Evaluating the adverse effects and mechanisms of nanomaterial exposure on longevity of C. elegans: A literature meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis of multi-transcriptome data.

Exposure to large-size particulate air pollution (PM2.5 or PM10) has been reported to increase risks of aging-related diseases and human death, indicating the potential pro-aging effects of airborne nanomaterials with ultra-fine particle size (which have been widely applied in various fields). However, this hypothesis remains inconclusive. Here, a meta-analysis of 99 published literatures collected from electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library; from inception to June 2023) was performed to confirm the effects of nanomaterial exposure on aging-related indicators and molecular mechanisms in model animal C. elegans. The pooled analysis by Stata software showed that compared with the control, nanomaterial exposure significantly shortened the mean lifespan [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -2.30], reduced the survival rate (SMD = -4.57) and increased the death risk (hazard ratio = 1.36) accompanied by upregulation of ced-3, ced-4 and cep-1, while downregulation of ctl-2, ape-1, aak-2 and pmk-1. Furthermore, multi-transcriptome data associated with nanomaterial exposure were retrieved from Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE32521, GSE41486, GSE24847, GSE59470, GSE70509, GSE14932, GSE93187, GSE114881, and GSE122728) and bioinformatics analyses showed that pseudogene prg-2, mRNAs of abu, car-1, gipc-1, gsp-3, kat-1, pod-2, acdh-8, hsp-60 and egrh-2 were downregulated, while R04A9.7 was upregulated after exposure to at least two types of nanomaterials. Resveratrol (abu, hsp-60, pod-2, egrh-2, acdh-8, gsp-3, car-1, kat-1, gipc-1), naringenin (kat-1, egrh-2), coumestrol (egrh-2) or swainsonine/niacin/ferulic acid (R04A9.7) exerted therapeutic effects by reversing the expression levels of target genes. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the necessity to use phytomedicines that target hub genes to delay aging for populations with nanomaterial exposure.

Hypermethylation and low expression of FANCC involved in multi-walled carbon nanotube-induced toxicity on ARPE-19 cells.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) exposure was observed to cause damages on the viability of ocular cells, however, the underlying mechanisms remain not well understood. Epigenetic alterations that regulate gene expression have been identified as a major responsiveness to environmental challenge. Thus, the aim of this study was to screen methylation-regulated genes involved in MWCNT exposure. The Illumina Human Methylation 850 K array was employed to determine the genome-wide DNA methylation profile of human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) exposed to 50% inhibition concentration of MWCNTs (100 µg/ml) for 24 h or without (n = 3 for each group). Then, the transcriptome data obtained by high-throughput RNA sequencing previously were integrated with DNA methylome to identify the overlapped genes. As a result, the integrative bioinformatics analysis identified that compared with controls, FA complementation group C (FANCC) was hypermethylated and downregulated in MWCNT-exposed ARPE-19 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed the mRNA expression level of FANCC was significantly decreased following MWCNT treatment and the addition of DNA methylation inhibitor 5-Aza-deoxycytidine (10 µM) reversed this decrease. Pyrosequencing analysis further validated the hypermethylation status at the 5'-untranslated promoter region of FANCC (cg14583550) in MWCNT-exposed ARPE-19 cells. Protein-protein interaction network and function analyses predicted that FANCC may contribute to MWCNT-induced cytotoxicity by interacting with heat shock protein 90 beta family member 1 and then upregulating cytokine interleukin-6 and apoptosis biomarker caspase 3. In conclusion, the present study links the epigenetic modification of FANCC with the pathogenesis of MWCNT-induced retinal toxicity.

Nickel cobaltite nanowire arrays grown on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube fiber fabric for high-performance flexible supercapacitors.

Flexible supercapacitors have received considerable attention for their potential application in flexible electronics, but usually suffer from relatively low energy density. Developing flexible electrodes with high capacitance and constructing asymmetric supercapacitors with large potential window has been considered as the most effective approach to achieve high energy density. Here, a flexible electrode with nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) nanowire arrays on nitrogen (N)-doped carbon nanotube fiber fabric (denoted as CNTFF and NCNTFF, respectively) was designed and fabricated through a facile hydrothermal growth and heat treatment process. The obtained NCNTFF-NiCo2O4 delivered a high capacitance of 2430.5 mF cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2, a good rate capability of 62.1 % capacitance retention even at 100 mA cm-2 and a stable cycling performance of 85.2 % capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor constructed with NCNTFF-NiCo2O4 as positive electrode and activated CNTFF as negative electrode exhibited a combination of high capacitance (883.6 mF cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2), high energy density (241 µW h cm-2) and high power density (80175.1 µW cm-2). This device also had a long cycle life after 10,000 cycles and good mechanical flexibility under bending conditions. Our work provides a new perspective on constructing high-performance flexible supercapacitors for flexible electronics.

Preparation and characterization of 3D-printed antibacterial hydrogel with benzyl isothiocyanate.

Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is an isothiocyanate of plant origin, especially the mustard family, which has good antibacterial properties. However, its applications are challenging due to its poor water solubility and chemical instability. We used food hydrocolloids, including xanthan gum, locust bean gum, konjac glucomannan, and carrageenan as three-dimensional (3D)-printing food ink base and successfully prepared 3D-printed BITC antibacterial hydrogel (BITC-XLKC-Gel). The characterization and fabrication procedure of BITC-XLKC-Gel was studied. The results show that BITC-XLKC-Gel hydrogel has better mechanical properties by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), mechanical properties, and rheometer analysis. The strain rate of BITC-XLKC-Gel hydrogel is 76.5%, which is better than that of human skin. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that BITC-XLKC-Gel has uniform pore size and provides a good carrier environment for BITC carriers. In addition, BITC-XLKC-Gel has good 3D-printing performance, and 3D printing can be used for customizing patterns. Finally, inhibition zone analysis showed that the BITC-XLKC-Gel added with 0.6% BITC had strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and the BITC-XLKC-Gel added with 0.4% BITC had strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Antibacterial wound dressing has always been considered essential in burn wound healing. In experiments that simulated burn infection, BITC-XLKC-Gel showed good antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus. BITC-XLKC-Gel is a good 3D-printing food ink attributed to strong plasticity, high safety profile, and good antibacterial performance and has great application prospects.

Deposition of ZIF-67 and polypyrrole on current collector knitted from carbon nanotube-wrapped polymer yarns as a high-performance electrode for flexible supercapacitors.

Polymeric fiber fabrics with inherent mechanical flexibility, lightweight and porous textile structure are highly attractive as an ideal substrate for building flexible electrodes. However, their insulating nature limits their direct application as current collector. Here, we designed and fabricated a flexible conductive fabric from polymer yarns. This was achieved through wrapping polymer yarns with a carbon nanotube (CNT) cylinder, which was continuously prepared from a floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition process, and a subsequent knitting process. The derived CNT-wrapped polymer yarn fabric (CPYF) could directly serve as current collector/substrate to load zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) and polypyrrole (PPy) through in-situ growth and chemical polymerization. The resultant CPYF-ZIF-67-PPy displayed a maximum areal capacitance of 2308.8 mF cm-2 at 0.5 mA cm-2. Moreover, the assembled supercapacitor achieved a maximum areal energy density of 112 µW h cm-2 at the power density of 201.5 µW cm-2. Meanwhile, the device demonstrated an extraordinary flexibility with stable electrochemical properties after 5000 cycles of bending and 1000 cycles of stretching. This work therefore offers a new strategy that can be used to develop flexible conductive fabric for flexible supercapacitors.

Encapsulation of Benzyl Isothiocyanate with ß-Cyclodextrin Using Ultrasonication: Preparation, Characterization, and Antibacterial Assay.

Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is widely utilized in multiple biomedical fields, due to its significant antibacterial properties and low toxicity. However, poor water solubility and pungent odor has limited its application in the food industry. In this study, we first prepared inclusion complexes of BITC in GLU-ß-CD and HP-ß-CD using ultrasound, which is able to overcome the hindrance of poor water solubility and high volatility. Then, the BITC-ß-CD inclusion complexes were characterized by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectra (1H-NMR), infrared absorption spectra (IR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to confirm their stability. Further, the evaluation of antibacterial and antitumor effects of the BITC-ß-CD inclusion complexes showed that they had great bactericidal activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus cells, and also inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in vitro. In addition, our results indicated that BITC-ß-CD complexes were able to inhibit the growth of S. aureus in broccoli juice and extend the shelf life of broccoli juice, demonstrating the potential of ß-cyclodextrin to improve the stability and controlled release of BITC. Taken together, our results show that BITC-ß-CD complexes have good potential for application in the food industry.

Comprehensive lipidomic analysis of the lipids extracted from freshwater fish bones and crustacean shells.

A comprehensive lipidomic analysis of the lipids extracted from grass carp bones, black carp bones, shrimp shells, and crab shells was performed in this study. First, HPLC analysis revealed that the lipids extracted from shrimp and crab shells contained 60.65% and 77.25% of diacylglycerols, respectively. Second, GC-MS analysis identified 18 fatty acid species in the lipids extracted from fish bones and crustacean shells, in which polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were highly enriched. PUFAs were present at 45.43% in the lipids extracted from shrimp shells. Notably, the lipids extracted from shrimp and crab shells contained a considerable amount of eicosapentaenoic acids and docosahexaenoic acids. Finally, multidimensional mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics showed that various lipids including acetyl-L-carnitine, sphingomyelin (SM), lysophosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylcholine (PC) were all identified in the lipid samples, but PC and SM were the most abundant. Specifically, the total content of PC in shrimp shells was as high as 6.145 mmol/g. More than 35 species of PC were found in all samples, which were more than other lipids. This study is expected to provide a scientific basis for the application of freshwater fish bones and crustacean shells in food, medicine, and other fields.

Activated Carbon Nanotube Fiber Fabric as a High-Performance Flexible Electrode for Solid-State Supercapacitors.

Owing to their features of excellent mechanical flexibility, high conductivity, and light weight, carbon-based fiber fabrics (CBFFs) are highly attractive as flexible electrodes for flexible solid-state supercapacitors (SCs). However, the achieved areal capacitance of most CBFFs is still unsatisfactory. Carbon nanotube fiber fabric (CNTFF) is a new kind of CBFF and could provide a potential alternative to high-performance flexible electrodes. Herein, we report the activation of CNTFF using a facile thermal oxidation and acid treatment process. The activated CNTFF shows an exceptional combination of large areal capacitance (1988 mF cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2), excellent rate performance (45% capacitance reservation at 100 mA cm-2), and outstanding cycle life (only 3% capacitance decay after 10,000 cycles). The constructed solid-state SC reaches a maximum energy density of 143 µWh cm-2 at 1000 µW cm-2 and a maximum power density of 30,600 µW cm-2 at 82 µWh cm-2. Additionally, this device possesses good rate performance along with superb cycle stability and excellent mechanical flexibility under various bending conditions. Our present work therefore offers a new opportunity in developing high-performance flexible electrodes for flexible energy storage.

Enhanced tensile and electrochemical performance of MXene/CNT hierarchical film.

Nowadays, it is highly desirable to achieve high strength, flexibility and electrochemical performance for supercapacitor electrodes simultaneously. Herein, few-layer MXene flakes are assembled into free-standing films by facile vacuum-filtration method, in which hydrophilic-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are further incorporated. The morphology of MXene/CNT composite films evolves from compact to 'CNT in MXene' to laminar to 'MXene in CNT' and finally to separate structures when increasing the CNT weight percentage. Among them, the laminar structure in which thin MXene and CNT layers are stacked alternately is demonstrated to be the best. The laminar MXene/CNT film possesses much higher strength, elongation and specific capacitance than MXene film due to the engineered porosity, good interaction between MXene flakes and CNTs, and proper CNTs' distribution. As a result, high specific capacitance of 423.4 F g-1at 1 A g-1and capacitance retention of nearly 60% at 10 A g-1are accomplished. Moreover, the composite film is flexible and withstands bending up to 180°, indicating that the proposed laminar MXene/CNT composite film is a superb candidate for flexible supercapacitors.

Exploiting a High-Performance "Double-Carbon" Structure Co9S8/GN Bifunctional Catalysts for Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries.

Rational synthesis of bifunctional electrocatalysts with high performance and strong durability is highly demanded rechargeable metal-air battery. In this work, ZIF-derived Co9S8/C coated with conductive graphene nanosheet (Co9S8/GN) was synthesized by a simple solvothermal method and formed a stable double-carbon structure. As expected, the prepared Co9S8/GN catalyst exhibits a high catalytic activity (ΔE: 0.88 V) and long-term durability toward both oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction (ORR and OER), which is even superior to the Pt/C + Ir/C mixture (0.91 V). In addition, the Zn-air battery with the Co9S8/GN catalyst showed higher power density (186 mW cm-2) and more stable charge-discharge cycling performances (2000 cycles) than the Pt/C + Ir/C (118 mW cm-2). Based on these analysis results, the favorable catalytic performance of ORR/OER should be illustrated by the following reasons: (i) large specific surface area and unique mesoporous structure, providing abundant active sites; (ii) good conductivity, accelerating the electrons transfer; and (iii) the unique stable "double-carbon" structures (metal-S-C-C), preventing the agglomeration of metal sulfide, building new quick transfer pathway, and forming the strong electron coupling ability and synergistic effect.

Whole exome sequencing identifies a novel missense FBN2 mutation co-segregating in a four-generation Chinese family with congenital contractural arachnodactyly.

BACKGROUND: Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is an autosomal dominant rare genetic disease, estimated to be less than 1 in 10,000 worldwide. People with this condition often have permanently bent joints (contractures), like bent fingers and toes (camptodactyly). CASE PRESENTATION: In this study, we investigated the genetic aetiology of CCA in a four-generation Chinese family. The blood samples were collected from 22 living members of the family in the Yangquan County, Shanxi Province, China. Of those, eight individuals across 3 generations have CCA. Whole exome sequencing (WES) identified a missense mutation involving a T-to-G transition at position 3229 (c.3229 T > G) in exon 25 of the FBN2 gene, resulting in a Cys 1077 to Gly change (p.C1077G). This previously unreported mutation was found in all 8 affected individuals, but absent in 14 unaffected family members. SIFT/PolyPhen prediction and protein conservation analysis suggest that this novel mutation is pathogenic. Our study extended causative mutation spectrum of FBN2 gene in CCA patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified a novel missense mutation in FBN2 gene (p.C1077G) resulting in CCA in a family of China.