Hepatocellular carcinoma-specific epigenetic checkpoints bidirectionally regulate the antitumor immunity of CD4 + T cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor with significant global health implications. The role of CD4+ T cells, particularly conventional CD4+ T cells (Tconvs), in HCC progression remains unexplored. Furthermore, epigenetic factors are crucial in immune regulation, yet their specific role in HCC-infiltrating Tconv cells remains elusive. This study elucidates the role of MATR3, an epigenetic regulator, in modulating Tconv activity and immune evasion within the HCC microenvironment. Reanalysis of the scRNA-seq data revealed that early activation of CD4+ T cells is crucial for establishing an antitumor immune response. In vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that Tconv enhances cDC1-induced CD8+ T-cell activation. Screening identified MATR3 as a critical regulator of Tconv function, which is necessary for antitumour activity but harmful when overexpressed. Excessive MATR3 expression exacerbates Tconv exhaustion and impairs function by recruiting the SWI/SNF complex to relax chromatin in the TOX promoter region, leading to aberrant transcriptional changes. In summary, MATR3 is an HCC-specific epigenetic checkpoint that bidirectionally regulates Tconv antitumour immunity, suggesting new therapeutic strategies targeting epigenetic regulators to enhance antitumour immunity in HCC.

Epistatic interaction has the reverse effects with its constitutive quantitative trait loci.

Epistasis is one of important genetic components for a quantitative trait in plant. Eshed and Zamir found negative epistatic interactions of quantitative trait loci in Tomato first. We detected that positive (negative) QTLs generated mostly negative (positive) epistatic interactions on heading date in rice, and then proposed the hypothese that QTL epistasis plays a role of homeostasis in one of our recent papers. In order to further provide additional evidence, the effects of QTLs and their epistatic effects on two quantitative traits of plant height (ph) and thousand kernel weight (tkw) were analyzed in this study. The same regularity was verified again. We detected that positive ph QTLs and negative tkw QTLs always generated reverse epistatic effects, respectively. Moreover, high-order epistatic effects were estimated on these two traits. The sum of all epistatic effects would partially neutralize the additive of constitutive QTL effects. This feature of epistsis would be the mechanism for bionts to maintain homeostasis while the obstacle for human to achieve the pyramiding breeding objectives. More evidences are still being collected to support our assumption.

Surface energy-induced anti-wetting and anti-fouling enhancement of Janus membrane for membrane distillation.

Membrane distillation (MD) presents a promising alternative to conventional desalination systems, particularly for the treatment of hypersaline wastewater. However, the large-scale application of MD is hindered by challenges such as membrane wetting, membrane fouling, and low permeate flux. Herein, we proposed an air/liquid interface deposition method to fabricate a Janus membrane, termed the PVDF-PDA/PEI-Si membrane. The membrane featured a nanosieving, superhydrophilic polydopamine/polyethylenimine (PDA/PEI) layer decorated with silica nanoparticles, coupled with a microporous, hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer. The introduction of a dense PDA/PEI-Si layer featuring high surface energy significantly enhanced the wetting and fouling resistance of the membrane, with a minor effect on the permeate flux. The performance enhancement was particularly evident when hypersaline water containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and oily contaminants was used as the feed. The interactions between the membrane and contaminants were calculated using the XDLVO theory and molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the enhanced anti-wetting and anti-fouling properties, respectively. According to the XDLVO theory, a large energy barrier must be overcome for the SDS to attach onto the PDA/PEI-Si surface. Meanwhile, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the weak interaction energy between the oily foulants and the PVDF-PDA/PEI-Si membrane due to its high surface energy. This study presents a promising approach for the fabrication of high-performance MD membranes and provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the enhanced anti-wetting and anti-fouling properties.

A Low-Frequency Fiber Bragg Grating Acceleration Sensor Based on Spring Support and Symmetric Compensation Structure with Flexible Hinges.

To measure vibration signals, a low-frequency fiber Bragg grating (FBG) acceleration sensor featuring a flexible hinge with a spring support and symmetric compensation structure has been designed. Based on the mechanical model of the sensor's structure, the expressions for sensitivity and resonant frequency of the sensor are derived. The structural parameters of the sensor are optimized, and a simulation analysis is conducted using ANSYS 19.2 software. According to the results of simulation analysis and size optimization, the sensor prototype is constructed. Subsequently, its amplitude-frequency response, sensitivity, and temperature characteristics are investigated through vibration experiments. The experimental results show that the resonant frequency of the sensor is 73 Hz, the operating frequency range is 0~60 Hz, and the sensitivity measures 24.24 pm/g. This design meets the requirements for measuring vibration signals at low frequencies.

Functional differentiation and genetic diversity of rice cation exchanger (CAX) genes and their potential use in rice improvement.

Cation exchanger (CAX) genes play an important role in plant growth/development and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we tried to obtain important information on the functionalities and phenotypic effects of CAX gene family by systematic analyses of their expression patterns, genetic diversity (gene CDS haplotypes, structural variations, gene presence/absence variations) in 3010 rice genomes and nine parents of 496 Huanghuazhan introgression lines, the frequency shifts of the predominant gcHaps at these loci to artificial selection during modern breeding, and their association with tolerances to several abiotic stresses. Significant amounts of variation also exist in the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of the OsCAX gene promoters in 50 high-quality rice genomes. The functional differentiation of OsCAX gene family were reflected primarily by their tissue and development specific expression patterns and in varied responses to different treatments, by unique sets of CREs in their promoters and their associations with specific agronomic traits/abiotic stress tolerances. Our results indicated that OsCAX1a and OsCAX2 as general signal transporters were in many processes of rice growth/development and responses to diverse environments, but they might be of less value in rice improvement. OsCAX1b, OsCAX1c, OsCAX3 and OsCAX4 was expected to be of potential value in rice improvement because of their associations with specific traits, responsiveness to specific abiotic stresses or phytohormones, and relatively high gcHap and CRE diversity. Our strategy was demonstrated to be highly efficient to obtain important genetic information on genes/alleles of specific gene family and can be used to systematically characterize the other rice gene families.

Biotransformation approach to produce rare ginsenosides F1, compound Mc1, and Rd2 from major ginsenosides.

The stems and leaves of Panax notoginseng contain high saponins, but they are often discarded as agricultural waste. In this study, the predominant ginsenosides Rg1, Rc, and Rb2, presented in the stems and leaves of ginseng plants, were biotransformed into value-added rare ginsenosides F1, compound Mc1 (C-Mc1), and Rd2, respectively. A fungal strain YMS6 (Penicillium sp.) was screened from the soil as a biocatalyst with high selectivity for the deglycosylation of major ginsenosides. Under the optimal fermentation conditions, the yields of F1, C-Mc1, and Rd2 were 97.95, 68.64, and 79.58%, respectively. This study provides a new microbial resource for the selective conversion of protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type major saponins into rare ginsenosides via the whole-cell biotransformation and offers a solution for the better utilization of P. notoginseng waste.

Ten-eleven translocation-2-mediated macrophage activation promotes liver regeneration.

BACKGROUND: The remarkable regenerative capacity of the liver enables recovery after radical Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resection. After resection, macrophages secrete interleukin 6 and hepatocyte growth factors to promote liver regeneration. Ten-eleven translocation-2 (Tet2) DNA dioxygenase regulates pro-inflammatory factor secretion in macrophages. In this study, we explored the role of Tet2 in macrophages and its function independent of its enzymatic activity in liver regeneration. METHODS: The model of liver regeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) is a classic universal model for studying reparative processes in the liver. Mice were euthanized at 0, 24, and 48 h after PHx. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, immunofluorescence analysis, and flow cytometry were performed to explore immune cell infiltration and liver regenerative capability. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the interaction between Tet2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (Stat1). RESULTS: Tet2 in macrophages negatively regulated liver regeneration in the partial hepatectomy mice model. Tet2 interacted with Stat1, inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory factors and suppressing liver regeneration. The Tet2 inhibitor attenuated the interaction between Stat1 and Tet2, enhanced Stat1 phosphorylation, and promoted hepatocyte proliferation. The proliferative function of the Tet2 inhibitor relied on macrophages and did not affect hepatocytes directly. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore that Tet2 in macrophages negatively regulates liver regeneration by interacting with Stat1. Targeting Tet2 in macrophages promotes liver regeneration and function after a hepatectomy, presenting a novel target to promote liver regeneration and function.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of WD40 proteins reveal that NtTTG1 enhances drought tolerance in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

BACKGROUND: WD40 proteins, which are highly prevalent in eukaryotes, play important roles in plant development and stress responses. However, systematic identification and exploration of WD40 proteins in tobacco have not yet been conducted. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 399 WD40 regulatory genes were identified in common tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Gene structure and motif analysis revealed structural and functional diversity among different clades of tobacco WD40 regulatory genes. The expansion of tobacco WD40 regulatory genes was mainly driven by segmental duplication and purifying selection. A potential regulatory network of NtWD40s suggested that NtWD40s might be regulated by miRNAs and transcription factors in various biological processes. Expression pattern analysis via transcriptome analysis and qRT-PCR revealed that many NtWD40s exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns and might be involved in various biotic and abiotic stresses. Furthermore, we have validated the critical role of NtTTG1, which was located in the nuclei of trichome cells, in enhancing the drought tolerance of tobacco plants. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides comprehensive information to better understand the evolution of WD40 regulatory genes and their roles in different stress responses in tobacco.

Integrated Multiomics Reveals Silencing of has_circ_0006646 Promotes TRIM21-Mediated NCL Ubiquitination to Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis.

Recent studies suggest that circular RNA (circRNA)-mediated post-translational modification of RNA-binding proteins (RBP) plays a pivotal role in metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the specific mechanism and potential clinical therapeutic significance remain vague. This study attempts to profile the regulatory networks of circRNA and RBP using a multi-omics approach. Has_circ_0006646 (circ0006646) is an unreported circRNA in HCC and is associated with a poor prognosis. Silencing of circ0006646 significantly hinders metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, circ0006646 prevents the interaction between nucleolin (NCL) and the E3 ligase tripartite motif-containing 21 to reduce the proteasome-mediated degradation of NCL via K48-linked polyubiquitylation. Furthermore, the change of NCL expression is proven to affect the phosphorylation levels of multiple proteins and inhibit p53 translation. Moreover, patient-derived tumor xenograft and lentivirus injection, which is conducted to simulate clinical treatment confirmed the potential therapeutic value. Overall, this study describes the integrated multi-omics landscape of circRNA-mediated NCL ubiquitination degradation in HCC metastasis and provides a novel therapeutic target.

Longitudinal relationship between social participation, depressive symptoms, and activity impairment among older patients with arthritis: a moderated mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Arthritis primarily affects older people and is a prominent cause of their activity impairment. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between social participation and activity impairment, as well as to determine whether sex moderated the mediating effect. METHODS: A total of 2247 older patients with arthritis were included from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study between 2015 and 2018. We first examined a simple mediation model where depressive symptoms were a mediator between social participation and activity impairment. Furthermore, sex was systematically integrated into the model as a moderator. The mediation model and moderated mediation model were analyzed using PROCESS macro. RESULTS: Mediation analysis revealed that the association between social participation and activity impairment was partially mediated by depressive symptoms (B = -0.10, 95% CI = [-0.14, -0.06]) with intermediary effect of 28.6%. Moderated mediation analysis indicated that mediation model was moderated by sex. The indirect effect of social participation on activity impairment among female patients (B = -0.15, 95% CI = [-0.21, -0.09]) was stronger than male patients (B = -0.04, 95% CI = [-0.09, -0.01]). CONCLUSION: Social participation was the key protective factor associated with depressive symptoms and activity impairment among arthritis patients. Encouraging arthritis patients to social participation and improving the depressive symptoms might avoid activity impairment, especially for female patients.

Genome-wide identification of the N6-methyladenosine regulatory genes reveals NtFIP37B increases drought resistance of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).

BACKGROUND: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the common internal RNA modifications found in eukaryotes. The m6A modification can regulate various biological processes in organisms through the modulation of alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation, folding, translation, localization, transport, and decay of multiple types of RNA, without altering the nucleotide sequence. The three components involved in m6A modification, namely writer, eraser, and reader, mediate the abundance of RNA m6A modification through complex collaborative actions. Currently, research on m6A regulatory genes in plants is still in its infancy. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 52 candidate m6A regulatory genes in common tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Gene structure, conserved domains, and motif analysis showed structural and functional diversity among different subgroups of tobacco m6A regulatory genes. The amplification of m6A regulatory genes were mainly driven by polyploidization and dispersed duplication, and duplicated genes evolved through purified selection. Based on the potential regulatory network and expression pattern analysis of m6A regulatory genes, a significant number of m6A regulatory genes might play important roles in growth, development, and stress response processes. Furthermore, we have confirmed the critical role of NtFIP37B, an m6A writer gene in tobacco, in enhancing drought resistance. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides useful information for better understanding the evolution of m6A regulatory genes and the role of m6A modification in tobacco stress response, and lays the foundation for further elucidating the function of m6A regulatory genes in tobacco.

Naringenin protects against septic cardiomyopathy in mice by targeting HIF-1α.

Myocardial dysfunction is a prevalent complication of sepsis (septic cardiomyopathy) with a high mortality rate and limited therapeutic options. Naringenin, a natural flavonoid compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, holds promise as a potential treatment for sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction. This study investigated the pharmacological effects of naringenin on septic cardiomyopathy. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that naringenin improved cardiomyocyte damage. Network pharmacology and database analysis revealed that HIF-1α is a key target protein of naringenin. Elevated expression of HIF-1α was observed in damaged cardiomyocytes, and the HIF-1α inhibitor effectively protected against LPS-induced cardiomyocyte damage. Molecular docking studies confirmed the direct binding between naringenin and HIF-1α protein. Importantly, our findings demonstrated that naringenin did not provide additional attenuation of cardiomyocyte injury on the biases of HIF-1α inhibitor treatment. In conclusion, this study proves that naringenin protects against septic cardiomyopathy through HIF-1α signaling. Naringenin is a promising therapeutic candidate for treating septic cardiomyopathy.

QTL epistasis plays a role of homeostasis on heading date in rice.

If there was no gene interaction, the gene aggregation effect would increase infinitely with the increase of gene number. Epistasis avoids the endless accumulation of gene effects, playing a role of homeostasis. To confirm the role, QTL epistases were analyzed by four single-segment substitution lines with heading date QTLs in this paper. We found that QTLs of three positive effects and one negative effect generated 62.5% negative dual QTL epistatic effects and 57.7% positive triple QTL epistatic effects, forming the relationship "positive QTLs-negative one order interactions-positive two order interactions". In this way, the aggregation effect of QTLs was partially neutralized by the opposite epistatic effect sum. There also were two exceptions, QTL OsMADS50 and gene Hd3a-2 were always with consistent effect directions with their epistases, implying they could be employed in pyramiding breeding with different objectives. This study elucidated the mechanism of epistatic interactions among four QTLs and provided valuable genetic resources for improving heading date in rice.

Carbon nanosol-induced assemblage of a plant-beneficial microbiome consortium.

Carbon nanosol (CNS) is a carbon-based nanomaterial that promotes plant growth; however, its functional mechanisms and effects on the microbiome are not fully understood. Here, we explored the effects of CNS on the relationship between the soil, endophytic microbiomes and plant productivity. CNS treatment increased the fresh biomass of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants by 27.4% ± 9.9%. Amplicon sequencing analysis showed that the CNS treatment significantly affected the composition and diversity of the microbial communities in multiple ecological niches associated with tobacco, especially the bulk soil and stem endophytic microbiome. Furthermore, the application of CNS resulted in enhanced network connectivity and stability of the microbial communities in different niches, particularly in the soil, implying a strengthening of certain microbial interactions. Certain potentially growth-promoting root endophytic bacteria were more abundant under the CNS treatment. In addition, CNS increased the abundance of some endophytic microbial functional genes known to enhance plant growth, such as those associated with nutrient metabolism and the plant hormone biosynthesis pathways. We isolated two bacterial strains (Sphingopyxis sp. and Novosphingobium sp.) that were enriched under CNS treatment, and they were confirmed to promote tobacco plant growth in vitro. These results suggested that CNS might, at least in part, promote plant growth by enriching beneficial bacteria in the microbiome.

Biotransformation of Sclareol by a Fungal Endophyte of Salvia sclarea.

Microbial endophytes are known as versatile producers of useful metabolites, which have extensive applications in pharmacy, fragrance, agriculture and food. This study aims to screen sclareol-biotransforming microorganisms from Salvia sclarea, an untapped source of diverse endophytes. In this study, 50 culturable endophytes were isolated from S. sclarea grown in Xinjiang using sclareol as the sole carbon source and screened for their potential to transform sclareol into analogues. A fungal endophyte, identified as the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) strain Aspergillus tubingensis, can produce labd-14-ene-3ß,8α,13ß-triol and 8α,13ß-dihydroxylabd-14-en-3-one from sclareol, involving hydroxylation and carbonylation at the C3 site. Structures of the two metabolites were elucidated by HR-ESI-MS and NMR analysis. S. sclarea was proven to be a good source of endophytes that are prospective producers of secondary metabolites with valuable chemical and biological properties. This study is the first report regarding the isolation of endophytes from S. sclarea.

Knockdown of PHLDA1 alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury by downregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Objective: To investigate the regulatory mechanism of pleckstrin homology-like domain, family A, member 1 (PHLDA1) in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Method: Mice model of sepsis were established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The expression of PHLDA1 was reduced by injecting short hairpin RNA (shRNA)–PHLDA1 into the tail vein. The levels of PHLDA1, pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, IL-18, super-oxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH), molecular mechanism related to pyroptosis, such as caspase 1, adaptor apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), and gasdermin D (GSDMD)-N, and nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) were tested by Western blot analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay. Pathological changes in lung tissues were examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Wet–dry weight ratio of lung tissues was observed. Results: The expression of PHLDA1 was up-regulated in lung tissues from CLP-induced septic mice. Knockdown of PHLDA1 could reduce lung injury and wet–dry weight ratio in mice with sepsis-induced ALI. Moreover, silencing of PHLDA1 decreased the expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-18, IL-6, and MDA but increased SOD and GSH expressions in CLP-induced septic mice. The expressions of NLRP3, GSDMD-N, ASC, and caspase 1 were decreased by PHLDA1 silencing. Conclusion: Knockdown of PHLDA1 inhibited lung inflammation and pyroptosis in mice with sepsis-induced ALI by down-regulating NLRP3 (AU)

Microwave Regenerable Nickel, Zinc Co-doped Nitrogen-Coordinated Porous Carbon Catalyst for Nitrogen Fixation.

More than 90% of the global NH3 synthesis is dominated by the Haber-Bosch process, which consumes 2% of the worldwide energy and generates 1.44% of the global carbon emission. The electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) is regarded as an attractive alternative route to produce NH3 under mild reaction conditions, but the electrocatalysts suffer from the difficulty of N≡N cleavage. In this work, we report a leaf-like MOF-derived Ni/Zn bimetallic co-doped nitrogen-coordinated porous carbon (Ni/Zn-NPC) as a cost-effective NH3 synthesis electrocatalyst. The resultant electrocatalyst achieved a high NH3 production rate of 22.68 µg h-1 mgcat-1 at -1.0 V vs a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in a 0.1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. The Ni/Zn-NPC material can be called a microwave regenerable catalyst because microwave treatment has proven to be a crucial part of the multi-field coupling to detoxify and make the catalyst reactive, further improving its stability. Density functional theory (DFT) was chosen to explore the mechanism of Ni/Zn-NPC for NRR, providing a profound prediction of the structure of the active site and related reaction pathways and revealing that trace Ni doping optimizes the local coordination environment and N2 adsorption of Zn atoms.

OsGSTU17, a Tau Class Glutathione S-Transferase Gene, Positively Regulates Drought Stress Tolerance in Oryza sativa.

As a great threat to the normal growth of rice, drought not only restricts the growth of rice, but also affects its yield. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) have antioxidant and detoxification functions. In rice, GSTs can not only effectively cope with biological stress, but also play a defense role against abiotic stress. In this study, we selected OsGSTU17, a member gene that was induced by drought, to explore the role of GSTs and analyze their physiological mechanisms that are involved in rice drought tolerance. With the CRISPR/Cas9 knockout system techniques, we obtained two independent mutant lines of osgstu17. After 14 days of drought stress treatment, and then re-supply of the water for 10 days, the survival rate of the osgstu17 mutant lines was significantly reduced compared to the wild-type (WT). Similarly, with the 10% (w/v) PEG6000 hydroponics experiment at the seedling stage, we also found that compared with the WT, the shoot and root biomass of osgstu17 mutant lines decreased significantly. In addition, both the content of the MDA and H2O2, which are toxic to plants, increased in the osgtu17 mutant lines. On the other hand, chlorophyll and proline decreased by about 20%. The activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase, which react with peroxides, also decreased by about 20%. Under drought conditions, compared with the WT, the expressions of the drought stress-related genes OsNAC10, OsDREB2A, OsAP37, OsP5CS1, OsRAB16C, OsPOX1, OsCATA, and OsCATB in the osgtu17 mutant lines were significantly decreased. Finally, we concluded that knocking out OsGSTU17 significantly reduced the drought tolerance of rice; OsGSTU17 could be used as a candidate gene for rice drought-tolerant cultivation. However, the molecular mechanism of OsGSTU17 involved in rice drought resistance needs to be further studied.

Knockdown of PHLDA1 alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury by downregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory mechanism of pleckstrin homology-like domain, family A, member 1 (PHLDA1) in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). METHOD: Mice model of sepsis were established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The expression of PHLDA1 was reduced by injecting short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-PHLDA1 into the tail vein. The levels of PHLDA1, pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1ß, IL-18, super-oxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH), molecular mechanism related to pyroptosis, such as caspase 1, adaptor apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), and gasdermin D (GSDMD)-N, and nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) were tested by Western blot analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay. Pathological changes in lung tissues were examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Wet-dry weight ratio of lung tissues was observed. RESULTS: The expression of PHLDA1 was up-regulated in lung tissues from CLP-induced septic mice. Knockdown of PHLDA1 could reduce lung injury and wet-dry weight ratio in mice with sepsis-induced ALI. Moreover, silencing of PHLDA1 decreased the expressions of IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-18, IL-6, and MDA but increased SOD and GSH expressions in CLP-induced septic mice. The expressions of NLRP3, GSDMD-N, ASC, and caspase 1 were decreased by PHLDA1 silencing. CONCLUSION: Knockdown of PHLDA1 inhibited lung inflammation and pyroptosis in mice with sepsis-induced ALI by down-regulating NLRP3.

Janus membranes at the water-energy nexus: A critical review.

Membrane technology has emerged as a highly efficient strategy for alleviating water and energy scarcity globally. As the key component, the membrane plays a fatal role in different membrane systems; however, traditional membranes still suffer from shortcomings including low permeability, low selectivity, and high fouling tendency. Janus membranes are promising to overcome those shortcomings and appealing for applications in the realm of water-energy nexus, due to their special transport behaviors and separation properties as a result of their unique asymmetric wetting or surface charge properties. Recently, numerous research studies have been conducted on the design, fabrication, and application of Janus membranes. In this review, we aim to provide a state-of-the-art summary and a critical discussion on the research advances of Janus membranes at the water-energy nexus. The innovative design strategies of different types of Janus membranes are summarized and elucidated in detail. The fundamental working principles of various Janus membranes and their applications in oil/water separation, membrane distillation, solar evaporation, electrodialysis, nanofiltration, and forward osmosis are discussed systematically. The mechanisms of directional transport properties, switchable permeability, and superior separation properties of Janus membranes in those different applications are elucidated. Lastly, future research directions and challenges are highlighted in improving Janus membrane performance for various membrane systems.