Pickering emulsions with high ionic strength resistance stabilized by pea protein isolate-polyglycerol conjugate particles with good biocompatibility.

Among various biopolymers, protein particles are widely used for stabilizing Pickering emulsions, yet their emulsifying ability are easily influenced by the ion concentration, pH, and high temperatures. To address these challenges, this study utilized chemical modification to prepare pea protein isolate-polyglycerol (PPI-PG) conjugates by Schiff-base reaction. Compared with other chemical modifications, this method produces conjugate particles with excellent biocompatibility, capable of promoting cell proliferation by up to 177 %. These conjugates showed improved dispersibility, with diffusion coefficients 3.5 times greater than pure PPI, and the isoelectric points shift from pH 4.6 to pH 1.5, which contribute to the pH stability of emulsions (pH 3-9). Additionally, the anisotropic nature of the conjugate particles, with a three-phase contact angle close to 90°, make particles need more energy for detachment from the oil-water interface, leading to good thermal stability of emulsion (80 °C, 48 h). Notably, after conjugation, these particles rely more on PG chains for dispersibility, which are less affected by ions, resulting in emulsions with high ionic strength resistance (3000 mM). Furthermore, the prepared Pickering emulsion demonstrates remarkable antioxidative properties (only a 10 % decrease), indicating widely potential applications in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors.

Constructed Rice Tracers Identify the Major Virulent Transcription Activator-Like Effectors of the Bacterial Leaf Blight Pathogen.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) injects major transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) into plant cells to activate susceptibility (S) genes for promoting bacterial leaf blight in rice. Numerous resistance (R) genes have been used to construct differential cultivars of rice to identify races of Xoo, but the S genes were rarely considered. Different edited lines of rice cv. Kitaake were constructed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing, including single, double and triple edits in the effector-binding elements (EBEs) located in the promoters of rice S genes OsSWEET11a, OsSWEET13 and OsSWEET14. The near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used as tracers to detect major TALEs (PthXo1, PthXo2, PthXo3 and their variants) in 50 Xoo strains. The pathotypes produced on the tracers determined six major TALE types in the 50 Xoo strains. The presence of the major TALEs in Xoo strains was consistent with the expression of S genes in the tracers, and it was also by known genome sequences. The EBE editing had little effect on agronomic traits, which was conducive to balancing yield and resistance. The rice-tracers generated here provide a valuable tool to track major TALEs of Xoo in Asia which then shows what rice cultivars are needed to combat Xoo in the field.

Evolution of the flat band and the role of lattice relaxations in twisted bilayer graphene.

Magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene exhibits correlated phenomena such as superconductivity and Mott insulating states related to the weakly dispersing flat band near the Fermi energy. Such a flat band is expected to be sensitive to both the moiré period and lattice relaxations. Thus, clarifying the evolution of the electronic structure with the twist angle is critical for understanding the physics of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene. Here we combine nano-spot angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy to resolve the fine electronic structure of the flat band and remote bands, as well as their evolution with twist angle from 1.07° to 2.60°. Near the magic angle, the dispersion is characterized by a flat band near the Fermi energy with a strongly reduced band width. Moreover, we observe a spectral weight transfer between remote bands at higher binding energy, which allows to extract the modulated interlayer spacing near the magic angle. Our work provides direct spectroscopic information on flat band physics and highlights the important role of lattice relaxations.

Tetrad stage transient cold stress skews auxin-mediated energy metabolism balance in Chinese cabbage pollen.

Changing ambient temperature often impairs plant development and sexual reproduction, particularly pollen ontogenesis. However, mechanisms underlying cold stress-induced male sterility are not well understood. Here, we exposed Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris) to different cold conditions during flowering and demonstrated that the tetrad stage was the most sensitive. After completion of pollen development at optimal conditions, transient cold stress at the tetrad stage still impacted auxin levels, starch and lipid accumulation, and pollen germination, ultimately resulting in partial male sterility. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses and histochemical staining indicated that the reduced pollen germination rate was due to the imbalance of energy metabolism during pollen maturation. The investigation of ß-glucuronidase (GUS)-overexpressing transgenic plants driven by the promoter of DR5 (DR5::GUS report system) combined with cell tissue staining and metabolome analysis further validated that cold stress during the tetrad stage reduced auxin levels in mature pollen grains. Low-concentration auxin treatment on floral buds at the tetrad stage before cold exposure improved the cold tolerance of mature pollen grains. Artificially changing the content of endogenous auxin during pollen maturation by spraying chemical reagents and loss-of-function investigation of the auxin biosynthesis gene YUCCA6 by artificial microRNA technology showed that starch overaccumulation severely reduced the pollen germination rate. In summary, we revealed that transient cold stress at the tetrad stage of pollen development in Chinese cabbage causes auxin-mediated starch-related energy metabolism imbalance that contributes to the decline in pollen germination rate and ultimately seed set.

Leukotriene B4-induced neutrophil extracellular traps impede the clearance of Pneumocystis.

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a fungal pulmonary disease with high mortality in immunocompromised patients. Neutrophils are essential in defending against fungal infections; however, their role in PCP is controversial. Here we aim to investigate the effects of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) on Pneumocystis clearance and lung injury using a mouse model of PCP. Intriguingly, although neutrophils play a fundamental role in defending against fungal infections, NETs failed to eliminate Pneumocystis, but instead impaired the killing of Pneumocystis. Mechanically, Pneumocystis triggered Leukotriene B4 (LTB4)-dependent neutrophil swarming, leading to agglutinative NET formation. Blocking Leukotriene B4 with its receptor antagonist Etalocib significantly reduced the accumulation and NET release of neutrophils in vitro and in vivo, enhanced the killing ability of neutrophils against Pneumocystis, and alleviated lung injury in PCP mice. This study identifies the deleterious role of agglutinative NETs in Pneumocystis infection and reveals a new way to prevent NET formation, which provides new insights into the pathogenesis of PCP.

Daily social support and school belonging among rural Chinese adolescents: Variations by parental migration.

"Left-behind" children refer to those who live in rural areas but have parents migrating to urban areas for work. They are at increased risk for developmental problems and family dysfunction. However, we currently know little regarding their support systems at school. Using daily data over five school days from 90 adolescents (Mage = 13.70) in rural China, this study investigated daily associations linking teacher and peer support to school belonging, and how these associations varied by parental migration. Teacher but not peer support was positively associated with same-day school belonging. However, this association was attenuated for adolescents with longer duration and history of parental migration. The findings highlighted the importance of considering school settings and within-group variations for left-behind adolescents.

3'-Deoxyadenosin alleviates methamphetamine-induced aberrant synaptic plasticity and seeking behavior by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202410000-00028/figure1/v/2024-02-06T055622Z/r/image-tiff Methamphetamine addiction is a brain disorder characterized by persistent drug-seeking behavior, which has been linked with aberrant synaptic plasticity. An increasing body of evidence suggests that aberrant synaptic plasticity is associated with the activation of the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. 3'-Deoxyadenosin, an active component of the Chinese fungus Cordyceps militaris, has strong anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether 3'-deoxyadenosin attenuates methamphetamine-induced aberrant synaptic plasticity via an NLRP3-mediated inflammatory mechanism remains unclear. We first observed that 3'-deoxyadenosin attenuated conditioned place preference scores in methamphetamine-treated mice and decreased the expression of c-fos in hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, we found that 3'-deoxyadenosin reduced the aberrant potentiation of glutamatergic transmission and restored the methamphetamine-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity. We also found that 3'-deoxyadenosin decreased the expression of NLRP3 and neuronal injury. Importantly, a direct NLRP3 deficiency reduced methamphetamine-induced seeking behavior, attenuated the impaired synaptic plasticity, and prevented neuronal damage. Finally, NLRP3 activation reversed the effect of 3'-deoxyadenosin on behavior and synaptic plasticity, suggesting that the anti-neuroinflammatory mechanism of 3'-deoxyadenosin on aberrant synaptic plasticity reduces methamphetamine-induced seeking behavior. Taken together, 3'-deoxyadenosin alleviates methamphetamine-induced aberrant synaptic plasticity and seeking behavior by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Ultra-stable pickering emulsion stabilized by anisotropic pea protein isolate-fucoidan conjugate particles through Maillard reaction.

Bio-based emulsifiers hold significant importance in various industries, particularly in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other related fields. In this study, pea protein isolate (PPI) and fucoidan (FUD) were conjugated via the Maillard reaction, which is considered safe and widely used in the preparation of food particle. The PPI-FUD conjugated particles exhibit an anisotropic non-spherical structure, thereby possessing a high detachment energy capable of preventing emulsion coalescence and Ostwald ripening. Compared to emulsions previously prepared in other studies (< 500 mM), the Pickering emulsion stabilized by PPI-FUD conjugate particles demonstrates outstanding ionic strength resistance (up to 5000 mM). Furthermore, when encapsulating curcumin, the Pickering emulsion protects the curcumin from oxidation. Additionally, the formulated emulsions demonstrated the capability to incorporate up to 60 % (v/v) oil phase, revealing remarkable performance in terms of storage stability, pH stability, and thermal stability.

Room-temperature sulfur doped NiMoO4 with enhanced conductivity and catalytic activity for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media.

Transition metal oxides have been acknowledged for their exceptional water splitting capabilities in alkaline electrolytes, however, their catalytic activity is limited by low conductivity. The introduction of sulfur (S) into nickel molybdate (NiMoO4) at room temperature leads to the formation of sulfur-doped NiMoO4 (S-NiMoO4), thereby significantly enhancing the conductivity and facilitating electron transfer in NiMoO4. Furthermore, the introduction of S effectively modulates the electron density state of NiMoO4 and facilitates the formation of highly active catalytic sites characterized by a significantly reduced hydrogen absorption Gibbs free energy (ΔGH*) value of -0.09 eV. The electrocatalyst S-NiMoO4 exhibits remarkable catalytic performance in promoting the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), displaying a significantly reduced overpotential of 84 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and maintaining excellent durability at 68 mA cm-2 for 10 h (h). Furthermore, by utilizing the anodic sulfide oxidation reaction (SOR) instead of the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the assembled electrolyzer employing S-NiMoO4 as both the cathode and anode need merely 0.8 V to achieve 105 mA cm-2, while simultaneously producing hydrogen gas (H2) and S monomer. This work paves the way for improving electron transfer and activating active sites of metal oxides, thereby enhancing their HER activity.

Design and Synthesis of 3-(2H-Chromen-3-yl)-5-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazole Derivatives as Novel Toll-like Receptor 2/1 Agonists That Inhibit Lung Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 is a transmembrane receptor that participates in the innate immune response by forming a heterodimer with TLR1 or TLR6. TLR2 agonists play an important role in tumor therapy. Herein, we synthesized a series of 3-(2H-chromen-3-yl)-5-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives and identified WYJ-2 as a potent small and selective molecule agonist of TLR2/1, with an EC50 of 18.57 ± 0.98 nM in human TLR2 and TLR1 transient-cotransfected HEK 293T cells. WYJ-2 promoted the formation of TLR2/1 heterodimers and activated the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Moreover, our study indicated that WYJ-2 could induce pyroptosis in cancer cells, mediated by activating the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. WYJ-2 exhibited effective anti-non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) activity in vitro and in vivo. The discovery that activating TLR2/1 induces pyroptosis in cancer cells may highlight the prospects of TLR2/1 agonists in cancer treatment in the future.

Genetic Connectivity of Gut Microbiota and Oral Ulcers: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship, if any, between gut microbiota and oral ulcers. METHODS: We performed a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to estimate the roles of gut microbiota in mouth ulcers. The summary datasets of gut microbiota were from the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) conducted by MiBioGen, and data of mouth ulcers were obtained from UK Biobank. Random effect inverse variance-weighted, weighted median, MR Egger, simple mode and weighted mode were used to estimate the relationship. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the heterogeneity and pleiotropy of instrumental variables. MR Steiger filtering was also applied to orient the causal direction. RESULTS: Three gut microbiota taxa were positively associated with mouth ulcers: Holdemania (odds ratio [OR] = 1.005, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.009, P = .019), Oxalobacter (OR = 1.004, 95% CI: 1.000-1.007, P = .032), and Ruminococcaceae UCG011 (OR = 1.006, 95% CI: 1.001-1.011, P = .029), while 4 gut microbiota taxa were negatively associated with mouth ulcers: Actinobacteria (OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.985-1.000, P = .042), Lactobacillales (OR = 0.995, 95% CI: 0.990-1.000, P = .034), Oscillospira (OR = 0.990, 95% CI: 0.984-0.997, P = .007) and Phascolarctobacterium (OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.986-0.997, P = .003). Sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the association in between. CONCLUSIONS: This MR study identified a strong association between the quality of gut microbiota and oral ulcers. The findings are likely to expand the therapeutic targets for mouth ulcers.

Multiple Discrimination and Substance Use Intention in Late Childhood: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate longitudinal, bidirectional associations between discrimination due to multiple reasons (race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, weight; termed multiple discrimination) and substance use (SU) intention in late childhood. These associations were compared across youth with no, single, and multiple (i.e., intersecting) marginalized identities based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and overweight status. METHODS: Data were drawn from a national sample of youth in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (N = 8,530; 9-12 years old). Youth reported both their experiences of multiple discrimination (the number of forms of discrimination youth experienced) and SU intention at one-year and two-year follow-ups. Theoretically relevant covariates were included. RESULTS: Compared to non-marginalized youth (n = 2,689) and youth with single marginalized identities (n = 3,399), youth with intersecting marginalized identities (n = 2,442) reported the highest SU intention and multiple discrimination across waves. Only for this last group, multiple discrimination predicted stronger SU intention subsequently (ß = 0.07, 95% confidence interval [0.02, 0.11]), whereas stronger SU intention predicted lower levels of multiple discrimination over time (ß = -0.06, 95% confidence interval [-0.09, -0.02]). Sensitivity analyses yielded similar patterns with some nuances among subgroups of youth with varying intersecting marginalized identities. DISCUSSION: Multiple discrimination predicted stronger SU intention over time in late childhood, particularly among youth with intersecting marginalized identities. Policies and practices should consider addressing multiple discrimination to reduce SU disparities among diverse youth.

Association between periodontitis and endometriosis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: A potential association between periodontitis and endometriosis has been indicated in previous observational studies. Nevertheless, the causal link between these two disorders has not been clarified. Methods: Based on publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets, we conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the relationship between periodontitis and endometriosis and its subtypes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly associated with candidate exposures at the genome-wide significance level (P < 5 × 10-8) were selected as instrumental variables (IVs). The inverse variance-weighted regression (IVW) was performed to estimate the causal effect of periodontitis on endometriosis. We further conducted two sensitivity analyses, MR-Egger and weighted median, to test the validity of our findings. The main results were replicated via data from the UK Biobank. Finally, a reverse MR analysis was performed to evaluate the possibility of reverse causality. Results: The IVW method suggested that periodontitis was positively associated with endometriosis of the pelvic peritoneum (OR = 1.079, 95% CI = 1.016 to 1.146, P = 0.014). No causal association was indicated between periodontitis and other subtypes of endometriosis. In reversed analyses, no causal association between endometriosis or its subtypes and periodontitis was found. Conclusions: Our study provided genetic evidence on the causal relationship between periodontitis and endometriosis of the pelvic peritoneum. More studies are necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Effect of adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation during adrenal vein sampling for the subtyping of primary aldosteronism: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is key for primary aldosteronism subtype identification. However, the value of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation in AVS is still controversial. METHODS: In this prospective study, we investigated the role of continuous ACTH infusion on the performance and interpretation of bilateral simultaneous AVS using a standard protocol in 59 primary aldosteronism patients. We analyzed the selectivity index and lateralization index in AVS pre and post-ACTH and estimated the prognosis of patients who underwent adrenalectomy with different cutoff points of lateralization index post-ACTH. RESULTS: The confirmed success rate of bilateral adrenal vein catheterization increased from 84% pre-ACTH to 95% post-ACTH. Fifty percent of the patients had a decline in lateralization index post-ACTH, 30% of patients showed unilateral primary aldosteronism pre-ACTH but bilateral primary aldosteronism post-ACTH according to lateralization index at least 2 pre-ACTH and lateralization index at least 4 post-ACTH. The outcomes of the patients with primary aldosteronism after adrenalectomy indicated that all patients achieved clinical and biochemical success regardless of lateralization index at least 4 or less than 4 post-ACTH. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that lateralization index cutoff 2.58 post-ACTH stimulation yielded the best threshold in lateralization with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 92.9%. CONCLUSION: ACTH stimulation increased the AVS success rates in patients with primary aldosteronism, reduced lateralization index in some cases and decreased the proportion of identified unilateral primary aldosteronism, resulting in some patients losing the opportunity for disease cure. Compared with lateralization index at least 4, a lower cutoff point of lateralization index at least 2.58 after ACTH stimulation has better accuracy of lateralization diagnosis.

ELOVL6 promotes the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma via activating WNT/ß-catenin pathway.

This study was to explore the role of ELOVL6 in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Considering its previously identified oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma. ELOVL6 gene expression, clinicopathological analysis, enrichment analysis, and immune infiltration analysis were based on the data from Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas, with additional bioinformatics analyses performed. Human HNSCC tissue microarray and cell lines were used. The expression of ELOVL6 in HNSCC was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry assay, and western blot analysis. The proliferation ability of HNSCC cells, invasion, and apoptosis were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 method, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. Based on the data derived from the cancer databases and our HNSCC cell and tissue studies, we found that ELOVL6 was overexpressed in HNSCC. Moreover, ELOVL6 expression level had a positive correlation with clinicopathology of HNSCC. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that ELOVL6 affected the occurrence of HNSCC through WNT signaling pathway. Functional experiments demonstrated that ELOVL6 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and invasion of HNSCC cells while promoting apoptosis. Additionally, compound 3f, an agonist of WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway, enhances the effect of ELOVL6 on the progression of HNSCC cells. ELOVL6 is upregulated in HNSCC and promotes the development of HNSCC cells by inducing WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway. ELOVL6 stands a potential target for the treatment of HNSCC and a prognosis indicator of human HNSCC.

Three-dimensional Ordered Macroporous Flexible Electrode Design toward High-Performance Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Flexible zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been considered to have huge potential in portable and wearable electronics due to their high safety, cost efficiency, and considerable energy density. Therein, the design and construction of flexible electrodes significantly determine the performance and lifespan of flexible battery devices. In this work, an ultrathin flexible three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) Sn@Zn anode (60 µm in thickness) is presented to relieve dendrite growth and expand the lifespan of flexible ZIBs. The 3DOM structure can ensure uniform electric field distribution, guide oriented zinc plating/stripping, and extend the lifespan of anodes. The rich zincophilic Sn sites on the electrode surface significantly facilitate Zn nucleation. Accordingly, a lowered nucleation overpotential of 8.9 mV and an ultralong cycling performance of 2400 h at 0.1 mA cm-2 and 0.1 mAh cm-2 are achieved in symmetric cells, and the 3DOM Sn@Zn anode can also operate in deep cycling for over 200 h at 10 mA cm-2 and 5 mAh cm-2. A flexible 3DOM MnO2/Ni cathode with a high structural stability and a high mass-specific capacity is fabricated to match with the anode to form a flexible ZIB with a total thickness of 200 µm. The flexible device delivers a high volumetric energy density of 11.76 mWh cm-3 at 100 mA gMnO2-1 and a high average open-circuit voltage of 1.5 V and exhibits high-performance power supply under deformation in practical application scenarios. This work may shed some light on the design and fabrication of flexible energy-storage devices.

Assessing the association between tea intake and risk of dental caries and periodontitis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Tea is an indispensable beverage in people's daily life. However, the relationship between tea intake and dental caries and periodontitis is controversial. We extracted datasets for tea intake and oral diseases from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) conducted by the UK Biobank and the Gene Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints consortium. We selected 38 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with tea intake as instrumental variables (IVs) (P < 5.0 × 10-8). Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to investigate the potential causality between tea intake and caries and periodontitis. Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analyses were utilized to estimate causal effects of tea intake on risk of caries and periodontitis after adjusting for smoking, body mass index (BMI), and socioeconomic factors. The results showed that higher tea intake was suggestively associated with fewer natural teeth (ß = - 0.203; 95% CI = 0.680 to 0.980; P = 0.029) and higher risk of periodontitis (OR = 1.622; 95% CI = 1.194 to 2.205; P = 0.002). After Bonferroni correction, the causality of tea intake on periodontitis remained significant. The significance of periodontitis disappeared after adjusting for the socioeconomic factors in MVMR (OR = 1.603; 95% CI = 0.964 to 2.666; P = 0.069). Tea intake had no association with risk of caries. Statistical insignificance of the heterogeneity test and pleiotropy test supported the validity of the MR study. Our results provide insight into the potential relationship between tea intake and oral diseases from a dietary lifestyle perspective, which may help prevent oral diseases.