Characterization of an Aptamer Targeting Neu5Gc, as an Endogenous Pathogenic Factor Derived from Red Meat.

N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), a sialic acid predominantly found in the non-neurohumoral fluids of hind-mouthed animals, is incapable of synthesizing Neu5Gc due to a deletion in the CMAH exon of the gene encoding human CMP-Neu5Gc hydroxylase. But consumption of animal-derived foods that contain Neu5Gc, such as red meat, can instigate an immune response in humans, as Neu5Gc is recognized as a foreign substance by the human immune system. This recognition leads to the production of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies, subsequently resulting in chronic inflammation. When Neu5Gc is consumed excessively or frequently, it may contribute to the development of heart disease and cancer. This makes Neu5Gc, an endogenous pathogenic factor derived from red meat, a new hot topic in red meat safety research. In this study, aptamers obtained by the magnetic bead SELEX technique were subjected to homology and secondary structure prediction analysis as well as affinity determination. The result indicated that the aptamer 2B.N2A9 exhibited a robust binding affinity, with an affinity constant (Ka) of 1.87 × 108 L/mol. This aptamer demonstrated optimal binding specificity within a pH range of 5.4 to 7.4. Molecular docking analysis further revealed that aptamer 2B.N2A9 formed stable binding interactions with the target Neu5Gc at specific sites, namely G-14, C-15, G-13, G-58, G-60, and C-59. An Enzyme-Linked Oligonucleotide Sorbent Assay (ELOSA) methodology was established to detect the endogenous pathogenic factor Neu5Gc present in red meat. This method demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.71 ng/mL, along with an average recovery rate of 92.23%. The aptamer obtained in this study exhibited favorable binding properties to Neu5Gc. The assay was relatively convenient and demonstrated good sensitivity. Further investigation into the distribution of Neu5Gc in various red meats is of public health significance and scientific potential. A practical detection method should be provided to guide red meat diets and ensure the nutrition and safety of meat products.

Electrolyte melt infiltration for scalable manufacturing of inorganic all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries.

All-solid-state lithium (Li) metal and lithium-ion batteries (ASSLBs) with inorganic solid-state electrolytes offer improved safety for electric vehicles and other applications. However, current inorganic ASSLB manufacturing technology suffers from high cost, excessive amounts of solid-state electrolyte and conductive additives, and low attainable volumetric energy density. Such a fabrication method involves separate fabrications of sintered ceramic solid-state electrolyte membranes and ASSLB electrodes, which are then carefully stacked and sintered together in a precisely controlled environment. Here we report a disruptive manufacturing technology that offers reduced manufacturing costs and improved volumetric energy density in all solid cells. Our approach mimics the low-cost fabrication of commercial Li-ion cells with liquid electrolytes, except that we utilize solid-state electrolytes with low melting points that are infiltrated into dense, thermally stable electrodes at moderately elevated temperatures (~300 °C or below) in a liquid state, and which then solidify during cooling. Nearly the same commercial equipment could be used for electrode and cell manufacturing, which substantially reduces a barrier for industry adoption. This energy-efficient method was used to fabricate inorganic ASSLBs with LiNi0.33Mn0.33Co0.33O2 cathodes and both Li4Ti5O12 and graphite anodes. The promising performance characteristics of such cells open new opportunities for the accelerated adoption of ASSLBs for safer electric transportation.

Cycle stability of conversion-type iron fluoride lithium battery cathode at elevated temperatures in polymer electrolyte composites.

Metal fluoride conversion cathodes offer a pathway towards developing lower-cost Li-ion batteries. Unfortunately, such cathodes suffer from extremely poor performance at elevated temperatures, which may prevent their use in large-scale energy storage applications. Here we report that replacing commonly used organic electrolytes with solid polymer electrolytes may overcome this hurdle. We demonstrate long-cycle stability for over 300 cycles at 50 °C attained in high-capacity (>450 mAh g-1) FeF2 cathodes. The absence of liquid solvents reduced electrolyte decomposition, while mechanical properties of the solid polymer electrolyte enhanced cathode structural stability. Our findings suggest that the formation of an elastic, thin and homogeneous cathode electrolyte interphase layer on active particles is a key for stable performance. The successful operation of metal fluorides at elevated temperatures opens a new avenue for their practical applications and future successful commercialization.

The Inhibitory Effect of Early Pregnancy Factor on Red Meat Neu5Gc-Mediated Antibody Production in CMAH-/- Mice.

The meat derived from mammals such as cows, sheep, and pigs is commonly referred to as red meat. Recent studies have shown that consuming red meat can activate the immune system, produce antibodies, and subsequently develop into tumors and cancer. This is due to the presence of a potential carcinogenic compound in red meat called N-ethanol neuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). Neu5Gc is a common sialic monosaccharide in mammals, synthesized from N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) in the body and typically present in most mammals. However, due to the lack of the CMAH gene encoding the cytidine 5'-monophosphate Neu5Ac hydroxylase, humans are unable to synthesize Neu5Gc. Compared to primates such as mice or chimpanzees, the specific loss of Neu5Gc expression in humans is attributed to fixed genome mutations in CMAH. Although Neu5Gc cannot be produced, it can be introduced from specific dietary sources such as red meat and milk, so it is necessary to use mice or chimpanzees that knock out the CMAH gene instead of humans as experimental models. Further research has shown that early pregnancy factor (EPF) has the ability to regulate CD4+T cell-dependent immune responses. In this study, we established a simulated human animal model using C57/BL6 mice with CMAH gene knockout and analyzed the inhibitory effect of EPF on red meat Neu5Gc-induced CMAH-/- C57/BL6 mouse antibody production and chronic inflammation development. The results showed that the intervention of EPF reduced slow weight gain and shortened colon length in mice. In addition, EPF treatment significantly reduced the levels of anti Neu5Gc antibodies in the body, as well as the inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-1ß, TNF-α and the activity of MPO. In addition, it also alleviated damage to liver and intestinal tissues and reduced the content of CD4 cells and the expression of B cell activation molecules CD80 and CD86 in mice. In summary, EPF effectively inhibited Neu5Gc-induced antibody production, reduced inflammation levels in mice, and alleviated Neu5Gc-induced inflammation. This will provide a new re-search concept and potential approach for developing immunosuppressants to address safety issues related to long-term consumption of red meat.

Nanoplasmonic biosensors for precision medicine.

Nanoplasmonic biosensors have a huge boost for precision medicine, which allows doctors to better understand diseases at the molecular level and to improve the earlier diagnosis and develop treatment programs. Unlike traditional biosensors, nanoplasmonic biosensors meet the global health industry's need for low-cost, rapid and portable aspects, while offering multiplexing, high sensitivity and real-time detection. In this review, we describe the common detection schemes used based on localized plasmon resonance (LSPR) and highlight three sensing classes based on LSPR. Then, we present the recent applications of nanoplasmonic in other sensing methods such as isothermal amplification, CRISPR/Cas systems, lab on a chip and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The advantages of nanoplasmonic-based integrated sensing for multiple methods are discussed. Finally, we review the current applications of nanoplasmonic biosensors in precision medicine, such as DNA mutation, vaccine evaluation and drug delivery. The obstacles faced by nanoplasmonic biosensors and the current countermeasures are discussed.

A rapid and inexpensive nucleic acid detection platform for Listeria monocytogenes based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system.

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is an important foodborne pathogen that is associated with a high mortality rate. Currently, there is an urgent need for an inexpensive and rapid assay for the large-scale diagnosis and monitoring of LM. To meet these requirements, we designed a one-step, low-cost platform for the simultaneous amplification and detection of LM based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system with a micro-amplification (named Cas12a-MA). This method utilizes a combination of CRISPR/Cas12a and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) in the same vessel to provide a contamination-free platform for rapid nucleic acid detection with high specificity and ultra-sensitivity. In this study, we screened for three specific genes and selected the hly gene in LM as the final target. Our data showed that the number of amplification products plays a crucial role in the function of the CRISPR/Cas12a system. Our method was then further optimized for the specific detection of target DNA on 4.4 CFU/g in 25min. These assays successfully detected LM in spiked pork samples and natural meat samples (pork, beef, and mutton). All results indicate that Cas12a-MA shows great promise for foodborne pathogen detection.

Nanodiamond-Enhanced Nanofiber Separators for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Current lithium-ion battery separators made from polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene generally suffer from low porosity, low wettability, and slow ionic conductivity and tend to perform poorly against heat-triggering reactions that may cause potentially catastrophic issues, such as fire. To overcome these limitations, here we report that a porous composite membrane consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) nanofibers functionalized with nanodiamonds (NDs) can realize a thermally resistant, mechanically robust, and ionically conductive separator. We critically reveal the role of NDs in the polymer matrix of the membrane to improve the thermal, mechanical, crystalline, and electrochemical properties of the composites. Taking advantages of these characteristics, the ND-functionalized nanofiber separator enables high-capacity and stable cycling of lithium cells with LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) as the cathode, much superior to those using conventional polyolefin separators in otherwise identical cells.

Regular Tennis Exercise May Improve the Vascular Endothelial Function in Postmenopausal Women: The Influence of Hemodynamics.

Physical inactivity plays a role in the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although the current guidelines for physical activity, such as the prescription of exercise, seek to combat CVD, attaining the recommended targets remains challenging. Tennis exercise has been proven to have a unique advantage in reducing the mortality of CVD, but little is known about the influence of playing tennis on impaired vascular endothelial function (VEF), which initiates CVD. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether regular tennis participation could protect the VEF better than merely meeting the physical activity recommended by the current guidelines. A cross-sectional design was performed based on a sample of 38 healthy postmenopausal women who were matched for physical activity, of which 17 subjects had long-term tennis experience and 21 age-matched subjects regularly exercised but did not play tennis. The cardiovascular function and the body composition of all subjects were measured. We used cluster analysis to assess the overall health status. The modeling results showed that the tennis players performed better in terms of VEF than the nonplayers (10.55 ± 0.58 vs. 8.69 ± 0.52, p < 0.01, R2ad = 0.367), while the wall shear stress positively correlated with VEF (r = 0.505, p < 0.05), after controlling for age and physical activity levels. Regular tennis exercise may be a protective factor for VEF, and further study should be performed to research the role of hemodynamics in tennis exercise.

Effects of selenate and selenite on selenium accumulation and speciation in lettuce.

Lettuce is a common vegetable in hydroponic production. In this paper, a selenium (Se)-biofortification method was provided. The Se content, speciation, and the effects of different concentrations of selenate and selenite on lettuce growth and amino acids were investigated. The results showed that lettuce had strong ability to accumulate exogenous selenium, and inorganic Se could be effectively converted into organic Se. The proportion of organic Se in the shoots under treatment with 4 µmol L-1 selenite was 100%. Selenomethionine was the main organic Se, accounting for 51% (selenate) and 90% (selenite) of the total Se. Adding Se improves photosynthesis of lettuce and promotes growth. The growth with 2 µmol L-1 selenate and 4 µmol L-1 selenite was better than CK, and the shoot fresh weight was increased by 143.22% and 166.98%, respectively. Furthermore, the optimum Se application is 2 µmol L-1, and some areas can apply 4 µmol L-1 selenite. But Se-excessive areas are not recommended to grow selenium-rich foods. Therefore, lettuce has strong biofortification potential.

Ultra-Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica Based on the CRISPR/Cas12a Nucleic Acid Identification Platform.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a dangerous foodborne human pathogen that mainly causes gastroenteritis. Ideal methods for the detection of pathogens in food should be rapid, sensitive, specific, and cost effective. To this end, novel in vitro nucleic acid identification methods based on clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) endonuclease have received increasing attention. In this study, a simple, visual, and ultrasensitive method, based on CRISPR/Cas12a with recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), was developed for the detection of Y. enterocolitica. The results show that a specific attachment invasion locus gene (ail) can be rapidly detected using a CRISPR/Cas12a-RPA-based system. Application of the method to raw pork, which was artificially infected with Y. enterocolitica, achieved an estimated detection limit of 1.7 CFU/mL in less than 45 min, and this was 100 times lower compared with qPCR. The results indicated that the CRISPR/Cas12a-RPA system has good potential for monitoring pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in the chilled meat supply chain.

Hyperbranched molecules having multiple functional groups as effective corrosion inhibitors for Al alloys in aqueous NaCl.

Hyperbranched molecules are a kind of promising materials due to their unique structures. In this work, two hyperbranched molecules (GON and GOH) are used as effective inhibitors for Al alloys in NaCl solution. Their inhibitive performances are evaluated by electrochemical measurements and surface characterization. The results indicate that inhibition performances of GON and GOH are closely related to the concentrations, influenced by the combination of steric hindrance and bonding effects. At relatively low concentrations (0.03-0.10 mM), GON displays a more pronounced ability to inhibit corrosion than GOH, owing to more anchoring functional groups. Oppositely, GOH has good inhibition performance at higher concentrations (0.50-1.00 mM). The interaction between the Al electrode and GOH results in the formation of a more condenser protective film than GON at high concentrations. In addition, the adsorption mechanism of two hyperbranched molecules is revealed by theoretical calculations.

Finite momentum Cooper pairing in three-dimensional topological insulator Josephson junctions.

Unconventional superconductivity arising from the interplay between strong spin-orbit coupling and magnetism is an intensive area of research. One form of unconventional superconductivity arises when Cooper pairs subjected to a magnetic exchange coupling acquire a finite momentum. Here, we report on a signature of finite momentum Cooper pairing in the three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3. We apply in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields to proximity-coupled Bi2Se3 and find that the in-plane field creates a spatially oscillating superconducting order parameter in the junction as evidenced by the emergence of an anomalous Fraunhofer pattern. We describe how the anomalous Fraunhofer patterns evolve for different device parameters, and we use this to understand the microscopic origin of the oscillating order parameter. The agreement between the experimental data and simulations shows that the finite momentum pairing originates from the coexistence of the Zeeman effect and Aharonov-Bohm flux.

Infiltrated Porous Polymer Sheets as Free-Standing Flexible Lithium-Sulfur Battery Electrodes.

Free-standing, high-capacity Li2 S electrodes with capacity loadings in the range from 1.5 to 3.8 mA h cm(-2) are produced by using infiltration of active materials into porous carbonized biomass sheets. The proposed electrode design can be effectively utilized for the low-cost fabrication of flexible lithium batteries with high specific energy.