Search

Abstract Seawater electrolysis using renewable electricity offers an attractive route to sustainable hydrogen production, but the sluggish electrode kinetics and poor durability are two major challenges. We report a molybdenum nitride (Mo2N) catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction with activity comparable to commercial platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst in natural seawater. The catalyst operates more than 1000 hours of continuous testing at 100 mA cm−2 without degradation, whereas massive precipitate (mainly magnesium hydroxide) forms on the Pt/C counterpart after 36 hours of operation at 10 mA cm−2. Our investigation reveals that ammonium groups generate in situ at the catalyst surface, which not only improve the connectivity of hydrogen-bond networks but also suppress the local pH increase, enabling the enhanced performances. Moreover, a zero-gap membrane flow electrolyser assembled by this catalyst exhibits a current density of 1 A cm−2 at 1.87 V and 60 oC in simulated seawater and runs steadily over 900 hours.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is of great benefit to clinical practice in terms of identifying genetic alterations. This study aims to clarify the gene background and its influence on thyroid tumors in the Chinese population. NGS data and corresponding clinicopathological features (sex, age, tumor size, extrathyroidal invasion, metastasis, multifocality, and TNM stage) were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 2844 individual thyroid tumor samples from July 2021 to August 2022. Among the cohort, 2337 (82%) cases possess genetic alterations, including BRAF (71%), RAS (4%), RET/PTC (4%), TERT (3%), RET (2.2%), and TP53 (1.4%). Diagnostic sensitivity before surgery can be significantly increased from 0.76 to 0.91 when cytology is supplemented by NGS. Our results show that BRAF-positive papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients tend to have older age, smaller tumor size, less vascular invasion, more frequent tumor multifocality, and a significantly higher cervical lymph node metastatic rate. Mutation at RET gene codons 918 and 634 is strongly correlated with medullary thyroid cancer. However, it did not display more invasive clinical characteristics. TERT-positive patients are more likely to have older age, and have larger tumor size, more tumor invasiveness, and more advanced TNM stage, indicating a poor prognosis. Patients with TERT, RET/PTC1, and CHEK2 mutations are more susceptible to lateral lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, NGS can be a useful tool that provides practical gene evidence in the process of diagnosis and treatment in thyroid tumors.

Abstract Ginseng, from the roots of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is a widely used herbal medicine in Asian countries, known for its excellent therapeutic properties. The growth of P. ginseng is depend on specific and strict environments, with a preference for wetness but intolerance for flooding. Under excessive soil moisture, some irregular rust-like substances are deposited on the root epidermis, causing ginseng rusty symptoms (GRS). This condition leads to a significant reduce in yield and quality, resulting in substantial economic loses. However, there is less knowledge on the cause of GRS and there are no effective treatments available for its treatment once it occurs. Unsuitable environments lead to the generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the key indicators associated with the stress response during different physiological stages of GRS development. We observed a significant change in ROS level, MDA contents, antioxidant enzymes activities, and non-enzymatic antioxidants contents prior to the GRS. Through the analysis of soil features with an abundance of moisture, we further determined the source of ROS. The levels of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in the inter-root soil of ginseng with GRS were significantly elevated compared to those of healthy ginseng. These enzymes boost nitric oxide (NO) levels, which in turn showed a favorable correlation with the GRS. The activities of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase first rose and then decreased as GRS developed. Excess soil moisture causes a decrease in oxygen levels. This activated NR and NOS in the soil, resulting in a production of excess NO. The NO then diffused into the ginseng root and triggered a burst of ROS through NADPH located on the cell membrane. Additionally, Fe2+ in soil was oxidized to red Fe3+, and finally led to GRS. This conclusion was also verified by the Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP), a precursor compound producing NO. The presence of NO from NR and NOS in water-saturated soil is responsible for the generation of ROS. Among these, NO is the main component that contribute to the occurrence of GRS.

Abstract The ecological significance of secondary metabolites is to improve the adaptive ability of plants. Secondary metabolites, usually medicinal ingredients, are triggered by unsuitable environment, thus the quality of medicinal materials under adversity being better. The quality of the cultivated was heavily declined due to its good conditions. Radix Saposhnikoviae, the dried root of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk., is one of the most common botanicals in Asian countries, now basically comes from cultivation, resulting in the market price being only 1/10 to 1/3 of its wild counterpart, so improving the quality of cultivated Radix Saposhnikoviae is of urgency. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in generating reactive oxygen species and modifying the secondary metabolism of plants. This study aims to enhance the quality of cultivated Radix Saposhnikoviae by supplementing exogenous NO. To achieve this, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was utilized as an NO provider and applied to fresh roots of S. divaricata at concentrations of 0.03, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mmol/L. This study measured parameters including the activities of antioxidant enzymes, secondary metabolite synthesis enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and chalcone synthase (CHS), as well as the contents of NO, superoxide radicals (O2 ·−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and four secondary metabolites. The quality of Radix Saposhnikoviae was evaluated with antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammatory factors. As a result, the NO contents in the fresh roots were significantly increased under SNP, which led to a significant increase of O2 ·− , H2O2, and MDA. The activities of important antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), were found to increase as well, with their peak levels observed on the 2nd and 3rd days. PAL, ACC, and CHS activities were also significantly enhanced, resulting in the increased secondary metabolite contents of Radix saposhnikoviae in all groups, especially the 0.5 mmol/L SNP. The four active ingredients, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, cimifugin, 4′-O-β-d-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, and sec-O-glucosylhamaudol, increased by 88.3%,325.0%, 55.4%, and 283.8%, respectively, on the 3rd day. The pharmaceutical effects of Radix Saposhnikoviae under 0.5 mmol/L SNP were significantly enhanced. Exogenous SNP can induce the physiological response of S. divaricata under adverse conditions and significantly improve the quality of Radix Saposhnikoviae.

Background: Liver injury is a severe liver lesion caused by various etiologies and is one of the main areas of medical research. Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer has traditionally been used as medicine to treat diseases and regulate body functions. Ginsenosides are the main active components of ginseng, and their effects on liver injury have been extensively reported.Methods: Preclinical studies meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platforms. The Stata 17.0 was used to perform the meta-analysis, meta-regression, and subgroup analysis.Results: This meta-analysis included ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, and compound K (CK), in 43 articles. The overall results showed that multiple ginsenosides significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), affected oxidative stress-related indicators, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT), and reduced levels of inflammatory factor, such as factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6). Additionally, there was a large amount of heterogeneity in the meta-analysis results. Our predefined subgroup analysis shows that the animal species, the type of liver injury model, the duration of treatment, and the administration route may be the sources of some of the heterogeneity.Conclusion: In a word, ginsenosides have good efficacy against liver injury, and their potential mechanisms of action target antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and apoptotic-related pathways. However, the overall methodological quality of our current included studies was low, and more high-quality studies are needed to confirm their effects and mechanisms further.

Lily is a very important bulb crop, and interspecific distant hybridization is a crucial method of lily breeding. However, F1 interspecific hybrids tend to be highly sterile due to low levels of genetic homozygosity. This can be addressed by meiotic polyploidization, which has the advantage of reducing breeding time and being able to promote genetic recombination resulting in many variant progenies. High temperatures have been proven to induce 2n gametes via hindering a spindle formation in several plants, but little has been reported in lilies. In the present study, after observing the correlation between the development of the pollen mother cells (PMCs) and the length of the buds, 28–31 mm long buds were selected as the experimental material, which were at the stage of prophase I–metaphase I. Individual buds were induced at different temperatures (40 °C, 42 °C, and 44 °C) and durations (4 h and 6 h) using self-made multiwire heating equipment, and successfully induced fertile male gametes.. The best results were achieved with treatment of 42 °C for 4 h, reaching a maximum fertile pollen induction rate of 36.64%, while bud mortality was 40%. Two chemicals, colchicine and oryzalin, were also used by injection, and only the treatment with oryzalin obtained fertile gametes, with the highest fertile gamete rate of 15.39% at a concentration of 0.005%, while the bud mortality was 36.67%. This suggests that high temperatures have a superior effect on lily 2n gamete induction. In addition, the pollen obtained from the 6 h induction of high temperature was significantly larger than that from the 4 h induction, with an average diameter of 138.64 μm and 107.88 μm, respectively, 2.35 and 1.84 times wider than haploid pollen. The fertile pollen was crossed with four cultivars and two species, and a total of 267 embryonic seeds were obtained, with the highest embryonic rate of 4.52% in OT lily ‘Mister Cas’ as the parent, which had a germination rate of 26.27%. This suggests that the method of high-temperature induction for fertile gametes probably has important significance for ploidy and distant hybrid breeding in lilies.

Abstract Background China still suffers heavily from rabies, although reported human cases continue to decrease year over year. There are far fewer laboratory-confirmed human cases than clinically diagnosed cases, which is a big problem that needs to be addressed. In this report, we summarize analyses of all specimens from human cases tested in our laboratory over the past 15 years, in order to promote laboratory diagnosis of rabies. Methods From 2005 to 2019, a total of 271 samples from 164 suspected rabies cases were collected from local hospitals by the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in China. Saliva, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum (blood) and urine were collected for ante-mortem diagnosis, and brain tissue, neck skin tissue and cornea were collected for post-mortem diagnosis. All of the specimens were tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and brain tissues were also tested using fluorescent antibody test (FAT). The number of positive test results obtained using different fluids or tissues, and at different stages of the disease, were compared using a chi-square test and a more effective sampling program is recommended. Results As the national reference laboratory for rabies surveillance in China, our laboratory has tested 271 samples from 164 suspected rabies cases collected by local CDCs since 2005. We found that saliva gave the highest number of positive test results (32%), compared with CSF and other fluids. We also found that serum or blood specimens collected in the last 3 days of life can test positive by RT-PCR. Conclusions Serum or blood samples collected in the last 3 days of a patient’s life can be used to measure viral RNA, which means that serum samples, as well as saliva and CSF, can be used to detect viral RNA for anti-mortem diagnosis of rabies. Because of our findings, we have modified our “National Surveillance Project for Human Rabies”, by adding the collection and testing of serum samples from the end of the survival period. This will improve our national surveillance and laboratory diagnosis of human rabies.

Thymopentin (TP5) is an immunomodulatory pentapeptide that has been widely used in malignancy patients with immunodeficiency due to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Here, we propose that TP5 directly inhibits the stemness of colon cancer cells HCT116 and therefore enhances the cytotoxicity of oxaliplatin (OXA) in HCT116 cells. In the absence of serum, TP5 was able to induce cancer stemness reduction in cultured HCT116 cells and significantly reduced stemness-related signals, such as the expression of surface molecular markers (CD133, CD44 and CD24) and stemness-related genes (ALDH1, SOX2, Oct-4 and Nanog), and resulted in altered Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Acetylcholine receptors (AchRs) are implicated in this process. OXA is a common chemotherapeutic agent with therapeutic effects in various cancers. Although TP5 had no direct effect on the proliferation of HCT116, this pentapeptide significantly increased the sensitivity of HCT116 to OXA, where the effect of TP5 on the stemness of colon cancer cells through stimulation of AchRs may contribute to this process. Our results provide a promising strategy for increasing the sensitivity of colon cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents by incorporating immunomodulatory peptides.

Morphine, one of the most efficacious analgesics, is effective in severe pain, especially in patients with concomitant painful cancers. The clinical use of morphine may be accompanied by increased immunosuppression, susceptibility to infection and postoperative tumor metastatic recurrence, and the specific mechanisms and clinical strategies to alleviate this suppression remain to be investigated. Expression of CD11b is closely associated with the macrophage phagocytosis of xenobiotic particles, bacteria or tumor cells. Here, we find that morphine at 0.1–10 nM levels inhibited CD11b expression and function on macrophages via a μ-opioid receptor (MOR)-dependent mechanism, thereby reducing macrophage phagocytosis of tumor cells, a process that can be reversed by thymopentin (TP5), a commonly used immune-enhancing adjuvant in clinical practice. By knocking down or overexpressing MOR on macrophages and using naloxone, an antagonist of the MOR receptor, and LA1, a molecule that promotes macrophage CD11b activation, we suggest that morphine may regulate macrophage phagocytosis by inhibiting the surface expression and function of macrophage CD11b through the membrane expression and activation of MOR. The CD47/SIRPα axis, which is engaged in macrophage-tumor immune escape, was not significantly affected by morphine. Notably, TP5, when combined with morphine, reversed the inhibition of macrophage phagocytosis by morphine through mechanisms that promote membrane expression of CD11b and modulate its downstream signaling (e.g., NOS2, IFNG, IL1B and TNFA, as well as AGR1, PDGFB, IL6, STAT3, and MYC). Thus, altered membrane expression and function of CD11b may mediate the inhibition of macrophage phagocytosis by therapeutic doses of morphine, and the reversal of this process by TP5 may provide an effective palliative option for clinical immunosuppression by morphine.

BackgroundThough fine-needle aspiration (FNA) improved the diagnostic methods of thyroid nodules, there are still parts of nodules that cannot be determined according to cytology. In the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology, there are two uncertain cytology results. Thanks to the development of next-generation sequencing technology, it is possible to gain the genetic background of pathological tissue efficiently. Therefore, a combination of the cytology and genetic background may enhance the accuracy of diagnosis in thyroid nodules.MethodsDNA from 73 FNA samples of thyroid nodules belonging to different cytology types was extracted and exome sequencing was performed by the ThyroLead panel. Test for BRAF mutation was also performed by ARMS-qPCR. Information including age, sex, preoperative cytology, BRAF mutation status tested by ARMS-qPCR, and surgical pathology was collected in electronic medical record system.ResultsA total of 71 single nucleotide variants, three fusion gene, and two microsatellite instability-high status were detected in 73 FNA samples. BRAF V600E mutation is the most common mutation in these malignant thyroid nodules. After combining the cytology and genetic background detected by next-generation sequencing, the diagnosis sensitivity was increased from 0.582 (95% CI: 0.441–0.711) to 0.855 (95% CI: 0.728–0.930) (P < 0.001) in our group, while the specificity, 1,000 (95% CI: 0.732–1.000) compared to 0.857 (95% CI: 0.562–0.975) (P = 0.25), did not get affected.ConclusionsNext-generation sequencing in thyroid nodules can enhance the preoperative diagnosis sensitivity by fine-needle aspiration alone. It can also provide genetic background for direction of medication. It is possible for clinicians to combine cytology with genetic alterations for a more precise diagnosis strategy of thyroid nodules.

Abstract Background The injection of rabies immune globulin (RIG) is of the utmost importance in the management of category III exposures to rabies-suspect animals. Because of the high cost and limited availability of existing RIG, one possible replacement for RIG is monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the rabies virus (RABV). Consequently, it is necessary to determine the neutralizing activity of the MAbs against rabies viruses, especially street rabies virus. However, the method to detect the neutralizing activity of MAbs against street rabies virus remains undefined. Methods To establish a method for detecting the neutralizing activity of MAbs against street rabies virus, we constructed a library consisting of 12 strains of street RABV from 11 provinces in China. Using this street RABV library and the Reed–Muench formula, we established a method for detecting the neutralizing titer of the MAbs. The reliability and repeatability of the method were evaluated by repeatedly measuring the neutralizing activity of a MAb and a post vaccination serum. Results A total of 12 strains of street RABV were chosen for inclusion in the street RABV library, which covered six Chinese lineages (China I–China VI) and grew to high titers in N2A cells (> 105 FFD50/ml). On the basis of the library, we constructed the method to detect the neutralizing activity of the MAbs. The results of repeatedly measuring the MAbs and positive serum showed excellent reliability and repeatability of the method established in this study. Conclusions This study established a street RABV library reflecting the epidemiological features of Chinese rabies viruses, which provides a platform for detecting the neutralizing activity of MAbs against rabies viruses circulating in China.

High-throughput liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics can provide the holistic analysis of the low molecular weight endogenous metabolites in cells and reflect the changes of cellular regulation and metabolic pathways. Our study designed to reveal the potentially pharmacological effects of dioscin on SW480 rectal cancer cells using nontargeted metabolomics method to probe into small molecular metabolites and pathway changes. After the cell assay of proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion, the dioscin-treated cell samples were prepared for nontargeted metabolomics analysis based on LC-MS tool to describe the metabolic profiles. Dioscin has prevented cell proliferation and accelerated cell apoptosis, and it also inhibited the SW480 rectal cancer cells’ migration and invasion. A total of 22 metabolites were selected as promising biomarkers of pharmacological reaction of dioscin to rectal cancer, and eight highly correlated pathways including D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), and butanoate metabolism were identified. It showed that strategies based on cell metabolomics are helpful tools to discover the small molecular metabolites to elucidate the action mechanism of drug.

Background. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) responds poorly to conventional therapies and requires a multidisciplinary approach to manage. The aim of the current study is to explore whether aggressive treatment is beneficial, especially the appropriate extent of surgery in ATC. Methods. Patients diagnosed with ATC from 2004 to 2014 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and included in our study. Results. A total of 735 ATC patients were identified. The two-year overall survival (OS) rates for stage IVA, IVB, and IVC patients were 36.5%, 15.6%, and 1.4%, respectively. By directly comparing eight treatment modalities, we found that surgery+radiotherapy RT±chemotherapy was the most effective treatment strategy. surgery+chemotherapy and RT+chemotherapy had comparable results (hazard ratio HR=1.461, 95% confidential interval (CI): 0.843-2.531, P=0.177). Multivariate Cox regression analysis also showed increased mortality risk in patients with increased age (HR=1.022, P

For the rare but aggressive insular thyroid carcinoma (ITC), there's no clear evidence to determine whether prophylactic central compartment neck dissection (CCND) is necessary for cN0 disease. This study provides the first evidence that treating cN0 ITC without prophylactic CCND is associated with decreased survival regardless of T staging and administration of RAI therapy. Background. Regarding the rare but aggressive insular thyroid carcinoma (ITC), the value of prophylactic central compartment neck dissection (CCND) for clinically node-negative (cN0) disease is unclear. We aimed to provide the first evidence. Methods. N0 and pN1a ITC patients were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. These patients were divided into thyroid-surgery + CCND group (pN0/pN1a patients confirmed by CCND) and thyroid-surgery group (cN0 patients without CCND). Differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) between the two groups were evaluated. Subgroup analyses were also conducted. Results. Of the overall 112 patients, 44 (39.3%) received CCND. On multivariate analyses, the lobectomy ± isthmusectomy/total-thyroidectomy (Lob/TT) group demonstrated poorer OS and DSS than the Lob/TT + CCND group (P

Considering the gas pressure and radio frequency power change, the mode transition of E↔H were investigated in inductively coupled plasmas. It can be found that the transition power has almost the same trend decreasing with gas pressure, whether it is in H mode or E mode. However, the transition density increases slowly with gas pressure from E to H mode. The transition points of E to H mode can be understood by the propagation of electromagnetic wave in the plasma, while the H to E should be illustrated by the electric field strength. Moreover, the electron density, increasing with the pressure and power, can be attributed to the multiple ionization, which changes the energy loss per electron-ion pair created. In addition, the optical emission characteristics in E and H mode is also shown. The line ratio of I750.4 and I811.5, taken as a proxy of the density of metastable state atoms, was used to illustrate the hysteresis. The 750.4 nm line intensity, which has almost the same trend with the 811.5 nm line intensity in H mode, both of them increases with power but decreases with gas pressure. The line ratio of 811.5/750.4 has a different change rule in E mode and H mode, and at the transition point of H to E, it can be one significant factor that results in the hysteresis as the gas pressure change. And compared with the 811.5 nm intensity, it seems like a similar change rule with RF power in E mode. Moreover, some emitted lines with lower rate constants don’t turn up in E mode, while can be seen in H mode because the excited state atom density increasing with the electron density.

Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) by renewable electricity to produce multicarbon chemicals, such as ethylene (C2H4), continues to be a challenge because of insufficient Faradaic efficiency, low production rates, and complex mechanistic pathways. Here, we report that the rate-determining steps (RDS) on common copper (Cu) surfaces diverge in CO2 electroreduction, leading to distinct catalytic performances. Through a combination of experimental and computational studies, we reveal that C--C bond-making is the RDS on Cu(100), whereas the protonation of *CO with adsorbed water becomes rate-limiting on Cu(111) with a higher energy barrier. On an oxide-derived Cu(100)-dominant Cu catalyst, we reach a high C2H4 Faradaic efficiency of 72%, partial current density of 359 mA cm-2, and long-term stability exceeding 100 h at 500 mA cm-2, greatly outperforming its Cu(111)-rich counterpart. We further demonstrate constant C2H4 selectivity of >60% over 70 h in a membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer with a full-cell energy efficiency of 23.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical synthesis of valuable chemicals and feedstocks through carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction in acidic electrolytes can surmount the considerable CO2 loss in alkaline and neutral conditions. However, achieving high productivity, while operating steadily in acidic electrolytes, remains a big challenge owing to the severe competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we show that vertically grown bismuth nanosheets on a gas-diffusion layer can create numerous cavities as electrolyte reservoirs, which confine in situ–generated hydroxide and potassium ions and limit inward proton diffusion, producing locally alkaline environments. Based on this design, we achieve formic acid Faradaic efficiency of 96.3% and partial current density of 471 mA cm−2 at pH 2. When operated in a slim continuous-flow electrolyzer, the system exhibits a full-cell formic acid energy efficiency of 40% and a single pass carbon efficiency of 79% and performs steadily over 50 h. We further demonstrate the production of pure formic acid aqueous solution with a concentration of 4.2 weight %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on developing an efficient electrocatalyst for acidic hydrogen evolution in proton exchange membrane electrolyzers. It mentions the sulfur-doped marcasite-type electrocatalyst exhibits low overpotential, high stability, and acid resistance, making it a promising alternative to platinum catalysts. It highlight the sulfur doping not only triggers the formation of the acid-resistant marcasite structure but also enhances hydrogen diffusion and electrocatalysis.