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LncRNA five prime to Xist (FTX) has been identified to exert a protective effect in multiple diseases. However, whether and how FTX attenuates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI/RI) is still unclear. To simulate CI/RI, an in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) HT22 cell model and an in vivo middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) Sprague-Dawley rat model were respectively constructed. In CI/RI plasma samples, OGD/R-challenged HT22 cells, and brain tissues from MCAO/R rats, FTX and mouse double minute 4 (MDM4) expressions were substantially decreased while miR-186-5p abundance was evidently increased. It was also revealed that FTX obviously improved neuronal damage induced by OGD/R through increasing proliferation, reducing apoptosis, and alleviating oxidative stress in OGD/R-challenged HT22 cells. Additionally, FTX positively regulated MDM4 level in OGD/R-treated HT22 cells as a sponge of miR-186-5p. Moreover, miR-186-5p upregulation or MDM4 suppression restored the inhibitory effects of FTX upregulation on OGD/R-triggered neuronal damage in HT22 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that FTX might ameliorate CI/RI by regulating the miR-186-5p/MDM4 pathway, providing a new target for stroke impairment treatment.

The viscoelastic wormlike micelles composed of the ionic liquid surfactant, 1-hexadecyl-3-octyl imidazolium bromide ([C16imC8]Br), and the β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were utilized to mimic the formation of lithangiuria, that is the calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM). The influence of different additives, such as CaCl2 and Na2C2O4 (precursors for the synthesis of COM) and the β-CD on the viscoelasticity of the [C16imC8]Br solution, was studied by the rheology. The [C16imC8]Br rod-like micelles transit to the wormlike micelles induced by different additives. The [C16imC8]Br/β-CD wormlike micelles containing the [C16imC8]Br/β-CD inclusion complexes were characterized by the small angle X-ray scattering, surface tension measurements, zeta potential measurements, and cryo-TEM. The COM particles were synthesized in the [C16imC8]Br/β-CD wormlike micelles which were characterized by the transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The β-CD has important influence on the formation of COM. In the end, the mechanism of the synthesis of COM in the [C16imC8]Br/β-CD wormlike micelles is proposed.

Methyl and phenyl esters of 2',3'-PhABA and iso-2',3'-PhABA were prepared for the biological investigation and development of practical applications. These esters exhibited excellent activity in most plant growth inhibitory assays. And, three esters were more efficient than ABA in stomatal closure. The 2',3'-PhABA analogs and their methyl esters have good stability in hydrolysis assay, and the different lipid solubility and permeability of different esters may be one of the origins of their active selectivity for different plants and physiological processes. Furthermore, in the study of drought tolerance, all four esters had comparable activity to ABA. These results suggest that these esters were potent plant growth regulator (PGR) candidates for anti-drought. The finding that different esters have different selective bioactivity and biophysical properties indicates that these esters not only function as ABA-like PGRs but also have the possibility as potential selective pro-hormone. 2',3'-BenzoABA esters as PGR candidates with prolonged and selective bioactivity.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen in foodstuffs, and an effective detection assay is therefore essential for ensuring food safety. In this study, we established a label-free loop-mediated isothermal amplification integrated G-quadruplex molecular beacon (LAMP-GMB) chemiluminescence method for S. aureus detection based on its nuc gene that encodes a thermostable nuclease. Target DNA was amplified using the LAMP technique; the result LAMP products were specially recognized by GMB detection probe, subsequently induced the release of G-rich sequence, and formed a complex spatial structure G-quadruplex. The structure can bind with hemin and catalyze the H2O2-mediated oxidation of luminol reagent to produce the chemiluminescence signal for chemiluminescent detection. Under the optimized conditions, the developed method showed a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9882) in the range of 101-105 fg μL−1 and was able to detect as low as 10 fg μL−1 genomic DNA from S. aureus. Using spiked milk samples, the method exhibited a linear relationship (R2 = 0.9893) ranging from 5 × 101 to 5 × 107 CFU mL−1 with the limit of detection of 50 CFU mL−1. Importantly, the detection assay did not require the preparation and use of labeled primers for the LAMP reaction, increasing the reliability and efficiency of the assay. Therefore, the developed LAMP-GMB method has the potential to be widely applied to S. aureus monitoring work in food field.

A cosmid metagenomic library containing 1.3 × 105 clones was created from a soil sample. A novel gene (fae-xuan) encoding a feruloyl esterase was identified through functional screening. Primary sequence analysis showed that the gene consisted of 759 base pairs and encoded a protein of 252 amino acids. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the corresponding purified recombinant enzyme exhibited a molecular weight of 29 kDa. The FAE-Xuan showed high activity (40.0 U/mg) toward methyl ferulate with an optimal temperature and pH of 30 °C and 5.0, respectively. Besides methyl ferulate, FAE-Xuan can also hydrolyze methyl sinapate and methyl p-coumarate. The substrate utilization preferences and phylogenetic analysis indicated that FAE-Xuan belongs to type A FAE. FAE-Xuan was quite stable over a broad pH range from 3.0 to 10.0. The activity reduced remarkably in presence of Cu2+. FAE-Xuan can enhance the quantity of ferulic acid from de-starched wheat bran in presence of xylanase. The work presented here highlighted the effectiveness of metagenomic strategy in identifying novel FAEs with diverse properties for potential use in industrial production.

The yellow stripe-like (YSL) family of transporters mediates the uptake, translocation, and distribution of various mineral elements in vivo by transferring metal ions chelated with phytosiderophore or nicotianamine (NA). However, little is known about the roles of the YSL genes against cadmium in planta. In this study, we first cloned and characterized a vital member of the YSL gene family, MsYSL1, from the bioenergy plant Miscanthus sacchariflorus. MsYSL1 localized in the plasma membrane and was widely expressed throughout the whole seedling with the highest expression level in the stem. In addition, its expression in the root was stimulated by excess manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), and lead, and a shortage of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper. Functional complementation in yeast indicated that MsYSL1 showed transport activity for Fe(II)–NA and Zn–NA, but not for Cd–NA. Although they exhibited no significant differences versus the wild type under normal cultivation conditions, MsYSL1-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines displayed a higher resistance to Cd accompanied by longer root lengths, lower Cd, Zn, and Mn levels in roots, and higher Cd, Fe, and Mn translocation ratios under Cd stress. Moreover, genes related to NA synthesis, metal translocation, long-distance transport, and Cd exclusion were highly induced in transgenic lines under Cd stress. Thus, MsYSL1 may be an essential transporter for diverse metal–NAs to participate in the Cd detoxification by mediating the reallocation of other metal ions.

The NiCo2S4 hollow spheres were prepared by an oil/water (O/W) interface-assisted hydrothermal process using CoCl2 · 6H2O, NiCl2 · 6H2O, ethanediamine, and carbon disulfide (CS2) as raw materials. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis absorption spectrum, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were measured to characterize the morphology and microstructure of the prepared NiCo2S4 hollow spheres. When applied as the electrode material for supercapacitor, the NiCo2S4 hollow spheres show outstanding performances. The specific capacitance of the NiCo2S4 hollow spheres is 1753.2 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g. Of the capacity, 77.8 % were retained when the current density increased from 1 to 10 A/g. At a current density of 3 A/g, the specific capacitance of the NiCo2S4 hollow sphere electrode is about 1350.5 F/g after suffering 1000 continuous cycles. The supercapacitor possesses high energy density of 39.0 Wh/kg at a power density of 200 W/kg. The as-prepared NiCo2S4 hollow sphere electrode exhibits high specific capacitance, rate capacity, energy density, and good cycle stability, making it a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

Three metallosurfactants C n –Cu–C n (n = 8, 12, 16) were synthesized via two-step in this paper. All of these surfactants were characterized by ultimate analysis, 1H NMR, FT-IR, LC-MS, elemental analysis. In addition, the three surfactants can form vesicles under sonication at a relatively high concentration, and their aggregation behavior and the stability of C n –Cu–C n vesicles were investigated by surface tension, electrical conductivity, FT-IR, negative staining–TEM. Results showed that C12–Cu–C12 vesicles with average size of ∼60 nm had good stability over inorganic salt, temperature, and aging time. Doxorubicin hydrochloride was incorporated into C12–Cu–C12 vesicles with a remarkably high efficiency of above 70 %, and the delivery system has obvious sustained release effect.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the image and caption of Fig. 6. The corrected version of the image and caption is shown here.

In this study, we investigated the myocardial inflammation and mitochondrial function during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) and further evaluated the effects of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on them. Eighteen piglets were assigned to the control group, ECMO group, and ECMO+CRRT group. Myocardial inflammation was assessed by the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), myocardial concentrations, and mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6; mitochondrial function was assessed by activities of mitochondrial complexes I-V. VV ECMO elicited a general activation of serum and myocardial inflammation and significantly decreased the activities of mitochondrial complexes I and IV. After being combined with CRRT, serum and myocardial concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6, myocardial mRNA expression of IL-6, and the activity of MPO were decreased significantly; the activities of mitochondrial complexes were increased. We conclude that myocardial inflammation was activated during ECMO therapy, inducing mitochondrial injury; moreover, CRRT reduced myocardial inflammation and partially ameliorated mitochondrial function.