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Background: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) desensitization, which is characterized by hyporesponsiveness and a form of immunosuppression, is important in the negative regulation of responses to LPS and inflammatory disease such as sepsis. However, effect of IL-33 in the desensitization to LPS remains unclear. Methods: We used RNA-sequencing technology to analyze changes in mRNA in bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) stimulated with LPS. Changes in expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines were detected by qPCR and ELISA, respectively. Mechanisms were further studied through p65 phosphorylation detection. Results: IL-33 expression was significantly increased in LPS-treated macrophages, indicating its involvement in LPS-induced inflammation. Exogenous IL-33 increased the inflammatory response and ameliorated LPS desensitization by increasing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. It also activated p65 phosphorylation in resistant cells. Conclusion: IL-33 can enhance the inflammatory response induced by LPS and ameliorate LPS desensitization possibly by activating the NF-κB pathway in mouse macrophages.

Background Main bioactive constituents and pharmacological functions of ripened red ginseng berry (Panax ginseng Meyer) have been frequently reported. Yet, the research gap targeting the beneficial activities of transformed green ginseng berries has not reported elsewhere. Methods Ginsenosides of new green berry cultivar K-1 (GK-1) were identified by HPLC-QTOF/MS. Ginsenosides bioconversion in GK-1 by bgp1 enzyme was confirmed with HPLC and TLC. Then, mechanisms of GK-1 and β-glucosidase (bgp1) biotransformed GK-1 (BGK-1) were determined by Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western blot. Results GK-1 possesses highest ginsenosides especially ginsenoside-Re amongst seven ginseng cultivars including (Chunpoong, Huangsuk, Kumpoong, K-1, Honkaejong, Gopoong, and Yunpoong). Ginseng root’s biomass is not affected with the harvest of GK-1 at 3 weeks after flowering period. Then, Re is bio-converted into a promising pharmaceutical effect of Rg2 via bgp1. According to the results of cell assays, BGK-1 shows decrease of tyrosinase and melanin content in α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone challenged-murine melanoma B16 cells. BGK-1 which is comparatively more effective than GK-1 extract shows significant suppression of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and inflammatory target genes, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion These results reported effective whitening and anti-inflammatory of BGK-1 as compared to GK-1., Graphical abstract Image 1

Sesquiterpenes are one of the most diverse groups of secondary metabolites that have mainly been observed in terpenoids. It is a natural terpene containing 15 carbon atoms in the molecule and three isoprene units with chain, ring, and other skeleton structures. Sesquiterpenes have been shown to display multiple biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-feedant, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-malarial, and immunomodulatory properties; therefore, their therapeutic effects are essential. In order to overcome the problem of low-yielding sesquiterpene content in natural plants, regulating their biosynthetic pathways has become the focus of many researchers. In plant and microbial systems, many genetic engineering strategies have been used to elucidate biosynthetic pathways and high-level production of sesquiterpenes. Here, we will introduce the research progress and prospects of the biosynthesis of artemisinin, costunolide, parthenolide, and dendrobine. Furthermore, we explore the biosynthesis of dendrobine by evaluating whether the biosynthetic strategies of these sesquiterpene compounds can be applied to the formation of dendrobine and its intermediate compounds. KEY POINTS: • The development of synthetic biology has promoted the study of terpenoid metabolism and provided an engineering platform for the production of high-value terpenoid products. • Some possible intermediate compounds of dendrobine were screened out and the possible pathway of dendrobine biosynthesis was speculated. • The possible methods of dendrobine biosynthesis were explored and speculated.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CI/R) injury is a serious complication when treating patients experiencing ischemic stroke. Although the microRNA miR-27a-3p reportedly participates in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, its actions in CI/R remain unclear. To mimic CI/R in vitro, HT22 cells were subjected to oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). The results indicate that OGD inhibited growth and induced apoptosis among HT22 cells. The apoptosis was accompanied by increases in activated caspases 3 and 9 and decreases in Bcl-2. Oxidative stress was also increased, as indicated by increases in ROS and malondialdehyde and decreases in glutathione and superoxide dismutase. In addition, OGD induced G1 arrest in HT22 cells with corresponding upregulation of FOXO1 and p27 Kip1, suggesting the cell cycle arrest was mediated by FOXO1/p27 Kip1 signaling. Notably, FOXO1 was found to be the direct target of miR-27a-3p in HT22 cells. MiR-27a-3p was downregulated in OGD/R-treated HT22 cells, and miR-27a-3p mimics partially or entirely reversed all of the in vitro effects of OGD. Moreover, miR-27a-3p agomir significantly alleviated the symptoms of CI/R in vivo in a rat model of CI/R. Thus, MiR-27a-3p appears to suppress CI/R injury by targeting FOXO1.

In contrast to the homeokinesis of mitosis, asymmetric division of cytoplasm is the conspicuous feature of meiosis in mammalian oocytes. Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) is an important regulator during mitotic spindle assembly and cytoplasmic division, but its functions in oocyte meiosis and early embryo development have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we detected PRC1 expression and localization and revealed a nuclear, spindle midzone-related dynamic pattern throughout meiotic and mitotic progressions. Treatment of oocytes with the reagents taxol or nocodazole disturbed the distribution of PRC1 in metaphase II oocytes. Further, PRC1 depletion led to failure of first polar body (PB1) extrusion and spindle migration, aneuploidy and defective kinetochore-microtubule attachment and spindle assembly. Overexpression of PRC1 resulted in PB1 extrusion failure, aneuploidy and serious defects of spindle assembly. To investigate PRC1 function in early embryos, we injected Prc1 morpholino into zygotes and 2-cell stage embryos. Depletion of PRC1 in zygotes impaired 4-cell, morula and blastocyst formation. Loss of PRC1 in single or double blastomeres in 2-cell stage embryos significantly impaired cell division, indicating its indispensable role in early embryo development. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that PRC1 interacts with polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), and functional knockdown and rescue experiments demonstrated that PRC1 recruits PLK1 to the spindle midzone to regulate cytoplasmic division during meiosis. Finally, kinesin family member 4 knockdown downregulates PRC1 expression and leads to PRC1 localization failure. Taken together, our data suggest PRC1 plays an important role during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development by regulating chromosome dynamics and cytoplasmic division.

Cisplatin, as one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents, its clinical use is limited by serious side effect of nephrotoxicity. Cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity is closely related to apoptosis induction and activation of caspase. The present study aimed to explore the potential protective effect of ginsenoside Rk1 (Rk1), a rare ginsenoside generated during steaming ginseng, on cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK‐293) cells. Our results showed that the reduced cell viability induced by cisplatin could significantly recover by Rk1. Furthermore, glutathione (GSH) as an oxidative index, was elevated and the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly decreased after Rk1 treatment compared to the cisplatin group. Additionally, Rk1 can also decrease the ROS fluorescence expression and increase the protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) compared to the cisplatin group, which suggested a suppression of oxidative response. More importantly, the cisplatin‐induced elevated protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase‐3, cleaved caspase‐9, and decreased protein level of Bcl‐2 were reversed after treatment with Rk1. Our results elucidated the possible protective mechanism of Rk1 for the first time, which may involve in its anti‐oxidation and anti‐apoptosis effects.

Incipient plasticity and dislocation loop (DL) evolution are two important plastic behaviors of ceramic materials. In this work, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the nanoindentation on vanadium nitride (VN) surfaces with different Miller indexes to investigate the incipient plasticity, dislocation reactions, and the evolution of the DLs. It was found that the plasticity of VN proceeds by the nucleation and glide of partial dislocations, forming {111} stacking fault (SF). However, dislocation patterns of nanoindentation along different crystallographic orientations are quite different, which to be specific are dislocation flower for {001}, SF tripyramid for {111}, and symmetric inclined SF for {110} indentions. There are two kinds of reactions between the primary defects, including the movement of two parallel partial dislocations forming an extended dislocation, and the intersection of two unparallel SFs forming a stair-rod dislocation. The Thompson tetrahedron was extended to the illustration of the evolution of the microstructures in B1 crystalline VN during the nano-indentations on differently oriented surfaces.

Ratiometric assays, which can effectively surmount external interference, have attracted extensive research interests. Herein, a novel ratiometric sensing platform for Hg2+ is designed based on nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) with two different optical signals. Under a single excitation, N-CDs have two emission peaks around 668 nm and 412 nm, which are second-order scattering and fluorescence, respectively. Upon the addition of Hg2+, the weak scattering emission at 668 nm can be increased apparently, while the strong fluorescence intensity at 412 nm is weakened. Moreover, the ratio of scattering intensity to fluorescence intensity is linearly dependent on Hg2+ concentration (0.1–10 μM and 10–30 μM, respectively), and the detection limit is 66 nM. In addition, the ratiometric sensing mechanism is investigated in detail, which is due to the combined effect of aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching and scattering enhancement. Furthermore, the developed sensing approach holds a promising application for Hg2+ detection in actual samples.

This paper presents a novel method using poly(aryl ether ketone) containing pendant carboxyl groups to covalently functionalize graphene oxide. The functionalized graphene oxide (LFG) was used to prepare poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) composites through melt blending. It is found that LFG has great interface adhesion to the PEEK matrix, and just a small amount of it can simultaneously improve the strength and toughness of the composites, while unmodified graphene oxide could enhance strength but cause toughness damage. The tensile and impact strength of composite with 0.1 wt% LFG are 5.7% and 20.5% higher than that of neat PEEK, respectively. In addition, 0.5 wt% LFG composite shows great friction and wear performance with friction coefficient and specific wear rate 27.3% and 18.3% lower than that of PEEK. Furthermore, the composites can be used as practical high-performance additive manufacturing materials because LFG is able to improve the mechanical performance of the fused deposition modeling (FDM) composite samples significantly.

Some perovskite ferrites suffer from phase decomposition in a reducing environment, and incorporation of high-valence cations, such as Nb5+ and Ti4+/3+, is an effective method to stabilize the ferrites. Herein, we rationally introduce pentavalent tantalum on the B-site of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3−δ (LSF) to prepare novel perovskites La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.95Ta0.05O3−δ (LSFTa05) and La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9Ta0.1O3−δ (LSFTa10), and evaluate their electrochemical performance as SOFC anodes. The structural stability of LSF is notably improved but the oxygen vacancy content is decreased after Ta doping. LSFTa05 is the most promising anode among the three candidates due to its best performance after 50 h of operation (441.7 mW cm−2 at 800 °C in wet H2) and considerable coking and sulfur resistance. Finally, DFT calculations are performed to study the mechanisms of stability and conductivity of the ferrites with different Ta contents. Our work highlights that LSFTa05 is a high-performance and robust alternative perovskite anode, and could provide valuable insights into developing high-valence cation-stabilized perovskite anodes for SOFCs.

Developing novel luminescent materials for sensitive and rapid detection of phosphate (Pi) is vital in clinical diagnoses and water-quality monitoring. Herein, a lanthanide coordination polymer (NH2-BDC–TbGMP CPs)-based ratiometric fluorescent probe is designed for quick and visual detection of Pi. The NH2-BDC–TbGMP CPs are prepared via the self-assembly of 2-aminoterephthalic acid (NH2-BDC) and guanine monophosphate (GMP) with terbium ions (Tb3+). After the formation of NH2-BDC–TbGMP CPs, the inherent fluorescence of NH2-BDC is quenched via static quenching, while the nonluminous Tb3+ can emit strong green fluorescence due to the antenna effect between Tb3+ and GMP. In the presence of Pi, Pi can competitively combine with Tb3+ to interrupt the interaction of the NH2-BDC–TbGMP CP system, further causing a decrease in the fluorescence of Tb3+ and an increase in the emission of NH2-BDC. Accordingly, the ratiometric fluorescence sensing of Pi can be achieved by continuously recording the variations of two fluorescence signals. The corresponding fluorescence intensity ratio of Tb3+ to NH2-BDC (F547/F425) is linearly correlated with the Pi concentration in the range of 0.5 to 100 μM, with a detection limit of 0.13 μM. This strategy offers a simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the ratiometric fluorescence and visual sensing of Pi, which shows great application potential for water-quality monitoring.

The selective adsorption of APPT-Cd-MOF 1 for propyne, 2-butyne and phenylacetylene was confirmed by single-crystal analysis. In addition, the selective adsorption performance of Cd-MOF for C3H4/C3H6/C3H8 was investigated. The matching of the functionality and size/shape between porous materials and guest molecules clarified the specific recognition of 1 for linear alkyne molecules.

Animal placentae can be used as health-promoting food ingredients with various therapeutic efficacies, but their use is limited by their unpleasant odor and taste. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of deodorization of sheep placenta via yeast fermentation. A yeast strain was successfully isolated and identified as a novel Brettanomyces strain (Brettanomyces deamine kh3). The deodorizing efficacy of fermentation of the sheep placenta with B. deamine kh3 was evaluated by 42 panels, based on evaluation of preference, ranking, and aroma profiles, and compared with normal placenta and placenta fermented with B. bruxellensis. The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that fermentation of the sheep placenta with B. deamine kh3 may improve its palatability by increasing flavors such as that of grass (tree), rubber, and burnt, and by decreasing the odor and soy sauce flavor. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC) showed that major off-flavors in sheep placenta, such as ammonia, dimethyl disulfide, and 1,3-dioxolane, were completely diminished in the sheep placenta fermented with B. deamine kh3. This study presents those major volatile compounds, including 2-isobutyl\-4,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, could be crucial in improving the palatability of the sheep placentae fermented with B. deamine kh3. This study provides a good starting point for the industrial application of a new deodorization method.

The effects of phloridzin (PHL), main component of Malus hupehensis (MH) tea leaves, on blood glucose (BG) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) were investigated to provide a basis for finding a scheme of stabilizing BG. Glucose uptake of insulin resistant HepG2 cells was measured by glucose oxidase method. Glucose tolerance, fasting BG (FBG) and postprandial BG (PBG) were determined by BG test strips. The expression of G-6-Pase was detected by Western blot. The results showed that glucose uptake was enhanced and the expression of G-6-Pase was inhibited by PHL in insulin resistant HepG2 cells. Glucose tolerance was enhanced, FBG level was increased and PBG level was decreased by PHL in mice. The expression of G-6-Pase in the liver was enhanced under fasting state, and was inhibited by the low and medium dose under postprandial state. It indicated that PHL has a positive effect on stabilizing BG in mice, which is related to bidirectional regulation of G-6-Pase activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Malus hupehensis, edible and medicinal plant, which has been proved by long-term application and experiments that it has a good effect on stabilizing blood glucose, preventing diabetes and adjuvant treatment. Its effect is closely related to its main component PHL. Thus, MH can be used as a dietary regulating drink for daily life to maintain blood glucose. Its main ingredient is PHL, which can be developed as a candidate drug for diabetes treatment.

Background: In our previous study, Hibiscus syriacus leaf tissue was successfully cultivated in an optimized callus culture system, and subsequently extracted with 70% ethanol to prepare H. syriacus callus extract (HCE). The previous study suggested that the callus culture is useful method for obtaining the anti-inflammatory ingredients from H. syriacus. Purpose: In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of HCE on the colorectal cancer (CRC) and its underlying mechanism of action using HT-29 cells and thymus-deficient mice bearing HT-29 xenografts. Methods: The cytotoxicity of HCE was investigated by MTT and colonies formation. The underling mechanism by which HCE regulates specific proteins in HT-29 cells was evaluated by the proteomic analysis. These putative proteins were validated using qRT-PCR and immunoblotting analyses. Subsequently, oral administration of HCE for 15 days further evaluating the anti-tumor activity by mRNA and protein expressions levels and tumor histopathology. Results: Results of cell viability and colony formation assays revealed a significant cytotoxic effect of HCE at doses below 100 μg/mL against HT-29 cells, but not against normal cells. Through differential protein expression analysis, signaling pathways underlying anti-CRC activity were predicted in HCE-treated HT-29 cells: Notch signaling, cholesterol biosynthesis, and AMPK signaling pathways. qRT-PCR and immunoblotting analyses indicated that the cytotoxic effect of HCE against HT-29 cells might be associated with the suppression of Notch signaling, which positively contributes to cholesterol biosynthesis. To our knowledge, this can be presented as the first study to demonstrate the detailed relationship between Notch signaling and cholesterol-AMPK signaling. Our in vivo result further corroborated the in vitro finding that 100 and 200 mg/kg HCE for 15 days exerts its anti-cancer effect via Notch signaling-mediated suppression of cholesterol synthesis without systemic toxicity. Conclusion: Our findings can serve as a starting point for developing the novel anti-CRC agent using HCE, as a targeted medicine acting on regulating Notch signaling and cholesterol synthesis.

Background Ginsenoside Rh2 is well known for many pharmacological activities, such as anticancer, antidiabetes, antiinflammatory, and antiobesity properties. Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are ubiquitous enzymes present in nature and are widely used for the synthesis of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycoconjugates, and novel derivatives. We aimed to synthesize new ginsenosides from Rh2 using the recombinant GT enzyme and investigate its cytotoxicity with diverse cell lines. Methods We have used a GT gene with 1,224-bp gene sequence cloned from Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LRGT) and then expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant GT protein was purified and demonstrated to transform Rh2 into two novel ginsenosides, and they were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and evaluated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results Two novel ginsenosides with an additional glucopyranosyl (6→1) and two additional glucopyranosyl (6→1) linked with the C-3 position of the substrate Rh2 were synthesized, respectively. Cell viability assay in the lung cancer (A549) cell line showed that glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 inhibited cell viability more potently than ginsenoside Rg3 and Rh2 at a concentration of 10 μM. Furthermore, glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect in murine macrophage cells (RAW264.7), mouse embryo fibroblasts cells (3T3-L1), and skin cells (B16BL6) at a concentration of 10 μM compared with ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg3. Conclusion This is the first report on the synthesis of two novel ginsenosides, namely, glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 and diglucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 from Rh2 by using recombinant GT isolated from L. rhamnosus. Moreover, diglucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 might be a new candidate for treatment of inflammation, obesity, and skin whiting, and especially for anticancer.

The effect of heating rate on the mechanical property of a ZrB2-20 vol% SiC composite subjected to cyclic thermal shock was investigated using a homemade coupled thermal-mechanical material testing system. In each cycle, a specimen was heated from room temperature to 2000 °C with a prescribed heating rate, and then cooled down naturally back to room temperature. The heating rates involved are 200 °C/s, 400 °C/s, 700 °C/s and 900 °C/s, respectively. The residual flexural strength of each specimen after 10 cycles of thermal shock was tested with a three-point bending device. It can be seen that the residual flexural strength decreases monotonically with the increase of heating rate. The fracture morphology of the tested specimens was analyzed with SEM, which shows that the thickness of oxide layer decreases with the increase of heating rate.

One of the major challenges for transition metal used as supercapacitor electrode is their poor electrical conductivity. In this study, misfit-layered cobaltite Ca3Co4O9+δ (CCO) oxide is successfully synthesized using sol-gel method. The structure, morphology and surface composition of the obtained CCO powder are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement. Herein the CCO exhibits a high electrical conductivity of 62.0 S cm−1 at room temperature. The prepared CCO electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge method to evaluate its electrochemical performances. The CCO electrode displays good capacitance features with a mass specific capacitance of 229.3 F g−1 at a scanning rate of 2 mV s−1, which are mainly due to its high electrical conductivity and unique layered structure. Furthermore, the CCO electrode shows outstanding cycling performance with 107% capacitance retention after 44 000 cycles. More importantly, the bulk CCO can be directly used as free-standing electrode for electrochemical supercapacitors with an area specific capacitance (340 mF cm−2) and excellent cycling stability.

The delamination of (La,Sr)MnO3 (LSM) oxygen electrode is considered as a key reason for the degradation of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC). In this study, a YSZ porous layer prepared by spinning coating has been introduced to inhibit significant degradation of LSM oxygen electrode during anodic polarization for 100 h under constant 500 mA cm−2. Impedance spectra of LSM oxygen electrode are recorded before and after anodic polarization. By performing distribution of relaxation time (DRT) processing on the impedance spectra, it is indicated that the introduction of YSZ porous layer provides more active sites or three phase boundary (TPB) for oxygen oxidation reaction. The potential relaxation process of LSM oxygen electrode is measured by three-sequence chronopotentiometry. The result proves that the sample with a YSZ porous layer has lower the oxygen activity and faster the oxygen ion diffusion at the solid-solid two-phase (oxygen electrode and electrolyte) interface (SSTPI) due to more TPB and shorter oxygen ion diffusion paths.

To develop new anode material for intermediate temperature-solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), layered perovskite PrBaFe1.75Nb0.25O5+δ (PBFNO) is synthesized and evaluated. PBFNO is partially decomposed in wet H2 to form a composite including Fe, Pr2O3, PrBa2NbxFe1-xO6-δ and survival PBFNO. PBFNO anode not only exhibits good electrochemical performance, but also can keep activating during long-term operation which contributed by decomposition continuously. Numerous nanoparticles are exsolved upon the initial short-term reduction, but they are agglomerated severely after the subsequent long-term annealing. Therefore, exsolution mechanisms for stable parent perovskites and partially decomposed perovskites are investigated, and the difference mainly lies in their metal-oxide interfaces with different strengths. Finally, morphology evolutions of the partially decomposed PBFNO anode under electrochemical conversion and chemical reduction are compared to demonstrate that electrochemical conversion can accelerate the agglomeration of PBFNO anode. This work provides insights into morphology evolution and exsolution mechanism of partially decomposed perovskite anode for IT-SOFCs.

The disease caused by Tomato zonate spot virus (TZSV), transmitted by Frankliniella occidentalis in a circulative-propagative manner, results in significant loss in production and quality in ornamentals and vegetable crops. Related to this recently found tospovirus (TZSV), knowledge involving the interaction between virus, vector, and host plants remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of TZSV infection on the changes in concentration of the plant hormones jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), and the transcriptional regulation of JA- and SA-associated genes. Additionally, we verified that JA and SA inhibit the fitness of the vector F. occidentalis. This work brings to a new perspective on plant—virus–vector interactions is proposed, which could be applied to control the TZSV infection.

Background: Frequent overdose of paracetamol (APAP) has become the major cause of acute liver injury. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential protective effects of ginsenoside Rk1 on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and investigate the underlying mechanisms for the first time. Methods: Mice were treated with Rk1 (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg) by oral gavage once per d for 7 d. On the 7th d, all mice treated with 250 mg/kg APAP exhibited severe liver injury after 24 h, and hepatotoxicity was assessed. Results: Our results showed that pretreatment with Rk1 significantly decreased the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-1β compared with the APAP group. Meanwhile, hepatic antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione, were elevated compared with the APAP group. In contrast, a significant decrease in levels of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde was observed in the ginsenoside Rk1-treated group compared with the APAP group. These effects were associated with a significant increase of cytochrome P450 E1 and 4-hydroxynonenal levels in liver tissues. Moreover, ginsenoside Rk1 supplementation suppressed activation of apoptotic pathways by increasing Bcl-2 and decreasing Bax protein expression levels, which was shown using western blotting analysis. Histopathological observation also revealed that ginsenoside Rk1 pretreatment significantly reversed APAP-induced necrosis and inflammatory infiltration in liver tissues. Biological indicators of nitrative stress, such as 3-nitrotyrosine, were also inhibited after pretreatment with Rk1 compared with the APAP group. Conclusion: The results clearly suggest that the underlying molecular mechanisms in the hepatoprotection of ginsenoside Rk1 in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its antioxidation, antiapoptosis, anti-inflammation, and antinitrative effects. Keywords: anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, ginsenoside Rk1, oxidative stress

Highly fluorescent N-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) and graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs, g-C3N4) were synthesized using a solid-phase microwave-assisted (SPMA) technique. The SPMA method, based on the pyrolysis of citric acid and urea with different recipes, is capable of producing quantum dots with coexisting NGQDs and CNQDs at 280 °C within only five minutes. The photoluminescence (PL) emissions from NGQD and CNQDs are strongly dependent on the excitation wavelength and the solvent type, i.e., water, ethanol, and N-methyl pyrrolidinone. The unique attribute of the quantum dots, possessing a multiple chromophoric band-gap structure, originates from the presence of g-C3N4, defect-related emissive traps, and grain boundaries. Thus, an appropriate excitation wavelength induces a conjugated π electron system to fulfill the most probable absorption band, resulting in wavelength-dependent emissions including ultraviolet, visible and infrared light. The quantum yield of the NGQD and CNQD samples can reach as high as 68.1%. Accordingly, a light-emitting device using the combination of the NGQD and CNQD powder embedded polymeric film can emit white-like light with ultra-high power-conversion efficiency.

Background: Similar to the leaves of P. Quinquefolius, American ginseng berry (AGB) is another important part of P. Quinquefolius with alternative therapeutic potential. The liver protection capabilities of the former have been demonstrated previously, however, the later has not yet been evaluated. Purpose: Based on our previous observation, the present work was designed to evaluate the hepatic protective effects for novel mechanisms of AGB in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury in vivo. Study design/Methods: All mice were divided into four groups as follows: normal group, APAP group and APAP + AGB (150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg) groups. AGB were orally administered for one week before exposure to APAP (250 mg/kg). Severe liver injury was observed and hepatotoxicity was evaluated after 24 h through evaluating the biochemical markers, protein expressions levels and liver histopathology. Results: Our study results clearly demonstrated that AGB pretreatment ameliorated APAP-induced hepatic injury as evidenced by decreasing plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) compared to the APAP group. Western blotting analysis showed that pretreatment with AGB decreased the expressions levels of TNF-α and nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB p65) in liver tissues. Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of caspases, cytochrome c, and Bax were elevated by AGB treatment for seven days, while the protein expression level of Bcl-2 was inhibited comparison with that in APAP group. Furthermore, supplement of AGB resulted in increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), while decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the expression levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and cytochrome P450 E1 (CYP2E1). The results of histopathological staining demonstrated that AGB pretreatment inhibited APAP-induced hepatocyte infiltration, congestion, and necrosis. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that AGB pretreatment protected liver cells against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity through inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation responses via TNF-α-mediated caspase-3/-8/-9 signaling pathways.

Dye sensitization achieving photoelectrochemical (PEC) signal amplification for ultrasensitive bioanalysis has undergone a major breakthrough. In this proposal, an innovative PEC sensing platform is developed by combining Z-scheme WO3@SnS2 photoactive materials and a G-wire superstructure as well as a dye sensitization enhancement strategy. The newly synthesized WO3@SnS2 heterojunction with outstanding PEC performance is employed as a photoelectrode matrix. Due to the formation of the Z-scheme heterojunction between WO3 and SnS2, the migration dynamics of the photogenerated carrier is evidently augmented. To improve sensitivity, the target excision-driven dual-cycle signal amplification strategy is introduced to output exponential c-myc fragments. Crystal violet is then conjugated into the G-quadruplex to amplify the PEC signal, where crystal violet generates excited electrons by capturing visible light and rapidly injects electrons into the conduction band of SnS2, suppressing the recombination of the photo-induced carrier. Moreover, the G-wire superstructure acts as a universal amplification pathway, ensuring adequate crystal violet loads. Specifically, the biosensor for uracil-DNA glycosylase quantification displays a wide detection range (0.0005-1.0 U/mL) and a lower detection limit (0.00025 U/mL). Furthermore, the Z-scheme electron migration mechanism and the crystal violet sensitization effect are discussed in detail. The construction of the PEC sensor provides a new consideration for signal amplification and material design.

Biological applications of gold nanoparticles (AuNps) have potentially explored an efficient agent attributed to their biocompatibility and high efficiency in drug delivery. Our study applied an extract of Hibiscus syriacus L. callus (HCE) with a pioneer implementation on the induction of mass production. Bioactive compounds present in HCE were identified by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Liquid chromatography MS (LC-MS), wherein, the Denatonium was exclusively identifiable in HCE. Next, AuNps were synthesized and optimized using HCE (HCE-AuNps), and the comparison was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. As per result, HCE-AuNps was reported to show a prominent reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and renovate the mitochondrial function through restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential changes, decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and recovering ATP contents, respectively. Furthermore, the immunoblotting of LC3b/a accumulation, and p62 rapid degradation revealed that HCE-AuNps could induce the autophagy as an intracellular response to reinforce alleviation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mitochondria dysfunction. Besides, 740 Y-P (PI3K agonist) was used to verify that inhibiting autophagy could partially reverse HCE-AuNps suppressed mitochondrial dysfunction, and thus exacerbated inflammation, supporting a causal role for autophagy in the anti-inflammatory effect of HCE-AuNps. Taken together, we strongly anticipate that HCE-AuNps would act as a potential autophagy inducer for LPS-triggered macrophage's inflammation, providing a novel insight for biosynthetic nanoparticles in the treatment of mitochondria dysfunction and inflammation related diseases.

As a major protein of the polyhedral coat of coated pits and vesicles, clathrin molecules have been shown to play a stabilization role for kinetochore fibers of the mitotic spindle by acting as inter-microtubule bridges. Clathrin heavy chain 1 (CLTC), the basic subunit of the clathrin coat, plays vital roles in both spindle assembly and chromosome congression during somatic-cell mitosis. However, its function in oocyte meiotic maturation and early embryo development in mammals, especially in domesticated animals, has not been fully investigated. In this study, the expression profiles and functional roles of CLTC in sheep oocytes were investigated. Our results showed that the expression of CLTC was maintained at a high level from the germinal vesicle (GV) stage to metaphase II stage and that CLTC was distributed diffusely in the cytoplasm of cells at interphase, from the GV stage to the blastocyst stage. After GV breakdown (GVBD), CLTC co-localized with beta-tubulin during metaphase. Oocyte treatments with taxol, nocodazole, or cold did not affect CLTC expression levels but led to disorders of its distribution. Functional impairment of CLTC by specific morpholino injections in GV-stage oocytes led to disruptions in spindle assembly and chromosomal alignment, accompanied by impaired first polar body (PB1) emissions. In addition, knockdown of CLTC before parthenogenetic activation disrupted spindle formation and impaired early embryo development. Taken together, the results demonstrate that CLTC plays a vital role in sheep oocyte maturation via the regulation of spindle dynamics and an essential role during early embryo development.

SUMMARY Oncogenic histone lysine-to-methionine mutations block the methylation of their corresponding lysine residues on wild-type histones. One attractive model is that these mutations sequester histone methyltransferases, but genome-wide studies show that mutant histones and histone methyltransferases often do not colocalize. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), here, we show that, in fission yeast, even though H3K9M-containing nucleosomes are broadly distributed across the genome, the histone H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4 is mainly sequestered at pericentric repeats. This selective sequestration of Clr4 depends not only on H3K9M but also on H3K14 ubiquitylation (H3K14ub), a modification deposited by a Clr4-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. In vitro, H3K14ub synergizes with H3K9M to interact with Clr4 and potentiates the inhibitory effects of H3K9M on Clr4 enzymatic activity. Moreover, binding kinetics show that H3K14ub overcomes the Clr4 aversion to H3K9M and reduces its dissociation. The selective sequestration model reconciles previous discrepancies and demonstrates the importance of protein-interaction kinetics in regulating biological processes., Graphical Abstract, In brief Shan et al. report that the selective sequestration of the H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4 by H3K9M at heterochromatin requires an additional histone modification, H3K14ub. In vitro characterization reveals that H3K14ub changes the kinetics of the Clr4-H3K9M interaction. This selective sequestration model reconciles previous discrepancies on the mechanism of histone lysine-to-methionine mutations.

Reproductive dysfunction associated with obesity is increasing among women of childbearing age. Emerging evidence indicates that maternal obesity impairs embryo development and offspring health, and these defects are linked to oxidative stress in the ovary and in oocytes. Phycocyanin (PC) is a biliprotein from Spirulina platensis that possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and radical-scavenging properties. Our previous studies have shown that PC can reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in oocytes in D-gal-induced aging mice. Here, at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to model obesity were used to test the effect of PC on reversing the fertility decline caused by obesity. We observed a significant increase in litter size and offspring survival rates after PC administration to obese mice. Further, we found that PC not only ameliorated the level of ovarian antioxidant enzymes, but also reduced the occurrence of follicular atresia in obese female mice. In addition, the abnormal morphology of the spindle-chromosome complex (SCC), and the abnormal mitochondrial distribution pattern in oocytes both recovered. The obesity-related accumulation of ROS, increased number of early apoptotic cells, and the abnormal expression of H3K9me3 in oocytes were all partially reversed after PC administration. In summary, this is the first demonstration that PC can improve fertility by partially increasing ovarian and oocyte quality in obese female mice and provides a new strategy for clinically treating obesity-related infertility in females.

Background: Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is the major active metabolite of curcumin, which is a dietary factor derived from Curcuma species. Our previous study demonstrated a significant beneficial effect of THC in mice with allergic asthma. Glucocorticosteroids (GCs) are commonly used drugs in asthma. Whether THC supplementation could promote the beneficial effects of GC therapy on asthma has not yet been reported. The current study aimed to investigate the combined efficacy of GC and THC treatment in a mouse model of allergic asthma. Methods: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: the control group, ovalbumin (OVA)-induced group, and OVA-induced mice treated with dietary THC only, intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone (DEX) only, or THC combined with DEX. The nasal symptoms, histopathological alterations of lung tissues, lung cytokine production, and Th cell subsets were assessed. Results: THC or DEX had beneficial effects on nasal symptoms and pathological lung changes, and the therapeutic effects between THC and DEX treatment were comparable. Importantly, compared to the monotherapy groups (THC or DEX only), the combination of THC and DEX showed a significantly reduced nasal rubbing frequency, lower mucus hyperproduction, lower Th2 and Th17 cell numbers as well as lower related cytokine levels (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-17A). Conclusions: Supplementation with THC can enhance the therapeutic effects of DEX to alleviate airway symptoms, lung inflammation, and the Th2 response. Our findings suggest that dietary administration of THC could act as an add-on therapy for asthma treated with GCs.

Although growing evidence has shown that ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer.) exerts strong protective and preventive effects on cisplatin-induced side effects, including nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity and cardiotoxicity, the ameliorative effects of ginseng on intestinal damage caused by cisplatin are unknown to date. Red ginseng (RG), a major processed product of the roots of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, can be used to control chemotherapy drug-induced multiple toxicity. In the present work, an animal model of cisplatin-induced intestinal injury was established to evaluate the ameliorative effects of RG and their underlying molecular mechanism for the first time. The results showed that a single cisplatin injection (20 mg kg−1) leads to loss of body weight, shrinkage of the small intestine, and sharp increase of the intestinal function index of diamine oxidase (DAO). These symptoms were remarkably relieved after the administration of RG at 300 and 600 mg kg−1 for 10 continuous days, respectively. In addition, RG markedly reduced the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the consumption of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) caused by cisplatin-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, RG pretreatment dramatically improved the cisplatin-induced apoptosis of intestinal villous cells, irregular nuclear arrangement, ablation of crypt cells, and damage to the mechanical barrier. In this study, pharmacological methods have been used to prove that RG can inhibit cisplatin intestinal toxicity by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis and by antagonizing the MAPK-mediated autophagy pathway.

The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is a regulator of local translation through its mRNA targets in the neurons. Previous studies have demonstrated that FMRP may function in distinct ways during the development of different visual subcircuits. However, the localization of the FMRP in different types of retinal cells is unclear. In this work, the FMRP expression in rat retina was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence double labeling. Results showed that the FMRP expression could be detected in rat retina and that the FMRP had a strong immunoreaction (IR) in the ganglion cell (GC) layer, inner nucleus layer (INL), and outer plexiform layer (OPL) of rat retina. In the outer retina, the bipolar cells (BCs) labeled by homeobox protein ChX10 (ChX10) and the horizontal cells (HCs) labeled by calbindin (CB) were FMRP-positive. In the inner retina, GABAergic amacrine cells (ACs) labeled by glutamate decarbonylase colocalized with the FMRP. The dopaminergic ACs (tyrosine hydroxylase marker) and cholinergic ACs (choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) marker) were co-labeled with the FMRP. In most GCs (labeled by Brn3a) and melanopsin-positive intrinsically photosensitive retinal GCs (ipRGCs) were also FMRP-positive. The FMRP expression was observed in the cellular retinal binding protein-positive Müller cells. These results suggest that the FMRP could be involved in the visual pathway transmission.

Age-related diseases are intimately linked to mitochondrial impairment. Whether oxidative stress is a major driver of this impairment is still a contentious issue. Here we show that yeast cells adapt to intramitochondrial superoxide anion ( ) production beyond antioxidant defenses by swiftly reducing the copy numbers of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) genes, while maintaining the copy numbers of undeleted mtDNA. The copy numbers of the ETC genes are rapidly restored after cessation of a short-term stress, whereas long-term stress causes irreversible loss of this capacity through maladaptive persistence of the mtDNA deletion process. As chronic oxidative stress is a hallmark of ageing, maladaptive mtDNA deletion may be a marked contributor to age-related mtDNA impairment.

A new multifunctional sensor (L1) based on phenylene-acetylene was designed and synthesized. L1 showed an excellently colorimetric response toward Fe2+ with a detection limit of 2.0☓10−8 M. This result indicated that L1 can sensitive detect Fe2+ by “naked eye” and discriminate iron types in different oxidative states. Simultaneously, L1 can ratiometric fluorescent detection of Cd2+ and Zn2+ with detection limits of 2.62☓10-8 M and 2.03☓10-9 M, respectively. L1 can distinguish Cd2+ and Zn2+ according to differently emissive colours, after addition of Cd2+ and Zn2+ to the blue emissive solution of L1, cyan and yellow-green fluorescence emission were observed, respectively. The binding modes of L1 with Fe2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+ were evidenced by 1H NMR, Job’s plot and ESI-MS. Water samples and On-site test paper experiments for detecting Fe2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+ were successfully implemented for practical application in environment.

The low performance and insufficient catalytic activity of perovskite anodes hinder their further application in intermediate-temperature solid-oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). A novel La0.8 Sr0.2 Fe0.9 Nb0.1 Pd0.04 O3-δ (LSFNP) anode material has been developed with Fe-Pd co-exsolutions for IT-SOFCs. Fe0 and Pd0 metallic nanoparticles are confirmed to exsolve on the surface of the perovskite anode during operation under a hydrogen atmosphere. The introduced Pd exsolutions promote the charge-transfer process slightly and the H2 -adsorption ability of the La0.8 Sr0.2 Fe0.9 Nb0.1 O3-δ (LSFN) parent anode significantly, as metallic Pd is a conductor with excellent catalytic activity and an absorber of hydrogen that can absorb a large amount of H2 by forming unstable chemical bonds. A single cell with the LSFNP anode exhibits high output performance (maximum power density of 287.6 mW cm-2 at T=800 °C by using humidified H2 as the fuel), excellent redox stability, and considerable coking and sulfur tolerances. After the introduction of Pd exsolutions, the increase in the electrochemical performance is more significant under low H2 concentrations and at low temperatures with a maximum power density ratio of the LSFNP anode cell/LSFN anode cell reaching 18 under 5 % H2 /argon at T=650 °C. Pd-decorated LSFNP is a high-performance, redox-stable, coking-tolerant, and sulfur-tolerant anode material for IT-SOFCs, making Pd exsolution a reliable nanodecoration strategy to improve the low kinetics of perovskite anodes.

Intercropping Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have been widely applied in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China as a means of reducing soil and water losses and improving both land-use efficiency and economic returns. To understand how changes in soil conditions and nematode community structure can contribute to the evaluation of wheat–walnut intercropping systems from the view of soil fauna, we studied the soil nematode community in wheat rhizosphere soil under both monoculture and intercropping systems for 2 years. The results showed that the pH and total nitrogen and organic matter contents in intercropping systems with walnut trees were decreased compared with those of system with wheat alone. The nematode communities differed significantly between intercropping and monoculture plots, e.g., Rhabditis and Dorylaimus were dominant only in monocultures, whereas Tylenchus was dominant only in intercropping systems. Moreover, intercropping systems resulted in decreased nematode abundance, increased proportions of plant-feeding nematodes, and decreased omnivores/predators, particularly in the second year (2012). The decrease in diversity indices (H′) and ecological indices (WI, EI, and SI) of the nematode communities indicated high disturbance and low soil fertility in intercropping systems. Overall, wheat intercropping with walnut had a significant negative effect on wheat rhizosphere soil conditions.

Ohmic contacts to n-type 4H-SiC using Ni layer and W/Ni bilayer were investigated and compared. The phase composition, electronic states, and carbon structural evolution of the contact layer were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The surface roughness and cross-sectional morphology were characterized by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Keithley 4200-SCS semiconductor parameter analyzer was used to measure the current–voltage curves of the contacts. The specific contact resistance $\rho _{c}$ was calculated based on the circular transmission line model. $\rho _{c}$ is $\textsf {3.2}\times \textsf {10}^{-\textsf {5}}\,\,\Omega \cdot $ cm2 for W/Ni/SiC and $\textsf {4.2} \times \textsf {10}^{-\textsf {4}} \,\,\Omega \cdot $ cm2 for Ni/SiC. Ni2Si with minor W substitution and tungsten carbide with minor Ni substitution were identified as the dominant phases for W/Ni/SiC after annealed. The contact surface morphology is improved, and the content of free carbon and the quantity of voids at the interface are reduced when W is introduced into Ni/SiC. The wire bonding is easy to carry out and the thermal stability of ohmic contact is greatly enhanced. From the perspective of device applications, W/Ni bilayer ohmic contact to n-type 4H-SiC is very competitive.

This work proposes a dual Z-scheme photoelectronic material for amplifying photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing signal. Herein, CdS/Bi2S3/BiOCl with great PEC performance is obtained by one-step synthesis strategy for the first time. Thereinto, the unique dual Z-scheme material displays higher activity compared with a single material and binary composites. In addition, l -ascorbic acid 2-phosphate is catalyzed in situ by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) to produce ascorbic acid (electron donor). The cross-linking reaction of chitosan and glutaraldehyde is applied for fixing ALP. Since the electron donor is produced by the catalytic reaction, the recombination of photo-induced electrons and holes is inhibited. Accordingly, the photocurrent is increased, getting the phenomenon of signal-on. Under optimal conditions, the sensing platform is constructed in a desired linear range (0.1–4000 U L−1) as well as the detection limit of 0.06 U L−1. The established PEC platform shows good stability and specificity. Consequently, Z-scheme CdS/Bi2S3/BiOCl would provide a potential strategy for PEC analysis and the field of photocatalysis.

The thermal shock resistance of ZrB 2 -SiC-graphite composite under nominal prestress of 0, 20, 30, 40 or 50 MPa after subjected to 10 and 30 cycles of thermal shock was evaluated by measuring the residual flexural strength of the tested specimen. In each test the applied prestress kept constant and in each cycle the specimen center was heated to 2000 °C within 5 s through electrical resistance heating method and cooled down naturally to room temperature. A lot of broken SiO 2 bubbles in the tested specimens were observed with a SEM. For the specimen subjected to 10 cycles of thermal shock, the residual flexural strength does not show big change under different levels of prestress, although the thickness of oxide layer increases at larger prestress, which is presumably attributed to the effect of the oxide layer that heals the cracks and the pores and enhances the strength. For the specimen subjected to 30 cycles of thermal shock, the residual strength decreases, in general, with the increase of prestress level. The thermal shock fatigue under different levels of prestress was also tested, and it was found that the increase of prestress may speed the failure of the specimen, indicating that the level of prestress may fatally affect the failure of the material.

Objective: This study investigated the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) and its potential underlying mechanisms on adipose tissue in obese mice. Methods: Three-week-old male C56BL/6 mice were randomly divided to feed or not to feed high-fat diet (HFD), named HFD group and chow diet (CD) group, respectively. After 12 weeks, CD and HFD mice were randomly divided into two groups, respectively, to receive or not receive EA for 4 weeks. Body weight (BW) was monitored. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and metabolic chamber recordings were performed. Blood samples and adipose tissue were collected for the analysis of leptin, triglyceride levels, and fat browning-related proteins. Results: EA significantly reduced food intake, BW, and white adipose tissue (WAT)/BW ratio; decreased the adipocyte size and serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol; and increased oxygen consumption in HFD mice. Compared with the CD mice, the HFD mice had elevated fasting serum glucose level and impaired glucose tolerance; however, these parameters were decreased by EA treatment. Meanwhile, EA promoted the protein and mRNA expressions of UCP1, PRDM16, and PGC-1α in adipose tissue, and activated sympathetic nerves via p-TH, A2AR, and β3AR in white adipose tissue. Conclusions: EA reduced food intake, BW, TG, and cholesterol, and improved glucose tolerance in HFD mice. This ameliorative effect of EA on obesity-related symptoms associated with its promoted adipose tissue plasticity via activating sympathetic nerves.

Glucagon exhibits insulinotropic ability by activating cAMP through glucagon or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors. To investigate the mechanism of endogenous and exogenous glucagon on insulin release, we studied the receptor selectivity on pancreatic islet beta-cells by switching the glucose concentration from 20 mmol/L to 0 mmol/L. To measure the exact temporal relationship between glucagon and insulin release, we developed a quick, small volume, multi-channel polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchip. At 0 mmol/L glucose, we observed an insulinotropic effect in both INS-1 cells and islets. Meanwhile, we observed a 63 ± 6.27 s delay of endogenous glucagon-induced insulin release. After treatment with glucagon and GLP-1 receptor antagonists, we found that endogenous glucagon utilized the glucagon receptor, whereas exogenous glucagon primarily utilized the GLP-1 receptor to promote insulin secretion. The microchip can also be used to describe the “glucagonocentric” vision of diabetes pathophysiology. Taken together, the insulinotropic mechanism of different receptors should be taken into account in clinical treatments.

Soil ecology plays an important role in the growth and health of plants. Research suggests that long-term monocropping may lead to soil ecological disorders. In this study, we aimed to understand the reasons for the decrease in plant productivity stemming from long-term monoculture cropping. Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the cause of continuous cropping (CC) obstacles in soils under 12 years of continuous strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) production. The data suggested that CC led to three phases of changes in abiotic and biotic soil factors. In phase I (CC for 2–6 years), significant changes were observed only in soil physicochemical properties, such as the pH, total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK) and soil organic matter (SOM), which obviously changed from the second year to the sixth year. In phase II (CC for 6–8 years), two biotic factors, key fungi such as Fusarium, Humicola and Arthrobotrys and soil nematodes, i.e., populations and communities of nematodes, started to change significantly in terms of their abundance. In phase III (CC for >8 years), the accumulation of phenolic acids, i.e., p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HBA), ferulic acid (FA), p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and cinnamic acid (CA), significantly inhibited crop growth, and the abundance of key bacteria, including Bacillus, Sphingomonas and Sphingopyxis, started to change significantly from the eighth CC year. The results in this study provide useful information for solving CC obstacles in strawberry production.

For small size metal nanoclusters, it is expected that template ligand will play an essential role in regulating the properties and structure. Using histidine (His) templated Ag nanoclusters and glutathione (GSH) and dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) protected silver nanoclusters as models, due to the different electron donating abilities of different ligands, two silver nanoclusters with similar sizes have fluorescence emission peaks at different wavelengths. Furthermore, dopamine (DA) is a good electron donor, but is easily oxidized to dopaquinone, which can act as an electron accepter. Therefore, with addition of DA, which is easily oxidized by dissolved oxygen, the fluorescence of His-Ag nanoclusters quenches. Meanwhile, the ligands of GSH-DHLA-Ag nanoclusters contain sulfhydryl group, which has stronger reducing ability and stronger electron donating ability. Therefore, even in the presence of dopaquinone, the electron-donating effect of the ligand of the GSH-DHLA-Ag nanoclusters on the metal cores does not decrease significantly. Moreover, the addition of DA causes a certain degree of aggregation of GSH-DHLA-Ag nanoclusters, and the fluorescence intensity is enhanced due to the aggregation-inducing emission enhancement effect. Based on two types of silver nanoclusters, a ratiometric fluorescent sensor for DA analysis has been established. The linear range is 0−800 nM, and the limit of detection based on 3δ/s is 10 nM.

As anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), one of the significant advantages for perovskite alternatives over conventional Ni-based cermets is the high tolerance to sulfur poisoning. However, there are some controversies on sulfur poisoning mechanisms of perovskite anode cells and many related works are not systematic and convincible enough. Herein, with 200 ppm H2S–H2 fed to anode chamber, we find that (La0.8Sr0.2)0.95MnO3-δ/(Sc2O3)0.1(CeO2)0.01(ZrO2)0.89 (LSM/ScSZ) cathode undergoes a severe deactivation using Ceramabond 552 sealant, while La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ (LSFNb) anode keeps activating. Adopting annealing-quenching treatment to simulate in-situ conditions, transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that ∼5 nm hexagonal FeS nanoparticles and ultrathin sulfur species layer are dynamically-formed on LSFNb surface upon exposure to 200 ppm H2S–H2 since they disappear after the subsequent annealing in H2. Finally, sulfur poisoning stages of the cells and the corresponding mechanisms are discussed systematically. Our work offers a new dimension for understanding sulfur poisoning behaviors of whole cells and sulfur poisoning and promotion effects on LSFNb perovskite anode.

Two-dimensional atomic crystal materials have similar lattice structures and physical properties to graphene, providing a broad platform for the scientific research of nanoscaled devices. The emergence of two-dimensional materials presents the new hope of science and industry. As is well known, graphene is the most widely studied two-dimensional (2D) material in recent ten years. Its unique atomic structure and electronic band structure make it have novel physical and chemical properties and broad applications in electronic devices, optical devices, biosensors, solar cell, and lithium ion battery. In recent years, graphene-like single-layered 2D materials have attracted much attention. Researches of these 2D atomic crystal materials and their physical properties, on the one hand, are expected to make up for the lack of band gap in graphene, and on the other hand, continue to explore their unique properties, expand the application of 2D atomic crystal materials. Among all the preparation methods of single-layered 2D atomic crystal materials, the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is considered to be the most competitive method. The manufacturing process of MBE is usually carried out under ultra-high vacuum condition, which ensures the cleanness of the 2D material surface. At the same time, the solid growth substrate needed for epitaxial growth can be used as a carrier to support and stabilize the growth of 2D materials. In this review, we summarize many single-layered 2D materials prepared by MBE under ultra-high vacuum conditions in recent years, including monatomic 2D atomic crystal materials (silicene, germanene, stanene, hafnene, borophene, phosphorene, bismuthene, antimonene) and binary atomic crystal materials (hexagonal boron nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides, copper selenide, silver telluride). In addition, by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and first-principles calculations, we investigate the atomic structures, energy gap modulations, and electrical properties of 2D materials. These 2D atomic crystal materials exhibit the excellent physical properties, which will make them have broad application prospects in future electronic devices. Finally, we summarize the problems faced by the further development of 2D materials and suggest several potential development directions.

Owing to the promising applications of C-dots in biomedical engineering, concerns about their safety have drawn increasing attention recently. In this study, mice were intraperitoneally injected at different C-dot concentrations (0, 6.0, 12.0 and 24.0 mg kg(–1)) once every 2 days for 30 days. A (1)H NMR-based metabolic approach supplemented with biochemical analysis and histopathology was used for the first time to explore the toxicity of C-dots in vivo. Histopathological inspection revealed that C-dots did not induce any obvious impairment in tissues. Biochemical assays showed no significant alterations of most measured biochemical parameters in tissues and serum, except for a slight reduction of the albumin level in serum as well as AChE activity in the liver and kidneys. Orthogonal signal correction-partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OSC-PLS-DA) of NMR profiles supplemented with correlation network analysis and SUS-plots disclosed that C-dots not only triggered the immune system but also disturbed the function of cell membranes as well as the normal liver clearance, indicating that the (1)H NMR based metabolomics approach provided deep insights into the toxicity of C-dots in vivo and gained an advantage over traditional toxicological means, and should be helpful for the understanding of its toxic mechanism.

The Proved, Probable and Possible Reserves of a gas reservoir in Sichuan Basin is more than 400 billion cubic meter. It has very good prospects for development. In this paper, a preliminary discussion was taken on countermeasures of gas reservoir basing on analysis of the main geological properties and challenges of the development of the gas reservoir. This study proposed to strengthen the comprehensive geological study of the gas reservoir and resource base to increase the single well productivity and decrease the cost. The existing achievements must be combined with self-dependent innovation to form the right technologies of development quickly by investigation study and pilot test to help the gas reservoir develop fast, efficiently and safely.