Cu-BTC Derived Mesoporous CuS Nanomaterial as Nanozyme for Colorimetric Detection of Glutathione.

In this paper, Cu-BTC derived mesoporous CuS nanomaterial (m-CuS) was synthesized via a two-step process involving carbonization and sulfidation of Cu-BTC for colorimetric glutathione detection. The Cu-BTC was constructed by 1,3,5-benzenetri-carboxylic acid (H3BTC) and Cu2+ ions. The obtained m-CuS showed a large specific surface area (55.751 m2/g), pore volume (0.153 cm3/g), and pore diameter (15.380 nm). In addition, the synthesized m-CuS exhibited high peroxidase-like activity and could catalyze oxidation of the colorless substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine to a blue product. Peroxidase-like activity mechanism studies using terephthalic acid as a fluorescent probe proved that m-CuS assists H2O2 decomposition to reactive oxygen species, which are responsible for TMB oxidation. However, the catalytic activity of m-CuS for the oxidation of TMB by H2O2 could be potently inhibited in the presence of glutathione. Based on this phenomenon, the colorimetric detection of glutathione was demonstrated with good selectivity and high sensitivity. The linear range was 1-20 µM and 20-300 µM with a detection limit of 0.1 µM. The m-CuS showing good stability and robust peroxidase catalytic activity was applied for the detection of glutathione in human urine samples.

Assessment of air pollution and air quality perception mismatch using mobility-based real-time exposure.

Air pollution poses a threat to human health. Public perceptions of air pollution are important for individual self-protection and policy-making. Given the uncertainty faced by residence-based exposure (RB) measurements, this study measures individuals' real-time mobility-based (MB) exposures and perceptions of air pollution by considering people's daily movement. It explores how contextual uncertainties may influence the disparities in perceived air quality by taking into account RB and MB environmental factors. In addition, we explore factors that are related to the mismatch between people's perceived air quality and actual air pollution exposure. Using K-means clustering to divide the PM2.5 values into two groups, a mismatch happens when the perceived air quality is poor but the air pollution level is lower than 15.536µg/m3 and when the perceived air quality is good but the air pollution level is higher than 15.608µg/m3. The results show that there is a mismatch between air pollution exposure and perception of air pollution. People with low income are exposed to higher air pollution. Unemployed people and people with more serious mental health symptoms (e.g., depression) have a higher chance of accurately assessing air pollution (e.g., perceiving air quality as poor when air pollution levels are high). Older people and those with a higher MB open space density tend to underestimate air pollution. Students tend to perceive air quality as good. People who are surrounded by higher MB transportation land-use density and green space density tend to perceive air quality as poor. The results can help policymakers to increase public awareness of high air pollution areas, and consider the health effects of landscapes during planning.

CRB1-associated retinal degeneration is dependent on bacterial translocation from the gut.

The Crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1) gene is associated with retinal degeneration, most commonly Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here, we demonstrate that murine retinas bearing the Rd8 mutation of Crb1 are characterized by the presence of intralesional bacteria. While normal CRB1 expression was enriched in the apical junctional complexes of retinal pigment epithelium and colonic enterocytes, Crb1 mutations dampened its expression at both sites. Consequent impairment of the outer blood retinal barrier and colonic intestinal epithelial barrier in Rd8 mice led to the translocation of intestinal bacteria from the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract to the retina, resulting in secondary retinal degeneration. Either the depletion of bacteria systemically or the reintroduction of normal Crb1 expression colonically rescued Rd8-mutation-associated retinal degeneration without reversing the retinal barrier breach. Our data elucidate the pathogenesis of Crb1-mutation-associated retinal degenerations and suggest that antimicrobial agents have the potential to treat this devastating blinding disease.

Air pollution perception bias: Mismatch between air pollution exposure and perception of air quality in real-time contexts.

Air pollution perception biases hinder the public's awareness of actual air quality. Past studies that examined the association and mismatch between actual and perceived air quality neglected individuals' dynamic exposure and their activity, travel, spatial, temporal, and social contexts. Using data collected with real-time air pollutant sensors and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), this study investigated the association and mismatch between momentary air pollution exposure and perceived air quality. It also examined how activity type, travel mode, spatial and temporal contexts, and social factors contribute to this disparity. The results show that exposure to air pollution is significantly higher in residential areas (1.777 µg/m3) and transportation land-use areas (2.863 µg/m3) compared to commercial areas. Exposure in the evening is 1.308 µg/m3 higher than in the afternoon. Working or studying activities are associated with 2.863 µg/m3 lower exposure, and individuals perceive air quality as good when working or studying and in residential areas. Conversely, individuals assess air quality as poor in railway travel contexts and being accompanied by friends. This study also reveals the nonstationary association between air pollution exposure and perceived air quality. The odds of underestimating air pollution are 1.8-2.7 times as high as that in residential areas and 2.1 to 2.6 times that in transportation land-use areas when compared to commercial areas. Implementing targeted mitigation measures in these contexts can enhance public awareness of air pollution.

Flavor Characterization of Traditional Fermented Soybean Pastes from Northeast China and Korea.

This study compares the physicochemical properties, taste, and volatile compounds of Northeastern Chinese dajiang (C) and Korean doenjang (K) and distinguishes the discriminant volatile metabolites between them. The result revealed that compared to group C, group K exhibited more similar physicochemical properties and had lower pH, moisture, and amino acid nitrogen content, while demonstrating higher titratable acidity, salt content, and reduced sugar content. The electronic tongue analysis showed that the saltiness and umami of soybean pastes had high response values, enabling clear differentiation of the overall taste between the two types of soybean pastes. A total of 71 volatile substances from the soybean pastes were identified through solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed 19 volatile compounds as differentially flavored metabolites. Our study provides a basis for explaining the differences in flavor difference of Northeastern Chinese dajiang and Korean doenjang from the perspective of volatile metabolites.

Light-driven upconversion fluorescence micromotors.

Light-driven micromotors with high spatial resolution are powerful tools for targeted drug delivery and biomedical diagnosis. To combine the function of biosensing, light-driven micromotors have been modified with fluorescence materials such as quantum dots or dyes. However, these fluorescence micromotors are generally driven and excited by ultraviolet or visible lights, which may cause photo-damage to biological cells or tissues. Here we propose upconversion fluorescence micromotors (UCFMs) constructed by lanthanide (NaYF4: Yb3+, Er3+) doped microrods that were driven and excited by near-infrared lights. The UCFMs were moved to the surfaces of the targeted cancer cells using scanning optical tweezers (SOTs). The upconversion fluorescence spectra were measured to determine the temperatures of the cells, with an absolute sensitivity from 1.71 × 10-3 to 1.74 × 10-3 K-1 and a relative sensitivity from 0.53% to 0.68% K-1. The UCFMs were then optically driven to actuate the local flow to deliver the polystyrene (PS) microparticles and doxorubicin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles to the vicinity of the cancer cells. By integrating the actuator and sensor into a single device, the UCFMs hold great potential for applications to precise biosensing, single-cell biomedical analysis, and targeted drug delivery.

Targeted Lipidomics Reveal the Effect of Perchlorate on Lipid Profiles in Liver of High-Fat Diet Mice.

Perchlorate, commonly available in drinking water and food, acts on the iodine uptake by the thyroid affecting lipid metabolism. High-fat diets leading to various health problems continually raise public concern. In the present study, liver lipid metabolism profiles and metabolic pathways were investigated in C57BL/6J mice chronically exposed to perchlorate using targeted metabolomics. Mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated orally with perchlorate at 0.1 mg/kg bw (body weight), 1 mg/kg bw and 10 mg/kg bw daily for 12 weeks. Perchlorate induced disorders of lipid metabolism in vivo and hepatic lipid accumulation confirmed by serum biochemical parameters and histopathological examination. There were 34 kinds of lipid in liver detected by UHPLC-MS/MS and key metabolites were identified by multivariate statistical analysis evaluated with VIP > 1, p-value < 0.05, fold change > 1.2 or < 0.8. Perchlorate low, medium and high dose groups were identified with 11, 7 and 8 significantly altered lipid metabolites compared to the control group, respectively. The results of the metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the differential metabolites classified into different experimental groups contribute to the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway. These findings provide insights into the effects of perchlorate on lipid metabolism during long-term exposure to high-fat diets and contribute to the evaluation of perchlorate liver toxic mechanisms and health effects.

Field Evaluation and Calibration of Low-Cost Air Pollution Sensors for Environmental Exposure Research.

This paper seeks to evaluate and calibrate data collected by low-cost particulate matter (PM) sensors in different environments and using different aggregated temporal units (i.e., 5-s, 1-min, 10-min, 30 min intervals). We first collected PM concentrations (i.e., PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) data in five different environments (i.e., indoor and outdoor of an office building, a train platform and lobby of a subway station, and a seaside location) in Hong Kong, using five AirBeam2 sensors as the low-cost sensors and a TSI DustTrak DRX Aerosol Monitor 8533 as the reference sensor. By comparing the collected PM concentrations, we found high linearity and correlation between the data reported by the AirBeam2 sensors in different environments. Furthermore, the results suggest that the accuracy and bias of the PM data reported by the AirBeam2 sensors are affected by rainy weather and environments with high humidity and a high level of hygroscopic salts (i.e., a seaside location). In addition, increasing the aggregation level of the temporal units (i.e., from 5-s to 30 min intervals) increases the correlation between the PM concentrations obtained by the AirBeam2 sensors, while it does not significantly improve the accuracy and bias of the data. Lastly, our results indicate that using a machine learning model (i.e., random forest) for the calibration of PM concentrations collected on sunny days generates better results than those obtained with multiple linear models. These findings have important implications for researchers when designing environmental exposure studies based on low-cost PM sensors.

Human ß-defensin 1 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor via ER Stress-triggered JNK pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Human ß-defensin 1 (DEFB1) belongs to defensins family that contribute to innate immune responses and was recently found to downregulate a variety of cancers, including renal, prostatic, and oral squamous cell carcinoma, and therefore is considered as a potential tumor suppressor. However, the role of DEFB1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still needs to be elucidated. METHODS: Quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression levels of interested proteins. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were performed to determine the ability of cell proliferation. Tumor formation experiments in nude mice were used to examine the tumor growth. RESULTS: The expression level of DEFB1 was dramatically downregulated in human HCC. Quantitative PCR and Western blot results also showed a pronounced decrease of DEFB1 expression in the liver cancer cell lines. Rescuing the expression of DEFB1 in Huh7 cells effectively suppressed cell proliferation and reduced the colony forming ability, probably by inducing cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Moreover, tumor formation experiments in nude mice also showed inhibition of tumor growth by DEFB1 expression in vivo. Furthermore, induction of DEFB1 expression induced degraded protein increase and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which subsequently activated JNK pathway. Pharmacologic inhibition of ER stress by 4-phenylbutyrate, a compound to alleviate ER stress, effectively eliminated DEFB1-induction inhibition of cell proliferation and migration. CONCLUSION: DEFB1 functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC through activating ER stress and JNK pathway, which may provide a potential strategy for HCC treatment.

Sendeng-4 Suppressed Melanoma Growth by Induction of Autophagy and Apoptosis.

Sendeng-4 is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been successfully applied to anti-inflammatory diseases in clinical practice. Monomers within Sendeng-4 showed promising antitumor activity against lung cancer, colon cancer, and cutaneous cancer. However, potency of Sendeng-4 in melanoma has not been explored. This study aims to explore the potential application of Sendeng-4 in melanoma treatment. In the present study, we systemically investigate the possibility of Sendeng-4 for treatment of melanoma cancer in vitro by proliferation assay, colony formation, flow cell cytometry, RNA-seq, western blot, and fluorescence-based assay. Our data demonstrated that Sendeng-4 suppresses the proliferation and colony formation capacity of melanoma cells and induces cell cycle block at G2/M phase and eventually cell death. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing demonstrates that the PI3K-AKT pathway was significantly inactivated upon Sendeng-4 exposure, which was confirmed by western blot showing decreased phosphorylation of AKT. In addition, decreased BCL-2 expression and increased BAX expression were observed, suggesting programmed cell death via apoptosis. Moreover, LC3-II production as well as autophagosomes formation was observed as demonstrated by western blot and immunofluorescence, indicating elevated autophagy network by Sendeng-4 stimulation. Collectively, we concluded that Sendeng-4 might be used as an anticancer drug for melanoma.

Quantitative analysis of differentially expressed milk fat globule membrane proteins between donkey and bovine colostrum based on high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry proteomics.

This study was designed to provide novel insights into milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) proteins in donkey colostrum (DC) and bovine colostrum (BC) using quantitative proteomics. In total, 179 (DC) and 195 (BC) MFGM proteins were characterized, including 71 shared, 108 DC-specific, and 124 BC-specific proteins. Fifty-one shared proteins were selected as differentially expressed MFGM proteins, including 21 upregulated and 30 downregulated proteins in DC. Gene ontology analysis showed that these proteins were mainly enriched in cellular components, including the extracellular exosome, extracellular space, and plasma membrane. Additionally, they were further involved in metabolic pathways, including cholesterol metabolism, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway, and purine metabolism. Furthermore, several key protein factors with high connectivity were identified via protein-protein interaction analysis. These results provide more comprehensive knowledge of differences in the biological properties of MFGM proteins in DC and BC as well as pave the way for future studies of the nutritional and functional requirements of these important ingredients toward the development of dairy products based on multiple milk sources.

Human α-defensin 5 suppressed colon cancer growth by targeting PI3K pathway.

Defensins are highly conserved antimicrobial peptides, which ubiquitously expressed in different species. In addition to the functions in host defense, their aberrant expression have also been documented in cancerous tissue including breast cancer, lung caner and renal carcinoma etc. Whereas, roles of Defensin Alpha 5 (DEFA5) in colon cancer has not been explored. Bioinformatic analysis was used to study the expression of DEFA5 and its correlation with clinical outcomes; Western blot, qPCR, Co-immunoprecipitation, xenograft models were used to the study the molecular mechanism. Decreased expression of DEFA5 at protein level was observed in colon tissues. Colon cancer cell lines proliferation and colony formation capacity were significantly suppressed by DEFA5 overexpression. Moreover, in vivo tumor growth in nude mice was also suppressed by DEFA5 overexpression, suggesting a tumor suppressor role of DEFA5 in colon cancer. Mechanistically, DEFA5 directly binds to the subunits of PI3K complex, thus attenuates the downstream signaling transduction, leads to delayed cell growth and metastasis. Collectively, we concluded that DEFA5 showed an inhibitory effect in colon cancer cell growth and may serve as a potential tumor suppressor in colon cancer.

Novel insights into whey protein differences between donkey and bovine milk.

In this study, we characterized and compared the whey proteins from donkey and bovine milk using HPLC-MS/MS-based proteomics. A total of 989 and 1534 whey proteins were characterized in donkey and bovine milk, respectively. Furthermore, 623 whey proteins were found in both groups, and 229 differentially expressed whey proteins (DEWPs) were identified. Among the common proteins, 66 DEWPs were upregulated and 163 were downregulated in donkey milk compared to those in bovine milk. Gene Ontology analysis revealed the cellular components, biological processes, and molecular functions of these DEWPs. Metabolic pathway analysis suggested that most DEWPs were associated with endocytosis, platelet activation, and phagocytosis. These results improve our understanding of the differences between donkey and bovine whey proteins and provide important information regarding these proteins as nutritional and functional factors in dairy product formulations from multiple milk sources.

Study on toxicological effect and the mechanism of cadmium in rice and inorganic cadmium on ICR mice.

Cadmium (Cd) exposure may induce chronic intoxication, but the harm of cadmium in rice to human at chronic low-level Cd exposure remains unclear. This study employed a mouse model to investigate the toxicity and mechanism of cadmium in rice and CdCl2. After 8-week exposure to Cd (CdCl2 and Cd-contaminated rice), the biochemical indicators and oxidation indicators in the serum and liver of mice were determined, and used mRNA sequencing to investigate the mechanism of different forms of Cd. Results showed that the cadmium concentration of the liver in the CdCl2 + Rice-N group (CdCl2 mixed with feed and normal rice, 0.4mg/kg.bw) was higher than that in the Rice-H group (0.4mg/kg.bw). However, the cadmium concentration of the kidneys in the Rice-H group was higher than that in the CdCl2 + Rice-N group. Our study demonstrated that Cd-treated (Cd in rice and CdCl2) ICR mice generated obviously tissues injury, such as the increased biochemical studies, the activity of antioxidant enzymes debasement. Simultaneously, our data also indicated that there existed difference of the hepatic toxicity between Cd in rice and CdCl2. By means of transcriptomics, we discovered that CdCl2 and Cd in rice may affect different gene expression at the molecular level. We hope to provide some theoretical basis for the revision of food security standards.

Preparation and characterization of carboxymethyl starch from cadmium-contaminated rice.

Cadmium-contaminated rice has been a serious food safety issue in China. In this research, carboxymethyl rice starch (CMS) from cadmium-contaminated rice and native rice was prepared to remove the cadmium in rice. The preparation of native rice starch (NRS) and starch from cadmium-contaminated rice (Cd-CRS) was similar, and carboxymethyl starch was prepared following the same steps. A single factor experiment was performed to obtain the carboxymethyl starch prepared under the optimal conditions. Cadmium content was reduced from 0.38 mg/kg to 0.04 mg/kg after alkalization. The physical properties, including particle size, degree of crystallinity, water absorption and freeze-thaw stability, of NRS and Cd-CRS and their carboxymethyl starches were studied. The results showed that the cadmium was significantly removed after extracting starch from cadmium-contaminated rice by alkalization and carboxymethylation. Then, starch samples and carboxymethyl starch samples were characterized. All results showed no obvious difference between Cd-CMS and NCMS, indicating that carboxymethyl starch from cadmium-contaminated rice could be widely used in both food and nonfood industries.

Crystal structure of [2-({4-[2,6-bis(pyri-din-2-yl)pyri-din-4-yl]phenyl}(methyl)amino)-ethanol-κ(3) N,N',N'']bis-(thio-cyan-ato-κN)zinc N,N-di-methyl-formamide monosolvate.

In the title compound, [Zn(NCS)2(C24H22N4O)]·C3H7NO, the Zn(II) cation is N,N',N''-chelated by one 2-({4-[2,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl]phen-yl}(meth-yl)amino)-ethanol ligand and coordinated by two thio-cyanate anions in a distorted N5 trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. In the mol-ecule, the three pyridine rings are approximately coplanar [maximum deviation = 0.026 (5) Å], and the mean plane of the three pyridine rings is twisted to the benzene ring with a small dihedral angle of 5.9 (2)°. In the crystal, complex mol-ecules are linked by weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into supra-molecular chains propagated along [110]; π-π stacking is observed between adjacent chains [centroid-centroid distance = 3.678 (4) Å]. The di-methyl-formamide solvent mol-ecules are linked with the complex chains via weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

[Optimization of melamine structure using density functional theory and vibrational spectra studies].

Melamine was used in foodstuff and feed industry as a feed additive occasionally. In the present work, melamine geometry structure was optimized by density functional theory (DFT) method. Raman and infrared spectra were calculated based on MP2/6-31G sets and DFT/DGTIVP sets, and then two theoretical Raman spectra were carefully compared with other experimental spectra. Good agreements were obtained between the theoretical and experimental results. Melamine structure parameters were given also in the paper including bond lengths and bond angles. Vibrational modes were assigned to all bands in the 550-4 000 cm(-1) range. This work will benefit the measurement research of the content of melamine in foods.