A SYBR Green I-based aptasensor for the label-free, fluorometric, and anti-interference detection of MeHg.

Methylmercury (MeHg+) is a common form of organic mercury that is substantially more toxic than inorganic mercury and is more likely to accumulate in organisms through biological enrichment. Therefore, developing a method to enable the specific and rapid detection of MeHg+ in seafood is important and remains challenging to accomplish. Herein, a rapid, label-free fluorescence detection method for MeHg+ determination was developed based on SYBR Green I. The detection system implemented "add and measure" detection mode can be completed in 10 min. Under optimal assay conditions, the detection platform showed a linear relationship with the concentration of MeHg+ within 1-50 nM (Y = 8.573x + 42.89, R2 = 0.9928), with a detection limit of 0.3218 nM. The results obtained for competitive substances, such as inorganic mercury ions and anions, show a high specificity of the method. In addition, this method successfully detected MeHg+ in seawater and marine products, with an accompanying spike recovery rate of 96.45-105.1%.

Significantly Enhanced Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Multiferroic EuFeO3-δ Thin Films.

Regulating the magnetic properties of multiferroics lays the foundation for their prospective application in spintronic devices. Single-phase multiferroics, such as rare-earth ferrites, are promising candidates; however, they typically exhibit weak magnetism at room temperature (RT). Here, we significantly boosted the RT ferromagnetism of a representative ferrite, EuFeO3, by oxygen defect engineering. Polarized neutron reflectometry and magnetometry measurements reveal that saturation magnetization reaches 0.04 µB/Fe, which is approximately 5 times higher than its bulk phase. Combining the annular bright-field images with theoretical assessment, we unravel the underlying mechanism for magnetic enhancement, in which the decrease in Fe-O-Fe bond angles caused by oxygen vacancies (VO) strengthens magnetic interactions and tilts Fe spins. Furthermore, the internal relationship between magnetism and VO was established by illustrating how the magnetic structure and magnitude change with VO configuration and concentration. Our strategy for regulating magnetic properties can be applied to numerous functional oxide materials.

Exploration of the Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide Brevinin-1BW.

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a grave threat to global public health, leading to an increasing number of treatment failures. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are widely regarded as potential substitutes for traditional antibiotics since they are less likely to induce resistance when used. A novel AMP named Brevinin-1BW (FLPLLAGLAASFLPTIFCKISRKC) was obtained by the Research Center of Molecular Medicine of Yunnan Province from the skin of the Pelophylax nigromaculatus. Brevinia-1BW had effective inhibitory effects on Gram-positive bacteria, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.125 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212) and 6.25 µg/mL against both Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213) but had weaker inhibitory effects on Gram-negative bacteria, with a MIC of ≥100 µg/mL. Studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow cytometry have revealed that it exerts its antibacterial activity by disrupting bacterial membranes. Additionally, it possesses strong biofilm inhibitory and eradication activities as well as significant lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding activity. Furthermore, Brevinin-1BW has shown a significant anti-inflammatory effect in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, Brevinin-1BW is anticipated to be a promising clinical agent with potent anti-Gram-positive bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Application Value of Antimicrobial Peptides in Gastrointestinal Tumors.

Gastrointestinal cancer is a common clinical malignant tumor disease that seriously endangers human health and lacks effective treatment methods. As part of the innate immune defense of many organisms, antimicrobial peptides not only have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity but also can specifically kill tumor cells. The positive charge of antimicrobial peptides under neutral conditions determines their high selectivity to tumor cells. In addition, antimicrobial peptides also have unique anticancer mechanisms, such as inducing apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, membrane destruction, and inhibition of metastasis, which highlights the low drug resistance and high specificity of antimicrobial peptides. In this review, we summarize the related studies on antimicrobial peptides in the treatment of digestive tract tumors, mainly oral cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. This paper describes the therapeutic advantages of antimicrobial peptides due to their unique anticancer mechanisms. The length, net charge, and secondary structure of antimicrobial peptides can be modified by design or modification to further enhance their anticancer effects. In summary, as an emerging cancer treatment drug, antimicrobial peptides need to be further studied to realize their application in gastrointestinal cancer diseases.

MicroRNA-206 inhibits HCV proliferation through depressing ACC1 lipid synthesis signalling pathway.

MicroRNAs are considered to play important roles in cell biological and pathological progress. microRNA-206 (miR-206) was reported to participate in lipogenesis, and lipid droplets were necessary for the life cycle of HCV proliferation. Whether miR-206 was associated with HCV proliferation and the potential mechanism are not clear. In this study, we firstly identified that miR-206 could inhibit HCV proliferation at the RNA and protein level. Bioinformatical prediction of target genes binding to miR-206 was performed to investigate whether inhibiting function was due to a lipogenesis pathway. Then, the acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) gene was selected as target gene of miR-206. The dual-luciferase reporter assay results showed that luciferase significantly decreased in cells transfected with 3'-UTR of the ACC1 gene and miR-206. The RNA and protein levels of the ACC1 gene and its pathway genes were significantly lower in cells transfected with miR-206 than in controls. Furthermore, the lipid droplet numbers also significantly decreased in cells transfected with miR-206. In conclusion, miR-206 could inhibit HCV proliferation through depressing ACC1 lipogenesis pathway and decreasing the lipid droplet numbers. miR-206 might be used as anti-HCV biochemical drug in the future.

Melatonin functions in priming of stomatal immunity in Panax notoginseng and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Melatonin (MT) plays important roles in plant disease response, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we show that MT functions in stomatal immunity in Panax notoginseng and Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochemical analyses showed that MT-induced stomatal closure plays a prominent role in preventing invasion of bacteria Pseudomonas syringe pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NADPH oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species production in P. notoginseng. The first putative phytomelatonin receptor 1 (PMTR1) is a plasma membrane protein required for perceiving MT signaling in stomatal closure and activation of MAPK. Biochemical and genetic tests found PMTR1 is essential for flg22- and MT-induced MAPK activation in a heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein Gα subunit GPA1-independent manner. GPA1 functions in the same genetic pathways of FLS2/BAK1 (Flagellin Sensing 2/Brassinosteroid Insensitive 1-associated kinase 1)- as well as PMTR1-mediated flg22 and MT signaling in stomatal closure. The stomata in pmtr1 are insensitive to MT and flg22, but the application of MT induces stomatal closure and reduces the bacterial growth in fls2 and bak1 plants, indicating that PMTR1 might be a downstream signaling component in FLS2- and BAK1-mediated stomatal immunity. In summary, our results (i) demonstrate that phytomelatonin functions in the priming of stomatal immunity and (ii) provide insights into the phytomelatonin signaling transduction pathway.

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) may be used as a novel target to enrich and detect Escherichia coli in milk samples.

In recent years, food safety incidents caused by Escherichia coli have occurred and have endangered human health. Due to the complex matrix of milk samples and the long pretreatment time, the existing methods cannot quickly detect E. coli in milk samples. It is necessary to enrich the E. coli in the complex matrix to improve the detection sensitivity. The E. coli outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is widely present on the cell membrane of E. coli and may be used as a new target to enrich E. coli. In this study, the purified recombinant OmpA protein was used to immunize BALB/c mice to produce polyclonal antibody. Immunomagnetic beads were combined with the polyclonal antibody to enrich the E. coli in the artificially contaminated milk samples. The products of immunoprecipitation were further used for PCR assay. The bacteria in the PCR sample can be pre-enriched, and the limit of detection is 10 × 100 cfu/mL, which is about 100 times more sensitive than samples not processed by this method. Then, the artificially contaminated milk, coffee, juice, and soybean milk samples were tested separately, and it was found that the E. coli gene could be amplified. The whole analysis time was about 120 min, including the enrichment of bacteria and the detection of eluate. We found that OmpA combined with immunomagnetic beads was more efficient, fast, and convenient than the conventional method. Bacteria can be enriched more efficiently without extracting genomic DNA and culturing bacteria. Therefore, this method has potential value for improving the detection sensitivity and shortening the detection time of E. coli in food samples.

Determination of Fumonisin B1 by Aptamer-Based Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer.

Fumonisin FB is produced by Fusarium moniliforme Sheld, of which FB1 is the most common and the most toxic. The establishment of a rapid detection method is an important means to prevent and control FB1 pollution. A highly sensitive fluorescent sensor based on an aptamer for the rapid detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1) in corn was established. In this study, 5-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) was labeled on the aptamer of FB1 (F10). F10 was adsorbed on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) by π-π stacking. The FAM fluorescence signal could be quenched by fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorescent molecules and graphene oxide (GO). In the presence of FB1, the binding efficiency of the aptamer to GO was reduced. Therefore, the content of FB1 in corn samples was determined by fluorescence measurements of mixed FAM-labeled F10, GO and corn samples. This method had a good linear relationship in an FB1 concentration range of 0-3000 ng/mL. The equation was y = 0.2576x + 10.98, R2 = 0.9936. The limit of detection was 14.42 ng/mL, and the limit of quantification was 43.70 ng/mL. The recovery of a spiked standard in the corn sample was 89.13-102.08%, and the time of detection was 30 min.

Establishment of an Improved ELONA Method for Detecting Fumonisin B1 Based on Aptamers and Hemin-CDs Conjugates.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a strong mycotoxin that is ubiquitous in agricultural products. The establishment of rapid detection methods is an important means to prevent and control FB1 contamination. In this study, an improved enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assay (ELONA) method was designed and tested to detect the contents of FB1 in maize (corn) samples. F10 modified with biotin was bound to an enzyme label plate that was coated with streptavidin (SA) in advance, and carbon dots (CDs) were used to catalyze the color of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). The complementary chain of F10 was modified with an amino group and coupled with CDs to obtain conjugates. The sample and conjugates were then added to the enzyme plate coated with F10 (an FB1 aptamer). Upon completion of the color reaction, the absorbance was measured at 450 nm. The LOD of this method was 4.30 ng/mL and the LOQ was 13.03 ng/mL. We observed a linear relationship in the FB1 concentration range of 0-100 ng/mL. The standard curve was y = -0.001482 × x + 0.3463, R2 = 0.9918, and the experimental results could be directly measured visually. The recovery of the maize sample was 97.5-99.23% and 94.54-99.25%, and the total detection time was 1 h.

Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Gynecological Cancers.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of the mucosal barrier of the female reproductive tract (FRT) and are involved in many important physiological processes, including shaping the microbiota and maintaining normal reproduction and pregnancy. Gynecological cancers seriously threaten women's health and bring a heavy burden to society so that new strategies are needed to deal with these diseases. Recent studies have suggested that AMPs also have a complex yet intriguing relationship with gynecological cancers. The expression level of AMPs changes during tumor progression and they may act as promising biomarkers in cancer detection and prognosis prediction. Although AMPs have long been considered as host protective, they actually play a "double-edged sword" role in gynecological cancers, either tumorigenic or antitumor, depending on factors such as AMP and cancer types, as well as AMP concentrations. Moreover, AMPs are associated with chemoresistance and regulation of AMPs' expression may alter sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, more work is needed, especially on the identification of molecular mechanisms of AMPs in the FRT, as well as the clinical application of these AMPs in detection, diagnosis and treatment of gynecological malignancies.

Utilizing the DNA Aptamer to Determine Lethal α-Amanitin in Mushroom Samples and Urine by Magnetic Bead-ELISA (MELISA).

Amanita poisoning is one of the most deadly types of mushroom poisoning. α-Amanitin is the main lethal toxin in amanita, and the human-lethal dose is about 0.1 mg/kg. Most of the commonly used detection techniques for α-amanitin require expensive instruments. In this study, the α-amanitin aptamer was selected as the research object, and the stem-loop structure of the original aptamer was not damaged by truncating the redundant bases, in order to improve the affinity and specificity of the aptamer. The specificity and affinity of the truncated aptamers were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and the affinity and specificity of the aptamers decreased after truncation. Therefore, the original aptamer was selected to establish a simple and specific magnetic bead-based enzyme linked immunoassay (MELISA) method for α-amanitin. The detection limit was 0.369 µg/mL, while, in mushroom it was 0.372 µg/mL and in urine 0.337 µg/mL. Recovery studies were performed by spiking urine and mushroom samples with α-amanitin, and these confirmed the desirable accuracy and practical applicability of our method. The α-amanitin and aptamer recognition sites and binding pockets were investigated in an in vitro molecular docking environment, and the main binding bases of both were T3, G4, C5, T6, T7, C67, and A68. This study truncated the α-amanitin aptamer and proposes a method of detecting α-amanitin.

Correlation of Tunable CoSi4 Tetrahedron with the Superconducting Properties of LaCoSi.

It is known that as the FeAs4 tetrahedron in the Fe-based superconductor is close to the regular tetrahedron, critical temperature (Tc) can be greatly increased. Recently, a Co-based superconductor of LaCoSi (4 K) with "111" structure was found. In this work, we improve the Tc of LaCoSi through structural regulation. Tc can be increased by the chemical substitution of Co by Fe, while the superconductivity is suppressed by the Ni substitution. The combined analysis of neutron and synchrotron X-ray powder diffractions reveals that the change of the Si-Co-Si bond angles of the CoSi4 tetrahedron is possibly responsible for the determination of superconducting properties. The Fe chemical substitution is favorable for the formation of the regular tetrahedron of CoSi4. The present new Co-based superconductor of LaCoSi provides a possible method to enhance the superconductivity performance of the Co-based superconductors via controlling Co-based tetrahedra similar to those well established in the Fe-based superconductors.

Superconductivity in Co-Layered LaCoSi.

It is known that few Co-based superconducting compounds have been found compared with their Fe- or Ni-based counterparts. In this study, we have found superconductivity of 4 K in the LaCoSi compound for the first time. The combined analysis of neutron and synchrotron X-ray powder diffractions reveals that LaCoSi exhibits an isostructure with the known Fe-based LiFeAs superconductor, which is the first "111" Co-based superconductor. First-principles calculation shows that LaCoSi presents a quasi-two-dimensional band structure that is also similar to that of LiFeAs. The small structural distortion may be more conducive to the emergence of superconductivity in the LaCoSi compound, which provides a direction for finding new Co-based superconducting compounds.

Genetic polymorphisms of the HLA-DP and HLA-DQ genes could influence Hepatitis B virus infection in Yunnan population.

Hepatitis B, caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, is one of the epidemic and infectious hepatitis diseases. The sigle-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified to associate with HBV infection in East Asian population by genome-wide association study (GWAS), but no study in Yunnan HBV population was reported. We recruited 493 HBV patients and 460 general controls to genotype 7 GWAS SNPs, and then, the association study was performed between these SNPs and biochemical features of HBV patients. The results showed that genotype and allele frequencies of SNPs in the HLA-DP (rs3077, 9277535, and 3128917) and HLA-DQ (rs2856718 and 7453920) genes were associated with HBV infection. Significantly different genotyping frequencies were investigated among three HBV subgroups. Genotype AA of rs3130542 (HLA-C) showed significantly higher frequency in subgroup #1 patients than the other two subgroups (#1 vs. #2, p = .02; #1 vs. #3, p = .03). Meanwhile, genotype frequencies of rs3077, rs9277535, and 3128917 (HLA-DP) were significantly different between patients in subgroup #2 and #3. The indirect bilirubin level was significantly lower in patients with genotype CT of rs3077 than patients with genotype CC (p = .009) or TT (p = .016), and it also showed lower level in patients with genotype GT of rs3128917 than patients with genotype GG (p = .015). The direct bilirubin level was higher in patients with genotype TT of rs4821116 (UBE2L3) than patients with genotype CT (p = .010). In summary, we identified the association between GWAS SNPs and HBV infection or biochemical features in Yunnan HBV population.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical sputum by a unique gene in MTB strains called Conserved protein TB18.5 (TB18.5).

A rapid and accurate diagnosis increases the treatment effect and decreases the mortality of tuberculosis (TB) patients. The purpose of this study was to establish an accurate, unique, and rapid molecular diagnostic technique to screen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from clinical sputum. A unique gene in MTB strains called conserved protein TB18.5 (TB18.5) was selected by bioinformatics analysis. Two pairs of primers were designed to amplify TB18.5 using the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or quantitative real-time PCR. Nine pathogens and the MTB strain were used to determine the specificity of the TB18.5 gene. The sensitivity assay was performed after optimizing the PCR conditions. The correct fragment was amplified when a 10 copy number template was used. A total of 232 sputum samples were collected from TB patients (from 2019 to 2020) to evaluate the accuracy of the molecular method in this study. MTB was first detected using the BACTEC MGIT-960 culture test and the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Totals of 195 (84.05%), 182 (78.45%), and 162 (69.83%) sputum samples were determined to be infected with MTB using nested PCR, the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF assay, and the BACTEC MGIT-960 culture test, respectively. In summary, a rapid, unique, and sensitive molecular method was established to diagnose TB infection in clinical sputum samples.

Rapid and Simultaneous Detection of Five, Viable, Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria by Photoinduced PMAxx-Coupled Multiplex PCR in Fresh Juice.

Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae are common foodborne pathogens. In this study, the light-induced PMAxx-coupled multiplex PCR (PMAxx-mPCR) was established to detect the aforementioned five foodborne pathogens in fresh juice at the same time. Moreover, PMAxx pretreatment could effectively distinguish live bacteria from dead bacteria. The optimized PMAxx pretreatment conditions were incubation with a final concentration of 10 µmol/L PMAxx for 10 min and then photolysis for 8 min. After PMAxx pretreatment, the difference in Ct values with or without PMAxx was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed a significant difference in Ct value before and after PMAxx treatment. Finally, the bacteria-contaminated fresh juice samples treated with PMAxx dye were detected by mPCR. The detection limit of PMAxx-mPCR was 102 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL for E. coli, Shigella, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae and 103 CFU/mL for S. aureus. Compared with mPCR detection of samples without PMAxx treatment, the proposed method solved the false-positive problem due to dead bacteria. Hence, an accurate and efficient method for the simultaneous detection of five types of pathogenic bacteria was established. This method could be applied to analytical procedures for ensuring food safety.

Mechanism of Antimicrobial Peptides: Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory and Antibiofilm Activities.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are regarded as a new generation of antibiotics. Besides antimicrobial activity, AMPs also have antibiofilm, immune-regulatory, and other activities. Exploring the mechanism of action of AMPs may help in the modification and development of AMPs. Many studies were conducted on the mechanism of AMPs. The present review mainly summarizes the research status on the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antibiofilm properties of AMPs. This study not only describes the mechanism of cell wall action and membrane-targeting action but also includes the transmembrane mechanism of intracellular action and intracellular action targets. It also discusses the dual mechanism of action reported by a large number of investigations. Antibiofilm and anti-inflammatory mechanisms were described based on the formation of biofilms and inflammation. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the multiple activities and coordination of AMPs in vivo, and to fully understand AMPs to realize their therapeutic prospect.

[Cognition function and its influencing factors among people aged 55 and above in 4 provinces of China from 2018 to 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the current situation of cognition function of people aged 55 and above in 4 provinces of China, and to explore its influencing factors of demographic characteristics. METHODS: Using the baseline data of the "Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases", middle-aged and older populations aged ≥55 years with completed data on demographic and economic factors and the cognitive function scale were selected as study subjects. A total of 5103 subjects were included in the study(male 2294, female 2809, 55-64 years old 1875, 65-74 years old 2197, 75-94 years old 1031). Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was adopted, and survey subjects were selected from a total of 32 communities in Hebei, Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Hunan provinces. The baseline data obtained from a face-to-face questionnaire survey was entered using electronic tablets on the spot. Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA) and activities of daily living scale(ADL) were used to determine mild cognitive impairment(MCI) and its subtypes. Multiple linear regression and multiple Logistic regression model were used to analyze the influencing factors of cognitive function in populations. RESULTS: Among middle-aged and elderly Chinese populations, the score of overall cognitive function and its sub-domains were 21. 79±6. 17, 11. 20±4. 18(memory), 8. 81±3. 31(execution), 5. 33±1. 76(visual-spatial ability), 4. 53±1. 40(language), 13. 32±3. 98(attention) and 5. 54±0. 95(orientation). The prevalence of MCI and its subtypes were 35. 86%, 4. 57%(amnestic MCI single domain, aMCI-SD), 3. 64%(nonamnestic MCI single domain, naMCI-SD), 6. 68%(amnestic MCI multiple domains, aMCI-MD) and 3. 94%(nonamnestic MCI multiple domains, naMCI-MD). Subjects aged ≥55 years, living in rural areas, or with per capita monthly household income less than 1000 yuan had lower score of overall cognitive function and its sub-domains(P<0. 05), and also had lower prevalence of MCI and its subtypes. The OR of MCI, naMCI-SD, aMCI-MD and naMCI-MD was 2. 38(95% CI 1. 98-2. 86), 1. 54(95% CI 1. 01-2. 34), 2. 30(95% CI 1. 65-3. 20) and 3. 11(95% CI 2. 07-4. 69) respectively in subjects aged ≥75 years versus those aged 55-64 years, and of MCI, naMCI-SD and aMCI-MD was 3. 02(95%CI 2. 48-3. 66), 4. 30(95%CI 2. 69-6. 88) and 2. 62(95%CI 1. 81-3. 79) respectively in those living in rural areas versus those living in city areas. Subjects with higher per capita monthly household income had lower ORs of MCI and its subtypes. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate of MCI among people aged 55 and above in four provinces in China is at a relatively high level. In the studied 4 provinces of China, about 35% of Chinese middle-aged and elderly populations are affected by MCI. The status of overall cognitive function and its sub-domains of subjects aged 75 years and above, living rural areas and with lower per capita monthly household income are poor, and they may have a higher risk of MCI and its subtypes.

Urchin-Like Fe3 Se4 Hierarchitectures: A Novel Pseudocapacitive Sodium-Ion Storage Anode with Prominent Rate and Cycling Properties.

Transition metal chalcogenides have received great attention as promising anode candidates for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the undesirable cyclic life and inferior rate capability still restrict their practical applications. The design of micro-nano hierarchitectures is considered as a possible strategy to facilitate the electrochemical reaction kinetics and strengthen the electrode structure stability upon repeated Na+ insertion/extraction. Herein, urchin-like Fe3 Se4 hierarchitectures are successfully prepared and developed as a novel anode material for SIBs. Impressively, the as-prepared urchin-like Fe3 Se4 can present an ultrahigh rate capacity of 200.2 mAh g-1 at 30 A g-1 and a prominent capacity retention of 99.9% over 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1 , meanwhile, a respectable initial coulombic efficiency of ≈100% is achieved. Through the conjunct study of in situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, as well as cyclic voltammetry curves, it is intriguing to reveal that the phase transformation from monoclinic to amorphous structure accompanied by the pseudocapacitive Na+ storage behavior accounts for the superior electrochemical performance. When paired with the Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 cathode materials, the assembled full cell enables high energy density and decent cyclic stability, demonstrating potential practical feasibility of the present urchin-like Fe3 Se4 anode.

Genetic Polymorphisms of the IFNLR1 Gene Correlate with HCV Infection and Biochemical Features of Chronic HCV Patients in Yunnan, China.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection could lead to serious liver diseases, but the pathogenic mechanisms were not completely clear. Cytokines play critical roles in infection, and the genetic polymorphisms in the cytokine genes are widely studied in infectious diseases. The variations in the IL28B gene were associated with HCV infection, viral clearance, and biochemical features of patients, but the studies of its receptor (IFNLR1/IL10RB) were rare. In this study, we collected 395 chronic HCV patients and 397 normal controls to investigate the genetic role of the IFNLR1 gene. Eight tagSNPs were genotyped, and the haplotypes were constructed. Genotypes CT (23.80% vs. 17.13%) and TT (75.19% vs. 81.36%) of rs7532146 showed higher and lower frequencies in HCV patients than that in controls (P = .022; P = .039). Haplotypes GGAATCTC (P = .028) and AAAGCCCT (P = .002) were risk factors for HCV infection, but haplotype GAAATCTT (P = .027) played protective role in HCV infection. Moreover, we identified that the ALT level was significantly lower in HCV patients with genotype TT of rs4489498 than those with other genotypes (CC vs. TT: P = .037; CT vs. TT: P = .013). HCV viral load was highest in HCV patients with genotype CC of rs4489498 than in patients with other two genotypes (CC vs. CT: P = .006; CC vs. TT: P = .039). In conclusion, the genotypes and haplotypes in the IFNLR1 gene were associated with HCV infection and biochemical features of Chinese HCV patients.