Histone serotonylation is a permissive modification that enhances TFIID binding to H3K4me3.

Chemical modifications of histones can mediate diverse DNA-templated processes, including gene transcription1-3. Here we provide evidence for a class of histone post-translational modification, serotonylation of glutamine, which occurs at position 5 (Q5ser) on histone H3 in organisms that produce serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)). We demonstrate that tissue transglutaminase 2 can serotonylate histone H3 tri-methylated lysine 4 (H3K4me3)-marked nucleosomes, resulting in the presence of combinatorial H3K4me3Q5ser in vivo. H3K4me3Q5ser displays a ubiquitous pattern of tissue expression in mammals, with enrichment observed in brain and gut, two organ systems responsible for the bulk of 5-HT production. Genome-wide analyses of human serotonergic neurons, developing mouse brain and cultured serotonergic cells indicate that H3K4me3Q5ser nucleosomes are enriched in euchromatin, are sensitive to cellular differentiation and correlate with permissive gene expression, phenomena that are linked to the potentiation of TFIID4-6 interactions with H3K4me3. Cells that ectopically express a H3 mutant that cannot be serotonylated display significantly altered expression of H3K4me3Q5ser-target loci, which leads to deficits in differentiation. Taken together, these data identify a direct role for 5-HT, independent from its contributions to neurotransmission and cellular signalling, in the mediation of permissive gene expression.

Histone H3Q5 serotonylation stabilizes H3K4 methylation and potentiates its readout.

Serotonylation of glutamine 5 on histone H3 (H3Q5ser) was recently identified as a permissive posttranslational modification that coexists with adjacent lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). While the resulting dual modification, H3K4me3Q5ser, is enriched at regions of active gene expression in serotonergic neurons, the molecular outcome underlying H3K4me3-H3Q5ser crosstalk remains largely unexplored. Herein, we examine the impact of H3Q5ser on the readers, writers, and erasers of H3K4me3. All tested H3K4me3 readers retain binding to the H3K4me3Q5ser dual modification. Of note, the PHD finger of TAF3 favors H3K4me3Q5ser, and this binding preference is dependent on the Q5ser modification regardless of H3K4 methylation states. While the activity of the H3K4 methyltransferase, MLL1, is unaffected by H3Q5ser, the corresponding H3K4me3/2 erasers, KDM5B/C and LSD1, are profoundly inhibited by the presence of the mark. Collectively, this work suggests that adjacent H3Q5ser potentiates H3K4me3 function by either stabilizing H3K4me3 from dynamic turnover or enhancing its physical readout by downstream effectors, thereby potentially providing a mechanism for fine-tuning critical gene expression programs.

Ce(IV)-Based Metal-Organic Gel for Ultrafast Removal of Trace Arsenate from Water.

As a potential replacement for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), constructing metal-organic gels (MOGs) is an appealing but challenging topic since MOGs are a kind of shapeable MOF gels. Also, the rapid adsorption of trace heavy metal ions in aqueous media remains a serious challenge. Herein, a simple strategy for the synthesis of Ce(IV)-based metal-organic gel (Ce-MOG) was first developed for the rapid adsorption of trace As(V). The (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6 obtains hydroxide bridges after adding apposite NaOH, leading to [Ce6O4(OH)4]12+ clustering and inducing fast and excessive nucleation rates, which also leads to coordination disturbance of MOF nanocrystals to obtain Ce-MOG. The Ce-OH groups are the key to gel formation through hydrogen bonding and are the active site for the ultrafast adsorption of As(V). As expected, the resultant Ce-MOG has an excellent adsorption rate, making it possible to effectively decontaminate 500 ppb of As(V) to below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended threshold for drinking water (10 ppb) within 1 min. It achieves equilibrium adsorption in 10 min, and the final arsenate-removing efficiency reaches 99.8%. For Ce-MOF, the effluent concentration of As(V) is higher than the drinking water standard, while equilibrium adsorption takes 60 min. The initial adsorption rate of Ce-MOG, h(k2qe2) is calculated and indicated to be 67.67 mg g-1 min-1, about 19.96 times that of Ce-MOF (3.39 mg g-1 min-1). As such, the excellent As(V) decontamination rate, selectivity, and reusability of Ce-MOG indicate its great potential for practical drinking water purification.

A facile method to synthesize strong salt-enhanced hydrogels based on reversible physical interaction.

To overcome the adverse effects of salt on the mechanical properties of hydrogels, a facile double cross-linking method has been proposed to synthesize salt-enhanced tough hydrogels. Herein, a poly(hexafluorobutyl methacrylate-acrylamide) hydrogel [P(AAm-co-HFBMA) hydrogel] is prepared by the copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate (HFBMA) with N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide (NMBA) as a cross-linking agent in a dimethylformamide (DMF)/aqueous solution; DMF is then replaced by water. The results indicate that the tensile fracture stress of the P(AAm-co-HFBMA) hydrogel (20 mol% HFBMA) is as high as 0.43 MPa, which is far better than that of the PAAm hydrogel (ca. 30 kPa). Additionally, with a further increase in the hydrophobic structural units (25 mol% HFBMA), the tensile fracture stress of the P(AAm-co-HFBMA) hydrogel can be increased up to 2.34 MPa. The mechanical strength of the P(AAm-co-HFBMA) hydrogel is significantly enhanced to 3.50 MPa (2 M) from 2.34 MPa (0 M) after it is soaked in aqueous NaCl solutions with various salt concentrations. The mechanical properties and the results of the DSC analysis indicate that the main reason for its mechanical strength to exhibit a unique salt-enhancement trend can be explained as follows. After the P(AAm-co-HFBMA) hydrogel is soaked in the salt solution, the network gradually collapses with the penetration of the small molecules of salt. Thus, the hydrophobic C-F units easily form dynamic cross-linking junctions due to the switchable hydrophobic interaction between C-F groups, which can endow the P(AAm-co-HFBMA) hydrogel with a more effective dynamic energy dissipation mechanism in salt solution.

Kinetic and high-throughput profiling of epigenetic interactions by 3D-carbene chip-based surface plasmon resonance imaging technology.

Chemical modifications on histones and DNA/RNA constitute a fundamental mechanism for epigenetic regulation. These modifications often function as docking marks to recruit or stabilize cognate "reader" proteins. So far, a platform for quantitative and high-throughput profiling of the epigenetic interactome is urgently needed but still lacking. Here, we report a 3D-carbene chip-based surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) technology for this purpose. The 3D-carbene chip is suitable for immobilizing versatile biomolecules (e.g., peptides, antibody, DNA/RNA) and features low nonspecific binding, random yet function-retaining immobilization, and robustness for reuses. We systematically profiled binding kinetics of 1,000 histone "reader-mark" pairs on a single 3D-carbene chip and validated two recognition events by calorimetric and structural studies. Notably, a discovery on H3K4me3 recognition by the DNA mismatch repair protein MSH6 in Capsella rubella suggests a mechanism of H3K4me3-mediated DNA damage repair in plant.

Polymer Brush Graft-Modified Starch-Based Nanoparticles as Pickering Emulsifiers.

We study biosourced core-shell particles with a starch-based core and thermo-responsive polymer brush shell using surface-initiated single-electron transfer living radical polymerization (SI-SET-LRP) as a Pickering stabilizer. The shell endows the Pickering stabilizer with reversible emulsification/demulsification of oil and water properties. The initiator attached to the starch-based nanosphere (Br-SNP) core particle was first fabricated using the precipitation method. Subsequently, dense poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brush graft-modified starch-based nanoparticles (SNP- g-PNIPAM) were obtained via the SI-SET-LRP process. Interfacial properties of the resultant particles were analyzed by interfacial tensiometer measurements, as were the effects of the grafted polymer chain length and temperature on the interfacial activity. Pickering emulsion was obtained using SNP- g-PNIPAM particles as the stabilizer. The effect of the concentration of the Pickering stabilizer on the size of emulsion droplets was analyzed. The emulsification/demulsification process of the Pickering emulsion can be reversed and easily repeated by changing the temperature.

Direct bleaching of a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber in a passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

In this work, the anisotropy of nonlinear absorption in a crystal Q-switch was considered when we established coupled rate equations of a passively Q-switched laser. A [100]-cut Cr4+:YAG crystal, with initial transmission T0=40%, was used as the Q-switch to evaluate the theoretical model, and the results of the simulation were in good accordance with the experiment. In order to control timing jitter of the passively Q-switched laser, an actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was applied to directly bleach the [100]-cut Cr4+:YAG crystal. The timing jitter was more than 1 µs without bleaching light. While there was a bleaching light, the time lag between the laser pulse and the bleaching light was less than 100 ns, which meant the timing jitter decreased. The pulse width of the passively Q-switched laser was found to decrease from 45 to 35 ns due to the existing of bleaching light. As the peak power of bleaching light was increased, the laser pulse energy increased from 18.2 to 24.6 mJ, which meant a 35% increment in the pulse energy. The increase in pulse energy can be explained by the increase of α coefficient, and the results of simulation agreed well with the experiment.

Bottom-up synthesis of a sulfhydryl-modified heteroporous covalent organic framework for ultrafast removal of trace Hg(â ¡) from water.

The development of functionalized covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is crucial in expanding their potential for removing toxic heavy metals from drinking water. Here, a new sulfhydryl-modified heteroporous COF (COFDBD-BTA) was prepared using a "bottom-up" approach in which a direct amine-aldehyde dehydration condensation between 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzenedithiol dihydrochloride (DBD) and [1,1'-biphenyl]-3,3',5,5'-tetracarbaldehyde (BTA) was occurred. The COFDBD-BTA featured a hexagonal kagome (kgm) structure and a sheet-like morphology. Notably, COFDBD-BTA contained densely S atoms that provided high-density Hg(II) adsorption sites for efficient and selective trace Hg(II) removal. COFDBD-BTA exhibited excellent performance in rapidly removing trace Hg(II) from 30 µg L-1 to 0.71 µg L-1 within 10 s, below the World Health Organization's allowable limit of 1 µg L-1. Additionally, COFDBD-BTA exhibited a high Hg (Ⅱ) removal level from water, achieving adsorption capacity of 687.38 mg g-1. Furthermore, the adsorbent exhibited a wide range of applicability for low concentration (6-500 µg L-1) Hg (Ⅱ), a simple and feasible regeneration method, and strong Hg(II) removal ability in real tap water systems. The excellent adsorption efficiency, outstanding recyclability, and one-step room temperature synthesis make S-rich COFDBD-BTA a promising candidate for eliminating Hg (Ⅱ) from drinking water.

Manipulating Local Chemistry and Coherent Structures for High-Rate and Long-Life Sodium-Ion Battery Cathodes.

Layered sodium transition-metal (TM) oxides generally suffer from severe capacity decay and poor rate performance during cycling, especially at a high state of charge (SoC). Herein, an insight into failure mechanisms within high-voltage layered cathodes is unveiled, while a two-in-one tactic of charge localization and coherent structures is devised to improve structural integrity and Na+ transport kinetics, elucidated by density functional theory calculations. Elevated Jahn-Teller [Mn3+O6] concentration on the particle surface during sodiation, coupled with intense interlayer repulsion and adverse oxygen instability, leads to irreversible damage to the near-surface structure, as demonstrated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and in situ characterization techniques. It is further validated that the structural skeleton is substantially strengthened through the electronic structure modulation surrounding oxygen. Furthermore, optimized Na+ diffusion is effectively attainable via regulating intergrown structures, successfully achieved by the Zn2+ inducer. Greatly, good redox reversibility with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 92.6%, impressive rate capability (86.5 mAh g-1 with 70.4% retention at 10C), and enhanced cycling stability (71.6% retention after 300 cycles at 5C) are exhibited in the P2/O3 biphasic cathode. It is believed that a profound comprehension of layered oxides will herald fresh perspectives to develop high-voltage cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

An Early Warning System for Heatwave-Induced Health Risks in China: A Sub-Seasonal to Seasonal Perspective - China, 2022.

What is already known about this topic?: Climate change has had a detrimental impact on global health, particularly through the rise of extreme heatwaves. Presently, the early warning system for heatwave-related health risks can forecast potential dangers several days in advance; however, long-term warnings fall short. What is added by this report?: This report introduces a novel early warning system aimed at predicting heatwave-induced health risks in China at sub-seasonal to seasonal timescales. The outcomes of the assessment suggest this system holds significant potential. What are the implications for public health practices?: The system facilitates advanced assessment of both the scale and dispersal of risk among various demographic groups. This allows for the proactive management of potential risks with extended lead times.

Facile green preparation of single- and two-component modified activated carbon fibers for efficient trace heavy metals removal from drinking water.

Trace heavy metals exist in drinking water, having great adverse effects on human health and making it a huge challenge to remove. Herein, novel materials have been prepared by a simple and green method using single- (polydopamine (PDA) or 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonic sodium (DMPS)) (PDA-OACF or DMPS-OACF) and two-component (PDA and DMPS) (DMPS-PDA-OACF) functionalized activated carbon fibers pretreated by hydrogen peroxide for the removal of trace heavy metals. The as-prepared DMPS-OACF (7.5,20) under DMPS addition of 7.5 mg and sonication time of 20 min retained large specific surface area, micro-mesoporous structure and rich functional groups and showed better adsorption performance for trace lead and mercury. It also exhibited wide applicable ranges of pH (3.50-10.50) and concentration (50-1136 µg L-1), rapid adsorption kinetics, and excellently selective removal performance for trace lead. The maximum lead adsorption capacity reached 16.03 mg g-1 when the effluent lead concentration met World Health Organization (WHO) standard and the adsorbent can be regenerated by EDTA solution. The fitting results of adsorption kinetics and isotherm models revealed that the lead adsorption process was multi-site adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces and chemical adsorption. The excellent adsorption properties for trace heavy metals were attributed that the sulfur/oxygen/nitrogen-containing functional groups boosted diffusion and adsorption by electrostatic attraction and coordination, suggesting that DMPS-OACF (7.5,20) has great application potential in the removal of trace heavy metals.

Short-term effect of apparent temperature on daily hospitalizations for osteoporotic fractures in Beijing, China: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the associations between temperature and osteoporotic fractures (OF) hospitalizations are limited. This study aimed to assess the short-term effect of apparent temperature (AT) on the risk of OF hospitalizations. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from 2004 to 2021. Daily OF hospitalizations, meteorological variables and fine particulate matter were collected. A Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was applied to analyze the lag-exposure-response relationship between AT and the number of OF hospitalizations. Subgroup analysis by gender, age and fracture type was also conducted. RESULTS: Total daily hospitalization visits for OF during the studied period were 35,595. The exposure-response curve of AT and OF presented a non-linear relationship, with optimum apparent temperature (OAT) at 28.40 °C. Taking OAT as the reference, the cold effect (-10.58 °C, 2.5th percentage) on single lag day had statistical significance from the current day of exposure (RR = 1.18, 95 % CI: 1.08-1.28) to lag 4 day (RR = 1.04, 95 % CI: 1.01-1.08), while the cumulative cold effect increased the risk of OF hospitalization visits from lag 0 to 14 days, with the maximum RR over lag 0-14 days (RR = 1.84, 95 % CI: 1.21-2.79). There were no significant risks of OF hospitalizations for warm effects (32.53 °C, 97.5th percentage) on single or cumulative lag days. The cold effect might be more evident among females, patients aged 80 years or older, and patients with hip fractures. CONCLUSION: Exposure to cold temperatures is associated with an increased risk of OF hospitalizations. Females, patients aged 80 years or older and patients with hip fractures might be more vulnerable to the cold effect of AT.

High-Entropy Na-Deficient Layered Oxides for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium layered oxides always suffer from sluggish kinetics and deleterious phase transformations at deep-desodiation state (i.e., >4.0 V) in O3 structure, incurring inferior rate capability and grievous capacity degradation. To tackle these handicaps, here, a configurational entropy tuning protocol through manipulating the stoichiometric ratios of inactive cations is proposed to elaborately design Na-deficient, O3-type NaxTmO2 cathodes. It is found that the electrons surrounding the oxygen of the TmO6 octahedron are rearranged by the introduction of MnO6 and TiO6 octahedra in Na-deficient O3-type Na0.83Li0.1Ni0.25Co0.2Mn0.15Ti0.15Sn0.15O2-δ (MTS15) with expanded O-Na-O slab spacing, giving enhanced Na+ diffusion kinetics and structural stability, as disclosed by theoretical calculations and electrochemical measurements. Concomitantly, the entropy effect contributes to the improved reversibility of Co redox and phase-transition behaviors between O3 and P3, as clearly revealed by ex situ synchrotron X-ray absorption spectra and in situ X-ray diffraction. Notably, the prepared entropy-tuned MTS15 cathode exhibits impressive rate capability (76.7% capacity retention at 10 C), cycling stability (87.2% capacity retention after 200 cycles) with a reversible capacity of 109.4 mAh g-1, good full-cell performance (84.3% capacity retention after 100 cycles), and exceptional air stability. This work provides an idea for how to design high-entropy sodium layered oxides for high-power density storage systems.

Functionalized dual modification of covalent organic framework for efficient and rapid trace heavy metals removal from drinking water.

A key challenge in trace heavy metals removal from drinking water by adsorption technology is to achieve high adsorption capacity and rapid uptake speed of adsorbent. Herein, we report a functionalized double modified covalent organic framework (DMTD-COF-SH) bearing high-density sulfur and nitrogen chelating groups provided simultaneously by 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD) and 1,2-ethanedithiol, which was prepared via a facile one-pot thiol-ene "click" reaction. PXRD, FTIR, XPS, SEM, BET and 13C MAS NMR confirmed their successful graft, and DMTD was found to be more easily grafted on the COF surface layer than 1,2-ethanedithiol. The as-prepared DMTD-COF-SH showed remarkable adsorption capacity and ultrafast uptake dynamics to trace heavy metals owing to the synergistic effects resulting from densely populated sulfur and nitrogen chelating groups within ordered COF mesopores and at the COF surface. On the basis of the drinking water treatment units standard NSF/ANSI 53-2020, when the adsorbent dosage was 10 mg/30 mL and 20 mg L-1 calcium ions coexisted, the lead concentration decreased from initial 150 µg L-1 to 2.89 µg L-1 within 10 s, far below the allowable limit of world health organization (WHO) drinking water standard (10 µg L-1), and the maximum adsorption capacity meeting the standard attained 14.22 mg g-1. The adsorbent also exhibited excellent stability, wide applicable pH range and outstanding adsorption performance for coexisting trace lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium (VI) and copper in tap water, indicating that the DMTD-COF-SH material has excellent application prospect for trace heavy metals removal from drinking water.

Short-term efficacy, safety and survival of laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer patients with bowel obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term efficacy of laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer with bowel obstruction and the effects of the surgery on inflammatory factors for improving the clinical treatment of the condition. METHODS: The data of colorectal cancer patients presenting bowel obstruction (n = 167) treated at our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were assessed. The patients were divided into a laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer group (LRRCC, n = 90) and open surgery group (OP, n = 77). Before treatment and on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 15th day after treatment, their serum levels of pain factors, neuropeptide Y, prostaglandin E2 and nerve growth factor were measured by a serum biochemistry analyzer, their levels of inflammatory factors including C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α by ELISA, and their amount of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets were measure by flow cytometry. Anorectal motility was assessed before and 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. Survival rates were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 15th day after treatment, compared with the OP group, the LRRCC group had lower levels of serum pain factors, inflammatory factors and CD8+T lymphocytes, while their numbers of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes subsets were significantly increased. Further, the LRRCC group had fewer complications and significantly higher survival rates, demonstrating better efficacy than the OP group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic radical resection was effective and achieved superior outcomes than open surgery in treating colorectal cancer patients with bowel obstruction.

Oncogenic lncRNA LINC00973 promotes Warburg effect by enhancing LDHA enzyme activity.

Aerobic glycolysis, also known as the Warburg effect, is a hallmark of cancer and essential for metabolism in malignancies, but its regulation and modulation in cancer cells remain poorly understood. Here, using large-scale functional screening, we identified a tumor-associated and broadly expressed oncogenic long noncoding RNA LINC00973. Notably, knocking down LINC00973 significantly inhibits the proliferation of multiple types of cancer cells and reduces tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, LINC00973 directly binds to lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), an essential glycolytic enzyme, and enhances its enzymatic activity, thereby promoting glycolysis. Clinically, high expression of LINC00973 is significantly associated with poor prognosis in many types of human cancers. This work demonstrates that LINC00973 modulates cancer-specific regulation of the Warburg effect, and may represent a potential target for broad-acting anti-cancer therapies.

Surface Architecture Design of LiNi0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05 O2 Cathode with Synergistic Organics Encapsulation to Enhance Electrochemical Stability.

Ni-rich LiNi0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05 O2 (NCA) material attracts extensive attention due to its high discharge specific capacity, but its distinct drawbacks of rapid capacity decline and poor cycle performance at elevated temperatures and high voltage during charge/discharge cycling restricts its widespread application. To solve these problems, a multifunctional coating layer composed of a lithium-ion-conductive lithium polyacrylate (LiPAA) inner layer and a cross-linked polymer outer layer from certain organic substances of silane-coupling agent (KH550) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) is successfully designed on the surface of NCA materials, which is favorable for eliminating residual lithium and improving lithium-ion conductivity, surface stability, and hydrophobicity of NCA materials. In addition, the amount of the coating material is also investigated. A series of characterization methods such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to analyze the morphologies and structures for materials of pristine and modified NCA. It is revealed that the co-coating layer plays a vital part in reducing the surface residual alkalis and improving the stability of NCA particles; as a result, the modified NCA exhibits a greatly improved rate capability, cycle performance, and low polarization impedance.

Starch-based nanospheres modified filter paper for o/w emulsions separation and contaminants removal.

There is a pressing need around the world to develop novel functional biodegradable materials to separate oil/water mixtures and emulsions completely. Recently, superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity materials have been attracted attention due to their high efficiency in oil/water separation. However, it is still a challenge to prepare materials that combine oil/water separation and water purification in an environment-friendly way. In this work, biodegradable starch-based nanospheres (SNPs) coated filter paper was prepared in a low-cost, simple, and environmentally friendly manner. The SNPs coating could not only help to change the wettability of the substrate material but also build the hierarchical micro and nano structures which are conducive to separation and purification process. After modification by coating SNPs, the filter paper exhibited excellent performance in a wide range of oil/water mixtures or emulsions separation and the wettability of the filter paper could be regulated by adjusting the pH value. The modified filter paper presented good recyclability after several separation process. Furthermore, the as-prepared filter paper could also remove water-soluble contaminants during the oil/water separation process, thus realizing to combine separation and purification process in one single step. This biodegradable starch-based separating material with good separation performance, stability and recyclability has significant application potential in practical separation and purification process.

Thermoresponsive starch-based particle-stabilized Pickering high internal phase emulsions as nutraceutical containers for controlled release.

Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized solely by bioderived starch-based particles hold potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical fields. This paper reports the use of a thermoresponsive 2-hydroxy-3-butoxypropyl starch (HBPS) particle as a representative natural biocompatible material for use as an effective stabilizer for HIPE formation. HBPS is synthesized by using butyl glycidyl ether as a hydrophobic reagent to change the hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance of starch, and then starch-based particles are fabricated by a simple nanoprecipitation procedure. The size of particles increased with an increase in temperature, and the particles are essentially monodisperse with a PDI of about 0.1 when the temperature was above 15 °C. These HBPS particles were subsequently used as an effective stabilizer to fabricate stable oil-in-water (o/w) Pickering HIPEs with an internal phase volume of 80% at different stabilizer concentrations. The results demonstrated that increasing the particle concentration is conducive to the formation of stable Pickering HIPEs with greater stiffnesses. In addition, the nutraceutical material (ß-carotene) was encapsulated into HIPEs and in vitro release experiments revealed that the release in this system can be controlled by adjusting the temperature.

Astragaloside IV inhibits human colorectal cancer cell growth.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, therapies against CRC have not been completely effective. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) has shown anti-tumorigenic properties in certain cancers, but its role in CRC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of AS-IV in CRC and explored its underlying mechanism. The results showed that AS-IV dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells and suppressed tumor growth in CRC xenograft mouse models. In addition, AS-IV promoted cell cycle arrest in the G0 phase, associated with increased expression of p21. Furthermore, flow cytometry demonstrated that AS-IV promoted apoptosis of CRC cells in a dose-dependent manner. AS-IV induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, which involved the increased release of cytochrome c and Omi from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm and the up-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, as well as the activation of PARP and caspase cascade (caspase-3 and -9). Taken together, our study has identified a novel function of AS-IV and provided a molecular basis for AS-IV's potential applications in the treatment of CRC and other cancers.