Urchin-like covalent organic frameworks templated Au@Ag composites for SERS detection of emerging contaminants.

Au@Ag core-shell composites were successfully fabricated on urchin-like covalent organic frameworks (COFs), providing a platform with numerous hot spots for the detection of two categories of emerging contaminants: sulfonamide antibiotics and nanoplastics, using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Au seeds (∼10 nm) were generated on the COFs, leveraging the reducing properties of the vinyl and imino groups within the framework. This ensured the growth of dense and uniformly distributed Ag nanoparticles. The COFs exceptionally large surface area (2324 m2 g-1) and high adsorption capacity, significantly contributed to the enrichment and detection of trace pollutants. As a result, using a portable Raman spectrometer, limits of detection of 0.008 µmol L-1 for sulfamethoxazole and 0.029 mg L-1 for polystyrene nanoplastics were achieved.

Targeting TANK-binding kinase 1 attenuates painful diabetic neuropathy via inhibiting microglia pyroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is closely linked to inflammation, which has been demonstrated to be associated with pyroptosis. Emerging evidence has implicated TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) in various inflammatory diseases. However, it remains unknown whether activated TBK1 causes hyperalgesia via pyroptosis. METHODS: PDN mice model of type 1 or type 2 diabetic was induced by C57BL/6J or BKS-DB mice with Lepr gene mutation. For type 2 diabetes PDN model, TBK1-siRNA, Caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-cmk or TBK1 inhibitor amlexanox (AMX) were delivered by intrathecal injection or intragastric administration. The pain threshold and plantar skin blood perfusion were evaluated through animal experiments. The assessments of spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion, sciatic nerve, plantar skin and serum included western blotting, immunofluorescence, ELISA, and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: In the PDN mouse model, we found that TBK1 was significantly activated in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) and mainly located in microglia, and intrathecal injection of chemically modified TBK1-siRNA could improve hyperalgesia. Herein, we described the mechanism that TBK1 could activate the noncanonical nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway, mediate the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, trigger microglia pyroptosis, and ultimately induce PDN, which could be reversed following TBK1-siRNA injection. We also found that systemic administration of AMX, a TBK1 inhibitor, could effectively improve peripheral nerve injury. These results revealed the key role of TBK1 in PDN and that TBK1 inhibitor AMX could be a potential strategy for treating PDN. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed a novel causal role of TBK1 in pathogenesis of PDN, which raises the possibility of applying amlexanox to selectively target TBK1 as a potential therapeutic strategy for PDN.

Death associated protein like 1 acts as a novel tumor suppressor in melanoma by increasing the stability of P21 protein.

Melanoma is a primary malignant tumor with high lethality, which occurs in the skin and eye tissues, while the molecular mechanisms of melanomagenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we show that death-associated protein-like 1 (DAPL1) expression is lower in melanoma tissues than in paracancerous tissues or nevus tissues, and Uveal melanoma patients with lower DAPL1 expression have a poorer survival rate than those with higher expression of DAPL1. Overexpression of DAPL1 inhibits proliferation of cultured melanoma cells, whereas knockdown of DAPL1 increases cell proliferation. Tumor transplantation experiment results also demonstrate that DAPL1 inhibits tumorigenesis of melanoma cells both in subretinal and subcutaneous tissues of nude mice in vivo. Finally, DAPL1 inhibits proliferation of melanoma cells by increasing the protein level of P21 via decreasing the ubiquitin mediated degradation of P21 and promoting its stability. Conversely, knockdown of P21 neutralizes the effects of inhibition of DAPL1 on melanoma cell proliferation and enhances the severity of melanoma tumorigenesis. These results suggest that DAPL1 is a novel melanoma tumor suppressor gene and thus a potential therapeutic target for melanoma.

Covalent Organic Framework Nanoarchitectonics: Recent Advances for Precious Metal Recovery.

The recovery of precious metals (PMs) from secondary resources has garnered significant attention due to environmental and economic considerations. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising adsorbents for this purpose, owing to their tunable pore size, facile functionalization, exceptional chemical stability, and large specific surface area. This review provides an overview of the latest research progress in utilizing COFs to recover PMs. Firstly, the design and synthesis strategies of chemically stable COF-based materials, including pristine COFs, functionalized COFs, and COF-based composites, are delineated. Furthermore, the application of COFs in the recovery of gold, silver, and platinum group elements is delved into, emphasizing their high adsorption capacity and selectivity as well as recycling ability. Additionally, various interaction mechanisms between COFs and PM ions are analyzed. Finally, the current challenges faced by COFs in the field of PM recovery are discussed, and potential directions for future development are proposed, including enhancing the recyclability and reusability of COF materials and realizing the high recovery of PMs from actual acidic wastewater. With the targeted development of COF-based materials, the recovery of PMs can be realized more economically and efficiently in the future.

Deciphering the relationship between the ordered pore structure and solid-phase microextraction behavior of covalent organic frameworks for phenols.

The extraction performance of materials is highly related to their physical structure. However, the precise impact of ordered pore structure in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) on extraction performance are still puzzling. To look insight into this, a series of COFs with varying degrees of ordered pore structures were prepared at room temperature by adjusting reaction time and their extraction efficiencies toward phenolic compounds were investigated. The experimental results revealed that the COF with a short range ordered pore structure exhibited a higher affinity for phenolic compounds along with a larger enrichment factor, while the COF with a long range ordered pore structure demonstrated faster extraction kinetics. The investigation into interaction mechanism revealed that the density of available sites is responsible for these differences. Taking COF-OMe-0.5 h as solid-phase microextraction fiber coating, a highly efficient and sensitive quantitative analysis method for phenolic compounds was established by combining it with gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The established method boasts high enrichment factors (7192-29440), wide linear ranges (2.0-10000 ng L-1), and low detection limits (0.24-0.54 ng L-1). This study provides a conceptual guide for constructing desirable COFs with controlled pore structures for specific applications.

Recent progress of covalent organic frameworks as attractive materials for solid-phase microextraction: A review.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a green, environmentally friendly, and efficient technique for sample pre-treatment. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of porous materials formed by covalent bonds, have gained prominence owing to their remarkable attributes, including large specific surface area, tunable pore size, and robust thermal/chemical stability. These characteristics have made COFs highly appealing as potential coatings for SPME fiber over the past decades. In this review, various methods used to prepare SPME coatings based on COFs are presented. These methods encompass physical adhesion, sol-gel processes, in situ growth, and chemical cross-linking strategies. In addition, the applications of COF-based SPME coating fibers for the preconcentration of various targets in environmental, food, and biological samples are summarized. Moreover, not only their advantages but also the challenges they pose in practical applications are highlighted. By shedding light on these aspects, this review aims to contribute to the continued development and utilization of COF materials in the field of sample pretreatment.

Regulation of Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) Pathway and Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle Concerning Aberrant Chilling Injury Behavior in Postharvest Papaya (Carica papaya L.).

Postharvest abnormal chilling injury (CI) behavior in papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruit is a rare phenomenon that may be associated with respiratory metabolism. This study thus aimed to investigate the impacts of storage temperatures (1 and 6 °C) on the respiratory metabolism of postharvest papaya and its impact on CI development. Results demonstrated that 1 °C storage reduced the activities of hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK), citrate synthase (CS), and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (α-KGDH) and regulated the expression of corresponding enzymes in the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle compared with 6 °C storage, resulting in a lower respiration rate of the EMP-TCA pathway and mitigating the development of CI. Meanwhile, lower contents of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (hydrogen) (NAD(H)) were observed in papaya fruit stored at 1 °C. Notably, papaya fruit stored at 1 °C maintained higher activity and transcriptional levels of SDH and IDH during the whole storage period. These findings suggest that 1 °C storage reduced the respiration rate of the EMP-TCA pathway by reducing the expression level and activity of related enzymes, which is conducive to the reduction of respiration substrate consumption and finally alleviating the occurrence of CI.

Pan-glioma analyses reveal species- and tumor-specific regulation of neuron-glioma synapse genes by lncRNAs.

Gliomas are highly heterogeneous and aggressive. Malignant cells in gliomas can contact normal neurons through a synapse-like structure (called neuron-to-glioma synapse, NGS) to promote their proliferation, but it is unclear whether NGS gene expression and regulation show species- and tumor-specificity. This question is important in that many anti-cancer drugs are developed upon mouse models. To address this question, we conducted a pan-glioma analysis using nine scRNA-seq datasets from humans and mice. We also experimentally validated the key element of our methods and verified a key result using TCGA datasets of the same glioma types. Our analyses revealed that NGS gene expression and regulation by lncRNAs are highly species- and tumor-specific. Importantly, simian-specific lncRNAs are more involved in NGS gene regulation than lncRNAs conserved in mammals, and transgenic mouse gliomas have little in common with PDX mouse models and human gliomas in terms of NGS gene regulation. The analyses suggest that simian-specific lncRNAs are a new and rich class of potential targets for tumor-specific glioma treatment, and provide pertinent data for further experimentally and clinically exmining the targets.

Survival analysis of a comprehensive treatment strategy for internal carotid artery blowout syndrome by nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the comprehensive treatment strategy for internal carotid artery blowout syndrome (CBS) by nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Of the 311 patients of NPC with carotid artery blowout syndrome admitted at our center from April 2018 to August 2022, 288 were enrolled. RESULTS: The patients were divided into two groups: treatment group (266 cases) and control group (22 cases). After comprehensive treatment, the survival rate of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group, especially within 6 months to the 1 year. Preventive intervention for CBS I type may have considerable benefits. And in the long run, this treatment strategy did not significantly increase the incidence of stroke in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive treatment strategy for ICA-CBS of patients with NPC significantly reduced the mortality of asphyxia due to epistaxis, reduced the incidence of CBS during nasal endoscopy, and finally improved survival rate.

Nanoarchitectonics of Hollow Covalent Organic Frameworks: Synthesis and Applications.

Hollow covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained significant attention because of their specific properties, including enhanced surface-to-volume ratio, large surface area, hierarchical structure, highly ordered nanostructures, and excellent chemical stability. These intrinsic characteristics endow hollow COFs with fascinating physicochemical properties and make them highly attractive for widespread applications, such as catalysis, energy storage, drug delivery, therapy, sensing, and environmental remediation. This review focuses on the recent developments in the synthesis of hollow COFs and their derivatives. In addition, their practical applications in various fields are summarized. Finally, challenges and future opportunities in terms of their synthetic methodologies and practical applications are discussed. Hollow COFs are expected to play an important role in the future of materials science.

Efficient arsenic coagulation by serpentine-mediated iron hydroxides.

A new method was developed for the coagulation of arsenic with serpentine and Fe(II). Excellent removal efficiency (>99%) and satisfactory stability of the sediments were accomplished for As(V) and As(III). A mechanism study showed that hydroxyls generated by the surface hydrolysis of serpentine mediated active iron hydroxides for arsenic adsorption, while the Fe-As and Mg-As chemical interaction contributed to the arsenic stabilization.

Magnetic Covalent Organic Framework Composites for Wastewater Remediation.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with high specific surface area, tailored structure, easy functionalization, and excellent chemical stability have been extensively exploited as fantastic materials in various fields. However, in most cases, COFs prepared in powder form suffer from the disadvantages of tedious operation, strong tendency to agglomerate, and poor recyclability, greatly limiting their practical application in environmental remediation. To tackle these issues, the fabrication of magnetic COFs (MCOFs) has attracted tremendous attention. In this review, several reliable strategies for the fabrication of MCOFs are summarized. In addition, the recent application of MCOFs as outstanding adsorbents for the removal of contaminants including toxic metal ions, dyes, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and other organic pollutants is discussed. Moreover, in-depth discussions regarding the structural parameters affecting the practical potential of MCOFs are highlighted in detail. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects of MCOFs in this field are provided with the expectation to boost their practical application.

'Y'-Shaped Palmar Common Digital Artery Interposition Bypass in the Treatment of an Infantile M2 Large Aneurysm and Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: Both craniotomy and interventional embolization are difficult and risky to treat complex middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms in infants. Trapping with revascularization is a therapeutic option for giant aneurysms that cannot be clipped or coiled alone. METHOD: We describe a technical method using revascularization with a natural Y-shaped palmar common digital artery interposition graft that provides a normal variation for a complex MCA aneurysm in an infant with intracerebral hemorrhage at 37 days of age. Conservative treatment was performed at that time. Seven months later, the patient was re-admitted to the hospital and was confirmed a large aneurysm in the M2 segment of the right MCA by cerebral angiography. A natural artery palmar common digital artery Y-graft was used as the graft and anastomosed to the M2 and both M3 trunks. RESULT: The symptoms improved after surgery, and the mRS score of the patient was 1 after 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The palmar common digital artery can be an option for intracranial revascularization bypass in complex intracranial aneurysms.

Are Ecosystem Services Provided by Street Trees at Parcel Level Worthy of Attention? A Case Study of a Campus in Zhenjiang, China.

Street trees in urban areas have positive impacts on the environment, such as climate regulation, air purification, and runoff mitigation. However, the ecosystem services (ES) provided by street trees at the parcel level remain a notable gap in the existing literature. This study quantified the ES benefits provided by street trees at Jiangsu University in Zhenjiang, China, which could represent the parcel level. A widely applied model, i-Tree Eco, was used to evaluate the ES, including carbon storage, carbon sequestration, pollutant removal, rainwater runoff reduction, and their economic value. We also analyzed how these are affected by the structure of tree species. The results revealed that the 10 most abundant species accounted for 84.3% of the total number of trees, with an unstable structure of species composition. A reasonable age proportion was important since a lower proportion of young trees may make future benefit outputs unstable. The annual economic value provided by ES was USD 205,253.20, with an average of USD 79.90 per tree. Platanus orientalis had the highest single plant benefit, indicating that the management pattern of street trees could be adapted in different environments to maximize benefits. Thus, street trees at the parcel level should receive more attention with strategic planning and management in order to maximize the ES and their economic value.

Porphyrin-based magnetic porous organic polymer for efficient magnetic solid phase extraction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from water.

The ubiquitous occurrence of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the environmental water system has drawn significant concerns due to their adverse effects. The accurate monitoring the content of them is of great significance but challenging in terms of the complex matrix and trace concentration. In this work, a porphyrin-based magnetic porous organic polymer composite (PM-POP) was prepared through a solvent-free synthetic method. Owing to the highly porous structure and strong affinities, the as-prepared PM-POP could be utilized as a highly efficient adsorbent for the magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) of NSAIDs. Combining with the high-performance liquid chromatography separation with ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV), a sensitive analytical method was established, which exhibited wide linear ranges (0.1-400 µg/L) and large enrichment factors (EFs) (39.5-82.9 folds) along with good precision (intra-day RSD ≤ 4.9%) and repeatability (inter-day RSD ≤ 8.4%). Ultimately, it was applied to determinate trace NSAIDs in practical water samples successfully, demonstrating its good application prospect in environmental analysis.

Medicinal terpenoid UDP-glycosyltransferases in plants: recent advances and research strategies.

Terpenoid glycosides have significant curative effects on many kinds of diseases. Most of these compounds are derived from medicinal plants. Glycosylation is a key step in the biosynthesis of medicinal terpenoids. In plants, UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases comprise a large family of enzymes that catalyze the transfer of sugars from donor to acceptor to form various bioactive glycosides. In recent years, numerous terpenoid UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) have been cloned and characterized in medicinal plants. We review the typical characteristics and evolution of terpenoid-related UGTs in plants and summarize the advances and research strategies of terpenoid UGTs in medicinal plants over the past 20 years. We provide a reference for the study of glycosylation of terpenoid skeletons and the biosynthetic pathways for medicinal terpenoids in plants.

Study on the interaction between different pathogens of Hand, foot and mouth disease in five regions of China.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the interaction of different pathogens in Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) by using a mathematical epidemiological model and the reported data in five regions of China. Methods: A cross-regional dataset of reported HFMD cases was built from four provinces (Fujian Province, Jiangsu province, Hunan Province, and Jilin Province) and one municipality (Chongqing Municipality) in China. The subtypes of the pathogens of HFMD, including Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16), enteroviruses A71 (EV-A71), and other enteroviruses (Others), were included in the data. A mathematical model was developed to fit the data. The effective reproduction number (R eff ) was calculated to quantify the transmissibility of the pathogens. Results: In total, 3,336,482 HFMD cases were collected in the five regions. In Fujian Province, the R eff between CV-A16 and EV-A71&CV-A16, and between CV-A16 and CV-A16&Others showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). In Jiangsu Province, there was a significant difference in R eff (P < 0.05) between the CV-A16 and Total. In Hunan Province, the R eff between CV-A16 and EV-A71&CV-A16, between CV-A16 and Total were significant (P < 0.05). In Chongqing Municipality, we found significant differences of the R eff (P < 0.05) between CV-A16 and CV-A16&Others, and between Others and CV-A16&Others. In Jilin Province, significant differences of the R eff (P < 0.05) were found between EV-A71 and Total, and between Others and Total. Conclusion: The major pathogens of HFMD have changed annually, and the incidence of HFMD caused by others and CV-A16 has surpassed that of EV-A71 in recent years. Cross-regional differences were observed in the interactions between the pathogens.

Fast and efficient extract oseltamivir from aquatic products using magnetic covalent organic frameworks/graphene oxide composite prior to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

In this work, a magnetic covalent organic framework/graphene oxide composite (MCOF/GO) was rapidly synthesized and developed as a promising candidate for the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). Combined with HPLC-MS, an efficient and rapid analytical method was established for the determination of oseltamivir (OS) in aquatic products. The resultant composite not only exhibited superior extraction efficiency, but also possessed fast mass transfer kinetic, reducing the pretreatment time greatly. Under optimal conditions, the linear range of the proposed method for OS determination was found to be 0.1-10 µg/kg along with a satisfactory correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.997) and a low limit of detection (LOD, 0.035 µg/kg). Furthermore, the established method was utilized to determine OS in Carp, Yellow croaker, and Shrimp, where the recoveries ranged from 87% to 116%. These results demonstrate the splendid application potential of this method to detect antiviral drugs in actual aquatic products.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1-mediated defective mitophagy contributes to painful diabetic neuropathy in the db/db model.

Studies have shown that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is involved in the pathological process of diabetes. Mitophagy is widely acknowledged to be a key regulatory process in maintaining reactive oxygen species homeostasis via lysosome degradation of damaged mitochondria. However, the regulatory role of PARP1 in mitophagy-related mitochondrial oxidative injury and progression of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is unclear. In this study, we studied the in vitro and in vivo mechanisms of PARP1-mediated mitophagy blockade in a leptin gene-mutation (db/db) mouse model of PDN. Db/db mice models of PDN were established by assessing the sciatic nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT), and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL). The results showed that PARP1 activity and mitochondrial injury of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were increased, and mitophagy was impaired in PDN mice. PARP1 was found to mediate the impairment of mitophagy in DRG neurons isolated from PDN mice. PARP1 inhibitors (PJ34 or AG14361) attenuated diabetes-induced peripheral nerve hyperalgesia, restored DRG neuron mitophagy function and decreased mitochondrial oxidative injury. Mitophagy impairment induced by lysosome deacidificant (DC661) aggravated diabetes-induced DRG neuron mitochondrial oxidative stress and injury. Taken together, our data revealed that PARP1-induced defective mitophagy of DRG neurons is a key mechanism in diabetes-induced peripheral neuropathic injury. Inhibition of PARP1 and restoration of mitophagy function are potential therapeutic targets for PDN.

NaCl template-assisted synthesis of self-floating COFs foams for the efficient removal of sulfamerazine.

The preparation of hierarchical porous covalent organic frameworks (HP-COFs) is of great significance due to their inherent porosity and low density. However, it is still very challenging owing to the poor machinability of COFs. Herein, a simple and cost-efficient strategy for the synthesis of HP-COFs was proposed. In particular, p-toluenesulfonic acid and NaCl, both of which can be recycled, are utilized as catalyst and template, respectively. The resulting HP-TpBD-900 featuring abundant macropore and mesopore as well as large specific surface area (~700 m2 g-1) possessed self-floating ability and was turned out to be a promising adsorbent for the efficient removal of sulfamerazine (SMR) in aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacity is 168 mg g-1, which is more than twice in comparison to that of material prepared without NaCl template. In addition, no significant decrease in adsorption capacity was observed after 5 cycles. Furthermore, the density functional theory (DFT) method was utilized to elucidate the adsorption mechanism, which could be dominated by hydrogen bonding and C-H···π interaction. This work not only provides a new strategy for the synthesis of HP-COFs, but also contributes to boosting the application of COFs in the field of wastewater treatment.