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Structural and functional explorations on bio-soft matter such as micelles, vesicles, nanoparticles, aggregates or polymers derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has emerged as a new topic in the field of TCM. The discovery of such cross-scaled bio-soft matter may provide a unique perspective for unraveling the new effective material basis of TCM as well as developing innovative medicine and biomaterials. Despite the rapid rise of TCM-derived bio-soft matter, their hierarchical structure and assembly mechanism must be unambiguously probed for a further in-depth understanding of their pharmacological activity. In this review, the current emerged TCM-derived bio-soft matter assembled from either small molecules or macromolecules is introduced, and particularly the unambiguous elucidation of their hierarchical structure and assembly mechanism with combined electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques is depicted. The pros and cons of each technique are also discussed. The future challenges and perspective of TCM-derived bio-soft matter are outlined, particularly the requirement for their precise in situ structural determination is highlighted.
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BACKGROUND: In addition to functioning as a precise monitoring mechanism in cell cycle, the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is reported to be involved in regulating multiple metabolic processes by facilitating the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of key enzymes. Fatty acid oxidation is a metabolic pathway utilized by tumor cells that is crucial for malignant progression; however, its association with APC/C remains to be explored. METHODS: Cell cycle synchronization, immunoblotting, and propidium iodide staining were performed to investigate the carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 C (CPT1C) expression manner. Proximity ligation assay and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to detect interactions between CPT1C and APC/C. Flow cytometry, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2 H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assays, cell-scratch assays, and transwell assays and xenograft transplantation assays were performed to investigate the role of CPT1C in tumor progression in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tumor tissue microarray to evaluate the expression levels of CPT1C and explore its potential clinical value. RESULTS: We identified CPT1C as a novel APC/C substrate. CPT1C protein levels exhibited cell cycle-dependent fluctuations, peaking at the G1/S boundary. Elevated CPT1C accelerated the G1/S transition, facilitating tumor cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, CPT1C enhanced fatty acid utilization, upregulated ATP levels, and decreased reactive oxygen species levels, thereby favoring cell survival in a harsh metabolic environment. Clinically, high CPT1C expression correlated with poor survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results revealed a novel interplay between fatty acid utilization and cell cycle machinery in tumor cells. Additionally, CPT1C promoted tumor cell proliferation and survival by augmenting cellular ATP levels and preserving redox homeostasis, particularly under metabolic stress. Therefore, CPT1C could be an independent prognostic indicator in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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Ciclosoma-Complejo Promotor de la Anafase , Carnitina O-Palmitoiltransferasa , Carnitina O-Palmitoiltransferasa/metabolismo , Carnitina O-Palmitoiltransferasa/genética , Humanos , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Ciclosoma-Complejo Promotor de la Anafase/metabolismo , Ciclosoma-Complejo Promotor de la Anafase/genética , Metabolismo Energético/genética , Regulación hacia Arriba , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Proliferación Celular , Ratones Desnudos , Ratones , Femenino , Masculino , Fase S , Ratones Endogámicos BALB CRESUMEN
In transfusion medicine, the cryopreservation of red blood cells (RBCs) is of major importance. The organic solvent glycerol (Gly) is considered the current gold-standard cryoprotectant (CPA) for RBC cryopreservation, but the deglycerolization procedure is complex and time-consuming, resulting in severe hemolysis. Therefore, it remains a research hotspot to find biocompatible and effective novel CPAs. Herein, the natural and biocompatible inulin, a polysaccharide, was first employed as a CPA for RBC cryopreservation. The presence of inulin could improve the thawed RBC recovery from 11.83 ± 1.40 to 81.86 ± 0.37%. It was found that inulin could promote vitrification because of its relatively high viscosity and glass transition temperature (Tg'), thus reducing the damage during cryopreservation. Inulin possessed membrane stability, which also had beneficial effects on RBC recovery. Moreover, inulin could inhibit the mechanical damage induced by ice recrystallization during thawing. After cryopreservation, the RBC properties were maintained normally. Mathematical modeling analysis was adopted to compare the performance of inulin, Gly, and hydroxyethyl starch (HES) in cryopreservation, and inulin presented the best efficiency. This work provides a promising CPA for RBC cryopreservation and may be beneficial for transfusion therapy in the clinic.
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Hielo , Vitrificación , Inulina/farmacología , Inulina/metabolismo , Criopreservación/métodos , Eritrocitos/metabolismo , Crioprotectores/farmacología , Crioprotectores/metabolismo , Glicerol/farmacología , Glicerol/metabolismo , Membrana CelularRESUMEN
Kitchen waste was mainly composed of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of kitchen waste usually occurred acidification and further deteriorated. In our previous study, alkali pretreatment combined with bentonite (AP/Be) treatment was proved to enhance high solid AD of kitchen waste. However, effects of AP time on AP/Be were not yet studied. This study investigated the effects of AP time on AP/Be treatment on enhancing high solid AD. The results showed that compared with the control group, the cumulative methane production rate could be increased by 3.30 times (149.7 mL CH4/g VS) and the volatile solids (VS) reduction rate increased by 63.36%. Microbial community analysis showed that the relative abundance of Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta were increased from 6.49 and 7.83% to 47.14 and 16.39% respectively. Predictive functional analysis showed that AP/Be treatment increased the abundance of energy production and conversion, coenzyme transport, and metabolism. This study revealed the potential mechanism of AP/Be enhanced kitchen waste AD performance and AP/Be was a potential strategy to strengthen AD.
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Bentonita , Microbiota , Anaerobiosis , Álcalis , Reactores Biológicos , Metano , Aguas del AlcantarilladoRESUMEN
The physicochemical properties and gastrointestinal fate of ß-carotene-loaded emulsions and emulsion gels were examined. The emulsion was emulsified by whey protein isolate and incorporated with chitosan, then the emulsion gels were produced by gelatinizing potato starch in the aqueous phase. The rheology properties, water distribution, and microstructure of emulsions and emulsion gels were modulated by chitosan combination. A standardized INFOGEST method was employed to track the gastrointestinal fate of emulsion systems. Significant changes in droplet size, zeta-potential, and aggregation state were detected during in vitro digestion, including simulated oral, stomach, and small intestine phases. The presence of chitosan led to a significantly reduced free fatty acids release in emulsion, whereas a slightly increasing released amount in the emulsion gel. ß-carotene bioaccessibility was significantly improved by hydrogel formation and chitosan addition. These results could be used to formulate advanced emulsion systems to improve the gastrointestinal fate of hydrophobic nutraceuticals.
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Quitosano , Solanum tuberosum , Emulsiones/química , Proteína de Suero de Leche , beta Caroteno/química , Quitosano/química , Solanum tuberosum/metabolismo , Almidón , Geles , DigestiónRESUMEN
Abstract@#As dietary issues of children and adolescents become increasingly complex, the assessment of food literacy (FL) is increasingly importance. FL involves a comprehensive cognition and practical ability concerning food among children, playing a key role in fostering healthy eating habits and improving health levels. The article explores the definition and connotations of FL, and introduces eight FL assessment tools in terms of theoretical foundations, dimensions, assessment methods, and their reliability and validity. Moreover, it provides a comparative analysis of these tools by examining their dimensional design, evaluation indicators, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as their applicable subjects and scenarios, aiming to offer references for implementing relevant policies and developing more comprehensive and effective FL assessment tools.
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Abstract@#Health literate schools (HeLit-Schools) play a significant role in fostering students health literacy. The paper elucidates the background and conceptual connotations of HeLit-Schools, and analyzes how HeLit-Schools effectively integrate and enhance the health literacy of schools in three aspects: philosophy and core drivers, strategy and method implementation, as well as evaluation mechanisms and standard setting. Furthermore, the paper explores the implications of foreign HeLit-Schools research and practice for China under the context of "Healthy China" construction, as well as the key strategies for Chinese schools in the implementation of HeLit-Schools, aiming to provide a new perspective and theoretical support for Chinese schools to practice the "Healthy China initiative" and strengthen school construction from the perspective of health literacy.
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Layered double hydroxides are promising candidates for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction. Unfortunately, their catalytic kinetics and long-term stabilities are far from satisfactory compared to those of rare metals. Here, we investigate the durability of nickel-iron layered double hydroxides and show that ablation of the lamellar structure due to metal dissolution is the cause of the decreased stability. Inspired by the amino acid residues in photosystem II, we report a strategy using trimesic acid anchors to prepare the subsize nickel-iron layered double hydroxides with kinetics, activity and stability superior to those of commercial catalysts. Fundamental investigations through operando spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that the superaerophobic surface facilitates prompt release of the generated O2 bubbles, and protects the structure of the catalyst. Coupling between the metals and coordinated carboxylates via CâOâFe bonding prevents dissolution of the metal species, which stabilizes the electronic structure by static coordination. In addition, the uncoordinated carboxylates formed by dynamic evolution during oxygen evolution reaction serve as proton ferries to accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction kinetics. This work offers a promising way to achieve breakthroughs in oxygen evolution reaction stability and dynamic performance by introducing functional ligands with static and dynamic compatibilities.
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Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers. PELI1 has been reported to promote cell survival and proliferation in multiple cancers. As of now, the role of PELI1 in pancreatic cancer is largely unknown. Here, we found that the PELI1 mRNA was higher expressed in pancreatic tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues, and the high PELI1 level in pancreatic cancer patients had a short survival time compared with the low level. Moreover, the results showed that PELI1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and inhibited apoptosis in vitro. Xenograft tumor experiments were used to determine the biological function of PELI1, and the results showed that PELI1 promoted tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, we found that Jagged1 activated PELI1 transcription in pancreatic cancer cells. To sum up, our results show that PELI1 affects the malignant phenotype of pancreatic cancer.
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Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Humanos , Apoptosis/genética , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/genética , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patología , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismo , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMEN
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to high-value-added products is one of the most promising strategies for mitigating the greenhouse effect and energy shortage. Two-dimensional (2D) MXene materials are regarded as promising catalysts for electrocatalysis, and the boron-analogs of MXenes, 2D transition metal borides (MBenes), may exhibit superior CO2RR performance owing to their unique electronic properties. Herein, a novel 2D transition metal boride, MoB, is theoretically evaluated as a potential catalyst for the CO2RR by comparing it with traditional Mo2C. MoB shows metallic nature and exhibits excellent electrical conductivity. MoB can effectively activate CO2 with a larger interaction energy of -3.64 eV than that of Mo2C. Both density of states and charge difference density reveal a significant charge transfer from MoB to CO2. MoB shows higher catalytic selectivity due to its inhibited hydrogen evolution reaction and low reaction energy for the CO2RR. At potentials more negative than -0.62 V, the CO2RR on MoB becomes a high-throughput reaction process towards CH4. This work discovered that MoB exhibited comparable CO2RR performance to Mo2C and forecasted MBenes as promising catalysts for electrocatalysis.
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Tissue and organ transplantation continues to be an effective measure for saving the lives of certain critically ill patients. The organ preservation methods that are commonly utilized in clinical practice are presently only capable of achieving short-term storage, which is insufficient for meeting the demand for organ transplantation. Ultra-low temperature storage techniques have garnered significant attention due to their capacity for achieving long-term, high-quality preservation of tissues and organs. However, the experience of cryopreserving cells cannot be readily extrapolated to the cryopreservation of complex tissues and organs, and the latter still confronts numerous challenges in its clinical application. This article summarizes the current research progress in the cryogenic preservation of tissues and organs, discusses the limitations of existing studies and the main obstacles facing the cryopreservation of complex tissues and organs, and finally introduces potential directions for future research efforts.
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Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), in which the coordination environment plays a crucial role in activating the intrinsic activity of the central metal. Taking the FeN4 SAC as a probe, this work investigates the effect of introducing S or P atoms into N coordination (FeSx N4-x and FePx N4-x (x=1-4)) on the electronic structure optimization of Fe center and its catalytic performance. Attributing to the optimal Fe 3d orbitals, FePN3 can effectively activate O2 and promote ORR with a low overpotential of 0.29â V, surpassing FeN4 and most reported catalysts. FeSN3 is beneficial to H2 O activation and OER, proceeding with an overpotential of 0.68â V, which is superior to FeN4 . Both FePN3 and FeSN3 exhibit outstanding thermodynamic and electrochemical stability with negative formation energies and positive dissolution potentials. Hence, the N,P and N,S co-coordination might provide better catalytic environment than regular N coordination for SACs in ORR and OER. This work demonstrates FePN3 /FeSN3 as high-performance ORR/OER catalysts and highlights N,P and N,S co-coordination regulation as an effective approach to fine tune high atomically dispersed electrocatalysts.
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BACKGROUND: The related factors affecting the adherence of ischemic cerebral stroke (ICS) patients to antiplatelet therapy have attracted much attention. METHODS: Patients with ICS (confirmed by CT or MRI) were enrolled from January 2020 to July 2021. The demographic data were retrospectively investigated and analyzed. The adherence calculation was as follows: Adherence = number of tablets taken/number of tablets needed to be taken. Adherence < 100% was defined as nonadherence. Severe nonadherence is defined as adherence ≤ 75%. RESULTS: A total of 229 patients with ICS were enrolled. We found no significant difference in the proportion of patients with nonadherence, while the proportion of severe nonadherence in the aspirin group was significantly higher (p < .001). Multivariable analysis indicated that medical insurance (odds ratio [OR] = 0.071, p < .001) and regular exercise (OR = 0.438, p = .015) were independent factors associated with adherence. In addition, only medical insurance (OR = 5.475, p < .001) and aspirin treatment (OR = 0.228, p < .001) were independent risk factors associated with severe nonadherence. We therefore constructed a nomogram plot and a model as follows: Adherence risk score = 3 × medical insurance + regular exercise. Patients were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups for adherence based on the median model score. A total of 13.3% of patients in the low-risk group were nonadherent patients compared with 53.4% in the high-risk group (p < .001). Similarly, 8.4% of patients in the low-risk group had severe nonadherence compared with 19.9% in the high-risk group (p = .022). Moreover, in low-risk patients, no significant difference was observed. In patients with high risk, aspirin-treated patients showed significantly decreased adherence compared with the other two groups. CONCLUSION: Medical insurance and regular exercise were independent factors for antiplatelet therapy adherence. For patients with high model scores, timely intervention is necessary.
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Accidente Cerebrovascular Isquémico , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso , Accidente Cerebrovascular , Humanos , Inhibidores de Agregación Plaquetaria/uso terapéutico , Estudios Retrospectivos , Aspirina/uso terapéutico , Accidente Cerebrovascular/tratamiento farmacológico , Cumplimiento de la MedicaciónRESUMEN
The cryopreservation of red blood cells (RBCs) holds great potential for ensuring timely blood transfusions and maintaining an adequate RBC inventory. The conventional cryoprotectants (CPAs) have a lot of limitations, and there is an obvious need for novel, efficient, and biocompatible CPAs. Here, it is shown for the first time that the addition of dimethylglycine (DMG) improved the thawed RBC recovery from 11.55 ± 1.40% to 72.15 ± 1.22%. We found that DMG could reduce the mechanical damage by inhibiting ice formation and recrystallization during cryopreservation. DMG can also scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintain endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities to decrease oxidative damage during cryopreservation. Furthermore, the properties of thawed RBCs were found to be similar to the fresh RBCs in the control. Finally, the technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was used to compare the performance of glycerol (Gly), hydroxyethyl starch (HES), and DMG in cryopreservation, and DMG exhibited the best efficiency. This work confirms the use of DMG as a novel CPA for cryopreservation of RBCs and may promote clinical transfusion therapy.
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Criopreservación , Hielo , Criopreservación/métodos , Crioprotectores/farmacología , Crioprotectores/química , Eritrocitos , Estrés OxidativoRESUMEN
Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to CO is a logical approach to achieve a carbon-neutral cycle. In this work, a series of Ti2CO2 and O vacancy containing Ti2CO2 MXene-based transition metal (TM) single atom catalysts (SACs), including TM-Ti2CO2 and TM-Ov-Ti2CO2, are explored for high-performance CO2RR. Sc/Ti/V/Cr-Ti2CO2 and Ni-Ov-Ti2CO2 are screened out with limiting potential (UL) more positive than -0.50 V. Ni-Ov-Ti2CO2 is a candidate catalyst for CO2RR to CO, considering its activity with UL of -0.27 eV, and the selectivity relevant to hydrogen evolution reaction and HCOOH production. Meanwhile, a novel activity descriptor of TM-Ti-O group valence state is proposed according to that TMs work in synergy with coordinated Ti and O atoms and a level of around 0.64 e- benefits to CO2RR. This work highlights oxygen vacancy containing Ti2CO2-based Ni SAC as a promising catalyst for CO2RR, and provides a feasible electronic structure design principle for guiding the design of MXene-based SACs for CO2RR.
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Anaerobic digestion (AD) can not only treat organic waste, but also recycle energy. However, high-solids AD of kitchen waste usually failed due to excessive acidification. In this study, the effect of activated carbon (AC) on kitchen waste AD performance was investigated under high-solids conditions (total solids contents = 15%). The results showed that efficiencies of acidogenesis and methanogenesis were promoted in presence of moderate concentration (50 g/L > AC >5 g/L), but high concentration (AC >70 g/L) weakened AD performance. Moreover, AC addition enhanced the methane production rate from 66.0 mL/g VS to 231.50 mL/g VS, i.e., up to 250.7%. High-throughput sequencing results demonstrated that the abundance of electroactive DMER64 increased from less than 1%-29.7% (20 g/L AC). As AC gradually increasedï¼aceticlastic methanogenesis changed to hydrogenotrophic pathway. Predicted functional analysis indicated that AC can enhance abundances of energy and inorganic ion metabolism, resulting in high methane production.
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Reactores Biológicos , Carbón Orgánico , Anaerobiosis , Polvos , Metano , Aguas del AlcantarilladoRESUMEN
Cells and tissues are the foundation of translational medicine. At present, one of the main technological obstacles is their preservation for long-term usage while maintaining adequate viability and function. Optimized storage techniques must be developed to make them safer to use in the clinic. Cryopreservation is the most common long-term preservation method to maintain the vitality and function of cells and tissues. But, the formation of ice crystals in cells and tissues is considered to be the main mechanism that could harm cells and tissues during freezing and thawing. To reduce the formation of ice crystals, cryoprotective agents (CPAs) must be added to the cells and tissues to achieve the cryoprotective effect. However, conventional cryopreservation of cells and tissues often needs to use toxic organic solvents as CPAs. As a result, cryopreserved cells and tissues may need to go through a time-consuming washing process to remove CPAs for further applications in translational medicine, and multiple valuable cells are potentially lost or killed. Currently, trehalose has been researched as a nontoxic CPA due to its cryoprotective ability and stability during cryopreservation. Nevertheless, trehalose is a nonpermeable CPA, and the lack of an effective intracellular trehalose delivery method has become the main obstacle to its use in cryopreservation. This article illustrated the properties, mechanisms, delivery methods, and applications of trehalose, summarized the benefits and limits of trehalose, and summed up the findings and research direction of trehalose in biomedical cryopreservation.
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Hielo , Trehalosa , Trehalosa/química , Trehalosa/farmacología , Criopreservación/métodos , Congelación , Crioprotectores/química , Crioprotectores/farmacologíaRESUMEN
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to added-value C2+ products is a worthy way to effectively reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Cu nanomaterials have been proposed as efficient CO2RR catalysts for producing C2+ products; however, the difficulties in controlling their efficiency and selectivity hinder their applications. Herein, we propose a simple routine to construct a graphdiyne (GDY) supported Ag-Cu nanocluster as a C2+ product-selective electrocatalyst and optimize the composition by electrochemical performance screening. The synthesized Ag-Cu nanoclusters are uniformly distributed on the surface of GDY with particle sizes constricted to 3.7 nm due to the strong diyne-Cu interaction. Compared to Cu/GDY, Ag-Cu/GDY tandem schemes exhibited superior CO2RR to C2+ performance with a Faraday efficiency (FE) of up to 55.1% and a current density of 48.6 mA cm-2 which remain stable for more than 33 hours. Theoretical calculations show that the adsorption energy of CO is much higher on Cu (-1.066 eV) than on Ag (-0.615 eV), thus promoting the drift of *CO from Ag to Cu. Moreover, the calculations indicate that the key C-C coupling reaction of *CO with *COH is more favored on Ag-Cu/GDY than on the original Cu/GDY which contributes to the formation of C2+ products. Our findings shed light on a new strategy of combining a GDY support with a tandem catalytic scheme for developing new CO2RR catalysts with superior selectivity and activity for C2+ products.
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Swine manure is usually transmitted by the "collection-storage-transport" mode of the biogas project. However, this particular application pattern results in high volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration due to the long transition time in the "collection-storage-transport" process. In this work, acidulated swine manure anaerobic digestion (AD) with bentonite supplementation was firstly investigated with an expectation of acid alleviation, performance enhancement and microbial mechanism. Results indicated that the methane production rate in the 20 g/L bentonite-added digester was 2.87 fold higher than that of the control digester. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate was elevated by 140.1% via bentonite supplementation. Besides, the rapid decrease of VFAs and ammonia indicated that bentonite supplementation could offer buffering capacity and alleviate acid inhibition. Microbial community analysis revealed that acetoclastic methanogenesis (Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina) was the predominant methanogenesis pathway in this AD system. Syntrophic acetate oxidation (SAO) bacteria were discovered in the bentonite-added digester, and they converted acetate into H2/CO2 to support hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. This study could offer guidance for acidulated swine manure AD in the practical biogas project.