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We describe a sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient who presented rapid progress of muscle weakness and died of respiratory failure one and a half years after onset. Genetic analysis revealed a novel ALS-causing gene NEK1 nonsense mutation p.K1210* and a known pathogenic frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTD)-causing gene GRN mutation p.C139R. It is rare for ALS patients to carry two different pathogenic mutations simultaneously. The individual only had typically motor neuron dysfunction without any related cognitive symptoms. GRN p.C139R mutation is linked to various clinical phenotypes that include FTD and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The case carrying two different gene mutations expands our understanding of ALS genetics.

Correction for ‘Polysaccharides from Ulva prolifera O.F. Müller inhibit cell proliferation via activating MAPK signaling in A549 and H1650 cells’ by Juan Juan Yang et al., Food Funct., 2021, 12, 6915–6924, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1FO00294E.

The meadow moth, Loxostege sticticalis, is a typical agricultural pest that uses sex pheromones to mediate mating behavior; however, the mechanism underlying the selectivity of its pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) remains unknown. In this study, LstiPBP1 and LstiPBP3 were cloned, expressed, and purified, and the fluorescence binding assay showed that LstiPBP1 binds to the major sex pheromone component, E-11-tetradecenol (E11-14:OH), with high affinity; moreover, E11-14:OH could evoke a significant antennal electrophysiological response and attract L. sticticalis males. After LstiPBP1 was silenced, both the antennal response and attractiveness of E11-14:OH decreased significantly. Molecular docking predicted that a hydrogen bonding site, Leu37, played key role in the binding of LstiPBP1 to E11-14:OH. After Leu37 was mutated, the E11-14:OH-binding affinity decreased drastically. These results suggest that LstiPBP1 participates in E11-14:OH recognition and could be used as a target gene to disturb the mating behavior of L. sticticalis and develop new odorants for pest control.

Aiming to differentiate between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and elderly control subjects, this study proposes an integrated framework based on spectral-temporal analysis for the automatic analysis of resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. This framework firstly eliminates noise by employing stationary wavelet transformation (SWT). Then, a set of features is extracted through spectral-temporal analysis. Next, a new wrapper algorithm, named three-dimensional (3-D) evaluation algorithm, is proposed to derive an optimal feature subset. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is adopted to identify MCI patients on the optimal feature subset. Decision tree and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithms are also used to test the effectiveness of the selected feature subset. Twenty-two subjects are involved in experiments, of which eleven persons were in an MCI condition and the rest were elderly control subjects. Extensive experiments show that our method is able to classify MCI patients and elderly control subjects automatically and effectively, with the accuracy of 96.94% achieved by the SVM classifier. Decision tree and KNN algorithms also achieved superior results based on the optimal feature subset extracted by the proposed framework. This study is conducive to timely diagnosis and intervention for MCI patients, and therefore to delaying cognitive decline and dementia onset.

Holotrichia oblita is one of the nastiest pests in China. In present research, four full-length cDNA encoding of HoblOBP genes were cloned and sequenced from H. oblita . The mRNA of HoblOBPs were predominantly expressed in antenna. The recombinant HoblOBPs proteins were obtained for fluorescence binding assays. Four of HoblOBPs could mediate the response of H. oblita to organic fertilizers-derived attractants, including HoblOBP5 binding to skatole; HoblOBP8 binding to p-cresol, indole and skatole; HoblOBP9 binding to indole and 4-allylanisole; and HoblOBP24 binding to p-cresol, indole and 4-ethylphenol. Further, RNA interference demonstrated that transcripts of HoblOBP5 , 8 , 9 , and 24 decreased in a time-dependent manner after dsRNA-injection. Knockdown of HoblOBP5 , 8 , 9 , and 24 by injection of dsRNA successfully interfered with behavioral responses towards the target compounds in beetles. Our results showed that HoblOBP5, HoblOBP8, HoblOBP9 and HoblOBP24 are essential in mediating the approach behavior of H. oblita .

Hippo pathway, regulating the activity of related Yes protein (Yap/Yki) by four major kinases: Hipdo (Hpo), Salvador (Sav), Warts (Wts) and Mob tumor suppressor (Mats), regulates the cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation, and further controls the organ size. In recent years, it has been found that Hippo pathway is diverse in different local micro-environments and under the interaction of various signal molecules, and plays an important role in inflammation and immune response: anti-microbial effect in Drosophila sp., anti-infection effect in mammals, and participation in tumor immune response, etc. The activation state of the key protein, Yap, of the Hippo signal pathway helps to protect the tumor cells from immune clearance, up-regulates the secretion of the chemokine CXCL5, and promotes the immune escape of the tumor immune from the recruitment of the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) of the immunosuppressive cells; transcription and translation of death ligand 1 (PD-L1) by Yap in the regulation of mRNA and protein levels. A comprehensive understanding of Hippo pathway is of great significance for the study of potential molecular therapeutic targets for tumors. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2019.09.15

The purpose of this study is to explore the inhibition or activation effects of microRNA-146 B on the expression of PTP1B in gastric cancer cells. The expressions of PTP1B and miR-146b in gastric cancer were detected by RT-qPCR. The effects of miR-146b on cell apoptosis and proliferation of gastric cancer were detected. The methods used in the detection process included Annexin V/PI dying method, colony formation assay, and MTT assay. The downstream target gene miR-146b was predicted and screened by bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assay. The mRNA and protein expressions of the target gene PTP1B miR-146b were determined using RT-qPCR and western blot. The expression of miR-146 B in mice was detected by the cells transfected with microRNA-146 B in vivo. Compared with normal tissues, PTP1B was higher and miR-146b was lower in cancer cells. Over-expression of miR-146b can inhibit cell viability and increase the apoptosis rate. According to the luciferase reporter assay, PTP1B was the downstream target gene of miR-146b. The re-introduction of PTP1B reversed the growth inhibition and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells induced by miR-146b. From the mouse xenograft model, the over-expression of miR-146b inhibited the tumor growth and reduced the expression level of PTP1B. miR-146b directly inhibits the expression of PTP1B and suppressed the growth and development of gastric cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the pathophysiological processes of pain. At present, the roles and mechanisms of miRNAs in neonatal repetitive pain are largely unknown. In our research, the expression of miR-140-3p was increased in premature infants who received repetitive painful stimuli since admission, and in rat pups after repetitive needlestick stimulation. As a result of behavioral testing, the inhibition of miR-140-3p significantly suppressed abnormal mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in rats after needlestick. Furthermore, the inhibition decreased the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, as well as glucocorticoid receptor expression in rats after needlestick. Using bioinformatic analyses, the 3ʹ-untranslated region of TGF-β3 was predicted to be a target of miR-140-3p. Down-regulation of miR-140-3p significantly promoted the expression of TGF-β3 in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that TGF-β3 is a direct target of miR-140-3p, and is involved in the miR-140-3p-mediated effects on neonatal repetitive pain and neuroinflammation. In summary, our current research suggests that down-regulation of miR-140-3p can inhibit painful tactile stimulation of rat pups by inhibiting TGF-β3. Our results suggest that miR-140-3p may provide a new regulatory target for preventing the effects of neonatal repetitive pain.

How to efficiently utilize visible light and highly separate photo-induced charges is now a hot topic in the field of photocatalysis. Herein, various amounts (1–5%, wt%) of Ag nanoparticles were selectively deposited on the surface of the polar material Na3VO2B6O11 (NVB) via the method of photoreduction. Due to the presence of external screening effect, the Ag nanoparticles were selectively deposited on the positive domains of NVB materials. Through DFT, the (110) facet with excessive electrons accumulated has a high reduction ability to deposit the Ag nanoparticles on the edge of NVB crystals. It was also found that the surface plasmon resonances effect of Ag nanoparticles led to the absorption spectrum of NVB broadened to the visible range around 400–800 nm. Under visible light irradiation, the photodegradation efficiency of NVB was significantly enhanced with the 4% Ag deposition, which reached 96% for 2-Chlorophenol (2-CP) degradation in 100 min. It indicates that the screening effect of NVB combination with the surface plasmon resonances effect from Ag nanoparticles can provide a synergistic effect on the enhanced photocatalytic activity during the 2-CP degradation.

g-C3N4-based photocatalysts are recognized as promising candidates for photocatalytic purification of air and solar energy conversions; but their practical application is still limited by the sluggish charge transfer dynamic. Herein, a Z-scheme ternary heterojunction (nanosheet–g-C3N4 [NCN]/perylene imide [PI]/reduced graphene oxide [rGO], NCN/PI/rGO) was successfully constructed. For experimental comparison, NCN/rGO/PI was concurrently synthesized through different reaction sequences. In these ternary heterojunction systems, the introduction order of rGO affects the morphology structure and the interaction between phases and results in two diverse electron transfer modes which determine the different photocatalytic redox performances. The as-obtained NCN/PI/rGO Z-scheme heterostructure exhibited superior photocatalytic activity towards the photocatalytic removal of NO and generation of H2O2 under visible light irradiation. Such photocatalytic activity was about 1.58 and 1.23 times higher than those of NCN and NCN/PI, respectively, in NO removal. Such enhanced photocatalytic properties can be ascribed to the two-step electron transfer process involving the CB electrons in PI combined with the VB holes of NCN via the Z-scheme pathway (process I, PI→NCN) because PI was grown in situ on the NCN through thermal condensation polymerisation. This process enabled intimate contact between NCN and PI and a short charge-transfer distance. The residual electrons in the CB of NCN then flowed into the rGO (process II, PI→NCN→rGO). Thus, the simultaneous occurrence of two electron transfers processes I and II help improve the photocatalytic activity. Constructing NCN/PI/rGO Z-scheme heterostructures is anticipated to be an effective strategy for developing high-performance photocatalysts that facilitate the utilisation of solar energy.

Herein, we report on a robust approach to fabricate antibacterial nanocomposite coating simply by immersing poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) brush into a silver perchlorate solution without using any external reducing agents. The POEGMA brush of 48.3 nm in thickness is prepared via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method. Field-emission scanning electron microscope and Raman measurements indicate that silver nanoparticles of 14 ∼ 25 nm in diameter are successfully embedded into the POEGMA brush. Antibacterial activities of the resultant silver-loaded POEGMA brushes against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus are measured by zone of inhibition and colony-counting methods, respectively. The results show that the silver-loaded POEGMA coatings exhibit enhanced antibacterial efficiency compared to bare POEGMA brush. In order to elucidate their antibacterial mechanism, silver release behaviors of these silver-loaded POEGMA brushes are monitored via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Bimetallic PtPd alloys are regarded as promising high performance oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. However, the application of a subnanometer scale PtPd bimetallic nanoclusters (NCs) is rarely studied. In this work, ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) supported PtPd NCs with the constant metal loading of 10 wt% and various Pt:Pd atomic ratios were synthesized by a modified polyol reduction route. The PtPd NCs show a maximum activity at Pt:Pd molar ratio close to 3:1 with a mean size of ∼2.35 nm. The specific activity (SA) and mass activity (MA) of Pt3Pd1 NCs/OMC (PtPd loading: 10 wt%) is 2.5 and 4.1 times higher than those of the commercial Pt/C (Pt loading: 20 wt%) in 0.1 M HClO4. Meanwhile, the Pt3Pd1 NCs/OMC exhibits improved methanol tolerance and durability for ORR. Therefore, the Pt3Pd1 NCs/OMC is excellent candidate that may become a practical cathode catalyst for fuel cells.

Pt nanoclusters (NCs) with diameters of 1–3 nm are regarded as one of the most promising high performance oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. However, the application of such small Pt NCs is always limited by the preparation methods and the stability of Pt. In this work, an efficient and stable ORR catalyst was prepared by assembling unprotected Pt NCs (∼1.4 nm) on ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) via a facile strategy. The as-prepared Pt NCs/OMC (Pt loading: 10 wt %) exhibited more desirable ORR catalytic performance. The specific activity (SA) and mass activity (MA) of Pt NCs/OMC at 0.9 V were 2.73 and 3.81 times higher than those of the commercial Pt/C (Pt loading: 20 wt %) in 0.1 M HClO4. Meanwhile, the Pt NCs/OMC exhibited more satisfactory stability. The Pt NCs/OMC displayed relatively slight losses of 2.3% in MA and 2.7% in SA after the 1500 cycles accelerated stability test, in contrast to respective losses of 35.8% and 37.2% for the commercial Pt/C. In consideration of the enhanced catalytic performance and excellent stability, the as-prepared Pt NCs/OMC demonstrates great potential as a practical ORR catalyst.

Tailoring PtM (M = Fe, Co, Ni) bimetallic electrocatalysts into nanoclusters (NCs) without any protective agents with diameters of about 2–5 nm is considered as an effective strategy to improve ele...

Efficient charge separation and suitable band alignment are critical for developing excellent photocatalysts. Boron–oxygen-based materials have been proven to be significant semiconductor photocatalysts to solve the energy crisis. Our results suggested that the separation of photogenerated carriers can be promoted by tuning the band gap of the materials from indirect to direct by the substitution of cations. Almost 87.8% and 71.5% of the total chloride contents were converted to Cl− anions after 20 minutes of UV-Vis light illumination for the indirect-band-gap material KBBO and the direct-band-gap material NBBO for 2,4-DCP degradation, respectively. The dechlorination efficiency of KBBO was approximately 5.3 times that of the commercial P25 TiO2 catalyst. The increased activity could be ascribed to the different locations of the photoinduced charges, making the charges have a long-term effect on the contaminants. By the KPFM method, we concluded that the materials with larger surface potential changes would behave higher photocatalytic activity. This contribution can provide a new approach to optimize the boron–oxygen-based materials for designing efficient photocatalysts.

Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) were electrodeposited at the highly ordered anatase TiO2 nanotube array (TiO(2)NA) electrode under sonicating, and the AuNP-TiO(2)NA sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photoelectrochemical experiments indicate the AuNP-TiO(2)NA sensor has lower photoelectro-resistance, higher photoelectrocatalytical activity and stability than that of pure TiO(2)NA sensor under the same conditions. The as-prepared sensor can be used for the determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in real samples, and the obtained results are comparable well with those of by standard K2Cr2O7 method. The method proposed is simple, fast, cost effective, and environmentally friendly. (C) 2018 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The contamination of chlorophenols in water has been considered as an urgent environmental issue. In this study, two polar photocatalysts with a similar structure, K3B6O10Br (KBB) and K3B6O10Cl (KBC) were synthesized through a high temperature solid phase method and applied for the effective mineralization and removal of the chlorophenols. More than 92.0% of 2-chlorophenols can be fully degraded within 16 min under UV light irradiation, which is six times faster than the commercial P25 TiO2 catalyst. The out-of-center distortions capability of the XK6 octahedrons is greatly influenced by X (X = Cl and Br) atoms. The magnitude of the out-of-center distortion of KBC and KBB were 0.137 and 0.027, respectively. A better photocatalytic activity performance was therefore observed for KBC due to its higher spontaneous polarization ability and facile charge separation process. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) experiments further proved KBC has a larger surface potential change before and after the light irradiation. Reactive species capture experiments confirmed the role of radicals in the order of ˙O2− > e− > h+ > ˙OH.

With the advent of next-generation sequencing, it is now possible to rapidly identify the entire repertoire of olfactory genes likely to be involved in chemical communication of an insect species. It remains, however, a challenge to identify olfactory proteins, such as odorant receptors and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), vis-a-vis the odorants they detect. It has been reported that exposing the olfactory system to a physiologically relevant odorant alters the transcript levels of odorant receptor(s) involved in the detection of the tested odorant. We applied this paradigm in an attempt to identify putative OBPs from the scarab beetle Holotrichia oblita involved in the reception of plant-derived kairomones. Twenty-nine OBP genes were identified in the H. oblita transcriptome, 20 of which were enriched in antennae compared with nonolfactory tissues. Of these, 2 OBP genes, HoblOBP13 and HoblOBP9, were upregulated upon exposure to one of the female attractants (E)-2-hexenol and phenethyl alcohol; none of the OBP transcripts changed upon exposure to methyl anthranilate, which does not attract H. oblita females. Binding assays showed that HoblOBP13 and HoblOBP9 have high affinity for (E)-2-hexenol and phenethyl alcohol, respectively. RNAi treatment showed that transcripts of both HoblOBP13 and HoblOBP9 declined in a time-course manner 24–72 h postinjection. OBP-dsRNA-treated female beetles showed significantly lower attraction to (E)-2-hexenol and phenethyl alcohol than did water-injected beetles and those treated with GFP-dsRNA. We, therefore, concluded that HoblOBP13 and HoblOBP9 are essential for H. oblita reception of the plant-derived kairomones (E)-2-hexenol and phenethyl alcohol.

To improve the therapeutic effect of natamycin on fungal keratitis (FK), the grafted derivatives of natamycin and gallic acid were obtained, and the effects of the grafted derivatives on Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) keratitis were investigated. The structure of natamycin grafted with gallic acid was identified by FT-IR and UV-Vis, and the successful synthesis of Gallic-Natamycin (GA-NAT) was proved. CCK-8 and the Draize eye test showed that GA-NAT had less cytotoxicity. Then, through in vitro antibacterial experiments such as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), adhesion, biofilm formation, and calcium fluorescence staining and in vivo experiments such as clinical score and plate counting, the results showed that GA-NAT had similar antifungal activity to natamycin, but had a better therapeutic effect than natamycin. Myeloperoxidase assay and immunofluorescence staining also showed that GA-NAT significantly inhibited neutrophil recruitment and activity. Moreover, It was further found that GA-NAT could inhibit the mRNA and protein expressions of LOX-1, TNF-α, and IL-1β. These results indicated that GA-NAT inhibited the fungal growth, reduced the neutrophil infiltration into cornea, and down-regulated the expression of inflammatory factors in lesions, which provides a new choice for FK treatment.

Holotrichia parallela is one of the agriculturally important scarab beetle pests in China. In this study, HparOBP14 was cloned, which is the most abundantly expressed among the OBP genes in the legs of female H. parallela adults. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis showed that HparOBP14 has a Plus-C structure motif. The expression profile analysis revealed that HparOBP14 expression was the highest in the female antennae and then in the legs. The fluorescence competitive binding experiment of the recombinant HparOBP14 protein showed that HparOBP14 had an affinity with 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-one (plant volatile), 3-methylindole, p-cymene, methanol, formaldehyde, α-pinene, and geraniol (organic fertilizer volatile). Knockdown HparOBP14 expression decreased significantly the EAG response of the injected female adults to p-cymene, methanol, formaldehyde, α-pinene, and geraniol. Similarly, the injected female adults were significantly less attracted to geraniol and methanol. Therefore, HparOBP14 might bind organic matter volatiles during oviposition. These results are not only helpful to analyze the olfactory recognition mechanism of female adult H. parallela when choosing suitable oviposition sites, but also to provide target genes for green prevention and control of H. parallela in the future.

Background Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), a group of autoimmune neurological diseases, involve the optic nerve, spinal cord, and brain. Meningitis is rarely reported as the primary clinical manifestation of both anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4)/ anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-negative NMOSD (NMOSDneg). Case presentation A 30-year-old man initially presented with fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Lumbar puncture revealed mixed cell reaction and decreased glucose levels. As a result, tuberculous meningitis was suspected. After 1 month, the patient developed longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and area postrema syndrome. This was followed by the presentation of meningitis-like symptoms once again in the third attack, but his condition eventually improved after corticosteroid treatment without relapse for 2 years. However, he was readmitted to our hospital owing to symptoms of diplopia, hiccup, and numbness in the right hand. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that the area postrema still contained lesions. Spinal MRI revealed several segmental enhancements at the C4–C5, T1, and T5 levels. Anti-AQP4 and anti-MOG antibodies were persistently absent in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The patient was finally diagnosed with NMOSDneg. Conclusions Meningitis could be a recurrent manifestation of NMOSDneg and requires more careful evaluation.

Purpose Isorhamnetin is a natural flavonoid with both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, but its effect on fungal keratitis (FK) remains unknown. The current study aims to investigate the antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects of isorhamnetin against mouse Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis. Methods In vitro, the lowest effective concentration of isorhamnetin was assessed by minimum inhibitory concentration and cytotoxicity tests in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and RAW264.7 cells. The antifungal property was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and propidium iodide uptake test. The anti-inflammatory effect of isorhamnetin in HCECs and RAW264.7 cells was observed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In the eyes of mice with A. fumigatus keratitis, FK severity was evaluated using clinical score, plate counting, histological staining and periodic acid Schiff staining. In vivo, the anti-inflammatory effect of isorhamnetin was examined by immunofluorescence staining, myeloperoxidase assay, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and qRT-PCR. Results In HCECs and RAW264.7 cells, isorhamnetin significantly inhibited A. fumigatus conidia growth and hyphae viability at 80 µg/mL without affecting cell viability. In vitro, isorhamnetin altered A. fumigatus hyphal morphology and membrane integrity. In A. fumigatus keratitis mouse model, isorhamnetin treatment alleviated the severity of FK by reducing corneal fungal load and inhibiting neutrophil recruitment. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR-2, TLR-4, Dectin-1, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly decreased in isorhamnetin-treated groups in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions Isorhamnetin improves the prognosis of A. fumigatus keratitis in mice by inhibiting the growth of A. fumigatus, reducing the recruitment of neutrophils and downregulating inflammatory factors.

Background Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) emerge as compatible alternatives to conventional insecticides in controlling Holotrichia parallela larvae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). However, the immune responses of H. parallela against EPNs infection remain unclear. Results In present research, RNA-Seq was firstly performed. A total of 89,427 and 85,741 unigenes were achieved from the midgut of H. parallela larvae treated with Heterorhabditis beicherriana LF for 24 and 72 h, respectively; 2545 and 3156 unigenes were differentially regulated, respectively. Among those differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 74 were identified potentially related to the immune response. Notably, some immune-related genes, such as peptidoglycan recognition protein SC1 (PGRP-SC1), pro-phenoloxidase activating enzyme-I (PPAE-I) and glutathione s-transferase (GST), were induced at both treatment points. Bioinformatics analysis showed that PGRP-SC1, PPAE-I and GST were all involved in anti-parasitic immune process. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that the three immune-related genes were expressed in all developmental stages; PGRP-SC1 and PPAE-I had higher expressions in midgut and fat body, respectively, while GST exhibited high expression in both of them. Moreover, in vivo silencing of them resulted in increased susceptibility of H. parallela larvae to H. beicherriana LF. Conclusion These results suggest that H. parallela PGRP-SC1, PPAE-I and GST are involved in the immune responses to resist H. beicherriana LF infection. This study provides the first comprehensive transcriptome resource of H. parallela exposure to nematode challenge that will help to support further comparative studies on host-EPN interactions.

This study was conducted to estimate the protective effect of Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and to explore its mechanism. The rats were subjected to left anterior descending ligation and perfusion surgery. In vitro experiments were performed on H9c2 cells using the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model. The results showed the administration of C3G reduced the infarction area, mitigated pathological alterations, inhibited ST segment elevation, and attenuated oxidative stress and ferroptosis-related protein expression. C3G also suppressed the expressions of USP19, Beclin1, NCOA4, and LC3II/LC3I. In addition, treatment with C3G relieved oxidative stress, downregulated LC3II/LC3I, reduced autophagosome number, downregulated TfR1 expression, and upregulated the expressions of FTH1 and GPX4 in OGD/R-induced H9c2 cells. C3G could inhibit the protein levels of USP19 and LC3II. C3G promoted K11-linked ubiquitination of Beclin1. Further evidence that C3G reduced ferroptosis and ameliorated myocardial I/R injury was demonstrated with the ferroptosis promoter RSL3. Taken together, C3G could be a potential agent to protect myocardium from myocardial I/R injury.

Background. To analyze the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cognitive impairment, explore the relationship between the expression of VEGF family genes and prognosis of patients with HCC, and evaluate the predictive ability of VEGF in cognitive impairment using computerized methods. Methods. VEGF expression in liver cancer tissues and normal tissues was analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis method was also used to analyze the relationship between VEGF expression and the prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, immune infiltration assessment and gene set enrichment analysis were performed. Meanwhile, the differential expression of VEGF family genes between patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and healthy controls was also checked. Results. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the VEGF family genes (VEFGA, VEGFB, VEGFC, and VEGFD) were highly expressed in cancer tissues and were significantly associated with poor prognosis in HCC. In HCC, the VEGF family genes showed significant heterogeneity in their functional and immune infiltration characteristics. Finally, VEGF family genes were identified as prognostic biomarkers in AD and risk prediction markers in HCC. Conclusions. VEGF is highly expressed in patients with HCC and lowly expressed in patients with AD. VEGF has opposite opposing roles in the treatment of tumors and cognitive impairment.

The efficient recycling of agricultural chestnut shell waste is of considerable interest due to its large availability and economic feasibility. Herein, an alkaline-activated biochar was thermally prepared using chestnut shell by finely regulating main conditions; its morphological, structural and physic-chemical properties were well characterized. Fenton-like capacity to trigger peroxymonosulfate activation for superior pollutant degradation with high efficiency and good selectivity was validated in different water matrix. Both radical formation and electron transfer were identified as reaction pathways, while the selective non-radical mechanism played the major role in pollutant degradation. Surface ketonic groups were identified as the main reactive sites for non-selective radical production, while crystal edges and structural defects on sp

BACKGROUND Selenium (Se) status is closely related to skeletal muscle physiological status. However, its influence on skeletal muscle growth has not been well studied. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to analyze the impacts of overall Se status (deficient, adequate, and high) on skeletal muscle growth using a growing zebrafish model. METHODS Zebrafish (1.5-mo-old) were fed graded levels of Se (deficient: 0.10 mg Se/kg; marginally deficient: 0.22 mg Se/kg; adequate: 0.34 mg Se/kg; high: 0.44, 0.57, and 0.69 mg Se/kg) as Se-enriched yeast for 30 d. Zebrafish growth, and Se accumulation, selenoenzyme activity, selenotranscriptome profiles, and oxidative status in the whole body, and selenotranscriptome profiles, histological characteristics, biochemicals, and gene and protein expression profiles related to muscle growth in the skeletal muscle were analyzed by model fitting and/or 1-factor ANOVA. RESULTS Se status biomarkers within the whole body and skeletal muscle indicated that 0.34 mg Se/kg was adequate for growing zebrafish. For biomarkers related to skeletal muscle growth, compared with 0.34 mg Se/kg, 0.10 mg Se/kg decreased the white muscle cross-sectional area (WMCSA) and the mean diameter of white muscle fibers (MDWMF) by 14.4%-15.1%, inhibited protein kinase B-target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling by 63.7%-68.5%, and stimulated the autophagy-lysosome pathway by 1.07 times and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) by 96.0% (P

Purpose To investigate the antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin on Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) keratitis. Methods Human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and C57BL/6 mice were stimulated by A. fumigatus and treated with quercetin or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) after infection. In HCECs, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and cytotoxicity tests (CCK-8) were used to detect the antifungal effect and cytotoxicity of quercetin. In mice with A. fumigatus keratitis, clinical score, plate counting and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining were performed to evaluate the effects of quercetin in vivo. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay and immunofluorescence staining were applied to assess neutrophil recruitment and infiltration. Real time PCR (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory mediators. Results Compared with DMSO control, quercetin (16–64 μM) significantly inhibited the growth of A. fumigatus in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting cell viability in HCECs. In corneas of mice with A. fumigatus keratitis, quercetin decreased clinical score and fungal load, and reduced neutrophil recruitment and infiltration to the corneal stroma. Moreover, quercetin attenuated the expression of inflammatory mediators including toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), TLR-2, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that quercetin treatment can ameliorate A. fumigatus keratitis by inhibiting the growth of A. fumigatus, decreasing neutrophil recruitment and infiltration, and downregulating the productions of TLR-4, TLR-2, TNF-α, IL-1β and HMGB1, indicating quercetin is likely to become a potential therapeutic agent in FK treatment.

The flower color of many horticultural plants fades from red to white during the development stages, affecting ornamental value. We selected Malus halliana, a popular ornamental species, and analyzed the mechanisms of flower color fading using RNA sequencing. Forty-seven genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and two genes related to anthocyanin transport were identified; the expression of most of these genes declined dramatically with flower color fading, consistent with the change in the anthocyanin content. A number of transcription factors that might participate in anthocyanin biosynthesis were selected and analyzed. A phylogenetic tree was used to identify the key transcription factor. Using this approach, we identified MhMYB10 as directly regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. MhMYB10 expression was strongly downregulated during flower development and was significantly positively related to the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and anthocyanin content in diverse varieties of Malus. To analyze the methylation level during flower development, the MhMYB10 promoter sequence was divided into 12 regions. The methylation levels of the R2 and R8 increased significantly as flower color faded and were inversely related to MhMYB10 expression and anthocyanin content. Therefore, we deduce that the increasing methylation activities of these two regions repressed MhMYB10 expression.

Highlights • The SARS-CoV-2-SPL possesses RBD and important B and T cell epitopes. • The SARS-CoV-2-SPL has perfect topology structure with RBM as the head, RBD as the trunk and tail region. • The successful preparation of SARS-CoV-SPL provides meaningful guide for the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine., SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 that has been characterized as a pandemic by the WHO. Since the first report of COVID-19 on December 31, 2019, 179,111 cases were confirmed in 160 countries/regions with 7,426 deaths as of March 17, 2020. However, there have been no vaccines approved in the world to date. In this study, we analyzed the biological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, Pro330-Leu650 (SARS-CoV-2-SPL), using biostatistical methods. SARS-CoV-2-SPL possesses a receptor-binding region (RBD) and important B (Ser438-Gln506, Thr553-Glu583, Gly404-Aps427, Thr345-Ala352, and Lys529-Lys535) and T (9 CD4 and 11 CD8 T cell antigenic determinants) cell epitopes. High homology in this region between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV amounted to 87.7%, after taking the biological similarity of the amino acids into account and eliminating the receptor-binding motif (RBM). The overall topology indicated that the complete structure of SARS-CoV-2-SPL was with RBM as the head, and RBD as the trunk and the tail region. SARS-CoV-2-SPL was found to have the potential to elicit effective B and T cell responses. Our findings may provide meaningful guidance for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine design.

Reasonable design and scalable preparation of low-cost, effective and durable electro-catalysts as substitutes to expensive Pt-derived catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desired toward the progress of future sustainable energy storage devices. In this work, we scalably prepare a highly active ORR electrocatalyst which consists of both Fe

Organic farming has been praised for many sound reasons, but there are some negative effects of organic practices. Research on the interactions between soil insect pests and organic farming practices is still scarce, although such interactions might sometimes lead to severe crop damage. Here, we explore the influences of organic farming inputs and key host crops on the oviposition behavior of soil insect pests likely to infest crops. We also shed light on the factors driving this behavior and analyze 4 yr of data from an on-farm investigation. Our study offers clear support to the idea that decomposing organic matter and legume crops affect oviposition behavior and provides evidence that butyric acid and 1-hexanol are major attractants. The results suggest that poor management or returning decomposing organic matter to the field is risky. The silver lining, however, is that oviposition behavior can be disrupted by the identified key attractants to benefit crop protection.

Exploitation analysis is vital in evaluating the severity of software vulnerabilities and thus prioritizing the order of patching. Although a few methods have been proposed to predict the exploitability of vulnerabilities, most of them treat this problem as an offline binary classification problem. To suit the real-world data stream applications and provide more fine-grained results for vulnerability evaluation, we believe that it is better to treat the exploitation time prediction problem as a multiclass online learning problem. In this paper, we propose an adaptive online learning framework for exploitation time prediction to tackle the combined challenges posed by online learning, multiclass learning and dynamic class imbalance. Within this framework, we design a Sliding Window Imbalance Factor Technique (SWIFT) to capture the real-time imbalanced statuses and thus to handle the dynamic imbalanced problem. Experimental results on real-world data demonstrate that the proposed framework can improve the predictive performance for both the minority class and the majority class.

The ethylene precursor aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) positively regulates the symmetric division of stomatal guard mother cells in a manner that is dependent on CDKB1s and CYCA2s., Stomata have a critical function in the exchange of gases and water vapor between plants and their environment. Stomatal development is under the rigorous control of many regulators. The last step of development is the terminal division of guard mother cells (GMC) into two guard cells (GC). It is still unclear how the symmetric division of GMCs is regulated. Here, we show that the ethylene precursor aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) is required for the symmetric division of GMCs into GCs in Arabidopsis. Exogenous application of the ACC biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) induced the formation of single guard cells (SGCs). Correspondingly, an acs octuple-mutant with extremely low endogenous ACC also developed SGCs, and exogenous ACC dramatically decreased the number of SGCs in this mutant whereas exogenous ethephon (which is gradually converted into ethylene) had no effect. Furthermore, neither blocking of endogenous ethylene synthesis nor disruption of ethylene signaling transduction could induce the production of SGCs. Further investigation indicated that ACC promoted the division of GMCs in fama-1 and flp-1myb88 mutants whereas AVG inhibited it. Moreover, ACC positively regulated the expression of CDKB1;1 and CYCA2;3 in the fama-1 and flp-1myb88 mutants. The SGC number was not affected by ACC or AVG in cdkb1;11;2 and cyca2;234 mutants. Taken together, the results demonstrate that ACC itself, but not ethylene, positively modulates the symmetric division of GMCs in a manner that is dependent on CDKB1s and CYCA2s.

To explore the effects of different concentration of pomalidomide on human multiple myeloma cell line MM1.S and the expression of CRBN.CCK-8 method was used for detecting inhibition effect of promalidomide on proliferation of MM1.S cells. Apoptosis rate of MM1.S cells was detected by flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to determine CRBN gene expression level. Western blot was used to detect the effect of pomalidomide on the protein expression of CRBN in MM1.S cells.Pomalidomide has an inhibitory effect on MM1.S cells with time-and dose-dependent manners. Pomalidomide induced apoptosis in MM1.S cells. When the concentration of pomalidomide was 0, 40 and 80 μmol/L, the expression of CRBN gene after the treatment of MM1.S cells for 72 hours was 1.487±0.340, 0.211±0.054 and 0.055±0.005, by using actin as internal refereme. Pomalidomide significantly reduced CRBN protein expression in MM1.S cells.Pomalidomide can inhibit the proliferation of MM1.S cells and promote its apoptosis. A certain concentration of pomalidomide can reduce the expression of CRBN gene and down-regulate its protein expression in MM1.S cells.泊马度胺的抗骨髓瘤细胞株MM1.S活性及对CRBN表达的影响.探讨不同浓度泊马度胺对人多发性骨髓瘤细胞株MM1.S的作用及对CRBN表达的影响.应用CCK-8法检测泊马度胺对MM1.S细胞增殖抑制作用；Annexin V-FITC/PI双染流式细胞术检测MM1.S细胞凋亡率；实时定量PCR检测CRBN基因表达水平；Western blot法检测泊马度胺对MM1.S细胞CRBN蛋白表达的影响.泊马度胺对MM1.S细胞具有抑制作用，其增殖抑制作用呈时间和剂量依赖性（r=0.981，r=0.990）；泊马度胺能够诱导MM1.S细胞凋亡；浓度为0、40和80 μmol/L的泊马度胺作用于MM1.S细胞72 h后，CRBN基因表达水平分别为：1.487±0.340，0.211±0.054和0.055±0.005；泊马度胺作用后，CRBN蛋白表达水平明显下降，差异均有统计学意义.泊马度胺能够抑制MM1.S细胞增殖并促进其凋亡，一定浓度泊马度胺可降低MM1.S细胞CRBN基因表达并下调其蛋白表达水平.

Five new meroterpenoids, zizhines P-S and U (1&minus, 4,7), together with two known meroterpenoids (5 and 6) were isolated from Ganoderma sinensis. Their structures including absolute configurations were assigned by using spectroscopic, computational, and chemical methods. Racemics zizhines P and Q were purified by HPLC on chiral phase. Biological evaluation found that 4, 5 and 6 are cytotoxic toward human cancer cells (A549, BGC-823, Kyse30) with IC50 values in the range of 63.43&ndash, 80.83 &mu, M towards A549, 59.2 &plusmn, 2.73 &mu, M and 64.25 &plusmn, 0.37 &mu, M towards BGC-823, 76.28 &plusmn, 1.93 &mu, M and 85.42 &plusmn, 2.82 &mu, M towards Kyse30.

The unsatisfactory rate capability and poor cycle stability are two major obstacles for polyoxometalates (POMs) in lithium-ion storage. On the other hand, how to endow POMs with 3D macrostructures for further practice is a challenge. To this end, a facile hydrothermal strategy was practiced to fabricate Co8W12O42(OH)4(H2O)8 microcrystals or CoWO4 aggregates onto the foamed substrate (denoted as CoW-POM and CoW-Salt, respectively). Integrating the extraordinary redox stability and lattice deformability of POMs with the excellent volume accommodation, the as-prepared CoW-POM presents an extraordinary better electrochemical performance (specific capacity, rate capability, and cycle life) than that of CoW-Salt. In detail, the CoW-POM can deliver a reversible capacity of 737.8 mA h g–1 at the current density of 0.1 A g–1 and provide a capacity retention of 90.1% even after 100 cycles. This work not only promotes the application of POMs in energy storage and conversion but also guides an effect methodology to e...

Tin-based compounds have incurred tremendous attention due to their higher specific capacities than their analogues for lithium storage. Unfortunately, the undesirable electrical conductivities and huge volume variations during cycling processes coupled with Li+ intercalation and de-intercalation will lead to severe capacity fading and poor cycling stability. To address these problems, nitrogen-doped carbon-coated SnO2/SnS (SnO2/SnS@N-C) composite was in situ synthesized by virtue of a simple solvothermal reaction and subsequent post-treatment. Herein, the heterostructures between SnO2 and SnS were designed to accelerate charge transfer by using the effect of internal electric field and improve the dispersion among particles. While coating the nitrogen-doped carbon on heterostructures aimed to improve electrical conductivities and relieve huge volume alterations during the processes of Li+ insertion and de-insertion. To our satisfactory, the as-prepared SnO2/SnS@N-C composite as anodes for lithium-ion batteries can display a high specific capacity (1050 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1), enhanced rate capability, and long cycle life (550 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles), which outperforms both SnO2@N-C and SnS@N-C. The promotion of electrochemical performance demonstrates that Tin-based anode materials with such optimized structures have broad prospects in the applications of energy storage field.

In this research, Rapeseed dregs (RDs), as a byproduct of agriculture (derived from processing of rapeseed for oil production), were originally employed as a new carbonaceous precursor to synthesize hierarchically porous and heteroatom-doped activated carbons (ACs) with the activation of ZnCl 2 at various high temperatures. A variety of measurements have been adopted to systemically characterize the RD-derived ACs. The micro-morphology, pore structures and surface chemistry property were fully investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman, N 2 adsorption–desorption analysis, XPS and IR, respectively. The RD-derived ACs possess as large specific surface area as up to 1416.966 m 2 g −1 and the pore size distribution concentrates on 1–2, 2–5, 5–15 and 25–35 nm, indicating their hierarchically porous structures. Furthermore, electrochemical measurements including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were conducted to estimate RDAC's supercapacitive performance and rate capability. The investigations illustrated that RD derived ACs reached as high specific capacitance as 170.5 and 153.2 F g −1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s −1 in 1 M H 2 SO 4 and 1 M Et 4 NBF 4 /AN, respectively. In addition, the RD-derived ACs demonstrated good long-term cycling stability and more than 90% initial capacity have been retained after 6400 cycles at a large current density of 1 A g −1 .

As a natural abundant biomolecule, folic acid (FA) was explored for the first time as a material for lithium ion storage. Most impressively, after the cooperation of metal ions (Co2+, Ni2+ and Fe3+), the fabricated complexes presented an enhancement in capacity retention as well as a long cycling life. This work suggests an effective strategy to enhance the performance of organic electrode materials.

In this study, crucian carp (Carassius auratus) was exposed to graded levels of waterborne Cr6+ (0, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/L) for 28 days and subsequently transferred to clean water for 20 days. Fish tissues were collected every 4 days. The Cr6+ levels in tissues were determined and the potential health risks from consuming fish muscle and fish head were assessed. The results indicated that the Cr6+ contents in the head were always higher than those in muscle and that 10 mg/L Cr6+ treatment conferred risk in fish head consumption throughout the entire experimental period. A further kinetic study on the accumulation and depuration of Cr6+ in tissues indicated that compared to muscle, the higher Cr6+ content in fish head was attributed to the greater uptake rate (k1) and kinetic bioconcentration factor (BCFk), although the k1 and BCFk values in the muscle and head were lower than those in the liver, kidney, intestines and gills. The maximum Cr6+ concentrations in tissues at theoretical equilibrium (Cmax) ranged from 0.55 mg/kg in muscle to 112 mg/kg in intestines with exposure to 10 mg/L Cr6+. Moreover, the results of the distributions and transitions of Cr6+ in fish tissues demonstrated that fish head and muscle were short-term storage organs while the kidney was a long-term storage organ for Cr6+. Overall, compare to muscle, fish head has a higher capacity for Cr6+ accumulation, which poses a higher potential health risk to humans, especially to children, once the fish is contaminated by Cr6+.

A sophisticated olfactory system is part of the explanation for the prominence of insects among animals because of the essential roles of the olfactory system in foraging, host seeking, mating, ovipositing and avoiding toxic substances. In this study, we sequenced and analysed the transcriptomes of olfactory tissue (antennae) and non-olfactory tissue (legs) of the scarab beetle, Holotrichia oblita Faldermann, which is a serious underground pest in China. We obtained approximately 80.2 million 150bp reads that were assembled into 61,038 unigenes with an average length of 890bp. Among the transcripts, 70% of the unigenes were annotated. A total of 44 odorant receptors (ORs) and 9 ionotropic receptors (IRs) were identified based on homology searches. Then, quantitative real-time PCR experiments were performed to investigate the expression patterns of 32 putative chemosensory genes. The results showed that these genes were highly expressed in olfactory organs (antennae) and might play a key role in the olfaction-related behaviours in H. oblita. Based on the results of our phylogenetic analysis and the detailed tissue and sex-biased expression characteristics, the different roles of the receptor proteins in the olfactory system were also indicated. The results of this study will provide the foundation for further understanding of the olfactory odorant receptors of H. oblita at the molecular level and ultimately help to develop novel targets for manipulating this pest.

Seven new dinuclear lanthanide complexes based on a schiff-base ligand H2L and β-diketonate coligands have been synthesized and characterized: [Eu2(acac)4(HL)2]·3C2H5OH (1), [Ln2(acac)2(HL)4]·6C2H5OH (Ln = Tb(2), Dy(3), Er(4), Yb(5)), [Dy2(bfa)4(HL)2]·2H2O (6), [Dy2(tmhd)2(HL)4] (7) (H2L = 5-methylsalicylaldehyde-2-aminobenzoylhydrazone; Hacac = acetylacetone; Hbfa = benzoyltrifluoroacetylacetone; Htmhd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dione). These complexes are all centrosymmetric and bridged by phenoxo-O, offered with Ln2O2 cores. Meanwhile, the near-infrared luminescence measurements show that the characteristic emission peaks of ErIII (4) and YbIII (5) ions can be observed, which means the effective sensitization of the ligands. Subsequently, the dynamic magnetization properties studies show that 3, 6 and 7 exhibit slow magnetic relaxation behavior, typical SMM behavior, resulting in an effective barrier of 48.42 K (3) and 54.82 K (6) under an applied 800 Oe dc field, and 60.59 K for 7 under 3000 Oe dc field. In particular, this work demonstrates that the magnetic properties can be modulated by regulating the electron effects of terminal substituents on the coligands.