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The design of carbon anode materials with both high gravimetric and volumetric performances is one of the main limitations in the real applications of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, we develop novel micro/nanostructure carbon microspheres (CMSs) assembled of onion-like carbons via an in situ pyrolysis approach. When used as anode materials for SIBs, the CMSs electrode possesses a high pressing density of 1.36 g cm−3. The CMSs exhibit a high reversible gravimetric capacity of 275 mAh g−1 and a reversible volumetric capacity of 374 mAh cm−3 at 100 mA g−1, which can be comparable to the volumetric capacity of graphite for lithium-ion batteries. At high current densities of 1, 2 and 5 A g−1, the reversible gravimetric capacities can still be maintained at 195, 165 and 115 mAh g−1 and the volumetric capacities can reach up to 265, 224 and 156 mAh cm−3. Such excellent electrochemical performances should be attributed to the special spherical micro/nanostructure of CMSs, which can not only guarantee a high density, but also provide void spaces to alleviate the volume variation and enhance Na ions diffusion kinetics. Accordingly, this study proposes a new strategy for the design of carbon materials with both high gravimetric and volumetric performances.

Global-scale N-oxide contamination of groundwater within aquifers occurs due to the widespread use of N-bearing fertilizers and chemicals, threatening both human and environmental health. However, the conversion of these pollutants in active nitrogen (N) cycling processes in the subsurface biosphere still remains unclear. This study investigates the global occurrence of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in aquifers, where anammox was found to be turned on and off between saturated and unsaturated soil horizons, and contributed 36.8–79.5% to N loss in saturated soil horizons, the remainder being due to denitrification which has traditionally been considered the main pathway for removal of N-pollutants from aquifers. Although anammox activity was undetectable in the unsaturated soil horizons, it could potentially be activated by contact with ascending groundwater. High-throughput pyrosequencing analysis identified Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans as being the most abundant anammox bacterium in the saturated soils investigated. However, the anammox bacterial abundance was determined by the relative richness of Candidatus Jettenia asiatica. Isotopic pairing experiments revealed that coupling anammox with ammonium oxidation and respiratory ammonification enabled the formation of a revised N cycle in aquifer systems, in which respiratory ammonification acted as an important coordinator. Anammox can therefore contribute substantially to aquifer N cycling and its role in remediation of aquifers contaminated with N-oxides may be of global importance.

Although the niche differentiation of anammox bacteria has been extensively observed in a lab-scale reactor, the inherent mechanism for this ecological phenomenon is still elusive. Here, we combined the long-term reactor operation, genome-centered metagenome, and metatranscriptome analyses to gain insight into the substrate competition and niche differentiation of Candidatus Jettenia and Candidatus Brocadia. After 146 days of operation, we found the anammox bacterial population shifted from Ca. Jettenia to Ca. Brocadia in the immobilization-anaerobic baffled reactor (I-ABR) with the ammonium and nitrite concentrations of 30 mg/L. Importantly, the genome and transcript comparisons of Ca. Jettenia and Ca. Brocadia showed that Ca. Brocadia harbored more complete function in cell chemotaxis, flagellar assembly, and two-component system and more redundant function in nitrite reduction, in which the genes were also highly expressed. Ca. Brocadia out-competed Ca. Jettenia at the mainstream condition. Meanwhile, though the highest biomass concentration led to the highest nitrogen removal rate (NRR) in the first compartment (C1), the competition of Ca. Jettenia and Ca. Brocadia could also affect the NRR of different compartments through affecting the bacterial activity. Substrate competition of anammox bacteria led to higher transcript activity of Ca. Jettenia and Ca. Brocadia in the second (C2) and fourth (C4) compartments, respectively. Further, high transcript activity of Ca. Brocadia led to the higher NRR in C4. A comparison of metabolic potential based on the metagenome-assembled genome adds a different dimension for understanding the discrepantly physiological characteristics and competition of anammox bacteria for wastewater treatment.

This study was performed to investigate the association between stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines and the risk of adverse events among adults aged 35 to 49 years. A total of 20,072 adults aged 35–49 years, without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline were included in the present study. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During a median follow-up period of 12.5 years, the results indicated that 777 subjects suffered all-cause death and 299 subjects developed CVD. A total of 830 subjects were involved in incident stroke and 141 subjects had a myocardial infarction (MI). Stage 1 hypertension had a HR (95% CI) of 1.38 (1.13–1.70) for all-cause mortality, 1.74 (1.20–2.53) for CVD mortality, 1.78 for (1.40–2.26) for stroke incidence, and 1.64 (0.99–2.71) for MI incidence, respectively, compared with blood pressure (BP)

A flake-like carbon coated Mn2SnO4 nanomaterial was synthesized via a two-step carbonization method using Mn-based metal-organic frameworks (Mn-MOFs) as precursor. The composite demonstrates a two-dimensional (2D) micro/nano-scale combined configuration with Mn2SnO4 nanoparticles dispersed uniformly in flake-like porous carbon matrix. The unique 2D and porous morphology is favorable for lithium ions (Li-ions) storage due to higher surface for electrode/electrolyte interaction and reducing diffusion length of Li-ions. This material gives a high specific capacity of 986 mA h g−1 with 90.1% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1 and a capacity of 428 mA h g−1 even at a high current density of 2 A g−1. Moreover, the performance of the carbon coated Mn2SnO4 was compared with carbon coated MnO/SnO2 which has the same element composition with Mn2SnO4. It is believed that the “synergistic effect” in Mn2SnO4 helps to improve the reversibility of the lithium storage reactions, resulting in both higher capacity and better stability of carbon coated Mn2SnO4.

Nutritional monitoring plays an important role in optimizing nutritional support in patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) receiving long-term supplementation. Unlike initial nutritional assessment, however, there are no recommended guidelines for establishing a nutritional monitoring index. This study is to evaluate the suitability of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as a nutritional monitoring factor in CIF patients.We retrospectively analyzed the correlation between serum nutritional indicators, including IGF-1 levels, and nutritional assessment, nutritional monitoring, and lean body mass in 197 patients with CIF.The mean age of the 197 enrolled patients was 47.22 ± 18.87 years old and; the mean BMI was 16.83 ± 3.31. The mean NRS-2002 score was 3.49 ± 0.83; and moreover, 76.3% of the patients were malnourished. The median length of hospital stay in hospital (LOS) was 18.5 days. IGF-1 was positively correlated with body mass index, hemoglobin, albumin, pre-albumin, retinol-binding protein (RBP), transferrin, serum creatinine (Scr) and cholesterol (p 0.05 for all). Testing performed over 3 weeks post-admission showed that significantly different weekly changes were observed only in IGF-1, RBP, and Scr during the period of nutritional support (p 0.05 for each). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that IGF-1 and body mass index were independent factors influencing fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, and body protein mass (p 0.05 for each).IGF-1 is suitable for monitoring short-term changes in the nutritional status in CIF patients. This may be attributed to its shorter half-life, greater sensitivity, and better correlation with lean body mass. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03277014.

This study investigated the effect of brewing apparatus on the aromatic feature of tea infusion. Huangshan Maofeng tea infusion was brewed under glass tumblers (GT) or thermos vacuum mugs (TVM) for up to 180 min. Tea infusion sensory attributes were evaluated using quantitative descriptive analysis and the composition of volatiles were analyzed using headspace solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that GT tea infusion at each brewing duration possessed stronger ‘Pure’, ‘Fresh’ and ‘Grassy’ attributes than TVM tea infusion, whereas TVM tea infusion showed a higher intensity on ‘Steamed’ aroma. A total of 74 volatiles were detected in tea infusion, and aldehydes and alcohols appeared to be the major volatiles. Total aldehydes concentration percentage decreased in tea infusion with brewing process, whereas an increase on total alcohol percentage was found. Principal component analysis indicated that brewing duration and apparatus played vital roles in altering the volatile composition in tea infusion, whereas orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed that GT tea infusion samples were separated from TVM tea infusion samples. OPLS-DA also screened 20 volatiles that significantly contributed to the differentiation of GT and TVM tea infusion.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage temperature on the alteration of the sensory quality of tea. Huangshan Maofeng tea was stored at − 80 °C, − 20 °C, 4 °C, or room temperature for up to 150 days. The physicochemical parameters, taste-related components, appearance color, volatile compounds and sensory quality of tea were analyzed and compared. Results showed that storing tea at − 80 °C and − 20 °C effectively preserved the physicochemical parameters, taste-related compounds and appearance color in tea. Multivariate statistical analysis (PCA and OPLS-DA) indicated that tea stored at − 80 °C exhibited a similar volatiles composition as fresh tea based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, whereas the composition of volatiles was significantly altered in tea stored at 4 °C after 100 days of storage. Sensory evaluation illustrated that tea stored at − 80 °C and − 20 °C remained the freshness regarding leaves appearance and tea infusion color, taste and aroma, whereas an obvious decrease on the tea freshness was found in tea stored at 4 °C and room temperature. These findings indicated that storage temperature played a vital role in altering the aromatic and sensory quality of Huangshan Maofeng tea and the recommended tea storage temperature was − 80 °C or − 20 °C.

Purpose China is not only the biggest importing country of the raw materials of forest products, but also the biggest exporting country of intermediate and final forest products. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the Khandelwal (2010) method and trade data from 2000 to 2014 of bilateral forest products between China and ten main developed countries to evaluate the quality of China’s forestry imports and exports. Subsequently, the influencing factors of product quality are analyzed. Findings The results show that the current export quality of plywood and fiberboard is decreasing, and the export quality of particleboard and paper products is on the rise. A further study finds that several factors have the positive effects on the quality of forestry exports, including gross domestic product of the importing country, forestry export value of the importing country as well as the number of forestry higher education graduates of the exporting country. Moreover, the study also finds that the status of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member has a negative effect on the quality of forestry exports, while the distance cost has a negative influence on fiberboard, paper and paperboard. Practical implications The study suggests that China needs to strengthen the research and development investment on forest products, and improve the quality of forest products to promote the trade development of forestry exports. Originality/value The existing literature has not shown much research regarding the quality of China’s forestry exports through econometric analysis. Therefore, the research results provide new perspective about the influencing factors on China’s forestry trade activities.

Metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs) have recently been an emerging self-templated precursor to derive various nanomaterials for Na-ion storage. However, synthesis of MOF-derived two-dimensional nanomaterials has been rarely explored. Here, Ni(NO3)2/hexamine coordination-frameworks are employed as a precursor to prepare NiTe2/nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon nanosheets (NiTe2@NCNs) via pyrolysis and subsequent tellurization. Layered NiTe2 nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on the carbon nanosheets. As anode materials, NiTe2@NCNs exhibit ultrafast and long-life Na-ion storage performance. NiTe2@NCNs can deliver a reversible capacity of 289.5 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and exhibit a negligible capacity fading with the increasing of current density from 0.1 to 10 A g−1. Even at 10 and 20 (ca. 70 C) A g−1, reversible capacities remain at 267.7 and 189.0 mA h g−1, respectively, and cyclic life can be up to 5000 cycles. Besides, NiTe2@NCNs exhibit minimal increasing of polarization from 0.1 to 5 A g−1. The superior electrochemical performance of NiTe2@NCNs should be attributed to the two-dimensional structure, N-doped graphitic carbon matrix and lager interlayer spacing of NiTe2, which contribute to enhance kinetics of electron and Na-ion transfer so as to result in a capacitive-controlled Na-ion storage process. Therefore, NiTe2@NCNs have a promising potential as anode materials for practical Na-ion storage applications.

Removing low-concentration nitrate and phosphate from water is desirable because they may cause eutrophication when discharged, but it is challenging using current technologies. Although ultrafiltration (UF) membranes have higher permeability than nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes, they cannot remove nitrate and phosphate from water because of their low selectivity. It is the first time for a work to develop a novel UF membrane microreactor (MMR) simultaneously removing nitrate and phosphate with high capacity and selectivity. The UF MMR was fabricated by blending amorphous zirconium hydroxide and quaternary ammonium powder with poly(vinylidene fluoride) and had structure and pore size typical of conventional UF membranes. The MMR adsorption capacities for nitrate and phosphate were 9.66 mg-N/g and 15.58 mg-P/g, respectively. Adsorption followed pseudo second order rate law and was dominated by chemical adsorption. Coexisting sulfate ions usually compete strongly with nitrate and phosphate, but had little influence on removal using the UF MMR. The UF MMR had high permeability (500 LMH/MPa) and maintained excellent removal of nitrate and phosphate after regeneration with NaCl solution, making it a promising technology for water and wastewater treatment.

Exploring new electrode materials with both high gravimetric and volumetric Na-ion storage performances is urgently desired but still faces significant challenges. In this work, a composite of layered Bi2Te3 nanoplates/graphene, which is denoted as Bi2Te3/G, was synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal method. Here, Bi2Te3 nanoplates with a large interlayer spacing of 1.02 nm were uniformly anchored on graphene with strong interfacial interaction. The obtained Bi2Te3/G composite exhibited high reversible gravimetric capacity of 416 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and an excellent rate performance. Even at 5.0 A g−1, Bi2Te3/G still delivered a gravimetric capacity as high as 203 mA h g−1. Due to its high tap density of 1.56 g cm−3, Bi2Te3/G also delivered impressive volumetric capacities. The reversible volumetric capacity was as high as 648.9 mA h cm−3 at 0.1 A g−1. At 5 A g−1, Bi2Te3/G still retained volumetric capacity of 316.7 mA h cm−3. The excellent gravimetric and volumetric Na-ion storage performances of the Bi2Te3/G composite should be ascribed to the quintuple layer sandwich structure of Bi2Te3, the synergistic effect between Bi2Te3 and graphene, and its higher density. Accordingly, the Bi2Te3/G composite is expected to exhibit great application prospects as a promising anode candidate for smart sodium-ion batteries.

The development of anode materials for both sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) with promising performance is of fundamental and technological significance. In this work, N-rich hollow carbon-onion-constructed nanosheets (HCONs) are developed from Co–hexamine coordination frameworks. Impressively, as anode materials for SIBs, the HCONs demonstrate an ultrastable Na-ion storage capability of 151 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1 even after 10 000 cycles, with a capacity retention of 96%. For KIBs, the HCONs also deliver a high-rate capability of 105 mA h g−1 at 10 A g−1 and an excellent long-term cycling performance of 132 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 5000 cycles. The outstanding electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the interconnected carbon onions constructing a unique 2D nanosheet structure. On the one hand, the small graphitic layer size of carbon onions together with the abundance of N atoms can greatly enhance the ion diffusion and capacitive effects as supported by kinetic analysis. On the other hand, the hollow carbon onions possess highly stable structures that can mitigate the volume strain induced by the Na- and K-ion intercalation process. The results shed light on the further design of graphitic carbon towards favourable Na- and K-ion storage.

Nature has generously offered life-saving therapies to mankind by providing evolutionarily optimized drug-like entities in the form of natural products. These splendid gifts of nature have served as most suitable candidates for anti-cancer drug discovery due to their pleiotropic activity on target molecules. This review aims to provide an update on the natural sources and bioactivities of such gifts from nature, salvianolic acid A & B, which are major bioactive constituents of a traditional Chinses medicinal herb, Salvia miltiorrhiza. Salvianolic acid A & B have been reported to owe anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective activities. Currently salvianolic acids have been emerged as potent anti-cancer molecules. Salvianolic acid A & B fight cancer progression by prompting apoptosis, halting cell cycle and adjourning metastasis by targeting multiple deregulated signaling networks of cancer. Moreover, salvianolic acid A & B display potency towards sensitizing cancer cells to chemo-drugs. The review purposes that salvianolic acid A & B supply a novel opportunity for drug discovery but further experimentation is mandatory to embellish the knowledge of their pharmacological usage and to access their toxicological limits in order to establish these compounds as potential multitarget future drugs.

Microalgae are third generation feedstocks for bio-hydrogen production to achieve a low carbon economy. Nevertheless, the bio-hydrogen production from microalgae is generally low. In this study, an...

Microplastics (MPs), tiny particles broken down from larger pieces of plastics, have accumulated everywhere on the earth. As an inert carbon stream in aquatic environment, they have been reported as carriers for heavy metals and exhibit diverse interactive effects. However, these interactions are still poorly understood, especially mechanisms driving these interactions and how they pose risks on living organisms. In this mini review, a bibliometric analysis in this field was conducted and then the mechanisms driving these interactions were examined, especially emphasizing the important roles of microorganisms on the interactions. Their combined toxic effects and the potential hazards to human health were also discussed. Finally, the future research directions in this field were suggested. This review summarized the recent research progress in this field and highlighted the essential roles of the microbes on the interactions between MPs and heavy metals with the hope to promote more studies to unveil action mechanisms and reduce/eliminate the risks associated with MP presence.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) tracers possessing long blood circulation time and tailored for magnetic particle imaging (MPI) performance are crucial for the development of this emerging molecular imaging modality. Here, single-core SPION MPI tracers coated with covalently bonded polyethyelene glycol (PEG) brushes were obtained using a semi-batch thermal decomposition synthesis with controlled addition of molecular oxygen, followed by an optimized PEG-silane ligand exchange procedure. The physical and magnetic properties, MPI performance, and blood circulation time of these newly synthesized tracers were compared to those of two commercially available SPIONs that were not tailored for MPI but are used for MPI: ferucarbotran and PEG-coated Synomag®-D. The new tailored tracer has MPI sensitivity that is ~3-times better than the commercial tracer ferucarbotran and much longer circulation half-life than both commercial tracers (t1/2=6.99 h for the new tracer, vs t1/2=0.59 h for ferucarbotran, and t1/2=0.62 h for PEG-coated Synomag®-D).

Aiming at the problems of low prediction accuracy and efficiency and poor prediction effect in the current psychological pressure prediction methods, a psychological pressure prediction method for college students based on deep neural network is proposed. The structure and algorithm of depth neural network and gray theory model are analyzed. Using the deep neural network, this paper establishes the sample set data of college students’ psychological pressure prediction and constructs the college students’ psychological pressure prediction model combined with the deep neural network algorithm of gray theory. The physical network information model is formed through the relationship between neurons. According to the dynamic changes of college students’ psychological pressure in each neuron of the physical network, the prediction of college students’ psychological pressure is completed. The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective in predicting college students’ psychological pressure and can effectively improve the accuracy and efficiency of college students’ psychological pressure prediction.

Continuous casting process is a very important process in iron and steel production, mold level control is a very important link in the process of continuous casting. In order to control the mold liquid level more effectively, the artificial fish swarm PID control algorithm is introduced to adjust the mold liquid level. The incremental PID control algorithm is used to obtain better control effect through weighted processing, and the artificial fish swarm optimization algorithm is used to adjust the incremental PID parameters. The simulation results show that the artificial fish swarm algorithm is more effective in the mold level control.

Widespread application of anammox process has been primarily limited to the high sensitivity of anammox consortia to fluctuations of temperature. However, the metabolic acclimation of anammox consortia to decreased temperature remains unclear, which is the core of developing potential strategies for improving their low-temperature resistance. Here, we operated anammox reactors at 25 °C and 35 °C to explore the acclimation mechanism of anammox consortia in terms of metabolic responses and cross-feedings. Accordingly, we found that the adaptation of anammox consortia to ambient temperature (25 °C) was significantly linked to energy conservation strategy, resulting in decreased extracellular polymeric substance secretion, accumulation of ATP and amino acids. The expression patterns of cold shock proteins and core enzymes caused the apparent metabolic advantage of Candidatus Brocadia fulgida for acclimation to ambient temperature compared to other anammox species. Importantly, strengthened cross-feedings of amino acids, nitrite and glycine betaine benefited adaptation of anammox consortia to ambient temperature. Our work not only uncovers the temperature-adaptive mechanisms of anammox consortia, but also emphasizes the important role of metabolic cross-feeding in the temperature adaptation of microbial community.

Background and Aims Most studies assess the relationship between alcohol and stroke at some point. Little is known about the effect on stroke of drinking status changes over time. This study aimed to examine the association of median 2.4-year drinking status changes with risk of stroke. Methods and Results We examined 22691 adults from rural China. Drinking status was assessed at 2004-2006 and in 2008. Participants were divided into four change patterns: consistent non-drinkers, abstainers, starters, and consistent drinkers. A Cox proportional hazards model were performed. We observed 1215 cases of stroke during a median follow-up period of 11.8 years. A faint J-shaped association between alcohol consumption and risk of stroke was found in this population. Based on the amount of alcohol consumption, only current drinkers with ≥721 g/week at baseline in both males and females had a higher risk of stroke [hazard ratio (HR): 1.342; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.070–1.683 and HR: 2.130; CI: 1.041–4.357, respectively]. Based on change patterns, Compared with consistent non-drinkers, the HR (95% CI) for consistent drinkers, abstainers and starters was 1.298 (1.070–1.576), 1.093 (0.877–1.362) and 1.263 (1.034–1.543), respectively. The same trend was observed in male. The HR (95% CI) for consistent drinkers, abstainers and starters was 1.360 (1.098–1.685), 1.139 (0.883–1.470) and 1.364 (1.092–1.703), respectively. No difference was observed in females. Conclusion High alcohol consumption was associated with increased risk of stroke in both males and females. However, based on change patterns, consistent drinkers and starters were at higher risk of stroke only in males.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an aging-associated disease, satisfactory therapies are not yet available. Accelerated senescence of alveolar epithelial cells plays an important part in Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis pathogenesis. Fisetin (FIS) is a natural non-toxic flavonoid, which has many pharmacological functions. However, the role of FIS in pulmonary fibrosis has not been established. In this study, we found that FIS treatment apparently alleviated BLM-induced weight loss, inflammatory cells infiltration, inflammatory factors expression, collagen deposition and alveolar epithelial cell senescence, along with AMPK activation and the down regulation of NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad3 in vivo. In vitro, FIS administration significantly inhibited the senescence of alveolar epithelial cells and senescence-associated secretory phenotype, followed by reduced transdifferentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts as well as collagen deposition in fibroblasts, which was blocked by an AMPK inhibitor, Compound C. Together, these results suggest that FIS can alleviate the development of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis, which is related to the inhibition of TGF-β/Smad3 signaling and the reduction of alveolar epithelium cell senescence by regulating AMPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. FIS may be a promising candidate for patients with pulmonary fibrosis.

We developed a novel auto-nucleation suppressed mechanism (ANSM) for direct synthesis of EM-visible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on cysteine-rich tags (e.g., metallothionein) in cells for single-molecule detection with electron microscopy (it accompanies our Nature Method manuscript, Jiang et al. 2020 [1]). Both tagged-fusion proteins expressed in cells (e.g.bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells) and antigens stained with antibody-tag fusion proteins can be visualized by this protocol. Here we describe the typical protocols (both the chemical fixation and the high pressure freezing cases) developed for ANSM-based AuNP synthesis in HeLa cells expressing metallothionein (MTn) tags (Figure 1). This approach should be widely applicable to many systems for EM visualization of single-molecule in mammalian cells.

We developed a novel auto-nucleation suppressed mechanism (ANSM) for direct synthesis of EM-visible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on cysteine-rich tags (e.g., metallothionein) in cells for single-molecule detection with electron microscopy (it accompanies our Nature Method manuscript, Jiang et al. 2020 [1]). Both tagged-fusion proteins expressed in cells (e.g.bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells) and antigens stained with antibody-tag fusion proteins can be visualized by this protocol. Here we describe the typical protocols (both the chemical fixation and the high pressure freezing cases) developed for ANSM-based AuNP synthesis in yeast cells expressing metallothionein (MTn) tags (Figure 1). This approach should be useful for EM visualization of single-molecule in yeast cells, and easier adapted for bacterial cells.

Aggregation of amyloid-β peptide 1-42 (Aβ42) initiates the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and all the drugs designed to attenuate AD have failed in clinical trials. Emodin reduces levels of β-amyloid, tau aggregation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response, demonstrating AD therapeutic potential, whereas its effect on the accumulation of the amyloid-β protein is not well understood. In this work, we investigated emodin activity on Aβ aggregation using a range of biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based approaches. We provide evidence to suggest that emodin blocks Aβ42 fibrillogenesis and Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, displaying a greater effect than that of curcumin. Through adopting three short peptides (Aβ1-16, Aβ17-33, and Aβ28-42), it was proven that emodin interacts with the Leu17-Gly33 sequence. Furthermore, our findings indicated that Val18 and Phe19 in Aβ42 are the target residues with which emodin interacts according amino acid mutation experiments. When fed to 8-month-old B6C3-Tg mice for 2 months, high-dose emodin ameliorates cognitive impairment by 60%-70%. Pathological results revealed that levels of Aβ deposition in the brains of AD mice treated with a high dose of emodin decreased by 50%-70%. Therefore, our study indicates that emodin may represent a promising drug for AD treatment.

Background The cell wall and chloroplast are two fundamental structures determining plant mechanical strength and grain yield. Therefore, understanding mechanisms that improve plants’ ability to develop a robust cell wall and well-developed chloroplast is of utmost importance for agricultural activities. Results In this study, we report the functional characterization of a novel rice mutant, brittle stem and zebra leaf (bz1), which displays altered cell wall composition and collapsed chloroplast membrane. Molecular and biochemical analysis revealed that BZ1 encodes a functional UDP-galactose/glucose epimerase (UGE) and is ubiquitously expressed with higher expression in stem and leaf tissues. Multiple techniques analyses, including immunoblots, immuno-gold, and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy, demonstrated a significantly impaired glycosylation of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and disordered cellulose microfibril deposition in bz1. Lipid profiling assay showed that the amount of monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG), a major chloroplast membrane glycolipid, was significantly decreased in bz1. Taken together, these results strongly demonstrate that BZ1 participates in UDP-galactose supply for the sugar chains biosynthesis of AGPs and MGDG, which thereby, respectively, results in altered cell wall and abnormal chloroplast development. Due to inferior mechanical strength and reduced photosynthesis, bz1 plants displayed detrimental agronomic traits, whereas BZ1 overexpressing lines showed enhanced plant growth. Transcriptome analysis of stems and leaves further showed that numerous key genes involved in AGPs biosynthesis and photosynthesis metabolism were substantially suppressed in bz1. Conclusions Our finding identifies BZ1 as a dual-targeting UGE protein for glycosylation of AGPs and MGDG and suggests a strategy for breeding robust elite crops.

Naphthalimides, such as amonafide and mitonafide in clinical trials, have been developed as antitumor agents for orthotopic tumor. However, the serious side effects in cancer patients limit their applications. Herein, a new class of polyamine-based naphthalimide conjugates 5a-5c, 7a-7b, and 11a-11b with and without the alkylation of the distant nitrogen in the polyamine chain were synthesized and the mechanism was determined. Compared with amonafide, dinitro-naphthalimide conjugate 5c with a 4,3-cyclopropyl motif preferentially accumulates in cancer cells and minimizes side effects in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, 5c at the dosage of as low as 3 mg/kg (57.97%) displays better antitumor effects than the positive control amonafide (53.27%) at 5 mg/kg in vivo. And a remarkably elevated antitumor activity and a reduced toxicity are also observed for 5c at 5 mg/kg (65.90%). The upregulated p53 and the apoptotic cells (73.50%) indicate that the mechanism of 5c to induce apoptosis may result from its enhanced DNA damage. Further investigation indicates that in addition to target DNA, 5c can modulate the polyamine homeostasis by upregulating polyamine oxidase (PAO) in a different way from that of amonafide. And also by targeting PTs overexpressed in most of cancer cells, 5c downregulates the contents of Put, Spd, and Spm, which are in favor of suppressing fast-growing tumor cells. Our study implies a promising strategy for naphthalimide conjugates to treat hepatic carcinoma with notable activities and reduced toxicities at a low dosage.

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process converts ammonium to dinitrogen gas (N2) using nitrite as an electron acceptor under anaerobic conditions, which plays an important role in global nitrogen cycle. Anammox has been extensively investigated at different spatial scales. However, most previous studies have focused on the impacts of environmental factors on anammox bacterial community composition, whereas the influence of spatial factors, such as geographical distance, remains unclear. Here, we took sediment and water samples from two large-scale river in China: the Yangtze River. High-throughput biomolecule analysis was performed to explore the spatial patterns of anammox bacterial community and their response to environmental factors, spatial factors, community interchange and anammox bacterial traits. Additionally, 15N tracer analyses has been performed to estimated anammox activity and its contribution to N2 production (ra), and factors shaping its occurrence. Main conclusions are draw as follows: (1) The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) induced sediment coarsening could enhance anammox role as an important N-sink and decrease anammox bacterial alpha diversity. Anammox is ubiquitous in sediment of the Yangtze River, with high bacterial abundance (1.0×105 to 2.90×108 copies g-1 dry sediment), and activity (0.003-6.67 nmol N g-1 h-1), accounting for 3.5-82.8% of total N2 production (ra). Our results showed that the ra at the post-dam site was steeper than that before the dam, whereas the alpha diversity of anammox bacteria showing an opposite trend. Further analysis showed that hydraulic erosion leads to sediment coarsening and loss of organic matter downstream of the dam, which ultimately leads to the enhancement of the ra and the decrease of anammox bacterial alpha diversity. TGD induced sediment coarsening would extend downstream nearly to the river mouth in the coming decades, which would inevitably enhance the importance of anammox in nitrogen loss and alter anammox bacterial community in the Yangtze River for a long time.(2) A significant distance-decay relationship was observed for anammox bacterial community similarity in the Yangtze River, which was significantly influenced by geographical distance rather than local environmental factors. This implied that niche-independent dispersal limitation plays an important role in shaping anammox community assembly. Furthermore, the slope of the distance-decay curve was much higher than previously reported for whole bacteria, which indicating the species turnover rate of anammox bacteria (z-value = 0.35) was significantly higher than that of the whole bacteria (approximately 0.008-0.05). Anammox bacteria harbor stronger adsorption ability and film-forming ability than other bacteria. As such, anammox bacterial harbor lower dispersal potential, and ultimately exhibited a higher species turnover rate than whole bacteria. This study investigated the geographical patterns and the driving mechanisms of anammox bacterial community in large-scale riverine ecosystems, and estimated the key shaping factors of anammox activity and its contribution to total N2 production. The results or conclusions of this study are of scientific significance for further revealing the community assembly and geographical patterns of anammox bacteria on a global scale, as well as the theoretical system of nitrogen cycle.

Anammox-based processes and microbial consortia have drawn extensive attention for their use in high-efficiency wastewater treatment technologies. Metals substantially affect the activity of anammox consortia and the quality of wastewater treatment plant effluent. Here, we explored the role of anammox consortia in terms of metals complexation in both single and multi-metal systems. Adsorption edges of single metal cations indicate that the adsorption preference was in the order: Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Cr(VI). A competitive effect was observed in multi-metal cations systems, with Pb(II) being preferably adsorbed and the degree of adsorption somewhat reduced in the presence of either Cd(II) or Cr(VI), while Cd(II) and Cr(VI) were easily exchanged and substituted by other metals. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) further suggest that the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) are as inner-sphere ion-exchange mechanisms, while Cr(VI) adsorption is mainly by outer-sphere complexation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations highlight that Cd(II) and Pb(II) have different binding sites compared to Cr(VI), and the order of binding energy (Ebd) of three metal cations were Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Cr(VI). These calculations support the adsorption data in that Pb forms more stable complexes with anammox bacterial surface ligands. Surface complexation modelling (SCM) further predicted both the sorption of single metal cations and competitive adsorption of the three metals to anammox consortia, the exception being Cd at higher loadings. The results of this study highlight the potential role of anammox consortia in removing metal cations from wastewater in treatment systems.

Hispolon, a bioactive polyphenolic entity extracted from Phellinus linteus, possesses anticancer, antiinflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Despite the reported therapeutic effects of this natural chemical entity, inhibitory potential of hispolon towards prostate carcinoma DU145 cells and mechanism of its action are yet to be explicated. Deregulated STAT3 pathway performs multifaceted functions in facilitating the development of cancer. Here, we have investigated the mechanism of hispolon by which it exerts its anticancer effects in DU145 cells and whether its anticancer activity is mediated by modulation of STAT3. Our outcomes show that hispolon significantly halted the multiplication of DU145 cells as well as arrested cell cycle at S phase. S phase arrest induced by hispolon was associated with downregulation of cyclin B1, cyclin D1 and CDK4 while up-regulation of p21. Moreover, hispolon treatment leads towards induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent mode in DU145 cells. Hispolon induced modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins lead towards loss of MMP allowing the discharge of cytochrome c from mitochondrial porin channels which triggered the cascade of caspases ultimately causing cellular death. We further investigated the role of hispolon in mediating deregulated STAT3 pathways in DU145 cells. Hispolon has potential to downregulate the p-STAT3 expression with no effect on total STAT3. Contemporaneously, these results represent that hispolon's anticancer mechanism of action proceeds via downregulating the phosphorylation of STAT3 and induction of apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. The BZ1 gene is confirmed to be responsible for the brittle culm and zebra leaf phenotypes. (a) The transgenic plants bz/cs1 generated by CRISPR/Cas9 approach had two base pairs deletion in the third exon of LOC_Os08g28730. The arrowhead indicates two base pairs deletion (showing in red letters) in the third exon inducing a premature translational stop codon (underlined). (b–d) The complementary lines showed restored phenotypes as wild-type (b), whereas the bz/cs1 displayed brittle culm (c) and zebra leaf phenotypes (d) as similar as bz1. Figure S2. Phylogeny of UGE isoforms in rice and Arabidopsis based on maximum likelihood. Figure S3. Comparison of cell wall composition (a), chlorophyll content (b) and photosynthetic efficiency (c) between WT and BZ1ox7 transgenic line. * indicates significant differences between WT and BZ1ox7 by t-test at P

Additional file 1. SPIRIT 2013 Checklist: Recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related documents.

The introduction of vacancies has been increasingly attracted attentions to improve photocatalytic activity of semiconductors including bismuth-based photocatalysts. Theoretically, vacancies cannot only narrow the band gap to enable the semiconductor to capture more visible light in the solar light spectrum, but also provide more reactive sites on the surface of photocatalysts. In this review, recent progress on vacancy-engineered bismuth-based semiconductors in photocatalysis has been comprehensively summarized and discussed, including the fabrication methods, characterization approaches to detect the vacancies, and functions of vacancy in improving the photocatalytic activity in various applications. Finally, we proposed the challenges and suggested strategies for future work on vacancy-engineered bismuth-based semiconductor in photocatalysis.

Na-ion storage in graphitic carbons is a kinetically unfavorable process. It is envisioned that decreasing the size of graphitic layers can efficiently enhance Na-ion storage by shortening the diffusion pathway. However, because of the lack of model graphitic carbons, investigation on the effect of decreasing the graphitic layer size on Na-ion storage has not yet been carried out. In this work, quadrangular carbon nanotubes (q-CNTs) with herringbone-like graphitic walls are employed as model materials to exhibit the idea above. The q-CNTs show reduced dependence on the electrolytes. They deliver high capacity, excellent rate performance, and ultralong cyclic stability in both ether-based and ester-based electrolytes. Typically, the q-CNTs-600 exhibits high reversible capacities of 212 and 200 mA h g–1 at 0.1 A g–1 in ether-based and ester-based electrolytes, respectively. Even at 5 A g–1, the reversible capacity of 132 mA h g–1 can still be maintained in the ether-based electrolyte. The excellent Na-ion s...

Coagulation is an important process to remove organics from water. The molecular composition and structure of organic matter influence water quality in many ways, and the lack of information regarding the organics removed by different coagulants makes it challenging to optimize coagulation processes and ensure reclaimed water safety. In this paper, we investigated coagulation of secondary biological effluent from a municipal sewage treatment plant with different coagulants. We emphasized investigation of organics removal characteristics at the molecular level using Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI). We found that conventional coagulants can only partially remove condensed polycyclic aromatics and polyphenols with low H/C (H/C0.7) and highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds and aliphatic compounds with high O/C (O/C0.6). A new coagulant, CBHyC, had better removal efficiencies for all organics with different element compositions and molecular structures, especially organics that are resistant to conventional coagulants such as highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds and aliphatic compounds located in 0.3O/C0.8 and 1.0H/C2.0 regions and sulfur-containing compounds with higher O/C (e.g., anionic surfactants and their metabolites or coproducts). This study provides molecular insights into the organics removed by different coagulants and provides data supporting the possible optimization of advanced wastewater treatment processes.

The intracellular cyclic diguanylate acid (c-di-GMP) has emerged as a prominent second signal molecule that coordinates sessile-motile transition and biofilm formation in many bacteria. Herein, we study the role of c-di-GMP in affecting microbial community shifts at different pH levels during simultaneous partial nitrification, anammox and denitrification process (SNAD) in integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor. The results demonstrated that the contents of c-di-GMP notably decreased in suspended sludge, whereas the contents of c-di-GMP in biofilm had no significant change as pH gradually increased from 7.5 to 8.5. Most of the bacteria (Blastocatella, Brevundimonas) with flagella that have been reported to be regulated by c-di-GMP were present in suspended sludge, and the microbial community structure of suspended sludge had obvious change than biofilm. The increased alkaline pH reduced intracellular c-di-GMP content for increasing the motility of bacteria to be washed out from the reactor, causing the microbial community shifts in suspended sludge. This change would lead to the increase of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria which would inhibit anammox activity. Overall, this study provided more comprehensive information regarding the shifts of microbial community induced by c-di-GMP in SNAD-IFAS reactor.

Design of functional carbon-based nanomaterials from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has attracted soaring interests in recent years. However, a MOF-derived strategy toward two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials remains a great challenge. In this work, we develop a layered Ni-hexamine framework as efficient precursor to prepare a 2D NiSe2/N-rich carbon nanocomposite by a simple pyrolysis and subsequent selenization process. In the 2D NiSe2/N-rich carbon nanocomposite, NiSe2 nanoparticles with diameters of ca. 75 nm are homogeneously distributed in the N-rich carbon nanosheets. When serving as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, the 2D nanocomposites exhibit a high reversible capacity of 410 mAh g–1 at 1 A g–1 and maintain a value of 255 mAh g–1 even at 10 A g–1. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects between the N-rich carbon nanosheets and NiSe2 nanoparticles. More importantly, the hexamine-based MOFs can be regarded as new and powerful platforms for the ...

A convenient visible-light-induced method for the synthesis of thiocarbamates from isocyanides, thiols, and water has been developed under mild reaction conditions. The present protocol offers a cost-effective and operationally straightforward approach to the various thiocarbamates in moderate to good yields by simple use of cheap Rose Bengal as the photocatalyst and water as the reaction reagent as well as an environmentally benign cosolvent.

Purpose Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene I/D polymorphism has been studied in relation to the susceptibility to COPD and COPD with pulmonary hypertension (PH) with inconclusive results. We performed the first comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate accurately the association between the ACE gene polymorphism and the risk of COPD. Methods Data were analyzed using odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% CIs to measure the strength of the models. Subgroup analyses were conducted by ethnicity and complication which referred to PH. Results In total, 15 studies (2,635 participants) were included in our study, of which four studies (288 participants) were for PH subgroup. The overall analysis results indicated that the ACE gene polymorphism was not associated with COPD susceptibility in all gene models. However, the ethnic subgroup analysis results indicated that ACE gene polymorphism was associated with Asians' susceptibility to COPD (DD+DI vs II, OR=1.47, P=0.019, 95% CI: 1.07-2.02). Further, the overall results of the present study detected no statistical significance between ACE gene polymorphism and the risk of COPD with PH, but the homozygote variant (DD) increased the risk of PH in Asian COPD patients (DD vs ID+II, OR=2.05, P=0.05, 95% CI: 1.00-4.19). Conclusion The current study suggests that ACE polymorphism, particularly the homozygote variant (DD), might contribute to the risk of COPD and COPD with PH among Asians. Further studies with larger sample size and more ethnicities are expected to be conducted in the future to validate the results.

Increasing attention has been paid to the anammox community for its significant function in high-efficiency wastewater treatment. However, bacterial interaction in terms of bacterial communication is still elusive. This study firstly explored the intra- and interspecific communication of bacteria in the anammox community using metagenomic sequence data obtained during bioreactor operation. We verified the existence of multiple bacterial communication gene (BCG) subtypes by alignment with the constructed BCG database containing 11 identified gene subtypes. Bacterial communication was more active at the initial start-up than in the high loading-rate phase, and was correlated with the gradually decreasing bacterial diversity. Hdts, one of the key genes that produced the intraspecific signaling molecule AHL, and RpfF, the key gene that produced the intra- and interspecific signaling molecule DSF, were the primary communication engines in the anammox community because of their high abundance. Anammox bacteria mainly used Hdts genes to communicate with others, while RpfF gene played a core role characterized by their multiple correlations with other BCG subtypes. Interestingly, bacteria with abundant BCGs were more inclined to interact with the bacteria with the same functional traits, indicating the potential communication-related interaction among these bacteria in addition to the frequently reported substrate co-utilization. This highlights the primary importance of AHL and DSF for the anammox community, and thereby hints at a potential strategy for the target regulation of the signals to improve anammox viability and competitive capacity in wastewater treatment.

Haemophilus parasuis is an opportunistic pathogen and the causative agent of Glasser's disease in swine. This disease has high morbidity and mortality rates in swine populations, and is responsible for major economic losses worldwide. Survival of H. parasuis within the host requires mechanisms for coping with oxidative stress conditions. In many bacteria, OxyR is known to mediate protection against oxidative stress; however, little is known about the role of OxyR in H. parasuis. In the current study, an oxyR mutant strain was constructed in H. parasuis strain SC1401 and designated H. parasuis SC1401∆oxyR. The oxyR mutant strain had a slower growth rate and impaired biofilm formation compared to the wild type strain. Complementation restored the growth-associated phenotypes to wild type levels. Oxidative stress susceptibility testing, using a range of concentrations of H2O2, indicated that H. parasuis SC1401∆oxyR was more sensitive to oxidative stress than the wild type strain. RNA sequencing transcriptome analysis comparing H. parasuis SC1401 with H. parasuis SC1401∆oxyR identified 466 differentially expressed genes. These genes were involved in a wide range of biological processes, including: oxidative stress, transcriptional regulation, and DNA replication, recombination, and repair. These findings provide a foundation for future research to examine the role of OxyR as a global transcriptional regulator and to better define its role in oxidative stress resistance in H. parasuis.