miR-153 promotes neural differentiation by activating the cell adhesion/Ca2+ signaling pathway and targeting ion channel activity in HT-22 cells by bioinformatic analysis.

MicroRNAs have been studied extensively in neurodegenerative diseases. In a previous study, miR-153 promoted neural differentiation and projection formation in mouse hippocampal HT-22 cells. However, the pathways and molecular mechanism underlying miR-153-induced neural differentiation remain unclear. To explore the molecular mechanism of miR-153 on neural differentiation, we performed RNA sequencing on miR-153-overexpressed HT-22 cells. Based on RNA sequencing, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways in miR-153-overexpressed cells were identified. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis were used to perform functional annotation and enrichment analysis of DEGs. Targetscan predicted the targets of miR-153. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes and Cytoscape, were used to construct protein-protein interaction networks and identify hub genes. Q-PCR was used to detect mRNA expression of the identified genes. The expression profiles of the identified genes were compared between embryonic days 9.5 (E9.5) and E11.5 in the embryotic mouse brain of the GDS3442 dataset. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to determine cell proliferation and cellular susceptibility to amyloid ß-protein (Aß) toxicity in miR-153-overexpressed cells. The results indicated that miR-153 increased cell adhesion/Ca2+ (Cdh5, Nrcam, and P2rx4) and Bdnf/Ntrk2 neurotrophic signaling pathway, and decreased ion channel activity (Kcnc3, Kcna4, Clcn5, and Scn5a). The changes in the expression of the identified genes in miR-153-overexpressed cells were consistent with the expression profile of GDS3442 during neural differentiation. In addition, miR-153 overexpression decreased cellular susceptibility to Aß toxicity in HT-22 cells. In conclusion, miR-153 overexpression may promote neural differentiation by inducing cell adhesion and the Bdnf/Ntrk2 pathway, and regulating electrophysiological maturity by targeting ion channels. MiR-153 may play an important role in neural differentiation; the findings provide a useful therapeutic direction for neurodegenerative diseases.

A biocompatible double-crosslinked gelatin/ sodium alginate/dopamine/quaterniazed chitosan hydrogel for wound dressings based on 3D bioprinting technology.

438Severe skin injuries can cause serious problems, which could affect the patient's normal life, if not dealt properly in a timely and effective manner. It is an urgent requirement to develop personalized wound dressings with excellent antibacterial activity and biocompatibility to match the shape of the wound to facilitate clinical application. In this study, a bioink (GAQ) based on gelatin (Gel)/sodium alginate (SA)/ quaternized chitosan (QCS) was prepared, and GAQ hydrogel dressing grafting with dopamine (GADQ) was fabricated by an extrusion three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. QCS was synthesized by modifying quaternary ammonium group on chitosan, and its structure was successfully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Our results showed that the GADQ hydrogel dressing that was double-crosslinked by EDC/ NHS and Ca2+ had good tensile strength, considerable swelling ratio, and effective antioxidation properties. It also showed that GADQ1.5% had 93.17% and 91.06% antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Furthermore, the relative survival ratios of fibroblast cells seeded on these hydrogels exceeded 350% after cultured for 7 days, which proved the biocompatibility of these hydrogels. Overall, this advanced 3D-printed GADQ1.5% hydrogels with effective antioxidation, excellent antibacterial activity and good biocompatibility had a considerable application potential for wound healing.

A predictive model of macrosomic birth based upon real-world clinical data from pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Fetal macrosomia is associated with an increased risk of several maternal and newborn complications. Antenatal predication of fetal macrosomia remains challenging. We aimed to develop a nomogram model for the prediction of macrosomia using real-world clinical data to improve the sensitivity and specificity of macrosomia prediction. METHODS: In the present study, we performed a retrospective, observational study based on 13,403 medical records of pregnant women who delivered singleton infants at a tertiary hospital in Shanghai from 1 January 2018 through 31 December 2019. We split the original dataset into a training set (n = 9382) and a validation set (n = 4021) at a 7:3 ratio to generate and validate our model. The candidate variables, including maternal characteristics, laboratory tests, and sonographic parameters were compared between the two groups. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression was carried out to explore the independent risk factors for macrosomia in pregnant women. Thus, the regression model was adopted to establish a nomogram to predict the risk of macrosomia. Nomogram performance was determined by discrimination and calibration metrics. All the statistical analysis was analyzed using R software. RESULTS: We compared the differences between the macrosomic and non-macrosomic groups within the training set and found 16 independent risk factors for macrosomia (P < 0.05), including biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), femur length (FL), amniotic fluid index (AFI) at the last prenatal examination, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and triglycerides (TG). Values for the areas under the curve (AUC) for the nomogram model were 0.917 (95% CI, 0.908-0.927) and 0.910 (95% CI, 0.894-0.927) in the training set and validation set, respectively. The internal and external validation of the nomogram demonstrated favorable calibration as well as discriminatory capability of the model. CONCLUSIONS: Our model has precise discrimination and calibration capabilities, which can help clinical healthcare staff accurately predict macrosomia in pregnant women.

Interaction of tetrahydrofuran and methyl tert-butyl ether in waste gas treatment by a biotrickling filter bioaugmented with Piscinibacter caeni MQ-18 and Pseudomonas oleovorans DT4.

Bioaugmented biotrickling filter (BTF) seeded with Piscinibacter caeni MQ-18, Pseudomonas oleovorans DT4, and activated sludge was established to investigate the treatment performance and biodegradation kinetics of the gaseous mixtures of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Experimental results showed an enhanced startup performance with a startup period of 9 d in bioaugmented BTF (25 d in control BTF seeded with activated sludge). The interaction parameter I2,1 of control (7.462) and bioaugmented BTF (3.267) obtained by the elimination capacity-sum kinetics with interaction parameter (EC-SKIP) model indicated that THF has a stronger inhibition of MTBE biodegradation in the control BTF than in the bioaugmented BTF. Similarly, the self-inhibition EC-SKIP model quantified the positive effects of MTBE on THF biodegradation, as well as the negative effects of THF on MTBE biodegradation and the self-inhibition of MTBE and THF. Metabolic intermediate analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, biofilm-biomass determination, and high-throughput sequencing revealed the possible mechanism of the enhanced treatment performance and biodegradation interactions of MTBE and THF.

Extracellular HMGB1 Induced Glomerular Endothelial Cell Injury via TLR4/MyD88 Signaling Pathway in Lupus Nephritis.

Previously, our study showed that HMGB1 was significantly elevated in the blood and located in the glomerular endothelium in LN patients. But whether extracellular HMGB1 is involved in the injury of glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) in LN still needs further investigation. Firstly, we detected the levels of SDC-1, VCAM-1, and proteinuria in LN patients and MRL/lpr mice and analyzed their correlations. Then, HMGB1 and TLR4/MyD88 were inhibited to observe the shedding of glycocalyx and injury of GECs in vivo and in vitro. Our results showed that HRGEC injury and SDC-1 shedding played an important role in the increase of permeability and proteinuria formation in LN. Additionally, inhibition of extracellular HMGB1 and/or downstream TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway also alleviated GEC monolayer permeability, reduced the shedding of the glomerular endothelial glycocalyx, improved the intercellular tight junction and cytoskeletal arrangement, and downregulated the NO level and VCAM-1 expression. These results suggested that extracellular HMGB1 might involve in GEC injury by activating the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway in LN, which provided novel insights and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of lupus nephritis.

Enhanced biodegradation of n-hexane in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor inoculated with Pseudomonas mendocina NX-1 under chitosan stimulation.

Two-phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs) have been extensively used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal. To date, most studies have focused on improving the mass transfer of gas phases/non-aqueous phases (NAPs)/aqueous phases, whereas the NAP/biological phases and gas/biological phases transfer has been neglected. Herein, chitosan was introduced into a TPPB to increase cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and improve the n-hexane mass transfer. The performance and stability of the TPPB with chitosan for n-hexane biodegradation were investigated, and it was found out that the TPPB with chitosan achieved maximum removal efficiency and elimination capacity of 80.6% and 26.5 g m-3 h-1, thereby reaching much higher values than those obtained without chitosan (61.3% and 15.2 g m-3 h-1). Chitosan not only obvio usly increased cell surface hydrophobicity and cell dry biomass on the surface of silicone oil, but might also allow hydrophobic cells in aqueous phases to directly capture and biodegrade n-hexane, resulting in an obvious improvement of mass transfer from the gas phase to biomass. Stability enhancement was another attractive advantage from chitosan addition. This study might provide a new strategy for the development of TPPB in the hydrophobic VOCs treatment.

Influence of low water activity on the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 and Enterococcus faecium as its surrogate in egg powders.

Egg powders are increasingly popular ingredients, due to their functionality and compactness, in industrial food production and preparation at homes. However, there is a lack of studies that evaluate the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 and its potential surrogate Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in egg powders. This study examined the log-linear relationship between the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis (D-value) and the water activity (aw) of egg powders. The changes of aw in the egg powders with temperature were measured using a Vapor Sorption Analyzer and a high-temperature cell. The D80 ℃-value of S. Enteritidis PT30 and E. faecium inoculated in the egg powders preconditioned to three aw levels (0.3, 0.45, and 0.6) at 20 ℃ were determined using aluminum thermal death test cells. The aw values increased (P < 0.05) in all three egg powders when the temperature of the samples was raised from room temperature to 80 ℃. The D80 ℃-values ranged from 5.3 ± 0.1 to 25.9 ± 0.2 min for S. Enteritidis while 10.4 ± 0.4 to 43.8 ± 0.4 for E. faecium in samples of the three different aw levels. S. Enteritidis PT30 showed a log-linear relationship between D80 ℃-values and aw80 ℃ for the egg powders. This study contributes to our understanding of the impact of aw on the development of thermal treatments for low-moisture foods.

[Removal of Nitrate Nitrogen by Microbial Photoelectrochemical Cell: PANI/TiO2-NTs as a Photoanode].

The use of microbial photoelectrochemical cells (MPECs) for the removal of contaminants is a cost-effective and environment-friendly method. Based on the preparation of polyaniline/titanium dioxide nanotube array (PANI/TiO2-NTs) composite photoelectrodes, an MPEC system comprising PANI/TiO2-NTs photoanode and biocathode was constructed and the removal performance of nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) was studied. The experimental results showed that the PANI/TiO2-NT electrode exhibited the best photoelectric performance when the PANI loading time was 80 s. Compared with the TiO2-NTs electrode, the photocurrent density doubled. The light-driven MPEC system could realize autotrophic denitrification without an external voltage. The biodegradation of NO3--N conformed to the pseudo first-order kinetics. The higher the photoresponse current density, the better the denitrification performance of the system. When the initial concentration of NO3--N was 25 mg·L-1 and the photoresponse current density increased from 0.17 mA·cm-2 to 0.67 mA·cm-2, the average denitrification rate increased from 0.83 mg·(L·h)-1 to 2.83 mg·(L·h)-1. High-throughput sequencing of the biocathode microbial membranes revealed that Pseudomonas (27.37%) was the dominant bacteria. It was considered that the photogenerated electrons generated by the PANI/TiO2-NTs photoanode were transmitted to the cathode through an external circuit. Pseudomonas and other microorganisms with autotrophic denitrification and electrochemical activity directly used the electrons on the electrode as the sole electron donors for autotrophic denitrification reaction.

Removal of gaseous tetrahydrofuran via a three-phase airlift bioreactor loaded with immobilized cells of GFP-tagged Pseudomonas oleovorans GDT4.

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is a common highly toxic cyclic aliphatic ether that frequently exists in waste gases. Removal of gaseous THF is a serious issue with important environmental ramifications. A novel three-phase airlift bioreactor (TPAB) loaded with immobilized cells was developed for efficient THF removal from gas streams. An effective THF-degrading transformant, Pseudomonas oleovorans GDT4, which contains the pTn-Mod-OTc-gfp plasmid and was tagged with a green fluorescent protein (GFP), was constructed. Continuous treatment of THF-containing waste gases was succeeded by the GFP-labelled cells immobilized with calcium alginate and activated carbon fiber in the TPAB for 60 days with >90% removal efficiency. The number of fluorescent cells in the beads reached 1.7 × 1011 cells·g-1 of bead on day 10, accounting for 83.3% of the total number of cells. The amount further increased to 3.0 × 1011 cells·g-1 of bead on day 40. However, it decreased to 2.5 × 1011 cells·g-1 of bead with a substantial increase in biomass in the liquid because of cell leakage and hydraulic shock. PCR-DGGE revealed that P. oleovorans was the dominant microorganism throughout the entire operation. The maximum elimination capacity was affected by empty bed residence time (EBRT). The capacity was only 25.9 g m-3·h-1 at EBRT of 80 s, whereas it reached 37.8 g m-3·h-1 at EBRT of 140 s. This work provides an alternative method for full-scale removal of gaseous THF and presents a useful tool for determining the biomass of a specific degrader in immobilized beads.

Analysis of gene expression profiling of amyloidogenic immunoglobulin light-chains on cultured rat cardiomyocytes.

The present study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of different amyloidogenic light-chains (LCs) on cardiomyocytes, and demonstrate the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and signaling pathways that participate in this process. Cultured cardiomyocytes were treated with recombinant κ LC peptide (AL-09) or with serum from a patient diagnosed with multiple myeloma (λ LC) with cardiac involvement. The 6xHis peptide or serum from healthy patients was used as peptide control or serum control, respectively. Cell viability was determined using CCK-8 assay and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The DEGs were detected by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), followed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Changes in gene expression levels were confirmed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The cell viability in the AL-09 peptide-treated (0.2 mg/ml) and patient serum-treated (1:10 dilution) cardiomyocytes decreased to 42 and -72% of the corresponding control groups. The extent of cell apoptosis increased in AL-09-treated cardiomyocytes compared with the control group. RNA-Seq showed 256 DEGs co-existed in the two paired groups, including 127 upregulated and 88 downregulated genes. The KEGG pathways for upregulated expressed genes included the 'TGF-ß signaling pathway', the 'Hedgehog signaling pathway', the 'ErbB signaling pathway' and 'lysine degradation'. The higher mRNA expression of bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) 4, Bmp6, prostaglandin G/H synthase (Ptgs)1, Ptgs2, epiregulin, Tgfa and procollagen-lysine,2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 2 were confirmed. The KEGG pathways of downregulated expressed genes included genes involved with the 'p53 signaling pathway' and the 'cell cycle'. The mRNA expression levels of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase CCNB1IP1 showed significant downregulation in the AL-09 peptide group compared with those in the 6xHis peptide group. In conclusion, cardiomyocytes treated with amyloidogenic λ and κ LCs presented with decreased cell viability compared with controls. Cell apoptosis increased in κ LC-treated cells compared with controls. The gene expression profiles associated with transforming growth factor-ß-bone morphogenetic protein, the receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2 signaling pathways, prostaglandins, collagen production, the p53 signaling pathway and the cell cycle were altered in light-chain-treated cardiomyocytes.

QT Interval Dispersion as a Predictor of Clinical Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background and Purpose: QT dispersion (QTd) abnormalities are widely documented in stroke patients. This study aims to investigate the association between QTd and clinical outcomes in IS patients. Methods: IS patients registered in the Blood Pressure and Clinical Outcome in transient ischemic attack (TIA) or IS (BOSS) registry between 2012 and 2014 within 24 h of onset were analyzed. In this prospective observational study, we identified 1,522 IS cases with adequate electrocardiographic evaluations to assess QTd after the index stroke. Patients were classified into four groups based on the quartile of QTd, with the lowest group as the reference. The primary stroke outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 at 1-year. Multiple logistic regressions were utilized to investigate the association between QTd and outcome events. Results: The mean QTd across all cases was 57 ms (40-83). Functional dependency or death was documented in 214 (14.98%) cases at 1 year. After adjusting for confounders, the prevalence of death and major disability (mRS ≥ 3) showed significant differences according to the quartile of QTd, with the risk of death and major disability (mRS ≥ 3) at 1 year being significantly higher for patients in Q4 than for those in Q1 (adjusted OR = 1.626, 95% CI:1.033-2.560). However, there were no significant correlation between QTd and the event outcomes at 1 year. Conclusions: QTd was associated with poor functional outcomes at 1 year. QTd is a useful surrogate marker for adverse functional prognosis, which might help to stratify risk in patients with acute IS.

Time-Resolved Monitoring of Intracellular Processes with a Cyclical On-Off Photoswitchable Nanoprobe.

Fluorescent microscopic imaging with the help of small-molecule probes (chemoprobes) is one of the most feasible approaches for noninvasive sensing of intracellular molecules. However, the "always on" property of current chemoprobes failed to achieve time-resolved monitoring. Here, we report the development of a supramolecular nanoassembling strategy to integrate multiple functions on one nanoscale probe (nanoprobe) with a cyclical on-off switchable sensing ability. The reversal of the nanoprobe can be rapidly achieved by converting the single-wavelength near-infrared (NIR) laser to two-way emissions by a lanthanum nanoparticle core that is sensitive to the light power density. Through regulating the NIR power density, the azobenzene derivative, which was doped in the surface of the lipid bilayer of the nanoprobe, can act as an "impeller" and "brake" for bio-benign activation and deactivation, respectively, of the nanoprobe in biological applications. A reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide nanoprobe was constructed as the model to demonstrate precise and time-resolved monitoring of intracellular processes including cancerous glycolysis and ligand-induced enzymatic processes. We envision that this cyclical on-off switchable nanoprobe strategy will hold great promise for endowing universal chemoprobes with high precision and temporal resolution.

Red-Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for Time-Resolved in Vivo Alkaline Phosphatase Detection with the Assistance of a Photoresponsive Nanocontainer.

The monitoring of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in different tissues is significant for disease diagnosis and therapy. However, the time-resolved in vivo sensing of ALP activity remained unresolved. Herein, a novel red-near-infrared fluorescent ALP probe (Cl2-BDCM-ALP) based on a dichloro-substituted dicyanomethylene-4H-chromene derivative was designed and synthesized with high fluorescence efficiency and stability under biological pH range. By using Cl2-BDCM-ALP, ALP activity under an acidic microenvironment such as a tumor site can be sensitively imaged, which cannot be achieved by some previously reported ALP probes. By further loading the Cl2-BDCM-ALP into a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanocontainer, time-resolved long-term imaging of ALP activity was facilely achieved with noninvasive NIR light remote control. Time-resolved variation of ALP activity of the drug-induced acute liver injury mice was successfully monitored in vivo for the first time. This strategy holds great promise in the in situ ALP detection under a broad pH range with temporal resolution.

Mitral valve replacement via minimally invasive totally thoracoscopic surgery versus traditional median sternotomy: a propensity score matched comparative study.

BACKGROUND: To compare surgical outcomes after mitral valve replacement via either minimally invasive thoracoscopic (MIs) or traditional median sternotomy (MS) surgery and determine the short- and mid-term clinical outcomes of the MI approach. METHODS: All patients who received either MIs (n=405) or MS (n=691) mitral valve replacement surgery at the Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute between January 2012 and July 2015 were analyzed for outcome differences due to surgical approach using propensity score matching. The best 202 matches from the MI group and the MS group were analyzed. The clinical data of the two groups were collected, including preoperative cardiac function, operative data, postoperative complications, and follow-up. RESULTS: A final total of 404 patients were included in this study after propensity score matching; the MIs group and the MS group each contained 202 patients. The two groups were similar in age, weight, pathological changes, and surgical approach. Compared with the MS group, the MIs group had a longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (P<0.001), aortic cross-clamping time (P<0.001), and total procedure time (P<0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding in-hospital mortality, stroke, pneumonia, acute renal failure, arrhythmia, and chylothorax. The MS group had significantly more patients with poor wound healing than the MIs group (P=0.004). The MI group had a lower rate of transfusion (P=0.037), shorter ventilation time (P=0.041), shorter ICU stay (P=0.033), reduced chest tube drainage and length of chest tube stay (P<0.001), and shorter hospital stay (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in hospital re-admission for bleeding, but the total hospitalization cost was higher in the MIs group (P=0.002). The mean follow-up was 26.59±12.33 months, the 1-year postoperative survival rate was 98.86%, and the overall survival rate was 97.44%. Compared with the MS group, the MIs group recovered earlier (P<0.05), and returned to work or study earlier (P<0.05). More patients in the MIs group were satisfied with the wound (P<0.001). The MS group had a higher incidence of postoperative osteomyelitis than the MIs group (P=0.028). There were no significant differences between groups in rates of mortality, stroke, pacemaker, reoperation, or 36-item Short Form Health Survey score. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the MS approach, the MIs method of mitral valve replacement has longer cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time; however, it does not increase the risk of mortality and complications. Furthermore, MIs causes less trauma, fewer transfusions, less wound infection, faster recovery, faster return to work or study, and greater satisfaction with the incision in the mid-term. MI cardiac surgery is safe, effective, and feasible.

Enhancing Chlorobenzene Biodegradation by Delftia tsuruhatensis Using a Water-Silicone Oil Biphasic System.

In this study, a water-silicone oil biphasic system was developed to enhance the biodegradation of monochlorobenzene (CB) by Delftia tsuruhatensis LW26. Compared to the single phase, the biphasic system with a suitable silicone oil fraction (v/v) of 20% allowed a 2.5-fold increase in the maximum tolerated CB concentration. The CB inhibition on D. tsuruhatensis LW26 was reduced in the presence of silicone oil, and the electron transport system activity was maintained at high levels even under high CB stress. Adhesion of cells to the water-oil interface at the water side was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Nearly 75% of cells accumulated on the interface, implying that another interfacial substrate uptake pathway prevailed besides that initiated by cells in the aqueous phase. The 8-fold increase in cell surface hydrophobicity upon the addition of 20% (v/v) silicone oil showed that silicone oil modified the surface characteristics of D. tsuruhatensis LW26. The protein/polysaccharide ratio of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from D. tsuruhatensis LW26 presented a 3-fold enhancement. These results suggested that silicone oil induced the increase in the protein content of EPS and rendered cells hydrophobic. The resulting hydrophobic cells could adhere on the water-oil interface, improving the mass transfer by direct CB uptake from silicone oil.

A Designed Experiment: Polymorphism Analysis of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Gene from Human Buccal Epithelial Cells.

For medical students, we combine the laboratory practice with clinical applications by developing biochemical and molecular biology experiments. In this experiment, students first collect their own buccal epithelial cells by a noninvasive mouthwash method. Then, they extract genomic DNA and perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene using genomic DNA as a template. Finally, the polymorphism of ACE gene is observed by electrophoresis. Students not only learn the techniques but also acquire knowledge of the ACE gene polymorphism. By establishing the relationship among ACE polymorphism and high blood pressure and myocardial hypertrophy, students should be able to understand the gene polymorphism and its association with susceptibility to disease. This laboratory practice teaching can also stimulate desire to do scientific research. Experimental results from many individuals can help us determine and analyze the fractions of ACE gene types in Chinese cohorts. Such an experiment strongly activates students and provides a solid foundation for the medical students' future research and clinical application. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(2): 168-174, 2019.

Enantiomeric helical TiO2 nanofibers modulate different peptide assemblies and subsequent cellular behaviors.

The effect of the morphological chirality of inorganic TiO2 nanofibers on peptide assembly and cellular behaviors was investigated. Model peptide insulin maintains its native structure and served as a growth factor for promoting proliferation and differentiation of PC12 cells on the surface of right-handed TiO2. In contrast, insulin forms amyloid fibrils and loses its bioactivity on the left-handed TiO2.

Identification of Nonylphenol and Glucolipid Metabolism-Related Proteins in the Serum of Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUND: To identify serum nonylphenol (NP) and glucolipid metabolism-related proteins in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. METHODS: We performed a hospital-based, case-control study in patients admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi City, China from Mar to Nov of 2014. The study included 112 T2D cases diagnosed in accordance with the 2013 WHO Expert Committee Diabetes Diagnosing Criteria, and 125 healthy individuals with normal fasting blood glucose (FBG) when receiving physical examination in the same period in the Municipal Physical Examination Center. Blood samples from subjects in the 2 groups underwent detection of biochemical indices, including FBG, blood fat, and NP. Glucolipid metabolism-related proteins, including estrogen receptor (ER), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 5a (Wnt5a), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). These indices were compared between the 2 groups to analyze the correlation between serum NP levels and glucolipid metabolic proteins. RESULTS: The subjects in the diabetes group had higher triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), NP, ER, SREBP-1c, Wnt5a, FBG, and TG levels than the healthy group, but lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and PPAR-γ than the healthy group. No significant differences in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were found between the two groups. The serum NP levels were shown to be positively correlated with SREBP-1c but negatively correlated with PPAR-γ. CONCLUSION: The serum NP levels of T2D patients is higher than the levels in healthy controls, and its levels correlate with SREBP-1c and PPAR-γ levels.

A multichannel Au nanosensor for visual and pattern inspection of fatty acids.

Fatty acids (FAs) are important dietary sources of fuel for animals and structural components for cells. The number, position and configuration of olefins in the alkyl chains play important roles in the impacts of FAs on human health. Currently, structural profiling of FAs in edible oils and fats is an important issue in nutrition industries and food safety. Due to the lack of distinct functional groups, it is extremely difficult to discriminate FAs with structural differences by facile and in situ sensing methods. A few chemosensors have been developed for shape selective sensing of FAs, but their capability and performance were still limited. Herein, for the first time, we proposed a multichannel Au nanosensor for visual and pattern-generating inspection of FAs based on the highly selective binding ability of Ag+ to olefinic bonds and Ag+ regulable color variation of Au nanoparticles. As a result, the nanosensor showed good selectivity for five FAs with subtle structural difference as low as 5 nM. By further deriving three channel signals in respect of color and color depth, a signature-like signal pattern could be generated by principal component analysis for each FA and even different FA mixtures such as edible oils. Hence, structural variation of FAs in edible hot pot oils with heat treatment was successfully monitored by this Au nanosensor over time. This sensor holds great promise in point-of-care inspection of edible oils and fats.

An array consisting of glycosylated quantum dots conjugated to MoS2 nanosheets for fluorometric identification and quantitation of lectins and bacteria.

A fluorescent array based on the use of saccharide-functionalized multicolored quantum dots (s-QDs) and of 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid-functionalized MoS2 nanosheets (PBA-MoS2) was constructed for multiple identification and quantitation of lectins and bacteria. In this array, the fluorescence of the s-QDs is quenched by the PBA-MoS2 nanosheets. In the presence of multiple lectins, s-QDs differentially detach from the surface of PBA-MoS2 nanosheets, producing distinct fluorescence response patterns due to both quenching and enhancement of fluorescence. By analyzing the fluorescence responses with linear discriminant analysis, multiple lectins and bacteria were accurately identified with 100% accuracy. The limits of detection of Concanavalin A, Pisum sativum agglutinin, Peanut agglutinin, and Ricius communis I agglutinin are as low as 3.7, 8.3, 4.2 and 3.9 nM, respectively. The array has further been evidenced to be potent for distinguishing and quantifying different bacterial species by recognizing their surface lectins. The detection limits of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium are 87 and 66 cfu mL-1, respectively. Graphical abstract Schematic of a fluorometric array based on the use of saccharides-functionalized quantum dots (s-QDs) and 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid-functionalized MoS2 (PBA- MoS2) nanosheets. This array was successfully applied to simultaneously analysis of lectins, bacteria in real samples with high sensitivity and accuracy.