions on PINK1 and p-AMPK. Further, the nutritional stress mice were used to verify the mechanisms obtained in vitro. Ginsenoside Rg1 increased the expressions of aldolase, p-AMPK, and PINK1 in starved mice heart. Taken together, our results reveal that ginsenoside Rg1 limits nutritional stress-induced H9c2 cells injury by regulating the aldolase /AMP-activated protein kinase/PINK1 pathway., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Macrophage-orchestrated, low-grade chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in obesity and atherogenesis. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify major vault protein (MVP), the main component of unique cellular ribonucleoprotein particles, as a suppressor for NF-κB signaling in macrophages. Both global and myeloid-specific MVP gene knockout aggravates high-fat diet induced obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis in mice. The exacerbated metabolic disorders caused by MVP deficiency are accompanied with increased macrophage infiltration and heightened inflammatory responses in the microenvironments. In vitro studies reveal that MVP interacts with TRAF6 preventing its recruitment to IRAK1 and subsequent oligomerization and ubiquitination. Overexpression of MVP and its α-helical domain inhibits the activity of TRAF6 and suppresses macrophage inflammation. Our results demonstrate that macrophage MVP constitutes a key constraint of NF-κB signaling thereby suppressing metabolic diseases.

Cellular characteristics and algogenic organic matter (AOM) properties change with culture time. This study aims to understand the changes throughout the growth phase, and their effect on Scenedesmus acuminatus harvesting using ultrafiltration. The variations in cellular particle size distribution, cellular EPS content, and the biochemical composition and molecular weight of AOM were analyzed, followed by the membrane harvesting of the original S. acuminatus suspension, AOM-free cells and cell-free AOM. The results showed that the average flux for the original suspension increased with growth phase and reached an increase of 36.3% in the declining phase. AOM played a greater role than S. acuminatus cells in flux decline for all growth phases. Exponential-phase AOM contained a greater high-MW fraction and more carbohydrates, and the exponential cells were smaller cells and had a higher EPS content; these characteristics resulted in a reduced average flux., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The MnO x was immobilized on the CoAl mixed oxides (CoAlO) derived from hydrotalcites with various anions (CO 3 2- , Cl - , NO 3 - and SO 4 2- ) using the hydration and impregnation methods. The CoAlO oxides modified by KMnO 4 were calcined in air at 300 °C to obtain stable oxides, which could be used as catalysts for VOCs (acetone and ethyl acetate) oxidation. CoAlO with CO 3 2- and 30 h of hydration time (CoAlO-C-Mn-30) exhibited a promising catalytic activity (T 90  = 173 °C for acetone oxidation; T 90  = 175 °C for ethyl acetate), highly superior to CoAlO without KMnO 4 modification. The improvement in acetone and ethyl acetate catalytic oxidation was ascribed to the Co 3+ and surface adsorbed oxygen species. The increase of Co 3+ in the CoAlO-C-Mn-30 oxide thanked to the self-decomposition of KMnO 4 and reducibility of Co 2+ in the CoAlO oxide during the hydration process. This was also confirmed by XRD and XPS characterization, which showed that Mn cations were enriched on the catalyst surface in the valences of +3 and +4. The catalytic activity of the catalyst remained unchanged in four cycles in the presence of 5.5 vol.% water vapor, which indicated a great potential for industrial application., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes are novel materials derived from the pyrolysis of the polymeric precursors and have a well-developed ultra-microporous structure that can separate small gas pairs with minor difference in diameter, and thus exhibit higher gas permeability and selectivity than polymeric membranes. However, the gas permeability for traditional pure CMS membranes now cannot satisfy the requirements of commercial applications due to their disordered pore structure and high gas molecular diffusion resistance. Incorporating functional materials into membrane precursors to fabricate hybrid CMS membranes has been regarded as an effective way to tune the disordered pore structure of traditional pure CMS membranes, and thus to greatly improve their gas permeability. Many nanoparticles have been tested as the functional foreign materials to fabricate the hybrid CMS membranes with more developed microporous structure and enhanced gas separation performance. This review discusses the hybridized nanoparticle selection and effect of the species, quantities and particle sizes of the foreign materials on CMS membrane characteristics and performance. The function of the materials incorporated inside the hybrid CMS membranes is also analyzed. It is identified that preparation of hybrid CMS membranes provides a simple and convenient route to efficiently improve the trade-off relationship between permeability and selectivity, and to enable the construction of carbon-based composite materials with novel functionalities in membrane science., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In order to enhance catalytic performance for acetone, Co-based catalysts prepared under different Co/Al molar ratios and calcination temperatures have been studied in this work. The results indicated that the catalytic activities of the catalysts firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of the Co/Al molar ratio and decreased with the increase of the calcination temperature. Based on the catalytic activities, TG/DTA, XRD, TPR and XPS characterization results, it can be found that catalytic activities of the catalysts with various Co/Al molar ratios were effected by the good crystallization structure of catalyst precursor, surface Co 3+ /Co 2+ molar ratio, low temperature reducibility, and O ads /O latt molar ratio of the catalysts. Meanwhile, the catalytic activities of the catalysts with different calcination temperatures depended on the low temperature reducibility, surface Co 3+ /Co 2+ molar ratio, porous structure and crystallization structure of the catalyst. Among different synthetic composition, 5:1 CoAlO-300 catalyst (T 90%  = 225 °C) and 5:1 CoAlO-200 catalyst (T 90%  = 222 °C) exhibited the efficient acetone oxidation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: It has been reported that peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) level decreases significantly in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and mice models, while the mechanism is unclear. This study aims to unravel the mechanism that amyloid β (Aβ) decreases PPARγ and attempted to discover lead compound that preserves PPARγ. Methods: In APP/PS1 transgenic mice and Aβ treated microglia, the interaction between HSP90 and PPARγ were analyzed by western blot. Using a PPRE (PPARγ responsive element) containing reporter cell line, compounds that activate PPARγ activity were identified. After genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of potential target pathways, the target of jujuboside A (JuA) was discovered through Axl/HSP90β. After oral administration or intrathecal injection, the anti-AD activity of JuA was evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) test and object recognition test. Soluble Aβ42 levels and plaque numbers after JuA treatment were detected by thioflavin S staining, and the activation of microglia was assayed by immunofluorescence staining against Iba-1. Results: We found that Aβ stress decreased heat shock protein 90 β (HSP90β), subsequently reduced the abundance of PPARγ, and down-regulated Aβ clearance-related genes in BV2 cells and primary microglia. We identified that JuA stimulated the expression of HSP90β, strengthened the interaction between HSP90β and PPARγ, preserved PPARγ levels, and thus effectively promoted the clearance of Aβ42. We demonstrated that JuA increased HSP90β expression through Axl/ERK pathway. JuA significantly ameliorated cognitive deficiency in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, meanwhile, JuA significantly reduced the soluble Aβ42 levels and plaque numbers in the brain. Notably, the therapeutic effects of JuA were dampened by R428, an Axl inhibitor. Conclusions: This study suggests that the up-regulation of HSP90β by JuA through Axl is a potential therapeutic strategy to facilitate Aβ42 clearance and ameliorate cognitive deficiency in AD., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

The authors describe a colorimetric method for the determination of DNA based on the deaggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) induced by exonuclease III (Exo III). DNA amplification is accomplished by Exo III to generate large quantities of the residual DNA. Residual DNA tethers onto the surfaces of AuNPs which prevents their aggregation. Hence, the color of the solution is red. However, in the absence of DNA, salt-induced aggregation is not prevented, and the bluish-purple color of the aggregated AuNPs is observed. The ratio of absorbances at 525 and 625 nm increases up to 150 nM DNA concentrations, and the LOD is as low as 3.0 nM. It is shown that the presence of 300 nM concentrations of random DNA (with a mass up to 10-fold that of target DNA) does not interfere. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of DNA in spiked serum samples. The method is simple, reliable, and does not require complicated amplification steps and expensive instrumentation. Graphical abstract Schematic of a sensing strategy for DNA detection by exonuclease III-induced deaggregation of gold nanoparticles. DNA concentrations as  low as 3 nM can be detected via colorimetric monitoring of the color change from red to purple-blue.

Wet microalgae hydrolysis-esterification route has the advantage to avoid the energy-intensive units (e.g. drying and lipid extraction) in the biodiesel production process. In this study, techno-economic evaluation of hydrolysis-esterification biodiesel production process was carried out and compared with conventional (usually including drying, lipid extraction, esterification and transesterification) biodiesel production process. Energy and material balance of the conventional and hydrolysis-esterification processes was evaluated by Aspen Plus. The simulation results indicated that drying (2.36MJ/L biodiesel) and triolein transesterification (1.89MJ/L biodiesel) are the dominant energy-intensive stages in the conventional route (5.42MJ/L biodiesel). By contrast, the total energy consumption of hydrolysis-esterification route can be reduced to 1.81MJ/L biodiesel, and approximately 3.61MJ can be saved to produce per liter biodiesel., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)