Micafungin protects mouse heart against doxorubicin-induced oxidative injury via suppressing MALT1-dependent k48-linked ubiquitination of Nrf2.

Oxidative stress contributes greatly to doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. Down-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key factor in DOX-induced myocardial oxidative injury. Recently, we found that mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1)-dependent k48-linked ubiquitination was responsible for down-regulation of myocardial Nrf2 in DOX-treated mice. Micafungin, an antifungal drug, was identified as a potential MALT1 inhibitor. This study aims to explore whether micafungin can reduce DOX-induced myocardial oxidative injury and if its anti-oxidative effect involves a suppression of MALT1-dependent k48-linked ubiquitination of Nrf2. To establish the cardiotoxicity models in vivo and in vitro, mice were treated with a single dose of DOX (15 mg/kg, i.p.) and cardiomyocytes were incubated with DOX (1 µM) for 24 h, respectively. Using mouse model of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, micafungin (10 or 20 mg/kg) was shown to improve cardiac function, concomitant with suppression of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Similar protective roles of micafungin (1 or 5 µM) were observed in DOX-treated cardiomyocytes. Mechanistically, micafungin weakened the interaction between MALT1 and Nrf2, decreased the k48-linked ubiquitination of Nrf2 while elevated the protein levels of Nrf2 in both DOX-treated mice and cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, MALT1 overexpression counteracted the cardioprotective effects of micafungin. In conclusion, micafungin reduces DOX-induced myocardial oxidative injury via suppression of MALT1, which decreases the k48-linked ubiquitination of Nrf2 and elevates Nrf2 protein levels. Thus, micafungin may be repurposed for treating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

NAT10 promotes osteoclastogenesis in inflammatory bone loss by catalyzing Fos mRNA ac4C modification and upregulating MAPK signaling pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Excessive osteoclastogenesis is a key driver of inflammatory bone loss. Suppressing osteoclastogenesis has always been considered essential for the treatment of inflammatory bone loss. N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) is the sole enzyme responsible for N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification of mRNA, and is involved in cell development. However, its role in osteoclastogenesis and inflammatory bone loss remained elusive. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to clarify the regulatory mechanism of NAT10 and ac4C modification in osteoclastogenesis and inflammatory bone loss. METHODS: NAT10 expression and ac4C modification during osteoclastogenesis were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), western blotting, dot blot and immunofluorescent staining, and the effect of NAT10 inhibition on osteoclast differentiation in vitro was measured by the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, podosome belts staining assay and bone resorption pit assay. Then, acRIP-qPCR and NAT10RIP-qPCR, ac4C site prediction, mRNA decay assay and luciferase reporter assay were performed to further study the underlying mechanisms. At last, mice models of inflammatory bone loss were applied to verify the therapeutic effect of NAT10 inhibition in vivo. RESULTS: NAT10 expression was upregulated during osteoclast differentiation and highly expressed in alveolar bone osteoclasts from periodontitis mice. Inhibition of NAT10 notably reduced osteoclast differentiation in vitro, as indicated by great reduction of tartrated resistant acid phosphatse positive multinuclear cells, osteoclast-specific gene expression, F-actin ring formation and bone resorption capacity. Mechanistically, NAT10 catalyzed ac4C modification of Fos (encoding AP-1 component c-Fos) mRNA and maintained its stabilization. Besides, NAT10 promoted MAPK signaling pathway and thereby activated AP-1 (c-Fos/c-Jun) transcription for osteoclastogenesis. Therapeutically, administration of Remodelin, the specific inhibitor of NAT10, remarkably impeded the ligature-induced alveolar bone loss and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory calvarial osteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that NAT10-mediated ac4C modification is an important epigenetic regulation of osteoclast differentiation and proposed a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory bone loss.

Alleviation of arsenic stress in pakchoi by foliar spraying of engineered nanomaterials.

Addressing heavy metal contamination in leafy vegetables is critically important due to its adverse effects on human health. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of foliar spraying with four nanoparticles (CeO2, ZnO, SiO2, and S NPs) on arsenic (As) stress in pakchoi (Brassica rapa var. Chinensis). The findings reveal that foliar application of ZnO NPs at 1 ~ 2.5 mg plant-1 and CeO2 NPs at 5 mg plant-1 significantly reduces As in shoots by 40.9 ~ 47.3% and 39.4%, respectively. Moreover, 5 mg plant-1 CeO2 NPs increased plant height by 6.06% and chlorophyll a (Chla) content by 30.2% under As stress. Foliar spraying of CeO2 NPs at 0.2-5 mg plant-1 also significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in shoots by 9.4 ~ 13.9%, lowered H2O2 content by 42.4 ~ 53.25%, and increased root protein contents by 79 ~ 109.2%. CeO2 NPs regulate the As(III)/As(V) ratio, aiding in As efflux from roots and thereby reducing As toxicity to plants. In vitro digestion experiments reveal that the consumption of CeO2 NPs carries the lowest health risk of As. In addition, foliar spraying of ZnO NPs at 1 ~ 2.5 mg plant-1 can suppress plant As uptake by modulating enzyme activity, reducing leaf damage, and enhancing chlorophyll content. The study demonstrates that high CeO2 NP concentrations and suitable ZnO NP concentrations can alleviate As toxicity in pakchoi, consequently reducing human health risks.

Updating the Species Diversity of Pestalotioid Fungi: Four New Species of Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis.

Pestalotioid fungi are associated with a wide variety of plants around the world as pathogens, endophytes, and saprobes. In this study, diseased leaves and branches of plants were collected from Guizhou and Sichuan in China. Here, the fungal isolates were identified based on a phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) and the beta-tubulin (tub2) of ribosomal DNA, and the morphological characteristics. Ten Neopestalotiopsis isolates and two Pestalotiopsis isolates were obtained, and these isolates were further confirmed as four novel species (N. acericola, N. cercidicola, N. phoenicis, and P. guiyangensis) and one known species, N. concentrica.

Pretreatment of biomass with ethanol/deep eutectic solvent towards higher component recovery and obtaining lignin with high ß-O-4 content.

Deep eutectic solvent (DES) is an ideal solvent for extracting lignin in biomass pretreatment process. However, excessive breakage of the ß-O-4 bonds of lignin remained a challenge for DES-pretreated biomass. In this study, a novel pretreatment system of choline chloride-citrate acid DES combined with ethanol for the pretreatment of bamboo was developed. The chemical characteristics of extracted lignin of bamboo before and after pretreatment were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The results showed that the lignin extracted by ethanol/DES had moderate and uniform molecular weight (Mn: 3081-4314 Da, Mw: 3130-5399 Da), and was structurally intact (maintaining 40.29 % ß-O-4 content), which was about five times higher than DES-extracted lignin, and contained a high number of S units (up to 80 %). Ethanol/DES system resulted in high removal of lignin up to 78.81 % and the highest enzymatic digestibility of glucose (72.68 %) and xylan (92.95 %), respectively. In addition, recovered DES provided similar glucose digestibility yields and delignification performance. The Ethanol/DES pretreatment developed herein provided a viable method for maintaining the structural integrity of lignin and preparing lignin with high ß-O-4 content whilst with a relatively high components recovery.

Effects of broadband music and audible band music on relaxation states and cognitive function in young adults: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although broadband music with inaudible high-frequency components may benefit human well-being, this research area is largely unexplored and lacks sufficient studies on the topic. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of broadband and audible band music on relaxation states and cognitive function in young adults. METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in a professional soundproof laboratory from December 22, 2022, to January 18, 2023 with 32 participants randomly assigned to two groups, "Day 1 broadband + Day 2 audible band" (n = 16) and "Day 1 audible band + Day 2 broadband" (n = 16), listening to either broadband or audible band music (the same music piece played on the piano and harp) for two sessions of 15 min each on two consecutive days. Cognitive function was measured using CNS Vital Signs at pre-listening, after the 1st session, and after the 2nd session, while heart rate was monitored throughout the experiment. Visual Analog Scale was also administered for self-reported arousal, stress, thinking ability, and attention following each listening session. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in heart rate, cognitive flexibility, and executive function between the broadband listening group and the audible band-listening group (p > 0.05). However, the broadband group exhibited significant differences in mean heart rate at several time points, as well as a significant improvement in VAS stress level during the 2nd listening session compared to the 1st (p < 0.05). On the other hand, significant improvements in cognitive flexibility and executive function were observed in the audible band group across different time points (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Comparative analysis showed that broadband and audible band music influenced cognitive function differently. Short-term audible band music listening significantly improved cognitive flexibility and executive function, while short-term broadband music listening significantly reduced reaction time in cognitive tests. Additionally, broadband music consistently resulted in lower mean heart rates compared to audible band music at all time points, suggesting that it may be more effective in promoting relaxation and reducing stress, although these differences were not statistically significant. Since the cognitive enhancing effects of broadband music may be counteracted by the drowsy effect of the selected relaxing music, using different types of music may be necessary to confirm its effects in future studies.

Development and validation of a prediction nomogram for sleep disorders in hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction.

PURPOSE: Sleep disorders are becoming more prevalent in hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We aimed to investigate the risk factors for sleep disorders in hospitalized patients with AMI, then develop and validate a prediction nomogram for the risk of sleep disorders. METHODS: Clinical data were collected from patients with AMI hospitalized in our hospital from January 2020 to June 2023. All patients were divided into the training group and the validation group with a ratio of 7:3 in sequential order. The LASSO regression analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen potential risk factors for sleep disorders. The concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were plotted. RESULTS: A total of 256 hospitalized patients with AMI were enrolled. Patients were divided into the training group (180) and the validation group (76) according to a scale of 7:3. Of the 256 patients, 90 patients (35.16%) suffered from sleep disorders, and 33 patients (12.89%) needed hypnotics. The variables screened by LASSO regression included age, smoking, NYHA class, anxiety status at admission, depression status at admission, and strangeness of environment. A nomogram model was established by incorporating the risk factors selected. The C-index, calibration curve, and DCA showed good predictive performance. CONCLUSIONS: We identified six clinical characteristics as predictors of sleep disorders in hospitalized patients with AMI. It helps nurses make appropriate decisions in clinical practice.

Novel in-situ encapsulation of tin phosphide particles in MXene conductive networks as anode materials of the durable sodium-ion battery.

Sodium-ion battery (SIB) is one of potential alternatives to lithium-ion battery, because of abundant resources and lower price of sodium. High electrical conductivity and long-term durability of MXene are advantageous as the anode material of SIB, but low energy density restricts applications. Tin phosphide possesses high theoretical capacity, low redox potential, and large energy density, but volume expansion reduces its cycling stability. In this study, tin phosphide particles are in-situ encapsulated into MXene conductive networks (SnxPy/MXene) by hydrothermal and phosphorization processes as novel anode materials of SIB. MXene amounts and hydrothermal durations are investigated to evenly distribute SnxPy in MXene. After 100 cycles, SnxPy/MXene reaches high specific capacities of 438.8 and 314.1 mAh/g at 0.2 and 1.0 A/g, respectively. The capacity retentions of 6.0% and 73.6% at 0.2 A/g are respectively obtained by SnxPy and SnxPy/MXene. The better specific capacity and cycling stability of SnxPy/MXene are attributed to less volume expansion of SnxPy during charge/discharge processes and relieved self-stacking of MXene by encapsulating SnxPy particles between MXene layers. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique are also applied to analyze the charge storage mechanism in SIB. Higher sodium ion diffusion coefficient and smaller charge-transfer resistance are obtained by SnxPy/MXene.

Core microbiome-associated proteins associated with ulcerative colitis interact with cytokines for synergistic or antagonistic effects on gut bacteria.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is associated with a loss or an imbalance of host-microorganism interactions. However, such interactions at protein levels remain largely unknown. Here, we applied a depletion-assisted metaproteomics approach to obtain in-depth host-microbiome association networks of IBD, where the core host proteins shifted from those maintaining mucosal homeostasis in controls to those involved in inflammation, proteolysis, and intestinal barrier in IBD. Microbial nodes such as short-chain fatty acid producer-related host-microbial crosstalk were lost or suppressed by inflammatory proteins in IBD. Guided by protein-protein association networks, we employed proteomics and lipidomics to investigate the effects of UC-related core proteins S100A8, S100A9, and cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α) on gut bacteria. These proteins suppressed purine nucleotide biosynthesis in stool-derived in vitro communities, which was all reduced in IBD stool samples. Single species study revealed that S100A8, S100A9, and cytokines can synergistically or antagonistically alter gut bacteria intracellular and secreted proteome, with combined S100A8 and S100A9 potently inhibiting beneficial Bifidobacterium adolescentis. Furthermore, these inflammatory proteins only altered the extracellular but not intracellular proteins of Ruminococcus gnavus. Generally, S100A8 induced more significant bacterial proteome changes than S100A9, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. But gut bacteria degrade significantly more S100A8 than S100A9 in the presence of both proteins. Among the investigated species, distinct lipid alterations were only observed in Bacteroides vulgatus treated with combined S100A8, S100A9, and cytokines. These results provided a valuable resource of inflammatory protein centric host-microbial molecular interactions.

Radical Fluorosulfonamidation: A Facile Access to Sulfamoyl Fluorides.

Recently, the introduction of fluorosulfonyl (-SO2F) groups have attracted considerable research interests, as this moiety could often afford enhanced activities and new functions in the context of chemical biology and drug discovery. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of 1-fluorosulfamoyl-pyridinium (FSAP) salts, which could serve as an effective photoredox-active precursor to fluorosulfamoyl radicals and enable the direct radical C-H fluorosulfonamidation of a variety of (hetero)arenes. This method features mild conditions, visible light, broad substrate scope, good group tolerance, etc., and a metal-free protocol is also viable by using organic photocatalysts. Further, FSAP can also be applied to the radical functionalization of alkenes via 1,2-difunctionalization, radical distal migration, tandem radical-polar crossover reactions, etc. In addition, a formal C-H methylamination of (hetero)arenes by combining this radical C-H fluorosulfonamidation with subsequent hydrolysis as well as product derivatization are also demonstrated.

Facile synthesis of tantalum decorated on iron selenide with nitrogen-doped graphene hybrid for the sensitive detection of trolox in berries: Density functional theory interpretation.

This work presents a hydrothermal method followed by a sonochemical treatment for synthesizing tantalum decorated on iron selenide (Ta/FeSe2) integrated with nitrogen-doped graphene (NGR) as a susceptible electrode material for detecting trolox (TRX) in berries samples. The surface morphology, structural characterizations, and electrochemical performances of the synthesized Ta/FeSe2/NGR composite were analyzed via spectrophotometric and voltammetry techniques. The GCE modified with Ta/FeSe2/NGR demonstrated an impressive linear range of 0.1 to 580.3 µM for TRX detection. Additionally, it achieved a remarkable limit of detection (LOD) of 0.059 µM, and it shows a high sensitivity of 2.266 µA µÐœ-1 cm-2. Here, we used density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the structures of TRX and TRX quinone and the locations of energy levels and electron transfer sites. The developed sensor exhibits significant selectivity, satisfactory cyclic and storage stability, and notable reproducibility. Moreover, the practicality of TRX was assessed in different types of berries, yielding satisfactory recoveries.

Role of Thiamine Supplementation in the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) has always posed a significant threat to human survival and health. The efficacy of thiamine supplementation in CHF patients remains uncertain. HYPOTHESIS: Receiving supplementary thiamine may not confer benefits to patients with CHF. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases up until May 2023 to identify articles investigating the effects of thiamine supplementation in CHF patients. Predefined criteria were utilized for selecting data on study characteristics and results. RESULTS: Seven randomized, double-blind, controlled trials (five parallel trials and two crossover trials) involving a total of 274 patients were enrolled. The results of the meta-analysis pooling these studies did not reveal any significant effect of thiamine treatment compared with placebo on left ventricular ejection fraction (WMD = 1.653%, 95% CI:  -1.098 to 4.405, p = 0.239, I2 = 61.8%), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (WMD = -6.831 mL, 95% CI:  -26.367 to 12.704, p = 0.493, I2 = 0.0%), 6-min walking test (WMD = 16.526 m, 95% CI:  -36.582 to 69.634, p = 0.542, I2 = 66.3%), N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (WMD = 258.150 pg/mL, 95% CI:  -236.406 to 752.707, p = 0.306, I2 = 21.6%), or New York Heart Association class (WMD = -0.223, 95% CI:  -0.781 to 0.335, p = 0.434, I2 = 87.1%). However, it effectively improved the status of thiamine deficiency (TD). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis indicates that thiamine supplementation does not have a direct therapeutic effect on CHF, except for correcting TD.

Infection with COVID-19 Complicated by Sinus Arrest.

As a respiratory tract-transmitted disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exerts a profound immune injury effect, leading not only to pulmonary impairment but also to cardiac complications. We present a case of a 79-year-old woman, who had previously contracted COVID-19 and subsequently developed sinus arrest (SA) following her second infection. The longest asystole time detected by Holter monitoring was 7.2 seconds. Although the patient met criteria for permanent pacemaker implantation, her family declined this intervention and conservative management was pursued instead. However, after a period of observation, the patient's SA resolved. The present case study describes a patient who experienced SA upon reinfection with COVID-19, which was not present during the initial infection. It emphasizes the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac health, particularly its potential to induce arrhythmias. In addition, it is worth noting that the arrhythmia induced by a COVID-19 infection may show reversibility, suggesting that a permanent pacemaker might not be the priority option if further pacing therapy is being considered.

Differential expression of FSTL1 and its correlation with the pathological process of periodontitis.

AIMS: This study aimed to elucidate the alterations in Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) and its association with the pathological process of periodontitis. METHODS: This study included 48 patients with periodontitis and 42 healthy controls. The expression level of FSTL1 in the gingiva was determined by RT-qPCR, validated using the dataset GSE16134, and subsequently examined by western blotting. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a single-cell distribution of FSTL1, characteristic of angiogenesis and immune cell infiltration. The expression and distribution of FSTL1, vascular endothelial marker protein CD31 and myeloperoxidase (MPO), the indicator of neutrophil activity, were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). A series of correlation analyses was performed to determine the associations between FSTL1 and clinical parameters, including probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL), and their potential role in angiogenesis (CD31) and neutrophil infiltration (MPO). RESULTS: FSTL1 was significantly upregulated in the gingiva of patients with periodontitis compared to their healthy counterparts. In addition, FSTL1 was positively correlated with the clinical parameters PD (r = .5971, p = .0005) and CAL (r = .6078, p = .0004). Bioinformatic analysis and IHC indicated that high FSTL1 expression was significantly correlated with angiogenesis and neutrophil infiltration in periodontitis. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that FSTL1 could serve as an independent indicator for evaluating the severity of periodontitis (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.9011, p < .0001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated FSTL1 upregulation in periodontitis and its potential contribution to the disease via angiogenesis and neutrophil infiltration.

Dual Z-scheme heterojunction Ce2Sn2O7/Ag3PO4/V@g-C3N4 for increased photocatalytic degradation of the food additive tartrazine, in the presence of persulfate: Kinetics, toxicity, and density functional theory studies.

This study involved the synthesis of a Ce2Sn2O7/Ag3PO4/V@g-C3N4 composite through hydrothermal methods, followed by mechanical grinding. The resulting heterojunction exhibited improved catalytic activity under visible light by effectively separating electrons and holes (e-/h+). The degradation of Tartrazine (TTZ) reached 93.20% within 50 min by employing a ternary composite at a concentration of 10 mg L-1, along with 6 mg L-1 of PS. The highest pseudo-first-order kinetic constant (0.1273 min-1 and R2 = 0.951) was observed in this system. The dual Z-scheme heterojunction is developed by Ce2Sn2O7, Ag3PO4, and V@g-C3N4, and it may increase the visible light absorption range while also accelerating charge carrier transfer and separation between catalysts. The analysis of the vulnerability positions and degradation pathways of TTZ involved the utilization of density functional theory (DFT) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to examine the intermediate products. Therefore, Ce2Sn2O7/Ag3PO4/V@g-C3N4 is an excellent ternary nanocomposite for the remediation of pollutants.

Characterization and efficacy of C60 nano-photosensitive drugs in colorectal cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Fullerenes C60 shows great potential for drug transport. C60 generates large amounts of singlet oxygen upon photoexcitation, which has a significant inhibitory effect on tumor cells, so the photosensitive properties of C60 were exploited for photodynamic therapy of tumors by laser irradiation. METHODS: In this study, C60-NH2 was functionalized by introducing amino acids on the surface of C60, coupled with 5-FU to obtain C60 amino acid-derived drugs (C60AF, C60GF, C60LF), and activated photosensitive drugs (C60AFL, C60GFL, C60LFL) were obtained by laser irradiation. The C60 nano-photosensitive drugs were characterized in various ways, and the efficacy and safety of C60 nano-photosensitive drugs were verified by cellular experiments and animal experiments. Bioinformatics methods and cellular experiments were used to confirm the photosensitive drug targets and verify the therapeutic targets with C60AF. RESULTS: Photosensitised tumor-targeted drug delivery effectively crosses cell membranes, leads to more apoptotic cell death, and provides higher anti-tumor efficacy and safety in vitro and in vivo colorectal cancer pharmacodynamic assays compared to free 5-FU.C60 photosensitized drug promotes tumor killing by inhibiting the colorectal cancer FLOR1 tumor protein target, with no significant toxic effects on normal organs. CONCLUSION: C60 photosensitized drug delivery systems are expected to improve efficacy and reduce side effects in the future treatment of colorectal cancer. Further and better development and design of drugs and vectors for colorectal cancer therapy.

Physicochemical control of solvation and molecular assembly of charged amphiphilic oligomers at air-aqueous interfaces.

HYPOTHESIS: Understanding the rules that control the assembly of nanostructured soft materials at interfaces is central to many applications. We hypothesize that electrolytes can be used to alter the hydration shell of amphiphilic oligomers at the air-aqueous interface of Langmuir films, thereby providing a means to control the formation of emergent nanostructures. EXPERIMENTS: Three representative salts - (NaF, NaCl, NaSCN) were studied for mediating the self-assembly of oligodimethylsiloxane methylimidazolium (ODMS-MIM+) amphiphiles in Langmuir films. The effects of the different salts on the nanostructure assembly of these films were probed using vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy and Langmuir trough techniques. Experimental data were supported by atomistic molecular dynamic simulations. FINDINGS: Langmuir trough surface pressure - area isotherms suggested a surprising effect on oligomer assembly, whereby the presence of anions affects the stability of the interfacial layer irrespective of their surface propensities. In contrast, SFG results implied a strong anion effect that parallels the surface activity of anions. These seemingly contradictory trends are explained by anion driven tail dehydration resulting in increasingly heterogeneous systems with entangled ODMS tails and appreciable anion penetration into the complex interfacial layer comprised of headgroups, tails, and interfacial water molecules. These findings provide physical and chemical insight for tuning a wide range of interfacial assemblies.

Genetic markers associated with ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Ferroptosis is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and vascular dementia, implying that it may have a regulatory effect on the progression of these diseases. However, the specific role of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not yet fully understood. The aim of the study was to detect ferroptosis related genes with regulatory functions in the disease and explore potential mechanisms in AD. Methods: Hub FRGs were obtained through multiple algorithms based on the GSE5281 dataset. The screening process was implemented by R packages including limma, WGCNA, glm and SVM-RFE. Gene Ontology classification and pathway enrichment analysis were performed based on FRGs. Biological processes involved with hub FRGs were investigated through GSVA and GSEA methods. Immune infiltration analysis was performed by the R package CIBERSORT. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was utilized to validate the accuracy of hub FRGs. The CeRNA network attempted to find non-coding RNA transcripts which may play a role in disease progression. Results: DDIT4, MUC1, KLHL24, CD44, and RB1 were identified as hub FRGs. As later revealed by enrichment analysis, the hub FRGs had important effects on AD through involvement in diverse AD pathogenesis-related pathways such as autophagy and glutathione metabolism. The immune microenvironment in AD shows increased numbers of resting NK cells, macrophages, and mast cells, with decreased levels of CD8 T cells when compared to healthy samples. Regulatory T cells were positively correlated with MUC1, KLHL24, and DDIT4 expression, while RB1 showed negative correlations with eosinophils and CD8 T cells, suggesting potential roles in modulating the immune environment in AD. Conclusion: Our research has identified five hub FRGs in AD. We concluded that ferroptosis may be involved in the disease.

Inorganic salt starvation improves the polysaccharide production and CO2 fixation by Porphyridium purpureum.

The microalgae industry shows a promising future in the production of high-value products such as pigments, phycoerythrin, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polysaccharides. It was found that polysaccharides have high biomedical value (such as antiviral, antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidative) and industrial application prospects (such as antioxidants). This study aimed to improve the polysaccharides accumulation of Porphyridium purpureum CoE1, which was effectuated by inorganic salt starvation strategy whilst supplying rich carbon dioxide. At a culturing temperature of 25 °C, the highest polysaccharide content (2.89 g/L) was achieved in 50% artificial seawater on the 12th day. This accounted for approximately 37.29% of the dry biomass, signifying a 25.3% increase in polysaccharide production compared to the culture in 100% artificial seawater. Subsequently, separation, purification and characterization of polysaccharides produced were conducted. Furthermore, the assessment of CO2 fixation capacity during the cultivation of P. purpureum CoE1 was conducted in a 10 L photobioreactor. This indicated that the strain exhibited an excellent CO2 fixation capacity of 1.66 g CO2/g biomass/d. This study proposed an efficient and feasible approach that not only increasing the yield of polysaccharides by P. purpureum CoE1, but also fixing CO2 with a high rate, which showed great potential in the microalgae industry and Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage.

Metagenomic-based discovery and comparison of the lignin degrading potential of microbiomes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems via the LCdb database.

Lignin, as an abundant organic carbon, plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle. However, our understanding of the global lignin-degrading microbiome remains elusive. The greatest barrier has been absence of a comprehensive and accurate functional gene database. Here, we first developed a curated functional gene database (LCdb) for metagenomic profiling of lignin degrading microbial consortia. Via the LCdb, we draw a clear picture describing the global biogeography of communities with lignin-degrading potential. They exhibit clear niche differentiation at the levels of taxonomy and functional traits. The terrestrial microbiomes showed the highest diversity, yet the lowest correlations. In particular, there were few correlations between genes involved in aerobic and anaerobic degradation pathways, showing a clear functional redundancy property. In contrast, enhanced correlations, especially closer inter-connections between anaerobic and aerobic groups, were observed in aquatic consortia in response to the lower diversity. Specifically, dypB and dypA, are widespread on Earth, indicating their essential roles in lignin depolymerization. Estuarine and marine consortia featured the laccase and mnsod genes, respectively. Notably, the roles of archaea in lignin degradation were revealed in marine ecosystems. Environmental factors strongly influenced functional traits, but weakly shaped taxonomic groups. Null mode analysis further verified that composition of functional traits was deterministic, while taxonomic composition was highly stochastic, demonstrating that the environment selects functional genes rather than taxonomic groups. Our study not only develops a useful tool to study lignin degrading microbial communities via metagenome sequencing but also advances our understanding of ecological traits of these global microbiomes.