Rapid construction of nickel phyllosilicate with ultrathin layers and high performance for CO2 methanation.

The traditional techniques for the synthesis of nickel phyllosilicates usually time-consuming and energy-intensive, which often lead to the formation of layers with excessive thickness due to uncontrolled crystal growth. In order to overcome these challenges, this work introduces a microwave-assisted synthesis strategy to facilitate the synthesis of Ni-phyllosilicate-based catalysts within an exceptionally short duration of only five minutes, attaining a peak temperature of merely 102 °C. To enhance the specific surface area and to increase the exposure of active sites, an investigation was conducted involving three surfactants. The employment of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) has yielded remarkable results, with an ultrahigh specific surface area reaching 535 m2 g-1 and an ultrathin lamellar thickness of 1.43 nm. The catalyst exhibited an impressive CO2 conversion of 81.7 % at 400 °C, 60 L g-1 h-1, 0.1 MPa. It also demonstrated a substantial turnover frequency for CO2 (TOFCO2) of 5.4 ± 0.1 × 10-2 s-1, alongside a relatively low activation energy (Ea) of 80.74 kJ·mol-1. Moreover, the catalyst maintained its high stability over a period of 100 h and displayed high resistance to sintering. To further elucidate growth temperature gradient of the catalyst and concentration gradient of the materials involved, COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL) simulations were effectively utilized. In conclusion, this work breaks the limitation associated with traditional, laborious synthesis methods for Ni-phyllosilicates, which can produce materials with high surface area and thin-layer characteristics.

ATRA ameliorates fibrosis by suppressing the pro-fibrotic molecule Fra2/AP-1 in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease that leads to irreversible fibrosis of the skin and the internal organs. The etiology of SSc is complex, its pathophysiology is poorly understood, and clinical therapeutic options are restricted. Thus, research into medications and targets for treating fibrosis is essential and urgent. Fos-related antigen 2 (Fra2) is a transcription factor that is a member of the activator protein-1 family. Fra2 transgenic mice were shown to have spontaneous fibrosis. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a vitamin A intermediate metabolite and ligand for the retinoic acid receptor (RAR), which possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. Recent research has demonstrated that ATRA also has an anti-fibrotic effect. However, the exact mechanism is not fully understood. Interestingly, we identified potential binding sites for the transcription factor RARα to the promoter region of the FRA2 gene through JASPAR and PROMO databases. In this study, the pro-fibrotic effect of Fra2 in SSc is confirmed. SSc dermal fibroblasts and bleomycin-induced fibrotic tissues of SSc animals exhibit increased levels of Fra2. Inhibition of Fra2 expression in SSc dermal fibroblasts with Fra2 siRNA markedly decreased collagen I expression. ATRA reduced the expressions of Fra2, collagen I, and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) in SSc dermal fibroblasts and bleomycin-induced fibrotic tissues of SSc mice. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase assays demonstrated that retinoic acid receptor RARα binds to the FRA2 promoter and modulates its transcriptional activity. ATRA decreases collagen I expression both in vivo and in vitro via the reduction of Fra2 expression. This work establishes the rationale for expanding the use of ATRA in the treatment of SSc and indicates that Fra2 can be used as an anti-fibrotic target.

Updated Role of High-frequency Ultrasound in Assessing Dermatological Manifestations in Autoimmune Skin Diseases.

Autoimmune skin diseases are a group of disorders that arise due to the dysregulated immune system attacking self-antigens, causing multiple tissue and organ lesions. With disease progression, the physical and psychological health of patients may be seriously damaged. High-frequency ultrasound is non-invasive, reproducible, and suitable for visualizing the fine structure of external organs. The usage of high-frequency ultrasound has increased in recent years in the auxiliary diagnosis and monitoring of various skin diseases; it serves as a promising tool for dermatological disease assessment. This review summarizes the characteristics of high-frequency ultrasound imaging in common autoimmune skin diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, psoriasis, dermatomyositis, and pemphigus/pemphigoid. The objective of this review is to provide new ideas and strategies for dermatologists to diagnose and track the prognosis of autoimmune skin diseases.

A Polysaccharide from the Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pholiota nameko (Agaricomycetes) Inhibits the NF-κB Pathway in Dendritic Cells Through the TLR2 Receptor.

A polysaccharide purified from Pholiota nameko (PNPS-1) was found to have anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity. This study investigated the effect of PNPS-1 on the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway of TLR2 small interfering RNA-silenced murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and relevant mechanisms. The expression of messenger RNA of 4 NF-κB-related genes, including MyD88, IKBKB, RelA(p65), and CCL2, was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction; the expression of the phenotype molecule intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) by flow cytometry; the protein expression of IKKß and p65 by Western blot; the production of p65 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; and the expression of p65 by immunocytochemistry. The results showed that TLR2-specific small interfering RNA could effectively inhibit the decrease in the expression of MyD88, IKBKB, CCL2, p65, and ICAM-1 in BMDCs induced by PNPS-1, and thus the transcription inactivation of NF-κB, which obviously suggests that PNPS-1 could downregulate the NF-κB signaling pathway via the TLR2 receptor.