Inorganic Nanosheet-Shielded Probiotics: A Self-Adaptable Oral Delivery System for Intestinal Disease Treatment.

The oral delivery of probiotics is commonly adopted for intestinal disease treatments in clinical settings; however, the probiotics suffer from a strong acidic attack in the gastric area and the low-efficiency intestinal colonization of naked probiotics. Coating living probiotics with synthetic materials has proven effective in enabling the adaption of bacteria to gastrointestinal environments, which, unfortunately, may shield the probiotics from initiating therapeutic responses. In this study, we report a copolymer-modified two-dimensional H-silicene nanomaterial (termed SiH@TPGS-PEI) that can facilitate probiotics to adapt to diverse gastrointestinal microenvironments on-demand. Briefly, SiH@TPGS-PEI electrostatically coated on the surface of probiotic bacteria helps to resist erosive destruction in the acidic stomach and spontaneously degrades by reacting with water to generate hydrogen, an anti-inflammatory gas in response to the neutral/weakly alkaline intestinal environment, thus exposing the probiotic bacteria for colitis amelioration. This strategy may shed new light on the development of intelligent self-adaptive materials.

Water-Enabled H2 Generation from Hydrogenated Silicon Nanosheets for Efficient Anti-Inflammation.

As an emerging therapeutic gas, hydrogen (H2) is gifted with excellent biosafety, high tissue permeability, and radical-trapping capacity and is extensively considered as a highly promising antioxidant in clinics. However, a facile and effective strategy of H2 production for major inflammatory disease treatments is still lacking. In this study, by a facile wet-chemical exfoliation synthesis, a hydrogen-terminated silicon nanosheet (H-silicene) has been synthesized, which can favorably react with environmental water to generate H2 rapidly and continuously without any external energy input. Furthermore, theoretical calculations were employed to reveal the mechanism of enhanced H2 generation efficacy of H-silicene nanosheets. The as-synthesized H-silicene has been explored as a flexible hydrogen gas generator for efficient antioxidative stress application for the first time, which highlights a promising prospect of this two-dimensional H-silicene nanomaterial for acute inflammatory treatments by on-demand H2 production-enabled reactive oxygen species scavenging. This study provides a novel and efficient modality for nanomaterial-mediated H2 therapy.

Magnetostrictive-Piezoelectric-Triggered Nanocatalytic Tumor Therapy.

Magnetic-based theranostics feature a high efficiency, excellent tissue penetration, and minimal damage to normal tissues, are noninvasive, and are widely used in the diagnosis and therapy of clinical diseases. Herein, a conceptually novel magnetostrictive-piezoelectric nanocatalytic medicine (MPE-NCM) for tumor therapy is proposed by initiating an intratumoral magneto-driven and piezoelectric-catalyzed reaction using core-shell structured CoFe2O4-BiFeO3 magnetostrictive-piezoelectric nanoparticles (CFO-BFO NPs) under an alternating magnetic field. The CFO-BFO NPs catalyze the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS): superoxide radicals (•O2-) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). The simulation calculation demonstrates the highly controllable electric polarization, facilitating the above catalytic reactions under the magnetic stimulation. Both a detailed cell-level assessment and the tumor xenograft evaluation evidence the significant tumor eradication efficacy of MPE-NCM. This study proposes an original and novel magneto-responsive nanocatalytic modality for cancer therapy, which displays promising prospects for the future clinic translation owing to its excellent catalytic dynamic responsiveness, high therapeutic efficacy, and biosafety in vivo.

Detection and Biological Characteristics of Alternaria alternata Resistant to Difenoconazole from Paris polyphylla var. chinensis, an Indigenous Medicinal Herb.

Black spot caused by Alternaria alternata (BSAA) is one of the most common diseases of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis, causing yield losses in China. Demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) have been used to control this disease in China for decades. Some farmers have complained about the decreased efficacy of DMIs against BSAA. The objective of this study was to detect and characterize the resistance of A. alternata against difenoconazole from P. polyphylla var. chinensis during 2018. Of the 22 isolates of A. alternata obtained from Sichuan Province in the southwest of China, 20 were resistant to difenoconazole. Mycelial growth rates and sporulation of the difenoconazole-resistant (DfnR) isolates were not different from those of the difenoconazole-sensitive (DfnS) isolates. No cross resistance between difenoconazole and tebuconazole or propiconazole was observed. Mutations were identified at gene AaCYP51 of DfnR isolates based on the sequence alignment of the DfnR and DfnS isolates. All of the mutations could be divided into three resistant genotypes, I (K715R + Y781C), II (K715R + D1140G + T1628A), and III (no mutation). The docking total score of the DfnS isolates was 5.6020, higher than the resistant genotype I (4.4599) or the resistant genotype II (3.8651), suggesting that the DMI resistance of A. alternata may be caused by the decreased affinity between AaCYP51 and difenoconazole.

Effects of Water Content and Particle Size on Yield and Reactivity of Lignite Chars Derived from Pyrolysis and Gasification.

Water inside coal particles could potentially enhance the interior char⁻steam reactions during pyrolysis and gasification. This study aims to examine the effects of water contents on the char conversion during the pyrolysis and gasification of Shengli lignite. The ex-situ reactivities of chars were further analyzed by a thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA). Under the pyrolysis condition, the increase in water contents has monotonically decreased the char yields only when the coal particles were small (<75 µm). In contrast, the water in only large coal particles (0.9⁻2.0 mm) has clearly favored the increase in char conversion during the gasification condition where 50% steam in argon was used as external reaction atmosphere. The waved reactivity curves for the subsequent char⁻air reactions were resulted from the nature of heterogeneity of char structure. Compared to the large particles, the less interior char⁻steam reactions for the small particles have created more differential char structure which showed two different stages when reacting with air at the low temperature in TGA.

Echistatin/BYL-719 impedes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pulmonary fibrosis induced by silica through modulation of the Integrin ß1/ILK/PI3K signaling pathway.

Silicosis is a chronic fibroproliferative lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of crystalline silica dust, characterized by the proliferation of fibroblasts and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. Currently, there are no effective treatments available. Recent research suggests that the Integrin ß1/ILK/PI3K signaling pathway may be associated with the pathogenesis of silicosis fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of Echistatin (Integrin ß1 inhibitor) and BYL-719 (PI3K inhibitor) on silicosis rats at 28 and 56 days after silica exposure. Histopathological analysis of rat lung tissue was performed using H&E staining and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR were employed to assess the expression of markers associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), fibrosis, and the Integrin ß1/ILK/PI3K pathway in lung tissue. The results showed that Echistatin, BYL 719 or their combination up-regulated the expression of E-cadherin and down-regulated the expression of Vimentin and extracellular matrix (ECM) components, including type I and type III collagen. The increase of Snail, AKT and ß-catenin in the downstream Integrin ß1/ILK/PI3K pathway was inhibited. These results indicate that Echistatin and BYL 719 can inhibit EMT and pulmonary fibrosis by blocking different stages of Integrinß1 /ILK/PI3K signaling pathway. This indicates that the Integrin ß1/ILK/PI3K signaling pathway is associated with silica-induced EMT and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for silicosis.

Taxonomy of the leafhopper genus Drabescus Stål (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of two new species from China.

Two new species from China, Drabescus macrocladus sp. nov. and Drabescus mucronatus sp. nov., are described and figured. An updated checklist with distributions and key to males of the species in this genus from China is given. The type specimens of these two new species are deposited in the Entomological Museum, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China (NWAFU) and in Sun Yat-Sen University (Zhongshan University, ZSU), Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Gyrosus deltodontus, a new genus and species of Ianeirina (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Selenocephalini) from South Africa.

A new genus of Ianeirina (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Selenocephalini), Gyrosus gen. nov. including the new species Gyrosus deltodontus sp. nov. as the type species, is described and illustrated from South Africa. Habitus photographs of adult leafhoppers and the genitalia of this new species are provided. Type specimens of this new species are deposited in the Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa (ISAM).

Taxonomy of the leafhopper genus Adama (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Selenocephalini: Adamina) with description of a new species from Botswana.

The leafhopper genus Adama is reviewed with the description of a new species, Adama (Zinjella) serriformis sp. nov., from Botswana. An updated checklist with distributions and a key to species of this subgenus are also provided. The type specimen of this new species is deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, U.K. (BMNH).

Piezocatalytic Medicine: An Emerging Frontier using Piezoelectric Materials for Biomedical Applications.

Emerging piezocatalysts have demonstrated their remarkable application potential in diverse medical fields. In addition to their ultrahigh catalytic activities, their inherent and unique charge-carrier-releasing properties can be used to initiate various redox catalytic reactions, displaying bright prospects for future medical applications. Triggered by mechanical energy, piezocatalytic materials can release electrons/holes, catalyze redox reactions of substrates, or intervene in biological processes to promote the production of effector molecules for medical purposes, such as decontamination, sterilization, and therapy. Such a medical application of piezocatalysis is termed as piezocatalytic medicine (PCM) herein. To pioneer novel medical technologies, especially therapeutic modalities, this review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art research progress in piezocatalytic medicine. First, the principle of piezocatalysis and the preparation methodologies of piezoelectric materials are introduced. Then, a comprehensive summary of the medical applications of piezocatalytic materials in tumor treatment, antisepsis, organic degradation, tissue repair and regeneration, and biosensing is provided. Finally, the main challenges and future perspectives in piezocatalytic medicine are discussed and proposed, expecting to fuel the development of this emerging scientific discipline.

Preparation and Electrochemical Performance of Bio-Oil-Derived Hydrochar as a Supercapacitor Electrode Material.

The rapid consumption of fossil energy and the urgent demand for sustainable development have significantly promoted worldwide efforts to explore new technology for energy conversion and storage. Carbon-based supercapacitors have received increasing attention. The use of biomass and waste as a carbon precursor is environmentally friendly and economical. In this study, hydrothermal pretreatment was used to synthetize coke from bio-oil, which can create a honeycomb-like structure that is advantageous for electrolyte transport. Furthermore, hydrothermal pretreatment, which is low in temperature, can create a low graphitization degree which can make heteroatom introduction and activation easier. Then, urea and KOH were used for doping and activation, which can improve conductivity and capacitance. Compared with no heteroatom and activation hydrothermal char (HC) (58.3 F/g at 1 A/g), the prepared carbon material nitrogen doping activated hydrothermal carbon (NAHC1) had a good electrochemical performance of 225.4 F/g at 1 A/g. The specific capacitance of the prepared NAHC1 was improved by 3.8 times compared with that of HC.

Differences in seed characteristics, germination and seedling growth of Suaeda salsa grown in intertidal zone and on saline inland.

The ecological restoration of saline land in the Yellow River Delta is essential for the sustainability of this region. Halophytic species, like Suaeda salsa, are critical for the restoration process. However, potential differences in traits of heteromorphic seeds collected from the intertidal zone and inland condition have been largely overlooked. The seeds were analyzed for hardness, nutrient elements, and secretions, while structural differences were observed under a stereomicroscope. Germination percentages of the different seed types and subsequent seedling growth were also recorded. Our study found that the black seeds from intertidal zone had the highest hardness when compared to the three other types of seeds. Nutrient analysis revealed that brown seeds had a higher iron (Fe) content than black seeds. Accordingly, brown seed embryos were greener compared to their black seed counterparts due to the iron's role in chlorophyll synthesis. Our results also revealed that brown seeds secreted greater amounts of exudates than black seeds. Finally, both the intertidal brown seeds and the inland-grown brown seeds had higher germination percentages and better early seedling growth than the corresponding black seeds. The differential characteristics between dimorphic seeds and seedlings may influence their environmental adaptation in different saline environments.

Syngas Production from Biomass Gasification: Influences of Feedstock Properties, Reactor Type, and Reaction Parameters.

Syngas from biomass gasification can be used in downstream process industries such as city gas, hydrogen production, etc. In this review, the effects of biomass feedstock properties, and gasification reaction conditions (temperature, gasifier type, etc.) on syngas properties are systematically reviewed. In summary, the cracking and reforming of volatile fractions in the gasification process and the catalytic effect of alkali and alkaline earth metals in the ash on the gasification have a direct impact on the syngas yield. And biomass pretreatment (i.e., terrifying/hydrothermal carbonization) can reduce the moisture content, which can effectively reduce the energy required for gasification and enhance the calorific value and syngas yield further. The fixed-bed gasifiers produce lower amounts of syngas. The concentration of H2 is significantly increased by adding steam as a gasification agent. Additionally higher gasification temperatures produce more syngas, and an equivalence ratio of about 0.2-0.3 is considered suitable for gasification. For the influence of feedstock on syngas, this paper not only reviews the feedstock properties (volatile, ash, moisture) but also compares the influence of two pretreatments on syngas yield and proposes that the combination of torrefaction/hydrothermal carbonization and a multistage air bed gasifier is an important research direction to improve the combustible components of syngas. In addition to the summary of commonly used single gasification agents, two or more gasification agents on the concentration of syngas components are also discussed in the gasification parameters, and it is suggested that further research into the use of more than one gasification agent is also important for future syngas production.

Taxonomy of the leafhopper genus Angolaia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Selenocephalini) with description of a new species from Zambia.

The African leafhopper genus Angolaia Linnavuori & Al-Ne'amy, 1983 (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Selenocephalini: Selenocephalina) is reviewed, including description of the new species, Angolaia picea sp. nov., from Zambia. An updated checklist with distribution and a key to males in this genus are also provided. Type specimens of this new species are deposited in the Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA (INHS).

Taxonomy of the leafhopper genus Favintiga (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini) with description of a new species from China.

The leafhopper genus Favintiga Webb (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini: Paraboloponina) is reviewed with description of a new species, Favintiga polyacantha sp. nov., from China (Hainan). A checklist with distributions and a key to males of this genus are provided. Type specimens are deposited in the Entomological Museum, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China (NWAFU).

High Expression of UPK3A Promotes the Progression of Gastric Cancer Cells by Inactivating p53 Pathway.

Background: Gastric cancer is a common gastrointestinal tract cancer and is a considerable health burden worldwide. TCGA analysis found Uroplakin 3A (UPK3A) was upregulated in gastric cancer tissues. Our study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanism of Uroplakin 3A (UPK3A) in gastric cancer. Methods: Data from TCGA database were used to assess the expression, and Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis was used to assess the prognosis value of UPK3A. Furthermore, there are effects of UPK3A silencing on the activity, proliferation, migration, and invasion of human gastric cancer cells (SNU-216 and HGC-27) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell assays. In addition, the expression of UPK3A, p53, KLF4, ZMAT3, MDM2, and SP1 was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot assay. Results: UPK3A was markedly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues compared to that in normal tissues, and patients with high UPK3A level showed poor prognosis. UPK3A was highly expressed in human gastric cancer cell lines compared to that in a normal human gastric epithelial cell line. Silencing of UPK3A inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that UPK3A was involved in the p53 signaling pathway. UPK3A suppressed the activation of p53 signaling pathway, and treatment with Pifithrin-α (an inhibitor of the p53 signaling pathway) or silencing of p53 significantly reversed the effect of UPK3A silencing on the expression of p53, KLF4, ZMAT3, MDM2, and SP1. Conclusion: Our findings showed that UPK3A promotes the progression of gastric cancer by regulating the p53 signaling pathway and could be a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Synergistic Effect of APP and TBC Fire-Retardants on the Physico-Mechanical Properties of Strandboard.

This study explored the feasibility of fabricating fire-retardant strandboard with low mechanical properties deterioration to the physico-mechanical properties. A hybrid fire-retardant system of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and 1,3,5-tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)-1,3,5-triazinane-2,4,6-trione (TBC) was investigated. Thermogravimetric analysis results show that both APP and TBC enhance the thermal stability and incombustibility of wood strands. An infrared spectrum was applied to investigate the effect of flame retardants on the curing behaviors of polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) resin. Based on the results of limiting oxygen index (LOI) and Cone calorimetry (CONE), APP and TBC both lead to a higher fire retardancy to strandboard. It is worth mentioning that the two flame retardants lead to evidently differential influences on the modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond (IB), and water-soaking thickness swelling (TS) properties of strandboard. Hence, a hybrid flame retardant is prominent in manufacturing strandboard with both good fire retardant and satisfying physico-mechanical properties.

Bridging oxidase catalysis and oxygen reduction electrocatalysis by model single-atom catalysts.

Nanocatalysts with enzyme-like catalytic activities, such as oxidase mimics, are extensively used in biomedicine and environmental treatment. Searching for enzyme-like nanomaterials, clarifying the origins of catalytic activity and developing activity assessment methodologies are therefore of great significance. Here, we report that oxidase catalysis and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis can be well bridged based on their identical activity origins, which makes facile electrocatalytic ORR activity measurements intrinsically applicable to oxidase-like activity evaluations. Inspired by natural heme-copper oxidases, Cu/Fe-doped single-atom catalysts (SACs) were first synthesized and used as model catalysts. Chromogenic reactions, electrochemical voltammetric measurements and density functional theory calculations further verified the linear relationship between the oxidase-like and ORR catalytic activities of the catalysts; thus, an effective descriptor ([Formula: see text]) is proposed for rapid enzymatic catalyst evaluation. Evidence suggests that the enhanced tumour therapeutic efficacy of SACs is a result of their oxidase-like/ORR activities, which proves that numerous ORR electrocatalysts are promising candidates for oxidase mimics and tumour therapy. The synergistic catalytic effect of the biomimetic heterobinuclear Cu-Fe centres has also been thoroughly probed.

Hydrogenated Germanene Nanosheets as an Antioxidative Defense Agent for Acute Kidney Injury Treatment.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden kidney dysfunction caused by aberrant reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism that results in high clinical mortality. The rapid development of ROS scavengers provides new opportunities for AKI treatment. Herein, the use of hydrogen-terminated germanene (H-germanene) nanosheets is reported as an antioxidative defense nanoplatform against AKI in mice. The simulation results show that 2D H-germanene can effectively scavenge ROS through free radical adsorption and subsequent redox reactions. In particular, the H-germanene exhibits high accumulation in injured kidneys, thereby offering a favorable opportunity for treating renal diseases. In the glycerol-induced murine AKI model, H-germanene delivers robust antioxidative protection against ROS attack to maintain normal kidney function indicators without negative influence in vivo. This positive in vivo antioxidative defense in living animals demonstrates that the present H-germanene nanoplatform is a powerful antioxidant against AKI and various anti-inflammatory diseases.

Taxonomy of the leafhopper genus Nirvanguina (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini) with description of a new species from China.

The leafhopper genus Nirvanguina Zhang Webb (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini: Paraboloponina) is reviewed, including description of a new species, Nirvanguina bifurcatus Xu Zhang sp. nov., from China. An updated checklist along with distribution and a key to males of this genus are also provided. Type specimens of this new species are deposited in the Entomological Museum, Northwest A F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China (NWAFU).