Bifunctional Chiral Electrocatalysts Enable Enantioselective α-Alkylation of Aldehydes.

Herein, we describe an innovative approach to the asymmetric electrochemical α-alkylation of aldehydes facilitated by a newly designed bifunctional chiral electrocatalyst. The highly efficient bifunctional chiral electrocatalyst combines a chiral aminocatalyst with a redox mediator. It plays a dual role as a redox mediator for electrooxidation, while simultaneously providing remarkable asymmetric induction for the stereoselective α-alkylation of aldehydes. Additionally, this novel catalyst exhibits enhanced catalytic activity and excellent stereoselective control comparable to conventional catalytic systems. As a result, this strategy provides a new avenue for versatile asymmetric electrochemistry. The electrooxidation of diverse phenols enables the C-H/C-H oxidative α-alkylation of aldehydes in a highly chemo- and stereoselective fashion. Detailed mechanistic studies by control experiments and cyclic voltammetry analysis demonstrate possible reaction pathways and the origin of enantio-induction.

A novel putative betapartitivirus isolated from the plant-pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani.

In this study, we describe the genome sequence of a novel double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus, designated as "Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 15" (RsPV15), from the phytopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. RsPV15 consists of two genomic double-stranded RNA segments, dsRNA-1 and dsRNA-2, which are 2433 bp and 2350 bp long, respectively. Each of the dsRNA segments contains a single open reading frame, encoding the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and coat protein, respectively. Homology searches and phylogenetic analysis suggested that RsPV15 is a new member of the genus Betapartitivirus within the family Partitiviridae.

Identification of lymph node adulteration in minced pork by comprehensive metabolomics and lipidomics approach based on UPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap MS.

The deliberate pork adulteration with lymph nodes is a common adulteration phenomenon, and it poses a serious threat to public health and food safety. An untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approach based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) was used to distinguish lymph nodes from minced pork. The principal component analysis and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis models were established with the good of fitness and predictivity. The results showed that there were significant differences in metabolites and lipids between lymph nodes and pork. A total of 16 significantly differentiated metabolites were identified, of which 1-palmitoylglycerophosphocholine, 12,13-dihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were positively correlated with lymph node content and were identified as potential markers of lymph nodes. These three markers were combined to create a binary logistic regression model, and a combined-factor exceeding 0.75 was ultimately identified as a marker for pork adulteration with lymph nodes. The desorption electrospray ionization-MS images showed that PGE2 had a higher relative abundance in the lymph node region than in adjacent non-lymph node regions, indicating that PGE2 was a marker that contributed significantly for identifying lymph nodes adulteration into pork. Our results provide a theoretical basis for identifying lymph node adulteration, which will contribute to combating fraud in the meat industry.

Localized delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor from PLGA microspheres promotes peripheral nerve regeneration in rats.

BACKGROUND: Repair of peripheral nerve defect presents a considerable challenge for reconstructive surgeons. The aim of this study is to develop a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres for the treatment of the peripheral nerve defect. METHOD: BDNF microspheres were prepared by using an oil-in-water emulsification-solvent evaporation method. The morphology, particle size, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading and sustained release performance of microspheres was observed and calculated. Adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) were isolated and expanded. ADSCs were divided into four groups: control, BDNF, blank microsphere and BDNF microsphere groups. Cell count kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were used to assess cell proliferation. Cell migration was determined by Transwell assays. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent transection damage model on the right sciatic nerve. The wet weight ratio of the gastrocnemius muscle was calculated by comparing the weight of the gastrocnemius muscle from the operated side to that of the normal side. Neuroelectrophysiological testing was performed to assess nerve function recovery. Nerve regeneration was evaluated by histological analysis and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The microspheres were spherical and had uniform size (46.38 ± 1.00 µm), high encapsulation efficiency and high loading capacity. In vitro release studies showed that BDNF-loaded microspheres had good sustained release characteristics. The duration of BDNF release was extended to more than 50 days. BDNF or BDNF microsphere promote the proliferation and migration of ADSCs than control group (P < 0.05). Compared with control group, BDNF significantly decreased the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and compound amplitude (AMP) (P < 0.05). The nerve fibers in the BDNF microsphere group were closely arranged and uniformly distributed than control group. CONCLUSION: BDNF/PLGA sustained-release microsphere could promote the migration of ADSCs and promoted neural differentiation of ADSCs. Moreover, BDNF/PLGA sustained-release microsphere ameliorated nerve conduction velocity and prevented neuralgic amyotrophy.

Effect of Dietary Ramie Powder (Boehmeria nivea) at Various Levels on Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Qualities, Biochemical Indices, and Antioxidative Capacity of Linwu Ducks.

Current experiment was designed to check the effect of dietary supplementation of ramie powder on the growth performance, carcass and meat qualities and antioxidative capacity of Linwu ducks. A total of 312 ducks at 21-day-age were equally divided into 4 groups, fed with control diet, control diet supplemented of 3, 6, or 12% ramie powder, respectively. The results showed that dietary supplementation of 6 and 12% ramie powder increased the final weight and daily body weight gain (P < 0.05), and dietary supplementation of 6% ramie improved the cooking loss of the leg meat 45-mins-postmortem compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary supplementation of 6% ramie powder promoted the antioxidative capacity of the ducks by increasing the serum activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione (P < 0.05), as well as the mRNA expressions of glutathione peroxidase 1 in the breast meat and superoxide dismutase 1 in the leg meat (P < 0.05). This experiment demonstrated that dietary supplementation of ramie powder showed beneficial efficacy on the growth performance of Linwu ducks. It corroborated the potential of dietary ramie being used as poultry feed ingredient and suggested that 6% was the proper supplementation rate of ramie powder in Linwu ducks' feed.

Effect of Ramie on the Production Performance of Laying Hens, and the Quality, Nutrient Composition, Antioxidation of the Eggs.

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea), which is rich in protein, fatty acid, vitamins and minerals, has become a potential alternative feed resource for poultry, and has attracted more and more attentions in nutrition research. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of dietary ramie at different concentrations on the production performance of the hens, and the quality, nutrient composition, and antioxidation of the eggs. A total of 432 34-week-old Lohmann commercial laying hens were divided into four groups, that were fed with corn-soybean meal-based control diet, control mixed with ramie at concentrations of 3, 6, or 9% separately for 8 weeks. Results showed that dietary ramie did not affect production performance. And egg yolk color gradually deepened as the inclusion levels of ramie increased. Ramie at tested concentration could significantly reduce the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p = 0.002) and 3% ramie supplementation significantly increased total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) concentrations in egg yolk compared to the control group (p = 0.033). In addition, dietary supplementation with 6% ramie significantly reduced total cholesterol (T-CHO) content (p < 0.05) compared with controls. For egg nutrient composition, compared with the control group, the addition of 6% ramie significantly increased (p < 0.05) total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) and phenylalanine (Phe) in yolk. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 6% ramie was most effective in improving the color, antioxidative capability, and reducing T-CHO contents of the egg yolks without any negative impacts on the production performance of the hens.

High output achieved by sliding electrification of an electrospun nano-grating.

The rapid development of flexible and wearable electronics has proposed a trend towards miniaturization, mobility, versatility and artificial intelligence. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can make use of micro/nano multi-functional materials to harvest and store energy from the surrounding environment efficiently, which can drive smart portable electronics operating continuously and steadily. The increase in the output power density of the triboelectric nanogenerator requires new designs. In this work, a new grating TENG was proposed, and the two friction layers were fabricated by near-field electrospinning and conventional electrospinning with two parallel electrodes as a collector, respectively. The basic model of the simulation was simplified according to the highly ordered structure and the repeatability of the TENG grating structure. The effect of the effective contact area on the output of the TENG was further proved by fitting the calculation regularity of the two models with the experimental results. At the same time, the effect of the redundant electrode on the output of the TENG was verified by experiments. We found that this nanogenerator can achieve a very high output of 1800 W m-2 due to a more refined grating structure combined with modification of the contact area. The TENG can also be used as a selfpowered sensor to detect mechanical signals, which requires no additional power source to drive it. Meanwhile, the anisotropic nature of the TENG can also be utilized to sense angles, lock devices or encrypt information. This output control technology provides a more effective idea for future output power improvement, that is, a new generation of high-output TENGs can be designed by effectively adjusting the corresponding contact area and electrode area.

Effects of Dietary Ramie Powder at Various Levels on the Production Performance, Serum Biochemical Indices, Antioxidative Capacity, and Intestinal Development of Laying Hens.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ramie (0, 3, 6, and 9%) included in diets on production performance, antioxidative capacity, serum biochemical indices, and intestinal development of laying hens. A total of 432 Lohmann commercial laying hens were randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments and fed for 6 weeks. The results showed that the inclusion of ramie had no negative effects on laying performance, and increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) the laying rate with the highest value in the 6% ramie group. However, ramie content in the diet up to 9% reduced the apparent metabolic energy, dry matter, and organic matter apparent digestibility of laying hens compared with those in the 3% ramie group. The content of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in serum was increased (P < 0.05), but the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary ramie supplementation. As the dietary ramie level increased, the activity of serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was increased quadratically (P < 0.05). Compared with control, 3% ramie group significantly increased (P < 0.01) liver total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Meanwhile, the addition of 3∼6% ramie powder increased (P < 0.05) villus height of jejunum and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) of ileum, which reflected the intestinal promotional effect of ramie powder. In conclusion, ramie in a diet of less than 9% might protect the liver and improve the antioxidative capacity with no detrimental impacts on the laying hens. Moreover, it could promote the intestinal mucosal structure and have a positive impact on the intestine health of the laying hens.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00314 facilitates osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells through the hsa-miR-129-5p/GRM5 axis via the Wnt signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely related to the stimulation of osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and the prevention of osteoporosis. Current research aimed to investigate the novel lncRNA and explored the function and molecular mechanism of the LINC00314/miR-129-5p/GRM5 axis in regulating osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. METHODS: LncRNA and miRNA sequencing was performed in normal and osteogenic differentiation-induced ADSCs (osteogenic group). Abnormally expressed lncRNAs and miRNAs were obtained by the R software and the relative expression of LINC00314, miR-129-5p, and GRM5 during osteogenic induction was measured by RT-PCR. ADSCs were then transfected with pcDNA3.1-sh-LINC00314 and agomiR-129-5p. Alizarin red staining (ARS) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining were performed to identify the mechanism of the LINC00314/miR-129-5p/GRM5 axis in regulating osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. RESULTS: LINC00314 was significantly upregulated in the group of osteogenic-induced ADSCs. LINC00314 and GRM5 mimics increased the early and late markers of osteogenic differentiation, which manifest in not only the markedly increased ALP activity but also higher calcium deposition, while miR-129-5p mimic had the opposite effects. LINC00314 directly targeted miR-129-5p through luciferase reporter assay, and miR-129-5p suppressed GRM5 expression. Moreover, the LINC00314/miR-129-5p/GRM5 regulatory axis activated the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00314 confers contributory function in the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and thus the LINC00314/miR-129-5p/GRM5 axis may be a novel mechanism for osteogenic-related disease.

Efficient electrochemical production of glucaric acid and H2 via glucose electrolysis.

Glucose electrolysis offers a prospect of value-added glucaric acid synthesis and energy-saving hydrogen production from the biomass-based platform molecules. Here we report that nanostructured NiFe oxide (NiFeOx) and nitride (NiFeNx) catalysts, synthesized from NiFe layered double hydroxide nanosheet arrays on three-dimensional Ni foams, demonstrate a high activity and selectivity towards anodic glucose oxidation. The electrolytic cell assembled with these two catalysts can deliver 100 mA cm-2 at 1.39 V. A faradaic efficiency of 87% and glucaric acid yield of 83% are obtained from the glucose electrolysis, which takes place via a guluronic acid pathway evidenced by in-situ infrared spectroscopy. A rigorous process model combined with a techno-economic analysis shows that the electrochemical reduction of glucose produces glucaric acid at a 54% lower cost than the current chemical approach. This work suggests that glucose electrolysis is an energy-saving and cost-effective approach for H2 production and biomass valorization.