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Pyroptosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of mental disorders. However, its specific role and mechanism in arsenic (As)-induced generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) remain elusive. We utilized the data from CtdBbase, Phenopedia and DisGeNet to analyze genes that interact with arsenic poisoning and GAD. Subsequently KEGG and GO enrichment analysis were conducted to preliminatively predict the mechanism of inorganic arsenic-induced GAD. Male Wistar rats were administered water containing NaAsO 2 (50, 100 μg/L) to evaluate GAD-like behavior through open field test and elevated plus maze. The expression of differential miRNAs including miR-425-3p, and pyroptosis in the prefrontal cortex of rats were detected. Furthermore, SKNSH cells were stimulated with NaAsO 2 to examine the molecular changes, and then miR-425-3p mimic was transfected into SKNSH cells to detect pyroptosis in order to verify the function of miR-425-3p. Inorganic arsenic was confirmed to induce GAD-like behavior in rats, characterized by decreased locomotor activity and exploratory activities. Rats with inorganic arsenic-induced GAD exhibited reduced miR-425-3p expression levels in the prefrontal cortex and increased expression of pyroptosis-related proteins, including NF-κB, NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18. Treating with different concentrations of NaAsO 2 showed that inorganic arsenic exposure downregulates miR-425-3p expression in SKNSH cells and upregulates the expression levels of pyroptosis-related proteins. Dual-luciferase reporter gene experiments demonstrated that miR-425-3p targets the NFKB1. Overexpressing miR-425-3p reversed the inorganic arsenic-induced pyroptosis in SKNSH cells by inhibiting the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18. Our findings suggest that inorganic arsenic exposure may induce GAD-like behavior in rats by downregulating miR-425-3p in prefrontal cortex, which targets NF-κB and regulates pyroptosis in neuronal cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Quick capacity loss due to the polysulfide shuttle effects and poor rate performance caused by low conductivity of sulfur have always been obstacles to the commercial application of lithium sulfur batteries. Herein, an in-situ doped hierarchical porous biochar materials with high electron-ion conductivity and adjustable three-dimensional (3D) macro-meso-micropore is prepared successfully. Due to its unique physical structure, the resulting material has a specific surface area of 2124.9 m 2  g -1 and a cumulative pore volume of 1.19 cm 3  g -1 . The presence of micropores can effectively physically adsorb polysulfides and mesopores ensure the accessibility of lithium ions and active sites and give the porous carbon material a high specific surface area. The large pores provide channels for the storage of electrolyte and the transmission of ions on the surface of the substrate. The combined effect of these three kinds of pores and the N doping formed in-situ can effectively promote the cycle and rate performance of the battery. Therefore, prepared cathode can still reach a reversible discharge capacity of 616 mAh g -1 at a rate of 5 C. After 400 charge-discharge cycles at 1 C, the reversible capacity is maintained at 510.0 mAh g -1 . This new strategy has provided a new approach to the research and industrial-scale production of adjustable hierarchical porous biochar materials., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Indoor dust ingestion is one of the main pathways for human exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs). The urinary concentrations of diesters (DAPs) are usually used as biomarkers to assess human exposure to PFRs. In this study, the PFR and DAP levels were measured in morning and evening urine samples of 30 workers from an e-waste dismantling site in southern China. The indoor dust samples were also collected from workshops and houses for analyzing associations between PFR and DAP levels in urine and dust. Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) were the dominant PFRs in dust, while bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP) and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) were the major DAPs in dust. A significant positive correlation was observed between TPHP and DPHP concentrations in dust (p < 0.001), suggesting their potentially same source and the degradation of TPHP to form DPHP. TCIPP and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) were the predominant PFRs, and BCEP, bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), and DPHP were the main DAPs in both the morning and evening urine samples. The DPHP levels in evening urine samples were significantly correlated with TPHP and DPHP levels (p < 0.01) in dust. A similar correlation was found for the BCEP levels in the evening urine samples and the TCEP and BCEP levels (p < 0.01) in dust. These results indicated that in addition to being biotransformed from their respective parent PFRs, direct ingestion from indoor dust could also be the potential source for urinary DPHP and BCEP. Since relatively low detection frequencies were observed for bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP) and bis(butoxyethyl) phosphate (BBOEP) in urine, they may not be the major metabolites of TCIPP and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), respectively, in the human body. However, BDCIPP can be considered a useful biomarker because it is a unique metabolite of TDCIPP and has high detection frequencies in urine samples. The results of this study indicated the limitations of solely using urinary DAPs as biomarkers for the evaluation of human exposure to PFRs, and certain PFRs as well as hydroxylated PFRs (OH-PFRs) should also be considered for urinary biomonitoring in future studies.

In recent years, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely used as gene silencing agents and therapeutics for treatment of cancers due to their high transfection efficiency and lack of cytotoxicity, but their roles in gene silencing in plants have not yet been reported. Here, we report synthesis of AuNPs-branched polyethylenimine and its integration with the small interfering RNAs (siRNA) of NPR1 to form a AuNPs-siRNA NPR1 compound. Our results showed that AuNPs-siRNA NPR1 was capable of infiltrating into Arabidopsis cells. AuNPs-siRNA NPR1 silenced 80% of the NPR1 gene in Arabidopsis . Bacteriostatic and ion leakage experiments suggest that the NPR1 gene in Arabidopsis leaves was silenced by AuNPs-siRNA NPR1 . In Columbia-0 plants, compared with the control group treated with buffer solution, the AuNPs-siRNA NPR1 treatment significantly increased the number of colonies and cell death, and the leaves turned yellow, similar to the phenotype of the npr1 leaves. These results indicated this AuNPs-siRNA NPR1 silencing the NPR1 gene method is simple, effective and quick (3 days), and a powerful tool to study gene functions in plants., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Cationic antibacterial coating based on quaternary ammonium compounds, with an efficient and broad spectrum bactericidal property, has been widely used in various fields. However, the high density of positive charges tends to induce weak hemocompatibility, which hinders the application of the cationic antibacterial coating in blood-contacting devices and implants. It has been reported that a negatively charged surface can reduce blood coagulation, showing improved hemocompatibility. Here, we describe a strategy to combine the cationic and anionic groups by using mixed-charged copolymers. The copolymers of poly (quaternized vinyl pyridine- co- n-butyl methacrylate- co-methacrylate acid) [P(QVP- co- nBMA- co-MAA)] were synthesized through free radical copolymerization. The cationic group of QVP, the anionic group of MAA, and the hydrophobic group of nBMA were designed to provide bactericidal capability, hemocompatibility, and coating stability, respectively. Our findings show that the hydrophilicity of the copolymer coating increased, and its zeta potential decreased from positive charge to negative charge with the increase of the anionic/cationic ratio. Meanwhile, the bactericidal property of the copolymer coating was kept around a similar level compared with the pure quaternary ammonium copolymer coating. Furthermore, the coagulation time, platelet adhesion, and hemolysis tests revealed that the hemocompatibility of the copolymer coating improved with the addition of the anionic group. The mixed-charged copolymer combined both bactericidal property and hemocompatibility and has a promising potential in blood-contacting antibacterial devices and implants.

Extracellular matrix and cells are inherent in coordinating and adapting to each other during all physiological and pathological processes. Synthetic materials, however, show rarely reciprocal and spatiotemporal responses to cells, and lacking self-adapting properties as well. Here, a mechanical adaptability based on the matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) sensitive polyelectrolyte film is reported. Poly-lysine (PLL) and methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HA-MA) nanolayers are employed to build the thin film through the layer-by-layer assembly, and it is further crosslinked using MMP sensitive peptides, which endows the films with changeable mechanical properties in response to MMPs. It is demonstrated that stiffness of the (PLL/HA-MA) films increases with the crosslinking, and then decreases in response to a treatment of enzyme. Consequently, the crosslinked (PLL/HA-MA) films reveal effective growth of endothelial cells (ECs), leading to fast formation of EC monolayer. Importantly, significantly improved endothelial function of the EC monolayer, which is characterized by integrity, biomolecules release, expression of function related gene, and antithrombotic properties, is achieved along with the decrosslinking of the film because of EC-secreted MMPs. These results suggest that mechanical adaptability of substrate in Young's modulus plays a significant role in endothelial progression, which shows great application potential in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and organ-on-a-chip., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Introducing a lubricant layer onto surfaces has emerged as a novel strategy to address a wide range of interface-related challenges. Recent studies of lubricant-infused surfaces have extended beyond repelling liquids to manipulating the mobility of fluids. In this study, we report a design of slippery surfaces based on infusing lubricant onto a polyelectrolyte multilayer film whose surface microstructures can be erased rapidly under mild condition. Unlike other lubricant-infused surfaces, the liquid movements (e.g., moving resistance and direction) on such surfaces can be manipulated via programming the surface microstructures beforehand. The work reported here offers a versatile design concept of lubricant-infused surfaces and may turn on new applications of this emerging class of bioinspired materials.

A constant increase of nosocomial infections that are caused by adhesion and colonization of pathogenic microorganisms, especially drug-resistant bacteria, on the surfaces of healthcare devices has received considerable attention worldwide. In this study, bioinspired by antimicrobial skins of natural living beings, we developed a self-healing bactericidal coating through the immobilization of hydrophobic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) into a multilayer film, which was constructed through the enhanced exponential layer-by-layer assembly of polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The (PEI/PAA) film shows particular dynamic properties from the as-prepared thin solid film to a spongy microporous structure via acid solution treatment, and then back to the thin solid film by eliminating micropores via the treatment of saturated humidity. Consequently, the loading and integration of hydrophobic AMPs such as gramicidin A (GA) into the (PEI/PAA) film were achieved via simple wicking action with GA solution and subsequent humidity treatment, respectively. The GA loading densities can be precisely controlled by using different concentrations of GA solution. We demonstrated that the GA immobilized (PEI/PAA) film has rapid self-healing properties, and that Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus including the methicillin-resistant type were efficiently killed through the contact-killing mode. Collectively, this self-healing bactericidal coating shows practical potential in a variety of healthcare applications.

Hair is a promising, non-invasive, human biomonitoring matrix that can provide insight into retrospective and integral exposure to organic pollutants. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) in hair and serum samples from university students in Guangzhou, China, and compared the PFR concentrations in the female hair segments using paired distal (5~10cm from the root) and proximal (0~5cm from the root) samples. PFRs were not detected in the serum samples. All PFRs except tricresyl phosphate (TMPP) and tri-n-propyl phosphate (TPP) were detected in more than half of all hair samples. The concentrations of total PFRs varied from 10.1 to 604ng/g, with a median of 148ng/g. Tris(chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tri(2-ethylexyl) phosphate (TEHP) were the predominant PFRs in hair. The concentrations of most PFRs in the distal segments were 1.5~8.6 times higher than those in the proximal segments of the hair (t-test, p<0.05), which may be due to the longer exposure time of the distal segments to external sources. The values of log (PFR concentrations-distal/PFR concentrations-proximal) were positively and significantly correlated with log KOA of PFRs (p<0.05, r=0.68), indicating that PFRs with a higher log KOA tend to accumulate in hair at a higher rate than PFRs with a lower log KOA. Using combined segments of female hair, significantly higher PFR concentrations were observed in female hair than in male hair. In contrast, female hair exhibited significantly lower PFR concentrations than male hair when using the same hair position for both genders (0-5cm from the scalp). The controversial results regarding gender differences in PFRs in hair highlight the importance of segmental analysis when using hair as an indicator of human exposure to PFRs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Endothelialization on the vascular implants is of great importance for prevention of undesired postimplantation symptoms. However, endothelial dysfunction of regenerated endothelial cell (EC) monolayer has been frequently observed, leading to severe complications, such as neointimal hyperplasia, late thrombosis, and neoatherosclerosis. It has significantly impeded long-term success of the therapy. So far, very little attention has been paid on endothelial function of EC monolayer. Bioinspired by the microenvironment of the endothelium in a blood vessel, this study described a soft polyelectrolyte multilayer film (PEM) through layer-by-layer assembly of poly(l-lysine) (PLL) and hyaluronan (HA). The (PLL/HA) PEM was chemically cross-linked and further incorporated with vascular endothelial growth factor. It demonstrated that this approach could promote EC adhesion and proliferation, further inducing formation of EC monolayer. Further, improved endothelial function of the EC monolayer was achieved as shown with the tighter integrity, higher production of nitric oxide, and expression level of endothelial function related genes, compared to EC monolayers on traditional substrates with high stiffness (e.g., glass, tissue culture polystyrene, and stainless steel). Our findings highlighted the influence of substrate stiffness on endothelial function of EC monolayer, giving a new strategy in the surface design of vascular implants.

Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) deposition offers a promising route to fabricate multifunctional coatings for various materials. However, PDA deposition is generally a time-consuming process, and PDA coatings are unstable in acidic and alkaline media, as well as in polar organic solvents. We report a strategy to realize the rapid deposition of PDA by using CuSO4/H2O2 as a trigger. Compared to the conventional processes, our strategy shows the fastest deposition rate reported to date, and the PDA coatings exhibit high uniformity and enhanced stability. Furthermore, the PDA-coated porous membranes have excellent hydrophilicity, anti-oxidant properties, and antibacterial performance. This work demonstrates a useful method for the environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and time-saving fabrication of PDA coatings., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Optimized ratio in the codelivery of therapeutics is of crucial importance to promote the synergism rather than the antagonistic effects. In this study, a self-healing spongy coating was described to facilitate the surface-mediated delivery of drug "cocktails" proportionally. The formation of spongy structures within the coating was achieved by acidic treatment and freeze-drying. Various drug combinations can be readily integrated through wicking method and subsequent micropore self-healing. The ratio of drug loading can be precisely regulated by the composition of loading solution and the embedded drugs were released in proportion according to the initial ratio of drug combination.

The health risk of tunnel workers' occupational exposure to PM10, was evaluated applying public health exposure evaluation nodel. A questionnaire survey of 250 tunnel workers was conducted in a construction site of Ma-zhu Highway in Hubei Province, and the concentrations of PM10 were monitored. The results showed that the PM10 exposure concentrations of different types of tunnel workers were extremely high. Compared with the limited value, the PM10 exposure concentrations were 83 times, 18 times, 8 times, 9 times Emd 9 times for excavation workers, blasting workers, supporting workers, slag-out workers and secondary-lining workers, respectively. For secondary-lining workers, the average daily exposure time was the longest, which was 11.48 h x d(-1), and the energy metabolism rate was also the highest, which was 1067.43 kj x (m2 x h)(-1). Regarding the inhalation rates, secondary-lining workers could be classified to high-level working intensity, and the other four types of tunnel workers could he classified to middle-level working intensity. The health risk assessment results showed that all tunnel workers had health risk. High exposure concentration of PM10 was the main reason for excavation workers' highest hazard quotient, and it was the same for the blasting workers. The reason for secondary-lining workers' high hazard quotient was that they had higher inhalation rates and longer average daily exposure time. In order to reduce the health risk of tunnel workers, firstly the workers should be equipped with appropriate respiratory protective equipment; secondly an appropriate tunnel working standard should be developed to set a reasonable working-years for reducing the exposure time.

Chitosans with different average molecular weight (1,500-156 kDa) were prepared under optimal conditions based on our previous research by the depolymerization of initial chitosan using hydrogen peroxide, with maintaining the native structure of natural chitosan as principal consideration. Nitrogen and Carbon components of initial chitosan and degraded products were analyzed by BUCHI fully automatic nitrogen determination system and Liquid total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), X-ray diffraction and circular dichroism (CD) analyses were used to characterize the structure properties of samples. The results indicated that the maximum standard deviations of carbon content and nitrogen content and the degree of deacetylation (DD) of degraded products with the corresponding values of the initial chitosan are 2.4%, 2.3% and 6.9% respectively. Besides, the differentiations of the nitrogen content and DD value of the degraded product with the corresponding values of the initial chitosan are narrowed with the increase in the reaction time. FTIR spectra of resulting products are similar to that of initial chitosan in terms of peak number and position, indicating that there are no other functional groups formed during the degradation. 13C-NMR analyses of initial chitosan and degraded products revealed that the chemical structures of resulting chitosans are not changed to any noticeable extent. X-ray diffraction patterns of initial chitosan and degraded chitosans are alike and show characteristic peaks at 2theta = 10. 4 degrees and 19.8 degrees under the condition that the initial chitosan was disposed as degraded chitosans. Circular dichroism analyses showed that all the samples exhibit a broad negative band located at about 210 nm assigned to n --> pi* electronic transition of the --NH--CO-- chromophore on a glycosidic ring in acidic media, which demonstrated that degraded chitosans maintain their natural conformation in liquid state substantially. All these confirmed that the degraded chtiosans maintain their natural structure and conformation, and the breakage of beta-1,4-glucoside bonds in macromolecule is the basic process under optimal degradation conditions.

Methacryloxylethyl tetradecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide was grafted onto konjac glucomannan using ceric ammonium nitrate as an initiator, and the konjac glucomannan derivative with quaternary ammonium salts was obtained. The konjac glucomannan derivative was investigated by hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and Zeta sizer nano series. The antimicrobial properties of the konjac glucomannan derivative against selected microorganisms were tested by the quantitative suspension method. The results revealed that (1) methacryloxylethyl tetradecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide can be grafted onto the surface of the konjac glucomannan, and the percentage grafting increases with increasing the amount of methacryloxylethyl tetradecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide. (2) The Zeta potential showed that the isoelectric point of the konjac glucomannan and the modified konjac glucomannan is pH 4. 5 and pH 9. 9, respectively. The shift of the isoelectric point is due to the quaternary ammonium groups. (3) The obtained konjac glucomannan derivative has significant inhibition effect on the growth of microorganisms, and the bactericidal rates in 15 min for E. coil (8099), S. aureus (ATCC 6538) and C. albicans (ATCC10231) were 99.99%, 99.99% and 98.13%, respectively.

Nano-fumed silica reacted with gamma-chlopropyltrimethoxysilane as a coupling agent, and then by quaternization with N,N-dimethyl-n-tetradecylamine, finally the nano-fumed silica derivative with quaternary ammonium salts was obtained. The nano-fumed silica derivative was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and Zeta sizer nano series. The antimicrobial properties of the nano-fumed silica derivative against selected microorganisms were tested by the quantitative suspension method. The results revealed that (1) gamma-chlopropyltrimethoxysilane can be bound to the surface of the nano-fumed silica With increasing the amount of gamma-chlopropyltrimethoxysilane, the amount of surface hydroxyl groups of nano-fumed silica decreases. (2) The Zeta potential showed that the isoelectric point of the nano-fumed silica and the modified nano-fumed silica is pH 4.8 and pH 10.5, respectively. The shift of the isoelectric point is due to the quaternary ammonium groups. (3) The obtained nano-fumed silica derivative has significant inhibition effect on the growth of microorganisms, and the bactericidal rates in 15 min for E. coil (8099), S. aureus (ATCC6538) and C. albicans(ATCC10231) were 99.99%,, 99.99% and 94.12%, respectively.