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This research focuses on macrofungi in Baotianman Biosphere Reserve and their relationships with plant ecosystems. The findings demonstrate the reserve’s macrofungal resources. The study collected 832 specimens, among which 351 macrofungi species were identified, belonging to six classes, 19 orders, 54 familiae, and 124 genera, and one new species of Abortiporus was found. Among them, 11 familiae with a total of 231 species were dominated, accounting for 20.37% of the total number of familiae and 65.81% of the total number of species; 14 genera with a total of 147 species were dominated, accounting for about 11.38% the total number of genera and 41.88% of the total number of species. The richness of macrofungi at the species level was considerably different across the four vegetation types in the reserve, showing that the vegetation types had a bigger influence on macrofungi. In the evaluation of macrofungal resources, a total of 196 species of edible fungi, 121 species of medicinal fungi, 52 species of poisonous fungi, and 37 species of macrofungi with unclear economic value were counted. Abortiporus baotianmanensis is a new species of podoscyphaceae in the genus Abortiporus. The new species display the reserve’s richness. Next, the project seeks to generate and conserve macrofungal resources.

Background and Purpose: Refractory wounds are a severe complication of diabetes mellitus with limited treatment regimens. Rho-associated protein kinase-1 (ROCK1) phosphorylates a series of substrates that trigger downstream signaling pathways, affecting multiple cellular processes. The present study investigated the role of ROCK1 in diabetic wound healing and molecular mechanisms. Experimental Approach: Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice with full-thickness excisional wound model and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used. Key Results: ROCK1 expression significantly increased in wound granulation tissues in both diabetic patients and diabetic mice. Wound healing and blood perfusion were dose-dependently improved by the ROCK1 inhibitor fasudil in diabetic mice. In endothelial cells, fasudil and ROCK1 siRNA significantly elevated the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase at Thr172 (pThr172-AMPKα), the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and suppressed the levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and nitrotyrosine formation. Experiments using integrated bioinformatics analysis and coimmunoprecipitation established that ROCK1 inhibited pThr172-AMPKα by binding to receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase 4 (RIPK4). Conclusion and Implications: Fasudil accelerated wound repair and improved angiogenesis at least partially through the ROCK1/RIPK4/AMPK pathway. Fasudil may be a potential treatment for refractory wounds in diabetic patients.

BackgroundDiabetic kidney disease (DKD), one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), has become a frequent cause of end-stage renal disease. A clinically convenient, non-invasive approach for monitoring the development of DKD would benefit the overall life quality of patients with DM and contribute to lower medical burdens through promoting preventive interventions.MethodsWe utilized 5hmC-Seal to profile genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosines in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Candidate genes were identified by intersecting the differentially hydroxymethylated genes and differentially expressed genes from the GSE30528 and GSE30529. Then, a protein interaction network was constructed for the candidate genes, and the hub genes were identified by the MCODE and cytoHubba algorithm. The correlation analysis between the hydroxymethylation level of the hub genes and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was carried out. Finally, we demonstrated differences in expression levels of the protein was verified by constructing a mouse model of DKD. In addition, we constructed a network of interactions between drugs and hub genes using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database.ResultsThis study found that there were significant differences in the overall distribution of 5hmC in plasma of patients with DKD, and an alteration of hydroxymethylation levels in genomic regions involved in inflammatory pathways which participate in the immune response. The final 5 hub genes, including (CTNNB1, MYD88, CD28, VCAM1, CD44) were confirmed. Further analysis indicated that this 5-gene signature showed a good capacity to distinguish between DKD and DM, and was found that protein levels were increased in renal tissue of DKD mice. Correlation analysis indicated that the hydroxymethylation level of 5 hub genes were nagatively correlated with eGFR. Toxicogenomics analysis showed that a variety of drugs for the treatment of DKD can reduce the expression levels of 4 hub genes (CD44, MYD88, VCAM1, CTNNB1).ConclusionsThe 5hmC-Seal assay was successfully applied to the plasma cfDNA samples from a cohort of DM patients with or without DKD. Altered 5hmC signatures indicate that 5hmC-Seal has the potential to be a non-invasive epigenetic tool for monitoring the development of DKD and it provides new insight for the future molecularly targeted anti-inflammation therapeutic strategies of DKD.

Superwetting materials show distinct advantages in interfacial applications such as oil-water separation. However, it remains a challenge to solve water-accelerated fatigue of lubricating oils owing to the poor mechanical durability of superhydrophobic surfaces and the intractable emulsions stabilized by additives. In this work, a robust superhydrophobic membrane for solving water-accelerated fatigue of lubricating oils containing zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) as a typical antiwear additive is presented. An all-inorganic coating is constructed by SiO

Switching between superhydrophobicity/underwater superoleophilicity and superhydrophilicity/underwater superoleophobicity has been widely designed. Recently, superwettability is subdivided into multiple extreme wetting states for oil, water, and air as wetting and medium phases. However, fine switching among the multiple superwettability is rare. Here, a pH-responsive case is presented to demonstrate the fine switching between underwater superoleophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity while maintaining superhydrophobicity. The surface chemistry of silver-roughened copper coatings is elaborately manipulated by water-repellent perfluoroalkyl and alkyl chains and the smart terminal carboxyl group. By adjusting the pH value of water, the completely opposite extreme wetting states for oil in water are precisely controlled. Simultaneously, the extreme repellence for water in the air can be kept owing to the fairly low surface energy of the perfluoroalkyl chain. This discovery accelerates the subdivision of superwettability and the achievement of unusual superwetting switching.

It is of great clinical significance to develop potential novel strategies to prevent diabetic cardiovascular complications. Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) dysfunction is a key contributor to diabetic vascular complications. In the present study we evaluated whether low-dose nifedipine could rescue impaired EPC-mediated angiogenesis and prevent cardiovascular complications in diabetic mice. Diabetes was induced in mice by five consecutive injections of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg·kg

Transcription factors (TFs) specifically bind to DNA, recruit cofactor proteins and modulate target gene expression, rendering them essential roles in the regulation of numerous biological processes. Meanwhile, mutated or dysregulated TFs are involved in a variety of human diseases. As multiple signaling pathways ultimately converge at TFs, targeting these TFs directly may prove to be more specific and cause fewer side effects, than targeting the upfront conventional targets in these pathways. All these features together endue TFs with great potential and high selectivity as therapeutic drug targets. However, TFs have been historically considered "undruggable", mainly due to their lack of structural information, especially about the appropriate ligand-binding sites and protein-protein interactions, leading to relatively limited choices in the TF-targeting drug design. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of TF-targeting drugs and highlight certain strategies used for targeting TFs, with a number of representative drugs that have been approved or in the clinical trials as examples. Various approaches in targeting TFs directly or indirectly have been developed. Common direct strategies include aiming at defined binding pockets, proteolysis-targeting chimaera (PROTAC), and mutant protein reactivation. In contrast, the indirect ones comprise inhibition of protein-protein interactions between TF and other proteins, blockade of TF expression, targeting the post-translational modifications, and targeting the TF-DNA interactions. With more comprehensive structural information about TFs revealed by the powerful cryo-electron microscopy technology and predicted by machine-learning algorithms, plus more efficient compound screening platforms and a deeper understanding of TF-disease relationships, the development of TF-targeting drugs will certainly be accelerated in the near future.

Bcl-2 family proteins play an important role in regulation of the cell survival and death. The inhibition of the anti-apoptotic proteins of Bcl-2 family leads to the apoptosis of cancer. BH3 mimetics have been developed targeting anti-apoptotic proteins of Bcl-2 family as small molecular drugs. It has been proved that BH3 mimetics has effect on apoptosis and proliferation in leukemia and some of them has been used in phase one or two clinical trials. Besides, with the development of the research on autophagic cell death, the antagonism and the synergism of autophagy and apoptosis is significant in cell death. As a hub of these two pathways of cell death, Bcl-2 protein is a potential target in basic research and clinical applications. In our studies, we found 32 potential BH3 mimetics compounds from 140,000 small molecular compounds via pharmacophore-based virtual screening. Furthermore, we demonstrated SM3, one of the 32 potential BH3 mimetics, induced autophagy and apoptosis simultaneously in dose-time dependence in A549 cell. SM3 induced apoptosis by intrinsic apoptosis pathway and induced autophagy by weakening the interaction between Beclin-1 and Bcl-2 complex. We wish to provide evidences and clues for the structural optimizing and further study of new compounds in the future.

Superantiwettability has been developed from single to multiple extreme wetting states for one wetting phase under another medium phase among water, oil, and air. However, controllable preparation of multiple superantiwetting surfaces especially from dual to quadruple superlyophobicity is rare. Herein, a facile method is proposed to prepare (1) underwater superoleophobic and underoil superhydrophobic surface, (2) in-air superhydrophobic surface with the dual superlyophobicity in oil-water system, and (3) in-air superamphiphobic surface with the dual superlyophobicity in oil-water system. These multiple superantiwetting states from dual to quadruple superlyophobicity are realized by controlling the surface chemistry, i.e., simply adjusting the ratio of TiO2 nanoparticles and fluorocarbon surfactant in the spray solution. With minimum dosage of the fluorine-rich component, the dual superlyophobic surface can be used for on-demand oil-water separation. This discovery will promote the subdivision of superantiwettability in water-oil-air system to extend interfacial applications.

Anisotropic wetting properties of patterned surfaces are critical for fundamental research and potential applications. In spite of significant development in investigation of such surfaces, the importance of geometries parameter of the micro/nanostructure on anisotropic wettability is not understood completely, particularly in thermodynamic analysis aspect. In this work, a trapezoidal profile surfaces with hierarchical stripes were analyzed using a two-dimensional model by cutting a three-dimensional structure along a given orientation. According to the calculations of free energy and free energy barrier, the effects of cutting orientation and all the geometrical parameters for the surfaces on equilibrium contact angle (ECA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) were investigated systematically. It is demonstrated that the ECA and CAH are closely related to the cutting orientation and the trapezoidal base angle of hierarchical striped surfaces. In addition, the wetting state at the nanoscale facilitates the transition from isotropic to anisotropic ECA and CAH of the striped surfaces with Cassie-type state at the microscale. As for micro/nanostructured surfaces at Wenzel-type wetting state, the anisotropic behavior of ECA and CAH is further enhanced by the existence of nanostructures. These calculated results are well agreement with the related experimental results, which will provide fundamental principles for the design of demanded geometry of micro/nanostructured surfaces with controllable anisotropic wetting behavior.

In this article, we report the construction of semicircular micro/nanostructured surfaces. Based on thermodynamic analysis, free energy (FE) and free energy barrier (FEB) as well as equilibrium contact angle (ECA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) for four exact wetting states of semicircular micro/nanostructured surfaces are theoretically discussed in detail. Notably, the wetting behavior is closely related to the exact wetting state and the base radius or space of semicircular micro/nanostructure. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the stable wetting state of the semicircular micro/nanostructured surfaces depends on the microscale and nanoscale ratio of base space and radius. A suitable semicircular micro/nanostructure of the surface may lead to a droplet in the stable Cassie-Cassie (Cc) state. Moreover, an important role of the nanoscale semicircular surfaces in determining water super-repellence is effective in decreasing or increasing the ratio of microscale base space and radius for the Cassie or Wenzel state. Additionally, wetting behaviour of single semicircular micro- and nano-structured surfaces are comparatively investigated. The FE and ECA of micro/nanostructured surfaces are lower or higher than those of the single microstructured surfaces. However, the effects of nanoscale semicircular surfaces on the FEB and CAH mainly rely on the microscale wetting state. Finally, the related experimental results were used to verify our investigation. These results are in good agreement with the experiment, which are helpful in designing the wetting behavior of hierarchical semicircular micro/nano-structured surface.

Superantiwetting surfaces with contact angles above 150° and sliding angles below 10° for one wetting phase under another medium phase among water, oil, and air have been designed. However, all superantiwetting surfaces that show super-repellence in any two-phase system including six extreme wetting states such as superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, underoil superhydrophobicity, underwater superoleophobicity, and underoil and underwater superaerophobicity are extremely rare. Here, we prepare all superantiwetting surfaces by simply spraying a suspension containing titanium dioxide, aluminum phosphate, and perfluorosilane on substrates. In a broad sense, the all superantiwetting state can be extended to polar liquid–nonpolar liquid–air systems. Thus, the prepared surfaces realize high-efficiency on-demand separation of immiscible organic liquids. This discovery opens up the possibility of multiple extreme wetting surfaces even involving a wide range of organic liquids.

FAM3B, also known as PANcreatic DERived factor (PANDER), promotes gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis in hepatocytes. However, the underlying mechanism(s) still remains largely unclear. This study determined the mechanism of PANDER‐induced FOXO1 activation in hepatocytes. In mouse livers and cultured hepatocytes, PANDER protein is located in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Nuclear PANDER distribution was increased in the livers of obese mice. In cultured mouse and human hepatocytes, PANDER was co‐localized with FOXO1 in the nucleus. PANDER directly interacted with FOXO1 in mouse and human hepatocytes. PANDER overexpression enhanced PANDER‐FOXO1 interaction, and detained FOXO1 in the nucleus upon insulin stimulation in hepatocytes. With the increase in PANDER‐FOXO1 interaction, PANDER overexpression upregulated the expression of gluconeogenic genes and promoted gluconeogenesis in both human and mouse hepatocytes. Luciferase reporter assays further revealed that PANDER augmented the transcriptional activity of FOXO1 on gluconeogenic genes. Moreover, PANDER overexpression also interfered the binding of AS1842856, a specific FOXO1 inhibitor, with FOXO1, and impaired its inhibitory effects on gluconeogenic gene expression and gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes. siRNA mediated‐silencing of FOXO1 inhibited PANDER‐promoted gluconeogenic gene expression and glucose production in hepatocytes. In conclusion, PANDER protein is abundantly present in the nucleus, where it functions as a new co‐activator of FOXO1 to induce gluconeogenic gene expression in hepatocytes.

Isothiazolinone (IT) biocides are potent antibacterial substances commonly used as preservatives or disinfectants, and 2-n-Octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (OIT, octhilinone) is a common IT biocide that is present in leather products, glue, paints, and cleaning products. Although humans are exposed to OIT through personal and industrial use, the potentially deleterious effects of OIT on human health are still unknown. To investigate the effects of OIT on the vascular system, which is continuously exposed to xenobiotics through systemic circulation, we treated brain endothelial cells with OIT. OIT treatment significantly activated caspase-3-mediated apoptosis and reduced the bioenergetic function of mitochondria in a bEnd.3 cell-based in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) model. Interestingly, OIT significantly altered the thiol redox status, as evidenced by reduced glutathione levels and protein S-nitrosylation. The endothelial barrier function of bEnd.3 cells was significantly impaired by OIT treatment. OIT affected mitochondrial dynamics through mitophagy and altered mitochondrial morphology in bEnd.3 cells. N-acetyl cysteine significantly reversed the effects of OIT on the metabolic capacity and endothelial function of bEnd.3 cells. Taken together, we demonstrated that the alteration of the thiol redox status and mitochondrial damage contributed to OIT-induced BBB dysfunction, and we hope that our findings will improve our understanding of the potential hazardous health effects of IT biocides.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious threat to human health. Clinically, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is considered one of the most common contributors to AKI. Emodin has been reported to alleviate I/R injury in the heart, brain, and small intestine in rats and mice through its anti-inflammatory effects. The present study investigated whether emodin improved AKI induced by I/R and elucidated the molecular mechanisms. We used a mouse model of renal I/R injury and human renal tubular epithelial cell model of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. Ischemia/reperfusion resulted in renal dysfunction. Pretreatment with emodin ameliorated renal injury in mice following I/R injury. Emodin reduced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, suppressed the overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and accelerated the recovery of adenosine triphosphate both in vivo and in vitro. Emodin prevented mitochondrial fission and restored the balance of mitochondrial dynamics. The phosphorylation of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) at Ser616, a master regulator of mitochondrial fission, was upregulated in both models of I/R and H/R injury, and this upregulation was blocked by emodin. Using computational cognate protein kinase prediction and specific kinase inhibitors, we found that emodin inhibited the phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/GRAC/ObjectDisplayForward?objectId=1554), thereby inhibiting its kinase activity and reducing the phosphorylation of DRP1 at Ser616. The results demonstrated that emodin pretreatment could protect renal function by improving mitochondrial dysfunction induced by I/R.

Water is recognized as a contaminant in lubricating oils. Recently, interfacial materials with special wettability have been broadly developed for oil-water separation. However, solving lubricating oil failure caused by water remains a challenge. Here, a robust superhydrophobic membrane is presented to effectively remove water in lubricating oils to recover their lubricating capability. Compared to pure lubricating oils without or with an additive, lubricating oils collected from their emulsions using the superhydrophobic membrane have an equivalent friction coefficient and wear volume, which are much lower than that of lubricating oils contaminated by water. Water in lubricating oils accelerates the oxidation of metallic substrates and wear corrosion. Moreover, the metallic ions dissolved in water-containing lubricating oils induce the catalytic dehydrogenation of lubricating oils, leading to the deposition of a good deal of carbon-based wear debris. Importantly, the prepared membrane shows steady performance in regard to extreme water repellency, high-efficiency purification of lubricating oils, and low wear volume even after harsh mechanical damage. Robust interfacial materials have potential advantages in practically solving lubricating oil failure caused by water.

Superamphiphobic surfaces have drawn much attention owning to their significant advantages in interfacial applications. However, the existing preparation strategies are suffering from the complex process, substrate-independent, and copious usage of organic liquids. Moreover, the required high roughness and fairly low surface-energy components are very vulnerable to physical and chemical damages. Thus, it is highly desirable to develop a facile, universal, and environmental friendly method to fabricate robust superamphiphobic surfaces. Herein, an all-water-based spraying aqueous solution of perfluorooctanoic acid and aluminum oxide nanoparticles is formed with the aid of a fluorocarbon surfactant, which is suitable for preparing superamphiphobic coating on various substrates. The obtained coating displays excellent repellence to liquids with surface tensions higher than 27.5 mN/m. Importantly, the superamphiphobic coating still extremely repels those liquids after physical damages, and can withstand rigorous conditions including acid/base attacks, high/low temperatures, UV irradiation, and organic solvent corrosion. Moreover, the coating has a self-repairing ability against O2-plasma etching and the superamphiphobicity can be recovered after high-temperature treatment. The low-cost and environmental-friendly approach may promote the development of superamphiphobic surfaces in practical applications.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Growing evidence indicates targeting mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis could accelerate recovery from renal ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) is a key regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis and plays a pathological role in the progression of renal disease. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: A mouse model of renal I/R injury and a hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury model for human renal tubular epithelial cells were used. KEY RESULTS: I/R injury up‐regulated renal expression of FOXO1 and treatment with FOXO1‐selective inhibitor AS1842856 prior to I/R injury decreased serum urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and the tubular damage score after injury. Post‐I/R injury AS1842856 treatment could also ameliorate renal function and improve the survival rate of mice following injury. AS1842856 administration reduced mitochondrial‐mediated apoptosis, suppressed the overproduction of mitochondrial ROS and accelerated recovery of ATP both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, FOXO1 inhibition improved mitochondrial biogenesis and suppressed mitophagy. Expression of PPAR‐γ coactivator 1α (PGC‐1α), a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, was down‐regulated in both I/R and H/R injury, which could be abrogated by FOXO1 inhibition. Experiments using integrated bioinformatics analysis and coimmunoprecipitation established that FOXO1 inhibited PGC‐1α transcription by competing with cAMP‐response element binding protein (CREB) for its binding to transcriptional coactivators CREBBP/EP300 (https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/GRAC/ObjectDisplayForward?objectId=2734/https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/GRAC/ObjectDisplayForward?objectId=2737). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggested that FOXO1 was critical to maintain mitochondrial function in renal tubular epithelial cells and FOXO1 may serve as a therapeutic target for pharmacological intervention in renal I/R injury.

Water-repellent and water-loving components are usually used to prepare superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic surfaces, respectively. In this work, a facile approach for the fabrication of coatings with the opposite superwettabilities is presented. Hydrophilic nanoparticles (TiO2, SiO2, and Al2O3) and fluorocarbon surfactants were mixed in water. The obtained aqueous suspensions were simply dipped, brushed, or sprayed onto various substrates, such as fabric, sponge, cotton, nickel foam, stainless steel mesh, copper sheet, glass, and ceramic. The prepared coatings show superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic properties with contact angles above 150° and sliding angles below 10°, and they exhibit high resistance to liquid impact, sandpaper abrasion, and acid/base treatment. Taking advantage of its unusual superwettability, the coated fabric can be used for on-demand oil–water separations without a continuous external stimulus. The proposed coatings with opposite superwettabilities will dem...

As extracts from Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) have been reported to be an alternative adjuvant treatment for diabetes, numerous of work have been carried out on it. Among the many biologically active constituents of Ganoderma, polysaccharides, proteoglycans, proteins, and triterpenoids have been shown to have hypoglycemic effects. Based on our research and other references, this article discusses the antidiabetic effect of Ganoderma mediated by protecting pancreas islet; inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, a promising therapeutic target of diabetes; decreasing lymphocyte infiltration; and increasing the antibody detection of insulin in diabetic mice. This review summarizes researches about the hypoglycemic action effects of polysaccharides, proteoglycans, proteins, and triterpenoids from Ganoderma as a guide for future research on diabetes and its complications. In addition, clinical studies with diabetic indexes are reviewed.

Utilizing the redox property of polyaniline (PANI), Ag nanoparticles were uniformly grafted on PANI-coated fabric. After modification with a thiol mixture of HS(CH2)9CH3 and HS(CH2)10COOH, the prepared fabric exhibited pH-responsive reversible switching between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity. Such smart fabric can be applied for on-demand corrosive water-oil separation with high flux and efficiency.

A facile and versatile spin-coating method was adopted to fabricate transparent omniphobic coatings by infiltrating fluorinated lubricant into the uniform polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticulate film. The lubricant-infused surfaces display excellent liquid repellency, good optical transparency, and show outstanding performance in self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-icing. Importantly, the liquid repellency of the omniphobic surfaces still prevails after various mechanical damages.

Lotus leaf-inspired superhydrophobic, fish scale-inspired underwater superoleophobic, and the switchable superwetting surfaces have been broadly developed by entire modification with water-repellent, water-loving, and smart components, respectively. Inspired by beetles, here a strategy of fractional modification is proposed to construct dual superlyophobic surfaces that have both superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic properties. Specifically, copper-based coatings on various substrates are fractionally modified by adjusting the concentration of perfluorinated mercaptan. The obtained dual superlyophobic surfaces display mutual advantages like using either superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic materials without any continuous external stimulus, for example on-demand oil–water separation. In theory, the distinctive dual superlyophobic state exists in a narrow range of surface chemistry, and thus needs elaborate surface modification. This discovery will facilitate the extension of the surfaces with completely opposite superwettability to enjoy the superiority in interfacial issues and applications.

Highly hydrophilic surfaces in oil are usually difficult to prepare due to the high surface tension of water. In nature, sarcocarps such as Chinese yam can reserve water to keep itself fresh. Inspired by the unique wetting properties of sarcocarps, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that can capture moisture from the atmosphere spontaneously have been proposed as building blocks for construction of underoil superhydrophilic surfaces. Herein, a mussel-inspired preparation method was adopted to coat HKUST-1 tightly on stainless-steel meshes. The MOF-based surfaces showed remarkable self-cleaning properties to crude oil under water, and could realize high-efficiency, on-demand separation of oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions via selective water filtration and adsorption, respectively. Water adsorption in MOFs could be extended to other extreme wettability and interfacial issues.

Pheromone receptors (PRs) recognize specific pheromone compounds to guide the behavioral outputs of insects, which are the most diverse group of animals on earth. The activation of PRs is known to couple to the calcium permeability of their coreceptor (Orco) or putatively with G proteins; however, the underlying mechanisms of this process are not yet fully understood. Moreover, whether this transverse seven transmembrane domain (7TM)-containing receptor is able to couple to arrestin, a common effector for many conventional 7TM receptors, is unknown. Herein, using the PR BmOR3 from the silk moth Bombyx mori and its coreceptor BmOrco as a template, we revealed that an agonist-induced conformational change of BmOR3 was transmitted to BmOrco through transmembrane segment 7 from both receptors, resulting in the activation of BmOrco. Key interactions, including an ionic lock and a hydrophobic zipper, are essential in mediating the functional coupling between BmOR3 and BmOrco. BmOR3 also selectively coupled with Gi proteins, which was dispensable for BmOrco coupling. Moreover, we demonstrated that trans-7TM BmOR3 recruited arrestin in an agonist-dependent manner, which indicates an important role for BmOR3-BmOrco complex formation in ionotropic functions. Collectively, our study identified the coupling of G protein and arrestin to a prototype trans-7TM PR, BmOR3, and provided important mechanistic insights into the coupling of active PRs to their downstream effectors, including coreceptors, G proteins, and arrestin.

Tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and immune-related genes (IRGs) of melanoma are associated with prognosis. However, whether the combination of TIICs and IRGs can be used as prognostic clinical biomarkers are still unknown. Here, we downloaded transcription profile of melanoma from TCGA. Then, three TIICs and four IRGs that associated with the overall survival were used to constructed the Immune Cell Score (ICS) and Immune Gene Score (IGS) respectively. Next, to improve the accuracy of ICS and IGS for melanoma prognostic, we combined the ICS and IGS constructed the Immune Cell and Gene Score (ICGS) model. ICGS had higher accuracy and predictive ability than ICS or IGS. Meanwhile, ICGS model reliability was validated by two independent datasets of melanoma. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction network analysis based on ICGS were performed to identify T cell mediated immune and inflammatory response are highly associated with melanoma.

Superhydrophobic surfaces demonstrate remarkable advantages involving interfacial issues but limited practical applications due to their poor mechanical robustness and environmental durability. The required micro-/nano-hierarchical structures and low-surface-energy nanocomponents are very vulnerable to physical and chemical destruction. Moreover, harsh conditions fundamentally weaken the mechanical strength of already-constructed robust superhydrophobic surfaces. In this work, inorganic adhesives are proposed to strengthen the bonding force between superhydrophobic coatings and various substrates. A simple spray-coating method is adopted to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces using an all-in-one suspension that contains an aluminum phosphate binder, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and alkylsilane. The surfaces benefitting from inorganic adhesives still extremely repel water after physical abrasion, and greatly endure harsh conditions including hot oil (80 °C), hot water (80 °C), and hot acetone (50 °C) for 24 h to preserve their high mechanical strength. The prepared coatings also have a self-healing ability against boiling-water treatment, O2-plasma etching, and amphiphilic pollution. Superhydrophobicity can be rapidly regenerated after multiple cycles of high-temperature repairing for 5 min. In addition, the robust interfacial materials exhibit a very reliable performance in oil–water separation after 100 abrasion cycles. Benefiting from the distinctive advantages of inorganic adhesives, interfacial materials will be broadly developed for practical applications in related fields.

// Xin Li 1 , Shengjun Fan 1 , Xueyang Pan 1, 2 , Yilixiati Xiaokaiti 1 , Jianhui Duan 1 , Yundi Shi 1 , Yan Pan 1 , Lu Tie 1 , Xin Wang 2 , Yuhua Li 1 , Xuejun Li 1 1 State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University and Beijing Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China 2 Current address: University of Minnesota, Twin cities, MN 55455, USA Correspondence to: Xuejun Li, email: xjli@bjmu.edu.cn Keywords: nordihydroguaiaretic acid, neuropilin 1, cancer cell migration and metastasis, proteomics, prostate cancer Received: July 18, 2016 Accepted: November 07, 2016 Published: November 15, 2016 ABSTRACT Tumor metastasis is a major cause leading to the deaths of cancer patients. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a natural product that has been demonstrated to show therapeutic values in multiple diseases. In this study, we report that NDGA can inhibit cell migration and tumor metastasis via a novel mechanism. NDGA suppresses NRP1 function by downregulating its expression, which leads to attenuated cell motility, cell adhesion to ECM and FAK signaling in cancer cells. Moreover, due to its cross-cell type activity on NRP1 suppression, NDGA also impairs angiogenesis function of endothelial cells and fibronectin assembly by fibroblasts, both of which are critical to promote metastasis. Based on these comprehensive effects, NDGA effectively suppresses tumor metastasis in nude mice model. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism underlying the anti-metastasis function of NDGA and indicate the potential value of NDGA in NRP1 targeting therapy for selected subtypes of cancer.

As extracts from Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) have been reported to be an alternative adjuvant treatment for diabetes, numerous of work have been carried out on it. Among the many biologically active constituents of Ganoderma, polysaccharides, proteoglycans, proteins, and triterpenoids have been shown to have hypoglycemic effects. Based on our research and other references, this article discusses the antidiabetic effect of Ganoderma mediated by protecting pancreas islet; inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, a promising therapeutic target of diabetes; decreasing lymphocyte infiltration; and increasing the antibody detection of insulin in diabetic mice. This review summarizes researches about the hypoglycemic action effects of polysaccharides, proteoglycans, proteins, and triterpenoids from Ganoderma as a guide for future research on diabetes and its complications. In addition, clinical studies with diabetic indexes are reviewed.

Superwettability involving water affinity has demonstrated prominent advantages in oil-water separation. However, superwetting surfaces in nonpolar liquid-polar liquid systems are rarely explored for the separation of organic liquids. In this work, a protocol of elaborately controlling surface chemistry is presented to construct dual superlyophobic surfaces for polar or nonpolar liquids in opposite organic media. On two kinds of silver-roughened copper coatings, a polar hydroxyl group is subtly integrated with nonpolar perfluoroalkyl chain at the nanoscale. Prewetted by one organic liquid, the obtained dual superlyophobic mesh can selectively intercept other immiscible organic liquids, realizing high-efficiency on-demand separation. In theory, the dual superlyophobic surfaces in organic media are strongly dependent on their affinity toward polar liquids and the surface roughness. The discovery may promote the development of organic liquid-related interfacial materials.

The fire is closely related to people׳s life. The essence of making fire by drilling wood is the process which can transform mechanical energy into heat. When the speed of heat generation by kinetic energy is faster than the external heat dissipation during friction process, the temperature of sliding contacts will be rising all the way to the ignition point of wood. The aim of this paper is to investigate the old story quantitatively by drilling three different wood materials and by correlating the change of the temperature gradient with friction coefficient. The underlying mechanism is tentatively discussed. As a result, a kind of material can be suggested that is most suitable for making fire.

Diabetes-induced endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction and neovascularization impairment constitute vascular complications with limited treatment regimens. Transcription factor FOXO1 is a key angiogenic regulator and plays a pathologic role in progression of diabetes. The present study was designed to determine the involvement of FOXO1 in impaired EC function and post-ischemic neovascularization in diabetes and investigate underlying mechanisms. We found that FOXO1-selective inhibitor AS1842856 improved blood flow recovery and capillary density in ischemic hindlimb, and rescued the delay of wound closure with a concomitant augmentation of mean perfusion rate in diabetic mice. In vitro, treatment with AS1842856 or FOXO1 siRNA abrogated high glucose-induced apoptosis and ameliorated capillary tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). FOXO1 inhibition relieved alterations in mitochondrial networks and significantly suppressed the overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) induced by high glucose in ECs. Expression of dynamin-relatedprotein-1 (Drp1) and phosphorylation at Ser616, a protein required for mitochondrial fission, were enhanced by hyperglycemia, which could be neutralized by FOXO1 inhibition. Moreover, the transcription of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), which phosphorylates Drp1 at Ser616, was shown by luciferase assay to be directly regulated by FOXO1. These findings suggested that FOXO1 is critical to preserve mitochondrial quantity and function in ECs, and FOXO1 may serve as a therapeutic target for microvascular complications of diabetes. Disclosure L. Tie: None. Y. Shi: None. D. Wang: None.

Superhydrophobic surfaces with micro-/nanohierarchical structures are mechanically weak. Generally, organic solvents are used to dissolve or disperse organic adhesives and modifiers to enhance the mechanical strength of superhydrophobic surfaces. In this work, an all-water-based spraying solution is developed for the preparation of robust superhydrophobic surfaces, which contains ZnO nanoparticles, aluminum phosphate as an inorganic adhesive, and polytetrafluoroethylene with low surface energy. The all-water-based system is appreciated for low price and less pollution. Importantly, the prepared superhydrophobic surfaces are durable enough against various harsh conditions (such as UV irradiation for 12 h, pH values from 1 to 13, and temperatures from −10 to 300 °C for 12 h) and physical damages (including sandpaper abrasion and sand impact tests for 50 cycles). In addition, the obtained interfacial materials show promise for practical applications such as anti-icing and oil-water separation.

Diabetes-induced endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction and neovascularization impairment constitute vascular complications with limited treatment regimens. Transcription factor FOXO1 is a key angiogenic regulator and plays a pathologic role in progression of diabetes. The present study was designed to determine the involvement of FOXO1 in impaired EC function and post-ischemic neovascularization in diabetes and investigate underlying mechanisms. We found that FOXO1-selective inhibitor AS1842856 improved blood flow recovery and capillary density in ischemic hindlimb, and rescued the delay of wound closure with a concomitant augmentation of mean perfusion rate in diabetic mice. In vitro, treatment with AS1842856 or FOXO1 siRNA abrogated high glucose-induced apoptosis and ameliorated capillary tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). FOXO1 inhibition relieved alterations in mitochondrial networks and significantly suppressed the overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) induced by high glucose in ECs. Expression of dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp1) and phosphorylation at Ser616, a protein required for mitochondrial fission, were enhanced by hyperglycemia, which could be neutralized by FOXO1 inhibition. Moreover, the transcription of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), which phosphorylates Drp1 at Ser616, was shown by luciferase assay to be directly regulated by FOXO1. These findings suggested that FOXO1 is critical to preserve mitochondrial quantity and function in ECs, and FOXO1 may serve as a therapeutic target for microvascular complications of diabetes.

It has been revealed experimentally that some superhydrophobic surfaces in nature, such as rice leaf, show strong anisotropic wetting behavior. In this work, based on a thermodynamic approach, the effects of profile shape of parallel grooved microstructure on free energy (FE) with its barrier (FEB) and equilibrium contact angle (ECA) with its hysteresis (CAH) for various orientations of different parallel micro texture surface have been systematically investigated in detail. The results indicated that the anisotropy of wetting properties strongly depended on the specific topographical features and wetting state. In particular, a paraboloidal profile of parallel micro-texture surface is used as an important example to theoretically establish the relationship between surface geometry and anisotropic wetting behavior for optimal design, showing that the wetting behavior of the composite state is similar to that of the non-composite state and the anisotropy will possibly be appeared with the decrease of height or intrinsic contact angle of paraboloidal profile of micro texture.

Controlling oil of wettability behavior in response to the underwater out stimulation has shown promising applications in understanding and designing novel micro- or nanofluidic devices. In this article, the pH-manipulated underwater-oil adhesion wetting phenomenon and superoleophobicity on the micro- and nanotexture copper mesh films (CMF) were investigated. It should be noted that the surface exhibits underwater superoleophobicity under different pH values of the solution; however, the underwater-oil adhesion behavior on the surface is dramatically influenced by the pH value of the solution. On the basis of the thermodynamic analysis, a plausible mechanism to explain the pH-controllable underwater-oil adhesion and superoleophobic wetting behavior observed on a micro- and nanoscale semicircular structure has been revealed. Furthermore, variation of chemistry (intrinsic oil contact angle (OCA)) of the responsive surface that due to the carboxylic acid groups is protonated or deprotonated by the acidic or basic solution on free energy (FE) with its barrier (FEB) and equilibrium oil contact angle (EOCA) with it hysteresis (OCAH) are discussed. The result shows that a critical intrinsic OCA on the micro- and nano- semicircular texture is necessary for conversion from the oil Cassie impregnating to oil Cassie wetting state. In a water/oil/solid system, the mechanism reveals that the differences between the underwater OCA and oil adhesive force of the responsive copper mesh film under different pH values of solution are ascribed to the different oil wetting state that results from combining the changing intrinsic OCA and micro-/nanosemicircular structures. These results are well in agreement with the experiment.

Superhydrophobic surfaces have shown promising applications in self-cleaning, anti-dust or icing, and anti-friction or wear. To fabricate such surfaces and achieve the best superhydrophobicity, the criterion to design surface geometry has been proposed. In this article, based on the thermodynamic analysis, the effects of chemistry (intrinsic CAs) and all the geometrical parameters for the semicircular microtexture on free energy (FE) and free energy barrier (FEB) as well as equilibrium contact angle (ECA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) have been theoretically investigated. It is demonstrated that semicircular base radius and intrinsic CA play a significant important role in ECA and CAH; in particular, a critical intrinsic CA and semicircle radius for the semicircular microtexture are necessary for the transition from non-composite to composite states. Furthermore, it is revealed that semicircle base spacing affects superhydrophobic behavior. Moreover, it is revealed that the effect of outer vibrational energy on wetting behavior depends strongly on the surface texture and chemistry (intrinsic CAs). Based on the above effects, a criterion for the transition from non-composite to composite wetting states can be further obtained.

Due to the crucial role of surface roughness, it has been recently proposed to design optimal and extract geometrical microstructures for practical fabrications of superhydrophobic surfaces. In this work, a paraboloid microtexture is employed as a typical example to theoretically establish a relationship between surface geometry and superhydrophobic behavior for a final optimal design. In particular, based on a thermodynamic approach, the effects of all the geometrical parameters for such a paraboloid microtexture on free energy (FE) and free energy barrier (FEB) as well as equilibrium contact angle (ECA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of a superhydrophobic surface have been systematically investigated in detail. It is interestingly noted that the droplet position for metastable state is closely related to the intrinsic CA of the surface. Furthermore, the paraboloid base steepness plays a significant important role in ECA and CAH, and a critical steepness is necessary for the transition from noncomposite to composite states, which can be judged using a proposed criterion. Moreover, the superhydrophobicity depends strongly the surface geometrical dimension for noncomposite state, while it is not sensitive for composite state. Additionally, both vibrational energy and geometrical dimension affect the transition from noncomposite to composite wetting states, and a comprehensive criterion for such transition can be obtained. Finally, using such criterion, it is revealed that the paraboloidal protrusion is the most optimal geometry among the three typical microtextures for ideal superhydrophobicity.

Recent studies have shown that some aquaporins (AQPs ), including AQP1, AQP4, AQP7 and AQP9, are expressed in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and heart of cardiovascular system. These AQPs are involved in the cardiovascular function and in pathological process of related diseases, such as cerebral ischemia , congestion heart failure , hypertension and angiogenesis. Therefore, it is important to understand the accurate association between AQPs and cardiovascular system, which may provide novel approaches to prevent and treat related diseases. Here we will discuss the expression and physiological function of AQPs in cardiovascular system and summarize recent researches on AQPs related cardiovascular diseases.

Recent studies have shown that some aquaporins (AQPs ), including AQP1, AQP4, AQP7 and AQP9, are expressed in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and heart of cardiovascular system. These AQPs are involved in the cardiovascular function and in pathological process of related diseases, such as cerebral ischemia , congestion heart failure , hypertension and angiogenesis. Therefore, it is important to understand the accurate association between AQPs and cardiovascular system, which may provide novel approaches to prevent and treat related diseases. Here we will discuss the expression and physiological function of AQPs in cardiovascular system and summarize recent researches on AQPs related cardiovascular diseases.

The aim of this study was to investigate the angiogenic effects of curcumin on an ischemia and lung cancer model. To induce ischemia combined with lung cancer models, unilateral femoral arteries of C57BL/6 mice were disconnected on one side of the mouse and Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells were xenografted on the opposite side. Angiogenic effects and underlying mechanisms associated with curcumin were investigated. Molecular target(s), signaling cascades and binding affinities were detected by Western blot, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), computer simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) techniques. Curcumin promoted post-ischemic blood recirculation and suppressed lung cancer progression in inbred C57BL/6 mice via regulation of the HIF1α/mTOR/VEGF/VEGFR cascade oppositely. Inflammatory stimulation induced by neutrophil elastase (NE) promoted angiogenesis in lung cancer tissues, but these changes were reversed by curcumin through directly reducing NE secretion and stimulating α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) production. Meanwhile, curcumin dose-dependently influenced endothelial cells (EC) tube formation and chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) neovascularization. Curcumin had opposite effects on blood vessel regeneration under physiological and pathological angiogenesis, which was effected through negative or positive regulation of the HIF1α/mTOR/VEGF/VEGFR cascade. Curcumin had the promise as a new treatment modality for both ischemic conditions and lung cancer simultaneously in the clinic.

The electricity parameter detection of special optoelectronics devices is constrained by the situation of their real performances inconformity to their test results.To solve this problem,this paper first pointed out the differences between special optoelectronics devices tests and ordinary ones,then analysed different reansons of the phenomena and classified them.At last, a solution was put forward to solve the problem of situation two,which can be thought to piont out an effective way of thoroughly ending the phenomena.

Due to lack of the general electrical parameters test platform for smart ammunitions, this paper discussed main technical parameters of the general electrical parameters test platform for smart ammunitions based on its test resource requirements, electronic measurement technology and response signal during stating the general detection system and the concrete structure of general test platform. The main technical parameters include sampling frequency, measuring range, resolution ratio and dynamic behavior. The construction of platform test software is also elucidated. At last, building feasibility of the general electrical parameters test platform for smart ammunition is proved at the theoretical level.