Studying the Effects and Competitive Mechanisms of YOYO-1 on the Binding Characteristics of DOX and DNA Molecules Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Molecular Docking Techniques.

Revealing the interaction mechanisms between anticancer drugs and target DNA molecules at the single-molecule level is a hot research topic in the interdisciplinary fields of biophysical chemistry and pharmaceutical engineering. When fluorescence imaging technology is employed to carry out this kind of research, a knotty problem due to fluorescent dye molecules and drug molecules acting on a DNA molecule simultaneously is encountered. In this paper, based on self-made novel solid active substrates NpAA/(ZnO-ZnCl2)/AuNPs, we use a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method, inverted fluorescence microscope technology, and a molecular docking method to investigate the action of the fluorescent dye YOYO-1 and the drug DOX on calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) molecules and the influencing effects and competitive relationships of YOYO-1 on the binding properties of the ctDNA-DOX complex. The interaction sites and modes of action between the YOYO-1 and the ctDNA-DOX complex are systematically examined, and the DOX with the ctDNA-YOYO-1 are compared, and the impact of YOYO-1 on the stability of the ctDNA-DOX complex and the competitive mechanism between DOX and YOYO-1 acting with DNA molecules are elucidated. This study has helpful experimental guidance and a theoretical foundation to expound the mechanism of interaction between drugs and biomolecules at the single-molecule level.

VDR promotes pancreatic cancer progression in vivo by activating CCL20-mediated M2 polarization of tumor associated macrophage.

BACKGROUND: Activation of VDR pathway was a promising anti-tumor therapy strategy. However, numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the effect of activating VDR is limited, which indicates that VDR plays a complex role in vivos. METHODS: We analyzed the TCGA database to examine the association between VDR expression and immune cell infiltration in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). Western blot, ELISA, ChIP, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to determine the mechanism of VDR regulating CCL20. Migration assay and immunofluorescence were used to investigate the role of CCL20 in M2 macrophage polarization and recruitment. We employed multiplexed immunohistochemical staining and mouse models to validate the correlation of VDR on macrophages infiltration in PAAD. Flow cytometry analysis of M2/M1 ratio in subcutaneous graft tumors. RESULTS: VDR is extensively expressed in PAAD, and patients with elevated VDR levels exhibited a significantly reduced overall survival. VDR expression in PAAD tissues was associated with increased M2 macrophages infiltration. PAAD cells overexpressing VDR promote macrophages polarization towards M2 phenotype and recruitment in vitro and vivo. Mechanistically, VDR binds to the CCL20 promoter and up-regulates its transcription. The effects of polarization and recruitment on macrophages can be rescued by blocking CCL20. Finally, the relationship between VDR and M2 macrophages infiltration was evaluated using clinical cohort and subcutaneous graft tumors. A positive correlation was demonstrated between VDR/CCL20/CD163 in PAAD tissues and mouse models. CONCLUSION: High expression of VDR in PAAD promotes M2 macrophage polarization and recruitment through the secretion of CCL20, which activates tumor progression. This finding suggests that the combination of anti-macrophage therapy may improve the efficacy of VDR activation therapy in PAAD.

Page A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study of gut microbiota and cerebral small vessel disease.

BACKGROUND: The causal nature of gut microbiota and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is still obscure regardless of evidence supporting their observational correlations. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this research is to investigate the potentially pathogenic or protective causal impacts of specific gut microbiota on various neuroimaging subtypes of CSVD. METHODS: We obtained the latest summary-level genome-wide databases for gut microbiota and nine CSVD traits. The univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) studies were conducted to examine the possible causal link between exposure and outcome. Meanwhile, we conducted sensitivity analyses sequentially, containing the heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and leave-one-out analysis. Additionally, to clarify the potential bidirectional causality, the causality from CSVD traits to the identified gut microbiota was implemented through reverse MR analysis. RESULTS: The univariable MR analysis identified 22 genetically predicted bacterial abundances that were correlated with CSVD traits. While conditioning on macronutrient dietary compositions, two suggestive relationships were retained using the multivariable MR analysis. Specifically, the class Negativicutes and order Selenomonadales exhibited a negative causal association with strictly lobar cerebral microbleeds, one neuroimaging trait of CSVD. There is insufficient evidence indicating the presence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Furthermore, the identified causal relationship was not driven by any single nucleotide polymorphism. The results of the reverse MR analysis did not reveal any statistically significant causality from CSVD traits to the identified gut microbiota. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated several suggestive causal effects from gut microbiota to different neuroimaging subtypes of CSVD. These findings provided a latent understanding of the pathogenesis of CSVD from the perspective of the gut-brain axis.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene/Polyolefin Elastomer Composites with High Mechanical Properties.

The treatment of waste plastics has gradually become a hot topic in the current scientific community. In response to the needs for high-impact performance R-PP-based composites, carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced polyolefin elastomer (POE)/recycled polypropylene (R-PP) composite (CF/POE/R-PP) was prepared by the mechanical blending method, and its mechanical and thermal properties were systematically studied. It was found that the CF could effectively improve the bending and notch impact strength as well as enhance the thermal stability of POE/R-PP. Furthermore, a stable and dispersed composite interface formed by the combination of maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MAH) with the surface of CF and the fusion alkyl chains in R-PP and POE further enhanced the CF's reinforcing effect. As a result, the addition of 9 wt.% CF successfully improved the heat resistance of the composite material, and the residual carbon content increased by 97.84% after sintering. The composite toughening of POE and CF effectively improved the impact strength of the composite material, with a maximum increase of over 1000%. This study ultimately resulted in a high-impact-resistant composite material.

Engineering Magnetic Nanoclusters for Highly Efficient Heating in Radio-Frequency Nanowarming.

Effective thawing of cryopreserved samples requires rapid and uniform heating. This is achievable through nanowarming, an approach that heats magnetic nanoparticles by using alternating magnetic fields. Here we demonstrate the synthesis and surface modification of magnetic nanoclusters for efficient nanowarming. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoclusters with an optimal diameter of 58 nm exhibit a high specific absorption rate of 1499 W/g Fe under an alternating magnetic field at 43 kA/m and 413 kHz, more than twice that of commercial iron oxide cores used in prior nanowarming studies. Surface modification with a permeable resorcinol-formaldehyde resin (RFR) polymer layer significantly enhances their colloidal stability in complex cryoprotective solutions, while maintaining their excellent heating capacity. The Fe3O4@RFR nanoparticles achieved a high average heating rate of 175 °C/min in cryopreserved samples at a concentration of 10 mg Fe/mL and were successfully applied in nanowarming porcine iliac arteries, highlighting their potential for enhancing the efficacy of cryopreservation.

Role of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash components in co-pyrolysis of oily sludge: Pyrolysis products and catalytic mechanism.

The co-pyrolysis of oily sludge (OS) and municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (IFA) is a promising strategy for sustainable waste management. This study delves into the distinct catalytic roles of individual IFA components during co-pyrolysis and assesses their impact on the inherent Fe species in OS, highlighting their contributions to overall catalytic activity. Notably, in comparison to IFA, CaCl2 and KCl significantly enhance pyrolysis oil upcycling, while IFA components collectively exhibit a positive catalytic effect on pyrolysis gas and coke production. Ca(OH)2 notably boosts H2 yield by 137.16 %. Alkali chlorides facilitate gaseous hydrocarbon formation and convert oxygen-containing compounds to CO and CO2 which are subsequently consumed and absorbed by CaO and Ca(OH)2. CaCl2 and KCl promote heavy compound decomposition and alkane aromatization, reducing coke formation and increasing light aromatic production. Conversely, NaCl increases alkane proportions. However, CaSO4 and CaCO3 hinder catalytic reactions, promoting carbon conversion to coke. Importantly, IFA compounds aid the dispersion of inherent Fe-based species from OS on char surface, enhancing in-situ catalytic pyrolysis. Additionally, the augmented H2 production accelerates the reduction of Fe-based species. The findings expand waste utilization possibilities and provide insights for co-processing solid wastes.

A preparation of debranched waxy maize starch derivatives: Effect of drying temperatures on crystallization and digestibility.

The impact of recrystallization conditions and drying temperatures on the crystallization and digestibility of native waxy maize (Zea mays L.) starch (NWMS) was explored. This study involved subjecting NWMS to concurrent debranching and crystallization at 50 °C for up to 7 days. Samples were collected by oven-drying at 40, 60, and 80 °C for 24 h. This simultaneous debranching and crystallization process increased the resistant starch (RS) content by approximately 48 % compared to the native starch. The drying temperatures significantly influenced the RS content, with samples dried at 60 °C exhibiting the lowest digestibility. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that most crystals demonstrated a characteristic A-type arrangement. Debranching and crystallization processes enhanced the crystallinity of the samples. The specific crystal arrangement (A- or B-type) depended on the crystallization conditions. A 15 min heating of NWMS in a boiling water bath increased the digestible fraction to over 90 %, while the samples subjected to debranching and crystallization showed an increase to only about 45 %. A linear correlation between starch fractions and enthalpy was also observed.

Demineralized bone matrix for repair and regeneration of maxillofacial defects: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVES: Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is a well-established bone graft material widely accepted by dentists and the public for its favorable osteoconductivity and osteoinductive potential. This article aimed to provide a narrative review of the current therapeutic applications and limitations of DBM in maxillofacial bone defects. STUDY SELECTION, DATA, AND SOURCES: Randomized controlled trials, prospective or retrospective clinical studies, case series and reports, and systematic reviews. MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using keywords. CONCLUSIONS: Some evidence supported the therapeutic application of DBM in periodontal intrabony defects, maxillary sinus lifts, ridge preservation, ridge augmentation, alveolar cleft repair, orthognathic surgery, and other regional maxillofacial bone defects. However, the limitations of DBM should be considered when using it, including potential low immunogenicity, instability of osteoinductive potential, handling of the graft material, and patient acceptance. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: With the increasing demand for the treatment of maxillofacial bone defects, DBM is likely to play a greater role as a promising bone graft material. Safe and effective combination treatment strategies and how to maintain a stable osteoinductive potential will be the future challenges of DBM research.

Alexithymia modulates emotion concept activation during facial expression processing.

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in emotional information processing. However, the underlying reasons for emotional processing deficits in alexithymia are not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying emotional deficits in alexithymia. Using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, we recruited college students with high alexithymia (n = 24) or low alexithymia (n = 24) in this study. Participants judged the emotional consistency of facial expressions and contextual sentences while recording their event-related potentials. Behaviorally, the high alexithymia group showed longer response times versus the low alexithymia group in processing facial expressions. The event-related potential results showed that the high alexithymia group had more negative-going N400 amplitudes compared with the low alexithymia group in the incongruent condition. More negative N400 amplitudes are also associated with slower responses to facial expressions. Furthermore, machine learning analyses based on N400 amplitudes could distinguish the high alexithymia group from the low alexithymia group in the incongruent condition. Overall, these findings suggest worse facial emotion perception for the high alexithymia group, potentially due to difficulty in spontaneously activating emotion concepts. Our findings have important implications for the affective science and clinical intervention of alexithymia-related affective disorders.

Colorimetric Pressure Sensing by Plasmonic Decoupling of Silver Nanoparticles Confined within Polymeric Nanoshells.

Employing a plasmonic decoupling mechanism, we report the design of a colorimetric pressure sensor that can respond to applied pressure with instant color changes. The sensor consists of a thin film of stacked uniform resorcinol-formaldehyde nanoshells with their inner surfaces functionalized with silver nanoparticles. Upon compression, the flexible polymer nanoshells expand laterally, inducing plasmonic decoupling between neighboring silver nanoparticles and a subsequent blue-shift. The initial color of the sensor is determined by the extent of plasmonic coupling, which can be controlled by tuning the interparticle distance through a seeded growth process. The sensing range can be conveniently customized by controlling the polymer shell thickness or incorporating hybrid nanoshells into various polymer matrices. The new colorimetric pressure sensors are easy to fabricate and highly versatile, allow for convenient tuning of the sensing range, and feature significant color shifts, holding great promise for a wide range of practical applications.

Research on distributionally robust energy storage capacity allocation for output fluctuations in high permeability wind and solar distribution networks.

This paper presents a novel approach to addressing the challenges associated with energy storage capacity allocation in high-permeability wind and solar distribution networks. The proposed method is a two-phase distributed robust energy storage capacity allocation method, which aims to regulate the stochasticity and volatility of net energy output. Firstly, an energy storage capacity allocation model is established, which considers energy storage's investment and operation costs to minimize the total cost. Then, a two-stage distributed robust energy storage capacity allocation model is established with the confidence set of uncertainty probability distribution constrained by 1-norm and ∞-norm. Finally, a Column and Constraint Generation (C&CG) algorithm is used to solve the problem. The validity of the proposed energy storage capacity allocation model is confirmed by examining different wind and solar penetration levels. Furthermore, the model's superiority is demonstrated by comparing it with deterministic and robust models.

Medium-term exposure to size-fractioned particulate matter and asthma exacerbations in China: A longitudinal study of asthmatics with poor medication adherence.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that short- and long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) can increase the risk of asthma morbidity and mortality. However, the effect of medium-term exposure remains unknown. We aim to examine the effect of medium-term exposure to size-fractioned PM on asthma exacerbations among asthmatics with poor medication adherence. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study in China based on the National Mobile Asthma Management System Project that specifically and routinely followed asthma exacerbations in asthmatics with poor medication adherence from April 2017 to May 2019. High-resolution satellite remote-sensing data were used to estimate each participant's medium-term exposure (on average 90 days) to size-fractioned PM (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) based on the residential address and the date of the follow-up when asthma exacerbations (e.g., hospitalizations and emergency room visits) occurred or the end of the follow-up. The Cox proportional hazards model was employed to examine the hazard ratio of asthma exacerbations associated with each PM after controlling for sex, age, BMI, education level, geographic region, and temperature. RESULTS: Modelling results revealed nonlinear exposure-response associations of asthma exacerbations with medium-term exposure to PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. Specifically, for emergency room visits, we found an increased hazard ratio for PM1 above 22.8 µg/m3 (1.060, 95 % CI: 1.025-1.096, per 1 µg/m3 increase), PM2.5 above 38.2 µg/m3 (1.032, 95 % CI: 1.010-1.054), and PM10 above 78.6 µg/m3 (1.019, 95 % CI: 1.006-1.032). For hospitalizations, we also found an increased hazard ratio for PM1 above 20.3 µg/m3 (1.055, 95 % CI: 1.001-1.111) and PM2.5 above 39.2 µg/m3 (1.038, 95 % CI: 1.003-1.074). Furthermore, the effects of PM were greater for a longer exposure window (90-180 days) and among participants with a high BMI. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that medium-term exposure to PM is associated with an increased risk of asthma exacerbations in asthmatics with poor medication adherence, with a higher risk from smaller PM.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Thermal Nonequilibrium and Chemical Reaction Processes in Hydrogen Combustion.

Using reactive force field (ReaxFF) and molecular dynamics simulation, we investigate the combustion process of hydrogen-oxygen systems in initial thermal nonequilibrium states with different translational and rovibrational temperatures for oxygen. The system studied in this work contains 300 oxygen molecules and 700 hydrogen molecules with a density of 7 times the air density. For this system, the characteristic relaxation times of oxygen and hydrogen vibrational energies are 0.173 and 0.249 ns, respectively. 0.6% of hydrogen undergoes a chemical reaction with oxygen during the thermal nonequilibrium relaxation stage. For the distribution of translational energy and vibrational energy of oxygen in the thermal nonequilibrium state, the maximum mean error of the statistical distribution in the simulation and the Boltzmann distribution at temperature calculated from the average kinetic energy of molecules is about 2.25 × 10-5. At the same time, it was observed in the simulation that many-body interactions play a certain role in the combustion process. Furthermore, we compare the ignition time and temperature rise behavior of different combustion mechanisms and molecular dynamics simulations starting from the thermal equilibrium state. These results will provide meaningful references for the construction of thermal nonequilibrium combustion chemical reaction mechanisms.

A Enhanced Fluorescent Probe for Simultaneous Detection and Discrimination of Hydrogen Bisulfite Anions and Glutathione.

Bisulfite (HSO3-) and biological thiols molecules, such as glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), and homocysteine (Hcy), play important roles in organisms. Developing a fluorescent probe that can simultaneously detect and distinguish HSO3- and biological thiols is of great significance. In this study, ethyl(2E,4Z)-5-chloro-2-cyano-5-(7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2 H-chromen-3-yl)penta-2,4-dienoate (CCO) as a novel enhanced fluorescence probe was synthesized by integrating coumarin derivatives and ethyl cyanoacetate, which can simultaneous detection and discrimination of hydrogen bisulfite anions and glutathione. The sensing mechanism was elucidated through spectral analysis and some control experiments. In weakly alkaline environments, the probe not only has good selectivity for HSO3- and GSH, but also has a lower detection limits of 0.0179 µM and 0.2034 µM. The probe exhibited fuorescent turn-on for distinguishing with 296 and 28 fold the fluorescent intensity increase at 486 and 505 nm, respectively, through diferent excitation wavelengths. This provides a new method for simultaneous detection and discrimination of HSO3- and biological thiol cell levels and further applications.

Effects of different sonication parameters of theta burst transcranial ultrasound stimulation on human motor cortex.

BACKGROUND: Theta burst TUS (tbTUS) can induce increased cortical excitability in human, but how different sonication parameters influence the effects are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine how a range of sonication parameters, including acoustic intensity, pulse repetition frequency, duty cycle and sonication duration, influence the effects of tbTUS on human motor cortical excitability. METHODS: 14 right-handed healthy subjects underwent 8 sessions with different tbTUS parameters in a randomized, cross-over design on separate days. The original tbTUS protocol was studied in one session and one parameter was changed in each of the seven sessions. To examine changes in cortical excitability induced by tbTUS, we measured the motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, resting motor threshold, short-interval intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation, as well as short-interval intracortical facilitation before and up to 90 min after tbTUS. RESULTS: All conditions increased MEP amplitudes except the condition with low acoustic intensity of 10 W/cm2. Pulse repetition frequency of 5 Hz produced higher MEP amplitudes compared to pulse repetition frequencies of 2 and 10 Hz. In addition, higher duty cycles (5%, 10%, and 15%) and longer sonication durations (40, 80, and 120 s) were associated with longer duration of increased MEP amplitudes. Resting motor threshold remained stable in all conditions. For paired-pulse TMS measures, tbTUS reduced short-interval intracortical inhibition and enhanced short-interval intracortical facilitation, but had no effect on intracortical facilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound bursts repeated at theta (∼5 Hz) frequency is optimal to produce increased cortical excitability with the range of 2-10 Hz. Furthermore, there was a dose-response effect regarding duty cycle and sonication duration in tbTUS for plasticity induction. The aftereffects of tbTUS were associated with a shift of the inhibition/excitation balance toward less inhibition and more excitation in the motor cortex. These findings can be used to determine the optimal tbTUS parameters in neuroscience research and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Clinical application of machine learning-based pathomics signature of gastric atrophy.

Background: The diagnosis of gastric atrophy is highly subjective, and we aimed to establish a model of gastric atrophy based on pathological features to improve diagnostic consistency. Methods: We retrospectively collected the HE-stained pathological slides of gastric biopsies and used CellProfiler software for image segmentation and feature extraction of ten representative images for each sample. Subsequently, we employed the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to select features and different machine learning (ML) algorithms to construct the diagnostic models for gastric atrophy. Results: We selected 289 gastric biopsy specimens for training, testing, and external validation. We extracted 464 pathological features and screened ten features by LASSO to establish the diagnostic model for moderate-to-severe atrophy. The range of area under the curve (AUC) for various machine learning algorithms was 0.835-1.000 in the training set, 0.786-0.949 in the testing set, and 0.689-0.818 in the external validation set. LR model had the highest AUC value, with 0.900 (95% CI: 0.852-0.947) in the training set, 0.901 (95% CI: 0.807-0.996) in the testing set, and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.714-0.923) in the external validation set. The atrophy pathological score based on the LR model was associated with endoscopic atrophy grading (Z=-2.478, P=0.013) and gastric cancer (GC) (OR=5.70, 95% CI: 2.63-12.33, P<0.001). Conclusion: The ML model based on pathological features could improve the diagnostic consistency of gastric atrophy, which is also associated with endoscopic atrophy grading and GC.

Discovery and optimization of dihydropteridone derivatives as novel PLK1 and BRD4 dual inhibitor for the treatment of cancer.

In this study, we have designed, synthesized and tested three series of novel dihydropteridone derivatives possessing isoindolin-1-one or isoindoline moieties as potent inhibitors of PLK1/BRD4. Remarkably, most of the compounds showed preferable inhibitory activity against PLK1 and BRD4. Compound SC10 exhibited excellent inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 0.3 nM and 60.8 nM against PLK1 and BRD4, respectively. Meanwhile, it demonstrated significant anti-proliferative activities against three tumor-derived cell lines (MDA-MB-231 IC50 = 17.3 nM, MDA-MB-361 IC50 = 8.4 nM, and MV4-11 IC50 = 5.4 nM). Moreover, SC10 exhibited moderate rat liver microsomal stability (CLint = 21.3 µL·min-1·mg-1), acceptable pharmacokinetic profile (AUC0-t = 657 ng·h·mL-1, oral bioavailability of 21.4 %) in Sprague-Dawley rats, reduced hERG toxicity, acceptable PPB and CYP450 inhibition. Further research indicated that SC10 could induce MV4-11 cell arrest at the S phase and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. This investigation provided us with an initial point for developing novel anticancer agents as dual inhibitors of PLK1 and BRD4.

Enhancement of Carrier Mobility in Multilayer InSe Transistors by van der Waals Integration.

Two-dimensional material indium selenide (InSe) holds great promise for applications in electronics and optoelectronics by virtue of its fascinating properties. However, most multilayer InSe-based transistors suffer from extrinsic scattering effects from interface disorders and the environment, which cause carrier mobility and density fluctuations and hinder their practical application. In this work, we employ the non-destructive method of van der Waals (vdW) integration to improve the electron mobility of back-gated multilayer InSe FETs. After introducing the hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as both an encapsulation layer and back-gate dielectric with the vdW interface, as well as graphene serving as a buffer contact layer, the electron mobilities of InSe FETs are substantially enhanced. The vdW-integrated devices exhibit a high electron mobility exceeding 103 cm2 V-1 s-1 and current on/off ratios of ~108 at room temperature. Meanwhile, the electron densities are found to exceed 1012 cm-2. In addition, the fabricated devices show an excellent stability with a negligible electrical degradation after storage in ambient conditions for one month. Electrical transport measurements on InSe FETs in different configurations suggest that a performance enhancement with vdW integration should arise from a sufficient screening effect on the interface impurities and an effective passivation of the air-sensitive surface.

Microbiological and metabolic pathways analysing the mechanisms of alfalfa polysaccharide and sulfated alfalfa polysaccharide in alleviating obesity.

Alfalfa polysaccharide (AP) and sulfated alfalfa polysaccharide (SAP) exhibit potential for alleviating obesity. This study aimed to analyze the mechanism of action of AP and SAP in alleviating obesity through combined microbiomics and metabolomics. The research selected validated optimal AP and SAP concentration for experiment. The results showed that AP and SAP down-regulated colonic inflammatory gene expression, regulated intestinal pH to normal, and restored intestinal growth. Microbial sequencing showed that AP and SAP altered the microbial composition ratio. AP increased the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and Romboutsia. SAP increased the relative abundance of Dubosiella, Fecalibaculum and Desulfovibrionaceae. Metabolomic analysis showed that AP regulated steroid hormone biosynthesis, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions and bile secretion pathways. SAP focuses more on pathways related to amino acid metabolism. Meanwhile, AP and SAP down-regulated the mRNA expression of colonic COX-2, PepT-1 and HK2 and up-regulated the mRNA expression of TPH1. Correlation analysis showed a strong correlation between metabolites and gut bacteria. Dubosiella, Faecalibaculum may be the critical marker flora for polysaccharides to alleviate obesity. This study indicates that AP and SAP alleviate obesity through different pathways and that specific polysaccharide modifications affect characteristic microbial and metabolic pathways, providing new insights into polysaccharide modifications.

Brush-like Co/CoSe nanoheterostructures embedded in N-doped carbon for rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

Rational design and preparation of high-performance bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts with effective sites and excellent mass/electron transfer structures are in demand for Zn-air batteries to overcome the sluggish oxygen reduction/evolution kinetics. Herein, a scalable and facile strategy is proposed to obtain brush-like Co/CoSe nanoheterostructures embedded in N-doped carbon catalysts with optimized active sites and hierarchical nanostructures. Systematic investigation indicates that nanoheterogeneous interfaces with appropriate composition deliver significantly improved electrochemical activity. As a result, a zinc-air battery assembled with the obtained Co/CoSe nanoheterostructures embedded in the N-doped carbon (CoSe/Co@NC-1) catalyst exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance with a peak power density of 215 mW cm-2 and excellent stability for 475 hours (2850 cycles). These results indicate that this strategy is an effective method for fabricating multicomponent and hierarchically nanostructured materials with enhanced catalytic efficiency for advanced energy devices.