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Complex and heterogeneous structures of lignin impede its further conversion and valorization. Herein, three technical lignins (from softwood, hardwood, and grass) were fractionated with acetone solvent to reduce their structural heterogeneity, which were then blended with poly-(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) to fabricate biodegradable bio-composites. Macromolecular structures of lignins and their effects on the properties of lignin/PBAT composites were thoroughly investigated. Results showed that all fractionated lignin composites displayed better properties. Particularly, the raw and fractionated softwood lignin-based composites exhibited superior performance compared with others. Benefiting from the lower molecular weight, hydroxyl groups, and condensation, acetone fractionated softwood lignin presented the lowest T

In the past 70 years, over 8 billion tons of plastics have been produced, the majority of which cannot be fully biodegraded, causing their fragments to be found everywhere in the biosphere, including living organisms. Herein, a group of biodegradable composites were produced by blending poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) with technical lignin through a twin-screw extrusion method. Two strategies were developed to improve the mechanical properties of PBAT/lignin composites: (1) modifying lignin via methylation to reduce hydrogen bonding between −OH groups and (2) enhancing the intermolecular interactions between PBAT and lignin by adding maleic anhydride-graft-PBAT as a compatibilizer. The composites obtained from the two strategies with 60 wt % lignin contents exhibited ideal tensile performance which could meet the requirement of the Chinese National Standard for packaging. The interactions between different composite components were investigated by morphological and thermal analyses. The results showed that when lignin is used as filler in the composites, the molecular mobility of lignin and the size of its agglomerates remarkably impacted the ductility and mechanical strength of the PBAT/lignin films. A simple cost comparison between neat PBAT film and PBAT/lignin composite films indicated that the latter was economically competitive, and the production costs could significantly reduce by 36%.

We study the propagation properties of a probe field in an aligned asymmetric triple quantum dot molecule with both sides inter-dot tunneling coupling effect. It is shown that the probe field can form optical soliton due to the destructive quantum interference induced by the quantum inter-dot tunneling coupling effect. Interestingly, these optical solitons can be stored and retrieved by adjusting single or double inter-dot tunneling coupling effect, different from that light memory in the ultra-cold atom system. Furthermore, we also find that the amplitude of the stored optical soliton can be adjusted by the strength of the single or double inter-dot tunneling coupling. It is possible to improve the stability and the fidelity of the optical information in the process of the storage and retrieval in semiconductor quantum dots devices.

Background LncRNA AK044604 (regulator of insulin sensitivity and autophagy, Risa) and autophagy-related factors Sirt1 and GSK3β play important roles in diabetic nephropathy (DN). In this study, we sought to explore the effect of Risa on Sirt1/GSK3β-induced podocyte injury. Methods Diabetic db/db mice received Risa-inhibition adeno-associated virus (AAV) via tail vein injection, and intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride (LiCl). Blood, urine, and kidney tissue samples were collected and analyzed at different time points. Immortalized mouse podocyte cells (MPCs) were cultured and treated with Risa-inhibition lentivirus (LV), EX-527, and LiCl. MPCs were collected under different stimulations as noted. The effects of Risa on podocyte autophagy were examined by qRT-PCR, Western blotting analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Periodic Acid-Schiff staining, and immunofluorescence staining. Results Risa and activated GSK3β were overexpressed, but Sirt1 was downregulated in DN mice and high glucose-treated MPCs (P Risa overexpression attenuated Sirt1-mediated downstream autophagy levels and aggravated podocyte injury by inhibiting the expression of Sirt1 (P Risa suppression enhanced Sirt1-induced autophagy and attenuated podocyte injury, which could be abrogated by EX-527 (P Risa-AAV vs. db/db, HG + Risa-LV vs. HG). Furthermore, LiCl treatment could restore GSK3β-mediated autophagy of podocytes (P Risa overexpression aggravated podocyte injury by decreasing autophagy. Conclusion Risa could inhibit autophagy by regulating the Sirt1/GSK3β axis, thereby aggravating podocyte injury in DN. Risa may serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of DN.

Additional file 1: Table S2. Up-regulated genes related to FAP stress responses in strain BY4742/IrrE. Table S3. Up-regulated genes related to FAP stress responses in the strain BY4742/I24. Table S4. Yeast strains and plasmids used in this study. Table S5. Primers used in this work with endonuclease restriction sites underlined and italicized as essential. Fig. S1. Growth behaviors of strains BY4742/pRS416 and BY4742/IrrE under acetic acid conditions. Fig. S2. Representation of differentially expressed genes in selected GO categories and KEGG pathways in the strain BY4742/IrrE after being exposed to multiple inhibitors (0.8 g/L furfural, 3.0 g/L acetic acid and 0.3 g/L phenol) until the middle of the lag phase. (a) The most enriched GO terms of the up-regulated genes. (b) Statistics of pathway enrichment of the up-regulated genes. (c) The most enriched GO terms of the down-regulated genes. (d) Statistics of pathway enrichment of the down-regulated genes. Fig. S3. DEGs in the strain BY4742/IrrE in the presence of 0.8 g/L furfural, 3.0 g/L acetic acid and 0.3 g/L phenol. log2foldchange > 1.0 and p value < 0.05. Fig. S4. Representation of differentially expressed genes in selected GO categories and KEGG pathways in the strain BY4742/I24 after being exposed to multiple inhibitors (0.8 g/L furfural, 3.0 g/L acetic acid and 0.3 g/L phenol) until the middle of the lag phase. (a) The most enriched GO terms of the up-regulated genes. (b) Statistics of pathway enrichment of the up-regulated genes. (c) The most enriched GO terms of the down-regulated genes. (d) Statistics of pathway enrichment of the down-regulated genes. Fig. S5. Transcriptional profiles of ribosome biogenesis by expressing I24. The strain BY4742/I24 and control strain BY4742/pRS416 were cultured in SC-Ura medium with FAP tolerance. Samples were taken in the middle of the lag phase. Box number exhibits transcriptional changes, which is the foldchange of the transcriptional level of the strain BY4742/I24 to that of the control strain BY4742/pRS416. Up-regulated genes are highlighted in red. Fig. S6. The growth behaviors, glucose consumption, and ethanol production of strains BY4742/pRS416, BY4742/IrrE, BY4742/I12, BY4742/I24, and BY4742/I37 at 38 ℃ in the presence of 0.8 g/L furfural, 3.0 g/L acetic acid, and 0.3 g/L phenol. Fig. S7. Plasmid map for plasmid pRS416-HXT7p-IrrE-TEF1t and IrrE library construction.