[Optimization and verification of conditions for induction of neutrophil extracellular traps in vitro].

This study aims to optimize the conditions for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs) in vitro, so as to establish a relatively stable experimental research platform. Different conditions were compared, including commonly used laboratory animals(rats and mice) and a variety of cell sources(bone marrow neutrophils and peripheral blood neutrophils separated by percoll density gradient centrifugation). Different inducers like lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA) were used for induction in vitro. Myeloperoxidase(MPO)/citrullinated histone H3(CitH3)/DAPI immunofluorescence and cell free DNA(cf-DNA) content determination were used for comprehensive evaluation to screen the optimal conditions for the formation of NETs induced in vitro. Furthermore, the stability of the selected conditions for inducing the formation of NETs in vitro was evaluated by tetramethylpyrazine(TMP), an active component in Chinese herbal medicines. The results showed that coated poly-D-lysine(PDL) induced the formation of NETs in bone marrow neutrophils of mice to a certain extent. Both LPS and PMA significantly up-regulated the protein levels of MPO and CitH3 in mouse bone marrow neutrophils and elevated the cfDNA level in the supernatant of rat peripheral blood neutrophils. The cfDNA level in the PMA-induced group increased more significantly than that in the LPS-induced group(P<0.05). The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that the expression of MPO and CitH3 in mouse bone marrow neutrophils, rat bone marrow neutrophils, and rat peripheral blood neutrophils were significantly increased after PMA induction, especially in rat peripheral blood neutrophils. TMP significantly down-regulated the protein levels of MPO, CitH3, and neutrophil elastase(NE) in rat peripheral blood neutrophils induced by PMA. In conclusion, treating the peripheral blood neutrophils of rats with PMA is the optimal condition for inducing the formation of NETs in vitro. This study provides an optimal platform for in vitro studies based on NETs and a basis for studying the effects of traditional Chinese medicines targeting NETs.

Facet Engineering and Pore Design Boost Dynamic Fe Exchange in Oxygen Evolution Catalysis to Break the Activity-Stability Trade-Off.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a vital role in renewable energy technologies, including in fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and water splitting; however, the currently available catalysts still suffer from unsatisfactory performance due to the sluggish OER kinetics. Herein, we developed a new catalyst with high efficiency in which the dynamic exchange mechanism of active Fe sites in the OER was regulated by crystal plane engineering and pore structure design. High-density nanoholes were created on cobalt hydroxide as the catalyst host, and then Fe species were filled inside the nanoholes. During the OER, the dynamic Fe was selectively and strongly adsorbed by the (101̅0) sites on the nanohole walls rather than the (0001) basal plane, and at the same time the space-confining effect of the nanohole slowed down the Fe diffusion from catalyst to electrolyte. As a result, a local high-flux Fe dynamic equilibrium inside the nanoholes for OER was achieved, as demonstrated by the Fe57 isotope labeled mass spectrometry, thereby delivering a high OER activity. The catalyst showed a remarkably low overpotential of 228 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, which is among the best cobalt-based catalysts reported so far. This special protection strategy for Fe also greatly improved the catalytic stability, reducing the Fe leaching amount by 2 orders of magnitude compared with the pure Fe hydroxide catalyst and thus delivering a long-term stability of 130 h. An assembled Zn-air battery was stably cycled for 170 h with a low discharge/charge voltage difference of 0.72 V.

The influence of deliberate rumination on the post-traumatic growth of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating role of self-efficacy.

Objective: To understand the relationship between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth and the mechanisms affecting this relationship, we constructed an adjustment model to test the impact of deliberate rumination on the post-traumatic growth of college students and the moderating role of self-efficacy during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic. Study design and setting: A total of 881 college students from a university of science and technology in Guangdong Province, China, completed a questionnaire that measured deliberate rumination, post-traumatic growth, and self-efficacy. SPSS (version 26) and the PROCESS plug-in (version 4.0) were used for correlation and moderation analyses. Results: The correlation analysis showed that deliberate rumination was positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.353, P < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = 0.261, P < 0.01). Self-efficacy was also positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.466, P < 0.01). In addition, we found that self-efficacy had a regulatory effect on the relationship between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth (R 2 = 0.287, P < 0.001) and that this effect was significant. Conclusion: The results show that deliberate rumination can be a positive predictor of post-traumatic growth and can play a certain role in fostering such growth. In addition, self-efficacy is a moderator that plays a buffer role between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth. These results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that affect post-traumatic growth.

2D Organic Materials: Status and Challenges.

In the past few decades, 2D layer materials have gradually become a central focus in materials science owing to their uniquely layered structural qualities and good optoelectronic properties. However, in the development of 2D materials, several disadvantages, such as limited types of materials and the inability to synthesize large-scale materials, severely confine their application. Therefore, further exploration of new materials and preparation methods is necessary to meet technological developmental needs. Organic molecular materials have the advantage of being customizable. Therefore, if organic molecular and 2D materials are combined, the resulting 2D organic materials would have excellent optical and electrical properties. In addition, through this combination, the free design and large-scale synthesis of 2D materials can be realized in principle. Furthermore, 2D organic materials exhibit excellent properties and unique functionalities along with great potential for developing sensors, biomedicine, and electronics. In this review, 2D organic materials are divided into five categories. The preparation methods and material properties of each class of materials are also described in detail. Notably, to comprehensively understand each material's advantages, the latest research applications for each material are presented in detail and summarized. Finally, the future development and application prospects of 2D organic materials are briefly discussed.

Simiao Yong'an decoction ameliorates murine collagen-induced arthritis by modulating neutrophil activities: An in vitro and in vivo study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic autoimmune disease with high morbidity and disability rate. Currently, there is no effective allopathic treatment for RA, and most of the drugs provoke many adverse effects. Simiao Yong'an decoction (SMYAD) is a traditional Chinese prescription for the treatment of sore and gangrene caused by hot poison. With the development of pharmacology and clinical research, SMYAD has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for RA treatments for years. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the anti-arthritic effect of SMYAD and further explore the immunopharmacological mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Arthritis was induced in DBA/1 mice by two-time immunizations. Collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) mice were divided into 4 groups: control, model, methotrexate (MTX), and SMYAD group (n = 6). The administration groups were given MTX (0.5 mg/kg/3 d) and SMYAD (4.5 g/kg/d) by gavage from day 14. The arthritis index (AI) score was evaluated every 3 days after the second immunization. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Safranin-O fast green staining, Trap staining, and Micro-CT were used to measure the histopathology injuries and bone destruction of joints. Granulocyte changes in the spleen, bone marrow, and period blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in joints were detected by qRT-PCR. SMYAD-containing serum was obtained from SD rats gavaged with SMYAD. Neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood and bone marrow for the in vitro experiments of transwell cell assay, apoptosis assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation. RESULTS: SMYAD significantly relieved arthritis severity in CIA mice. The AI score was significantly decreased in the SMYAD group compared with the model group. Additionally, SMYAD alleviated inflammatory infiltration, cartilage damage, osteoclast formation, and bone damage in the ankle joints. In the flow cytometry assay, SMYAD significantly reduced granulocytes number in the spleen and bone marrow, while increased in peripheral blood. Furthermore, compared with the CIA group, SMYAD suppressed the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors including TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and chemokines CXCL1, CXCL2, and IL-8 in the inflamed joints. In the in vitro studies, 20% SMYAD-containing serum effectively inhibited the migration of neutrophils, promoted neutrophils apoptosis, reduced ROS production and NETs formation. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our results demonstrated that SMYAD effectively restrained arthritis in CIA mice by modulating neutrophil activities.

S and O Co-Coordinated Mo Single Sites in Hierarchically Porous Tubes from Sulfur-Enamine Copolymerization for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution.

The highly efficient bifunctional catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key to achieving high-performance rechargeable Zn-air batteries. Non-precious-metal single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted intense interest due to their low cost and very high metal atomic utilization; however, high-activity bifunctional non-precious-metal SACs are still rare. Herein, we develop a new nanospace-confined sulfur-enamine copolymerization strategy to prepare a new type of bifunctional Mo SACs with O/S co-coordination (Mo-O2S2-C) supported on the multilayered, hierarchically porous hollow tubes. The as-prepared catalyst can not only expose more active sites and facilitate mass transfer due to their combined micropores, mesopores, and macropores but also have the S/O co-coordination structure for optimizing the adsorption energies of the ORR intermediates. Its ORR activity is among the highest, and it shows a low overpotential of 324 mV for the OER at 10 mA cm-2 in all of the reported Mo-based catalysts. When assembled in a Zn-air battery, it exhibits a high maximal power density of 197.3 mW cm-2 and a long service life of 50 hours, superior to those of Zn-air batteries using commercial Pt/C+IrO2.

Mesoporous Single Crystals with Fe-Rich Skin for Ultralow Overpotential in Oxygen Evolution Catalysis.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key reaction in water splitting and metal-air batteries, and transition metal hydroxides have demonstrated the most electrocatalytic efficiency. Making the hydroxides thinner for more surface commonly fails to increase the active site number, because the real active sites are the edges. Up to now, the overpotentials of most state-of-the-art OER electrocatalysts at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 (η10 ) are still larger than 200 mV. Herein, a novel design of mesoporous single crystal (MSC) with an Fe-rich skin to boost the OER is shown. The edges around the mesopores provide lots of real active sites and the Fe modification on these sites further improves the intrinsic activity. As a result, an ultralow η10 of 185 mV is achieved, and the turnover frequency based on Fe atoms is as high as 16.9 s-1 at an overpotential of 350 mV. Moreover, the catalyst has an excellent catalytic stability, indicated by a negligible current drop after 10 000 cyclic voltammetry cycles. The catalyst enables Zn-air batteries to run stably over 270 h with a low charge voltage of 1.89 V. This work shows that MSC materials can provide new opportunities for the design of electrocatalysts.

Single-Atom Co Doped in Ultrathin WO3 Arrays for the Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in a Wide pH Range.

Owing to the scarcity of Pt, low-cost, stable, and efficient nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts that can be applied in a wide pH range for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are urgently required. Herein, a highly efficient and robust HER catalyst that is applicable at all pH values is fabricated, containing isolated Co-single atomic sites anchored in the self-supported WO3 arrays grown on Cu foam. At a current density of 10 mA cm-2, the HER overpotentials are 117, 105, and 149 mV at pH values of 0, 7, and 14, respectively, which are significantly lower than those of the undoped WO3, suggesting superior electrocatalytic H2-evolution activity at all pH values. The catalyst also exhibits long-term stability over a wide pH range, particularly in an acidic medium over 24 h, owing to the excellent anticorrosion properties of WO3. Density functional theory calculations prove that the enhanced HER activity is attributed to the isolated Co sites because these optimize the adsorption energy of H* species on WO3. Moreover, the high electrical conductivity of Co-doped WO3 and the three-dimensional array structure supported on the porous metal support afford a catalyst with suitable HER kinetics to enhance the catalytic performance.

Hollow Multihole Carbon Bowls: A Stress-Release Structure Design for High-Stability and High-Volumetric-Capacity Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Potassium-ion batteries are potential alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage considering the low cost and high abundance of potassium. However, it is challenging to obtain stable electrode materials capable of undergoing long-term potassiation/depotassiation due to the high accumulated stress associated with the huge volume variation of the electrode. Here, we simulate the von Mises stress distributions of four different carbon three-dimensional models under an isotropic initial stress by the finite element method and reveal the critical role of the structure of a hollow multihole bowl on the strain-relaxation behavior. In this regard, nitrogen/oxygen codoped carbon hollow multihole bowls (CHMBs) are synthesized via hydrothermal carbonization coupled with an emulsion-templating strategy using biomass as the carbon source. Consistent with our simulation results, the CHMB anode remains stable for over 1000 cycles and delivers a high reversible capacity of 304 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1. In addition to the reduced stress accumulation, the good electrochemical performances are also attributed to the surface capacitive mechanism and the shortened electron/ion transport distance in CHMBs. In particular, the CHMB composite electrode has a volumetric specific capacity 56% higher than that of hollow spheres due to the high tapped density of the bowl-shaped particles.

A self-standing silver/crosslinked-poly(vinyl alcohol) network with microfibers, nanowires and nanoparticles and its linear aggregation.

Silver/polymer nanocomposites have made inroads into the fields of electronic devices, thermally conductive materials, antimicrobial agents and sensors. Here, we present the hydrothermal synthesis of a novel three-dimensional self-standing silver/crosslinked-poly(vinyl alcohol) (Ag/crosslinked-PVA) hybrid network constructed by linking three different subunits, namely, microfibers, nanowires and nanoparticles. One-dimensional crosslinked-PVA-based microfibers act as the skeleton of the sponge. Ag nanoparticles are uniformly embedded in the interior of the microfibers, and Ag nanowires grow outward from the interior of the microfibers. This Ag/crosslinked-PVA multi-architecture has not be observed or reported in current state-of-the-art studies. We simultaneously carry out two types of reactions, chemical reduction of Ag+ ions and intermolecular crosslinking of PVA chains, in the synthesis under hydrothermal conditions. Ag nanoparticles are formed and dispersed in the crosslinked-PVA microspheres. Then, these Ag/crosslinked-PVA microspheres bridge each other, forming microchains and microfibers. Ultimately, linear aggregation, which has rarely been mentioned in the literature, occurs in some adjacent Ag nanoparticles in the microfibers, and the Ag nanoparticles reorganize into nanowires. The Ag/crosslinked-PVA network is shown to be converted into a Ag/C composite through annealing, which exhibits electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation and can be used as a self-supporting electrode in an antibacterial nonenzymatic glucose sensor.

Xijiao Dihuang Decoction () and Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. protect mice against lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced acute liver failure.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Xijiao Dihuang Decoction (, XJDHD) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced acute liver failure (ALF) as well as the underlying mechanism of action, and to clarify the key herbs and components of XJDHD. METHODS: LPS/D-galactosamine (D-GalN) or TNF-α/D-GalN were intraperitoneally injected into C57BL/6J mice to induce ALF. Simultaneously, XJDHD or its individual herbs and components were orally administered. Survival rates, transaminase levels in serum, and hepatic histology were examined to evaluate the effects of XJDHD. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction were additionally performed to expound the mechanism underlying the anti-apoptotic activity of XJDHD. RESULTS: Oral administration of XJDHD protected mice from lethal liver failure induced by LPS and TNF-α, with notable amelioration of liver injury in histology and a significant decrease in transaminase levels in serum. XJDHD significantly inhibited apoptosis of hepatocytes and enhanced expression of the antiapoptosis genes, c-Flip, Iap1, Gadd45b and A20. In addition, Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. was identified as the key herb of XJDHD and galactose as the effective component of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. that protects against ALF. CONCLUSIONS: XJDHD inhibits TNF-α-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes by promoting the expression of nuclear factor κ B-regulated anti-apoptotic genes. Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. is the effective herb of XJDHD and galactose is an active component in this protection.

A second protein marker of caveolae: caveolin-2.

Caveolin-2, a protein about 20 kD, is a major component of the inner surface of caveolae, small invaginations of the plasma membrane. Similar with caveolin-1 and caveolin-3, it serves as a protein marker of caveolae. Caveolin-1 and -2 are located next to each other at 7q31.1 on human chromosome, the proteins encoded are co-localized and form a stable hetero-oligomeric complex, distributing similarly in tissue and cultured cells. Caveolin-3 is located on different chromosomes but confirmed to interact with caveolin-2. Caveolin-2 is similar to caveolin-1 in many respects but differs from the latter in functional domains, especially in G-protein binding domain and caveolin scaffolding domain. The mRNAs of both caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 are most abundantly expressed in white adipose tissue and are induced during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells to adipocytes. Caveolin-2-deficient mice demonstrate clear pulmonary defects, with little or no change in caveolin-1 expression and caveolae formation, suggesting that caveolin-2 plays a selective role in lung functions. Caveolin-2 is also involved in lipid metabolism and human cancers.

Why we need semisolid decalcification system in bone tissue engineering? A story begins with honeycomb.

The repair of large segmental bone defects remains a tough problem disturbing surgeons and researchers. Bone tissue engineering brings some new sight in this field. However, it has not been effectively applied in clinics, for the reason that the involved mechanism is not well understood. Thus, we need to know the osteogenesis process of the tissue-engineered bone including distribution, proliferation and interaction among seed cells pre-inoculated in biomaterials as well as the function of surrounding tissues. As a matter of fact, the tissue-engineered bone or the biomaterials are solid and opaque, which makes the study difficult. Here, inspired by the structure of honeycomb and amber, we hypothesize a semisolid decalcification protocol to solve this problem.

PGC-1alpha coactivates estrogen-related receptor-alpha to induce the expression of glucokinase.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a key regulator of cellular energy metabolism and regulates processes such as adaptive thermogenesis, hepatic gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis by coactivating numerous nuclear receptors and transcription factors. Here, we demonstrate the presence of the ERRalpha binding site in the regulatory sequence of the glucokinase gene and that PGC-1alpha coactivates ERRalpha to stimulate the transcription of glucokinase. Simultaneous overexpression of PGC-1alpha and ERRalpha potently induced the glucokinase gene expression and its enzymatic activity in primary hepatocytes; however, expression of either PGC-1alpha or ERRalpha alone had no significant effect. Electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed the interaction of ERRalpha with the glucokinase promoter. Finally, the knockdown of endogenous ERRalpha with specific siRNA (siERRalpha) or pharmacological inhibition of ERRalpha with XCT790 attenuated insulin-induced glucokinase expression. Taken together, this research identifies glucokinase as a novel target of PGC-1alpha/ERRalpha and underscores the regulatory function of ERRalpha in insulin-dependent enzyme regulation.

Function of SIRT1 in physiology.

Sirtuins were originally defined as a family of oxidized nicotinamide adenine nucleotide (NAD+)-dependent enzymes that deacetylate lysine residues on various proteins. The sirtuins are remarkably conserved throughout evolution from archae to eukaryotes. They were named after their homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene silent information regulator 2 (Sir2). The mammalian sirtuins, SIRT1-7, are implicated in a variety of cellular functions ranging from gene silencing, control of the cell cycle and apoptosis, and energy homeostasis. As SIRT1 is a nuclear protein and is the mammalian homolog most highly related to Sir2, it has been the focus of a large number of recent studies. Here we review some of the current data related to SIRT1 and discuss its mode of action and biological role in cellular and organismal models.

[Research advances in Sirt1 gene].

As the most homologic homologue of silent information regulator 2 of yeast, Sirt1 gene is extensively expressed in mature tissues, and is rich in early embryo and reproductive cells. It is involved in the regulation of gene transcription, energy metabolism and cell aging. It promotes fat mobilization in adipocytes and glucose production in liver and regulates insulin secretion in islet beta cell. Furthermore, Sirt1 gene is an essential endogenous apoptosis inhibitor. In future, it may be used as new drug targets or applied in other disease management modalities.

[Current situation researching of methylation in tumor].

The disorders of DNA and histone methylation have a close relationship with the development and progression of tumors. Epigenetic regulation is critical in maintaining the stability and integrity of the expression profiles of different cell types by modifying DNA methylation and histone methylation. However, the abnormal changes of methylation often result in the development and progression of tumors. This review summarized the theory of tumor genomic and histone methylation, detection methods of methylation and their applications, and the clinical application of methylation as biological markers and drug targets.