ABSTRACT
Composition and morphology are crucial factors in the design of Pt-based catalysts with high performance, particularly in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, PtRu mesoporous nanospheres (PtRu MNs) with tunable compositions were synthesized via a facile method and then deposited on a carbon support to act as electrocatalyst materials for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Superior catalytic activity, better catalytic stability, and good tolerance to CO were achieved by the optimum PtRu (2 : 1) MNs/C catalyst compared with Pt MNs/C. The mass activity on PtRu (2 : 1) MNs/C reached 111.77 mA mgPt -1, which was approximately 6.45-fold higher than that of Pt MNs/C (17.33 mA mgPt -1). Meanwhile, PtRu (2 : 1) MNs/C retained much more current density (84.7%) than Pt MNs/C (17.7%) after 500 cycles. The improved catalytic performance is due to several factors, including the formation of a mesoporous nanostructure with abundant active sites and the favorable effects of the Ru species. This work provides guidance toward designing and fabricating effective Pt-based electrocatalysts for DMFC applications.
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Background: There is a growing interest in the use of complementary therapies for the prevention of disease and the maintenance of health. Furthermore, complementary therapies that incorporate exercise are becoming increasingly prevalent among the older adult, and thus may represent a crucial strategy for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Exercise therapy, as a means to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, has been gradually applied in clinical practice. It has the advantages of reducing mortality, improving clinical symptoms, restoring physical function and improving quality of life. In recent years, traditional Chinese sports such as Ba Duan Jin and Qigong have developed rapidly. Therefore, a comprehensive systematic review is required to examine interventions involving Ba Duan Jin exercise in healthy adults or those at increased risk of CVD in order to determine the effectiveness of Ba Duan Jin exercise for the primary prevention of CVD. Objective: To investigate the effect of Ba Duan Jin exercise intervention for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Eight databases were systematically searched from inception to July, 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluated the impact of Ba Duan Jin exercise intervention on cardiovascular diseases. The search terms were "Cardiovascular diseases" "Ba Duan Jin" and "Randomized controlled." The Cochrane risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the study quality, and the meta-analysis was performed using Rev. Man 5.4 software. Results: Seventeen completed trials were conducted with 1,755 participants who were randomly assigned and met the inclusion criteria. All 17 studies were conducted in China. The meta-analysis indicates that Ba Duan Jin exercise therapy can provide long-term benefits (20-30 years) by reducing all-cause mortality (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.44-0.68, p < 0.01) and stroke mortality (RR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.36-0.66, p < 0.01) in hypertensive patients. Subgroup analyses reveal that Ba Duan Jin exercise therapy decreases SBP (MD = -4.05, 95% CI = -6.84 to -1.26, p < 0.01) and DBP (MD = -3.21, 95% CI = -5.22 to -1.20, p < 0.01) levels in patients with essential hypertension, significantly reduces serum TC (MD = -0.78, 95% CI = -1.06 to -0.50, p < 0.01), TG (MD = -0.78, 95% CI = -0.93 to -0.62, p < 0.01), and LDL-C (MD = -0.76, 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.60, p < 0.01) levels in patients with hyperlipidemia, increases HDL-C (MD = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14-0.51, p < 0.01) levels, and produces beneficial effects on cardiovascular function. Additionally, it can alleviate anxiety (MD = -3.37, 95% CI = -3.84 to -2.89, p < 0.01) and improve sleep quality (MD = -2.68, 95% CI = -3.63to -1.73, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Ba Duan Jin exercise therapy can improve the physical and mental condition and quality of life of patients with cardiovascular diseases, and it is worthy of further promotion and application in clinical practice. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024496934.
Subject(s)
Cardiovascular Diseases , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Humans , Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control , Exercise Therapy , Qigong , Male , Quality of Life , Middle Aged , Primary Prevention , Adult , FemaleABSTRACT
This study explores the association between LE8 scores and mortality risks among individuals diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Utilizing data from the NHANES conducted between 2005 and 2018, survey-weighted multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were utilized. Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores dose-response associations were assessed using restricted cubic spline regression. Sub-analyses were performed for different categories of CVD. The study consisted of 2164 participants diagnosed with CVD, ranging in age from 20 to 80 years (weighted mean [SE] age, 61.47 [0.34] years; The average total LE8 was 64.97 [0.54]. 499 participants experienced mortality, with 350 deaths attributed to CVD. After accounting for potential covariates, LE8 score was found to be associated with a decreased both all-cause mortality (OR 0.34, CI 0.22-0.51) and CVD mortality (OR 0.40, CI 0.23-0.68). A survey-weighted multivariable Cox model with restricted cubic splines identified the lowest all-cause mortality (P < 0.001) and CVD mortality (P < 0.001) risk when LE8 reach at 63.75 (P < 0.001). The results highlight the association between LE8 scores and reduced mortality in CVD patient population. The implementation of comprehensive initiatives that prioritize healthy dietary patterns, will play a crucial role in alleviating the impact of cardiovascular disease and improving cardiovascular health outcomes.
Subject(s)
Cardiovascular Diseases , Humans , Cardiovascular Diseases/mortality , Middle Aged , Male , Female , Aged , Adult , Aged, 80 and over , Proportional Hazards Models , Young Adult , Risk Factors , Nutrition SurveysABSTRACT
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are members of a protein superfamily with diverse physiological functions, including cellular detoxification and protection against oxidative damage. However, there is limited research on GSTs responding to cadmium (Cd) stress. This study classified 46 GST genes in Dendrobium officinale (D. officinale) into nine groups using model construction and domain annotation. Evolutionary analysis revealed nine subfamilies with diverse physical and chemical properties. Prediction of subcellular localization revealed that half of the GST members were located in the cytoplasm. According to the expression analysis of GST family genes responding to Cd stress, DoGST5 responded significantly to Cd stress. Transient expression of DoGST5-GFP in tobacco leaves revealed that DoGST5 was localized in the cytoplasm. DoGST5 overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced Cd tolerance by reducing Cd-induced H2O2 and O2- levels. These findings demonstrate that DoGST5 plays a critical role in enhancing Cd tolerance by balancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, offering potential applications for improving plant adaptability to heavy metal stress.
Subject(s)
Cadmium , Dendrobium , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Glutathione Transferase , Plant Proteins , Cadmium/toxicity , Cadmium/metabolism , Dendrobium/genetics , Dendrobium/enzymology , Dendrobium/drug effects , Dendrobium/metabolism , Glutathione Transferase/genetics , Glutathione Transferase/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/drug effects , Phylogeny , Stress, Physiological/genetics , Stress, Physiological/drug effects , Arabidopsis/genetics , Arabidopsis/drug effects , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Multigene Family , Genome, PlantABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Achieving textbook outcome (TO) implies a smooth recovery post-operation without specified composite complications. This study aimed to evaluate TO in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) and identify independent risk factors associated with achieving TO. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial on LPD at West China Hospital (ChiCTR1900026653). Patients were categorized into the TO and non-TO groups. Perioperative variables were compared between these groups. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to identify the risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 200 consecutive patients undergoing LPD were included in this study. TO was achieved in 82.5% (n = 165) of the patients. Female patients (OR: 2.877, 95% CI: 1.219-6.790; P = 0.016) and those with a hard pancreatic texture (OR: 2.435, 95% CI: 1.018-5.827; P = 0.046) were associated with an increased likelihood of achieving TO. CONCLUSIONS: TO can be achieved in more than 80% of patients in a high-volume LPD center. Independent risk factors associated with achieving TO included gender (male) and pancreatic texture (soft).
Subject(s)
Laparoscopy , Pancreaticoduodenectomy , Humans , Pancreaticoduodenectomy/methods , Pancreaticoduodenectomy/adverse effects , Female , Male , Laparoscopy/methods , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Retrospective Studies , Aged , Treatment Outcome , Prospective Studies , China/epidemiology , Adult , Hospitals, High-Volume , Postoperative Complications/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Nattokinase (NK) is an enzyme that has been recognized as a new potential thrombolytic drug due to its strong thrombolytic activity. However, it is difficult to maintain the enzyme activity of NK during high temperature environment of industrial production. In this study, we constructed six NK mutants with potential for higher thermostability using a rational protein engineering strategy integrating free energy-based methods and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Then, wild-type NK and NK mutants and were expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), and their thermostability and thrombolytic activity were tested. The results showed that, compared with wild-type NK, the mutants Y256P, Q206L and E156F all had improved thermostability. The optimal mutant Y256P showed a higher melting temperature (Tm) of 77.4 °C, an increase of 4 °C in maximum heat-resistant temperature and an increase of 51.8% in activity at 37 °C compared with wild-type NK. Moreover, we also explored the mechanism of the increased thermostability of these mutants by analysing the MD trajectories under different simulation temperatures.
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The bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] is often utilized as a rootstock for watermelon grafting. This practice effectively mitigates the challenges associated with continuous cropping obstacles in watermelon cultivation. The lower ground temperature has a direct impact on the rootstocks' root development and nutrient absorption, ultimately leading to slower growth and even the onset of yellowing. However, the mechanisms underlying the bottle gourd's regulation of root growth in response to low root zone temperature (LRT) remain elusive. Understanding the dynamic response of bottle gourd roots to LRT stress is crucial for advancing research regarding its tolerance to low temperatures. In this study, we compared the physiological traits of bottle gourd roots under control and LRT treatments; root sample transcriptomic profiles were monitored after 0 h, 48 h and 72 h of LRT treatment. LRT stress increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, relative electrolyte permeability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, especially H2O2 and O2-. Concurrently, LRT treatment enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD). RNA-Seq analysis revealed the presence of 2507 and 1326 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after 48 h and 72 h of LRT treatment, respectively. Notably, 174 and 271 transcription factors (TFs) were identified as DEGs compared to the 0 h control. We utilized quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to confirm the expression patterns of DEGs belonging to the WRKY, NAC, bHLH, AP2/ERF and MYB families. Collectively, our study provides a robust foundation for the functional characterization of LRT-responsive TFs in bottle gourd roots. Furthermore, these insights may contribute to the enhancement in cold tolerance in bottle gourd-type rootstocks, thereby advancing molecular breeding efforts.
Subject(s)
Cucurbitaceae , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Plant Proteins , Plant Roots , Transcription Factors , Plant Roots/genetics , Plant Roots/metabolism , Plant Roots/growth & development , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Cucurbitaceae/genetics , Cucurbitaceae/growth & development , Cucurbitaceae/metabolism , Cucurbitaceae/physiology , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Gene Expression Profiling/methods , Transcriptome , Stress, Physiological/genetics , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Cold TemperatureABSTRACT
Clarification of the cytotoxic function of T cells is crucial for understanding human immune responses and immunotherapy procedures. Here, we report a high-throughput Bessel oblique plane microscopy (HBOPM) platform capable of 3D live imaging and phenotyping of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cell cytotoxicity against cancer cells. The HBOPM platform has the following characteristics: an isotropic subcellular resolution of 320 nm, large-scale scouting over 400 interacting cell pairs, long-term observation across 5 hours, and quantitative analysis of the Terabyte-scale 3D, multichannel, time-lapse image datasets. Using this advanced microscopy platform, several key subcellular events in CAR-T cells are captured and comprehensively analyzed; these events include the instantaneous formation of immune synapses and the sustained changes in the microtubing morphology. Furthermore, we identify the actin retrograde flow speed, the actin depletion coefficient, the microtubule polarization and the contact area of the CAR-T/target cell conjugates as essential parameters strongly correlated with CAR-T-cell cytotoxic function. Our approach will be useful for establishing criteria for quantifying T-cell function in individual patients for all T-cell-based immunotherapies.
Subject(s)
Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Immunotherapy, Adoptive , Microtubules , Receptors, Chimeric Antigen , T-Lymphocytes , Humans , Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism , Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology , Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods , Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Microtubules/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Immunological Synapses/immunology , Immunological Synapses/metabolism , Cytotoxicity, Immunologic , Actins/metabolism , Microscopy/methods , PhenotypeABSTRACT
Because ascorbic acid (AA) is one of the basic elements to maintain the normal physiological functions of human body, it is urgent to develop a material that can achieve efficient, rapid and in-situ detection for AA. A new fluorescence organic compound 4',4'''-(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-4,7-diyl)bis([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-carboxylic acid) (H2BTBC) based on benzothiadiazole group has been synthesized, which can detect Fe3+ ions by fluorescence turn-off effect with a detection limit of 0.015 µM, as well as recognize linear amines by fluorescence turn-on effect. Moreover, a highly stable Tb(III) metal-organic framework has been solvothermally prepared with H2BTBC, namely {[(CH3)2NH2]2[Tb2(BTBC)4]âsolvents}n (JXUST-39), which can selectively detect AA among biological fluids by fluorescence enhancement effect with a detection limit of 0.077 µM. In addition, the mechanism for JXUST-39 detecting AA is possibly the cooperative effect of absorbance-caused enhancement and charge transfer between JXUST-39 and AA. Moreover, LED lamp beads, fluorescent films and fluorescent detection test paper based on JXUST-39 were prepared to achieve portable detection via fluorescence enhancement effect.
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The ash generated by Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) boilers is featured by its looseness and porosity, low content of glassy substances, and high contents of calcium (Ca) and sulfur (S), thus resulting in a low comprehensive utilization rate. Currently, the predominant treatment approach for CFB ash and slag is stacking, which may give rise to issues like environmental pollution. In this paper, CFB ash (with a CaO content of 7.64% and an SO3 content of 1.77%) was used as the main raw material. The high-temperature melting characteristics, viscosity-temperature characteristics, and initial crystallization temperature of samples with different acidity coefficients were investigated. The final drawing temperature range of the samples was determined, and mechanical property tests were conducted on the prepared inorganic fibers. The results show that the addition of dolomite powder has a significant reducing effect on the complete liquid phase temperature. The final drawing temperatures of the samples with different acidity coefficients range as follows: 1270-1318 °C; 1272-1351 °C; 1250-1372 °C; 1280-1380 °C; 1300-1382 °C; and 1310-1384 °C. The drawing temperature of this system is slightly lower than that of basalt fibers. Based on the test results of the mechanical properties of inorganic fibers, the Young's modulus of the inorganic fibers prepared through the experiment lies between 55 GPa and 74 GPa, which basically meets the performance requirements of inorganic fibers. Consequently, the method of preparing inorganic fibers by using CFB ash and dolomite powder is entirely feasible.
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Mitophagy maintains tissue homeostasis by self-eliminating defective mitochondria through autophagy. How mitophagy regulates stem cell activity during hair regeneration remains unclear. Here, we found that mitophagy promotes the proliferation of hair germ (HG) cells by regulating glutathione (GSH) metabolism. First, single-cell RNA sequencing, mitochondrial probe, transmission electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining showed stronger mitochondrial activity and increased mitophagy-related gene especially Prohibitin 2 (Phb2) expression at early-anagen HG compared to the telogen HG. Mitochondrial inner membrane receptor protein PHB2 binds to LC3 to initiate mitophagy. Second, molecular docking and functional studies revealed that PHB2-LC3 activates mitophagy to eliminate the damaged mitochondria in HG. RNA-seq, single-cell metabolism, immunofluorescence staining, and functional validation discovered that LC3 promotes GSH metabolism to supply energy for promoting HG proliferation. Third, transcriptomics analysis and immunofluorescence staining indicated that mitophagy was down-regulated in the aged compared to young-mouse HG. Activating mitophagy and GSH pathways through small-molecule administration can reactivate HG cell proliferation followed by hair regeneration in aged hair follicles. Our findings open up a new avenue for exploring autophagy that promotes hair regeneration and emphasizes the role of the self-elimination effect of mitophagy in controlling the proliferation of HG cells by regulating GSH metabolism.
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There is a significant difference in prognosis and response to chemotherapy between basal and classical subtypes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Further biomarkers are required to identify subtypes of PDAC. We selected candidate biomarkers via review articles. Correlations between these candidate markers and the PDAC molecular subtype gene sets were analyzed using bioinformatics, confirming the biomarkers for identifying classical and basal subtypes. Subsequently, 298 PDAC patients were included, and their tumor tissues were immunohistochemically stratified using these biomarkers. Survival data underwent analysis, including Cox proportional hazards modeling. Our results indicate that the pairwise and triple combinations of KRT5/KRT17/S100A2 exhibit a higher correlation coefficient with the basal-like subtype gene set, whereas the corresponding combinations of GATA6/HNF4A/TFF1 show a higher correlation with the classical subtype gene set. Whether analyzing unmatched or propensity-matched data, the overall survival time was significantly shorter for the basal subtype compared with the classical subtype (p < .001), with basal subtype patients also facing a higher risk of mortality (HR = 4.017, 95% CI 2.675-6.032, p < .001). In conclusion, the combined expression of KRT5, KRT17, and S100A2, in both pairwise and triple combinations, independently predicts shorter overall survival in PDAC patients and likely identifies the basal subtype. Similarly, the combined expression of GATA6, HNF4A, and TFF1, in the same manner, may indicate the classical subtype. In our study, the combined application of established biomarkers offers valuable insights for the prognostic evaluation of PDAC patients.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal , Keratin-17 , Keratin-5 , Pancreatic Neoplasms , S100 Proteins , Humans , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/mortality , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism , Male , Female , Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics , Pancreatic Neoplasms/mortality , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Middle Aged , S100 Proteins/genetics , S100 Proteins/metabolism , Keratin-5/genetics , Keratin-5/metabolism , Aged , Keratin-17/genetics , Keratin-17/metabolism , Prognosis , GATA6 Transcription Factor/genetics , GATA6 Transcription Factor/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Adult , Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4/genetics , Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4/metabolism , Chemotactic FactorsABSTRACT
Three-dimensional (3D) imaging of individual atoms is a critical tool for discovering new physical phenomena and developing new technologies in microscopic systems. However, the current single-atom-resolved 3D imaging methods are limited to static circumstances or a shallow detection range. Here, we demonstrate a generic dynamic 3D imaging method to track the extensive motion of single ions by exploiting the engineered point-spread function (PSF). We show that the image of a single ion can be engineered into a helical PSF, thus enabling single-snapshot acquisition of the position information of the ion in the trap. A preliminary application of this technique is demonstrated by recording the 3D motion trajectory of a single trapped ion and reconstructing the 3D dynamical configuration transition between the zig and zag structures of a 5-ion crystal. This work opens the path for studies on single-atom-resolved dynamics in both trapped-ion and neutral-atom systems.
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The Lysosomal Protein Transmembrane 5 (LAPTM5) is a lysosomal transmembrane protein preferentially expressed in hematopoietic cells. The human LAPTM5 gene is located at position 1p34 and extends approximately 25â¯kb. Its protein includes five transmembrane domains, three PY motifs, and one UIM. The PY and UIM motifs can interact with various substrates, mediating sorting of proteins from Golgi to lysosome and subsequently participating in intracellular substrate transport and lysosomal stability regulation. Overexpression of LAPTM5 can induce lysosomal cell death (LCD), although the integrity of LAPTM5 protein is necessary for maintaining lysosome stability. Furthermore, LAPTM5 plays a role in autophagy activation during disease processes and has been confirmed to be closely associated with the regulation of immunity and inflammation. Therefore, LAPTM5 regulates a wide range of physiological processes and is involved in various diseases. This article summarizes the characteristics of the LAPTM5 gene and protein structure and provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms involved in cell death, autophagy, immunity, and inflammation regulation. It emphasizes the significance of LAPTM5 in the clinical prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, immune system disorders, viral infections, cancer, and other diseases, which could provide new therapeutic ideas and targets for human diseases.
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BACKGROUND: The expression of CYP19A1 has implications for the prognosis of female bladder cancer. However, this study aimed to explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP19A1 and bladder cancer risk, as no prior research has addressed this association. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We selected and genotyped five CYP19A1 SNPs (rs4646, rs6493487, rs1062033, rs17601876, and rs3751599) in 217 patients and 550 controls using the Agena MassARRAY system. Logistic regression analysis was employed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Bioinformatics predicted SNP functions and CYP19A1 involving pathways. RESULTS: Our study revealed a significant association between bladder cancer risk and four SNPs (rs4646 (AC vs. CC: OR = 1.71, FDR-p = 0.005), rs6493487 (G vs. A: OR = 0.68, FDR-p = 0.011), rs1062033 (G vs. C: OR = 0.36, FDR-p < 0.001), and rs17601876 (GA vs. GG: OR = 1.66, FDR-p = 0.008)) in CYP19A1. The three SNPs (rs4646, rs1062033, and rs17601876) were significantly correlated with CYP19A1 expression levels in normal whole blood (p < 0.05). Moreover, CYP19A1 was found to primarily participate in the steroid hormone biosynthesis and metabolic pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, CYP19A1 gene polymorphisms may play a crucial role in the genetic susceptibility to bladder cancer.
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Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue (mainly visceral). The morphology and function of mitochondria are crucial for regulating adipose browning and weight loss. Research suggests that the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin may induce weight loss through an unknown mechanism, particularly targeting visceral adipose tissue. While Krueppel-Like Factor 4 (KLF4) is known to be essential for energy metabolism and mitochondrial function, its specific impact on visceral adipose tissue remains unclear. We administered canagliflozin to db/db mice for 8 weeks, or exposed adipocytes to canagliflozin for 24 h. The expression levels of browning markers, mitochondrial dynamics, and KLF4 were assessed. Then we validated the function of KLF4 through overexpression in vivo and in vitro. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonists, inhibitors, and KLF4 si-RNA were employed to elucidate the relationship between AMPK and KLF4. The findings demonstrated that canagliflozin significantly decreased body weight in db/db mice and augmented cold-induced thermogenesis. Additionally, canagliflozin increased the expression of mitochondrial fusion-related factors while reducing the levels of fission markers in epididymal white adipose tissue. These consistent findings were mirrored in canagliflozin-treated adipocytes. Similarly, overexpression of KLF4 in both adipocytes and db/db mice yielded comparable results. In all, canagliflozin mitigates obesity in db/db mice by promoting the brown visceral adipocyte phenotype through enhanced mitochondrial fusion via AMPK/KLF4 signaling.
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Converting plastics into organic matter by photoreforming is an emerging way to deal with plastic pollution and produce valuable organic matter. Water shortage can be alleviated by using seawater resources. To solve these problems, we synthesize a ternary heterostructure composite g-C3N4/CdS/NiS. Heterojunctions are formed between graphitized carbon nitride (g-C3N4), cadmium sulfide (CdS) and nickel sulfide (NiS), which effectively improve the problem of fast charge recombination of pure g-C3N4 and CdS. The results of the g-C3N4/CdS/NiS photocatalytic tests show that the hydrogen production rates in seawater and pure water for 5 h are 30.44 and 25.79 mmol/g/h, respectively. In stability test, the hydrogen production rate of the g-C3N4/CdS/NiS in seawater and pure water is similar. This suggests that seawater can replace pure water as a source of hydrogen. While H2 is generated, the lactate obtained by polylactic acid (PLA) hydrolysis is oxidized to form small organic compounds such as formate, acetate and pyruvate. Our study shows that g-C3N4/CdS/NiS can not only use seawater as a hydrogen source to produce H2, but also photoreformate plastics dissolved in seawater into valuable small organic molecules. This has a positive impact on the production and use of clean energy, as well as on plastic pollution and water scarcity.
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Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-independent lymphopoiesis has been elucidated in murine embryos. However, our understanding regarding human embryonic counterparts remains limited. Here, we demonstrated the presence of human yolk sac-derived lymphoid-biased progenitors (YSLPs) expressing CD34, IL7R, LTB, and IRF8 at Carnegie stage 10, much earlier than the first HSC emergence. The number and lymphopoietic potential of these progenitors were both significantly higher in the yolk sac than the embryo proper at this early stage. Importantly, single-cell/bulk culture and CITE-seq have elucidated the tendency of YSLP to differentiate into innate lymphoid cells and dendritic cells. Notably, lymphoid progenitors in fetal liver before and after HSC seeding displayed distinct transcriptional features, with the former closely resembling those of YSLPs. Overall, our data identified the origin, potential, and migratory dynamics of innate lymphoid-biased multipotent progenitors in human yolk sac before HSC emergence, providing insights for understanding the stepwise establishment of innate immune system in humans.
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Poor sleep quality is a widespread concern. While the influence of particle exposure on sleep disturbances has received considerable attention, research exploring other dimensions of sleep quality and the chemical components of the particles remains limited. We employed a marginal structural model to explore the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its chemical components with poor sleep quality. The odds ratio (95 % CI) for poor sleep quality was 1.335 (1.292-1.378), 1.097 (1.080-1.113), 1.137 (1.100-1.174), 1.197 (1.156-1.240), and 1.124 (1.107-1.140) per IQR increase in the concentration of PM2.5, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and BC, respectively. The score (and 95 % CI) of sleep latency, use of sleep medication, habitual sleep efficiency, subjective sleep quality, and daytime dysfunction were affected by PM2.5, with an increase of 0.059 (0.050-0.069), 0.054 (0.049-0.059), 0.011 (0.008-0.014), 0.011 (0.005-0.018), and 0.026 (0.018-0.034) per IQR increase in PM2.5 concentrations, respectively. This study supports the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its chemical components with poor sleep quality.