Heterostructured CoFeP/CoP as an Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media.

Developing highly efficient and persistent transition-metal-phosphide (TMP)-based electrocatalysts is critical for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via water splitting in alkaline media. Herein, we constructed a unique heterostructured CoFeP/CoP grown on a nickle foam (NF) via hydrothermal and dipping methods followed by phosphorization at different temperatures for HER. The experimental results exhibit that the HER activity of CoFeP/CoP-400 is accelerated after the construction of heterostructures. The unique heterostructure provides plentiful active sites and a large surface area, which are beneficial for HER in 1.0 M KOH. CoFeP/CoP-400 displays a small overpotential of 78 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and a smaller Tafel slope of 55.5 mV dec-1. Moreover, CoFeP/CoP-400 shows excellent stability with a long-term operating time of 12 h. This work provides an effective method for the construction of TMPs with heterostructures for promoting energy conversion.

Preparation of MoFs-Derived Cobalt Oxide/Carbon Nanotubes Composites for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived metallic oxide compounds exhibit a tunable structure and intriguing activity and have received intensive investigation in recent years. Herein, this work reports metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived cobalt oxide/carbon nanotubes (MWCNTx@Co3O4) composites by calcining the MWCNTx@ZIF-67 precursor in one step. The morphology and structure of the composite were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization. The compositions and valence states of the compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Benefiting from the structurally stable MOFs-derived porous cobalt oxide frameworks and the homogeneous conductive carbon nanotubes, the synthesized MWCNTx@Co3O4 composites display a maximum specific capacitance of 206.89 F·g-1 at 1.0 A·g-1. In addition, the specific capacitance of the MWCNT3@Co3O4//activated carbon (AC) asymmetric capacitor reaches 50 F·g-1, and has an excellent electrochemical performance. These results suggest that the MWCNTx@Co3O4 composites can be a potential candidate for electrochemical energy storage devices.

Design of an Internal/External Bicontinuous Conductive Network for High-Performance Asymmetrical Supercapacitors.

High-energy density supercapacitors have attracted extensive attention due to their electrode structure design. A synergistic effect related to core-shell structure can improve the energy storage capacity and power density of electrode materials. The Ni-foam (NF) substrate coupled with polypyrrole (PPy) conductive coating can serve as an internal/external bicontinuous conductive network. In this work, the distinctive PPy@FeNi2S4@NF and PPy@NiCo2S4@NF materials were prepared by a simple two-step hydrothermal synthesis with a subsequent in situ polymerization method. PPy@FeNi2S4@NF and PPy@NiCo2S4@NF could deliver ultrahigh specific capacitances of 3870.3 and 5771.4 F·g-1 at 1 A·g-1 and marvelous cycling capability performances of 81.39% and 93.02% after 5000 cycles. The asymmetric supercapacitors composed of the prepared materials provided a high-energy density of over 47.2 Wh·kg-1 at 699.9 W·kg-1 power density and 67.11 Wh·kg-1 at 800 W·kg-1 power density. Therefore, the self-assembled core-shell structure can effectively improve the electrochemical performance and will have an effective service in advanced energy-storage devices.

Association between transoesophageal echocardiography monitoring indicators and the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in coronary artery bypass grafting: a study protocol for a prospective multicenter cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies on transoesophageal echocardiography in coronary artery bypass grafting mainly focused on whether to change the surgical plan rather than improve the clinical prognosis. Currently, there are sparse studies on the relationship between transoesophageal echocardiography indicators and the prognosis of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The primary aim of this study is to explore the association between transoesophageal echocardiography monitoring indicators the respiratory variability of inferior vena cava diameter, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and the incidence of acute kidney injury in coronary artery bypass grafting patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We designed this prospective multicenter cohort study, which included approximately 150 adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery. Different hospitals will be assessed to obtain information on the prevalence, risk factors, management strategies and outcomes in coronary artery bypass surgery. The cohort will be followed after the coronary artery bypass surgery period, up to 30 days after enrolment. The incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury and baseline data will be presented by descriptive statistics. We will use Freidman inspection and multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between transoesophageal echocardiography monitoring indicators and the incidence of acute kidney injury in coronary artery bypass grafting patients. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, China (approval number: YXLL-KY-2021(067)). This is an observational study that poses no risk to the patients. All participants will obtain informed consent according to the ethics committee before patient enrolment. Funding sources will have no influence on data handling, analyses or writing of the manuscript. The article is planned for submission in an international peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05139108.

Flap-making patterns and corneal characteristics influence opaque bubble layer occurrence in femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis.

BACKGROUND: Opaque bubble layer (OBL), which generates from photo-disruptive procedures on the cornea, has been a common phenomenon during femtosecond laser-assisted refractive surgeries and it would potentially impact eye tracking and flap lifting. And we have observed that an updated flap-making pattern could form less OBL clinically than the traditional pattern, which needed further approval. Thus, the purpose of this study is to prove our observation and investigate the possible risk factors related to the occurrence and type of OBL in laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) flaps using the Visumax laser system. METHODS: This prospective study included 167 eyes of 86 patients (mean age: 27.5 ± 6.1 years) undergoing bilateral femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) for myopia/myopic astigmatism by the same surgeon from April 2020 to August 2020. Preoperative data on refraction, central corneal thickness (CCT), and keratometry as well as intraoperative data were included for analysis. A new flap-making pattern creating an offset between flap-cut and side-cut was adopted to compare with the traditional pattern. The operation video of flap formation was analyzed to identify the existence and type of OBL. The area covered by OBL and the ratio of OBL to flap were calculated using Image J software. RESULTS: Among 167 eyes, 54 eyes (32.3%) developed OBLs, consisting of 31 as hard OBL coexisting with soft OBL, and 23 as soft OBL alone. The OBL incidence was significantly reduced in eyes with the new flap-making pattern compared with the traditional pattern (13.8% vs. 52.5%, P < 0.001). Hard OBLs had larger area ratios than soft OBLs (14.3 ± 8.3% vs. 1.1 ± 1.8%, P < 0.001). Univariate analyses revealed that eyes with more myopia, thicker CCT, and traditional flap-making patterns were more likely to develop OBLs. Multivariate analysis further confirmed that more myopia, thicker CCT, and traditional flap-making pattern were risk factors for OBLs. A Larger corneal diameter was associated with a higher incidence of hard OBL when applying the traditional flap-making process. CONCLUSION: More myopia, thicker CCT, and larger corneal diameter were risk factors for OBL development during flap creation, whereas a flap-making pattern with an offset between flap-cut and side-cut could reduce the incidence of OBL.

Metabolic interactions between disease-transmitting vectors and their microbiota.

Disease-transmitting vectors are living organisms that pass infectious agents from one animal/human to another. The epidemiologically important vectors are usually hematophagous arthropods, including mosquitoes, ticks, triatome bugs, sand flies, and tsetse flies. All of them harbor an endogenous microbiota that functionally complements their host's biology. Different arthropod vectors are ecologically and behaviorally distinct, and as such, their relationships with symbiotic microbes vary. In this review, we summarize the recent discoveries that reveal how bacterial metabolic activities influence development, nutrition, and pathogen defense in mosquitoes, ticks, triatome bugs, and sand flies. These studies provide a foundation for a systematic understanding of vector-microbiota interactions and for the development of integrated approaches to control vector-borne diseases.

Anopheline mosquitoes are protected against parasite infection by tryptophan catabolism in gut microbiota.

The mosquito microbiota can influence host physiology and vector competence, but a detailed understanding of these processes is lacking. Here we found that the gut microbiota of Anopheles stephensi, a competent malaria vector, is involved in tryptophan metabolism and is responsible for the catabolism of the peritrophic matrix impairing tryptophan metabolites. Antibiotic elimination of the microbiota led to the accumulation of tryptophan and its metabolites-kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and xanthurenic acid. Of these metabolites, 3-HK impaired the structure of the peritrophic matrix and promoted Plasmodium berghei infection. Among the major gut microbiota members in A. stephensi, Pseudomonas alcaligenes catabolized 3-HK as revealed by whole-genome sequencing and LC-MS metabolic analysis. The genome of P. alcaligenes encodes kynureninase (KynU) that is responsible for the conversion of 3-HK to 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid. Mutation of KynU resulted in a P. alcaligenes strain that was unable to metabolize 3-HK and unable to protect the peritrophic matrix. Colonization of A. stephensi with KynU-mutated P. alcaligenes failed to protect mosquitoes against parasite infection as compared with mosquitoes colonized with wild-type P. alcaligenes. In summary, this study identifies an unexpected function of mosquito gut microbiota in controlling mosquito tryptophan metabolism, with important implications for vector competence.

Dysfunction of peripheral regulatory T cells predicts lung injury after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Lung injury caused by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) increases the mortality after cardiac surgery. Previous studies have shown that regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a protective role during CPB, but the correlation between Tregs and CPB-induced lung injury remains unclear. Here, we conducted a prospective study about Treg cells in patient receiving CPB. Treg cells were collected from patients before the CPB operation (pre-CPB Tregs), and the effect of pre-CPB Tregs on the occurrence of CPB-induced lung injury was evaluated. Data showed that the baseline level of Treg cells in peripheral blood were lower in patients who developed lung injury after CPB, compared to those who did not develop lung injury after CPB. Function analyses revealed that pre-CPB Tregs from CPB-induced lung injury patients presented decreased ability in suppressing the proliferation and IFN-γ production of CD4 and CD8 T cell. Also, pre-surgery levels of TGF- ß and IL-10 were markedly lower in lung injury patients than in non-lung injury patients. In addition, PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on pre-CPB Tregs were significantly lower in CPB-induced lung injury patients than the CPB patients without lung injury. Above all, we found impaired peripheral Treg responses in CPB-induced lung injury patients, indicating a potential role of Treg cells in the early diagnosis of CPB-induced lung injury.

Rapamycin inhibits pathogen transmission in mosquitoes by promoting immune activation.

Repeated blood meals provide essential nutrients for mosquito egg development and routes for pathogen transmission. The target of rapamycin, the TOR pathway, is essential for vitellogenesis. However, its influence on pathogen transmission remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that rapamycin, an inhibitor of the TOR pathway, effectively suppresses Plasmodium berghei infection in Anopheles stephensi. An. stephensi injected with rapamycin or feeding on rapamycin-treated mice showed increased resistance to P. berghei infection. Exposing An. stephensi to a rapamycin-coated surface not only decreased the numbers of both oocysts and sporozoites but also impaired mosquito survival and fecundity. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the inhibitory effect of rapamycin on parasite infection was through the enhanced activation of immune responses, especially the NF-κB transcription factor REL2, a regulator of the immune pathway and complement system. Knockdown of REL2 in rapamycin-treated mosquitoes abrogated the induction of the complement-like proteins TEP1 and SPCLIP1 and abolished rapamycin-mediated refractoriness to Plasmodium infection. Together, these findings demonstrate a key role of the TOR pathway in regulating mosquito immune responses, thereby influencing vector competence.

Significant acceleration of Fe2+/ peroxydisulfate oxidation towards sulfisoxazole by addition of MoS2.

Activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) by Fe2+ has been considered as an effective activation method to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the process is limited for the low production yield of ROS owing to the inefficient Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle. Herein, we demonstrated that Fe2+/PDS system in the presence of molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) was significantly efficient for the degradation of sulfisoxazole (SIX). As a co-catalyst in the Fe2+/PDS system, MoS2 could greatly enhance the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle by the exposed Mo4+ active sites, which could also improve the PDS decomposition efficiency. As a result, the degradation efficiency of SIX in the MoS2/Fe2+/PDS system could reach to as high as 97.1% within 40 min, which was in distinct comparison with the 45.5% achieved by Fe2+/PDS system without MoS2. Besides, effects of various reaction conditions on SIX degradation were also evaluated during the experiments, including the dosages of MoS2, Fe2+, PDS and initial solution pH and the coexisting inorganic anions. In addition, both of sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals were identified as the dominant active species for SIX degradation by the radical scavenging experiments and verified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). This study provides a promising idea for the degradation of organic contaminants in water treatment based on Fe2+/PDS process.

A novel dual-tasking hollow cube NiFe2O4-NiCo-LDH@rGO hierarchical material for high preformance supercapacitor and glucose sensor.

Binary transition metal oxides as electroactive materials have continuously aroused grumous attention due to their high theoretical specific capacitance, high valtage window, and multiple oxidation states. However, the tiny specific surface area, poor conductivity and unsatisfactory cycle stability limit their practical application. Hence, a synthetic strategy is designed to fabricate a dual-tasking hollow cube nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) - based composite (NiFe2O4-NiCo-LDH@rGO) with hierarchical structure. The composite is constructed by firstly preparing hollow NiFe2O4 from cube-like Ni - Fe bimetallic organic framework (NiFe-MOF), and then integrating nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) nanowires, together with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via pyrolysis in conjuction with hydrothermal method. The NiFe2O4 possessing cubic hollow structure contributes to a huge accessible surface area, meanwhile alleviates large volume expansion/contraction effect, which facilitates suffcient permeation of the electrolyte and rapid ion/charge transport, and results in high cycling stability. The introduction of layered NiCo-LDH results in hierarchical structure and thus offers maximum contact areas with electrolyte, which heightens the specific capacitance of obtained composite and enhances the electro-catlytic activity towards oxidation of glucose. Furthermore, rGO layer greatly improves the electrical conductivity and ion diffusion/transport capability of composite. Benefiting from the unique structure and individual components of NiFe2O4-NiCo-LDH@rGO composite, the electrode delivers a high specific capacitance (750 C g-1) and superb durability. Simultaneously, the asymmetrical device based on NiFe2O4-NiCo-LDH@rGO as positive electrode delivers remarkable energy density (50 Wh kg-1). Moreover, NiFe2O4-NiCo-LDH@rGO exhibits good sensing performance with a sensitivity of 111.86 µA/µM cm-2, the wide linear range of 3.500 × 10-5 - 4.525 × 10-3 M, and the detection limit of 12.94 × 10-6 M with a signal to noise ratio of 3. Consequently, the NiFe2O4-NiCo-LDH@rGO could provide a prospective notion constructing bifunctional materials with hollow-cube hierarchical structure in the field of supercapacitors and electrochemical sensors.

Gut microbiota is essential in PGRP-LA regulated immune protection against Plasmodium berghei infection.

BACKGROUND: Malaria remains to be one of the deadliest infectious diseases and imposes substantial financial and social costs in the world. Mosquitoes rely on the immune system to control parasite infection. Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs), a family of pattern-recognition receptors (PRR), are responsible for initiating and regulating immune signaling pathways. PGRP-LA is involved in the regulation of immune defense against the Plasmodium parasite, however, the underlying mechanism needs to be further elucidated. METHODS: The spatial and temporal expression patterns of pgrp-la in Anopheles stephensi were analyzed by qPCR. The function of PGRP-LA was examined using a dsRNA-based RNA interference strategy. Western blot and periodic acid schiff (PAS) staining were used to assess the structural integrity of peritrophic matrix (PM). RESULTS: The expression of pgrp-la in An. stephensi was induced in the midgut in response to the rapid proliferating gut microbiota post-blood meal. Knocking down of pgrp-la led to the downregulation of immune effectors that control gut microbiota growth. The decreased expression of these immune genes also facilitated P. berghei infection. However, such dsLA treatment did not influence the structural integrity of PM. When gut microbiota was removed by antibiotic treatment, the regulation of PGRP-LA on immune effectors was abolished and the knock down of pgrp-la failed to increase susceptibility of mosquitoes to parasite infection. CONCLUSIONS: PGRP-LA regulates the immune responses by sensing the dynamics of gut microbiota. A mutual interaction between gut microbiota and PGRP-LA contributes to the immune defense against Plasmodium parasites in An. stephensi.

Freestanding hierarchical nickel molybdate@reduced graphene oxide@nickel aluminum layered double hydroxides nanoarrays assembled from well-aligned uniform nanosheets as binder-free electrode materials for high performance supercapacitors.

Herein, the hierarchical nickel molybdate@reduced graphene oxide@nickel aluminum layered double hydroxides (NiMoO4@rGO@NiAl-LDHs) architecture assembled from well-aligned nanosheets is successfully constructed on Ni-foam through a three-step strategy. For the first time, ultrathin graphene nanosheets are introduced by a novel spraying process to avoid the stack. NiAl-LDHs is prepared via situ growth procedure in which NiAl-LDH self-assembles on the surface of graphene to prevent graphene from aggregating, resulting in an enlarged specific surface area. Electrochemical analysis manifests that NiMoO4@rGO@NiAl-LDHs yields exceptional specific capacitance (3396 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1), favorable charge/discharge rate and approving long-term stability. Furthermore, the NiMoO4@rGO@NiAl-LDHs//AC device delivers superior specific capacitance (137.2 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1), high energy density (48.7 Whkg-1) associated with pleasurable power output (7987 Wkg-1). Importantly, the well-aligned NiMoO4@rGO@NiAl-LDHs provides a prospective conception constructing hierarchical structural materials in the area of supercapacitor.

Stromal-Interacting Molecule 1 (Stim1)/Orai1 Modulates Endothelial Permeability in Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury.

BACKGROUND Increased endothelial permeability is involved in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Stim1/Orai1 mediates store-operated Ca2+ activation, which modulates endothelial permeability. However, the underlying mechanisms of the Stim1/Orai1 pathway in VILI are poorly understood. MATERIAL AND METHODS Wistar rats were exposed to low tidal volume (7 mL/kg) or high tidal volume (40mL/kg) ventilation. Human Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HULEC) were subjected to 8% or 18% cyclic stretching (CS). BTP2 pretreatment was performed. Lung wet/dry weight ratio, histological changes of lung injury, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein were measured. Endothelial permeability and intracellular calcium concentration were evaluated in HULECs. Protein expression was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS High tidal volume mechanical ventilation-induced lung injury (such as severe congestion and hemorrhage) and BTP2 pretreatment protected lungs from injury. The expression of Stim1, Orai1, and PKCα, lung wet/dry weight ratio, and BALF protein level significantly increased in the high tidal volume group compared to the control group and low tidal volume group. Importantly, BTP2 pretreatment alleviated the above-mentioned effects. Compared with exposure to 8% CS, the protein levels of Stim1, Orai1, and PKCα in HULECs significantly increased after exposure to 18% CS for 4 h, whereas BTP2 pretreatment significantly inhibited the increase (P<0.05). BTP2 pretreatment also suppressed increase of endothelial permeability and the intracellular calcium induced by 18% CS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS When exposed to high tidal volume or large-magnitude CS, Stim1 and Orai1 expression are upregulated, which further activates calcium-sensitive PKCα and results in calcium overload, endothelial hyperpermeability, and, finally, lung injury.

Metal-Organic Framework Template-Directed Fabrication of Well-Aligned Pentagon-like Hollow Transition-Metal Sulfides as the Anode and Cathode for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Given the exceptional specific surface area, geometry, and periodic porosity, transition-metal sulfides derived from crystalline metal-organic frameworks have spurred great interest in energy storage systems. Herein, employing a different sulfurization process, well-aligned NiCo2S4 and CoS2 nanoarrays with a hollow/porous configuration derived from pentagon-like ZIF-67 are successfully designed and constructed on Ni foam. The hollow/porous structure grown on a conductive matrix can significantly improve electroactive sites, shorten charge/ion diffusion length, and enhance mass/electron transfer. Consequently, the obtained NiCo2S4 possesses an excellent specific capacitance of 939 C/g, a fast charge/discharge rate, and a favorable life span. An advanced asymmetrical supercapacitor is fabricated by engaging NiCo2S4 and CoS2 as cathode and anode materials, respectively, with a well-separated potential window. The obtained device delivers an exceptional energy density of 55.8 W h/kg at 695.2 W/kg, which is highly considerable to the recent transition metal sulfide-based devices. This facile tactic could be employed to construct other electrode materials with superior electrochemical properties.

PGRP-LD mediates A. stephensi vector competency by regulating homeostasis of microbiota-induced peritrophic matrix synthesis.

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) and commensal microbes mediate pathogen infection outcomes in insect disease vectors. Although PGRP-LD is retained in multiple vectors, its role in host defense remains elusive. Here we report that Anopheles stephensi PGRP-LD protects the vector from malaria parasite infection by regulating gut homeostasis. Specifically, knock down of PGRP-LD (dsLD) increased susceptibility to Plasmodium berghei infection, decreased the abundance of gut microbiota and changed their spatial distribution. This outcome resulted from a change in the structural integrity of the peritrophic matrix (PM), which is a chitinous and proteinaceous barrier that lines the midgut lumen. Reduction of microbiota in dsLD mosquitoes due to the upregulation of immune effectors led to dysregulation of PM genes and PM fragmentation. Elimination of gut microbiota in antibiotic treated mosquitoes (Abx) led to PM loss and increased vectorial competence. Recolonization of Abx mosquitoes with indigenous Enterobacter sp. restored PM integrity and decreased mosquito vectorial capacity. Silencing PGRP-LD in mosquitoes without PM didn't influence their vector competence. Our results indicate that PGPR-LD protects the gut microbiota by preventing hyper-immunity, which in turn promotes PM structurally integrity. The intact PM plays a key role in limiting P. berghei infection.

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins in hematophagous arthropods.

Hematophagous arthropods are medically important disease vectors that transmit a variety of pathogens. Unlike mammals that employ both innate and adaptive immunity to clear invading pathogens, these vectors rely mainly on an innate immune system to combat pathogens. Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are important components of innate immune signaling pathways and are responsible for recognizing microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), thus regulating host immune interactions with both harmful and helpful microbes. Here we review a number of recent studies in different vectors that address the function of PGRPs in immune regulation. Further, we discuss the variation of PGRPs between vectors and Drosophila.

Facile preparation of NiCo2O4@rGO composites for the removal of uranium ions from aqueous solutions.

A hierarchical structure of NiCo2O4@rGO composite has been fabricated, with its structure and morphology well characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS and BET. The results proved that the NiCo2O4 nanosheets grow uniformly on both sides of the graphene sheets. In batch adsorption experiments, the effects of equilibrium time, pH and temperature on uranium(vi) adsorption were investigated. The main results show that the NiCo2O4@rGO composite has a higher affinity towards the uptake of uranium(vi) from aqueous solutions. The highest adsorption capacity reached 342.4 mg U g-1 at pH 5.0. Kinetic analysis shows that the adsorption process is described best by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The uranium(vi) sorption equilibrium data correlates well with the Langmuir sorption isotherm model in the thermodynamic analysis. Thus, NiCo2O4@rGO composite is an excellent adsorbent for removing uranium(vi) ions.

Purification, characterization and antiglycation activity of a novel polysaccharide from black currant.

A novel polysaccharide fraction (BCP-1) was extracted from the black currant fruit by ultrasound-assisted compound enzyme and purified by chromatography on macroporous resin D4006, anion-exchange Q-Sepharose FF and Sephadex G-100 columns. BCP-1 consisted of galacturonic acid, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose in a ratio of 1.00:3.14:1.83:17.90:1.98 and its molecular weight was 14,050 Da. The preliminary structure features of BCP-1 were investigated by FT-IR and NMR. SEM and Congo red test showed that BCP-1 had honeycomb-like structure, but no triple helix structure. BCP-1 exhibited significant inhibitory abilities on protein glycation. Especially, BCP-1 showed obvious inhibitory effects on the formation of dicarbonyl compounds and AGEs (% inhibition of 66.95 ± 0.33% and 67.15 ± 0.40% respectively), but weaker inhibition Amadori compound production (max. 37.15 ± 0.36% inhibition). This suggested that the inhibitory action of BCP-1 on protein glycation was more effective on the later phases of dicarbonyl compounds and AGEs formation.

[Influence of Age on the Susceptibility of Anopheles stephensi to Plasmodium berghei Infection].

Objective: To investigate the ability of Anopheles stephensi at different ages to transmit Plasmodium berghei and elucidate the possible mechanisms. Methods: To study and compare the susceptability of A. stephensi of different ages to P. berghei, 4-day and 25-day female A. stephensi were fed with P. berghei infected BALB/c mouse blood with parasitaemia 4%-8%. At 8 days after infection, the mosquitoes were dissected and the number of intestinal Plasmodium oocysts was counted under microscope. Difference in the susceptability to Plasmodium infection was analyzed between the two age groups. To study the intestinal bacteria load in A. stephensi, LB plate culture was used to detect the intestinal bacteria in the mosquitoes of the two groups before infection, and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to check the culturable bacteria and the total bacteria load. The expression levels of major immune response effectors cecropin（CEC1, CEC3）, defensin (DEF), gambicin (GAM), attacin (ATT), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), dual oxidase (DUOX), and thioester protein 1（TEP1） in 4-day and 25-day mosquitoes were determined by qPCR. Results: At 8 days after infection, the median of oocyst number in 4-day mosquitoes was 139, which was nearly 46 times of that in 25-day mosquitoes (median, 3)（P<0.01）. There was a significant difference in the intestinal bacteria load between 4-day and 25-day mosquitoes. The results of qPCR showed that the total bacteria load in 25-day mosquitoes was 1.5 times of that in 4-day mosquitoes (P<0.05). By LB plate culture, proliferation of 28 889 colony forming units (cfu) bacteria was found for 25-day mosquitoes, which was 9 times of that for 4-day mosquitoes（3 200 cfu）（P<0.05）. In addition, the NOS expression level in 25-day mosquitoes was 2.4 times of that in 4-day mosquitoes (P<0.01）, while the expression levels of antimicrobiota peptides ATT, DEF, CEC3, and CEC1 in 25-day mosquitoes were only 27%, 48%, 14%, and 61% of those in 4-day mosquitoes, respectively (P<0.05). The expression levels of GAM, DUOX, TEP1 showed no difference between the two groups. Conclusion: The antimicrobiota peptides in A. stephensi are significantly downregulated with age increase, together with increased intestinal bacteria load and NOS expression, resulting in enhanced resistance to Plasmodium.