Bevel-edge epitaxy of ferroelectric rhombohedral boron nitride single crystal.

Within the family of two-dimensional dielectrics, rhombohedral boron nitride (rBN) is considerably promising owing to having not only the superior properties of hexagonal boron nitride1-4-including low permittivity and dissipation, strong electrical insulation, good chemical stability, high thermal conductivity and atomic flatness without dangling bonds-but also useful optical nonlinearity and interfacial ferroelectricity originating from the broken in-plane and out-of-plane centrosymmetry5-23. However, the preparation of large-sized single-crystal rBN layers remains a challenge24-26, owing to the requisite unprecedented growth controls to coordinate the lattice orientation of each layer and the sliding vector of every interface. Here we report a facile methodology using bevel-edge epitaxy to prepare centimetre-sized single-crystal rBN layers with exact interlayer ABC stacking on a vicinal nickel surface. We realized successful accurate fabrication over a single-crystal nickel substrate with bunched step edges of the terrace facet (100) at the bevel facet (110), which simultaneously guided the consistent boron-nitrogen bond orientation in each BN layer and the rhombohedral stacking of BN layers via nucleation near each bevel facet. The pure rhombohedral phase of the as-grown BN layers was verified, and consequently showed robust, homogeneous and switchable ferroelectricity with a high Curie temperature. Our work provides an effective route for accurate stacking-controlled growth of single-crystal two-dimensional layers and presents a foundation for applicable multifunctional devices based on stacked two-dimensional materials.

Electrochemical Failure Mechanism of δ-MnO2 in Zinc Ion Batteries Induced by Irreversible Layered to Spinel Phase Transition.

Phase transitions of Mn-based cathode materials associated with the charge and discharge process play a crucial role on the rate capability and cycle life of zinc ion batteries. Herein, a microscopic electrochemical failure mechanism of Zn-MnO2 batteries during the phase transitions from δ-MnO2 to λ-ZnMn2O4 is presented via systematic first-principle investigation. The initial insertion of Zn2+ intensifies the rearrangement of Mn. This is completed by the electrostatic repulsion and co-migration between guest and host ions, leading to the formation of λ-ZnMn2O4. The Mn relocation barrier for the λ-ZnMn2O4 formation path with 1.09 eV is significantly lower than the δ-MnO2 re-formation path with 2.14 eV, indicating the irreversibility of the layered-to-spinel transition. Together with the phase transition, the rearrangement of Mn elevates the Zn2+ migration barrier from 0.31 to 2.28 eV, resulting in poor rate performance. With the increase of charge-discharge cycles, irreversible and inactive λ-ZnMn2O4 products accumulate on the electrode, causing continuous capacity decay of the Zn-MnO2 battery.

The Rosetta Stone of interactions of mucosa and associated bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Gut microbiota-mucosa-epithelial cells co-exist in an intricate three-way relationship that underpins gut homeostasis, and ultimately influences health and disease conditions. The O-glycans of mucin glycoproteins have been uncovered as a centrepiece of this system, although understanding the phenomena at play at the molecular level has been challenging and subject to significant traction over the last years. The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent advances in the phenomena that mediate microbiota and mucus multidirectional interactions in the human gut. RECENT FINDINGS: The mucus biosynthesis and degradation by both commensal and pathogenic bacteria is under tight regulation and involves hundreds of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy) and transporters. The fucosylation of O-glycans from mucin-2 seems to dictate binding by pathogenic species and to influence their virulence. Less clear is the influence of O-glycans in quorum sensing and biofilm formation. We have reviewed the advances in the in vitro models available to recreate the phenomena that capture the physiological context of the intestinal environment, emphasising models that include mucus and other aspects relevant to the physiological context. SUMMARY: The recent findings highlight the importance of merging advances in analytical (glycans analysis) and omics techniques along with original robust in vitro models that enable to deconstruct part of the high complexity of the living gut and expand our understanding of the microbes-mucosa relationships and their significance in health and disease.

Single-incision plus one-port laparoscopy surgery versus conventional multi-port laparoscopy surgery for colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of single-incision plus one-port laparoscopic surgery (SILS + 1) versus conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) for colorectal cancer treatment remains unclear. This study compares the short-term and long-term outcomes of SILS + 1 and CLS using a high-quality systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD: Literature search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, drawing from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library until December 10, 2023. Statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan and Stata. RESULT: The review and meta-analysis included seven studies with 1740 colorectal cancer patients. Compared to CLS, SILS + 1 showed significant improvements in operation time (WMD = - 18.33, P < 0.00001), blood loss (WMD = - 21.31, P < 0.00001), incision length (WMD = - 2.07, P < 0.00001), time to first defecation (WMD = - 14.91, P = 0.009), time to oral intake (WMD = - 11.46, P = 0.04), and time to ambulation (WMD = - 11.52, P = 0.01). There were no significant differences in lymph node harvest, resection margins, complications, anastomotic leakage, hospital stay, disease-free survival, overall survival, and postoperative recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to CLS, SILS + 1 demonstrates superiority in shortening the surgical incision and promoting postoperative recovery. SILS + 1 can provide a safe and feasible alternative to CLS.

Rapid screening and evaluation of natural antioxidants from leaf, stem, and root of Artemisia argyi by online liquid microextraction combined with HPLC-based antioxidant assay system coupled with calibration quantitative analysis.

To reveal the utilization value of leaf, stem, and root of Artemisia argyi, a rapid online liquid microextraction combined with a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with 2,2-nitrogen-di (3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt antioxidant assay system was established for analysis of antioxidants in the leaf, stem, and root of A. argyi, and a calibration quantitative method of antioxidant activity with equivalent chlorogenic acid was proposed. Thirty-three positive peaks were identified; among them, 12 compounds were found that possess good antioxidant activity including eleven organic acids (components 2-4, 8, 11-14, 17, 19, and 21) and one flavonoids (component 22). The proposed calibration quantitative method avoided the influence of content of compound and compared the extent of radical scavenging capacity of five antioxidant compounds, which were ranked as follow: 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid > 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid ≈ 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid > 1,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid > chlorogenic acid. In conclusion, this study provided composition and biological potential for the future development of the leaf, stem, and root of A. argyi. It is believed that the online liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography based antioxidant assay system can be widely used for the rapid screening of natural antioxidant components in the different parts of natural products.

Screening Antioxidant Components in Different Parts of Dandelion Using Online Gradient Pressure Liquid Extraction Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Antioxidant Analysis System and Molecular Simulations.

Utilizing online gradient pressure liquid extraction (OGPLE) coupled with a high-performance liquid chromatography antioxidant analysis system, we examined the antioxidative active components present in both the aerial parts and roots of dandelion. By optimizing the chromatographic conditions, we identified the ferric reducing-antioxidant power system as the most suitable for online antioxidant reactions in dandelion. Compared to offline ultrasonic extraction, the OGPLE method demonstrated superior efficiency in extracting chemical components with varying polarities from the samples. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed twelve compounds within the dandelion samples, with nine demonstrating considerable antioxidant efficacy. Of these, the aerial parts and roots of dandelion contained nine and four antioxidant constituents, respectively. Additionally, molecular docking studies were carried out to investigate the interaction between these nine antioxidants and four proteins associated with oxidative stress (glutathione peroxidase, inducible nitric oxide synthase, superoxide dismutase, and xanthine oxidase). The nine antioxidant compounds displayed notable binding affinities below -5.0 kcal/mol with the selected proteins, suggesting potential receptor-ligand interactions. These findings contribute to enhancing our understanding of dandelion and provide a comprehensive methodology for screening the natural antioxidant components from herbs.

PddCas: A Polydisperse Droplet Digital CRISPR/Cas-Based Assay for the Rapid and Ultrasensitive Amplification-Free Detection of Viral DNA/RNA.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based assays have been an emerging diagnostic technology for pathogen diagnosis. In this work, we developed a polydisperse droplet digital CRISPR-Cas-based assay (PddCas) for the rapid and ultrasensitive amplification-free detection of viral DNA/RNA with minimum instruments. LbaCas12a and LbuCas13a were used for the direct detection of viral DNA and RNA, respectively. The reaction mixtures were partitioned with a common vortex mixer to generate picoliter-scale polydisperse droplets in several seconds. The limit of detection (LoD) for the target DNA and RNA is approximately 100 aM and 10 aM, respectively, which is about 3 × 104-105 fold more sensitive than corresponding bulk CRISPR assays. We applied the PddCas to successfully detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV 18) in clinical samples. For the 23 HPV 18-suspected cervical epithelial cell samples and 32 nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2, 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity were demonstrated. The dual-gene virus detection with PddCas was also established and verified. Therefore, PddCas has potential for point-of-care application and is envisioned to be readily deployed for frequent testing as part of an integrated public health surveillance program.

Selective Cocatalyst Decoration of Narrow-Bandgap Broken-Gap Heterojunction for Directional Charge Transfer and High Photocatalytic Properties.

Narrow-bandgap semiconductors are promising photocatalysts facing the challenges of low photoredox potentials and high carrier recombination. Here, a broken-gap heterojunction Bi/Bi2 S3 /Bi/MnO2 /MnOx , composed of narrow-bandgap semiconductors, is selectively decorated by Bi, MnOx nanodots (NDs) to achieve robust photoredox ability. The Bi NDs insertion at the Bi2 S3 /MnO2 interface induces a vertical carrier migration to realize sufficient photoredox potentials to produce O2 •- and • OH active species. The surface decoration of Bi2 S3 /Bi/MnO2 by Bi and MnOx cocatalysts drives electrons and holes in opposite directions for optimal photogenerated charge separation. The selective cocatalysts decoration realizes synergistic surface and bulk phase carrier separation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation suggests that Bi and MnOx NDs act as active sites enhancing the absorption and reactants activation. The decorated broken-gap heterojunction demonstrates excellent performance for full-light driving organic pollution degradation with great commercial application potential.

Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Tumor Theranostics.

Water-dispersible conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) have demonstrated great capabilities in biological applications, such as in vitro cell/subcellular imaging and biosensing, or in vivo tissue imaging and disease treatment. In this review, we summarized the recent advances of CPNs used for tumor imaging and treatment during the past five years. CPNs with different structures, which have been applied to in vivo solid tumor imaging (fluorescence, photoacoustic, and dual-modal) and treatment (phototherapy, drug carriers, and synergistic therapy), are discussed in detail. We also demonstrated the potential of CPNs as cancer theranostic nanoplatforms. Finally, we discussed current challenges and outlooks in this field.

Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution with prevalence of pulmonary nodules: A cross-sectional study in Shijiazhuang, China.

A complete understanding of the associations of ambient air pollution with prevalence of pulmonary nodule is lacking. We aimed to investigate the associations of ambient air pollutants with prevalence of pulmonary nodule. A total of 9991 health examination participants was enrolled and 3166 was elected in the final in Shijiazhuang between April 1st, 2018, and December 31st, 2018. 107 participants were diagnosed in pulmonary nodule while 3059 participants were diagnosed in non-pulmonary (named control). The individual exposure of participants was evaluation by Empirical Bayesian Kriging model according to their residential or work addresses. The pulmonary nodules were found and diagnosed by health examination through chest x-ray detection. Our results suggested that there were positive associations between prevalence of pulmonary nodules and PM2.5 (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.11) as well as O3 (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.66) levels. The platelet count (PLT) acted as the mediator of pulmonary nodules related with the PM2.5 exposure, while the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as well as platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were the mediators of pulmonary nodules related with the O3 exposure. This study suggests that long-term exposure to PM2.5 and O3 may significantly associated with prevalence of pulmonary nodules, and the above associations are mediated by PLT, NLR and PLR.

Cytotoxicity and Autophagy Induced by Ivermectin via AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway in RAW264.7 Cells.

The widespread and excessive use of ivermectin (IVM) will not only cause serious environmental pollution, but will also affect metabolism of humans and other mammals that are exposed. IVM has the characteristics of being widely distributed and slowly metabolized, which will cause potential toxicity to the body. We focused on the metabolic pathway and mechanism of toxicity of IVM on RAW264.7 cells. Colony formation and LDH detection assay showed that IVM significantly inhibited the proliferation of and induced cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 cells. Intracellular biochemical analysis using Western blotting assay showed that LC3-B and Beclin-1 were upregulated and p62 was down-regulated. The combination of confocal fluorescence, calcein-AM/CoCl2, and fluorescence probe results showed that IVM could induce the opening of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore, reduce mitochondrial content, and increase lysosome content. In addition, we focused on induction of IVM in the autophagy signal pathway. The Western blotting results showed that IVM increased expression of p-AMPK and decreased p-mTOR and p-S6K expression in protein levels, indicating that IVM activated the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, IVM may inhibit cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest and autophagy.

Long-term effective remediation of black-odorous water via regulating calcium nitrate sustained-release.

Nitrate addition is reported as a cost-effective method for remediating black-odorous water, which is mainly induced by the deficiency of electron acceptor. However, excessive release of nitrate and lack of long-term effectiveness significantly limited the application of direct nitrate dosing technology. Herein, for remediating black-odorous water, we constructed a nitrate sustained-release ecological concrete (ecoN-concrete), in which calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2) was dosed into concrete block to regulate the release of nitrate. The results showed that chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, ammonia, phosphate, and sulfate were significantly removed in an ecoN-concrete-contained reactor fed with black-odorous water, and its removal efficiency was largely dependent on Ca(NO3)2 dosage. Meanwhile, the released nitrate was lower than 25% of its total dosage and nitrite was lower than 1.5 mg/L during 14 days remediation. After three recycles, the removal efficiencies of COD and turbidity by using ecoN-concrete were still more than 85%, indicating an excellent nitrate sustained-release performance of ecoN-concrete, which can be applied for preventing water re-blackening and re-stinking. Further investigation illustrated that the ecoN-concrete (1) decreased the abundance of Desulfovibrio, Desulfomonile, and Desulforhabdus in the phylum of Desulfobacterota to alleviate the odorous gas production and (2) significantly increased the abundance of Bacillus and Thermomonas, which utilized the released-nitrate for consuming organic matters and ammonia. This study provided an artful Ca(NO3)2 dosing strategy and long-term effective method for black-odorous water remediation.

[Mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction in treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, network pharmacology, and experimental verification].

The study identified the blood-entering components of Sijunzi Decoction after gavage administration in rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, and investigated the mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease by virtue of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification. The blood-entering components of Sijunzi Decoction were identified based on the mass spectra and data from literature and databases. The potential targets of the above-mentioned blood-entering components in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease were searched against PharmMapper, OMIM, DisGeNET, GeneCards, and TTD. Next, STRING was employed to establish a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. DAVID was used to perform the Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment. Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to carry out visual analysis. AutoDock Vina and PyMOL were used for molecular docking of the blood-entering components with the potential targets. Finally, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) signaling pathway enriched by the KEGG analysis was selected for validation by animal experiments. The results showed that 17 blood-entering components were detected in the serum samples after administration. Among them, poricoic acid B, liquiritigenin, atractylenolide Ⅱ, atractylenolide Ⅲ, ginsenoside Rb_1, and glycyrrhizic acid were the key components of Sijunzi Decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease. HSP90AA1, PPARA, SRC, AR, and ESR1 were the main targets for Sijunzi Decoction to treat Alzheimer's disease. Molecular docking showed that the components bound well with the targets. Therefore, we hypothesized that the mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease may be associated with the PI3K/Akt, cancer treatment, and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Sijunzi Decoction significantly attenuated the neuronal damage in the hippocampal dentate gyrus area, increased the neurons, and raised the ratios of p-Akt/Akt and p-PI3K/PI3K in the hippocampus of mice. In conclusion, Sijunzi Decoction may treat Alzheimer's disease by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The findings of this study provide a reference for further studies about the mechanism of action and clinical application of Sijunzi Decoction.

Infinite Twisted Polycatenanes.

Poly[n]catenanes have exceptional mechanical bonding properties that give them tremendous potential for use in the development of molecular machines and soft materials. Synthesizing these compounds has, however, proven to be a formidable challenge. Herein, we describe a concise method for the construction of twisted polycatenanes. Our approach involves using preorganized double helicates as templates, linked crosswise in a linear fashion by either silver ions or triple bonds. By using this approach, we successfully synthesized twisted polycatenanes with both coordination and covalent bonding employing Ag(I) ions and ethynylene units, respectively, as the linkages and leveraging the same Ag(I)-templated double helicate in both cases. Synthesis with Ag(I) ions formed a single-crystalline one-dimensional (1D) coordination poly[n]catenane, and synthesis using ethynylene units generated 1D fibers which self-assembled with solvents to form a gel. Our results confirm the potential of multi-stranded metallohelicates for creating sophisticated mechanically interlocked molecules and polymers, which could pave the way for exploration in the realms of molecular nanotopology and materials design.

Purification and Identification of Flavonoid Molecules from Rosa setate x Rosa rugosa Waste Extracts and Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Activities.

Rosa setate x Rosa rugosa is widely used in the essential oil industry and generates large amounts of waste annually. The purpose of this research is the recycling of bioactive flavonoids from rose waste biomass to develop high-value products. Resin screening and adsorption/desorption dynamic analysis showed that HP20 resin was suitable to purify the flavonoids from R. setate x R. rugosa waste extracts. Under the optimal enrichment process, the product had a 10.7-fold higher purity of flavonoids with a satisfactory recovery of 82.02%. In total, 14 flavonoids were identified in the sample after purification by UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Moreover, the DPPH and ABTS assays revealed that the flavonoids-purified extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activities than the crude extracts. Meanwhile, the purified extracts presented stronger antiproliferative activity against HepG2, Caco-2, MCF-7 and A549 cell lines. The bacteriostatic effects of the purified extracts against four bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa)) and yeast (Candida albicans (C. albicans)) were stronger compared with the crude extracts. It was concluded that flavonoids-enriched extracts from R. setate x R. rugosa waste had the potential to be applied in functional food and pharmaceutical industries.

A New Method of Preparing Aurone by Marine Actinomycetes and Its Potential Application in Agricultural Fungicides.

A strain of marine actinomycetes was isolated from an intertidal zone and identified as Streptomyces cinereoruber. Through the fermentation of this strain, a compound with fungicidal activity was extracted and purified. Using mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data, the metabolite was determined to be an aurone. The toxicity of the aurone toward four kinds of tumor cells-SH-SY5Y, HepG2, A549, and HeLa cells-was verified by the MTT method, delivering IC50 values of 41.81, 47.19, 63.95, and 51.92 µg/mL, respectively. Greenhouse bioassay showed that the aurone exhibited a high fungicidal activity against powder mildew (Botrytis cinerea), cucurbits powder mildew (Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlecht ex Ff.) Poll), and rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae).

[Prediction of Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil and GC-MS based quantitative analysis].

This study was designed to predict the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil and conduct quantitative analysis by GC-MS. The common components of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil were detected by GC-MS. The network pharmacology approaches were utilized for constructing the component-target network and protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, followed by the GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to clarify the pharmacological effects of common components. Molecular docking was conducted to observe the biological activities of common components, thus identifying the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil. The obtained Q-markers were subjected to quantitative analysis by GC-MS. The GC-MS analysis of 19 batches of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil revealed three common components, namely, D-limonene, γ-terpinene, and myrcene. The common components were analyzed based on network pharmacology, and the results showed that Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil mainly acted on the core targets GABRA1, GABRA6, GABRA5, GABRA3, and GABRA2 through D-limonene and γ-terpinene, with five important pathways such as nicotine addiction and GABAergic synapse involved. The core targets were mainly distributed in olfactory region, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, basal ganglia, hippocampus, and amygdala to exert the pharmacological effects. As revealed by molecular docking, D-limonene and γ-terpinene exhibited good biological activities, so they were identified as the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil. The results of quantitative analysis showed that the volume fraction of D-limonene was within the range of 0.77-1.03 µL·mL~(-1), and that of γ-terpinene within the range of 0.04-0.13 µL·mL~(-1). The prediction of D-limonene and γ-terpinene as the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil has laid an experimental foundation for the establishment of the quality evaluation standard for Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil.

Enhanced Piezo-Photoelectric Catalysis with Oriented Carrier Migration in Asymmetric Au-ZnO Nanorod Array.

Current photocatalytic semiconductors often have low catalytic performance due to limited light utilization and fast charge carrier recombination. Formation of Schottky junction between semiconductors and plasmonic metals can broaden the light absorption and facilitate the photon-generated carriers separation. To further amplify the catalytic performance, herein, an asymmetric gold-zinc oxide (Asy-Au-ZnO) nanorod array is rationally designed, which realizes the synergy of piezocatalysis and photocatalysis, as well as spatially oriented electron-hole pairs separation, generating a significantly enhanced catalytic performance. In addition to conventional properties from noble metal/semiconductor Schottky junction, the rationally designed heterostructure has several additional advantages: 1) The piezoelectric ZnO under light and mechanical stress can directly generate charge carriers; 2) the Schottky barrier can be reduced by ZnO piezopotential to enhance the injection efficiency of hot electrons from Au nanoparticles to ZnO; 3) the unique asymmetric nanorod array structure can achieve a spatially directed separation and migration of the photon-generated carriers. When ultrasound and all-spectrum light irradiation are exerted simultaneously, the Asy-Au-ZnO reaches the highest catalytic efficiency of 95% in 75 min for dye degradation. It paves a new pathway for designing unique asymmetric nanostructures with the synergy of photocatalysis and piezocatalysis.

Anti-parasitic effect on Toxoplasma gondii induced by a spider peptide lycosin-I.

Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed parasitic protozoan disease, caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). High prevalence of toxoplasmosis and limitations of conventional treatments lead to a search for new therapeutic drugs. Lycosin-I is a linear peptide, derived from the venom of the spider Lycosa singoriensis. The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-parasitic effect of lycosin-Ι against T. gondii. In vitro, the anti-T. gondii activities of lycosin-Ι were evaluated by MTT assay, trypan blue exclusion assay, cell counting assay and plaque assay. Cytokines of IL-6 and IL-8 were measured by quantitative PCR. In addition, the structures of tachyzoites treated with lycosin-Ι were also observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In vivo, mice were challenged with parasites treated by lycosin-I. The results revealed that lycosin-Ι had shown a significant ability to inhibit T. gondii invasion and proliferation. Cytokines of IL-6 and IL-8 were reduced by lycosin-Ι at transcription level in human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells infected with T. gondii tachyzoites, but they were increased compared to non-infected cells. For tachyzoites, lycosin-Ι induced their cell membrane alterations with formation of invaginations, some of them appeared to be vacuolated in their cytoplasm. Moreover, lycosin-Ι had prolonged the survival time of mice by controlling T. gondii proliferation. In conclusion, our present study provides the first evidence for anti-T. gondii by using the spider peptide lycosin-Ι. These findings suggest that lycosin-Ι is a potential alternative agent for the treatment of toxoplasmosis.

Impact of Sliding Window Length in Indoor Human Motion Modes and Pose Pattern Recognition Based on Smartphone Sensors.

Human activity recognition (HAR) is essential for understanding people’s habits and behaviors, providing an important data source for precise marketing and research in psychology and sociology. Different approaches have been proposed and applied to HAR. Data segmentation using a sliding window is a basic step during the HAR procedure, wherein the window length directly affects recognition performance. However, the window length is generally randomly selected without systematic study. In this study, we examined the impact of window length on smartphone sensor-based human motion and pose pattern recognition. With data collected from smartphone sensors, we tested a range of window lengths on five popular machine-learning methods: decision tree, support vector machine, K-nearest neighbor, Gaussian naïve Bayesian, and adaptive boosting. From the results, we provide recommendations for choosing the appropriate window length. Results corroborate that the influence of window length on the recognition of motion modes is significant but largely limited to pose pattern recognition. For motion mode recognition, a window length between 2.5⁻3.5 s can provide an optimal tradeoff between recognition performance and speed. Adaptive boosting outperformed the other methods. For pose pattern recognition, 0.5 s was enough to obtain a satisfactory result. In addition, all of the tested methods performed well.